#thinking about. how q was probably remembering that conversation in the cafe too when he wondered why toey would do so much for him

[casualavocados]

Why not consider he might be waiting for you?

Winny Thanawin as Q and Satang Kittiphop as TOEY WE ARE, ep7

[parvulous-writings]

Patrick  McKenna // SFW alphabet

​Summary: A sfw A-Z for Camerlengo Patrick McKenna

Warnings: Breaking of church vows (kinda, if you think about it)

Notes: Please be aware that this is purely off of the movie where McKenna features, this is in no way related to how he is portrayed in the book (mostly because I haven’t read it yet). Also I don’t know how the Roman Catholic church entirely operates- as although I do study it, I have never experienced any of it first hand, so there may be inaccuracies, for which I apologise.  My requests are currently open! My pinned post (found here) contains both a list of characters I write for, and a masterlist!

Not my gif

A - Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) 

Publicly, Patrick can’t be affectionate. He’ll give you a look every so often, just so you still know he cares for you, even though he can’t exactly show it.  He makes up for it in private though- making food once a week, some beverages, and lots of time curled up together on the sofa. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, he’ll even read to you.

B - Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? Where does the friendship start?)

As a friend, he would be the voice of reason, a moral compass for those who had little or none (whether they listened to him or not though, he couldn’t control). 

C - Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Patrick does quite like cuddles. Curling up to cuddle wherever is probably his favourite way to cuddle- having you both embrace one another as close as you can fills him with such a sense of joy that nothing else can replicate. 

D - Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking, cleaning, ect?)

Despite his vows to the Roman Catholic church, and the Vatican, he would love to settle down with you. Hands down, he’d probably do it in a heartbeat. He’s a pretty good cook, and often does some cleaning around the home. 

E - Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He would be very sympathetic about it- he understands it hurts, but if he’s leaving you there is most likely a good reason for it; most likely linking to his profession and position in the Vatican. 

F - Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? Do they wanna get married?)

Despite his vows of celibacy and chastity, this man is still a follower of Roman Catholicism. His commitment to a person would be unwavering, everlasting. But it would have to come after his devotion to the Vatican itself. 

G - Gentle (How gentle are they both physically and emotionally?)

He’s very gentle. He may be firm when implementing his beliefs and his opinions, but he is still gentle when he needs to be. He can be a little extreme, but for the most part, he knows how to take care of you, physically and emotionally. 

H - Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it, and what are they like?)

Similar to cuddles, Patrick really likes hugs as well. A quick form of affection, that works well when out in public. He’ll often hug you from the side, as it’s the easiest one to have whilst on the move or staying mostly out of sight. 

I - I Love You (How fast do they say the “love” word?)

It may take him a little while. He wants to be absolutely sure that love is what he’s feeling before he admits it to anyone but himself, even you.

J - Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What are they like when jealous?)

Jealousy is a trait that McKenna both has and despises. He can become incredibly jealous sometimes, but has become very good at hiding it. Sometimes even you don’t realise that that is what he’s feeling. When it gets really bad though, he’ll come to stand beside you- usually unable to touch you, since this usually happens whilst he is working- and speaks with the offender who made him jealous until they get scared off. 

K - Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Patrick likes to kiss you on your cheek or ear when just out of sight in public. Kisses on the lips are usually fairly chaste, getting heated very rarely- and these were always in private, and always would be unless you get married. He likes to be kissed on the jaw and the crook of his neck- though you found this out through trial and error, rather than him telling you.

L - Little Ones (How are they around kids?)

Patrick is actually pretty good around kids- he is often a good influence for them. Sometimes he can get a little too preachy, but you usually let him know of that and he’ll eventually reel himself back in a little bit.

M - Morning (What are mornings like with them?)

Oftentimes McKenna is long gone by the time you wake up- though occasionally he’ll wake you to give you a forehead kiss before he leaves. 

N - Nights (How are nights spent with them?)

There’s a routine for the evenings with Patrick- Grace and dinner, reading/watching a film, evening prayer, bed. There’s not overly much wiggle room in that, he likes routines. 

O - Open (When do they open up about themselves?)

If you’re having a quiet conversation during a film, he’ll occasionally slip in a piece of information about him, but you already know a lot from what he told you when he first met you- besides his extreme beliefs, he doesn’t keep many secrets. 

P - Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He is incredibly patient. Almost eerily so at times. It takes a lot, and I mean a lot, to get him visibly angered. Such as a lot of pressure over time, or a heavy interrogation.

Q - Quizzes (How much do they remember about you?)

A  lot. Occasionally he’ll forget something though- in which case he’ll profusely apologise and promise to remember it again in future. 

R - Remember (Favorite memory with you?)

There’s no one particular memory. There’s many- going to cafes together, walking along the canals hand in hand, hell even showing you around the Vatican. Anything that makes you smile, really. 

S - Security (How protective are they?)

Quite protective, even if he doesn’t often outwardly show it. The Roman Catholic church is a big organisation, one full of corruption even if they deny it. He knows that if any of them knew of your relationship, it could put you in danger, so he makes sure to inform you of how to keep safe, no matter the situation. 

T - Try (How much effort do they put in?)

He puts about as much effort in as any normal man does. He tries, but it’s not always particularly special. 

U - Ugly (What are their bad habits?)

He preaches a lot. This man has to quote something from scripture every day, for whatever reason. It can get rather frustrating at times. 

V - Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He has to look presentable, but since vanity goes against the virtues he’s been raised to follow, he does his best not to be as vain as some people can be. 

W - Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He would miss you a lot- you’ve become so ingrained into his daily life that it’s hard to imagine a day without you now.

X - Xtra (Random HC)

He’ll sometimes read you a bible story or two to get you to sleep if you’ve had a bad day- he has a very smooth and calming reading voice.

Y - Yuck (Things they don’t like either in general or a partner?)

He doesn’t like it when people try to disprove his beliefs, or argue against them. It gets him very agitated, and will deter him from said person. 

Z - Zzz (Sleep habits)

Literally just a normal sleep pattern, there’s nothing else or unusual to say about it. 

[studythenight-away]

How I Study Korean

Hello hello! To thank y’all for 7k followers I thought I’d make this quick post about how I study Korean. I’ve been in Korea for around 11 months now and while it’s been really hard to keep the motivation going sometimes, I’m really proud of how far I’ve come with studying the language. I think I’ve finally found a way to study the language that is both fun and effective, so I thought I’d share!

For some context, I came to Korea knowing only the Korean alphabet (and it still took me a few seconds to remember it). On my first day of Orientation we learned 잘먹겠습니다 and I was like chal-mok-uh-what? We had six weeks of intensive classes before heading to our placements (more info about my Fulbright experience here) but it wasn’t very helpful because the class itself was pretty poorly structured. Essentially I’ve studied the whole language only on my own. Now I can understand a good portion of what’s said at my workplace (ok like 30%), can use enough Korean to fool people into thinking I’m Korean hehe, and most importantly just feel overall less overwhelmed about being surrounded by a language I don’t speak.

So how’d I get here?

Vocab - you can’t really do anything without vocab. I use a TOPIK I vocab book because even though I’m not taking the TOPIK, I figured the words they expect you to know are probably helpful (they are). I talk more about that book here.

Grammar - Currently I’m going through the TTMIK books. I put all my grammar in one place because then it almost becomes like a grammar dictionary for me when I have a question. I try to write as many sample sentences as possible so I remember how to use them. Before TTMIK I used KGIU Beginner (and will soon move onto KGIU Intermediate). I talk about my grammar books in that same post here.

Writing sentences/daily diary - I then use the words in each chapter of the TOPIK book along with the grammar I learned together in sentences. That helps with me actually producing content using what I learned, instead of just memorizing everything. 

**Just memorizing words will not get you anywhere. I saw a HUGE improvement in my Korean once I actually started to write sentences instead of only memorizing grammar and vocab**

Learning Korean songs - My new favorite thing to do. Everyone says that when you learn a language you need some connection to it to help you stay motivated. I’ve been going through a lot of popular Korean songs (prepping for dem norebang nights amiright) and doing the following: I define all new words that I see, explain all foreign grammar, and directly translate all the lyrics.

Note that some vocab in the songs is not commonly spoken vocab. Just like how poets will use a lot of words that might be weird to say in daily conversation. I recommend looking up the words in Naver dictionary and looking at the example sentences to get a feel of when it’s used.

Also note that song grammar is often not proper grammar. They take liberties. I don’t recommend you focus on the grammar in songs until your Korean is at a high enough level where you can sort of decipher that and google the right thing. For example, they’ll mush particles into words which might confuse you or mess up the sentence order for it to sound better.

Lastly, I use Color Coded Lyrics because it has not only the Korean lyrics to songs but a rough English translation. I only use the English translation to make sure I’m somewhat going in the right direction, but try not to refer to it that often. The purpose is to make sure that I can understand the song by myself first before checking the translation. (Also the link is to the first song I ever learned, Mikrokosmos by BTS)

Other resources I often use

TTMIK’s QandA videos. All their videos are good but their Q&A series is the most useful in my opinion because it goes through examples of things that are genuinely confusing about Korean, especially when you try to speak it. Hyunwoo always gives amazing (and numerous) examples. Here’s the playlist.

Anki. YAS spaced repetition is the key. Make sure to use it every day (I forget to and uh yea I should). As long as you need to absorb new vocabulary, Anki is great. But please please remember that just flashcards will not help. You have to actively use this vocabulary in conversation or writing to remember it. Also check out this hilarious article about how you really should not be using Anki.

Also I recommend syncing your deck across devices so you can use the web version on your phone (instead of downloading the app you have to pay for on iOS)

How to Study Korean. I used to use this as my only source of grammar learning but I found it a bit too dense. He really packs a lot into each lesson and as an early learner it’s a bit overwhelming. But from the perspective of wanting an in-depth explanation to a grammar point, it’s incredible. Usually I just google the grammar point I need and use his explanation.

Language Learning with Netflix. Listening skills are also super important so I use this Chrome extension to be able to see both the Korean and English subtitles at the same time. Especially in the early stages of learning, I definitely couldn’t tell you exactly what words the actors were saying, so seeing the English translation really didn’t help much. With the extension you can also have it auto-pause after each line if you really want to hard-study. I usually just pause and write lines down when I think I might say something like that in conversation.

Apps

Papago. This is a better alternative to Google Translate because apparently they have user competitions to find the most natural ways to translate things, so it’s not just based on machines. It’s also helpful because you can take pictures of Korean text and it’ll translate it pretty effectively.

Naver Korean Dictionary. This app is great because it has a “Conjugation” button when you look up verbs and adjectives, gives you samples sentences, and also lets you connect easily to naver.com if you need to search for a good cafe. More importantly though, this app also has Papago within it. While it doesn’t let you take pictures of text like the normal Papago app, it does list all the new vocab in the sentence you translated, which the Papago app doesn’t do. This is incredibly helpful when sometimes something is conjugated weirdly in the sentence and you can’t decipher what the base word actually was. Naver will tell you!

Let me know if you have any questions!! I hope this helps someone :)

[pleasurextreasure]

❛nct reaction when they have a crush on you

a/n ~ thank you so much for requesting, we’ve been waiting to do a nct reaction but never got around in doing so. hope you like it and enjoy.➴admin kiki & lele 

Ξ r e q u e s t Ξ

j o h n n y

Johnny would be a mess. He would try and act cool around you but something would always backfire and he’d get all red and embarrassed, hoping you didn’t think much of it. Like that time he tried to lean against the wall when he saw you coming but instead leaned into an open doorway and falling inside the room as you checked if he was okay.  

t a e i l

The absolute sweetest to you. Although he’d be embarrassed of the other boys knowing of his crush, he had no problem with showing affection to you. He’d purposefully remember the things you like and surprise you with them either the next day or days later. 

t a e y o n g 

Taeyong would be so shy and wouldn’t know what to do. You could be across the room eating in the same cafe and he’d make accidental eye contact with you making him quickly turn away from you and turn bright red. When you were around him he’d become a soft little boy and try to subtly compliment you without making it too obvious he liked you. 

y u t a 

Did I hear cringey pick-up lines?? Because that’s all Yuta will be saying to you when you’re in his line of sight. So jokingly flirty with you that it hurts your heart. After weeks of his endless jokes, you end up pulling up some of your own, one being the famous dropping of limes and throwing the line of “Sorry, I’m bad at pickup limes.” You then pointed at him, “But I love cutecumbers.”

k u n

Kun would be very quiet around you, trying not to make a fool of himself around you. All the members would tease him around you especially lucas making it quite obvious he had a crush on you, but since he was so quiet around you, you thought he hated you. When you confronted him and asked if he hated you he was shocked. 

d o y o u n g

He would be too obvious that he’s crushing on you. Whenever you’d try talking to him, his face would heat up and his eyes would look at everything but you as he gave a short response. You assumed he just didn’t like you until you caught him staring a selfie you had posted the other day. 

c h i t t a p h o n 

Ten would probably make dirty jokes around you often, that you wouldn’t understand most of the time. The boys would give it away by always telling him he was friend zoned, and such until you decided to make a dirty joke back at him catching him off guard as he tried to look like it didn’t affect him.

j a e h y u n

Just like Johnny, he would try to act cool and collected around you. But behind closed room doors specifically behind the boys’, he’d be a complete gushy pile of affection that would fanboy over the things you said or done that day. “Okay, but hear me out guys. Have you heard her yawn? Because let me tell you, I heard an angel today.”

s i c h e n g  

Winwin is a little shy boy, and he wouldn’t know how to act. He would defiantly stutter with his words and could barely form a sentence. He’d freeze up around you and try to limit his time being alone with you trying to find someone else who he could add into the conversation so he could still talk to you without freezing up so much. 

j u n g w o o

A soft boy too shy to confess his feelings for you despite having them for ages now. Everyone knew he liked you. The boys knew. His parents knew. You knew. And because of this, you would try to subtlety hint at him that the feelings were mutual. But every hint would fly past him, causing you to give in and ask him on a date yourself. You could say he was definitely not prepared for it, especially with the way his eyes bulged out.

y u k h e i 

Lucas is a big flirt, no doubt but he also goes really shy sometimes. Lucas would always compliment ‘how beautiful you are’ and just smile when you start blushing. BUT if you compliment him he will get all shy and do that thing where he covers his mouth with his big hands when he shyly laughs, and his eyes do the little eye crinkle im getting carried away sorry I love him   

m a r k

Error 404: Mark’s sense could not be found. Would have total blankouts whenever in a conversation with you. His hands would always get so clammy when he’s talking to you because how can someone still look so pretty when they’re just talking? It was hard for him to just look at you without wanting to hug you.

r e n j u n

Renjun would be super sweet to you and always doing random cute things like holding the door open for you, or noticing something new you did to your hair, until you play a game of Mario Kart with him. He’s very competitive and will try to fight you

j e n o  

Liking someone??? Jeno never heard of it until you came around. Now he can’t get you out of his head no matter what he’s doing to distract himself from your eye-crinkling smile. He’d be eating cereal and the random thought of you would come around, causing him to dreamily sigh as he munched away on Cheerios.

d o n g h y u k

Haechan would be singing around the dorm when you joined into the song he was singing he’d look at you until you notice and stopped. He stared at you with a blank face as you shyly smiled and he said “You’re singing in the wrong tone.” 

j a e m i n

Would definitely compliment you 24/7. Not to you though, are you crazy?? He could never tell you how pretty your eyes are when the sunlight hits them just right or how bright they get when you’re excited over something. He tells the boys, though. Like all the time. All. The. Time. 

c h e n l e

Would burst into a fit of giggles at anything you say. He’s so obvious about his feelings that the boys would tease him all the time for it. On the other hand, you find it undeniably cute and sweet, and defend him anytime the boys call him out on his cringiness. 

j i s u n g

Absolute total puppy love. The boys would take it upon themselves to help their youngest member try to catch your eye. Queue the multiple attempts of pairing the two of you off during group outings, or not-so-secretly try to get the two of you to be alone with each other.

[loverboy-jungkook]

Video Games

genre: fluff

word count: 2.5k

description: video games have always helped relax you, and luckily Jungkook shares that same hobby.

author’s note: hey!! this is my very first imagine and I decided that all of the imagines I write from here on out to be inclusive of minorities/those whose characteristics are not necessarily common in fanfiction. this main character is going to remain neutral in the sense of race/ethnicity and gender! I hope y’all enjoy. also please send in requests if you’d like . 

Games, whether they’re on pc or console, have always been able to destress you from whatever events have happened throughout your day at work or school. You were luckily able to enjoy games of nearly every genre, from Animal Crossing to Legend of Zelda to Overwatch. Although to some, this past time of yours may be fruitless, but you have been able to meet lovely people via these games. If you were not playing them yourself, you were most likely watching it on YouTube!

Your boyfriend, Jungkook, was also an enthusiast, although he was probably a bit more immersed in it than you. Unlike your ability to limit yourself of the countless hours you could spend on just one more round of Overwatch and such things alike, Jungkook had to be torn apart from the screen sometimes, completely unaware that he had spent such a long time engrossed in the animations on the screen. Fortunately, he never allowed it to be a distraction from you.

Nevertheless, here you were, walking home from the train station from school. With such early classes and your bad habit of staying up a little too late, you decided to wear an oversized hoodie with some skinny jeans. However, you were beginning to think that perhaps you should have brought an actual coat, as the harsh winter air began to pierce through your hoodie. The thermos you held in your hands no longer had its steaming coffee from this morning, providing no extra heat to your hands. You stuck the thermos in the side pocket of your backpack and allowed your hands to clutch to each other in your pocket. Could this walk be any longer?

Going up the stairs to your apartment, you felt so exhausted and weary. Today, your teachers were all so excited to share with the class your assignments, leading to your planner containing two projects, one essay, and a few tests coming up in the future. You sighed as you inserted the key into the door of your apartment, and all of the sudden, the comfortable heat of your home embraced your cold body. You took your shoes off at the door, along with your backpack, and closed the door, feeling the warm floor beneath your feet and turning on the lights. Jungkook didn’t seem to be home, so you sent him a quick text indicating that you were home. As you waited for his response, you sauntered over to your bedroom and changed into some comfortable clothes.

You went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, opening and taking a long sip, when you heard a notification ping! from your phone on the table. It was Jungkook, explaining how he will be home around dinnertime and will be bringing takeout for you both to eat. His message was followed by a cute heart emoji, a habit he picked up from you. You loved just sending him a whole message of a hundred heart emojis whenever he said something cute over text. Needless to say, he found it adorable and began to do it too, just not to the same comedic extent as you.

You responded with a thank you and a meme because why not? You were glad you and Jungkook had the same sense of humor, as your conversations would not have been as hilarious as they are now. You carried your phone and water bottle to the couch and began scrolling through social media when you looked over to the game controller on the coffee table. You grinned lightly as you remembered how you met Jungkook.

~~~

It was a hot summer day, and while children could be heard playing outside, you had decided to stay indoors and play Overwatch. You hadn’t played it in a while, so why not now when you finally have time? You sat down in front of the tv and turned on the PlayStation, preparing for a few rounds of fucking around with your team and trying to win. Eventually, you decided to try on your new headset with a microphone as you entered another match. The people in the round spoke very kindly, along with some silly banter. As it turns out, Jungkook was on the opposing team. While fighting off the other characters for your team, you and he were beginning to fool around and keep killing each other for fun. Your team won nonetheless, and Jungkook complained about how you were distracting him the whole time.

His voice sounded so...happy. You grinned every time you heard his voice through the game. Luckily, you were able to play more with Jungkook, some rounds containing him on your team, and others with him on the opposing team. You guys just easily managed to get along, leading to the both of you remembering each other's usernames and finding each other again the next day. You played nearly every day for about a month when Jungkook made his bold move of asking for your number.

“Oh, uh, sure. I mean-” you stuttered, surprised that the question was even asked. Being friends over this game was fun, and taking it out of it was exciting, but you couldn’t hide the slight fear of probably meeting him and showing your face.

“You don’t have to! I mean, I don’t want to pressure you, but you just seem really cool and..” he trails off, his voice also showing signs of nervousness. You thought it over for a couple more seconds and decided, what the hell? If he ends up being not who he says he is, then you can just block him.

“Sure!” you exclaimed, your voice obviously a bit more perky than before, and you’re able to hear Jungkook sigh.

“Sweet..um, honestly, I have been wanting to ask for your number for a while now..” he says, audibly still a bit nervous. You take it upon yourself to calm him down.

“It’s okay! I’m excited to actually be able to talk to you a bit more normally now,” you respond. Jungkook chuckles, and you exchange numbers with each other.

Later that night, you found yourself having so much fun texting Jungkook, and although you didn’t know at the time, so was he. From this point on, you texted each other every day, making time for sessions on Overwatch whenever you could. It became a bit more difficult as you began working and going back to school, but you both still tried your best. Eventually, it was obvious this friendship started to include a bit of infatuation, especially from Jungkook’s side. He told you this when you actually began living together, but at the time, he found himself thinking of you a lot, wondering whether it was okay to ask to video chat with you or not. It turned out that you ended up asking him first, to which he replied with a joyful yes, only a few seconds after your question had sent through text.

Your first video call was extremely awkward, which you didn’t expect as you texted every single day. However, although the conversation wasn’t so riveting, it was full of compliments from you to Jungkook and vice versa. This was the first time you were seeing his face, and damn, he was so handsome. He was wearing a white t-shirt, which perfectly matched his minimalistic style and showed off his arms quite well. In Jungkook’s point of view, he found you to be so beautiful and cute at the same time. You were wearing a t-shirt as well, and although you were not necessarily “beautified” to the extent you wanted to be, he admired how you looked. Eventually, these video calls became more and more frequent. After about six months of talking to each other, Jungkook decided to ask you to be his (boyfriend/girlfriend.) You were sort of expecting it since as soon as he saw your face on his screen, he began to stutter and blush a small bit. Nonetheless, you stuttered a bit yourself as you said yes, and you will forever remember the grin on his face when he heard your response. After some time, he revealed his address and you were shocked to know he was only four hours away from you. You met at a cafe about halfway between you guys, and you knew that Jungkook really did like you a lot, and you liked him just as much. Although these meetings were sparse, they were special, and soon enough, through the consent of both of your parents, you began making plans to move in with him. And the rest is history.

~~~

Coming back to reality from that memory, you put your phone down on the table and closed your eyes. Even though you knew you had school assignments to be working on, you decided that you needed to rest, putting yourself in front of school for once. You soon fell asleep, still indulging yourself in the sweet memory of meeting your boyfriend.

\\\\

With a bag of takeout in his hand, a mask and coat protecting him from the cold, and his key in his other hand, Jungkook softly opened the apartment door, only to see you sound asleep on the couch. He had actually gotten home a bit earlier than he thought, hoping to pleasantly surprise you. Jungkook took off his shoes, coat, and mask before quietly setting down the bag of high-calorie food on the island of the kitchen. You looked so calm, an expression he hadn’t properly seen in a while. You were a relatively hard worker, and he truly did admire that about you. He considered waking you up, but he decided not to. He managed to put away the food as soundlessly as he could so that the two of you could enjoy it together. He walked over to you, slowly picking your feet up only sit where they were and placing them on his lap. He smiled as he saw your fuzzy socks.

Jungkook reached over to grab the game controller, allowing himself to relax along with you. You slept for another half hour, waking up to the minor sounds of the game Jungkook was playing.

“Good morning, (Y/N),” he said with a smirk, eyes still focused on the race in front of him. You stretched your limbs and sighed, happy to see him home.

“Hey, Jungkook,” you said quietly, a smile on your face too. You looked over to see him currently in 7th place in the race he was playing.

“You suck,” you added with a giggle, sitting up to give Jungkook a kiss on the cheek. He smirks once again as he nods his head towards the other controller.

“Go ahead and play against me then.” You smirked yourself this time, as you grabbed the controller with confidence.

“Get ready to get your ass beat.”

“Shut up.”

He exited out of his current race and began a new one with you, and within the next four rounds, you proved to be the winner. You hugged Jungkook but said things along the lines of, “I told you-you suck,” in his ear.

“Then I guess you don’t want any of the delicious food I bought for you and me.” You retreated back from the hug with a frown on your face.

“Well now I have to be nice to you,” you replied with. He smiled, all of his perfect teeth showing, as he came forward to embrace you, kissing you lightly on the nose.

“I’m just kidding.”

“You better be.”

Jungkook stood up and walked over to the kitchen to start heating up the food. You both agreed on eating in the living room and playing a bit more of some games. You brought over the cups, utensils, and drinks over to the coffee table as he brought out your plates.

“Thank you!” you exclaimed as he handed you your plate, immediately beginning to eat. Jungkook sat next to you on the couch and began to start up a more calm game for you both to play. You decided on Animal Crossing since Jungkook didn’t know much about it and you were pretty eager to show him all about it.

As you began to explain the workings of the game, Jungkook was eating his food but not necessarily paying attention to what you were saying. He was paying more mind to the way your eyes shined when you spoke about things you enjoyed. Your smile giving him butterflies, and the way you talked a bit through a full mouth of food was no longer awkward, but rather a cute action you often forgot you did. You noticed he was no longer responding and turned your head only to see him blush and look towards the screen again. Jungkook still managed to be a bit shy around you, and it was the same for you too. You kissed his cheek, convincing him to turn his head towards you now.

“You’re still shy around me,” you said to him, your face inches away from his.

“Only sometimes..” he responded with, “you’re just so...perfect.” Jungkook looked away now, obviously cringing at his own cheesy line. You turned his head back towards you with your finger.

“That was cheesy.”

“Yeah, I know.”

You giggled and kissed him on the lips this time. Luckily, Jungkook was a guy who took good care of himself, leading to his fit body, clear skin, and especially soft lips. You pulled away to see his eyes still closed, expecting a longer kiss from you. You obliged, feeling your face heat up as his hands come up to your face, holding you gently. He still managed to make you feel so giddy, and he felt the same way. The kiss lasts only for a few more moments before you both pull away. This is happiness for you. Although school may be packing more onto you every day, you’re so content knowing that Jungkook is here to support and love you, and you’re more than willing to do the same.

The night carries on like this until Animal Crossing begins to bore you and Jungkook starts to yawn. Soon enough, Jungkook falls asleep on your shoulder, breathing gently and deeply. You turn off the tv and kiss his forehead.

“C’mon Jungkook. We can’t sleep here, we have to sleep in our bed.” “Five more minutes, you’re so warm.” He wraps his arms around your waist as he nuzzles his face into your neck. Although this wasn’t new, your face still gets hot. Through many more attempts of persuasion, he finally listens and drags himself to your bed.

After brushing your teeth and doing your skin care, you open the bathroom door to see your boyfriend already asleep in your bed. This scene was so beautiful, with the lights dim and Jungkook with the comforter around his waist, next to open space left for you. For once during this day, your brain had fully calmed down upon seeing him here, sleeping soundly. All the troubles in your life were gone in this moment. Bliss overtook your mind, and you were grateful to Jungkook for it. He made you so immensely happy, through his small actions of kindness he does for you or the words he says to you. And although he never explicitly told this to you, he felt the exact same way.

You quietly turn off the light and lay next to him. He instinctively places his arm around you, pressing himself closer to you. He kisses your forehead, muttering a quick, “I love you,” before relaxing once again. Nuzzling your face into his chest, your breathing slows down, your thoughts becoming fuzzy as the warmth of Jungkook’s body lulls you to a deep sleep.

[trouvxilles-blog]

a conversation. #4

“so you’re actually going to do it?”

quinn snorts, attention on the tablet in his hands because, like terry, he can’t stop working - even on weekends. but, unlike terry, quinn actually has money. in this little home away from of home, terry’s pretty much the only one who’s consistently flat broke.

not that they care. they love him. shocker.

“why not?”

terry forgets about the coffee made prior - the moment he walked into the cafe, bob just called him over to the counter to come get it. early saturday routine, he guesses. it almost feels like another schedule, but one he doesn’t mind at all.

quinn lowers his tablet enough to look at his friend dead in the eye. “because you can’t even remember his name.”

“it’s not like i’m not fucking trying. it’s a weird-ass name. unlike, you know, bob. which, by the way, is apparently not short for robert like stephen calls him.”

“sylvan.”

“who?” a pause as quinn gives him another look, a combination of disbelief and exasperation. “ah. shit. yeah - okay. sylvan. i should get his name tattooed on my fucking hand.”

“add a heart, and believe me, he’d pass the fuck out right in from of you.”

with a sigh, terry slumps in his seat, back sinking into the cushion. he zones out, the smoke rising from his cup a blur. “why me, even? i’m from the fucking ghetto. and, judging by his financial status, i think his parents are hoping for a litter.”

quinn shrugs. “i don’t know, either.” it’s a joke, and he proves it by setting his ipad on the table between them. he offers terry a smile. “really, what’s not to like? you’re hot, you work hard - too hard - and, even with the shitstorm that is your life, you’re well-read.”

“then why don’t you ask me out instead?” he offers the other a tight-lipped, sarcastic smile.

“i would,” quinn replies, purposely slow. “but i like someone else.”

“is it bob?”

“let’s get back to the point, please.”

terry glances over at the register, where sylvan is leaning over the counter and flirting with girls. flirting, in a sense that he’s quoting shakespeare, and apparently, in bob’s words, chicks dig that.

bob, the wingman, does his best. terry can tell. especially since bob, also the cafe manager (an absolute joke, that lazy ass), resorts to calling sylvan that hunk of a man that is my best friend.

but to the whole shakespeare thing, sure, terry’s into that as well. at least, to an extent. if only he’d have noticed sooner. it’s hard to when girls are constantly flocking around him. isn’t sylvan’s dad the ceo of the media enterprise terry’s working at? carter. thanks for the last minute head’s up, q. jesus. he should have known. then again, last names aren’t exactly the first thing to remember because he can’t even fully grasp the barista’s given name.

sylvan…

the daily, self-composed haiku written on the side of his coffee cups wouldn’t have been so anonymous lest there were at least initials. or just a name. a name he’ll probably forget. but that’s beside the point. because those coffee cups are handed over to staff, and terry never batted an eyelash until one of the directors asked him about it. fuck if he knows.

three in the afternoon. without fail, he’s always behind the counter with tinted cheeks, stuttering words, and a bright smile. bob comes in to ruin the moment. that part, also without fail. so quinn spills his coffee on purpose, ceramic shards on the floor, forcing bob’s attention elsewhere. both a good and bad thing - for every one of them.

“yes,” quinn says, firmly. terry zones back in to see a smug smile on his friend’s face. “that’s his name.”

terry wasn’t aware he said it out loud. he throws his head back, feeling the cushion on his neck. “christ, what do i do?”

“it’s one date, ter.” quinn mumbles on the side of the coffee cup. “you owe him that, at least. he’s been trying to get your attention for months.”

“how does someone like me date someone with the second name alexander?”

“how do you remember that, and not his first? unbelievable.” quinn takes a sip of his coffee, finally. terry doesn’t touch his. “anyway, your second name is a character from shakespeare.” point taken. his mom is a pretentious cunt. “just follow your heart.”

“my heart says to kill myself.”

“then your gut.”

“my gut is a blackhole of guilt, my dude. always has to remind me that i’m already dating someone else.”

“not the last time i checked.”

quinn takes another sip, winces because it’s still piping hot. terry would chug that down until it burns his throat enough that his larynx will be deemed useless. his own coffee has grown cold. quinn puts the cup back down.

“exclusive means the same thing.”

quinn knows. of course. one of them has to, and quinn’s the only one with a sound enough mind to consider this. then again.

“it’s not. it’s really not.” he rolls his eyes at this, lightly scratches his cheek. a habit quinn’s formed when he’s thinking. “did he say - deliberately - that you cannot go on this one date?”

“what if i actually end up genuinely liking him? you think i’m all for playing cinderella?”

“why the hell not? you’re as pretty as cinderella,” quinn grins. terry scoffs. “come on, you’re also just as on the verge of a mental breakdown as cinderella if you don’t learn to put yourself first. for once. evil step-siblings aside.” quinn pauses, studies terry’s torn expression. “look, t. he can take care of you.”

“i don’t want to be taken care of.”

“well, sometimes you need to be.”

terry has no idea how to respond to that, so he just considers. the date, not the fairytale ending. everyone only offers good points - even that aiden kid. “i mean, i can ask -”

“don’t do that.”

of course.

quinn’s moral compass rarely ever points in the right direction. he nods toward the counter, and for a moment, terry catches sylvan’s eye. the barista almost trips on his own two feet.

quinn adds, “he’s a catch.”

“i know,” terry says, mostly to himself. but it seems more like sylvan’s the one that needs catching. terry’s not sure if he’s up for that yet. quinn tosses his cup on the floor - the ceramic breaks. he calls for bob.

for fuck’s sake!

oops, sorry.

sylvan is ready with a mop in hand, and quinn gives terry the look. fucking do it. it’s not ideal to ask someone out - or agree to it - when they’re miserably mopping up steaming espresso off the floor. but as he watches sylvan stride over, terry instinctively sucks in a breath.

here we fucking go.

he can’t do it.

at least, not yet.

[lady-divine-writes]

Kurtbastian fic - “Beside Myself: Chapter 4 - You (and You and You) and Me Make Things Complicated” (Rated NC17)

Kurt has been kind of stalking a man for weeks, going to the same mediocre cafe every day just to have lunch in his presence. It starts out as harmless - crushing on a guy that reminds him of his boyfriend - until Kurt starts to feel guilty. Right when he decides that leaving is the right thing to do, something unexpected happens.

Glee/The Flash sort of crossover (5554 words for this chapter)

Chapter 1 - Caught in the Act

Chapter 2 - Plot Twist

Chapter 3 - A Freudian Black Hole

Read on AO3.

“So, you’re sure you’re okay with this?” Barry asks as he and Carson walk hand in hand to the hotel behind Kurt and Sebastian, who can’t seem to keep their hands off one another. Carson isn’t a fan of PDA. He doesn’t understand the appeal behind feeling someone up and swapping spit in front of God and country. It’s tacky, it’s gross, and it makes everyone by and large uncomfortable.

But watching Kurt and Sebastian make-out like this fascinates him. It’s not that they don’t care who may or may not be watching (though they probably don’t), it’s as if no one else exists when they’re together. They’re not putting on a show for attention; they’re just that much in lust, but a lust bred from love. In fact, Carson is pretty sure that he and Barry could bow out right now and the two men in front of them would be none the wiser. They’d go up to Sebastian’s rented room and make love, high on each other and the simple suggestion of a foursome.

Carson would like to believe he has something similar with Barry (not as steeped in performance art, but similar). But watching Kurt and Sebastian, he doesn’t think they do. Not even close. It’s something Carson never thought he might envy before he saw these two men together.

Carson wants to see if he can siphon a little bit of that spirit from them.

“Yes, I’m okay with this,” Carson says, so tightly his voice almost changes pitch. “Could you please stop asking me?”

“I just want to make sure you’ll be able to handle it.”

“Handle it?” Carson scoffs. “Barry, please. I’ve been stuck in the middle of a gun battle in Yemen, narrowly missed mortar fire in Iraq, took photos of an epic crash at the Indy 500 from the track, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Barry says with a hard swallow. He doesn’t particularly like to be reminded of Carson’s reckless streak.

“I think I can handle an orgy.”

“I’m not sure. This is different.”

“I fail to see how it is.”

“You do those other things because it’s part of your job, but you take risks because you think you’re invincible.”

“I am invincible,” Carson says, conceited. “I’ve escaped death more than once. I’m considering adding that to my resume.”

“But this isn’t about putting your life on the line. This is about your heart … and mine.” Barry runs a thumb over Carson’s knuckles – as affectionate in public as they dare get. “You don’t have to do this for me. I’ll understand if you say no.”

“I know that,” Carson says, conflicted. This seems like an easy out. Should he take it? Would Barry end up resenting him if he did? Would Carson resent himself in the long run? “But maybe I’m doing this for me.”

Barry slows their pace a step to look at his boyfriend, his expression of perplexed, concerned, and sweet part of everything Carson loves about him. “Are you doing this for you?”

“Yes,” Carson says, definitively, decidedly – he thinks. He’s 89% sure. “I am. I swear.”

Barry lets the subject drop, but only for about three seconds before he picks it back up again. “Just so you know, it’s never too late to back out. Even when we’re in the middle of it, I’m totally okay with …”

“Look, Barry. Do you want to talk me out of this, or do you want to do this?”

“Alright,” Barry says, but with a healthy bit of skepticism. This acquiescence seems out of character for Carson. He’s usually so competitive, and territorial when it comes to their relationship. Anyone who so much as looks at Barry can expect Carson’s bitch glare aimed their way, burning a hole into their skull.

Barry speeds up again, catching up with Kurt and Sebastian as they reach the opposite sidewalk.

“Out of curiosity, what were you and Sebastian talking about for so long anyway? You know, before you came over and swallowed Kurt’s tonsils,” Carson asks after they cross the street to the hotel and all of this begins to get very real.

“We were talking about decisions,” Barry says, squeezing Carson’s hand. “Which ones I wanted to make, which ones I thought you’d be okay with …” Which ones I thought I could live with …

Sebastian must have called ahead at some point, or he has a room permanently on retainer, because he goes straight to the concierge’s desk, scans a screen loaded on his iPhone, and the lady behind the desk hands him a key card. It takes less than two minutes. Jesus Christ! It took Carson nearly forty-five minutes to check-in to his single room at the Holiday Inn last time he traveled, and a good thirty minutes of that time had to do with a discrepancy concerning his passport.

Carson’s passport had been charred during an accident back in high school. He should just get it replaced and bypass all the bullshit it causes, but he’s kind of fond of it that way.

The four of them catch the elevator the second its doors open to let a handful of visitors out on the lobby level. Sebastian slams the close door button before anyone else can get on, giving one surprised businessman a shrug when the doors close in his face and no one makes a move to hold it for him.

Sebastian immediately pulls Kurt into his arms and starts kissing him again, one hand latching on to his right butt cheek and squeezing till the fabric of his pants crease, while Kurt loops his arms around Sebastian’s neck and nearly winds his legs around his waist. They whisper and giggle, trade I love yous and carry on like hormonally charged teenagers. Barry can’t help chuckling at the two of them. He doesn’t think he’s ever been as eager to get at someone before in his life the way they seem to want to get at each other. The majority of what he feels in his stomach now is nervous butterflies. He envies their ability to throw caution to the wind and express that kind of affection, no holds barred.

Barry turns to Carson to see if he might want a kiss, a hug, a hand to hold, but he’s looking at his phone, rearranging meetings and answering texts (from what Barry can tell). It dawns on Barry that he should be doing the same, letting someone at the department know that he’s taking an extended lunch break. Carson’s the practical one, making sure that all of his loose ends are tied and his q’s curled before he does something spontaneous.

He could also be hiding how uncomfortable he is behind menial tasks that make him feel in control, but that doesn’t make what he’s doing any less intelligent.

Barry would ask which, but it seems clear from their conversation on the street that Carson’s not telling.

The elevator stops and they step off. Barry and Carson follow yet again as Kurt and Sebastian basically wrestle one another down the hallway to the room. In an impressive move, Sebastian sticks the key card in the slot and opens the door without even breaking Kurt’s kiss. Barry gets the impression that the two of them have been in this situation before – so caught up in kissing one another that things like riding in elevators and opening doors become completely secondary, and they’ve learned to do them without having to pay attention.

Behind closed doors, things change.

The atmosphere in the hotel room is drastically different compared to the walk over. Walking from the deli to the hotel, Carson had an excuse not to participate in any heavy petting, but here, things will be expected of him. He just doesn’t know how they’ll proceed. It’s not something they stopped to talk about. Carson assumed they would start out in pairs, both couples beginning with what was familiar and then adding to the other group as time went on. But Sebastian seems to declare himself the leader. He undoes Kurt’s fly, then takes Barry’s hand and shoves it down the front of Kurt’s pants while Sebastian kisses Barry’s neck. Barry strokes, and Kurt attacks Barry’s lips. Sebastian splits his time between undressing Kurt and undressing Barry while simultaneously leading the entire entourage over to the bed.

When Barry’s mouth isn’t on Kurt’s, Sebastian’s mouth is. Barry and Sebastian trade-off who kisses Kurt, who undresses Kurt, who strokes Kurt. Sooner than Cason thought, the focus becomes Kurt. Because Sebastian wants Kurt, that’s more than obvious, but so does Barry. Kurt, in the middle of receiving this body worship, reaches out for Carson, but Carson slides away, hoping Barry will reach for him instead, which he does, but then Carson finds himself shrinking from his touch when Barry gets on his knees and sucks Kurt’s cock into his mouth. Carson hadn’t prepared for that. He had envisioned Barry fucking Kurt. He had envisioned Barry fucking Sebastian. He had envisioned some combination of both. But this seems too intimate to Carson. The sound Kurt makes when Barry begins to bob, along with his choked off, “Barry!” swallowed by Sebastian’s grinning mouth, is unequalled by any sound made during any sex act that Carson has ever been a participant of. Eventually, Carson edges himself out of the equation with his pants and half of his shirt unbuttoned, while the three naked men, Carson’s boyfriend included, writhe on the king-size bed – Barry on top of Kurt and Sebastian moving behind Barry, until they become a blur of flesh and moans.

Carson thought he would be okay with this. He honestly did. He talked a good game, even to himself, but he really isn’t. Not with the reality of his boyfriend and another man who looks like his boyfriend pleasuring a man who looks like him … but isn’t him. Seeing it with his own eyes in real life is paralyzing.

And not because Carson is jealous.

Of all the people in the world that Barry finally looked at sideways since he and Carson had started dating, Barry chose a man who looks just like him, so that has to say something.

Except that’s where the similarities stop.

Kurt isn’t like Carson.

Kurt is polished, sophisticated, dresses infinitely better, wears expensive cologne and, Carson suspects, makeup to cover up his flaws (if he has any). Kurt worries about things like skincare, diet, manicures, and the cut of his clothes. His life doesn’t surround politics, riots, military movements, coups, and last minute trips to places where you have to live out of one bag, carry your own biodegradable toilet paper, and can’t drink the water or you’ll die.

Kurt is the kind of man Barry could come home to after a long day, go to sleep next to every night without worrying about his cell phone ringing, meet for quickies at lunch time, and take to the CCPD’s Annual Christmas Gala. Carson has had to miss the last three. After this last time, Barry joked that the guys at CCPD didn’t believe that Barry actually had a date. Barry was teasing, but Carson could tell that it bothered him.

Imagine Barry walking into the ballroom of the Silver Ages Tower with Kurt on his arm?

What if Kurt is what Barry wants? Someone like Carson, yes, but different?

Kurt reminds Carson of Iris, the woman that Barry had been in love with his entire life until she fell in love with and got engaged to someone else. Shortly after Barry decided to give up on love altogether and focus on work, he and Carson met, and something clicked - a spark that grew so bright between them that it couldn’t be ignored.

But regardless of that spark, and how hot it got when they were together, Carson always felt like a rebound, that there was someone else in the world that Barry might like better.

What if he was half right?

Carson becomes so lost in that thought that he backs himself into a corner, partially staring, but mainly contemplating, so he doesn’t notice Sebastian leave the group and come his way.

“Are you going to get in on this? Or do you plan on remaining a wallflower?” he asks. Carson gives him and the others a cursory glance. From around Sebastian’s naked (and visibly aroused) body, Carson catches a glimpse of Kurt lying on his back with Barry hovering over him, sliding inside him slowly.

Carson’s eyes spring open. Well, that escalated quickly, now didn’t it?

When Carson doesn’t answer, Sebastian sighs. “Look, you sulking in the corner is kind of getting creepy. We all want you to join in. But if you’re not down for sex, we can compromise. You’re a journalist, right? I’ll lend you my iPhone, and you can take some pictures.”

“What do you care if I join in or not?” Carson’s eyes dart away from the visual of Barry climbing on top of Kurt and Kurt arching his back, eyes shut, face already orgasmic. “More for you, right?”

“Well, jeez, Carson” – Sebastian rolls his eyes – “if you’d told us you’re man-strating, we would have waited out the week.”

Carson laughs dryly. “You have quite the way with words, Mr. Smythe. Must be why Kurt loves you so much.”

“One of the many reasons,” Sebastian kids. “But seriously, you’re missing out on all the fun with your boy Barry.”

“Really? Because it doesn’t look like Barry’s missing me much.”

“Oh yeah?” Sebastian chuckles. “Well, he’s called Kurt Carson twice already.”

“It doesn’t look like Kurt minds.” Carson is about to check, but decides he really doesn’t want to. Talking to Sebastian, even naked Sebastian, feels safer than watching what’s going on over on the bed. “It doesn’t look like you mind, either.”

“We don’t mind because this is just sex,” Sebastian says. “It’s not love. That’s what this was supposed to be about, right? Why are you sitting out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to literally fuck yourself?” Sebastian takes a few steps forward, the expression on his face more understanding than before, when he was all snarky remarks and jabs. Maybe it’s a side-effect of being nude and slightly vulnerable, but he seems genuinely curious to find out what might be wrong.

Carson centers his gaze on the ceiling, trying to ignore the soft gasps across the room. “What if … what if Barry starts liking Kurt … more than he likes me?

“Why would he? I mean, the two of you might look the same, but you’re you. He fell in love with you. And regardless of finding someone who looks like you, there’s only one you, Carson.” Sebastian leans his back against the wall next to Carson. With an unobstructed view, Carson watches Barry drop his head to Kurt’s shoulder - in frustration, maybe? Embarrassment? Kurt whispers something, and Barry nods, a shy smile twitching his lips. Then Barry whispers something back, and Kurt laughs, full and honest. They look like they’re enjoying themselves, enjoying one another … and Carson hates it. Sebastian, on the other hand, looks on with a fond smile, and so much love in his eyes that Carson would think Sebastian is watching himself on the bed with Kurt and not someone who looks like him. “You know, statistics say that there’s actually six or seven lookalikes for every person on earth, you’re just unlikely to find them. So, there are other people that look like you in the world aside from Kurt. Is Barry going to run off with all of them? Is Barry going to fuck all of them if he finds them? Not likely. Besides, if your little Barry wants my Kurt, he’s going to have to go through me to get to him, and cop or no, he’s going to be in for one hell of a fight.”

Carson barks a laughs at the conviction in that statement. Even if Barry wanted a relationship with Kurt, Sebastian wouldn’t let the man go without a fight.

“I guess,” Carson says, noticing Barry peek over when he laughs.

“Look,” Sebastian says, “Kurt and I didn’t intend for this to cause bad feelings. We thought you were down or we wouldn’t have agreed. We’re not going to push. If you want to leave right now, you can. No one’s keeping you here.”

Carson shrugs a shoulder. “I couldn’t leave without Barry, and I’m sure that he wants to stay.”

Sebastian seems stunned by that remark. “What? You think he’d stay here without you?” Carson doesn’t answer. Didn’t Barry say it didn’t matter what point they were at in this, if Carson wanted to go, they’d go? Carson doesn’t want to admit that he doesn’t believe Barry would leave – not now. Not when he’s this far in with a gorgeous man. Not when it looks like he’s having the time of his life. Carson doesn’t want to be the person who interrupts that.

Carson’s silence is Sebastian’s answer. He shakes his head. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but he only wants you.” Carson sputters another laugh and turns his face away. “He’d go with you,” Sebastian insists. “Right now. No questions asked.”

“Yeah. Right.”

“You don’t have much faith in your man.”

“How do you suddenly know so much about what Barry would and wouldn’t do?”

“Because he told me. Duh. Literally a second before I walked over here. And I believe him.” Sebastian waits for his words to sink in, for Carson to have a Eureka! moment and change his tune, but that moment doesn’t come. “Look, hang in the corner if you want, but this is getting hot, and my boyfriend needs to be kissed.”

Sebastian pushes off the wall and heads back to the bed. Carson watches it play out: Sebastian’s eyes lock on to Kurt as if he were the only other person in the room. He struts over to his boyfriend lying on the bed, being steadily fucked by Barry, stroking his erection back to hard. Kurt smiles at Sebastian and only Sebastian, licks his lips when he sees Sebastian’s cock in his hand. Kurt’s eyes glow with an intensity that belongs to Sebastian. Sebastian kneels down beside the bed and murmurs in Kurt’s ear, then he claims Kurt’s mouth. Carson watches Kurt rise up to meet him, sees how absolutely in love the two of them are. Barry may be there, he may be in as intimate a position with Kurt as any human being can be, but that doesn’t seem to matter. It adds to the experience of Kurt and Sebastian together; it doesn’t take anything away.

Barry may look like Sebastian, but he’s not Sebastian.

And Sebastian is in love with Kurt.

Just like Barry, cock buried deep inside this other man, is in love with Carson. He has his head turned, staring at Carson with lust blown eyes, silently begging for Carson’s mouth on his. And Carson wants to give that to him. But not yet. That’s not entirely what this experience is about.

“Sebastian?” Carson calls, interrupting his and Kurt’s kiss. “Sebastian, can you … can you come here, please?”

Sebastian turns to Barry, eyebrows raised, as if he expected Carson to call him back, like he was waiting for it. That’s obnoxious. Barry would never do something like that. Even if he anticipated Carson’s next move, he’d have the decency to look surprised.

“Why?” Sebastian asks, pulling away from a whimpering Kurt and heading back to Carson’s corner of the room. “What’s up?”

Carson lifts his hands to his shirt and starts unbuttoning it the rest of the way, emboldened when Sebastian’s eyes follow. Carson takes the shirt off and tosses it in the corner. Sebastian looks Carson over, outlines his bare torso with his hungry gaze. He licks his lips, and Carson’s mouth goes dry.

“Would you ... kiss me?” Carson feels stupid asking this, as if Sebastian’s going to say no. Sebastian’s proven he’s a decent guy … for a pervert.

Sebastian smirks. A desire lights his eyes that Carson would have never expected.

“My pleasure.” Sebastian takes the last two steps towards Carson with a sensual confidence that Carson can’t help finding extremely sexy. He expects Sebastian to grab him by the shoulders and kiss him hard, maybe painfully, but he doesn’t. Sebastian takes his time. He wraps an arm around Carson’s waist, then another. He runs fingertips up Carson’s spine until his hand cradles the back of his head, drawing Carson’s gaze to Sebastian’s eyes – green eyes that look like Barry’s from a distance, but up close are distinct. Sebastian’s eyes carry flecks of gold, where Barry’s eyes are more grounded in one color, but in a variety of hues. Sebastian’s eyes smolder where Barry’s eyes simmer. Sebastian’s eyes go from green to black in almost an instant whereas Barry’s take a while to get there. Sebastian removes Carson’s glasses carefully and sets them on a nearby table. He looks from Carson’s eyes, probably noting similar differences between him and Kurt, down to his mouth, then slowly back up to his eyes again before he kisses him.

There’s a part of Carson whose first instinct is to rebel at having another man’s mouth on his, but he tries his best to relax. After a second, he’s not trying anymore. He’s doing – holding tight to Sebastian’s shoulders, wrapping a leg around his, kissing him back. He doesn’t feel Sebastian move him, held captive by this kiss; doesn’t register being picked up and walked over to the bed to join the other two.

Sebastian lays Carson out on the bed a short distance from Kurt and Barry.

Barry whispers something to Kurt, and Kurt enthusiastically agrees.

“Top or bottom, Carson?” Sebastian asks, undoing the button to Carson’s pants.

“Bottom,” Carson says.

“On your hands or on your back?”

“Back.”

Sebastian smiles. He looks surprisingly bashful, but still very little like Barry. “Are you just picking the second choice I give you - yes or no?”

“No.” Carson chuckles. “I just …” He wants to mirror what Kurt and Barry are doing. He wants to picture himself in Kurt’s place, being fucked by Barry with that new blue electricity dancing in his eyes. “I want it this way.”

“Mmm, he’s usually on top,” Barry moans. “Maybe he wants to try something different.”

“Sounds good to me.” Sebastian leans low over Carson and Carson closes his eyes. He abandons himself to feel - Sebastian’s lips roaming his body, down his chest to lick his nipples, skimming his abs to reach his cock. Carson hears shuffling, things being moved around on the bed, then he feels Sebastian’s lubed fingers search the crack of his ass. Sebastian’s lips encircle his head, taking it into his mouth in slow centimeters, a gently tortuous switch off of lick and suck that wipes Carson’s brain, and his anxiety, away.

“Oh God,” Carson moans, reaching down with trembling hands to touch Sebastian’s hair, rectify the reality of this man between his legs with Barry nearby fucking Kurt. Sebastian isn’t Barry; that’s important for Carson to remember. Because that means that the man he loves, who he knows everything about, realizes that Kurt isn’t him regardless of how much he may look like him, a fact that seems to be emphasized every time Barry breaks from a kiss with Kurt in favor of kissing Carson.

“How’s that feel?” Barry asks, watching his boyfriend with eagle eyes as Sebastian blows him.

“Good.” Carson tries to maintain eye contact with Barry but he can’t. He feels like his face is about to explode. He closes his eyes. “So good. Different from you.”

“Better than me?”

Carson’s eyes snap open and Kurt snickers.

“Not better,” Carson says quickly, his words almost cut when Sebastian sucks hard. “J-just … just different.”

Sebastian climbs back up Carson’s body, indulging in one long kiss from Kurt, then another from Barry, before he goes in search of a condom. Kurt lifts up and leans over for a kiss from Carson while Sebastian puts the condom on, pulling Barry down to give his boyfriend a taste of what Kurt had a moment ago. Carson begins to understand the appeal. As he surrenders to the mouths on him, their different styles of kissing and their vastly unique tastes, he finds freedom in this. This isn’t love, not with anyone but Barry. And as long as Barry is fine with what they’re doing, Carson doesn’t have to worry about hurting Kurt’s or Sebastian’s feelings. He just has to enjoy what’s happening to him, appreciate the people giving him pleasure, live in the moment and remember that after today, his life with Barry continues on. Maybe they’ll see Kurt and Sebastian again, maybe they won’t. But that’s not the point.

Having fun is the point. And this is fun.

Carson feels Sebastian lift his legs up and apart, and gasps when the man slides inside. Sebastian takes it slow, but Carson’s ready … and he’s willing. Sebastian feels thinner than Barry, surprisingly, but only by a tiny bit. It’s still another difference to tick off the list. He feels a hand on his cock that he’s sure is Barry’s; another hand on his cheek, fingers playing over his lips that he’s sure are Kurt’s; but either way it doesn’t matter. Sebastian moves in and out of him, there are hands all around, and voices moaning in ecstasy, some even moaning his name. He arches his back the way Kurt had done, and hands creep up his back to support him. A mouth meets his and kisses him hard. The hand on his cock disappears, but then another one returns. The first one was slightly rough, and familiar; the second one softer but more firm; then a third, with less speed but more technique.

Carson likes control. It drives his life. He likes to have his ducks in a row. He likes to know what to expect before he goes anywhere, know where all the emergency exits and the fire extinguishers are, thinks over every conceivable outcome. But he also craves excitement. He’s not in control here. He’s literally lying back and letting whatever happens happens. And it’s exciting. He kisses what comes near his mouth, touches what journeys near his hands, and lets everyone else take care of the rest … including him.

“Yes, Barry,” Carson hears Kurt moan. “God, yes … just … just like that … faster, please …”

“You want faster? I’ll give you faster,” Barry answers seductively. But Carson giggles. He can’t let that lie.

“Be careful, Kurt,” Carson says, trying to keep his voice from shaking long enough to speak coherently. “Where we come from, Barry’s known as the fastest man alive.”

Sebastian laughs so hard he crows, but Barry laughs, too.

“Well, I think he’s doing just fine,” Kurt coos, grabbing Barry’s shoulder and tugging him down. Barry pulls Kurt closer by his bent knees and pounds into him hard, the sound of their bodies slapping together disarming to Carson. Again, more real than he’d prepared himself for. But then Sebastian snaps his hips, trying to keep up, trying to get Carson to the same place as Kurt at the same time, and that sound becomes fairly easy to ignore.

“How’s that?” Sebastian asks, biting Carson’s bottom lip; kissing his mouth, top and bottom; swiping his tongue inside. “Do you like it hard and fast like Kurt?”

“Yes,” Carson says, grabbing at the blanket beneath him. “Yes, please …” He feels a hand take his – Kurt’s hand lacing their fingers together, then squeezing as he starts to cum, sharing with Carson this moment between him and Barry.

The second the rocking from Kurt and Barry’s side of the bed stops, and the strained sounds of their climax subsides, Kurt’s lips are on Carson’s, Barry’s hand on his cock, and along with Sebastian’s pounding, it becomes too much, but not in a bad way. Not in a bad way at all. Carson enjoys the one on one intimacy of him and Barry, the singular focus between two souls. All of this attention overwhelms him. It sends him spiraling, flinging him out of his mind with the multiple, overlapping sensations of tasting, testing, touching – the one man who knows him edging him closer and closer towards completion with two fabulous supporting players giving him a boost.

But it’s more than just a hand up. It’s like rocket power.

Carson would probably cry out if not for Kurt’s mouth on his, kissing him even after Carson’s lips go still. He feels full of Sebastian, his rhythmic thrusting hitting all the right spots, but it’s Barry’s hand that takes Carson all the way. When Carson cums, it’s with these wonderful men around him, inside him, moving through him, elevating him, then catching him as he comes down.

It’s one of the most fulfilling sexual experiences of his life.

After Carson cums, Kurt backs away. Carson had already been on the fence about this. It took him a while to find his groove. Kurt doesn’t want to make things uncomfortable for him when things cool down by encroaching on his personal space. Kurt understands because Carson’s like Kurt that way. Kurt loves the intimacy of a truly magical sexual experience, but it takes him a while to open up to someone new. Kurt doesn’t think he’d have been half as receptive to Barry if he didn’t look like Sebastian.

Sebastian’s the last to finish, a few deep thrusts behind Carson, but he was just about done when he heard Kurt cry, and then saw him kiss Carson. Sebastian wanted to last long enough to get Carson to climax. But the things he did to bide – figuring out his baseline tax deductions for the next filing year and trying to spell his full name backwards – worked a little better than he’d anticipated.

When Sebastian stops shuddering, he looks at Barry, curious as to what a wrecked Barry Allen looks like. Barry has scratches running down his chest from Kurt’s nails digging in to his skin, and Sebastian can’t help being jealous. Carson wasn’t much for touching outside of looping his arms around Sebastian’s neck when Sebastian bent over to kiss him, but that was kind of nice. There was a certain nostalgic innocence to it, like his more romantic times with Kurt, when the two of them would just hold one another and rock for hours. But Kurt raking his nails down Sebastian’s back or his chest are one of Sebastian’s favorite things about how powerfully Kurt cums.

Barry catches Sebastian’s eye, the glance down his chest, and he smirks in a way that’s shockingly Sebastian-like.

“Nice,” Sebastian says with an approving nod.

“Thanks.” The smirk disappears from Barry’s face in a flash, and he becomes shy Barry Allen again. “Uh … not that I’m complaining but … does he always do that?” he asks, running a hand subconsciously down his front.

“Nah,” Sebastian says. “Most of the time he draws blood.”

“But you love it, don’t you?” Kurt locks eyes with his boyfriend as Barry eases away from him, searching Sebastian’s face for any sign that what happened between them wasn’t okay, that he didn’t like it, that he and Kurt are in trouble, possibly over.

“You know it.” Sebastian blows Kurt a kiss, and Kurt, only mildly red before, blushes like a June virgin.

Kurt, Sebastian, and Barry chat and joke, trying to keep sexual tension from turning into awkward tension. But in between the comparing and the complimenting, Sebastian begins to notice how quiet Carson is. He looks down at the man he’s still buried in to see his eyes solemnly closed. “Carson? Buddy? Are you okay? Talk to us.”

Barry notices, too, and while Sebastian untangles his body from Carson’s legs and discards their condom, Barry runs to his side of the bed.

“Hey, hey, hey, Carson? Baby? Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” Carson laughs, and, in relief, Barry joins him. “I’m just trying to process.”

“So … did you enjoy yourself?”

Carson starts to shake his head, but he laughs louder. “Yeah,” he admits, opening his eyes. By then, Sebastian had gone, retreating to the head of the bed where Kurt was climbing underneath the covers. “I did. I didn’t want to, not at first, not after watching you and Kurt, but … I did.”

“And what did you think, my love?” Sebastian asks Kurt, curling his boyfriend against his body.

“I think …” Kurt glances shyly at Barry, helping Carson beneath the blankets on the opposite side of the bed “… that that was pretty electric.”

“I think that’s an accurate word for it,” Barry admits, pitching his own condom and climbing behind his boyfriend. He tucks the blanket around Carson’s body and holds him tight. “What do you think, baby?”

Carson looks over his shoulder at Barry, then across the bed at the two men looking at him with quizzical looks – similar faces, but so damn different. There’s only one Kurt and Sebastian, only one Carson and Barry, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. Carson smiles. “Absolutely.”

[comicteaparty]

August 17th, 2017 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on August 17th, 2017, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Centralia 2050 by Michelle.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning. Today we are discussing Centralia 2050 by Michelle~! ( http://centralia2050.com/ ) For those new to CTP, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer so pay them no mind if you wish~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comics that the community makes~! Each chat a top comment will be picked and featured on an ad for this chat, so let’s have a great discussion~!

With that said, let us begin with this first question~!(edited)

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

Ravix-Strips

The video game scene with Ren, Midori, and Grey. (edited)

Deity Cali of BISHIES OF SPEEDS

pops in to say i really like the art in this

fairyfun5118

CH 3 page 5 cuz they were bonding for the first time!... i think

and Q and As cuz there cute and fun

Kabocha

Hmmmm, that's a good question. Ch3 is really good... ...I liked how vulnerable Grey was at the end of the chapter, but I mean, I also really liked the explanation in ch2 about the Lumico takeover, too...

This panel was like, oh you poor sweet child D: RebelVampire

i really liked the depiction of the blackout. everything artistically about it made me think "yup, this is a blackout all right."

Michelle

PS-- I'll be hanging out in the chat if anyone has questions about the comic! c:

Ravix-Strips

ok

Envelion

And my name is Matt. Hi there! I'm the brainstormer and co-writer of sorts with Michelle on Centralia 2050

Kabocha

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Michelle

Yeah, Matt helps bounce around story development.

Ravix-Strips

NNice to meet you two

Kabocha

that scene made me cringe a little for Midori

Michelle

And speaks terrible Japanese, apparently

Ravix-Strips

and is in the same room with the characters

RebelVampire

i think that scene made everyone cringe a little. cause even if you dont feel for midori, very clearly a poor attempt at japanese

so cringe

Kabocha

ahahaha

mathtans

I am late, but to atone I have a fave scene from each of the Chapters!

wishjacked

My favorite scene is the blackout explanation, too!!

Honestly all my favorite scenes tend to be the kinda in-between ones when the characters are walking around the city— the art is SO AMAZING at building the world up through background details.

mathtans

From the most recent chapter, when they went into VR, it was just kind of Wow (and Gray was so cute! ). From the one before, when she was on the roof and reaching up and Grey was like "don't jump" and Midori was like, "what?". And from the first chapter, when she first pushed past Grey and he was all, 'what's her problem' and then EVIL SPIDER BOTS so yeah, that's a problem.

wnqs

My favourite scene is Tomo the head-bonking robot and Lor's introduction :P

Kabocha

Admittedly, when I first read the title of the comic, I was half-expecting it to be built on Centralia, PA... which has a continually burning fire in a mine

wnqs

Always blown away with the background art and the details put into every single panel.

mathtans

Lor is cool too.

Michelle

We'll be seeing more of her in chapter 4 :>

wnqs

Woot!

Ravix-Strips

Awesome!

Envelion

Who's to say that it DOESN'T take place in Pennsylvania? >.>

RebelVampire

i actually did not know this place in PA existed till yesterday and that was only cause of reading an askreddit thread about creepiest small towns.

albeit when i heard the title i admittedly thought of the movie metropolis for some reason even tho ive never actually seen the movie

Michelle

afaik there is one in PA, and one in Washington.

mathtans

In fact, the setting isn't really something I normally go for, and while I can appreciate the artistic talent (which is so far above me, I can't even), it's not what kept me reading either. It's the way the characters react to each other, like Grey randomly tossing out info to Lor, or Midori doing her own thing despite what's going on, that really sucked me in.

wnqs

nods the character development is very well done. They're engaging and you really get a connection with them

Envelion

@mathtans I'm glad. I think a story should be defined by it's characters more than anything. Michelle and I both really try to make them all feel alive.

Feather, Duke of Comedic Timing

I haven't finished Chapter 3 but I really like the scene early on where they are on the roof :3

mathtans

It's kind of impressive that Grey's so likeable, actually, given his tendency to shut down conversation.

Ravix-Strips

@mathtans ironically.

Michelle

Hopefully when he starts talking more people don't suddenly dislike him XD

"I LIKED YOU BEING QUIET DAMNIT"

wishjacked

Yes!! I think both Midori and Grey are shaping really good characters!!

mathtans

Hahaha. No, I think Grey will still be cool. (I only wish he didn't smoke! That stuff'll kill you!)

RebelVampire

in all honestly i like grey because i feel he provides a sort of cynical realism balance to the story.

fairyfun5118

they are better together

mathtans

Rebel: Yeah, yeah, I think you nailed it there.

Michelle

Yeah, I agree, smoking's no good. D:

mathtans

I like the tongue-in-cheek kind of attitude.

wishjacked

and I also really like Grey… I feel like his character would easily read as kind of a typical edgy apocalypse guy in a different writer's work, but as is he comes off as very understandable.

He always seems so exasperated but he's also obviously kind right from the beginning.

Kabocha

Grey is surprising. He's struck me as the sorta fellow who goes along with shenanigans even if it's something he's saying he doesn't wanna do. XD It's funny to watch him contradict himself.

mathtans

Yeah, that was an excellent introduction for him. Well thought out, might not have worked if he was just in a cafe or something.

Michelle

No matter where he goes, Midori would've found a way to barrel into him

Envelion

He's tricky to write. Michelle's always like, "Does he sound too much line an ass in this one?"

Michelle

lmao

Kabocha

sometimes you just gotta let the snark pour through though

mathtans

Haha, I kind of understand that. You get latitude once he's established as a protagonist though.

Michelle

He WAS a bit too rude in the first draft of chapter 1. It took some figuring out to strike a good balance.

mathtans

I wonder what his gen-mod is.

Kabocha

I'm gonna guess it's got to do with mental acuity or something.

mathtans

Maybe it's why he smokes. O.o

Envelion

A genetic mod that makes smoking cool.(edited)

Kabocha

Put some shades on him and we've got max coolness right there

Michelle

@Envelion oh no, Grey has been created by Big Tobacco

RebelVampire

grey doesnt need shades. is too cool already theyll make laws about it.

mathtans

VR Shades.

wishjacked

I mean I don't know what else to say about my analysis of him except I really liked when he offhandedly told Midori to put sugar in the coffee to make it taste better hahaha

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. During Chapter 3, Midori and Grey meet and join Switch, an anti-Lumico organization. Do you think Switch is unquestionably trustworthy or do you think they may have their own secrets? Will joining Switch actually help the two find the missing people or will something happen that gets them both into trouble? How will Midori and Grey’s skills be utilized for the group?

wishjacked

and OH NO, THE WORST GEN MOD. TOBACCO MOD

Ravix-Strips

what is up with her and coffee?

it's like it's her life support and if it is, give her more.(edited)

wnqs

Swtich probably has their own secrets. It's not like they're gonna go blabbing everything to people they just meet. Whether or not they're completely 'good' is a good question, though

Michelle

@Ravix-Strips once she put sugar in it, she realized its glory

Kabocha

Switch has some issues bein' shady. But you know. Midori's a robot-smasher, so... they could use more people willing to do it lol

mathtans

No group is unquestionably trustworthy. >.< They have the same goals though, or so it seems.

wnqs

Well, Midori's mad pipe-wielding skillz will probably come in handy

mathtans

Grey builds the robots and Midori smashes them!

wnqs

Grey can scowl at the baddies and make them feel terrible about themselves

mathtans

They can be their own branch.

fairyfun5118

i feel like both will happen

wnqs

"MIDORI SMASH!" ala Hulk style

Kabocha

meanwhile, Grey's dad IS Lumico

Envelion

So much I can't say about the switch right now. But it's good stuff. #nospoilers

Kabocha

)dpm

erm

don't ask, I do this every ctp I'm in. crack theory time!

Michelle

I love crack theories XD

mathtans

I like the double meaning of "switch", by the way. Like, it can refer to a change, a switch in power, or a literal switch of turning things on and off. Which also harkens to that logo, curiously enough.

Michelle

Of course, to all theories my answer is "definitely maybe"

Kabocha

pfffft

RebelVampire

yeah everyone thought ctp stood for comic tea party. its actually crack theory party

mathtans

Oh, I have theories. We'll get to that. Curious if anyone else is thinking along the same lines though.

fairyfun5118

wwwhhhhaaaattt!?

Kabocha

@RebelVampire Damn straight!

Well, @mathtans -- time to start spoutin' them out

wnqs

I want to know more about Midori. Is she an unknowing agent of Lumico, or something designed explicitly to counter them?

fairyfun5118

i thought ctp was comic tea party

Michelle

@fairyfun5118 it is, haha, don't worry.

fairyfun5118

oooo

Kabocha

Midori and Weiss are siblings; meanwhilst, Grey's dad is the head (or IS) Lumico. And Switch needs Grey because of his unknowing ties. Much drama when plot reveal is made. >:3

fairyfun5118

thxs for telling me

lol

Kabocha

end crack theory

RebelVampire

no no it def is i meant that as a joke XD cause we usually have a lot of crack theories during the sessions.

i like the idea of grey's dad being the head of lumico

wishjacked

that's a good crack theory there, you dudes

RebelVampire

as i picture a whole darth vader i am your father scenario

mathtans

Ooh, I like the idea of Grey somehow being tied in more than anyone realizes.

Kabocha

I know, right, Rebel?

Envelion

What I CAN tell you, is that Grey's dad rocks a mad pony tail.

Michelle

Nooooooo he doesn't

Kabocha

lmao

fairyfun5118

lol

Michelle

Grey's dad turns out to be a pony-tail wearing, acoustic-guitar strumming upbeat guy, and he just can't understand his Goth Son

Kabocha

:3 Grey's dad is Grey with a ponytail? XD

mathtans

You want a crazy theory? Midori and Weiss are the same person. Weiss is artifically aged, and her hair is turned green, but in the process she loses her memory. She's now trying to chase after her lost childhood, represented by the fact that only SHE can see Weiss (like that time in the playground).

Kabocha

Also, how is Weiss' name pronounced? "Veiss?"

Michelle

"Wice"

wishjacked

(kinda going on back to the prompt I DO want to say that I like Switch but I don't trust them yet. They do give off really strong "we are an awesome rebel faction and we're the side that all protagonists rightly back" vibe…. but that isn't enough to make them flawless lol)

Michelle

In German it would be Veiss, but... American pronounciation etc(edited)

Kabocha

Right, right

fairyfun5118

i alwasy pronounced it wheez

mathtans

Wow, that got all the reactions, heh.

Envelion

I'd totally make fun of a girl named "Wheez"

Michelle

#rude

fairyfun5118

lol

sorry

mathtans

I agree with you, wishjacked.

wnqs

mathtans wins the reaction lottery(edited)

RebelVampire

yeah back to the topic of switch, i trust them as far as i can throw them. all powerful organizations have corruption somewhere within their ranks. i mean to be fair, i already dont trust them because they more or less bullied grey and midori into joining since it was a join us or we wont help you sort of thing.

mathtans

I seem to have won a hamburger. ^.^

Kabocha

well, it was a "join us RIGHT NOW" situation, too

which is worse, I think

mathtans

I'm pretty sure there's an operative inside Switch who's working against them. I hope it's not Lor, she's kinda awesome.

RebelVampire

yeah there is that too. which is pretty manipulative cause its forcing them to react more on emotion than logic.

its okay math, its probably not Lor. its the tiny robot Lor is making.

Envelion

Hmmm

wnqs

the situation may be that dire that they have to make them choose quickly

Michelle

TOMO will become sentient and seek to unravel everything.

mathtans

Phew. ... Wait, could be blamed for that though.

Kabocha

@wnqs -- well, yes, that's probably the case, but it's still not much better

time will tell though

wnqs

So, Tomo is the new Claptrap?

Kabocha

and if they start to get all cult-y....

welp.

Envelion

Welcome to Switch, Wear these robes, drink this!

wnqs

koolaid for everyone!

mathtans

I think part of the issue is, we haven't really seen what they're fighting against... like, we sort of have (seriously, anyone who uses spider bots can't be on the side of good, right?) but even Grey himself has said there's just something that feels wrong about the power company, nothing so overt. I could be wrong.

Maybe all the missing people got sent to the Bahamas.

RebelVampire

clearly next chapter is the initiation arc where grey and midori have to prove their devotion to the cult err i mean switch O_O

Kabocha

OH MAN

mathtans

They need to perform a feather dance.

Kabocha

and there's a rift between Grey and Midori over it.

Midori's all ready to drink the kool-aid and Grey's like, NO, don't forget Weiss

metaphorical kool-aid

...it's important to clarify.

RebelVampire

i demand literal kool-aid but the non poisoned kind. the refreshing sugar drink kind

Michelle

I'm sure Forrest stocks the Switch cabinets with plenty of refreshing powdered drinks

Envelion

I'll make a note, next chapter needs koolaid.

Michelle

you can't have a rebellion if you're thirsty.

Kabocha

oh man

mathtans

Here's a question: Part of the reason Switch wants them is because of how Midori doesn't seem to be categorized by the surveillance. Why not? She also has some sort of effect on Grey's cell phone, which I'm guessing is related. Is it unique to her? How does it relate to the power that's being used in these things?

(It's probably the artificial aging.)

Kabocha

Midori's the actual plant by big tobacco

Grey's her sidekick.

mathtans

Heh. "You can't use your phone. What're you gonna do now? Gotta smoke."

Envelion

plant - green hair - all makes sense

Kabocha

it's all so clear(edited)

RebelVampire

its because midori was a robot clone this whole time.

mathtans

Who would clone a robot?

fairyfun5118

?

people would

RebelVampire

scientists

Envelion

Other robots.

RebelVampire

for science

Kabocha

I would!

wishjacked

are you saying you wouldn't clone a robot?

Kabocha

gotta make data backups somehow.

Michelle

But... you don't need to clone a robot, you just build another one

Kabocha

You clone hard drives!

Michelle

R-robots don't have DNA!

ok, fair enough.

RebelVampire

well maybe someone first decided to make a robot with dna. and then the next logical step is to prove its cloneable dna

mathtans

Next chapter, Grey builds another Midori. One who doesn't ask so many questions.

Envelion

I have a question... Does anyone have a favorite switch character?

Kabocha

Grey.

RebelVampire

grey

Kabocha

lol

fairyfun5118

lmao

Kabocha

What can I say, I like my guys tall and snarky.

RebelVampire

idk if i feel i know anyone enough to pick a fave. i need to learn more about them.

mathtans

That's actually a tough question, about the fave character. Because part of what I like about Grey is his interactions with Midori. I don't feel like he'd be as captivating without her, which doesn't hold true the other way, so.... I may have to go with Midori. Because of how she named the motorcycle "Lucy".

wishjacked

same @RebelVampire

Envelion

Fair enough.

mathtans

Most of their scenes have been together. I do enjoy randomness, is the thing.

wishjacked

but Midori is my favorite character of the story thus far. I'm a sucker for those happy go lucky types. (and I do really look forward to getting to know Switch better haha!!)(edited)

mathtans

And none of the others (aside from Ren, who I'm kind of lukewarm on) have been seen enough. Though Lor is starting with lots of bonus points for her VR avatar.

Michelle

We'll be getting to know the main Switch members much more in chapter 4. :>

mathtans

Hoping I'm making some vague sort of sense there. I'm also probably not a typical reader, I can be as random as Midori.

RebelVampire

if i had to pick someone in switch id be most interested in learning about itd be Forrest cause Forrest hits my suspicion meters

mathtans

(Still like that scene where Grey thought she was going to jump.)

Envelion

Yeah, I'm excited to explore the characters more in the future too, but Forrest most of all. For reasons I can't say :x

mathtans

Run, Forrest, Run.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. So far throughout the comic, Midori has shown to have little knowledge about the nature of the city and may potentially have some level of amnesia. Who exactly is Midori? How did she wind up in the city? What is her relationship to Weiss? Why does Weiss seemingly appear before Midori and lead her around?

Envelion

why indeed.

mathtans

Okay, so here's my OTHER Midori theory. She was created by that Power Company (mebbe Weiss, mebbe genetically) in order to investigate the city on a grass roots level. But she went rogue, and maybe one of the last things she saw was a Weiss missing poster. In the end, she'll have to pick whose side she's on.

fairyfun5118

.....?

mathtans

Like, when she gets her memory back, she'll be like "damn, I'm supposed to be against these Switch people, do I still help them?".

RebelVampire

and then she decides nah screw switch and rides off with grey into the sunset

mathtans

It might explain why she doesn't know stuff, she never knew it in the first place, it wasn't part of the amnesia at all.

Kabocha

Are we shipping Midori and Grey? :3

fairyfun5118

ooh

mathtans

She tries to catch the sun!

Michelle

Oh no here comes the shipping ship

Kabocha

XD

I dunno, they seem like good friends but haven't actually struck me as shippable quite yet.

fairyfun5118

i ship Midori x gray

Envelion

I ship Grey and Forrest. Grorrest

Michelle

Forrey???

mathtans

I ship Midori and Lor. Because I always ship the pretty girls.

RebelVampire

i ship grey and eternal cynicism

mathtans

Rebel wins.

Kabocha

I just think Grey Forrest sounds like a nice place to visit

Michelle

Grey Forrest sounds like the next Silent Hill

I wouldn't go there

Kabocha

it's directly adjacent to Centralia

actually is a garbage fire

Envelion

But yeah, for the topic, I am really interested in hearing who people THINK Midori and Weiss are. Sometimes it's stuff we've never even considered, sometimes it's really close to the truth. Sometimes it's just weird.

mathtans

OH. I'm reminded (because suddenly I'm thinking of bust lines) about Michelle's comments below the comic. Those are sometimes funny as all get out. Kudos.

fairyfun5118

your comic turnded me into a shipper

Michelle

@mathtans I try ;u;

mathtans

(I don't know why the one about squeezing into the train came to mind. )

fairyfun5118

lol

Michelle

@fairyfun5118 You're definitely not alone in that, especially among Tapastic readers D:

RebelVampire

im gonna take a crack theory stab. weiss is the child of some big head honcho of lumico and midori was an artificially constructed bodyguard.

mathtans

I'm still squinty about Midori = Weiss. Though I'm pretty sure Midori's also connected to the satellite thing. I feel like that wasn't just a throwaway gag when she was talking about seeing the star. So maybe Midori's the next evolution in gen mods somehow.

Michelle

There's definitely a lot of little things in the comic that are foreshadowing.

mathtans

I wonder, do they have memory retrieval technology?

Michelle

If they do, it would certainly be hard to come by

mathtans

Midori might also not be a genetically age increased Weiss, it might just be that their memories were swapped or something. Like, Midori's memories are still inside Weiss, wherever that girl is, and Weiss' memories are KIND of inside Midori, but the transfer was incomplete, so she's seeking out her own memories, in a sense.

Those two are connected in some way, basically.

Like, okay, obviously, but in a bio-tech way.

I'm also weird.

fairyfun5118

we need game theroys opinion on this

RebelVampire

maybe midori was weiss' imaginary friend brought to life. i kind of get that sense cause of weiss' childish drawing and the fact was surprised grey could see her. especially the latter really struck me as an odd thing to say to someone

Michelle

Midori is definitely full of odd exclamations.

mathtans

OMG. Rebel, that's brilliant.

That's maybe the piece my brain was trying to fill in.

We never actually saw Midori in the flashback panels, right? (That's what made me wonder if they were somehow the same.)

RebelVampire

not that i recall. there was some convenient cutting off if memory serves correct

which is why to me i could believe midori wasnt real

cause its very kid like to invent an imaginary friend like that when theyre getting bullied

mathtans

So the creepy power corp is doing experiements on Weiss and accidentally activated Midori!

(I've seen "A Certain Magical Index", I know these kinds of things can manifest.)

Michelle

I wish I could imagine anything as coherent as Midori. Anything I'd imagine would be an incoherent blob.

mathtans

I feel like there's huge irony in the artist saying that.

Michelle

lmao maybe, I mean I can't stay on one thought for more than a few seconds

mathtans

That's fair.

Envelion

My imaginary friend had antenne and green skin. Would look like an alien if she suddenly appeared.

mathtans

As to why Weiss just seems to randomly appear, maybe Midori can wish things into existence, if she concentrates hard enough? (Because of how she herself was created in a similar way?)

fairyfun5118

these crack theroys are really crackin me up

end me

RebelVampire

really the answer is this is just one of the noire detective ghost situations. and weiss is a ghost trying to get midori to solve the murder

mathtans

I rarely say things that I don't at least partially believe. ^.^

Her own murder. Because she is ALSO a ghost! ... okay, no.

RebelVampire

haha i dont stick entirely with the imaginary friend but i do think the line about grey seeing her is super suspicious legitimately. the only reason for someone to exclaim that a person can see them is if they are in general used to not being seen/arent supposed to be seen(edited)

Kabocha

spooky~

mathtans

I'd forgotten about that line, at least on a conscious level. Now I totally ship Len with Weiss' imaginary friend.

Michelle

I had to find out who that was haha

but 14 is a little young for Midori!! :0

If we're following this cracktheory of imaginary friends shipping

mathtans

Derp. I meant Lor. I'm so bad with names.

Michelle

OH haha

it's funny because when I looked up that character there was something about them being not real.

mathtans

I somehow mashed it up with Ren in my head. I fail at all the names!

Michelle

So I thought that was intentional.

mathtans

I do many things intentionally. Names, not so much.

Oh well. Something to bear in mind with me.

RebelVampire

its okay math. as long as you dont fail us at math. cause its in your name.

Kabocha

I hear he's good with imaginary numbers

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. The central mystery to the story’s conflict so far is the 2048 blackout. During the blackout, numerous people went missing, and it was after the blackout that Lumico took over the city. What do you think happened to all the people who went missing? Is Lumico responsible somehow or was their rise to power a coincidence? Additionally, why did Grey’s non gen-mod father go missing when most of the missing people are gen-mods?

Kabocha

the gen mods are being used to power the city. :3

mathtans

The math I'm okay with. I liked the comment about the blackout being in 2^11. That was neat.

fairyfun5118

yes my theroy is tha during the balckout lumico kidnapped most of the gen mods and there going to do somthing with them(edited)

mathtans

Oh yeah, I've got a theory about the missing people. They're NOT missing. They were given new memories and new physical appearances. (Did anyone check for NEW people after the blackout? Well? DID they?) I don't know if it was inentional or not (there could be some common element, like they were all near microwaves or a satallite or something), but it ties into the fact that Midori's old identity is now bleeding through, she was originally one of the missing.

Envelion

damned evil microwaves

RebelVampire

thatd actually be an interesting twist. is if ppl were so busy looking for what wasnt there they missed what was there

granted i do think its more likely lumico kidnapped them.

XD

mathtans

yis. Microwaves with tinfoil hats in them.

RebelVampire

but then again maybe lumico isnt evil. maybe they kidnapped gen-mods cause something is wrong with gen-mod technology and they need to fix it

Envelion

They've been brain washed to be Lumico's janitorial staff.

RebelVampire

lumico probably does need janitors

sounds efficient

mathtans

Oh, I kinda like that angle, Rebel. Except Grey's dad wasn't a Gen-Mod, so maybe someone screwed up (or like the earlier theories, dad is in it deep).

Michelle

They're using his dad's ponytail for nefarious purposes.

mathtans

What happened to the houses and apartments of missing people? Were they repossessed or what?

Did Grey have to sell his Dad's house?

Michelle

Oh no. It's all a real estate heist!

mathtans

A real estate heist by Big Tobacco.

"Oh, your phone doesn't work AND you have no house now? Gotta smoke."

RebelVampire

maybe grey just depressingly keeps the house. visits every weekend and smokes and mopes in the corner

fairyfun5118

lol

RebelVampire

brings midori and midori is like wtf grey

mathtans

He pretends he's a lamp. It's illuminating.

Seriously though, what happened to their bank accounts and stuff too? Awkward.

Envelion

If Grey's father went missing, but Grey didn't... And Grey is a gen mod, why is he still around? Do you think they got the wrong guy?

"Yes, this is the Greyson home. Grey Greyson? No, he's not here."

RebelVampire

yes. except mostly they were lazy. were like "eh same last name close enough nab the dude"

mathtans

I'd say maybe the missing people never even EXISTED in the first place, and were somehow false memories transmitted by cell phone... except why the missing posters then? (Though I guess Ren's the one making those. Hm.)

Michelle

Yeah, Ren is behind the poster effort.

mathtans

Though Grey's dad must be somewhat responsible for the gen mod, unless his mom did it secretly. Maybe all they needed was the information.

So Ren could be making all these posters for people who DON'T EXIST. O.o (Well, except we did see Weiss in a flashback... that DIDN'T EXIST. o.O )

RebelVampire

were starting to get to everything was a dream territory O_O

fairyfun5118

yup

lol

mathtans

They're actually still in VR!

RebelVampire

maybe grey's dad wasnt kidnapped. maybe hes a super spy and went on a long, undercover mission

mathtans

Grey is actually his own dad, trapped in VR.

(Ok, now I'm not really believing the stuff I say.)

Michelle

Well, his dad and Grey both certainly have some explaining to do.

which is, as we know, Grey's least favourite thing

Envelion

It'll just take him another 3 chapters to come out with it.

mathtans

Something I just realized. Midori makes Grey's phone go weird and the bots don't register her... but she can still VR. Is it a different system?

Michelle

Naw. We'll find out something next chapter.

Midori's avatar is glitching in the VR simulation, so it isn't perfect.

mathtans

Okay. (At least they spelled her name right.)

Kabocha

Hmmm, reading a little; d'ya think grey was saved by being indoors when the blackout happened?

fairyfun5118

yes

mabye

mathtans

snaps fingers That reminds me, the bit with him climbing up all the floors reminded me of the East Coast power blackout some 15 years ago or whatever. I had a friend in that situation. Nice realism.

RebelVampire

i think grey was saved by how cool he was. they saw him and were like "im blinded by his cool snarkiness. we cant take him."

mathtans

And yeah, maybe being inside meant you weren't abducted by the aliens who are running the Lumico corporation as a prelude to invasion. (Yup, that's a new theory.)

Envelion

yes, yes... make more theories! Stray farther from the truth!

mathtans

"The others won't come out." "I dunno, give them back their power, we'll come up with a new plan in a couple years."

The truth is out there!

RebelVampire

it could be that being inside played a role. hard to say. i mean how many gen-mods are there? is there some national list of gen-mods?

i mean obviously lumico has a list of some sort for their robot spiders

but where did it come from

was it always there

Envelion

If there was a list, it wouldn't be up on genmods.gov I imagine

RebelVampire

are the spiders just that amazing

Kabocha

@Envelion -- knowing any .gov, it's probably in an access database in sharepoint

mathtans

The spiders are actually the ones in control.

RebelVampire

no i see through the lies. theres a genmods.gov and midori was the person used for the splash page

Michelle

XD

Question: What are you looking forward to in chapter 4?

fairyfun5118

EVERYTHING

mathtans

Honestly, more of the Switch people, like you said. To get a better sense of the fight, what they're actually up against. Also, Lor.

RebelVampire

grey and snark

Michelle

There Will Be Snark

RebelVampire

im pretty one track about that. more grey. and refreshing kool-aid

Envelion

In these last few minutes, do you guys have any questions for Michelle n' me? Without asking for spoilers?

Michelle

oh no now all they'll ask is spoilers

mathtans

How long does it take to draw a page? O.o Like, seriously, that's frigging impressive.

Michelle

On average, somewhere around 10-12 hours

fairyfun5118

actually i want more grey and midori bonding moments

Michelle

Though one of the blackout pages took upwards of 20 (the one with all the cars and crowds)

mathtans

Damn. I believe it.

Michelle

@fairyfun5118 We'll have some of that!

fairyfun5118

yes!!!

mathtans

Another question, have you planned everything out a lot in advance, or do characters sometimes derail the plot as you go?

Michelle

I have the character trajectories and major plot points planned out, but I like to save the details for when I write the scripts. Like, I write the script for ch 4 as ch 3 wraps up.

Envelion

I think most of it is planned out, yeah? There's specifics that usually don't get nailed down until the script is done though. For example, the VR scene wasn't in chapter 3 until right before Michelle wrote it. Originally it was just going to take place at a cafe or something.

mathtans

headbobs That makes sense, kinda suspected but nice to have it confirmed.

Michelle

Yeah, I know the "what," but I figure out the "how" during scripting.

mathtans

Ooh, glad we got the VR Gray.

Michelle

Yes, widdle kawaii Grey

Envelion

Yeah, I was working on a VR project at the time, maybe that inspired it.

mathtans

Keep being awesome with it.

Envelion

Thanks so much for coming guys. It's been a pleasure to help Michelle with the story and I love what she's done with it. I'm as big of a fan as I am a helper. I'm excited to see that people are interested in the story too!

Michelle

Thank you! You guys keep me going strong

RebelVampire

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party is now complete~! Thank you everyone so much for joining this week’s chat~! That being said, if you would like to continue discussing the comic, we encourage you to do so~! We want to give a big thank you to Michelle, as well, for volunteering Centralia 2050 for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support Michelle’s efforts. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions about CTP, please feel free to PM me, or e-mail me at RebelVampire@startfaire.com.

With that said, next week’s Comic Tea Party will focus on Tangled River by snowshadow. Please use this week to read as much of the comic as you would like. Hope to see you next Thursday (August 24th) from 5PM to 7PM PDT~! Until then~!

Comic: https://tapas.io/series/Tangled-River