#this story is named for a jonas brothers song

[timetoletmyimaginationfly]

Our Love Story: Coffee and Baked Goods

Nanami Kento x Reader

(Song Inspiration: Love Her by The Jonas Brothers)

The sound of music played, making you jump slightly from your sleep. Tiredly, you reached for your phone, your eyes still closed and hit the snooze button to stop it. Immediately, you fell back into a deep slumber.

A deep part of you was yelling at you to wake up. You gasped as you immediately sat up in bed and checked the time. Your eyes widened.

“I DIDN’T SNOOZE?! I’M LATE!!!” you yelled to yourself as you jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to quickly shower.

You fell asleep while studying for your exam last night. The sounds of paper and your electronics bumping into each other as you got out of bed. You repeatedly thanked yourself for setting up your alarm early yesterday. But it followed along with curses since you woke up late anyway.

You grabbed a pair of jeans, a tank top, and cardigan before you quickly packed your backpack. You opened the drawer in your kitchen and cursed again. It was empty. You couldn’t make coffee. You checked the time and you became hopeful. You hoped that you could give yourself 10 minutes for the coffee.

“A large vanilla latte please,” you ordered. “And a croissant.”

You paid the cashier and waited. Every second, you would look at your watch. You had to time it perfectly so that you can reach your bus to get to the University. But unfortunately, it was taking longer than you expected for your latte to be made. To your slight relief, your name was finally called. You thanked the associate and quickly walked out. You had to walk a few blocks to get to your bus. You quickly made your and felt yourself hit something hard before landing on your butt.

“I’m so sorry!” you frantically said, feeling the anxiety build up. Your croissant fell out of the paper package and your coffee cup is now empty. You looked up and your eyes remained on the coffee that spilt on clothing. You wanted to cry from embarrassment. “Oh my—God I’m so stupid and clumsy. I’m so sorry sir!” You kept bowing your head.

“It’s okay.” You instantly felt yourself blush from the sound of his voice. It was deep and very soothing. When your eyes reached his, you can’t help but just admire on how handsome he looks. And then you were caught off guard that he wasn’t angry, but concerned. “Are you okay? You fell.”

“Y-Yeah,” you answered, about to get yourself up. He reached his hand out to you and you gladly accepted it. You blushed at his strong grip and couldn’t help but think how large his hand was compared to yours. You saw the time on your watch and your eyes widened. “Damn it.”

“What’s wrong?” You blushed. This man was definitely older than you, you assumed by a few years but he appears more mature than his age. He made you feel like an irresponsible teenager, especially with the answer that you’re about to give him.

“I’m going to be late for my exam which means I won’t be able to enter the classroom which results in an automatic fail,” you answered. The man nodded. He lifted a finger up as he made a phone call, signaling you to wait. As he made a phone call, you observed him some more. A beige suit and pants that is stained with coffee. Along with the now stained blue button-up and orange-black spotted tie.

“I’ll take you,” he said. “Is your school close?” You told him the University you were attending. “I’m heading there too.”

“You’re a student?” He didn’t seem like it to you, so you were genuinely surprised. But it quickly faded when he shook his head. “Work.” You nodded. Your college was large, different campuses around the city. A black car pulled up and he opened the door for you. You thanked him as he entered inside the car.

“Oh? Friend of yours?” The driver asked.

“An acquaintance,” he answered. You noticed the playfulness in his eyes. “Ijichi-san is our assistant manager. I’m Nanami Kento.” You bowed your head, introducing yourself to him. “We’re heading at the same area.”

“Okay.” The car ride was quiet. You were trying to figure out what Nanami does. If Ijichi was an assistant manager, you can only assume that he doesn’t work for the school.

“You don’t work for the school,” you said. Nanami shook his head.

“But I’m working with them right now,” he answered. He looked at you as you stared out the window.

“I’m sorry,” you said. “I can pay for dry cleaning or pay for your clothes.” Nanami shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. What about you? Coffee spilt on you too?” You shook your head.

“My own clumsiness and stupid mistake did this.” You were frustrated. You’ve been stressed and overwhelmed. You had no time to relax. And exams made you anxious. You felt so overwhelmed that you couldn’t help but let your tears automatically fall. And those tears surprised Nanami and it made him panic for a bit.

“I-It’s nothing to cry about,” he said softly, wanting to console you. You shook your head as you wiped your tears away.

“This is so embarrassing,” you mumbled. “I-I’m sorry Nanami-san. Look at least let me pay you back somehow?” Nanami nodded.

“You could take me out for coffee and baked goods,” he requested. You smiled and nodded.

“Okay! Here, let’s exchange numbers. That way you can contact me for your coffee and baked goods,” you said. “And thank you. It lessens my stress.”

“Paying me back lessens your stress?” He was surprised. He figured most people would be happy with just a gesture of kindness instead of anger that was incidental. You nodded.

“It would’ve haunted me for a while.” Nanami couldn’t help but smile a small smile. You were surprised but you smiled back anyway. “Plus you’re giving me a ride to school. Now I can make it there and relax before my exam.”

“I’ll buy you coffee on the way. Another way for me to help you relieve your stress.” And you couldn’t be more ecstatic at this point. But your eyes landed on his stained clothes. You suddenly frowned and he noticed why. “Don’t worry about it.”

“You’re working though. It’s not a professional thing showing up with coffee all over yourself,” you said.

“I’ll be okay.”

“Do you usually offer coffee and rides?” you asked teasingly. Nanami smiled again.

“Just for a certain female who broke down crying,” he answered sincerely. You blushed, your gaze turning to the window. Nanami softly called your name to get your attention. You looked at him curiously. “Good luck today. You’ll pass.” You smiled widely.

“Thank you, Nanami-san!”

The car stopped and Nanami left the car. You gathered your things and by the time you were about to open the door, you watched Nanami open it for you.

“Thanks Ijichi-san,” he said. You thanked Ijichi before leaving the car. Nanami shut the door. “Let me walk you to your building.” You looked to your left and waved to see your friends before turning back to him.

“Thank you but I’ll be okay. My friends are over there,” you said. “Thank you again for everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I-I’ll see you soon?” you asked. Nanami nodded.

“You owe me coffee and baked goods.” You lightly chuckled. Nanami smiled and raised his hand for it land on your head and lightly ruffle your hair. You couldn’t help but blush and feel your heart race at his gesture. “Good luck.”

You shyly thanked him. As you walked to your friends, you turned to him. He was watching you. You smiled and waved over to him and he returned the gesture. When you turned back to your friends, Nanami could hear them squealing and watched them look at him before looking back at you. He chuckled to see your flustered face before turning around to walk to his destination.

[munson-blurbs]

Chapter 4: Every Time You Smile, You Laugh, You Glow

Collaboration with my ultimate soulmate, @corroded-hellfire 💚

Series Summary: Based on the Jonas Brothers song of the same name. You and Eddie share a hospital room in the wake of Hawkins' turmoil, striking up an unlikely friendship that could lead to much more.

Chapter Summary: Eddie's determined to help Sunshine wake up, but when she does, will the truth break them apart or bring them closer together?

Warnings: eventual smut (18+ only, minors DNI!), Eddie survives the Upside Down, hospital, mentions of surgery, angst, hurt/comfort

WC: 6.3k

Divider credit to @firefly-graphics

It seems like years pass before the doctors come out and report that they’ve been able to stabilize you, but that you need your rest and can’t have any more visitors today. 

“Her body has been under immense stress, physically and mentally,” Dr. Sanoj explains patiently. “You can come back during tomorrow’s visiting hours and see her if she’s strong enough.”

If she’s strong enough. The words grate at Eddie, chipping away at his resolve to remain calm. Of course you’ll be strong enough; you’re the strongest person he knows. 

He and your mom wordlessly make their way out of the hospital. Maybe it’s his eyes, red-rimmed from crying and lack of sleep, but it brings out a sympathetic side of your mom. 

“You should get some rest, too,” she says gently. She manages a small smile. “No sense in going in there tomorrow all sleep-deprived.”

Eddie nods, mutters a, “you, too,” and hurries to his van. The last thing she needs is to have to comfort him while her own daughter’s life hangs in limbo. 

To his credit, Eddie does try to take a nap. He tosses and turns for forty-five minutes before giving up, swinging his gangly legs over the side of Gareth’s couch and walking over to where Sweetheart is regally perched on her stand. He strums a few unenthused chords, attempting to muster up some semblance of ambition. Nothing he plays seems right anymore, like every note is out of tune. If he’s honest, it’s how his life feels without you in it. 

He thinks back to the day you formally met Dustin, Robin, and Steve. The way they insisted that there was something between you two. Jeez, Harrington went as far as to call it a spark, like a budding relationship could explode at any moment. And Robin had made that joke about how sad he got when the nurses “took his Sunshine away.” Like that song Wayne always sang around the house. 

Eddie hums the tune now, trying to match the pitch and find the right chords to play. He slowly picks them up, but there’s something still…off about the way the sweet, mellow song sounds on the electric guitar. 

“Hey there, Ed.” Wayne comes through the front door, wiping his boots on the welcome mat. “Got some good news for ya.”

“Mm,” Eddie murmurs, still entrenched in his music. 

Wayne holds up a manila envelope. “You’re officially cleared of all charges related to the Cunningham girl,” he announces, a big grin spreading across his typically stoic face. “Chief Hopper was able to pin it all on the Russians; easy enough, considering what happened at Starcourt last summer.” Wayne shakes his head at the memory. “‘M tellin’ you, boy: you’re real lucky the Chief of Police is also involved in this monster hunting thing.”

With the help of his friends, Eddie explained the truth about what happened to his uncle as soon as he got home from the hospital. And while Wayne was certainly skeptical—who wouldn’t be, with a story about an evil supervillain from another dimension?—he’d believed every word. 

“That’s good,” Eddie says now, no trace of enthusiasm in his voice. 

Wayne frowns. “What’s up your ass today? You’ve been cleared of murder charges, and you don’t so much as crack a smile?”

Eddie sighs, finally looking up at his uncle. “Even if they don’t charge me for the crime, people are still gonna think I did it. That I’m some kinda Satan-worshiping cult leader, or whatever.”

Wayne sits down on the couch next to Eddie. “Let me get this straight,” he says, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. “I’m supposed to believe that the same kid who would fight to the death over a traffic ticket doesn’t care that he’s no longer wanted for murder?” 

“I fucked up, Wayne,” Eddie chokes out, brushing the tears from his eyes. “I fucked things up with Sunshine, and now there’s something really wrong with her, a-and she might not wake up, and I can’t get this stupid song to sound right with this stupid guitar!” He pulls Sweetheart over his head angrily and places her back in her stand. 

“Well,” Wayne says, dropping a comforting hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “I may have only met her a few brief times, but even I could tell that she’s a fighter, that one. And just because someone’s not awake, doesn’t mean they can’t hear ya. Remember we’d sit by your mom’s side in the hospital and you’d tell her about your day? She’d wake up a few hours later and, like magic, she knew what you said to her. Pretty sure Sunshine’s got that same magic. When you go back there and visit her, tell her what’s on your heart. She’ll hear ya.” Wayne pauses and takes a deep breath. “Now about this song business…I dunno how to help you with that one. You and I both know my musical ability ends at putting records on. What song are tryin’ to learn?” 

“You Are My Sunshine,” Eddie grumbles, not taking his eyes off of his feet. Wayne can’t help but smile at that. He always knew his nephew was a softy deep down, but there weren’t too many times that he’d let anyone on the outside world see that. 

“S’a good song,” Wayne says. “And I ain’t known you to never get a song just right before. Keep fiddlin’ with it.”

Wayne pushes himself off the couch, but before he can leave the room, Eddie calls out to him. “Wayne? What, um, what should I say when I go visit her?”

His uncle shrugs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Just speak from the heart, boy. Keep it real honest and tell her how ya feel and what’s been on your mind.”

“Thanks,” Eddie says. Wayne gives him a nod and heads into the kitchen. After staring at Sweetheart for a few moments, Eddie picks her back up and starts to strum. He sit and practices for hours, occasionally massaging the back of his neck when it starts to stiffen up from staying in the same position for so long. He’s so enraptured in perfecting the song that he doesn’t even hear Wayne come back into the house.

“Ed? You still at it?”

“Unfortunately,” Eddie mutters, standing up and stretching his back with a groan. “You can come in if you want. I need a distraction before I fling myself out of the window.”

Wayne peeks his head in, a mischievous grin on his face. “Good thing we’re on the first floor then, huh?” He laughs at his nephew’s inevitable eyeroll. “C’mon out; I’ve got somethin’ to show ya.”

Curiosity getting the best of him, Eddie follows his uncle to his rusty old sedan. Laying in the backseat is an acoustic guitar. It looks a little beat up, but definitely playable.

“Where–how did you–” he starts, unable to speak because he’s so stunned by Wayne’s kind gesture.

“Ya can’t play a sweet old song like that on the electric guitar. Need one of these,” Wayne says proudly, pointing towards the instrument. “Guy at the pawnshop said she just needs a bit of a tune and she should be good to go.”

Tears spring to Eddie’s eyes, and he envelops his uncle in a tight hug. “You’re the best,” he says, voice muffled by his cheek being pressed against Wayne’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I haven’t been the easiest to deal–”

Wayne dismisses his concern with a wave. “Enough of that. I’m just glad to have you back here, alive. Now,” he says, the joyful glint returning to his eyes, “go learn that song so you can get the girl and leave the damn house once in a while.”

Eddie’s unable to suppress the smile that grows on his face. He’d never thought of himself as someone who would “get the girl,” but then again, he’s never felt about anyone the way he feels about you. 

Re-energized by his gift, Eddie brings the acoustic guitar inside and starts to practice again. Right away, he can tell the difference. 

“Much better,” Eddie says to himself. Wayne was right, as usual—not that he’d ever admit that to his uncle. Before, Eddie felt every second drip by as he tried and failed to make the song sound right. Now, the hours were flying by faster than Eddie even realized. Footsteps march into the living room and Eddie reluctantly looks up to see Gareth standing in the doorway.

“Yeah?” Eddie asks.

“Do you know what time it is?” Gareth asks, raising his eyebrows. Eddie shakes his head and goes back to strumming. “It’s after three in the morning. Dude, if you don’t get any sleep, she’s going to think you look like shit tomorrow.”

Gareth managed to find the one thing he could say to make Eddie put the guitar down. He didn’t have an official place to put this one, since Sweetheart was already resting in the stand. Standing up, Eddie grabs his guitar case from behind the couch. Gareth shuffles back down the hallway towards his room as Eddie flips open the latches of the case. He sets the acoustic down inside and smiles as he looks down at it. His first precious guitar has a name, and now he has the perfect idea for the next.

“Goodnight, Sunshine the Second.”

When Eddie arrives at Hawkins General Hospital the next morning, he’s not surprised to see your mom already by your bedside. He winces when he notices the tubes in your nose, another painful reminder of your weakened state.

“Any changes?” he asks softly, a pang of disappointment settling in his chest when she shakes her head no. 

“No better, but no worse,” your mother reports, running her thumb over your hand, carefully avoiding the needle in your vein. “How’re you holding up?”

“All right,” Eddie shrugs, peeling the guitar case off of his back and setting it down. “Wish she would wake up, though.”

Your mom laughs kindly. “You and me both, kid.” She takes notice of Sunshine the Second and smiles. “Did you just come from band practice?”

“Nah,” Eddie shakes his head bashfully, letting his messy curls brush his cheeks. “I, um, wanted to play her a song. If th-that’s okay.” He’s never been good with parents; they’ve always written him off as some punk or, worse, trailer trash. He anticipates disapproval, so he’s pleasantly surprised when your mom’s face brightens and she encourages him to play. 

“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” she excuses herself, giving his shoulder a maternal squeeze. 

Eddie clears his throat. “Hi, Sunshine,” he starts, pausing briefly to give you a chance to reply, but the silence dashes his hopes. “I’m so fucking glad you’re alive. I kept thinking about you, and this song, and I—I wanna play it for you.” He unzips the case and slings the guitar strap around his body. Tuning it quickly, he starts to sing:

You are my sunshine My only sunshine You make me happy When skies are gray You’ll never know dear How much I love you Please don’t take my sunshine away

He’s not sure what he was expecting; it’s not like his warbling voice would heal you. But he can’t help the disappointment that sinks into his chest like a bag of rocks in a river when you remain perfectly still. 

He strums absentmindedly, playing whatever songs he can remember off of the top of his head. His usual repertoire of Metallica and Black Sabbath don’t sound right on an acoustic, so he thinks about some of the folk-y music that Wayne listens to. 

So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you’ll wait for me Hold me like you’ll never let me go ‘Cause I’m leavin’ On a jet plane I don’t know when I’ll be back again Oh babe, I hate to go

The mention of an airplane reminds him of the argument you two had had before he was discharged. “I know you weren’t sure about if you wanted to fly with me to California and try to make it as a dancer,” he murmurs, “but whether or not your plans include me, I really think you should.”

He sighs, continuing to play random chords as he speaks. “Feel kinda bad right now. I mean, if you were awake, you might tell me to fuck off. And I wouldn’t blame you, honestly. But you can’t tell me that, so I’m just pouring my heart out whether you care to listen or not.” He laughs softly. 

Eddie’s fingers are moving of their own accord against the strings, his mind drifting off in a thousand different directions. It isn’t until his ear catches on the familiar notes that he realizes he’s playing a new song, one he heard a lot growing up, thanks to Wayne. 

Woah, my love, my darling I've hungered for your touch A long, lonely time And time goes by so slowly And time can do so much Are you still mine? I need your love I need your love God speed your love to me

His voice catches on the last few lyrics, his throat constricting and his eyes become heavy with unshed tears. Taking a deep breath, Eddie keeps strumming the guitar because he needs something to do with his hands. He slips his eyes closed, trying to compose himself, but it doesn’t do much. When he opens them again, a few stray tears escape down his cheeks.

“Sunshine, wake up,” Eddie pleads. “I don’t like this. Sunshine, wake up.”

He switches gears, going back to the original plan for the acoustic guitar. What he practiced for hours so it would be just right for you. 

You are my sunshine My only sunshine You make me happy When skies are gray You’ll never know dear How much I—

Eddie is cut off by the gentle fluttering of your eyelids. His heart stalls in his chest, his breath freezes in his lungs as he stares at you. In reality, it’s about four seconds of you blinking before your eyes are fully open. To Eddie, it was an agonizingly long wait. His hands are still on the guitar, too shocked to move. You’re looking up at the white ceiling above you before blinking a few more times. Slowly, your head turns towards Eddie and when your eyes lock with his, all of the emotions that have been swirling around and building up for days now hit their breaking point. The tears surge and Eddie sets the guitar down to wipe them from his eyes. He’ll be damned if anything keeps him from looking at you, alive, awake, wonderful you, even if it’s his own damn tears. 

“Sunshine,” Eddie breathes out, a rush of breath and a sigh of relief all wrapped up in the nickname. You look slightly groggy still from all the medications, but Eddie can tell you’re looking into his eyes, which is all he needs. Gently, taking care of the needles and wires hooked into you, Eddie takes your hand. “Sunshine, can you hear me?”

Your mouth opens and you go to speak, when a look of pain flashes across your face. 

“Shh, no, no. Don’t speak. Just squeeze my hand if you can hear me,” Eddie says. 

The soft pressure of your delicate hand tightening around his is enough to bring another round of tears. These, he scrubs off with his sleeve before they can make it too far down his face. Once his vision is clear again, he looks down to see you smiling at him. He’s not sure if you’re genuinely glad to see him, or you’re still so hopped up on drugs that you would’ve been happy to see Pennywise standing over your bed. 

“M-Mom?” you whisper, and your head is filled with sandbags as it lolls to one side. 

“No, Sunshine, it’s me. It’s Eddie.”

To his horror, you start to cry. He doesn’t know how to interpret it, so he quickly stands up. “I can go get her, okay? You don’t have to be scared.” Running over to the doorway, he pokes his head out towards the waiting room, catching your mom’s eye as he waves her over. 

“She’s awake,” he tells her, watching her body visibly decompress with relief, “and she’s asking for you.”

Your mom rushes into your room, heaving sobs wracking her body as she takes in your open eyes and small, chapped smile. “Hey, baby,” she murmurs. “I’m here now.”

Eddie awkwardly shifts from one foot to the other, not wanting to intrude on such a sensitive moment but not wanting to leave. “I can come back later,” he offers, but your mom shakes her head and pats the seat next to her. The two of them sit in silence as you go in and out of sleep, waking to ask for some water before dozing off again. 

After an hour, you finally claw your way out of a groggy stupor, focusing on the two people by your bedside. “Wh-What happened?” you manage.

“Honey, you had trouble waking up from your surgery,” your mom reluctantly tells you, sharing an uneasy glance with Eddie. “Your, um, your heart stopped; they had to revive you. We didn’t know if you were going to make it.”

“We should’ve known,” Eddie chimes in, offering as much of a smile as he can. “I mean, you’re a total badass. If anyone can cheat death, it’s you.”

It takes you a moment to piece together what’s going on. The last time you saw Eddie, anger and disappointment marred his normally cheerful disposition. There was no trace of the young man who theorized about future soap opera plotlines or who fell asleep with his cheek nestled against your shoulder; there was only hurt.

The Eddie sitting before you now is different altogether. He looks like he’s about to burst into tears at the sight of you, like he wants to hold on to you and never let go.

There’s so much still left unsaid, and your head swims at the mere thought of such an intense discussion. Instead, you opt for a more obvious question: “Is that a guitar?”

“Eddie was playing some songs for you,” your mom explains, looking between the two of you. Eddie hasn’t taken his eyes off of you since he’s sat down, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to stop any time soon. “I’m gonna grab something for him and I to eat; maybe he can play them again?”

“You don’t have to–” Eddie starts, but your mom waves him off with the promise of whatever sandwich looks the least unappetizing.

“You always sing for your mortal enemies?” you ask wryly, a hint of teasingness in your tone that you hope carries over.

“Just your run-of-the-mill sacrifice chants,” he jokes back, and you audibly sigh at the easy slide to your usual back-and-forth banter. He lowers his voice and takes your hand in his, weaving your fingers together as he says, “and you’re not my mortal enemy.”

“I’m really sorry that I lied to you,” you tell him, a misty film covering your eyes. “I just didn’t wanna disappoint you. And if you saw me sad, then you’d get sad...”

Eddie lightly presses his palm to your cheek. “Sunshine,” he says mournfully, “I never wanted you to hide your feelings from me. You’re my Sunshine because you’re you, not because I thought you were happy all the time.” He uses his free hand to rub behind his neck. “But I could’ve asked. I guess I was just so in my own head, thinking about myself, that I took you for granted. Poured my heart out to you, but never gave you the same chance,” he chides himself.

“Or I could’ve spoken up,” you point out truthfully. “I could’ve said, ‘Hey, I need a bunch of surgery and I may never dance again, and I’m really fuckin’ sad about it.”

Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up. You may never dance again. And there he was, blowing up on you because he thought you didn’t want to run away and pursue your dream; the whole time, your dream may have been yanked from your grasp.

“Can you play me one of the songs?” you interrupt his thoughts, and he just nods wordlessly as he positions the guitar on his lap.

“It’s kinda lame–”

“Just play it. Or do I have to almost die again?”

“Sheesh, all right,” he chuckles, latching his gaze to yours as he sings:

You are my sunshine My only sunshine You make me happy When skies are gray You’ll never know dear How much I love you Please don’t take my sunshine away

You’re giggling and crying at the same time, a sight that must seem completely absurd. You don’t want to think too long about what Eddie’s making of the way you look right now. His voice is rough and gravelly from years of metal covers at the Hideout, but it’s soothing nonetheless. But it’s the way he sings one particular part that replays in your brain over and over.

You’ll never know dear How much I love you

Maybe it’s just a song lyric. Maybe it doesn’t mean anything. He just sings it, not even remotely flustered, as though his love for you is common knowledge.

“So,” he says sheepishly, “what’d you think?” When he realizes that you’re cry-laughing too hard to respond, he grins. “Oh, Sunshine. What did I do to your heart–fix it, or break it?”

“I’m not sure,” you half-joke, because if you get your hopes up that he does love you the way you want him to love you, and then he doesn’t, it might shatter into a million pieces. “That was the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Eddie pauses, biting his lip nervously before he speaks again. “Can I try something?” When you nod, he cups your jaw and lets his thumb graze over your lower lip. You cringe at how dry they must feel, but he doesn’t seem to care as his mouth presses to yours. It’s a quick kiss, over too soon for your liking, but it still leaves you breathless.

He leans his forehead on yours, smiling as he caresses your cheek. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” he confesses, “and it kinda scares the shit outta me.”

“Only kinda?” you tease, nudging your nose to his.

Eddie leans back in his chair, letting out a shaky chuckle and rubbing his palms on his worn-out jeans. “I want us to be honest with each other. I don’t want any more secrets. From either of us,” he clarifies, so you know he’s not only talking about you. “Starting with what really happened the night of the earthquake.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you trust that I’ll tell you the truth?” he asks, and you nod. “Okay. So, um, shit, where do I even start? I guess…well, the earthquake…it wasn’t really an earthquake.”

Your eyes widen as he plunges into a story that sounds like it could be one of his D&D campaigns. 

“It was the first time I’d ever seen anything like it,” he tells you, explaining how some monster nicknamed “Vecna” had snapped Chrissy Cunningham’s bones like twigs. How he’d hidden in his drug supplier’s boathouse—a detail you’ll have to unpack later—until Dustin Henderson tracked him down. How the whole town was convinced that he was some kind of heinous murderer, when he’d never hurt a fly. 

All of that pales in comparison to the World War III-esque scene that awaited him in the Upside Down, an alternate dimension controlled by Vecna. “Every moving part was connected to him. Like a hive mind,” he says now. An arachnid-shaped force called the Mind Flayer that could possess anyone with a painful jab of its long pedipalps. Thick vines, far more dangerous than the poison ivy that showed up in your backyard each spring. “Nancy, Steve, and Robin—they almost died from them,” Eddie says somberly, and you sit up as much as you can and rub his back. 

“Is that how you…?” 

Eddie cuts you off with a quick shake of his head. “Henderson and I were supposed to lure the demobats from Vecna’s lair. That’s all we had to do. And we did it,” he flashes a sad smile. “But all I could think about was being a hero. Saving my friends. Finally facing danger instead of running from it.”

They’d just made it back to safety before the storm of bats surrounded the trailer, busting through vents and shaking the foundation. “Henderson went back first, an’ he was calling my name. Everything in me was screaming to climb the rope, get myself back to the real Hawkins.” He’s sobbing, and you have to lean in closer just to understand what he’s trying to say. “But I cut the rope and I went back.”

“To the Upside Down?” you interrupt, blinking back tears of your own. 

Eddie nods. “Those little bat fuckers got me good. I thought I was gonna die, right there in that weird, fake Hawkins. But my friends dragged me out, got me to a hospital…and here I am,” he finishes, trying to muster up a smile. 

“Here you are.”

“Scariest shit of my life,” Eddie says with a sigh. “But it landed me in the same hospital room as this really beautiful girl, so I guess something good came from it after all.”

His compliment brings a shy smile to your face, and your mind starts to remember all the laughs and conversations the two of you had in that room. A room, you assume, Max is still in. 

“So, uh, is this all how Max went blind?” you ask. 

“Yeah,” Eddie says, his eyes dropping down to your hand in his. He rubs his thumb along the back of your hand, taking care to avoid your IV line. “When Vecna targeted Max, she started levitating like Chrissy did. Her bones started to snap and her eyes started to bleed. When Vecna was torched, she was released. But the damage had been done. Lucas—her boyfriend, swears she died while they were waiting for an ambulance. And she was in a coma here for a little while.”

“She seems like a good friend. Loyal,” you say.

At that, a small smile curls on one side of Eddie’s face. “Yeah, Red’s a good kid.” 

“When they brought you in,” you say, lacing your fingers with his. “What did they tell the doctors was wrong with you? It’s not like they could’ve come right out and said you were attacked by multidimensional bats.”

“Steve and Henderson were arguing the whole way here about what their story should be. In the end, it didn’t matter though. The hospital was so overwhelmed by patients that they just wanted to know what my injuries were and didn’t even ask how I got them.” 

“This is all so insane,” you say with a shake of your head. Eddie’s brow pinches up and you’re quick to reassure him that you believe his story. “Eddie, what you had to go through was insane. The fact that there’s this whole other dimension existing alongside ours. Why is this shit happening in Hawkins of all places? Land of the boring doesn’t seem like the type of place that evil creatures would want to strike. At least, not according to most of the monster or disaster movies I’ve seen—and there have been a lot.”

“Before Vecna became…well, Vecna. He was just some kid who lived in Hawkins. With weird as shit powers he used to kill part of his family,” Eddie says. 

“That’s almost more morbid than the killer vines,” you say. “So, he chose to create a new dimension?”

“Not exactly. He was…banished there, more or less. By this badass little superpowered girl that all my friends know. I haven’t gotten to meet her yet, though. But she sent Creel there and he corrupted it to his liking, apparently.”

“Wait, did you say Creel?” you ask. “As in, The Creel House? Victor Creel?”

“His son, actually. Henry Creel. Henry is Vecna,” Eddie explains. 

“Jesus,” you say, leaning back against your pillows. “I know this whole thing is all pretty unbelievable…but do you know what part is bothering me the most?” 

“The fact that there are worse creatures around here than regular old spiders?” Eddie teases, getting a giggle out of you. 

“No,” you say. “Though that doesn’t thrill me either. It’s that the stupid people in this town would actually believe you’re capable of murder. And why? Because you like metal music? Because you play D&D? That’s such bullshit.”

Eddie can’t help but smile at your words. How could he ever have thought that you were like all those other assholes in this town? Well, he knows the answer to that, unfortunately. It was bound to happen over the years of bullying and abuse he endured, that now he’s just become paranoid that people are always fucking with him. Trusting people becomes a harder process, but falling for you is oh so easy. 

There’s a gentle knock on the door and your mom sticks her head in. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” Eddie says, his politeness towards your mother ever more endearing now that he’s kissed you. 

“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” your mom says as she sits down in the chair next to Eddie. She has a plastic container holding a sandwich in each hand. “I’ve got ham or turkey. Take your pick.”

“I’ll go with turkey,” Eddie says. Your mom hands him the sandwich and the two of them tuck into their food. You let your eyes roam around the room, which is smaller than the one you shared with Eddie—and then Max. Hopefully, you’ll get to move back into that room once you get a little strength back. But this room isn’t bad. It’s private, quiet, and you have a nice view out the window to your left. Dragging your eyes back across the room, they land on Eddie’s guitar laying next to his chair. 

“So, you play guitar,” you say, staring at the instrument. “Electric and acoustic, I take it?”

Eddie nods as he finishes the bite of food in his mouth. “Mostly electric. Just got this bad boy yesterday, actually. But it’s pretty much the same. You can play one, you can play the other.”

“Do you play any other instruments?” you ask. 

“Nah,” Eddie says. “I tried piano when I was younger, but the white keys…the black keys…too many to keep track of. What about you?”

“I was in band in middle school. Played the flute, but that was about it,” you say and your mom lets out a guffaw of laughter.

“I don’t know if I’d consider what you did ‘playing’ the flute, hun.” She leans in towards Eddie. “Those concerts were brutal.”

Eddie laughs and you feel your face warm up. “Thanks, Mom.”

The conversation lasts for another forty-five minutes before your Mom decides to head back home. She thanks Eddie for being there, enveloping him in a warm hug. It’s loving and maternal, and not frantic like when they were both anxiously awaiting your prognosis.

“So,” you say, peering at Eddie through your eyelashes, “is it my turn to tell you what happened to me?

He shakes his head. “Another time,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your forehead. His lips are soft and kind, and you never want him to break contact. “I had something more fun in mind for the rest of our afternoon.”

Your cheeks flame, and you press your lips together shyly. “Um, I don’t think I can do that for a little while,” you whisper.

Eddie’s eyes widen. “No, shit, that’s not what I meant. I mean, eventually, hell yeah, but not right after you rose from the dead.” He crosses his arms over his chest and gives a dramatic pout. “D’you really think I’d try to get in your pants now?”

You shrug. “I dunno. Maybe you have, like, a coma fetish.”

He wrinkles up his nose as he stares down at you. “Is that a thing? Never mind, I don’t want to know.” He scoots on the edge of your hospital bed and proudly announces, “I’m taking you on a date.”

“Eddie, I can’t leave the hospital,” you say, gesturing to the litany of wires you’re hooked up to. “Not sure if they’ll even let me leave my room.”

“Only one way to find out,” Eddie says. He gives you a mischievous smile as he stands from your bed and strolls out of the room. You try to situate yourself so you’re able to see out the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever Eddie is up to. A few minutes later, he steps back inside, pushing a wheelchair in front of him. Raising his eyebrows, his eyes dart from you, down to the chair, to you again, as if saying impressive, huh?

“Whatcha got there, Eds? We going somewhere?” you ask. 

“On our date, m’lady. You’re cleared to go downstairs.”

“What’s downstairs?”

“You’re just full of questions today, aren’t you?” Eddie asks as he parks the wheelchair next to your bed. “Let me ask you one. Do you like coffee?”

“I’m a college student,” you say. “I need it to live.” 

“Well, Miss College, would you accompany me to the cafeteria for a coffee date?” Eddie bows at the waist, offering one of his hands to you and the other rests against his back. “I may also buy you a cookie.”

“Spoiling me, I see. I would be more than happy to go on this date with you.” You push the blanket off your legs and move to sit on the edge of the bed. Before you go to step off the bed, a frown comes to your face.

“What’s wrong?” Eddie asks, standing up straight again. 

“I feel a little weird about leaving my room in just my hospital gown,” you admit, face heating up. 

“Not a problem.” Eddie shucks his leather jacket off and holds it out in front of him. The smile that lights up your face is involuntary at his sweet gesture. 

You stand up and reach behind you to keep your gown closed. “No free show,” you tease him with a smirk. 

Eddie chuckles and lays the jacket over your shoulders. “I mean, I am paying for your coffee…” He lets out a yelp as you playfully swat at him with your free hand. He helps you get seated in the chair and once you’re comfortable, you slip your arms into the sleeves. The scent of Eddie surrounds you as you're enveloped in his jacket. It feels soft against your skin and you just want to snuggle up in it.

He unlocks the wheelchair brakes and gently begins pushing you out the door, carefully navigating the frame so he doesn’t bump you. “Never thought I’d see the day that I was a responsible driver,” he quips, and you giggle. “Now, how do we get to the cafeteria?”

You crane your neck to look up at him. “How am I supposed to know? I didn’t exactly ask for a tour when they carried me in on a stretcher.”

“Ooh, feisty,” Eddie teases, continuing down the hallway until he finds a map of the hospital. His eyes scan the figure until they land on his destination. “Aha! Looks like we have to turn right at the end of this hall, then take the elevator down to the first floor, and it’ll be on the left.”

“Onwards!” you command, and Eddie gives a little salute as he brings you to the elevator.

You reach the cafeteria, and he wheels you over to a table. “How do you take your coffee?” When you give him your order, he repeats it over and over again.

“If you forget, just call out and ask me,” you reassure him, but he shakes his head.

“Wayne told me once that you should always know how your girl takes her coffee,” he explains. “‘S like one of the Ten Commandments or something.”

A grin spreads across your face. “Your girl?”

“Y-Yeah, if you want?” he stammers, shoving his hands in his back pockets and rocking back and forth. 

You crook your finger, beckoning him down to your level, and you kiss him passionately. He relaxes into you, deepening it and parting your lips with his own. “Yeah, I want,” you say softly, twirling a strand of his hair around your forefinger.

As he walks towards the carafes of lukewarm coffee, you admire him. Your boyfriend. He claims that revealing what happened to you won’t make him like you any less, but you have a niggling feeling that it might. He only knows you as Sunshine, and the one time you showed any emotion other than optimism, he left without a word. What if he decides that it’s too much? That you’re too much?

Maybe he’s better off without you and your baggage dragging him down. As if he can sense you getting in your own head, Eddie slides your coffee in front of you and plops down in the seat next to yours.

“My girlfriend gets the cutest little crease right between her eyebrows when she’s thinking too hard,” Eddie says. 

“Sorry,” you say with a sheepish smile. You take a sip of your coffee and let out a hum of approval. “Perfect.”

“No overthinking on our first date. Wait for the third or fourth for that.”

“Sounds fair,” you acquiesce. 

Eddie looks at you before taking a sip of his own coffee. “You know you don’t have to hide anything from me, right? I don’t run away. Not anymore.” He reaches out and strokes the back of your hand with his thumb, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

You swallow your nerves, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. “Okay,” you agree slowly. “Okay. I’ll tell you.”

--

taglist: @thebrookemunson, @mystars123, @h-ness1944, @hazydespair, @ajkamins, @aysheashea, @jasminelafleur, @brittney69, @arsonfrogger, @brassreign, @lunarzstarz, @aftermidnightwriting, @justtryingtobecreative, @micheledawn1975, @kailynn-exe @afunkyfreshblog @fangirling-4-ever @crimsonsabbath @babyexpertlampskeleton @whenshelanded @ches-86 @acmbooksfilmtelevisionandreads

[ramsashi]

My LIs from Romance Club

Sails in The Fog: Sebastian???

Moonborn: MAX!! OH GOD HE'S SO COOL!!

My Hollywood Story: Mike

Queen in 30 Days: Queen in 30 Days: I used to like Adam, but he started to creep me out in the final season, so now I'm aiming for Richard and Leonard for the achievement. LMAO

Shadows of Saintfour: Luke Morring (or should I call the bootleg version of young Leo DiCaprio? LMAO. TBH, I wanted to have Ethan as the main LI. too bad, he was not even a casual LI.

Wave Patrol: Jake (I initially wanted Alek, but he's in jail for a long time?? How can an FBI agent wait that long for his freedom?)

Seduced by The Rhythm: Hiro (I broke up twice with Charles because of him. lmao)

Chasing You: Alexander Nielsen (EDWARD & CHRISTOPHER were tempting!!)

Heaven's Secret: NO NEED TO PURSUE ANOTHER LI, STAY LOYAL TO HIS MAJESTY, LUCIFER

Legend of The Willow: KAZU ALL THE WAY <33

Path of the Valkyrie: Now is Ullr (I didn't know that I have to stay single to pursue Thor. I'm going to replay this book)

Rage of the Titans: Adrian (the old flame is still on fire 🔥)

Sophie's Ten Wishes: SEXY BENEDICT <33

Sins of London: Not impressed that much with Glasthyn, Should I replay this book to pursue Sherlock?

On Thin Ice: Dom

Arcanum: Liam, my softie heart <33

Gladiator Chronicles: SO HARD TO CHOOSE A LI in this book. I ended up with Paulina, now I want to pursue Stortia

Heart of Trespia: Wyatt, my softie boy

Kali: Call of Darkness: Amrit (although I've tried to pursue Killian or Ratan to the end, I failed)

The Flower from Tiamat's Fire: Niall

Theodora: Lawrence!! replaying this book 3 times, only ended up choosing Lawrence all over again.

The One Volume 1: Deshawn

PSI: UGH...I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE I LIKE THE BEST NOW. KAY OR JONAS??? I MEAN...ALL OF LIS are COOL. I'M REPLAYING FOR IVO NOW.

Vying for Versailles: FIRST LI IN RC UNIVERSE THAT MADE ME HEAD OVER HEELS, ALEXANDRE. He's still the best compared with King's romance path. I'm now looking for a happy ending with Prince

The Desert Rose: ADIL!! But now I'm replaying for pursuing Zain, then perhaps Mustafa and Jack in the future. I'm also curious to explore Zain or Adil's disloyal storyline. This book has really made me feel conflicted about my choices.

Heaven's Secret 2: STILL LOYAL TO LUCIFER. I've also had Astaroth's ending.

Elite Tag: Karl, now replaying for pursuing Daniel's ending

The One Volume 2: BEN!! HAHA LAST-MINUTE DECISION TURN AWAY FROM JOEL

Dracula: A Love Story: I'm not sure who I'm going to pursue in this book. I might end up with Hasan in the end. I mean, I was getting bored with Vlad and Leo's routes 🫠

Love From Outer Space: Never expected that I'd pursue an Alien Prince. lol

Hell and High Water: CHAND!! OH MY GOD. HE'S SO BEAUTIFUL!!

Song of the Crimson Nile: So, once upon a time there's this man named Livius, but then there are Ramesses and Set also

Chasing You 2: Still Alexander. I mean...his cgs are way too hot compared with the first book

Love, Sin & Evil: Tony is still the best I guess?

W Time Catcher: THERE'S LUCIEN...BUT WAIT, THERE ARE RENATO AND ONYX ALSO.

Kali: Flame of Samsara: No need to choose another LI, just RAM my baby

Garden of Eden: Seonghwa <33

Soulless: Walter is such a softie baby, my heart melts for his big puppy eyes. but then there's this bickering man named Vincent 🤭

Astrea's Broken Heart: Not sure which LI i'm going to end up with. I mean, they're all gorgeous!! the closest one may be Raphael??

Heaven's Secret: Requiem: GREG AND CAIN. I'M TORN BETWEEN THEM!

7 Brothers: still having my eyes on the sweet vanilla Grant

And the Haze Will Take Us: I laid my eyes on Ozar (of course) and Volot

The Thunderstorms Saga: I might pursue Tai in this book. TOO BAD, THEY DON'T MAKE LADY TENNERLY AS AN LI.

[indecentpause]

Super Rad! A Sheraton Academy Playlist for Ezra Yazdi

the clown buttons are from an etsy shop here! support a small creator and buy some buttons, whether from this shop or another one

Ezra hasn't been in any of my longform fiction, but they are Danny's youngest child far into the future! I love them they are hilarious and clever and bullheaded and sweet

“Garrett identifies as both a man and a woman. Sometimes one or the other, sometimes both at the same time. He identifies as genderfluid. Some people don’t identify as anything. Or both at once, none at other times. Gender is really complex, Ezra, and if you don’t feel like a boy or a girl, that’s okay! We can do some reading together and find out what term suits you best.” “Really?” Ezra was sitting up straight now, eyebrows hiked high into his hairline. His freckles crinkled in his cheeks at his wide smile. “Do you want us to call you Ezra, or do you want another name?” Akasha asked. “I like my name,” Ezra said. He fiddled with his skirt and bit his lip. “Do you want us to call you ‘he?’” He shook his head. “’She?’” He shook his head again. “They?” Ezra’s head shot up. “You can do that?” Danny laughed. “You sure can, kiddo.” “They,” Ezra whispered, trying out the word on his – their – tongue. “Where’s Ezra? They went to the park with Roxie. They can’t go out, they have homework. What’s their favorite color? Purple. Did you know they’re allergic to string beans?” “You are not allergic to string beans,” Akasha admonished. “You just don’t want to eat them.”

-from this short Sheraton Academy story (cw: accidental misgendering)

the narcissist cookbook - gendering teddy // she/her/hers - gender is boring // smash mouth - i just wanna see // mika - lollipop // kate micucci - the happy song // the aquabats! - the shark fighter! // bowling for soup - today is gonna be a great day // aurelio voltaire - raised by bats // liam lynch - happy // you suck at cooking - french fries // weird al yankovic - hardware store // kitsch club - 12 foot home depot skeleton // relient k - the pirates who don't do anything // ninja sex party - release the kraken // the offspring feat. redman - original prankster // the aquabats! - super rad! // daniel thrasher - shiny object syndrome // weird al yankovic - i love rocky road // jonas brothers - year 3000 // be your own pet - food fight! // tegan and sara & the lonely island - everything is awesome!!! // miss papaya - pink dinosaur // tainted flavor - believe in yourself // jason steele - i am a millipede // pain - jabberjaw running under water // keyes. - me want bite // don't stop or we'll die - don't wake the ghost // katrina & the waves - walking on sunshine (2004 ver) // bug hunter - a bedtime story

listen here

Ezra tag

Sheraton Academy tag

when going to the tag to link I realized my last Ezra post was also this playlist, but I wrote all this out and made a new moodboard so you get it again anyway lol

Current taglist: @abalonetea @only-book-lovers-left-alive @poore-choice-of-words @leadhelmetcosmonaut @jasperygrace

@drippingmoon @theoddcryptid @magic-is-something-we-create @winterandwords

@revenantlore @mr-orion @idreamonpaper @thelaughingstag

[tomorrowxtogether]

TXT Talks The Name Chapter: Freefall, Adulting, and Growing Pains

I have a feeling we are not in Kansas Neverland anymore.

In the four-plus years since their debut, TXT (Tomorrow X Together) have always embraced eclecticism, but their third full-length album, The Name Chapter: Freefall, takes things a step further.

When they burst into the scene, TXT started weaving a complex story told through the lens of a group of young boys. First, there was The Dream Chapter, which focused on the transition from childhood to adolescence and relied on colorful aesthetics and optimistic lyricism. Then, there came the quasi-Kafkaesque Chaos Chapter, which shattered the illusion of dreams, introducing real-world problems and a looming sense of responsibility that comes full circle in The Name Chapter, the last page (so far) in this TXT's big book.

"The Name Chapter is about a phase where you solidify your identity and your name as you grow into adulthood," Taehyun explained to Teen Vogue earlier this year, when the first installment of this chapter, Temptation, was presented to the world. Temptation looked to Peter Pan for inspiration to depict the longing for lost innocence, but Freefall doesn't have time for more fairytales. The proverbial boys are going from the idyllic grasslands of Neverland to the graffitied streets of a stark reality where you have to fight to achieve your dreams.

As Beomgyu pointed out during a media showcase for the new album, Temptation's last track, "Farewell, Neverland," serves as an explicit connector to Freefall, which kicks off with "Growing Pain," TXT's first venture into heavy metal. The quintet had previously released the Ryan Tedder-penned "Back for More" and "Do It Like That" as collaborations with Anitta and the Jonas Brothers, respectively, though they appear sans company in the final album.

Going from '80s synth-pop on the Rock Mafia-produced title track "Chasing That Feeling" to melodic R&B in "Dreamer" and Jersey club in "Deep Down" and "Happily Ever After," The Name Chapter: Freefall finds TXT diving into uncharted waters across its nine original tracks, plus a digital-only English version of the title track.

Ahead of the album's release, Teen Vogue caught up with the five members over Zoom to chat about working on the album, life on the road, and their own "freefall" into adulthood.

Teen Vogue: Congratulations on another great album. I wanted to start off easy by just letting you pick your favorite songs from The Name Chapter: Freefall.

Taehyun (in English): For me, it changes every day. Today, I'll choose "Deep Down."

Yeonjun: For me, "Growing Pain."

Beomgyu: “물수제비” — or “Skipping Stones,” in English.

Soobin: For me, it's also "Skipping Stones" because it's kind of indie rock style, which I really love, and it's our first foray into such kind of genre, so I really love that song.

Hueningkai: Right now, I choose "Dreamer."

TV: I thought some of you would say "Blue Spring" because it's your ode to MOAs that you all wrote together.

Hueningkai: [Giggles.]

TV: You actually unveiled the track during your last tour, Act: Sweet Mirage, right?

Taehyun: Yes, we actually made "Blue Spring" for the tour because we thought it'd be nice to present it to MOAs live. So, we made it rather quickly right before the tour so that we could fit it into the setlist.

TV: Was it initially just a tour song, or was it always the plan to add it to the album after?

Hueningkai: If the chance presented itself, we thought it'd be good to add it to an album. We didn't yet know which album it would be, but that was the plan, and fortunately, it fitted this album, The Name Chapter: Freefall, so well that it made it in.

TV: In a recent TMI video, which I believe was from one of your lives, Beomgyu said that this is his favorite album ever since your debut, even though you've liked every single album you've put out. Why do you like this album the most?

Beomgyu: Usually, when I listen to music, [though] I like a lot of genres, I typically tend to pick songs that have a kind of similar, very specific vibe to them. This album has a whole array of genres, but I still really enjoyed it. I really like it. I think we have something for everyone, and [because of that] I keep listening to it even to this very day.

TV: It's true. It's very eclectic. You have a really good mix of genres. In that same video, Yeonjun, you said that prepping for this album wasn't particularly easy. What did you mean by that? Was it because of your packed schedules? Was it because it's a full-length album after a while? How is it different or more demanding than your previous releases? Especially The Name Chapter: Temptation because I do think you incorporated a lot of genres into that one as well…

Yeonjun: Yes, schedule-wise, we were writing the lyrics while we were on tour, so it was demanding, and it didn't go as fast as we thought. Also, when we write lyrics, we run them by our label since we all have different ideas and views on the songs and [need to join forces to come up with the best options].

Hueningkai: Because this was our studio album in two years and four months, we wanted to make sure that we had the utmost quality, and that's why we had a lot of people jumping in and sharing ideas and feedback.

TV: Nice, it was a good collaborative process. While listening to the album, I couldn't help but notice that you put in a couple of references to your debut song, "Crown," both in the lyrics for "Blue Spring" and also in the Korean subtitle for "Deep Down"," which is “머리에 솟아난 뿔은 나의 왕관이었다,” meaning “The horn that rose from my head was my crown.” Why did you decide to make it a full circle and call back to your very first song?

Taehyun: This album is about facing reality and showing a determination to grow, which, of course, comes with some pain — growing pains. [This idea just naturally] circles back to our song “Crown” because, in a way, it also talks about those growing pains. There's a horn growing out of my head. I thought it was a pain, but because we have that horn, we could grow. So, it's actually a crown, not a horn. [It was an instinctive callback.

TV: As you kind of mentioned, the theme of the chapter is growth and hitting reality head-on. I know you have your boys in your story, but personally, what was the moment in your life when you realized that you were not kids anymore? What was your "freefall" in a way?

Taehyun (in English): I think ever since I joined our company. [That] showed [me adult] reality.

TV: I mean, that happens when you get a job, right?

Taehyun: That's right.

TV: Responsibilities.

Yeonjun: Yeah, I totally agree with what Taehyun said. Because we were [objectively] quite young when we started, I think joining the company was like jumping into society and a "freefall" into the [adult] reality.

TV: It must have been a big change, but you are doing great now, so it worked out.

Soobin: Thank you!

Hueningkai: Thank you so much!

TV: Okay, to counteract how serious that question was. One of the other concepts in this album is melancholy. Now that we are all in this adult world, what is something that you miss the most about your childhood? Something that takes you back and brings back good memories?

Yeonjun: I think, for me, it'd be just those normal days when you go to school and you hang out with your friends. Those are the moments I'd love to go back to the most. I think going back would make me even more appreciative of how precious and beautiful those days were.

TV: Yes. For me, it's watching cartoons in the morning during the weekends.

All: [Laugh.]

TV: Applied to your careers, you guys are going onto five years together now, which is incredible because it feels like just yesterday that you made your debut. How do you feel you have changed or grown from the rookies that you were then? What are some of the fears and anxieties that you have now compared to when you were starting out?

Beomgyu: I feel like we have grown a lot both personally and as a team, [and that can be seen] in the big stages we’ve been performing at recently. Personally, when we had just debuted and up until the first half of our career, I don't think I was too nervous about going on stage; but, [as the scale grows], I feel like it’s become a bit more nervewracking for me. I do get a bit more nervous and a bit more anxious lately [despite the experience.] That said, as soon as I am on stage, I [immediately] feel better since I get to rely on the other members.

TV: Why do you feel you've experienced that shift? Why do you feel more "pressured" now when you go on stage? Is it just the scale?

Beomgyu: Yeah, [I think so.] Honestly, I've been trying very hard to figure it out. I still don't know why. I'm trying to [have a concrete answer], but [I just know I get] very nervous [in big stages or with big crowds these days].

TV: You'll figure it out. Do the rest of the members feel the same, or do you feel more at ease when you're on a big stage now that you have two world tours and Lollapalooza twice under your belts?

Taehyun: Personally, [precisely] because we've been on bigger stages, and we've also shown our performance for pre-release songs at such big stages, I think these experiences have piled up and I've gotten to actually enjoy the time [on stage] more. It's fun.

TV: Tell Beomgyu your secret. Make him feel more at ease before going on a big stage.

All: [Laugh.]

TV: As part of Act: Sweet Mirage, you have a couple more concerts scheduled for later in the year in Seoul, and, of course, the end of the year is a big time for big-scale performances. What surprises do you have up your sleeve for the next few performances?

Taehyun: We have the finale concerts left in Seoul in December, so we are going to make them grand finale [worthy]. It's going to be a bit more flashy and we are going to have a very long set list, so people can look forward to that the most.

TV: Long setlist, okay. Bringing it back to The Name Chapter: Freefall. Is there any aspect that you're most excited for fans to see when you perform these songs live? I hear that the choreography for the title track has some voguing in it...

Hueningkai: Yeah, so as you said, there's going to be some voguing involved in the dance break, so I think we can make that into a challenge, and if it becomes a hit, then we'll love it too. It's not that difficult to do, so I think it could go viral.

TV: We'll 100% look forward to that. Though they are not part of the album, you've been collaborating with a lot of new artists these days: Anitta, Coi Leray last year, the Jonas Brothers.... I'm not going to ask you about who you want to collaborate with in the future because I know you've answered that question multiple times, but I am curious to know what have you learned from working with other artists outside of your bubble. Are there any memorable experiences or lessons that they have taught you, or have you ever felt starstruck working with such big artists?

Taehyun: Of course, musically, we learned so much from all of them. Personally, [I was a bit starstruck] when I met the Jonas Brothers. I thought, "They're such big stars, but they're so humble. They're so nice and gentle and such nice people." So I thought that I want to become like them. Even when I become a bigger star, I want to be humble and nice like them. Plus, they're still so handsome.

TV: Well, they also started around the same age that you started, so...

Hueningkai: Correct.

TV: On a more playful note, and since the album is all about falling, have you fallen down any rabbit holes recently? Do you have any new obsessions? I know for Soobin, it's probably anime...

Soobin: [Laughs and nods].

TV: What are the things that you've been enjoying the most when you're not working?

Yeonjun: I'm very into listening to and collecting vinyl records, so when it was my birthday, I even asked my members and my friends to give me a vinyl of their own choice, of their own taste.

TV: Did they follow through? Did they commit and gift you the records?

Yeonjun: Yes. All the members gave me a vinyl.

TV: Nice. Does anyone else want to share something that you've been enjoying outside of work?

Soobin: For me, as you said, I love watching TV dramas and anime after work. But if we have a day off, I've taken a liking for just strolling without a destination in the past year. I pick an area — Gangnam, Itaewon... — and just go there with my maps and walk around. If I see a cafe or a clothing store that catches my eye, I just go in and see what's there. That's the kind of thing that I like to do these days; spending the day just walking aimlessly without a destination, going for whatever I like.

TV: My social anxiety would not let me roam around without a purpose, but proud of you for that. It sounds lovely.

All: [Laugh.]

TV: Music-wise, what's on your playlist these days? Or better, what are some songs that you have been listening to these days that you feel will pair well with The Name Chapter: Freefall?

Taehyun (in English): Recently, I've been listening to a lot of rock. A lot of Bon Jovi. Guns N' Roses, they are my favorite.

TV: Old school.

Soobin: I think the members already know this, but "Skipping Stones" is my favorite song from this new album and [one of] the writers of the song is called Hanroro. She is a singer-songwriter. I've been a big fan of her for a long time, but especially recently, I've been listening to a lot of her songs again. I really like her music. One of her songs is named "정류장," and I think that goes really well with our album. They have really similar vibes.

TV: A full circle moment again.

Soobin: Yes. [Laughs.]

TV: The album is dropping on a Friday the 13th, which is notoriously a very spooky and unlucky day. Hopefully, you don't get the unlucky part, but do you have any superstitions? Do you believe in any of that?

Taehyun: I don't think this is a superstition, but [I'll turn it around]: I hope that people listen to our songs so much that it's almost spooky.

TV: Okay, nice, you are putting a spell on people to like the album.

Hueningkai: [Laughs.]

TV: I think that will work.

Hueningkai: I think superstitions are fun; I'm very much interested in superstitions.

TV: To wrap things up. Do you want to describe the album in one word each?

Hueningkai: Massive.

Taehyun: Masterpiece.

Beomgyu: Favorite.

Yeonjun: Best.

Soobin: Youth.

TV: They all go together: your best and favorite masterpiece of youth on a massive scale.

All: [Laugh.]

Taehyun: That's right.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. TXT spoke via an interpreter.

[myloveforhergoeson]

taking icy’s lead and sending you the playlist thing for rames!

hi hi hi!! so excited to do this~ i was obsessed with your jelisa post and your answers hehe. normally i try to keep my playlists centered around the time the story takes place but if i'm allowed to pick, my taste is a bit more modern-ish lol! i do my best to put the chapter titles as little soundtracks to go along with the story, but that doesn't always work out. most of the time they're just reflecting the chapter content with the title, not the lyrics

opening credits: l.a. baby (where dreams are made of) by the jonas brothers!

perhaps i'm cheating by picking a song that's already an opening credits song, but i think if their life was a TV show/movie this would be so perfect for them!

meeting for the first time: tracks of my tears by smokey robinson and the miracles

not because i think it reflects their situation but because i think roxy remembers this as the song she first heard him sing. their meeting isn't really anything miraculous + not love at first sight, but i think if they were a movie it would be cute if this was playing in the background when they first meet :)

hey, i kinda like you: crush by david archuleta

super super rames; playing on the radio when roxy decides to ask james out as like a little peek into what's running through her mind

i’m going to kiss you now: dig what you dug by wallows

:) love this song its sooo so so rames, but especially right after they kiss for the first time and james tells roxy he loves the way she says his name. that scene was inspired by this song in the first place!!

falling in love: jump than fall by taylor swift

self self-explanatory and chapter title stealing again...

your place or mine: last man in the world by the band camino

:)

naked in bed: hands down by dashboard confessional

my one mistake is using this to title a dak centered chapter... but it is also so very rames

first fight: that's what you get by paramore

cheating again and stealing chapter titles... but i mean come on! that's basically what happens lol

maybe we should take a break: my happy ending by avril lavigne

speaks for itself i think... especially because rox is pretty far gone for him at this point...

i want you back: iris by the goo goo dolls

I KNOW I KNOW but just imagine it's raining and james and roxy are in the street and they're apologizing to each other after their break because they realized it was such a bad idea and that they're better together and they love each other too much to see the other hurt and the instrumental part is playing in the background AHHH

will you marry me: songbird by oasis

not only is this their song (to me...) but everything about it is just so loving and tender and i think it fits this section perfectly. while i don't know if james and roxy are marriage people just yet, i think i could see this being something rox walks down the aisle to or perhaps their first dance song :)

first child: cecilia and the satellite by andrew mcmahon in the wilderness

like the last one, i'm not sure if james and roxy are parent material lol and i don't know many songs about children, but this is one of my favorites :) i think if anything james would be a super cute girl dad (as i think all boy band members would be) and i could imagine him writing/singing a similar type of song :)

we’re getting older: 18 by one direction/act my age by one direction

<3 we can forget they're 17 when they start dating okay <3

if you die i’ll go with you: i'll follow you into the dark by death cab for cutie

if you've never heard this one you might want to grab some tissues. my hands are shaking as i write this.

end credits: the flower garden by joe hisaishi

im imagining the screen fading to black after their story ends while this plays and seeing the credits roll and GAH IM SUCH A MESS HELP!!!!!! (and now im imagining a howl's moving castle au so someone needs to take google docs far FAR AWAY FR OM ME but they fit those roles so well HELPPP)

[arrows-unofficial-ocs]

the basics:

name: josephine sarah “jo” rogers age: 22 zodiac sign: picses one good trait: kind one bad trait: dramatic

habits:

one bad habit: chewing her nails one good habit: drinking a lot of water each day one habit they can’t break: chewing her nails one they’ve broken: picking the skin on her lips what they’re afraid of: losing her family

family:

their parents names: steve rogers (father), peggy rogers née carter (mother) their siblings names: jamie elizabeth rogers (sister), carter michael rogers (brother) favorite childhood memory: getting ice cream and sitting on the curb with her father and godfather (bucky, of course) favorite childhood toy: her molly mcintire doll embarrassing story: jo once broke her wrist after trying out skateboarding to empress some older kids at the playground favorite family member: jo has a soft spot for her baby brother, carter a story about that family member: jo will never forget the first time that she held carter. she was nine, he was three days old, and all she knew was that she needed to protect him.

what they prefer:

coffee or tea? coffee showering in the day or night? night showers taking baths or taking showers? taking showers tv or movies? movies writing or reading? writing platonic or romantic love? platonic iced tea or lemonade? iced tea ice cream or smoothies? ice cream cupcakes or cakes? cakes beach or mountains? beaches

favorites:

song: lovebug by the jonas brothers band: the jonas brothers outfit: jeans, a jean jacket, and a striped sweater with combat boots place: the english countryside memory: those early family vacations with her parents and trips to england person: varies depending on the day, and sometimes the minute movie: beauty and the beast show: psych

☾ cute character questions ☽

⤷ for @aceyanaheim / @welcometotheocverse • ricky gilmore

[thornfield13713]

Ten Maris headcanons, go

Her favourite song on the radio is 'I'm Tickled Pink' by Jack Shaindlin. She hums it a lot when she's deeply absorbed in whatever she's doing, and sometimes sings it under her breath.

Due to having lived her whole life in a Vault suit, she's most comfortable in jumpsuit-like clothing - mechanic's coveralls end up as her clothing of choice, and after a while she gets into the habit of decorating them with appliques, embroidery and so on, getting more elaborate the more she learns.

She learned how to sew from Old Lady Palmer as a child in the Vault, because being able to make things was, Old Lady Palmer always said, a very good thing in a Vault where you could never buy anyone a present, but you could make or scavenge things. Jonas, Amata and James - to say nothing of Old Lady Palmer herself - were all the beneficiaries of Maris's early experiments in sewing. And, later on, already knowing how to sew was a great benefit to her medical training.

She has a real soft spot for Arthur Maxson, whom she first met as a child of ten, and whom she used to drop in on every time she passed through the Citadel, bringing him little treats and souvenirs and generally treating him like a cross between the little brother she never had and a favourite nephew. It was this fondness that ended up blinding her to the sort of man he was becoming until it was too late, resulting in her being forced to flee the Capital Wasteland in the face of charges of betraying the Brotherhood.

She is bad at saying no to people, and actually rather admires how ready Charon is to do it. He has literally had his free will stripped away from him, but still does all he can to keep his ability to resist and disobey, while she has her free will, but has so much trouble telling someone 'no' directly without dancing around the point.

She is deeply, deeply paranoid about disease. Having grown up in a Vault, her immune system is pretty much shot, and so she takes every precaution she can to minimise her exposure as far as she can while still practicing as a doctor. Even this has not been enough on a few occasions, and when she's ill it tends to be the sort of illness that leaves her bed-bound and delirious for days rather than the sort she can work through.

She is deeply afraid of failing or disappointing people. Disappointing people in particular. And so she will do nearly anything to avoid doing so, particularly if the person in question is someone she cares for and whose opinion she values.

Colin Moriarty was the first person she ever killed when it wasn't her or them, and if she hadn't had experience killing raiders during the research for the Wasteland Survival Guide, she probably wouldn't have been able to pull the trigger on him. It was a panicked, instinctual thing, and she felt guilty about it for a long time...right up until she returned to Megaton, and found the saloon repainted with Gob's name, Gob and Nova free and happy and swearing before Sheriff Simms that Maris had only shot Moriarty because he attempted to assault her, but unfortunately everyone reacted so quickly that she was forced to flee before she could give her side of the story. All three of them know it for a damned lie, and probably Simms does too, but Moriarty was not a man anyone would question such a story about.

It took a while to get used to non-processed food. Maris has a lot of tactile sensitivities, and she's grown up in a Vault, where the rations are very, very processed indeed. Her first time eating something that wasn't it took real effort to make herself swallow it - she couldn't get used to the texture or the taste, and it was a battle between her instincts and her manners the whole time. She probably wouldn't have finished it if she weren't desperately hungry, and if Jenny Stahl hadn't been standing there, having just sold Maris a brahmin steak that she was now expected to eat, and which wasn't very much like Salisbury steak after all, and Maris would literally rather die than give offence in that situation.

She has a real weakness for pre-war fantasy. Grognak was her favourite comic in the Vault for a reason, and she can't really get invested in most things set in the world that really does - or did - exist. She already knows how all of those stories ended. But stories about other worlds are new, and those can end in all sorts of different ways that this one didn't.

[manyfandomocs]

Cute character questions for Leticia? <3

Ofc ofc

the basics:

name: Leticia Anneliese Beaumont age: 20 zodiac sign: Capricorn (January 16) one good trait: inventive one bad trait: stubborn

habits:

one bad habit: running around one good habit: warming up before singing one habit they can’t break: tapping her fingers one they’ve broken: snapping what they’re afraid of: getting sick and being found out in lady whistledown

family:

their parents names: Mary and John Beaumont their siblings names: Adelaide favorite childhood memory: Meeting Sampson favorite childhood toy: A coin embarrassing story: N/A favorite family member: Mary a story about that family member: Mary started her singing lessons

what they prefer:

coffee or tea? Coffee showering in the day or night? Night taking baths or taking showers? Showers tv or movies? TV writing or reading? Both platonic or romantic love? Platonic iced tea or lemonade? Iced Tea ice cream or smoothies? Smoothies cupcakes or cake? Cupcakes beach or mountains? Mountains

favorites:

song: Lovebug - Jonas Brothers band: Big Time Rush outfit: TBD place: Arabella's stables memory: Meeting Arabella person: Sampson movie: Friday The 13th show: Gravity Falls

Send me cute character questions and find out…

[coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe]

Faith & Fate - A Leap Of Faith Fanfiction

As I told Emily (@philhoffman ) I have started writing a Leap Of Faith story, which I have now titled 'Faith & Fate', it takes place in 1993 and in the fictional town of 'Lead Springs, Texas'. And I shall now word dump on you some info:

Major Changes to the plot / Spoilers:

After the ending of 'Leap of Faith' Jonas was dropped off the next town over by the truck driver. The trucker thought Jonas was mad and threw him and his bag out.

Jonas had to call Jane, she and Sheriff Braverman came to get Jonas and they (Jonas and Jane) re-joined the crew, heading off to the next town, eventually reaching Lead Springs, Texas by January 9th of 1992, where 'Faith & Fate' begins.

So basically, I'm using 'Leap of Faith' as a 'movie becomes series' (like Buffy for example) to lead into 'Faith & Fate'

As per usual, if you wish to be tagged or untagged from the story, please let me know, either through asks or DMs

Characters (OCs & From Leap of Faith):

Under cut due to length. These are just the characters I'm certain I'll include as of now (8th June '24)

Jonas Nightengale & Jane Larson

Aka the two least deserving of anyone's trust, the Boss (Jonas) and the ACTUAL boss (Jane). I don't trust either of them, but I trust Larson more because of the butterflies scene. Jane is dating Sheriff Braverman long-distance and Jonas still keeps in touch with Boyd and Marva, though he isn't particularly close to either of them.

Ages: Jonas - 47. Jane - 37

The Choir & The Crew (General)

More than likely underpaid (even though Jonas has a bag of golden watches), but good people. I know several of the crew who put together the gigantic tent have tattoos, so possibly a mix of types of Christians, including maybe some who aren't fully Christians

Ages: Unknown, Approx. 20s-40s mostly

Tiny

First of all, he's a giant, dude's like 6'3. My name for him is Timothy Smalls, so in my head at least Jonas nicknamed him Tiny because of the character of Tiny Tim and it just stuck. He helps with building the tent, collecting money, gathering info, etc.

Age: 44

Matt

(Image credit - @philhoffman / Emily) Matt, my beloved, young dumb and full of… energy, this man has so much energy. My name for him is Matthew Braddock. He helps collect money and gather info, but is also the one who Jane and Hoover (Meat Loaf) send to do random tasks, like an intern.

Age: 25

Hoover

The driver of Jonas' bus, as in the main bus at the front of the pack of 4. His name's Tobias Hoover. His family is my OCs, specifically his 2 brothers and niece. I like his fashion choices, but I know they're not for everyone, also I have been unironically listening to mostly Meat Loaf songs while writing these characters.

Age: 43

(OC) Jedidiah 'Jed/Bubba' Hoover

Eldest brother, and the only Hoover brother to have kids, big (6'2") cuddly papa bear, but seriously don't come near his daughter, he protects her like she's a miracle and her mother / Jed's wife died when Cai was very young.

Age: 46

(OC) Micaiah 'Cai' Hoover

Jed's daughter, Cai's been raised by practically just men, her family has always been in Lead Springs, her uncle Tobias was the only one who left. She suffers with CIDP, which means she's often in a wheelchair but manages as well as she can to be independent. She doesn't work, not due to disability but rather due to lack of jobs, as well as the mistreatment she receives in Lead Springs.

Age: 22 (turns 23 within the first few chapters)

(OC) Zechariah 'Ari' Hoover

Tobi and Jed's younger brother, and Cai's uncle. Zechariah goes by Ari, which can be confusing. He lives with Jed and Cai, acting as a second father to Cai while working with Jed at the town's diner. Most days he regrets letting Tobias leave, but has to remind himself that his brother has his own life.

Age: 40

(OC) Reverend B.J Deacon

The young, new Episcopal church reverend/deacon, fresh faced and just out of seminary school. He's very new to actually leading a church and very inexperienced, hoping to learn from Jonas how to engage people with their faith.

Age: 22 (turns 23 within the first few chapters)

[rawtoastandpeanutbutter]

Hello!

My name is Jonas, I go by they/he pronouns and my stupid (affectionate) ass interests include the following:

Undertale/Deltarune (papyrus my beloved!)

Hazbin Hotel

Friday Night Funkin'

any art you fuckers do (you guys are so good at it srsly)

(lol i honestly should have done this first)

(if you want info on friday night funkin', keep reading)

art i've done:

Speakin' of Friday Night Funkin, my brother (@amoura-funkin-official) and I are planning on making our own mod called

(drumroll.mp3) Amoura Funkin'!

The gist of it is BF and GF fall into Amoura - the center of it to be specific. On their way to get out (and make it home in time), they meet a wonderful cast of characters. Raya, who invites them into the bar she works at, Clyde, the King's royal advisor- (and Raya's friend) who's a total nerd. His niece and nephew, Apollo and Lydia, along with the King's right-hand man, Brian. And even the King himself! (and also Jenna maybe)

We are planning to release this mod in versions for the sake of our sanity.

v.0.5 - the beach episode. not really part of the main story, but a fun practice one-off

v.1 - the actual mod. probably not a lot of stuff yet. raya's week and a few freeplay songs

v.1.5- partner's week. @reddnpinkepiphanyz is going to work with us one that part, as partner is their character

v.2 - clyde's week is added along with new dialogue box and character sprites. more freeplay songs. the interface changed a bit

v.3 (?) - animated (hopefully) cutscenes for the dialogue. full interface change. maybe some bonus songs if i'm feeling rather funky

(expect a shit-ton of art for this lol) Updates for this are TBD.

[timetoletmyimaginationfly]

Our Love Story: Celebration!

Nanami Kento x Reader

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

(Song Inspiration: Love Her by Jonas Brothers)

The spring weather was in favor for your graduation. The cherry blossoms were blossoming. The weather was warm, with the help of the sunlight keeping everyone warm. The crowd watched as the graduation caps were thrown up in the air and their cheers heard throughout the arena.

“Kento-kun!” you yelled excitedly and ran to him. Nanami held a large bouquet of red roses and sunflowers.

“Congratulations, sweetheart,” he said happily and hugged you tightly. The tears that you never thought would come started to flow down your eyes.

“Shoot, I’m crying…” Nanami chuckled and kissed the tears away.

“That’s good though. You finally did it, love.” You nodded in his chest. You heard your name loudly. And then you felt your body being pulled away from Nanami. You were in a bone crushing hug from Gojo.

“My hardworking girl did it!!!” He cheered happily.

“Satoru, you’re gonna crush her to death,” Geto said.

“Good job, girl,” Shoko said happily. Gojo finally put you down and you went over to hug Geto and then Shoko. “So what’s the plan?”

“I’ve been wanting to go back to the bbq place and then we can go out to a bar,” you said. “Is that okay, Kento-kun?”

“Anything you want, sweetheart.” Nanami held your hand and squeezed it tight with reassurance.

The five of you migrated to a bar that Geto suggested after eating. Shoko ordered five celebration shots.

“To your graduation!” Shoko exclaimed excitedly.

“To graduation!” Everyone raised their shot glasses and took their drink.

“What do you like to drink?” he asked you.

“I want…” you paused for a while. It was your first time going to a bar with him. “What do you drink, Kento-kun? It’s whiskey right?” He nodded. “I’ll drink one with you. I never had it on the rocks before.” Nanami nodded and ordered two glasses of whiskeys. “You don’t mind if Keiko, Hana, and Yumi stop by?”

“Of course, sweetheart. We’ll celebrate for all four of you.” You smiled. Your drinks arrived quickly. The two of you picked up your glasses and clinked in celebration. You took a small sip and made a quick face. Nanami chuckled. “You don’t have to finish it.” You shook your head.

“I can do it,” you said. “It has a different taste. Compared to vodka and rum. Geto-san! Have a drink! Here let me pay for you! What do you want?” Geto chuckled.

“Get me a Manhattan,” he said.

“One Manhattan please,” you said. The bartender nodded and prepared the drink. You searched for your wallet and remembered that Nanami was holding it since you had a dress on. “Kento-kun, can I have my wallet please?” Nanami shook his head and gave the bartender his card. You pouted but Nanami just gave you a peck on your pouty lips.

“I love you, sweetheart.”

An hour passed and your friends arrived. You happily introduced them to Nanami’s friends. And you were relieved that they all got along. Hana grabbed your wrist, dragging you to the dance floor. Yumi and Keiko followed.

“You’re so good to her, Nanami,” Shoko said. “Can you buy me a drink too?” Nanami nodded, ordering her favorite alcoholic beverage. Shoko happily thanked him and gave him a hug. “Get me a few more, I want to join them.”

“I’ll join them now!” Gojo said happily and danced his way to you. You laughed when Gojo held your hand and twirled you around. Nanami could only smile at you. Shoko chugged her drink before joining them. Geto chuckled as he took a seat next to Nanami.

“I’ll be honest, I never thought you two will get along,” he said. Nanami took a sip of his whiskey.

“I didn’t think so either,” he said.

“She balances you,” Geto said. “Almost like Haibara. Those two would’ve been the best of friends.” Nanami smiled a small yet sad smile. He can imagine it. He could see you and Haibara treat each other as if you two were truly brother and sister.

“At least I know for sure that Haibara would’ve loved her.” Geto nodded, watching the group dance.

“You don’t want to dance?” he asked. Nanami shook his head.

“You ever see me dance?” he questioned. Geto shrugged.

“How would I know? I’ll dance with them.”

He sighed in content as he sat there alone. But he didn’t mind it. He loves watching you have fun. When you turned to look at him, Nanami raised his glass out to you and your face brightened. You waved him over and he knew he couldn’t ignore it. He stood up and walked up to you. You held his hands, swaying them from side to side. You could only laugh at his awkwardness. Nanami blushed.

“Kento-kun, thank you,” you said. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

“Buy me another drink?” Nanami nodded, holding your back as you two walked back to the bar.

The two of you stumbled back inside his apartment. You leaned on him as he kept you balance with your arm around his shoulder. You laughed when Nanami bumped into the wall.

“That was so fun,” you said and held on tightly to your flowers. Nanami brought you to the couch and put the bouquet on the kitchen counter. “Kento-kun, let’s go on a vacation soon. Where do you want to go?”

“Malaysia,” he answered as he sat down. You sat close to him, your legs on his lap and your head resting on his shoulder. “By the beach.”

“I like the sound of that,” you said softly.

You felt him hold your chin and you were looking at him. Nanami leaned in and kissed you passionately. You moved to sit on his lap and wrapped your arms around his neck. His hands caressed your sides while you played with his hair. You felt something hard against your inner thigh, making you blush yet also heated. Before it went any further, Nanami hesitantly pulled away.

“I want our first time to happen when we’re not intoxicated with alcohol,” he said softly as he caressed your cheeks. You nodded.

“I’d like that too,” you said. “Let’s head to bed?”

“Okay, my love.”

[flieslikeamoron]

for the fic writer ask game: 10, 32, 55!

Good morning!

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

There's only one and it's in a part I already posted for WIP Wednesday. *sad trombone*

The sleepy blink of his eyes in the morning. The open press of his mouth. That part’s very clear.

If you want to try a different word, you can! 

___

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

Here are three of all time (with a fave story from each of them).

susiecarter - tell all the truth (but tell it slant) (Batman/Superman)

annakovsky - Sad Songs to Keep Me Awake (Band of Brothers/Jonas Brothers)

demotu - Tympani (hockey RPF)

And here are three I like specifically in Stranger Things fandom. I should probably make a rec list at some point of fics I've liked.

teddywesworl - Hades' Dogs

glorious_spoon - Star of the Masquerade

theopteryx - a special privilege for the resurrected

---

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

Steve is my favorite. His POV parts are also usually (not always) easier to write, but I think that's probably because the Eddie parts are often trying to do harder things writing-wise. I myself am more of an Eddie in the sense of being (as my preschool teacher told my parents) "slow to warm." I don't think my favoritism is affected by the reactions I get at all. Sometimes a comment will make me turn the diamond and see a facet of a character I wasn't looking at or focusing on. That's always cool. But am I swayed? Nah, this bitch is loyal. I've had many times where I grew to love a character by writing them, because writing a character forces you to empathize with them and dig into who they are. But that's about the writing, not about the reaction. 

[stilesssolo]

Hi! I’m someone who wasn’t a Jonas Brothers fan until their wife era (I’m a Game of Thrones fan who loved Joe and Sophie’s relationship and found the music through that) so I’ve been hugely disappointed watching how terribly Joe (imo) is handling the divorce and custody fight. It’s really opened my eyes to how little he’s likely changed since ending relationships with 27 second long calls. It’s definitely changed my opinion of the band too. My desire to see another Jonas Brothers show is nonexistent. I know no queen but the Queen in the North whose name is Turner.

All that said, my feelings about the Jonas Brothers haven’t changed my love for BICHTY. The Almost Brothers >>>> the Jonas Brothers. I do understand, however, that sometimes when the source material disappoints, we lose motivation for fanfic (I’m looking at you, GOT season 8). Now, I don’t know your opinions about the divorce, your feelings about the Jonas Brothers, or your motivation to continue the fic in light of the former. I also realize I’m likely entirely projecting my own feelings on you and I apologize for that. Really, I just wanted to get your pulse on continuing BICHTY. Do you plan on finishing the fic? I’m sorry if any of this offends you! Feel free to ignore. I don’t mean to rush you to keep writing. I just wanted to see if you still intend to keep writing. I’ll truly miss this story if not!

Thank you❤️

Oh best believe I am side eyeing and judging Joe HARD over the way the whole divorce/ custody thing has been handled and I am absolutely team Sophie in this. Like dude wtf are you DOING seriously. I am very very glad I saw them on this tour way before all this happened because I would have had almost no desire to go to the show if it had been after the news broke. I’m not sure how I feel about listening to their music again but I tend to listen to artists in full in rotation, and I just got back from Greece so I’m shifting out of ABBA mode and into Phoebe Bridgers and Noah Kahan for fall (as well as Red and my Halloween playlist obviously) so they’re not really in rotation now anyways. We’ll see how hearing isolated songs from their albums on my writing playlists goes lol.

That being said, I absolutely plan to keep going on the fic and finish it up, regardless of what the band is doing in real life!! I actually have the next chapter finished, I just need to edit it, so it should be up soon(ish). Part of the reason why going into this fic I wanted to base as little as possible off of the actual brothers’ lives and really just use their music and career path as a backdrop for the story was to keep that separation of church and state so that my story wasn’t greatly impacted by anything but their music and man am I glad I did. 😂 also having Robb as Joe but also not REALLY because Margaery is Taylor and sort of going off her music for their relationship as well is also helping, because I feel like he’s pretty separate from real life lol. I promise there will be no messy divorce included in the fic and everyone will treat their wives with the respect they deserve and not use their children as bargaining chips!! I’m glad you’re still excited for the fic despite how disappointing real life has been lately ❤️ hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!!

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER Reflect on the ‘Sense of Pride’ Collaborating With Jonas Brothers for ‘Do It Like That’

The fast-rising pop collab connected two superstar boy bands, as well as OneRepublic hitmaker Ryan Tedder, in ways that go beyond music.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER‘s highly anticipated entrance into the music industry in 2019 generated immense interest as the latest addition to the esteemed roster of Big Hit Entertainment (now BIGHIT MUSIC), whose strong music history was laid by chart-toppers BTS and innovative singer-songwriter Lee Hyun. 

Meanwhile, a cornerstone of TXT’s musical story has been the array of worldwide collaborators including global hip-hop stars (Coi Leray, iann dior, pH-1, Woodie Gochild), rising singer-songwriters (Salem Ilese, Seori, Lilas Ikuta), punk-rock icons (ModSun), EDM heavy-hitters (Alan Walker) and more. With TXT’s prime-for-pop-crossover smash “Do It Like That” alongside the Jonas Brothers, fans saw how the process goes beyond music.

Ahead of the July 7 release of “Do It Like That,” the K-pop stars shared a series of teaser videos to piece together their biggest Top 40 moment yet. Amid the U.S. leg of TXT’s Act: Sweet Mirage world tour, the quintet jetted off to meet OneRepublicfrontman Ryan Tedder in the studio. While the super-producer behind multiple Hot 100No. 1s already pumped some mainstream magic into the track, adding TXT’s Republic Records label mates in the JoBros expanded the song’s appeal to a broader generation of boy-band fans for maximum pop appeal.

With nearly 20 million views on YouTube since its release, the song is beginning to connect worldwide in its quest to become—as TXT’s eldest member Yeonjundescribes it—”the perfect summer track” for 2023.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai‘s took a moment to delve into the collaboration with Billboard to share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, aspirations for the song, who would make the best TXT/JoBros sub-unit and the latest message to their fans, affectionately known as MOAs.

Billboard: Tell us more about how TOMORROW X TOGETHER and the Jonas Brothers came together for “Do It Like That.” Have you ever previously connected with Jonas Brothers, or was anyone a longtime fan?

YEONJUN: It was our first time meeting Jonas Brothers for this collaboration and I had personally been a fan of their music growing up and even practiced with their music as a trainee, so it felt surreal to be working with them. “Do It Like That” seemed like the perfect summer track and when Jonas Brothers also expressed their interest in the single, we met up in the States during the U.S. leg of our world tour in May to make this collaboration happen.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER has collaborated with several artists, but we got to see you meet, interact and record fun content before the song release. What was the vibe like? Any fun stories from the day?

TAEHYUN: From recording the track to shooting content, this collaboration was such a fun project. Jonas Brothers were even cooler in person and their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment. 

BEOMGYU: Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.

YEONJUN: We gifted Jonas Brothers our most recent album The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION! We shot a lot of content together, and I remember being pleasantly surprised by how good they were at filming TikTok videos. 

Do you want fans to look out for anything specific in the music video?

HUENINGKAI: Viewers will be able to see how much fun we had on the set if they pay attention to TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers’ facial expressions and gestures within the music video!

Fans loved Jonas Brothers’ sharing “concept photos” in the style of TOMORROW X TOGETHER on social media. Did you enjoy?

HUENINGKAI: We thought their concept photos turned out really well and felt a sense of pride seeing the positive reactions from fans. 

In what ways do TXT and Jonas Brothers have similarities, and in what ways are they different? 

TAEHYUN: I’d say TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers are both artists who have a jam-packed discography with quality music. We, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, are not related by blood like Jonas Brothers, but the five of us are a band of brothers too and a family nonetheless. 

What are your personal and professional goals with this single?

SOOBIN: It would be amazing to achieve good results on the Billboard charts with “Do It Like That,” but more importantly we hope that this single acts as a window for more people to discover TOMORROW X TOGETHER and get to know us.

Sometimes K-pop groups split into “sub-units” for certain performances or albums. What would be the best combination if one member of TXT and Jonas Brothers formed a duo?

BEOMGYU: I think HUENINGKAI and Nick Jonas would make the perfect duo because their vocals complement each other very well. 

TOMORROW X TOGETHER has a lot of big things coming up: Headlining Lollapalooza 2023, a Disney+ documentary, of course this new single. What’s your message to fans as you roll it all out?

SOOBIN: We can’t spoil too much, but including our new single, we have a lot of exciting plans coming up for the rest of the year beyond what you mentioned. It’s a busy time for us, but we’re thankful and working hard to put our best foot forward for the many opportunities to meet our MOA. As always, we would appreciate our MOAs’ excitement and support every step of the way!

[rebellingstagnationblog]

For @historian-in-pearls who knew about Max and Gosalyn first. And for @uncaaj @rubbersoles19 and LeviPrime who coined the couple name "GoMax." This week's story was inspired by The Jonas Brothers song "Like It's Christmas."