#this text still gives me heart palpitations

[butterflybloodbarf]

[glitterdisposition]

happy pisces season i think if i don’t kiss S on the face soon then my heart will explode

[0cta9on]

Unlikely Duet - 7

length: +7k words

Genre: Fluff

NewJeans Minji x Male Reader (OC)

(Author's Note: Finally, after almost 3 months of writing on and off, rereading and rewriting entire portions, and countless edits, I finally finished chapter 7 of UD :,] I'll get started on chapter 8 asap so it hopefully doesn't take as long. Enjoy!)

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★

Yuno’s POV

I inhale deeply, letting the grassy aroma and fresh evening air fill my lungs. The full moon looks down at us with its gentle gaze, reflecting its light on our intimate moment. Street lights flicker in the town below us, mimicking the stars hanging in the indigo above. Minji shivers next to me as a cool breeze whistles by, and I instinctively wrap my arm around her for warmth. Her cheeks light up with a pretty pink hue that lingers in my vision longer than it should have.

“It’s really pretty tonight,” she comments, glancing up at the moon. I nod, but all my focus is on the girl next to me, more beautiful than any celestial body could hope to be. The wind makes her long, black hair float and ebb like a stream of the finest silk, while the Milky Way traps itself into her irises, containing the beauty of an entire galaxy in just her eyes alone. Being here with her, nothing to interrupt our moment. Everything feels perfect.

“Minji, I…” As if she can read my mind, she turns to me, a knowing smile on her face, and shuts her eyes, awaiting my next move. With a quivering breath, I slowly lean into her, the warmth emitting from her skin growing ever warmer. The last thing I see is her lips before my vision fades to black, and then nothing.

I open my eyes to find Minji gone, replaced by my ceiling fan. My body jolts upwards in confusion as I grasp at the bed sheets beneath me. Instead of the grassy hill overlooking the town, all I see is the familiar layout of my bedroom, taunting me with its stillness. A disappointed sigh leaves my lips - just a dream.

My phone sits on my bed, still open on Minji’s blank messages. How pathetic of me. I spent all night wracking my brain for a response and couldn’t find a single thing to say. I hover tentatively over the keyboard one last time, desperately searching for the right words to say, before eventually giving up and sending a text to the group chat instead.

Yuno: Good Morning.

To my surprise, Yujin and Winter respond rather quickly.

Yujin: GOOD MORNING!!!!

Winter: good morning :)

Yuno: What are you two up to?

Winter: working :/

Yujin: im taking care of my grandma today!!

With the two of them busy, I’m left to figure out how to spend my Sunday alone. I click over to Minji’s blank messages one last time, my heart palpitating with an uncommon anxiety. Whatever this feeling is, love or otherwise, it’s getting old quickly. Everything feels confusing, and unlike most of my problems, I can’t solve it with brute force alone. What am I even hoping for here? A relationship? I don’t know anything about relationships or dating or how to be a boyfriend. Minji’s boyfriend, huh? That sounds kinda nice-

No. We’re too different. I don’t exactly have any good points to me either. I mean, Minji is like… a shining star - beautiful and radiant, but unattainable. And I’m like a sad cockroach looking up at that star, put on this planet because someone up there decided to play a sick joke. We’re just friends and that’s okay. Yet, the dull pain in my chest tells me otherwise. With a heavy sigh and a couple thousand unanswered questions, I shoot her a simple “Good Morning” text, because that’s what friends say to each other.

The sizzling of melting butter on a griddle and the heavenly scent of warm maple syrup grows stronger as I descend the staircase toward the kitchen, my tastebuds salivating at the thought of my favorite food - pancakes. My dad is in the kitchen, hunched over a cookbook with a surgeon-like focus, as a stack of warm pancakes sits next to him with two more cooking on the stovetop.

“Good morning, Yuno,” he greets me with a wide smile. “Cooked up breakfast if you’re hungry. Help yourself.”

I quickly take a seat at the table and stack a couple of them onto my plate, my stomach grumbling with a vicious hunger. As I go in to take the first bite, the scent of pancake wafts through my nose, taking me back to the first morning I woke up in Minji’s house. Despite us being strangers at that point, she let me crash on her couch so I didn’t have to run home in the rain, offered me warm clothes to sleep in, and made waffles for me the morning after so I didn’t go to school hungry. She didn’t have to, but she did, and it made all the difference in my measly little life. Minji is just so… incredible. And beautiful. And intelligent and kind and sweet and-

“Uh, are you alright?” I hear my dad ask. “You’ve been staring at your pancakes for a while now.”

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. “I-I’m fine.” That's a lie. I’m not fine. A girl, THE girl, is taking over my mind and my dreams, making my heart feel weird and my mouth feel dry. I like a girl that can’t possibly like me back and I’m just supposed to be fine with that. How do I even begin to explain this to anyone?

My dad sits across from me at the table and fills up his plate. The silence between us begins to grow as we eat, an air of unease and uncertainty filling the room. On top of my feelings for Minji, I now have to deal with my feelings regarding the state of my dad. It’s been years since I last saw him like this. He’s fine now, but what if he relapses? How did he even make such an abrupt change anyway when all I saw him doing was sleeping and drinking? I should be happy, but I can’t shake the feeling that he could just revert to his older self without warning. I can’t cling to hope for too long, otherwise I’ll be met with disappointment yet again.

“So, uh, I was thinking,” he says, nervously clearing his throat. “Would you wanna go to the mall later?”

I freeze like a deer in headlights, caught off guard by his sudden question. “The mall? Why?”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t wanna, I just thought…” He sighs heavily, dropping his expression to the floor. “I want to be your dad again, like old times, before your mother… left us. If you don’t want anything to do with me, I understand, but if it’s okay with you… I want a relationship with my son again.”

He looks into my eyes with a sincere expression, tears threatening to pour. A part of me wants to say no, to make up some lame excuse and wander the streets until it’s dark instead of spending any time with him. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am harboring some resentment for him for leaving me, a child, alone all these years, left to watch my one remaining parent shatter into a million pieces every day until he’s nothing but dust. Maybe I got so used to being alone that the thought of relying on someone else again makes me uncomfortable. Maybe I get into these stupid fights and aimlessly walk around the neighborhood because I know that the only person waiting for me at home is constantly drunk and sleeping.

Despite that, I don’t say no. I nod my head and utter, “Okay,” because the other part of me wants to have my dad back regardless of what he did. I want to be able to come home after school, into a home with the lights on, where the air doesn’t constantly smell like alcohol, and have someone, anyone, ask how my day went. I want someone to rely on when life gets too difficult to handle by myself. I want my family again.

So we eat our breakfast in silence. The uncertainty lingers, but next to it is a warming sense of hope, holding its hand in reassurance.

______________________________________________________________

Minji’s POV

Knock, knock, knock

“Minji?”

Knock, knock, knock

“Honey, are you awake?”

I finally sit up, rubbing the drowsiness from my eyes. “Now I am,” I yawn, stretching out my limbs. The clock reads 7:12 AM, about an hour after I usually wake up on the weekends. My phone lay face up on my bed, still on Yuno’s empty messages. Like an idiot, I waited all night for a response from him, but all I got was an hour less of sleep. Maybe I shouldn’t have held my breath for him.

My mother swings my bedroom door wide open. “Oh good, you’re awake,” she says, pacing around my room and picking up some of my laundry off the ground. “Go eat breakfast and get washed up. We’re going to the mall in a bit.”

“The mall? Why?” I ask.

“Oh, y’know… Just some clothes shopping,” she says with a peculiar smile. “We need to update that closet of yours, dear.”

Too drowsy to argue, I get out of bed and head downstairs, where my father is taking a call in the kitchen. Wisps of steam float from the mug of black coffee sitting on the counter next to him, untouched as he presses his phone to his ear with an intense focus. He mouths “Good morning” to me, gesturing to a plate holding a fancy-looking omelet. I dig in, unintentionally eavesdropping on my father’s conversation.

“Mhm. Tuesday you said? No, it’s not a problem at all. Yes, she will be there, I’ll make sure of it. Yeah. Mhm. No problem. We’ll see you then.”

Finally, he hangs up the phone and sits next to me at the dining table. Wrinkles of exhaustion decorate his face, likely from working early in the morning.

“Did you sleep okay, Minji?” He asks. “You’re usually up earlier than this.”

“I slept fine. I thought I’d get some more studying done after I got home and forgot about the time,” I lie. I can’t even imagine how furious he would be if I told him that I stayed up all night waiting for a text from a boy.

He grins proudly at me. “I’m happy that you’re working hard on your studies, but good sleeping habits will keep our brain healthy.” His phone buzzes in his pocket. “I’ll be right back, I have to take this.” He leaves the room, leaving me alone in the kitchen with my omelet and my thoughts. Maybe Yuno isn’t going to text me. Maybe I should text him first instead. But shouldn’t the guy text first…?

A sigh leaves my lips. I'm way in over my head with prom preparations already, I definitely don’t have any room for a silly little crush. Perhaps these feelings are just one of circumstance. We’ve been bumping into each other everywhere, so these feelings will fade if I just avoid Yuno for a bit. Sounds easy enough, right?

______________________________________________________________

The mall is always busiest on the weekends, full of families and friends looking for new deals while carrying around soft pretzels or pointing out attractive people who pass by. This mall, however, is a bit different from most, reserving its entire top floor for high-end designer shops. There isn’t any sort of membership or secret password that prohibits people from entering the top floor, but it generally stays barren aside from the few wealthy shoppers who can afford to do more than just window shop, including my family. The blatantly obvious segregation between social classes is disgusting, but I would be lying if I said I don’t like being able to shop without stumbling through the thick crowds on the lower levels.

“What do you think about this one, dear?” My mother pulls a black dress off the hanger, presenting its fine, intricate detailing to me. Shimmering black beads are sewn into the fabric, probably taking countless hours to place by hand.

“It’s very pretty,” I comment plainly. By all means, it’s a beautiful dress, but I much prefer something more comfortable.

“Why don’t you go try it on, dear,” she says, handing me the dress. I glance at the price tag, causing my eyes to go wide in shock at the $120,000 price point. 

“$120,000? Isn’t that a bit much for a dress?” I ask, concern painting my face.

“Nonsense, Minji. Don’t you want to look good for the party?”

My brow furrows. “Party? What party?” My mother’s gaze wanders, avoiding me completely.

“Well, there’s no party in particular, but you never know what will come up. Just try on the dress please.” She pushes me into the dressing room before I can ask another question.

Right as I close the door behind me, I feel my phone buzz in my purse. My heart skips a beat from the words on the screen - 1 new message from Yuno.

“AH!” I exclaim, nearly dropping my phone.

“Are you okay in there, ma’am?” A worker asks from the other side of the door. I can feel my cheeks heat up from embarrassment.

“I-it’s nothing! Just a, uh, a spider! But it’s okay! Ehe…” I silently cringe at myself as I hear the worker’s footsteps walking away. I just know Hanni would be laughing her butt off at me getting this excited over a text from Yuno.

With a trembling hand, I open up his text, which simply reads “Good morning.” It’s a short and simple message, yet I bite my lip, actively stifling a delighted squeal. An overwhelming sense of giddiness washes over me from those two words on the screen, my mind racing as  I try to think of a response.

Should I ask him how he slept? Maybe that’s a bit too intimate… Oh, what if he had a weird dream? That’s an interesting topic of conversation, right? No, that might be too weird… Maybe I should ask the girls for help. But they might just laugh at me. Oh god, what do I do?

Right as my thumb hovers over the keyboard to type up a response, I freeze. This isn’t what I’m supposed to be doing. Yuno and I are just friends, and that’s all we can ever be. I’m just far too busy for any kind of serious relationship, and my parents clearly don’t approve of him either. Even so, a small voice in the back of my head tells me to go for it, that it’ll work out if I try hard enough. Anything can be achieved through hard work, right? That’s what my parents always told me. A heavy sigh escapes my lips as my heart and mind devolve into war with no clear victor. I don’t even know for sure if he feels the same, yet here I am, getting all excited over his words on a screen.

A knock at the door snaps me out of my rambling thoughts. “Honey, are you okay in there? You’ve been in there a long time, I only gave you one dress to try,” I hear my mom ask.

“S-sorry!” I quickly toss my phone back into my purse and grab the dress off the hanger. Maybe I just need some time to think about it.

______________________________________________________________

“Thank you for shopping with us, Ms. Kim! Have a wonderful day!” The worker exclaims as we leave the store with a plethora of shopping bags and a long receipt to match. My mother takes a single bag, leaving me to carry the rest. My family definitely has the means to live a “comfortable” life, but even exorbitant purchases like these are uncharacteristic of them.

“Why... huff... do I... grunt… need all these clothes?” I ask, struggling to carry everything. “Isn't this... huff… a bit much just to update my closet?"

“Think of it as a gift from your mother, dear,” she replies, not looking in my direction. “I barely get to see you because your father and I are always working. Don’t you want to spend time with your mother?”

“I guess so…” But not like this, I think to myself. As we descend the escalator to the lower levels, the frequency of people increases, making it nearly impossible to take two steps without accidentally hitting someone with the bags. My cheeks burn with embarrassment as I offer an apologetic look to everyone who passes by.

Amidst the chaos, I trip over my foot, inadvertently sending shopping bags and expensive dresses flying everywhere. My mother continues on without even so much as a glance backward, leaving me to pick up the remnants of her wealth as passersby give me weird looks or downright ignore me. As if things couldn’t get any worse, a man snatches my purse off the ground and dashes toward the mall exit.

“H-hey! Give that back!” Of course, my words fall on deaf ears as the thief gets farther and farther. No one moves to stop him, too scared or confused to intervene. My phone, my wallet, the little knick knacks my friends have given me over the years, all of it is gone…

Out of nowhere, a person tackles the thief to the ground, wrestling my purse from his hands. The scuffle ends with the heroic stranger standing over the thief’s now unconscious body, a crowd surrounding and applauding his efforts. An overwhelming sense of gratitude fills me, and without thinking, I run over to my savior and capture him in a big hug,

“Oh my god, thank you so much for getting my purse back, I don’t know how I can-” Panic replaces gratitude as I look up at him for the first time. 

“Y-Yuno?!”

______________________________________________________________

Yuno’s POV

I glare at the black screen of my phone, taunting me by reflecting my own ridiculous emotions. My body is restless, itching for any sign of life, a vibration, a notification, just anything to quench my frustrations. And then it happens: the screen lights up with life. Frantic, I grab the phone, bringing it up to my eyes to read the notification.

Yujin: Heeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy guyyyyyysssssss. I made kimbap for my grandma, what do yall think?

A photo of Yujin is attached to the text, depicting a clumsily put-together plate of what I assume to be kimbap. Out of the billion notifications I’ve received in the past hour, all of them have been from Yujin, and zero have been from Minji. My head drops in disappointment. Despite my own warnings, I can’t stop thinking about her. She plagues my mind with her pretty eyes and cute face and gentle voice and-

“You alright, Yuno?” My dad sits across from me at the table, his brow furrowed in concern mid-chew. “You haven’t touched your burger at all.”

I shake my head, gathering my bearings. ’50s rock music blasts from the speakers above, fitting the atmosphere of the 50s-themed diner we are in. With no plan in mind, my dad suggested that we get some lunch first, although his words fell on deaf ears since I was too preoccupied staring at my phone.

“It’s nothing,” I utter, avoiding his eyes. He sighs heavily, his expression darkening.

“Look, I… I understand if you don’t trust me completely, a-and I will work harder to earn your trust, but I don’t want you to suffer in silence,” he explains. “If something is going on, I want you to know that you can come to me for anything, no matter how big or small. I don’t have the answers to everything, but I’m here to listen if you need me.”

My lips part to speak, yet no words come out, hiding away in my throat, too scared to show themselves. I choke them down, guilt arising within me due to my silence. What am I supposed to say? “Hey Dad, you are right, I feel weird seeing you like this after so long and so suddenly, but also my life in general has just become so weird. In less than a week, I slept over at the student council’s president house, got two friends, beat two people in a fight, went to the fair for the first time, and I also really like the student council president. Maybe even love her, I don’t know.” This whole thing is ridiculous. I am ridiculous.

“I’m fine, really,” I assure him, and myself partially.

He looks at me, unconvinced, but doesn’t pry any further. “Alright, just… I want you to know.”

God, this sucks. I can’t even eat a meal with my own dad in peace because of my inability to function like a regular human being. Part of me wishes I could just pretend like everything is alright, but since when have I ever felt alright?

“What about you?” The words eject from my mouth without thought. Call it curiosity or not wanting to eat in awkward silence for the second time today, either way, the question is out there now.

“What about me?” My dad asks, rightfully confused.

“I mean…” Fuck, why is it so hard to talk? “You… You’re up and alive, I guess. What changed?”

He places his burger down and looks up with a thoughtful expression. “I, uh, went out for another drink one night and ran into an old friend from college. We just talked for a while, maybe even all night, just catching up like no time had passed. Y’know, he introduced me and your mom way back when. Seeing him reminded me of my old college days, living like I was on top of the world, and… I just knew something had to change.”

“That’s… great. Really.” And I mean it. A smile grows on his face at my sincerity.

“Yeah, it really is. He basically saved my life. I hope you’re able to find good friends like that, Yuno.”

My phone buzzes with a new message from the group chat.

Winter: that looks really great yujin :D

Yujin: hehe thanks !!!

A small grin grows on my face. Maybe I already have. If only I could get a text from one other friend…

______________________________________________________________

We walk into a clothing store full of people my age dressed much more stylishly than I am. I didn’t particularly need to update my closet, but the potential guilt of declining my dad’s offer to buy me clothes was too overwhelming. Besides, what else are you supposed to do at a mall other than spend exorbitant amounts of money on material things?

“Go look around. Let me buy you something nice for once,” he quips. His mood seems to have significantly brightened after our talk at the diner.

Looking through all the racks made me realize just how out of my element I am. Outside of my school uniform, most of my clothes are just sweats and hoodies - comfortable and don’t draw too much attention. Everything (and practically everyone) in here is basically a giant billboard that says “Hey, look at me!!!”

Then, something catches my eye: a forest green crewneck sweater with a bear wearing overalls screen printed on the front. I try to move on, but the beady lifeless eyes of the bear stare into my soul, demanding that I take it home. It’s ridiculous, It’s childish, it’s…

“I want it,” I blurt out.

“Really? This?” Dad chuckles, examining the sweater. “Didn’t think you would be interested in this kind of thing, but hey, what do I know about fashion?”

I cough awkwardly, my face growing warm. I didn’t know anything about fashion either. Hell, if I didn’t have the reputation I have, I would probably be a prime target for bullies if I wore that around. Out of everything in the store, why did I want that sweater? Who in their right mind would even like this sweater?

Minji. Minji would. Half of her bed is covered in teddy bears. I want that sweater because, for some stupid reason, I think it’ll magically make her like me. Or something. I don’t know. She hasn’t even texted me back yet, what good is a sweater with a bear on it gonna do?

Before I could protest, my dad hands me the sweater in a plastic bag, already paid for. “You wanna stop by a couple more stores?” he asks.

“Sure,” I concede, still feeling embarrassed. A part of me feels oddly glad that I took it, imagining Minji’s reaction to seeing the sweater. “Wow Yuno, your sweater is so cute, we should go out sometime!” Yeah right. Still, I can’t stop the small grin dancing on my lips.

“H-hey! Give that back!”

A familiar voice rings from the center of the mall. I glance upwards to see a man barging through the crowd, clutching onto a purse that definitely isn’t his. Without thinking, I spring into action, dashing towards him as fast as I can.

“Yuno!” My dad calls out from behind me, but his words are left unheard as I continue my pursuit. Right before the man reaches the exit, I jump onto a bench and dive at him, tackling him to the ground.

“What the fuck man, get off of me!” The thief yells. He lands a punch to the side of my head as I try to wrestle the purse from him. While it isn’t the hardest blow I’ve received, it’s enough to piss me off. I grab his throat, digging my fingers into his windpipe, nearly crushing it in my grip. He squirms underneath, the desperation welling in his eyes as he fights for breath. I reel back my fist and let it fly, aiming to crack his skull against the ground.

As my fist gets closer and closer to his head, time crawls to a standstill. Minji’s voice echoes in my head: “You’re a good person, Yuno. I just wish you would stop getting into trouble.” I mean, he deserves it, he’s a thief. He steals some poor girl’s purse, he deserves a good beating. And yet, I pull back at the last moment, knocking him out instead of outright shattering his jaw. While none of his bones are broken, he’ll surely be feeling that once he comes to.

The sound of scattered applause around me pulls me from my adrenaline-fueled haze. It’s only now that I realize people are recording me like a zoo animal, upholding me like I’m some kind of “hero” or something. In reality, I just did what they were too scared to do, but they’re too busy creating their own hyperbolic narratives to see that.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrap around me in a familiar and oddly comforting anaconda grip.

“Oh my god, thank you so much for getting my purse back, I don’t know how I can- Y-Yuno?”

That voice. Is it?

“M-Minji?”

I turn to look at the source of the voice, inadvertently meeting her eyes, mere inches away. Thick-rimmed glasses adorn her face, like the ones stereotypical nerds wear. Technically, she is a nerd, but a really cute one. She still has me in her grip, but if I’m being honest, I never want to leave it. It’s like the warmth of a weighted blanket, but… cuter. God, I think I’m going insane.

Fortunately (or rather unfortunately), Minji lets go, finally giving me room to breathe. This weird, fluttering feeling in my stomach remains (Is this what people mean by butterflies?).

“S-sorry about that, uh… Th-thanks, Yuno…” She mutters, her gaze never leaving the ground.

“Y-yeah, no problem…”

“Yuno!” My dad calls out to me, running in our direction. “Jesus, you're fast… huff… Are you alright?” He glances over at the thief’s unconscious body as two mall cops drag him away. “You certainly did a number on him, huh? Impressive.” He pats my shoulder, giving me a proud smile.

The clop of expensive high heels draws our attention, growing louder and louder with each step.

“Minji! Are you okay, dear?”

Minji’s mom appears, checking her for injuries.

“I-I’m okay, mother. Um, you remember Yuno, right?” She awkwardly gestures towards me, leading her mom’s gaze. With her cold gaze studying my expression, It’s like I have a sniper dot placed firmly onto my forehead, ready to blow my brains out if I so much as cough in her direction.

“Ah yes, I remember. Thank you for getting Minji’s purse back, although I could’ve easily purchased another one for her.” Her lips curl into a smile, but I can clearly see the disdain evident in her eyes. It’s almost like she knows I can see it and is doing it on purpose.

“And you must be his father, I presume.”

“Yup, that’s me, I’m his dad alright,” he says with a friendly chuckle. “Ian Lin, it’s nice to meet you.” My dad extends a hand towards her, which she accepts with clear reluctance in her movements, although he doesn’t notice this.

“Well, I would love to chat, but we must get going. Minji dear, go and pick up the bags, we’re heading to the tailor to get your new dresses fitted,” she says to Minji before waltzing off without another word, leaving her daughter to pick up a mountain of shopping bags. Looking at her, it’s hard to believe that someone as unconditionally kind as Minji was born from that unassuming she-devil. Maybe Minji is adopted or something.

“I-I should get going,” Minji says, panting with exhaustion. “B-bye, Yuno.”

“Wait.” I reach out and grab some of the bags from her. “Let me help you.”

“Oh, you don’t have t-”

“I want to.” 

The words come out before I have time to think about them. Minji blushes as she hands a few of the bags over to me. Meanwhile, my dad whips over to the other side of her and offers his assistance.

“May I?” He asks, reaching his arm out towards the rest of the bags. Minji concedes with a sigh, shooting him a grateful smile.

“Thank you, I was, uh, really struggling before,” she admits.

The three of us follow loosely behind Minji’s mother. No wonder she didn’t text me, I don’t think I would have the luxury of breathing when I’m around a terrifying woman like that. Still, it does put me at ease a bit knowing Minji wasn’t exactly ignoring my text. Seeing her in person is way better than a couple of words on a screen.

“Minji, right?” My dad asks her, making small talk. “Are you and Yuno friends?”

“Yes, Mr. Lin, we are friends.”

Friends. The title feels bittersweet at best, but hearing her admit that without any hesitation in her voice makes my lips curl into a smile, which I hide with a fake cough.

“That’s great, I don’t get to meet a lot of Yuno’s friends. By the way, just call me Ian, Mr. Lin makes me feel older than I already am,” he quips, earning a chuckle from Minji. “I have to ask, what’s Yuno like at school?”

“Yuno is…” She turns to look at me, but my gaze is glued to the ground, too nervous to meet her eyes. “...a bit of a troublemaker…” Damn. “...but he’s a good guy.” Hell yeah.

“That’s good to hear. Y’know, he gets his personality from his mother.” His grin fades for a second before going back to normal. “And he gets his good looks from me.”

The two of them laugh while I silently cringe to myself, a dull throbbing hitting my temples. Never in a million years did I imagine the two of them ever meeting, let alone holding a conversation like this. It’s kinda nice in an off-putting way. Better than letting Minji meet him as a grieving alcoholic.

“Hurry up dear,” Minji’s mom calls out to her, walking into the tailor shop.

“Welp, this is my stop. Thank you for the help, but I can take it from here,” Minji says. She takes the bags from us, lightly gracing my hand, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. “Bye Yuno and it was nice meeting you, Mr. Li- er, Ian.”

A disappointed sigh leaves my lips as I watch her disappear into the shop. She was right there, close enough for me to catch a whiff of her lavender-scented perfume. I’ve been waiting all day for a text from her, yet my stupid feelings made me too nervous to speak.

“You like her, don’t you?”

My head snaps towards my dad, a sly smirk dancing on his lips. My eyes grow wide in shock, “W-what, n-no… I-I just, uh… W-whatever…”

“I know that look anywhere, Yuno. It’s the same one I gave your mother before we started going out,” he explains. My face sinks into my hands, the overwhelming urge to disappear consuming me.

______________________________________________________________

Minji’s POV

My family has frequented this specific tailor shop at the mall for numerous occasions over the years, we even went here to get my school uniform properly fitted before the school year started. The shop has one sole worker, a kind yet quiet old man. He’s skilled at his job, but my only issue with him is that he continuously pokes me with sewing pins while taking my measurements. 

“Mother, why do I- Ow! Why do I need so many new dresses for my wardrobe- Ow! None of these clothes are things I would wear casually.”

She sighs. “I suppose we’ll have to tell you eventually.”

“Tell me what?” I ask, my brow furrowing.

“We’re doing a business collaboration with the Park family and we thought it would be a good idea to hold a banquet this Tuesday to mark the beginning of our partnership. We haven’t seen them in a while, so we figured it would be a good idea to catch up.”

The Park family? “Okay, but if it’s for the business, then why do I have to go?”

“Their son, Sunghoon, will be in attendance, so we expect you to do the same.”

Sunghoon. Just the name alone sends a shiver down my spine. I thought I finally got rid of him after he moved away in middle school, but no. He’s finally come back to haunt me.

“U-uh, I have school that day a-and I have a test coming up that I need to study for and-”

“Your father and I think that the opportunity to network and make connections with influential people in the industry will be more beneficial to you than a high school test that you can make up anyway. Besides, don’t you want to see your old friend Sunghoon again? I remember how hard you cried after he moved away.”

No, Mother, those were tears of JOY. My parents have been close friends with the Parks since they attended the same college together, so naturally (and incorrectly), they assumed that their kids would be close as well. Sunghoon got along well with my brother, but he was an absolute menace towards me. He would call me names, steal my things, and talk bad about me to his annoying group of friends. No matter how much I cried to my parents about him, they always gave me the outdated, misogynistic line of “boys will be boys.” When his family finally moved away during middle school, I couldn’t have been more thrilled, literally crying tears of joy knowing that I would never have to see him ever again. But of course, fate is a cruel mistress, making everything go right for a couple of years before stabbing me in the back with a Sunghoon-shaped knife.

“But mother, I-”

“We’re just asking you to attend the banquet for a couple of hours and mingle. Why do you have to make things difficult?”

A dejected sigh leaves my lips. There’s no getting through to her at this rate. At least I have a day to mentally prepare myself before the banquet. Right now, I plan to say hi to him to keep up appearances and then avoid him like the plague for the rest of the event. Piece of cake, right?

My gaze falls to my purse, sitting on a bench a few feet away. A thought plants itself into my head like a seedling, growing and growing into a full-blown idea. Maybe there’s a way that I can make this banquet a little more bearable.

______________________________________________________________

The second we make it into the house, I kick my shoes off by the front door and dash upstairs towards my room, ignoring the calls from my mother to put them away properly. By the time we finished up at the tailor, my phone had somehow died in my purse, making me antsy the whole drive home.

I burst through my room, practically leaping towards the charger.

“Come on, hurry up,” I plead, praying that it will somehow make the phone turn on faster. Thankfully, it only takes a few seconds to light up with life. I quickly scroll through my messages, typing up a quick text to the person who will be most vital to plan.

Yuno: Good Morning.

Minji: heyyy! can i call u? i have something important to ask

______________________________________________________________

Yuno’s POV

I stop dead in my tracks, almost dropping the bag of groceries in my hands as I scan my phone screen over and over again. Does she really want to talk… to me?! On the phone? What could she want to ask me? Is she gonna-

“Hello? Earth to Yuno.” My dad waves his hand in front of my face, pulling me from my trance. “I can’t have you stand in the middle of the kitchen while I cook dinner,” he chuckles.

“A-ah, right. Sorry.” I move to put the groceries away, but he stops me.

“I can put the rest of the groceries away. It’s clear you would rather be doing something else right now.” He gives me a knowing smile as I briskly make my way towards the stairs, grabbing the bag with my new sweater in it. Right before I head up, I turn to my dad one last time.

“Um, thanks for taking me to the mall. It was… nice.” 

He chuckles to himself before waving me off. I go to my room and shut the door behind me, typing a quick reply to Minji.

Minji: hey! can i call u? i have something important to ask

Yuno: Sure.

An overwhelming wave of suspense hits me, filling my mind with an endless mountain of questions. My phone buzzes to life with Minji’s name and I quickly swipe to answer her call.

“Hello!”

Her voice rings clearly through the speakers like the soothing sound of a gentle breeze. I’m somewhat glad she didn’t ask to talk in person, otherwise, she would see the obvious blush on my face.

“H-hi. Um, what did you want to ask me?”

“Oh right! It’s kinda weird, but… Are you doing anything on Tuesday night?”

My heart thumps loudly in my chest. Is she asking me on a…?

“N-no, why?” I can’t stop my voice from quivering with nervous excitement.

“Well…” She sighs. “It’s a bit of a long story, but basically, my parents are holding a banquet for the family business on Tuesday and if you’re not busy, I was wondering if you wanted to go… with me.”

“A-as your date?” The words come out before I can even think to stop myself from saying them. You fucking idiot, why would you say that!? Minji is gonna think you’re weird now! “S-sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“T-technically speaking, you would be my… date.” 

A loooooooooong awkward pause ensues. My heart is beating so loud, I’m worried she’ll be able to hear it through the phone. TV static and white noise run through my mind as I stand in the middle of my room, frozen in disbelief.

“Um, hello? Yuno?”

“Y-yeah, I’m here, s-sorry,” I manage to croak out. “Why do you want me to go? Wouldn’t it be better if you invited your other friends instead?”

“There’s this guy that’s gonna be there and I would really like to avoid him, so I figured I could bring you instead of the girls and maybe he’ll… y’know.”

My heart sinks a little. “You want me to be there to scare him off?”

“...Well, when you say it like that, it sounds mean.” Her tone turns apologetic. “I’m sorry, Yuno, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to-”

“I’ll go.” Maybe I’m just a hopeless love-stricken fool who’s willing to toss away any ounce of self-respect I have left for a girl he likes, but it’s not like I’m doing anything interesting on a Tuesday night anyways. Plus, banquets usually have free food, and if Ms. Kim’s cooking is any sign of things to come, it’ll probably be really good.

“I’m sorry if it seems like I’m using you, I just really need a friend to help get me through the banquet. Y’know, it feels like I have to keep reminding you that we’re friends, Yuno,” she says.

I collapse onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling fan as it spins in place. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to having friends.”

“It’s okay, I’m probably not doing a great job at being a good friend. It feels like you’re always helping me with something and I haven’t paid you back at all.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“First, you saved me from that drunk guy in front of the convenience store, and then the spider in the Ferris wheel, and now today with the purse thief, and now I’m asking you to go to a banquet with me because I don’t want to see some guy. You’re always doing things for me and I haven’t done the same for you.”

“That’s not true,” I refute. “What about the time I walked you home and it started raining, so you let me sleep on your couch so I wouldn’t get sick from the rain?”

“See, I only did that because you offered to walk me home. You’ve done a thousand things for me, and I’ve only done one thing for you. I think I’m a pretty bad friend-”

“That doesn’t make you a bad friend at all!” I yell out without realizing it. Minji goes quiet, the only thing I can hear is my anxious heartbeat and her quiet breathing. “S-sorry, I-I didn’t mean to yell…” Fuck, I made it awkward. “I, uh… You’re not a bad friend, is what I’m trying to say. U-um, you’re very kind and understanding, even to someone like me. I know I don’t have a lot of friends, but I know for sure that you’re a good one. You help me out more than you realize.”

There’s a long pause before Minji speaks again. “...Okay, first of all, I don’t like being yelled at, but I will accept your apology since you had good intentions.” I let out a sigh of relief, but the ache in my chest still lingers. Her tone is much more serious than it was a second ago. “Second of all, what do you mean “people like you?””

“Y’know…” I think carefully before I speak, treading through eggshells while I search for the right words. “You said it yourself when we were at the mall, I’m a troublemaker.”

Minji sighs. “Okay, that’s my bad, but I also said that you’re a good guy. You can convince yourself that you’re a bad person all you want, but that doesn’t mean you deserve to be lonely. I want you to be surrounded by people who love and care about you, Yuno.”

God, she’s so perfect. What did I do in my past life to meet an angel like her? “Th-thanks, Minji.”

“Of course. What are friends for?”

Friends. A word that felt so foreign and unattainable until recently. It still feels weird to digest, but a good kind of weird. The kind of weird that makes me feel excited for what’s to come, even though I have no clue what to expect. It’s like exploring an unexplored part of the world, no map, no research, simply traveling on pure curiosity alone. You might discover something frightening, yet you continue to dig because of the possibility that there’s something beautiful once you get to the other side.

Maybe “friendship” is as far as Minji and I are meant to go. Yet I continue to dig and dig through all these new, exciting, and terrifying experiences, because despite my whole internal monologue this morning about how we’re so different, about how she’s a shooting star and I’m a lowly cockroach, I desperately want to see what happens when I get to the other side. I am irrevocably, completely, and (most importantly) foolishly in love with Minji Kim.

[perfectlyoongi]

not sure if it's too late to send an ask for the sweet nothings drabbles you write but maybe:

a long distance relationship with yoongi?

(lowkey not sure if this is what you're looking for so if it's not, you don't have to write it 😊)

send me a ship dynamic for a drabble! - non!korean-reader :3

Yoongi let out a small laugh when he read your text – you were so adorable when you tried to speak korean to him, your typos and creations just made Yoongi’s heart fill with love.

Yoongi responded quickly, not letting the bright light from the screen bother him – he knew you had an appointment that afternoon, he just wanted to enjoy every second.

Yoongi pressed his face back into the pillow to hide his rosy cheeks – his heart still pounded whenever he saw your name in his notifications, unable to contain the smile that spread across his face.

Yoongi took a deep breath to contain his enthusiasm – he loved it when you sent voice messages, especially the ones where you forgot who you were talking to and let your mother tongue make small appearances.

Yoongi didn’t know what to answer – what answer was there for you? What response could Yoongi give when he had just heard your voice soaked in a divine nectar that painted constellations with each syllable spoken.

Yoongi spoke gently to his phone, heart palpitating – there was only one response to your excitement. Yoongi knew perfectly well what you wanted, why you sent him a little voice message about sweet nothings.

And Yoongi’s voice curled into his sheets, looking for traces of your pronunciation in each fold. The small smile that escaped his lips just moments before he sent the message was visible in the way the last word came out shakily and timidly.

And that was enough, that was all you wanted.

Hearing Yoongi repeating a set of eccentric words taught by you – it was everything you wanted: a small ‘I love you’ bathed in nervousness with splashes of uncertainty. A little ‘I love you’ that sounded so special to you when it was said in your mother tongue but spoken by Yoongi – it was all you wanted before he fell asleep in hopes of finding himself one day closer to having you in his arms.

⠀

sweet nothings 𓍯𓂃♡

i have so many ideas for this topic like i have engraved in my heart all the talks, the texts, the yearning, the wanting, the love the the the aaaaaa

for more long-distance!yoongi go [ HERE. ] :3

[sahrii]

Hi! If ur event is still open, can I give a posy bouquet of 9 roses to Hinata? :3 Can be gn! or fem! Congrats on 100 😋

hinata shoyo!

warnings! fake dating, hurt to comfort, gn!reader, mentions of a kiss, smau and written.

word count! 462

100 followers event

i’d also like to thank @kameyyy @wordsofelie for beta reading, thanks guys! <3

out of every possible scenario that you played in your head before texting him, this was the last scenario you’d expected to play out. you didn’t even fathom the idea of him liking you back.

but love was a funny thing, so it was now the both of you on the couch. his hand was endearingly wrapped around your waist and your head was on his chest. the sound of his beating heart echoed loud and clear.

the tips of his ears became flushed and he hoped you wouldn’t be able to see them. your voice sounded like music in his ears and he felt happy.

the tip of his ears always turned crimson within your presence. his words always turned into useless mush within your presence. the urge to put his lips onto yours always grew stronger within your presence.

but that urge never came to life. it just remained an urge because he was too scared—too scared of what’s going to happen to his heart if he ever does kiss you. the mere thought of it made his knees weak, so he’d just avoided it. a peck on the cheek was as far as it got, and that in itself gave birth to butterflies within his stomach, nevermind a kiss on the lips.

“i actually didn’t expect that,” you yawn. the both of you have been talking for hours now, accompanied with a fruit platter on the coffee table that was now almost empty—save for a few grapes.

“didn’t expect what?” he asked. hinata was a bit of an idiot. but around you, he wasn’t a bit of an idiot. he was a big clumsy idiot.

“you to like me back,” you slightly angled your head to look at him. “i was so scared that im gonna ruin the friendship as well,”

“i didn’t expect you to like me back,” he emphasised the i and you. “but im happy you do,” he grinned and you could practically see shooting stars in his eyes. it then went quiet again, nothing but the sound of his palpitating heart sneaking into your ears.

he broke the silence. your whole body vibrated from his voice. “um—is um—is it too soon to kiss?” he asked. you could feel his heart racing in your ears and you let out a giggle.

“of course not,” you weren’t leaning on his chest anymore. you sat straight up, facing him. and now you swore that your heartbeats were the only thing that can be heard across the room.

it all happened so quickly, lips smashing, the taste of the orange and mangoes, fingers tangled in hair and a heart beating in your ears.

and you’d gladly admit that you’ve been dreaming of this for the past few months.

[yanderu-deredere]

swallow.

★ you don't know what the hell you drank last night but whatever it was, you needed to stay away from it forever. and you needed to get out of here. even if last night was the most perfect night in the world.

a/n: here's that next part that i promised ya'll and it's full of lore and i really enjoyed it a lot! it's definitely something and i hope you guys enjoy it! the next and last part will be out tomorrow so hope you guys are excited for that

like always, heed the warnings and hope you like it! not as smutty as the usual content! might actually be a bit sad...

part one (bite.) ★ part two ★ (chew.) ★ extras (bite and chew.) ★ extras (taste) ★ part three ★ (here) ★ part four (digest.)

pairing: poly werewolves x male reader word count: 2544

warning: bottom reader with male parts and pronoun, no explicit sexual stuff but allusions to what happened in the previous chapter

It felt like you woke up slowly and then all at once; you were vaguely aware of the things around you like the blanket over you, the body against you, the clothes on you, and then, suddenly, it hit you like a truck.

You bolted upright, heart palpitating in your chest, your eyes wide and your breaths coming in short soft spirts.

Then, you were looking behind you, still panicked, hoping everything last night was some sort of fever dream.

Beside you, on the couch, was Leonard, his fluffy hair a messy nest this early in the morning. His glasses were off, probably tucked safely away somewhere. He was yawning and rubbing at his eyes, looking at you all dazed and confused.

Oh, no.

"Wh-Wh-- Leo." You stuttered out before cupping your forehead, your head feeling like it was spinning "Please, tell me, last night--"

"You didn't fuck me within an inch of my life? No can do." Leonard didn't even give it to you slow and soft.

You let out a sound like a dying cat.

"What, don't tell me I was wrong about you." Leonard crossed his arms, looking angry at the fact that you were looking a little anxious "You said you were into guys."

"I'm into guys!" You snapped a little, your panic rising to something you couldn't control "I just-- I have a girlfriend! I hadn't even broken up with her yet! I cheated on her!"

Leonard looked a bit off-put by how you spoke to him; understandable seeing as your tone wasn't exactly friendly.

You wanted to apologise because it wasn't entirely his fault. It took two to cheat and, though he pushed you, you were the one that ended up caving eventually.

Before you could apologise, however, he just huffed and threw a pillow into your lap "Oh yeah, stellar girlfriend you have there! She hasn't even messaged you about where you are and she left you at the bonfire!"

You stopped for a second, confused, your anger dissipating as a nauseating feeling appeared in your stomach "How do you know that?"

Leonard seemed to realise that he made a mistake because his anger dissipated immediately too, replaced with an embarrassed expression "I-I--"

"I'm sorry he went through your phone."

Your head snapped back and you looked to see it was Mel with a tray in his hand. Behind him and to the side was Isamu with a similar tray in his hands too.

"Mel! L-Look, I-I didn't mean to!" Leonard snapped, turning his body away from you "I was just charging your phone and it turned on! There weren't any notifications so I looked through it and checked!"

"What kind of a pathetic girlfriend doesn't even text her boyfriend after he's been gone an entire night?" He continued, shaking his head, his tone absolutely disgusted.

"We wouldn't treat you like that." Leonard added, that disgust made way for a more sheepish expression as he finally glanced at you, hoping you would pick up what he was putting down.

You could, if you wanted to and, honestly, a part of you did. But you were scared to. So, instead, your eyes flickered to Mel, hoping he'd help you out.

Mel was just sternly looking at Leonard.

"Here, we made breakfast." Mel pushed the coffee table close with his shin before placing the trays down, Isamu placing his tray down right after.

Then, Isamu sat on the floor while Mel sat on the other side of you, the two of them looking at you expectantly, like they were excited for you to praise them.

The two trays contained four plates of waffles, each with butter. There was also a little thing for maple syrup and honey as well as a glass of orange and apple juice for each of you.

Then, if that wasn't enough, there were some eggs on the plates too and some bacon. It was a whole buffet, just for you. The cheater. The person who was going to leave them and go crawling back to your girlfriend.

You immediately felt bad "This is too much--"

"It's not too much! Especially after last night!" Isamu quickly interrupted you as he sat beside you, small smile on his face.

You felt your heart break a little bit in your chest but you knew you had to nip this in the bud or else you'd just end up leading them all on.

"I'm sorry, but last night-- I was drunk, and it was a mistake--"

"A mistake!" Leonard stood, his expression aghast like you'd just told him you murdered his parents "It wasn't a mistake! How could you-- Why would you--"

Mel held up a hand and Leonard immediately shut up but you could see that there were tears in his eyes that he was desperately holding back.

"I can see that there's some communication issues going on, okay, so let me just clear the air." Mel sighed, his hand still up like, if he put it down, Leonard would immediately pounce "He didn't mean it was a mistake like that, Leo, you know that."

"He just feels really guilty about cheating with his girlfriend, right?" Mel turned to you, that polite smile on his face not exactly reaching his eyes "If you didn't have a girlfriend right now, you would stay with us, wouldn't you?"

You gulped, your mouth suddenly feeling a little dry. You took a second to think about it. In all honesty? You nodded, cheeks feeling suddenly a little hot.

"You all are really great and I had a great time. It was really fun talking with you guys and drinking with you guys and the-- uhmmm--" Your voice cracked as you got even more flustered "The sex was really great, I swear!"

Mel grinned, that brightness finally reaching his eyes. He reached over and clapped a hand on the back of your neck, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on your skin "Our darling here is just loyal to a fault, is all. Can we really blame him for that?"

Darling. You flushed even hotter at the nickname.

Like all the hot air was taken out of him, Leonard deflated, his shoulders sagging as he sighed "Whatever. Your girlfriend doesn't deserve it."

"You're right, Leo." Mel's hand on your neck fell and he used it to grab something. You realised it was your phone because he plopped it in your lap. "That's why he's going to break up with her right now."

You felt like ice water was dumped all over you.

"D-Du-Dump her? Right now?" You stuttered out as you looked to Mel, eyes wide and shaking fingers slowly taking hold of your phone.

You could see Isamu looking at you hopefully and Leonard smirking victoriously at you from the corners of your eye but all you could do was stare at Mel.

There was that polite smile again, the one that he used to cover up something much darker. It showed in his eyes; it was something predatorial, something that made you feel like a pinned insect, something that made you feel like you were in danger.

"I-I can't just break up with her." Your brain worked to find excuse after excuse, your instincts screaming at you to get out and run "I-I'd at least like to break up with her in person. She deserves that much."

Then, for some reason, you broke his gaze and looked down at your lap. When Mel sighed, you knew it had been a mistake to look away.

Instead of replying, Mel cupped your chin, his thumb and forefinger digging into your cheek a little bit. He tilted your head up so you were looking at him again and that polite smile that you were so wary of was gone.

Instead, it was replaced with that dark look he had that night, when he had Isamu in his lap. You felt less like an insect and more like a small rabbit surrounded by a bunch of wolves.

A bunch of hungry rabid wolves that wanted nothing but to chase you.

"You know we can't do that." Mel let the words out slowly, like he was speaking to an idiot or, perhaps, like it was hard for him to say "We can't let you leave for right now, darling."

"Wh-Why not?" You felt a zing of fear crawl up your spine as you tried to pull your face away from his hand. Instead of really succeeding, his grip on you just got harder.

"You have to understand that we just want what's best for you, darling. You understand that, don't you?" Mel spoke softly, soothingly, but the words weren't effective when he looked at you like that.

Like he could eat you without regret.

But, still, you tried your hardest to remember him yesterday, the way he took care of you and housed you. So, you nodded.

When you did, he let go of your chin and pulled you in by your waist, perching you on his lap.

As soon as he did that, Leonard and Isamu crowded close, the expressions on their faces akin to ravenous wolves.

It was like a trigger had been pulled and now there was something to how they were acting. You didn't understand it very well but you felt both scared and safe trapped in between all three of them.

"Why don't I explain while Sam and Leo feed you, hmmm, puppy?" Mel nosed behind your ear, his breath warm and causing your ears to turn hot.

You didn't think you had any say in it but you nodded for show anyway.

Mel looked thankful for that at least.

You thought that, when he said feed you, he meant like with a fork or something, However, Isamu and Leonard took turns ripping bite sized pieces off of the waffles and soaking them in syrup to feed you. With their hands.

You accepted them, even going so far as to lick their fingers feebly, since you felt like you didn't have much of a choice. And it seemed to placate all three of them too.

They didn't look as wolfish as before, that was for sure.

"You might not believe me but please keep your mind open." Mel sighed as if he'd had this conversation one too many times before "You see, the reason we can't let you leave is because... we're werewolves."

You stiffened in his lap. And not in the fun way.

Now, your previous wolfish comparisons felt like jokes.

Leonard snickered at your reaction, obviously amused before stuffing another piece of a waffle accompanied by a small piece of bacon into your mouth.

Mel was less amused and pressed a kiss to your temple "I know it's-- It's not exactly easy to believe. But, it's true. We're werewolves and you're our mate."

"It's why you can't leave. We won't be able to control ourselves if you try to leave." Mel continued to explain, his hand flexing around your waist as if just the thought of it made him angry or scared or something.

"It's worse for Leo. He's not had that much training." Mel hesitantly let go of your waist to run a hand through Leonard's blonde fluffy hair "His parents paraded him around in a circus. It took him a long time to find us. He hasn't had much time to learn control."

"So, what, the wolf--"

"No, not the wolf. Us." Mel immediately dismissed that thought "I know, the media promotes this idea that the wolf and the human are separate but it's not-- we're not two separate beings in one brain. We're werewolves. We're one thing."

"It's just that, when we shift, it's like being inebriated, you know? We can't control ourselves." Mel sighed, pressing his cheek against your temple "It becomes all instinct to try and help our shifted bodies to survive."

You had enough of this. You know you you said you'd keep your mind open but this was ridiculous.

Still, you supposed you owed them for housing you for a night and for, you know, hopefully eventually leading you out of the forest.

So, you gave them the benefit of your doubt "Can I see?"

It was their turn to stiffen and stare at you with shock.

"What, you seriously didn't think you'd tell me about werewolves and I wouldn't ask to see?" You huffed, crossing your arms and looking at them like they were the crazy ones.

Mel nodded like 'yeah, that made sense' but, when he looked to Isamu, the man shrunk back and shook his head like Mel was volunteering him for the War or something.

"N-No way! No way! I-I can't! I can't!" Isamu stuttered out, the panic obvious in his voice "I can't control it, not around him!"

"Well, Leonard definitely can't... You have better control--" Mel moved his hand to cup the back of Isamu's neck but Isamu moved away, shocking both you and Mel.

Leonard looked like you pissed in his cereal "That's not true! I could totally control myself!"

Mel shook his head, sigh ragged "No, you're going to end up hurting someone--"

You turned in Mel's lap and looked up at him "Why don't you do it?"

Isamu and Leonard audibly gasped and Mel looked at you like you'd suggested he cut off his dick or something. The grimace on his face would've been hilarious if it weren't for the fact that it was confusing.

"I'm-- It's not the same for me. I'm not like Sam and Leo." Mel tried to pull you back against him but you resisted, obviously displeased. "Darling, I don't want you to see me like that."

When they all looked at you like you were the crazy one, you just let out a loud noise of frustration "You get why I'm angry, right? You're telling me all of this unbelievable stuff and then, when I ask you to prove it, you won't!"

"You just keep making up excuses why you can't prove it! How can I believe you then?" You finally fought your way out of Mel's grasp, your phone in your hand as you stood, your face hot but this time with anger.

You were tired of being left to their whims! You were tired of letting them decide everything. You were tired of being scared of Mel, of being intimidated by how beefy and sexy they were.

"I'm sorry, but I just-- I think you're crazy!" You screamed, stomping your foot as a show that you were putting your foot down.

Mel looked at you sadly, like you were about to make the worst mistake of your life "Please, darling, don't."

Part of you felt like you were. The part of you that enjoyed them doting on you, that enjoyed their attention and their affection, that enjoyed the fantasy they offered you, wanted to believe them.

But the other part of you overtook that. The other part of you knew that these three were just crazy and you needed to wake up from this weird dream.

"If you won't help me find my way out of the forest, I'll just find my way out! Fucking keep playing this weird freak fantasy of yours for all I care." You stomped to the door "I need to get to my girlfriend."

Freak. Fantasy. Girlfriend.

Oh, no.

[wannaeatramyeon]

HIII how are u doing girlie😍🤞🤞 Anyways can u pls write a scenario where ur classmates (htf characters?) find out ur dating seong taehoon and their reactions?? You dont need to if u dont want to ofc<333

Hey Anon! Thanks for the ask <3 I'm doing great!! Brain rotting away as expected but HAPPY FRIDAY! Hope you're doing well too and having a good start to the month :)

Don't you agree that there's a disappointingly small amount of writing for our lil nutjob?

Please enjoy the whiplash of my change in tone!

HTF discovering You & Taehoon dating!

Things were tentative between you and Taehoon. You've only been dating for a couple months, and you're still getting to know this side of him. Well. You say this side but it's still the same old Taehoon that you've come to grow very fond of.

The one that tells everyone to piss off but comes running, no, sprinting when one of his friends need his help. Who threatens to beat everyone up, but will come to your defence with no hesitation. This prickly, insufferable little shit.

Sometimes you worry about your own sanity for liking someone like Taehoon, but then he gives you a look in the middle of the company meetings and your feel your entire body flush and your heart palpitate. And you think about just being alone with him, the way that he looks at you like he wants to devour you, the way his hand runs all over your body and god bless his pale skin because it's so obvious how crazy you're driving him despite how cool he plays it- "Huh? Sorry Rumi, I missed that question. What did you ask?"

You know already this guy has no respect for other people's personal space, but since you've gotten together, a complete and utter lack of personal space has become the norm. At least when no one else is around.

Taehoon corners you in the company house.

"You got 500 won?" He's leaning casually on the wall, blocking your path of exit. He wears a smug smirk as his face moves closer to yours.

You roll your eyes, "Get your own 500 won, I'm not lending you any more money you bastard."

He glances down at your lips, "How about a kiss then?"

Bastard indeed. You blush, but with him so close by, with his lidded gaze and goddamn pretty pink lips slightly parted... you couldn't say no if you tried.

You lean forward to kiss him, and Taehoon deepens it before you have a chance to move away. His arm circles around your waist, pressing your entire body against him. You put your arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer and his hands start to roam your body. Perhaps you and Taehoon should move this somewhere more private-

A glass shatters. "OH MY GOD!!"

You both turn and see the entirety of Hobin Yu company frozen in shock.

Fuck. This was why you shouldn't be making out in the living room.

Hobin: Very happy for you! Congrats Y/N!!! But then after a moment... wait. Hold on. The reality of the situation sinks in. What?! That psycho Taehoon managed to bag you???

Yeah Taehoon has a nice face but his personality STINKS. How can anyone stand him? AND MOST important of all: how did you guys beat him and Bomi getting together?! Life is so unfair!

Snapper: similiar reaction as Hobin. Who tf can put up with that nutjob. Side eyes you a bit cos surely you must have a few screws loose too. But... the opportunities for a newtube channel! Couple dates, couple vlogging! Ok, maybe this isn't such a bad development.

Gaeul: completely clueless. Even Gyeoul has commented on you two getting closer. This innocent little chick just thought... well, she didn't know what she thought - maybe you guys were just close friends? "You fellas, I'm so happy for you. Now don't you young whippersnappers get up to no good!"

Rumi: Oh Y/N I'm so happy for you! Hold on- let me just text Wangguk to set up a double date. What you doing this Saturday?

Mangi: another cinnamon roll. Gives you and Taehoon the biggest hug, squeezing the life out of you whilst Taehoon is just glaring, gearing up to give him a kick. So so happy for you, wishes you guys a lifetime of happiness (woah, steady on Mangi we've just gotten together!!) and that you are as happy as him and his girlfriend <3

Yeonwoo: You've always been nice and sweet to him. So you and Taehoon? Together? You're making this lil genius's brain hurt. Of course he'll congratulate the both of you, he's too polite to do otherwise. But his protective side flares up to make sure Taehoon treats you right.

Gyeoul: Who fucking cares

Taehoon finding out about everyone finding out: Headaches all around. What the fuck is wrong with these losers? Gets inundated with questions about you and their relationship. "Bastard that's none of your business", "Ask more questions if you want to die".

Temporarily wonders if this is worth it, but then looks at you and ok. Maybe it is. "Fuck, I'm so cringe I'm going to kick my own ass"

[casual-praxis]

A little sneak peek into chapter one of Year 4 (Swords), that high school AU fanfic I'm working on. The document is accidentally 38 pages long and it's just the prologue (granted, it is all written in text message format).

This is just one of my favorite interactions so far, though it's lacking all context.

----

Thursday - Week 0 1:09 | G R E E: Bat check 1:11 | Vio(lently Gay): Hit me. 1:12 | G R E E: Bet 1:12 | G R E E: Kay wait  1:12 | G R E E: I didn’t really think this through  1:13 | Vio(lently Gay): I’ll wait. 1:13 | G R E E: Shut 1:14 | G R E E: Long shot here 1:14 | G R E E: You still awake Blue?? 1:17 | Vio(lently Gay): No dice, huh. 1:17 | G R E E: Damn 1:18 | G R E E: You get a pass for now

1:19 | Vio(lently Gay): For now, he says. 1:19 | Vio(lently Gay): Let’s not pretend you aren’t also awake. 1:20 | G R E E: Hey  1:20 | G R E E: It’s a work in progress 1:20 | G R E E: Red’s conked out but I think I’m still wired from earlier 1:20 | G R E E: This is why I don’t drink coffee 1:21 | Vio(lently Gay): Try drinking more, actually. 1:22 | Vio(lently Gay): If the dehydration doesn’t knock you out then the heart palpitations sure will.  1:22 | G R E E: That is 1:22 | G R E E: Not good 1:23 | Vio(lently Gay): It won’t kill you unless you make a habit out of it. Probably. 1:23 | G R E E: I am convinced you are trying to kill us 1:24 | Vio(lently Gay): I will neither confirm nor deny.  1:26 | G R E E: Why is this even something you know?? 1:28 | Vio(lently Gay): My heart rate is in the hundreds.  1:28 | G R E E: What does that even mean  1:30 | G R E E: Vio  1:34 | G R E E: Vio what does that even mean?? ---- 6:16 | BluePepper: k so vios fucking dead

This is a snippet from like, around the middle half of the chapter. Everyone's usernames (hopefully obvious who is who) will roughly stay like this from this point onward, though they were slightly different at the start.

The timestamps on the messages are to give an indication of how much time is passing and when the messages are sent. I don't personally use military time, but for the sake of clarity, I'm using it to differentiate between am and pm. Their conversation is happening super early in the morning.

This whole fic started as dialogue practice and it just spiraled from there. Feel free to share your thoughts with me!!

[merrycrisis-if]

but GODDD the reunion 🥺🥺🥺🥺 i loved the class dinner and everyone feeling the tension between mc and qiu but ASDHSJDHS the reunion at the coffee shop felt so intimate <333 getting a text and call from qiu literally had me giggling shshsjj and when mc ordered a drink and they were like “make it two” UNGHHHDH everything they do drives me insane 😩💘💘💘

and their conversation unffhdhshsh please I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!! but my favorite has to be when mc was like “what hurt the most was you fought for everything in your life except for me” and qiu was like “so let me fight for you now” 💕💘💓💓💘💕💘💓💓💘💞 i just know your pen was on fire when you wrote that <3333 but i also love how mc’s gonna make qiu work for it 🤭 but yeah mc’s better than me being doubtful of qiu because i would just forgive and forget then take them back lmfaooo

question though if we turn qiu down, will that lock us out of their route???

anyways i loved joony so much more this update <33 it’s so funny to me how they’re one of the few people who don’t see qiu through rose tinted lens. like mc’s still hung up on qiu but joony’s just like “who put this annoying smartass on the list of singapore’s most eligible bachelors????” 😭😭😭

this has gotten so long so i’m gonna stop now 😭 but yeah. definitely not being qiu-biased but this was my favorite update!! you write the first love trope so well i can’t get enough <33 i loved the variations, the pacing and seeing more of mc’s friendship with joony and your writing is lovely as always. congrats again on the update and congrats to qiu once again for being my ro of the month <333 i hope you’re treating yourself and giving your big brain a rest. the update was incredible 🩷

Love how you organized the asks HAHAH into past/ present.

The "make it two" when I wrote it also gave me heart palpitations. I was like yes. This is it, this is the first line MC should hear from Qiu.

question though if we turn qiu down, will that lock us out of their route???

Hmm, original plan is yes—if you didn't give Qiu the chance to meet again while being back in Singapore (the "one day" option), you're pretty much passing up the chance to rekindle shit. But maybe I might make it so that Qiu might ask one last time. We'll see!

anyways i loved joony so much more this update <33

Ah it there was one salty ask about Joony's meddling... But I guess we can't please everyone. 🤷‍♀️ That's okay. Joony's that kind of person.

definitely not being qiu-biased but this was my favorite update!!

Ohhhh EXCELLENT!!!! That makes me so so happy D:::: It's definitely the most Qiu-focused chapter so far, I think. But I'll take it!!

congrats to qiu once again for being my ro of the month <333

YAY! I highly doubt the next update will change your mind, but we'll see!

[modern-day-bard]

Worth The Feeling

Content Warning: 18+ This series contains explicit smut, intimidation, and an age gap relationship. Minors, do not interact.

Chapter 29

Dozens of celebrities visit LAX every day, from both arrivals and departures. Even still, it feels like a risk. I asked David to park us outside while I looked for a flight. On another day, I might be embarrassed, asking him to wait while I frantically look for the soonest flight to Connecticut. There are several arriving in New York that leave much sooner, but I don't want to risk being seen even more. I book one straight to Connecticut leaving in three hours, thank David, and shoot a text to my mom. I'm crossing all of my fingers that my parents have not seen the pictures. Not that they're superbly technologically savvy, but with my mom's friends and their stalking tendencies...I can't even think about that right now.

I buy one of the first books I see after getting through security, ignoring the two tabloids with Javi's face on the cover, and the one with both of us. At my gate, with my knees pull up to my chest, cat down over my eyes, and my book in front of my face, I feel like I've created a little cocoon of safety. After about ten minutes, I realize I bought an informational book about marine life. Absolutely no connection to Hollywood, romance, or mistakes. I'm thrilled.

Sitting here for a while, I feel too numb to even be afraid of my flight. I look down at my bracelet occasionally, and remember that my last flight was also riddled with anxiety. Except this time, the worst of the worst has come true. But I still don't feel scared. I feel like the most important thing is just to get to Connecticut. If I can get there, I can breathe. No one will be able to find me at my parents house. There's no way they'll be able to find that much information about me in such a short time-span. And I don't think my face is the one that would be worth flying out for. Sure, they might hound me here, but from what I know, they would only follow Javi.

Javi, who has called three times since my arrival.

I told David to text Javi once I left the car. I couldn't handle the idea of him calling me before I bought the flight. Hearing his voice would make me change my mind. And it was convenient that I would be too busy going through security and getting to my gate to miss the first two. But now I had no excuse for the third. With an hour and a half left before my flight, I send out a text to Javi.

Me: I'm sorry I missed your calls. I asked David to let you know my plans... I can't let you get more heat if they figure out I'm staying at your house. I'm so sorry, for all of it. I'll call you when I get home.

I send one to Lana and Mia as well, giving them the sparknotes, and I turn off my phone. I know the girls and Javi will be kind, but I don't want to think about it anymore. I zone out staring at a photo of a beluga whale until it's time to board.

- - -

I came dangerously close to collapsing in my mom's arms when her and her sedan greeted me at New Haven's much smaller airport. I had many heart palpitations during takeoff, and there were a few times I thought my body would turn into full-blown panic. But thankfully, flying when you know you're flying away from a public relations crisis that could cost you your job seems to be easier for me. Though that is a lesson I would've been happy never to have learned.

Now that we're safely in the walls of my parents' Cape Cod-style home, I'm bordering on big, big tears. I never miss home. I miss my parents, of course. But I never think of Connecticut in that wistful way everyone else talks about their hometowns. There's some nostalgia, but there's some bad memories, too. I push that thought away as I plop down on their couch. There are other, more recent memories I need to forget. And right now, this feels like the most comforting place in the world.

My mom fiddles with her keys before dropping them on the entryway table. I could tell she was holding back the entire ride home from the airport. She asked about the flight, and about my recent projects, about my friends, and now...

"Where's dad?" I beat her to the punch.

"He's out picking up your favorite."

"Pepe's?" I ask hopefully and she nods, "At 10pm? You're both saints."

"Yes, ma'am," she giggles.

She sits down next to me, placing a hand gingerly on my knee.

"Honey," her voice is much more serious than before, "Are you sure you're okay? You rarely come home. And then within a few hours you text us you're on your way, and you only have a purse with you and no return flight. What's going on?"

"You should've been a detective."

This time she doesn't giggle, she just pins me with her worried expression.

I fiddle with a thread on one of the throw pillows. "Have your friends said anything about me?"

Now she just looks confused. "Uh, no. I've been at work today though."

"Right. Well, I sort of became a topic of conversation recently and—"

"Hello!" My dad bellows, pushing open the front door, two large pizza boxes leading the way.

"Dad!" I hop up. I hug him tightly, nearly sending the pizza to the floor before my mom catches it from behind us.

"Hi, sweetie." He gives me a kiss on the top of my head, and I can feel my eyes sting.

This part of home, I miss.

As we gather in the kitchen, I fill my dad in on what I had already told my mom. I ask them both about work, and their friends. Some of their friends became grandparents, and the thought of that makes my stomach lurch. They laugh at my expression, and I'm relieved there's no additional pressure there. I don't feel much pressure at all as we talk in between pizza slices. I feel lighter than I have in a while. Like all of that attention was some wild Hollywood dream, and I woke up in the safety of my old life.

"Okay, this old man has to call it." My dad finally says, pointing at the clock on the stove. 12:06am.

"Me too," my mom says, kissing my cheek. "I got your room set up for you. Do you need anything before bed?"

I shake my head, hugging them both. "No, just this. Thank you guys."

"You're welcome. But you know I will be wanting to finish our conversation tomorrow," My mom whispers before patting me on the back.

"I know," my laughter is nervous, but she lets it go.

I follow them upstairs, bringing my purse with me. My old room is now half an office, but they left some of my old stuff behind. I rummage through the closet, finding an old high school pep rally t-shirt to throw on. Though "throw on" may be a stretch, because speaking of stretch, this thing barely fits. I decide to go with just a fresh pair of underwear I brought, and make a mental note to raid my mom's closet tomorrow.

I plug in my phone, slipping under the covers. I brought my marine life book into bed with me, just in case any distracting thoughts kept me awake. But staring at a rather spritely looking sea turtle, my eyes are getting heavy. With the time difference, it's past 3am for me. Before I know it, I fall into a dreamless sleep.

- - -

The next morning, after a cold slice of Pepe's for breakfast, I took a walk around my neighborhood. My charged, but turned-off, phone in my pocket. My mom told me that she would probably be able to get off of work early, but didn't have time to warn them last night. My dad said he would try to do the same, but client meetings might keep him later. I didn't mind. I knew I would need some time to figure out how to explain the situation to them, and I would also need to check this phone of mine. I don't want to leave anyone hanging, but...the quiet is nice. The air here is slightly cooler with September rolling in, and the streets are peaceful. I decide that once I remember which houses used to hand out full-size candy bars, I need to turn on my phone.

I gather up the courage sitting on the front stoop, even though the cool bricks freeze my bum. I'm glad this stoop is paparazzi-free at least.

There are less messages from yesterday. Lana and Mia just said to text when I'm settled and that they understand, so I fire another one off to them letting them know I'm safe and I'm cooling off. I wait a few more minutes before reading Javi's messages. I feel a pit in my stomach. I can't imagine that he'll want to deal with all this. And now that I've given him some space, he'll probably be able to see that it's easier with me far away, or just...out of his life in general. I swallow the lump in my throat and open the conversation anyway.

Immediately after I texted him that I was going home he replied.

Javi: Do what you need to do. I completely understand. Though I will be wishing you were here with me instead

And again once he figured I had landed.

Javi: You're probably catching up with your parents, but sleep well. It's late here at home This morning, 5am L.A. time, 8am East Coast time.

Javi: Good morning beautiful. Jonah and I are speaking with Dwayne today. I know it's probably not the best thing to hear this morning but I want to keep you up to date. Call me when you can. We're meeting at 9

I look at the clock. In that case, with the time difference, they're meeting now. I wish I still had more of my neighborhood to walk. The idea of Javi, his lawyer, and Dwayne all in a room together is enough nervous energy to walk five more miles. Besides the idea of the meeting, however, his texts calm me. I thought that looking through my phone would feel like it did yesterday: uncontrollable chaos. But it's the opposite. They soothe me, and it makes me want to speak with him even more. Not just to know what happens in that awful meeting, but just to hear his voice.

Me: Thank you for the update :) I'm sorry for the late reply...and for leaving. But it's been good to be here. Call me when you're out of the meeting if you can

I decide the next best thing is to shower. I take my time, going through my mom's closet afterwards like I had promised last night. I find a t-shirt of hers that actually fits, as well as a hoodie and some soft shorts. Me, my wet hair, and my hoodie are enjoying another slice of pizza when my phone rings.

My heart flutters before I look at who the call belongs to, and then I spit my pizza out onto my plate.

"Hello?" I say, even though I know who it is.

"Ava? It's Dwayne. I've got our lawyer, Devon on with us as well as Tom from public relations. Is now a good time?"

Holy fuck. Holy. Fuck. "Um, sure." Do I need a lawyer on this call?

"We just spoke with Mr. Gutierrez. I've been told that you are aware of the recent press. Is that right?"

"Yes," I swallow hard, "I've seen it."

"We've been in talks this morning about how to handle the situation. Tom has advised Javi on what the next steps are going to be. When it comes to you, I want to reiterate that you aren't in trouble. What we spoke about beforehand remains true, however, I need to ask again, do you plan to press any charges?"

I splutter for a moment. "Charges against–against Javi?"

"Yes. Or Mr. Henley."

How does he factor in this situation?

"Dwayne, I'm a little out of the loop here. I won't be pressing charges against Javi. But why would I want to press charges against Blake? Do you mean for before?"

"Uh, no, not from before..."

There is a pause on their end of the call. Some rustling, and then a new, deep voice begins.

"Miss Cohen, my name is Devon Wallace. I'm the studio's lawyer. As Dwayne said, you are not in any trouble. You aren't in breach of contract for becoming intimate with Javi. It is also helpful, for managing PR, that this has come out after filming has wrapped. However, we would like to avoid another scandal if we can."

I'm still lost. "What other scandal?"

"To be ahead of the news cycle, and to protect you as an employee of Norwick, we want to know if you plan on taking legal action against Blake Henley."

"Why would I be suing Blake Henley?"

Devon clears his throat.

"Because he's the one who captured and leaked the photos."

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter

Series Masterlist

[sencity]

yandere!poet x gn!darling, pt. one . . .

˚₊ ꒰ nightmare fuel 𝄁︎ obsessive behavior + delusional behavior, not too shabby, yeah?

˚₊ ꒰ word count 𝄁︎ 648.

˚₊ ꒰ key 𝄁︎ crossed out red words indicate amunet's thoughts. blue text indicate amunet's messages. purple text indicate y/n's messages.

˚₊ ꒰ sen’s statement(s) 𝄁︎ you’re more than likely to find my oc’s information here along with the rest of them. amunet’s my first yandere oc so go easy on her, yes? i'll take some constructive criticism since i'm new to the term 'yandere’, but i’d rather not listen to a random on the internet chastise me, ykwim?

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who's in your college american literature class presented their poem to the class. you couldn't help but compliment them in a silly manner! …

"you're literally the black lang leav with these poems! they're sooo scrumptious!"

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who was stunned by your admission. she didn’t anticipate that someone as ethereal as you was in her class, let alone compliment her. she couldn't even respond characteristically but instead gulped, nodded, and thanked you with a strained tone …

"w-well, aren't you the charmer...? ahem, thank you dearly...”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who gives you the best compliments considering that a mere "beautiful" or "handsome" wouldn't suffice, your soul is incomprehensible, and no one has ever ignited her own soul before as you have. your palms are imbued with authentic restoratives, how she personified you as a field full of fluffy clouds, and how your beauty outmatched the many moons of all the systems.

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who somehow managed to persuade your professor to give you rectified and rephrased assignments so you wouldn't go home with complex poems, though occasionally she bestows deep topics upon you in order to study your perspective on certain aspects. you found it strange when you joke to your professor about an assignment being a bit difficult, causing him to burst into a bunch of desperate attempts to make it easier.

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who slips anonymous motivating, doting, or impossible-to-crack sonnets in your locker every day (even though you recognize her handwriting but decided not to confront her on it, it was cute).

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who has confessed to you a plethora of times in one of her slam poetries while refusing to translate her emotion (believing she was slick, though once again, it was painfully obvious). their eyes glimmering with adoration when she mentions how your adulation drowns her soul in nostalgia.

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who writes affirmations on your arms or hands with the pen she uses for your sonnets, her heart bursting into an ocean of euphoria with each word she engraved into your skin, her breathing quickening and her face heating up the more and more she processes how intimate this moment was …

“y-your skin…it feels…become mine already…so soft, feels like dreams…they’re so faultless…”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who cheers giddily to herself after you returned the favor with those sonnets with a haiku of your own, the poet staring at it intently, rereading it for the forty-second time as she struggled to comprehend that it was a confession! lightheadedness overcame her, her heart palpitated harshly, and her eyes welled with tears while clenching the sheet of paper. she needed to sit down, but she couldn’t! she was still pinching and biting herself to comprehend that this was…reality …

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! who immediately planned her wedding vows toward you in (you guessed it) poetry form (specifically a free form). as she announced the words happily in her room, she couldn’t help but cry ecstatically in the midst of it, her body trembling harshly in excitement and desire as the overwhelming passion to kiss you drowned her with love …

“mmn, what are you doing to me, my beloved? there’s not enough ink in the world to evince how i feel about you…”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere poet! seeing you the next day with a smug expression, clearly knowing what you’re doing to her. when you were about to tease them, they fed into their desires by pulling you into the deepest kiss, moaning softly as her body erupted with frissons of thrill. her soul opened and flooded for you, her emotions pouring onto you, her arms locked around your torso …

“i love you so much, i can’t believe you’re finally all mine. you’ll experience constant heaven from now on. don’t you agree, hun? would you like to open the gates of heaven?”

© all rights reserved 𝄁︎ sencity. plagiarism will not be tolerated on this blog but addressed and chastised accordingly.

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Seven

“…The Lord be with you”

“And with your spirit.”

“May Almighty God Bless you, the father, the son and the Holy Spirit.”

“Amen.”

“Now mass has ended, go in peace to love and serve the lord.”

I turn to my mother next to me in the church pew and mutter the next part with intention. “Thanks be to God.” She leans in to me and hisses “Stop that.” and bends to pick her bag up from the floor as everyone begins to shuffle out of the church at that specific snail’s pace that people only seem to move at while in a Catholic church. It’s the slowest place on earth, and I feel like groaning out loud when my parents get stopped by a neighbour who wants to wish us a happy Christmas, and in doing so blocks our exit from the pew. 

They talk to Ms. McCarthy for what seems like forever as I glance across the church to where the Healy’s are moving through the crowds towards us. I’ve been watching the backs of their heads since we came in, but I don’t think they’ve seen us yet, something I’m glad of because I don’t really feel attempting some excruciating exchange with Kelly, who gives me anxious heart palpitations at the mere sight of the side of her face across a building. I watch them as they come closer, waving here and there, smiling, giving Christmas wishes, especially Shane, who everyone wants a piece of since he scored a winning point in the last county final match, or something like that. 

I have to take my eyes off them when Ms. McCarthy grabs my hand with that iron grip that only old ladies possess and pulls me into her so she can ask me if Santy came, with this humorous glint in her eye, as if we don’t have this exact exchange every Christmas. I laugh and tell her that he did, and yes, he was good, and yes, he even ate the biscuits we left out for him, and yes, I got everything on my list, and I’m still talking to her when the Healy’s reach us. I’m glad of it because it means I look too distracted to talk to them. 

“Hello Marian.” I hear Shane say as he gives my mam a hug, and she looks delighted. She loves him, but not the same way that everyone else does, she extra loves him. In a she-wishes-she’d-given-birth-to-him kind of way. I think that’s why she wants us to go out with each other, so that one day we’ll get married and she can say that he’s her son in law. I want to present her with side by side photos of Claire and me and ask her, really, honestly, which one is he more likely to fancy, but even aside from that, the idea of dating him makes me feel truly unwell but no matter how much I tell her this she’s never really given up hoping. 

He comes over to me and interrupts mine and Ms. McCarthy’s conversation about the best biscuit selection boxes and gives me his signature stiff hug. “Well.” He says in his usual stilted, Irish country boy way, “Happy Christmas, Evie.”

“Same to you.” I glance over his shoulder at his sister who is making a point of not speaking to anyone in my family, standing there with her best bored face on, looking around like she’s hoping there’s somebody better to talk to. Acting like she’s in a trendy bar instead of a draughty catholic church full of pensioners. 

“Are you coming out tomorrow night to the pub?” Shane wants to know, and my eyes snap back to him.

“Which pub?”

“Dunno yet. Whichever.”

“Ah, okay.”

“I’ll get Claire to text you where we’re going.”

“Sounds good.”

“Have a good Christmas, right?”

“Yep, you too.”

He gives me a nod and then heads towards the exit with his family, and when they’re still in earshot I hear Kelly scolding him. “Why did you just invite her to come to the pub?” 

“Yeah, so?”

“You’re so annoying, like. It would be grand if it was only Claire but I don’t want her there.”

They’re out of earshot then, so I can’t hear what he says in response, but it doesn’t really matter. The damage is already done, and as we’re finally released from Ms. McCarthy’s grasp and go back out to the car I feel awful, defective, irredeemable. Kelly can handle being around Claire, but not me? Why? I’m not the one who started fights, I’m not the one who slept with her brother, all I ever tried to do was be the peacemaker, and still, to her I’m the worst one. 

God. I think to myself as I clamber into the backseat of my dad’s little car. After all this time, why does it still feel so bad? Why do I still care about what she thinks of me? I rest my head against the car window and it wets my forehead with condensation. With the sleeve of my coat I wipe the droplets from the glass and look out, the sky the kind of grey that makes you claustrophobic, this dense, ash coloured blanket wound around the town, colour leached from the landscape making everything look the same, in shades of brown and grey and grey and brown. 

Perhaps, I think, as I regard the gloomy, miserable sights, perhaps one day I will learn to let go of things. One day I won’t hold on to everything so tightly, and I’ll stop caring about all of this stupid stuff.

Prev // Next

[wisismydumpstat]

Tell us everything you feel about Ascians and Shadowbringers, do! You only get to do this for the first time once after all, and we're all dying to know what you think is going on, what you are pretty sure is going on, what you are positive is NOT going on and every speculation and heart palpitation you got so we can all bask in the confusion and hand flapping by proxy.

Sorry about the late reply, this week has been A Week!

I was kinda waiting until I was a bit closer to the end of 5.0 before doing this, but it sounds fun and I think it's funnier if I do this now and then I keep updating all the things I was wrong about as I get closer and closer to the reveals!

So! I am currently on quest Return to Eulmore, 24 quests left to reach the end of Patch 5.0, and those are my opinions and feels about... stuff!

Spoiler-filled text dump incoming!

Ascians Ascians are cool! :D I'm a sucker for immortals of any kind, I do like their possession gimmick, I like that they're way too intense no matter what they're saying. I don't particularly sympathize with their revealed backstory so far, and I'm glad the game brought up the whole "Cool motive, still murder" aspect of it. And that's just assuming I actually trust Emet-Selch, which would be a stretch.

An Emet-Stretch.

Please laugh.

2. Shadowbringers

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I am really enjoying this expansion. I don't think it's a surprise to anyone at this point that I greatly enjoy drama and emotional pain, and this expansion is giving a lot of both in a very realistic way. I like the WoL's dialogue prompts getting angrier and snarkier as they get fed up with everything, I like people getting tired of all the secret-keeping and the moral ambiguity (Great for a plot, bad for a team), I like how hot Urianger is now, I love Alisaie having a well deserved turn on the spotlight, I like how hot Urianger is now, I like the whole "Ardbert and the WoL are friends now thanks to their mutual existential crisis" arc, I freaking love that Thancred is a dad now, and HAVE YOU SEEN URIANGER THIS EXPANSION??

3. Random speculation and thoughts!

I would like to punch Emet-Selch on the face. Amazing voice actor tho.

The whole absorbing-light-thingie is clearly bad. I would love to have something like an inner soul battle or something to destroy your corruption. Very Kingdom Hearts.

I... don't know what to think about the whole "Vauthry controls Sin Eaters" thing, but the way this expansion is going I fully expect to get into Eulmore and discover he has a disgusting one chained in a dungeon or something. Either that or Eulmore itself is a sin eater somehow. That'd be cool.

I don't trust the Crystal Exarch. At all. I would also like to punch him on the face, once I'm done with Emet-Selch. Which, admittedly, will take a while. This game has taught me that people with hoods and/or any way to cover their face are evil. Privacy bad.

Hydaelyn being a Primal makes So. Much. Sense. I was suspecting something was afoot since I realized every other deity and figure of legend was just a primal, but somehow I never made the connection.

Does that make the Echo just a very polite way of tempering?? Are the random flashbacks actually a "Go do my will" tactic instead of just a convenient plot artifact??

Someday I'll get Titania's theme out of my head.

It isn't gonna be today.

Help.

FALALALALALA

[fourseasonsfigs]

Rainy Night Wen

Following up yesterday's Wen Kexing is...another Wen Kexing. However, this one is much, much smaller, and much sadder. Poor guy! I hate to see figs cry.

But, who could blame him? Not me. This fig is too small for the weight of the crushing news he just received, that's for sure.

I know, Lao Wen, I know. Episode 14 is a tough one. Let's revisit this scene:

Alright, now that we've sufficiently upset ourselves and everyone, let's move onto this little fig.

Sometimes fig makers send his hairpins in pieces in order to prevent any inadvertent breakage in travel. This one was accompanied by not only the two halves of the hairpin, but also his flute.

The hairpin went in just fine, but the flute...well, the flute did NOT want to squeeze into those delicate little hands. This, dear friends, is EXACTLY the situation that gives me heart palpitations. Keep in mind this is a very small fig (he's a regular size fig, but he's sitting down), and my fingers are comparatively quite large and certainly quite clumsy. Do I press a bit harder and hope that it'll just magically snap in? What if I break the flute? What if I break a finger? What if I break a wrist?

My heart just can't take this kind of thing. We can't have crying figs AND crying figthusiasts! So I did what I always do when faced with with this sort of thing - I put him aside as a problem for future me.

Well, today the future became reality. I bolstered my courage, went back to the seller chat to see if they had any clever solutions I had just missed, and was super excited to see that they did!

YES! I excitedly downloaded the pic, and pulled up my translate app. The text above translates, "stuck here".

I was like, wait, I know, but how? HOW do I get it stuck there?

Nobody in this household answered me. So, I figured, at least I know it somehow has to go in his hands, so I guess I just have to squeeze a bit harder. So I did.

And this is what happens!!!! I lost the corner of the flute! You can see the piece just chipped off and is lying there on his knee. I don't even know how this happened?!?

The thing is, the scale of this all is so small, that my eyes can't actually see the damaged part. But boy does it pop up on camera.

I'm not having a great day at this point, but it's still better than the day Lao Wen is having, so I can't complain. I grabbed some paint and a small brush, propped up my phone and zoomed in on the flute, and got to work.

Not a professional job here, folks (WHY is it a bit lopsided on one side?), but truly it's impossible to see anything when the fig is in the hand. I tried to fix it, but I made it worse, so I had to remove it and repaint. This was the best I can do, so I stopped while I was ahead. As you'll see, even in the normal closeups, you can't really tell.

Alright, enough talking, let's check out this fig, shall we:

It's all going to be OK, Lao Wen.

This fig came in a plain white box, but the fig maker included not only the double sided fig card, but a pin! Usually, on extras like this the artwork matches the fig, but in this case we have a much cheerier Lao Wen.

The fig maker did not make a paired A-Xu for this fig, but luckily I have a number of A-Xu figs looking for their Lao Wen, so he's already well accompanied on my fig shelf.

Next post up we have...another Wen Kexing?!? We sure do! But this time, with his matching A-Xu.

Material: Resin, a little bit of acrylic paint, and some sad fig tears

Fig Count: 387

Scene Count: 26

Rating: Just hang in there, Lao Wen!

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[lambentblood]

[ID: A series of images arranged within the post in a collage format.

Image 1: Text reading, "I have buried you in every place I've been. You keep ending up in my shaking hands."

Image 2: A still of a dark theater, from "I Saw the TV Glow." It is captioned, "Someone buried alive and suffocating to death."

Image 3: A still of Isabel's face, upset. It is captioned, "She's buried under ground."

Image 4: All lowercase text reading, "I want to go home, I want to go home, but what I mean, what I'm grasping for, is not a place, it's a feeling. I want to go back. But back where?"

Image 5: An oil pastel illustration of 2 pairs of hands, holding each other. The illustration is mainly blue and pink, though streaks of other colors are layered throughout.

Image 6: A still of Tara holding Isabel's hand.

Image 7: Text reading, "I lost sight of myself so long ago that I'm hesitant to try to find myself. I'm afraid to begin. Existing sometimes gives me heart palpitations. I'm so afraid to be me."

Image 8: A still of Isabel's open, empty grave at the football field.

Image 9: Text on a brown, neutral background, from Disco Elysium. It reads, "2 - I want to go back to the completely different world. The see-through world with you."

Image 10: A still of Tara's side profile in blue lighting in the planetarium. It is captioned, "$50 to bury me alive."

Image 11: Text reading, "How did everything go so wrong? How can I get myself out of this mess?" After a line break, "...Do something. Do something. Do something."

Image 12: A still of Tara from the waist up in the planetarium. It is captioned, "I apologized for the whole thing."

Image 13: A still of Isabel hurrying through the arcade at work. It is captioned, "I'm sorry about before."

Image 14: Part of a screenplay. It reads,

"SPIKE: Her hands. DAWN: I was gonna fix 'em. I don't know how they got like that. SPIKE: I do. Clawed her way out of a coffin, that's how. (To Buffy) Isn't that right? Buffy looks at her hands like they belong to someone else. BUFFY: I... Yes. I had to do that. SPIKE: Done it myself."

Image 15: A still of Tara in the planetarium. It is captioned, "Gasping for air, rain pouring down on me."

Image 16: A still of Isabel looking in the bathroom mirror at work.

Image 17: Text that reads, "Love is the only force that allows us to hold one another close beyond the grave. That is why knowing how to love each other is also a way of knowing how to die."

Image 18: A still of an analog TV burning.

Image 19: Text reading, "From the ashes, I rise. I am blooming into something beautiful." The words, " I am blooming into something beautiful," are highlighted.

End ID.]

On graves, and resurfacing from the ashes (in tandem)

justin vernon, i saw the tv glow, julie bunton, hannah lock, catherynn m. valente, disco elysium, buffy the vampire slayer, bell hooks, melody lee

[writingthy]

10 Jenny Mendoza

warnings: panic attack, family abuse and death mentioned, curses

a/n: This is the last chapter of my one week writing challenge! Thank you for everyone that read my work and to those that supported me all throughout this journey. Hoping to continue more works in this platform and again, Thank Y'all. Also, English isn't my first language but I will try. so if there are any criticisms, free to tell me <3

Chapters: Synopsis ┃ Prev ____________________________________________________

Image courtesy of NSPIRE TV.

“Thank you for… earlier.”

“Miss Soriano, that was nothing. It happens.”

“Still… Sorry if it spoiled my visit, I didn’t expect for things to happen that- that way.”

“We can never know how things happen ‘that way’, we just continue and learn. Darling, you can’t avoid accidents. But remember to always walk forward.”

I coped a chuckle, “Thanks Ma’am Ferrer. I hope to visit again, excluding the panic attack.” My former adviser smiled, waving it off before embracing me goodbye.

I started preparing for my next stop.

Taking a breather before driving, my hands shaking a little as it turned the wheel. I saw the clouds rumble, grey air enveloping the starting rain. It could be a bad omen, unfortunately my mind is clear to end this journey. I pressed forward, clench in my chest, heart beating – in its own, it started a music to surround me.

October 19,

The day that I will see Clara Bernardo again.

The cemetery was quiet, no other visitors than the stone hedged with strangers’ names.

It felt lonely walking across living now deceased. Memories scribbled on a piece of rock for others to remember. What odd concept death can be.

As I continue, I held my phone vibrating, see who would suddenly text me.

It was Andrea.

She visited Ate Annabel and Ate Pia before I decided to returned here.

Her presence solidified my decision.

It was nice reuniting with her after so long.

She looked happier, boasting her boyfriend. Said, they met in college, soon planning to wed. She teased me how lucky she got, guess God has their favorites.

She reminded me to keep her updated when I leave, hoping to see my mother again. She missed mama the most, Drea says she owes her a lot. I nod and replied that she can just pay me, I ended up getting a beat down before Ate Annabel stopped both of our ruckus.

We ended laughing at the floor.

I missed her too.

“Tell Tita Jenny I’ll also visit. Miss her cooking : (  Don’t eat everything.

Patay gutom ka pa naman.”

Chuckling, I liked her message. You could hear her voice behind the screen.

It was annoying, a bit endearing?

She was fucking bipolar like that.

Finally realizing that I already reached her granite gravestone,

I stopped to stare at the written gold frames.

Clara Bernardo October 19, 1999 – December 26, 2015 “Your precious memory will always stay inside our hearts.”

It was covered with baskets of letters and newly placed flowers,

Pink lilies.

I can’t help but smile, “Sorry, Clara. You must hate that.” It was the first thing that came to mind, also the first thing I ever said in front of her grave. A casual banter.

I looked up for a second, thinking she might be listening, knowing how privy she can be.

Pretty sure she’ll laugh at it, we both have the same humor.

In the middle of all the decorations there’s a piece of manila paper,

It looked decayed, worn.

It was familiar.

I stepped closer…

Two old daylilies greet me.

They also survived the passage of time.

Yet no green, all brown.

They look like they been through some shit.

Kind of like me.

I slowly sat in the grass,

Pulling something out from my coat’s pockets.

It was her letter.

I tried giving it to her the year that Andrea left our house,

Forcing myself the closure.

I was still a wreck back then,

The moment I read her name, my heart started palpitating.

I felt my knees weaken, I almost fall out of consciousness.

I had a panic attack before I even stepped near her.

Learning my mistake, I came back the next year.

Now without the letter.

I did however bring something else,

Embracing it tightly, as if unaccepting of letting it go.

I place the two daylilies she last gave inside a manila paper.

It wasn’t the prettiest anymore.

But it shone its hazel petals.

I took care of it until that moment.

Despite the many times I cried when it passed by my sight.

Its simple smell making me tear up.

I was the ballistic one in our relationship, me and the daylilies.

That day I decided to try, just one step.

Letting them go before I go to college. It was hard, I remembered I just stood there in silence for about 10 minutes. Contemplating everything.

Eventually, a wind flew by me, waking my thoughts up. I’m not a superstitious person, but I liked to believe that was my girl trying to hurry me up.

So, I did.

Now, the same flowers laid in front of me.

Nothing, no one else.

Just me and them.

Everything flashed as I started recollecting reasons to why I returned here.

My name.

My house.

That school.

My childhood.

My family.

Bougainvilleas.

Daylilies.

Her.

It led up to her.

All led up to her.

Always, her.

Clara Bernardo was a part of me that may never be erased.

She marked herself permanent.

She was the first and last thing I see.

… What do I see now?

Me. Her.

Everything else between us.

Slowly and slowly her face faded, and all that is left is a stone.

For so long, I was blind that she was finally gone.

The mere thought of her presence was the thing comforting me.

I was never healed, it still hurts every time I remember her.

But I learned to stop myself from crying each sleepless night.

Just incomplete thoughts.

The thoughts not even about her but what she left.

Me.

She told me to aspire,

A good person.

A future I deserve.

I did.

Physically.

My head still restless.

Is this what she wants?

I don’t know… I could never know…

She’s not here anymore.

Maybe all that I really see is me and me only.

Alone.

But I don’t want to be alone.

I don’t want to be alone anymore.

I want someone to reach out for me,

But… I don’t want to extend my hand for anyone…

Who deserves how broken I am?

I closed my eyes,

I promised not to cry today.

In my life,

Who really stayed?

After seeing all my flaws and shit.

Clara?

She’s not here.

So, who?

Who was there…

Oh.

There was one person.

Her.

Opening my eyes,

I smiled at Clara.

I saw her smiling back.

Maybe she was with me the whole time and is patiently waiting for me realize it.

“Must have been annoying to watch me, huh?”

I could see her pout and nod.

Her hazel eyes softly gazing to mine.

She was holding the bougainvilleas she treasured the most.

There were always the bougainvillea…

Even back then…

I solemnly stared,

Manila paper blown by the rapid win.

It was going to rain.

I felt my eyes tear up.

Spontaneous, Kian.

Wiping it slowly,

I stared back at Clara.

She wasn’t there anymore.

Just the daylilies.

At that moment…     

Watching the drylilies fade away I realized,

Clara Bernardo was the reason on why I returned.

But only now do I have the reason on why I should stay.

The End.