#those gumiho shorts are all her

[shukuchiisms]

Cindy being Cindy

[mythvoiced]

-. MORE HEADCANONS for Hyun Celebrity Verse

The BRAINROT I have for this verse, gosh... (rat bastard character for this verse also coming up~ Lynnie, I WILL give you that bastard, MARK MY WORDS!)

Her first ventures into acting where actually classic MV cameos that models seem to do here and there; especially when she was first rising to fame, so early twenties, she'd be featured in that classic 'look at how cool this artist is he can get models~', eye candy and the likes way; the older she'd get, the likelier she'd be to feature as the actual love interest rather than a meatbag (and choose who to work with)

I like to think that she featured with artists like Ra.in yknow~ or people she'd actually enjoy, like Crush, Gray, or as a mate in Ta.eyeon videos maybe (if that's even a thing)

At one point her cameos became less 'oh a model' and more 'is that Ji Hyun?! OMG~'

YOU KNOW WHAT what if she's the voice at the beginning of Jessi's Spirit Animal, you know the one, that'd be so much fun what the fuck, she'd love Jessi (on that note, fluent in English queen~?)

She's not even that much into fashion, as I feel I've kind of established relatively well, the only fashion designer she can actually get behind is Kang Ae-ri ( @stillresolved ) because other than THAT'S HER BESTIE Hyun also feels like Ae-ri is one of the few people left in the business who actually has something to say, something to show, a passion for her craft, and not the performative kind where you call yourself eccentric to get away with being a douchebag, no, Ae-ri actually gives a shit, and Hyun respects that

Even though she's a clothing hanger (her words), when it comes to endorsing brands outside the fashion industry, Hyun likes perfume deals the most: she's a big fan of scents and the likes, she actually likes 'selling' perfumes she'd wear on herself

On the other end of the spectrum: skin-care products, she fucking hates that industry, oversaturated with scammers and bullshit

ONTO THE DEFAMATION LAWSUIT lmao I think I'm settling on a designer being the cause of her trouble: he publicly painted as an abuser who mistreats everyone around her, especially the crew and anyone easily painted as an underdog, this designer is someone Hyun has had issues with for years; she's kept herself relatively close-lipped and they simply had a very tense work-place relationship until Hyun's incoming departure from the fashion industry has prompted her to put him in his goddamn place for his mistreatment and abuse of the women especially who work for him; long story short, he did not like that and turned it around and against her

Hyun's mother is Old Money, Hyun's father owns a cruises company, Hyun's older sister is a former Olympic bronze medalist and now activist, a lot of people assume that's how she got into modelling in the first place, money nepotism, WRONG! She's never seen a cent of her mother's money for most of her life, Hyun's father kind of forgets he has children, Hyun's sister is dealing with her own shit and doesn't have a good reputation for being an LGBTQ+ rights activist anyway, so Hyun was....... scouted~ Like those classic kpop scouting stories you hear, you know

She was also offered to become a trainee, yknow, for the visuals only but she refused, it wouldn't have been for her, she's got no pronounced musical talent and even just thinking about learning choreos fatigued her (she also doesn't like dancing tbh)

In terms of how public Boram and her are, I'll have to talk to Alex about it, but prior to this relationship, she's been OF COURSE target of all sorts of dating rumours

Once she was approached about potentially dating a popular 2nd gen kpop idol and she laughed in their face... she had a public appearance & interview ban for weeks after that

I have to incorporate foxes into this verse as well, of course, so what if an upcoming potential role of hers was that of a gumiho 👀

Funniest about this is... Hyun is a good actor; translating the masking and trickster nature of a gumiho into this verse, it just makes sense, we could easily make her as good as P.ar.k Gy.u-yo.un.g herself

And she would actually like it, she doesn't know it yet BUT I DO, Hyun would love acting, she'd abandon the fashion industry as main gig real fucking fast

We need to cast her in something with Se.o In.-G.uk (NOBODY TOLD ME HE'S IN SOMETHING WITH PARK SO-D.AM RN, GOSH DARN IT)

While she avoids public appearances unless super necessary for whatever reason (such as the one Bellamy ( @usuhan ) is offering her 👀), she's likelier to attend if they're charity events... but she's a little picky there, too

[thewickedxrp]

             WELCOME JEONG SOOYUN

                                                         ⁠TO THE PROMISE LAND

DETAILS

age / age they appear: 716 / 26 occupation: haenyeo diver group: none

PERSONALITY

She was meek in her young age, playing among the rivers and other Imugi she came across. Some would say she was carefree until her own kind began to be hunted. Sooyun turned observant, quiet and careful of who she talked to, even when venturing into the human world. Much of her time was spent as a serpent where she slowly learned the language of the humans around her. As she got older, Sooyun’s perception of the world began to change her, while still cautious she allowed a kind nature to those she encountered, a smile that sparkled like the waves she created. Other Imugi would occasionally come by to trade and admire how she watched over her rivers, protecting them from humans and other creatures alike.

Coming to Jeju Island, she has kept most of her soft demeanor and quiet nature but mostly stays secluded, away from everyone else. She is easy to make conversation with but her guard is always up, ready to defend herself if need be. Locals know her as a sweet young woman who helps out when she can when she is not diving with the other women. The last century on this island has toughened her skin and the pierce of her gaze when things begin to turn south. She has learned to protect herself and will do anything to keep herself and the few she holds close safe.

HISTORY

Sooyun didn't have a name for the first couple centuries of her life, all she remembers is the flow of water across her skin. Following her small river that flowed into what is now called the Geum River. It was all she knew as she swam her little river up and down the currents. She loved when new streams and creeks would form after heavy rainfall since it meant she could explore more of the land. It was her duty to protect the rivers and lands that passed through for all creatures to survive on. Once in a while there would be humans that splashed about but it didn’t become so common until centuries later as they built their kingdoms and roamed the lands. Sooyun was still able to travel as she pleased but it meant to be more in secrecy with her human form, casually walking through villages, observing their nature. Her rivers soon began to change, first it was blood, then dirt, as if the human didn’t care about the water she lived in. Then there were rumors of beings other than humans hunting her kind of horns and scales. Luckily she was still young and did not appeal to the hunt but the centuries have shown her of the lives her kind has lost. So she stayed hidden, hardly venturing out and collecting anything that seemed worthy floating down her currents. But as more centuries went by, her streams and creeks began to dry out, her own river grew smaller every year. Then a war broke out. More humans came to her lands, started building and ���damming” up rivers for human use.

It was like in a blink of an eye her rivers were all gone she was now free of her guidance and protection to the rivers. But that was all she knew and breathed her whole life. Sooyun was younger than most Imugi and as far as she knew, still hadn’t grown into her dragon form, though she was showing signs. Sure she mingled in human life and knew the basics but in reality she was lost and didn’t know what to do. 

That’s when she heard about Jeju Island from a Gumiho she had crossed paths within the forest surrounding Busan, a place for someone like them. They called it a safe haven for those running or looking for a new home, and it was surrounded by water. Sooyun was scared to go but the Gumiho gave her some courage, and even the name that she carries with her, Jeong Sooyun. For almost 80 years, Sooyun has lived on the south side of Jeju Island in solitude, in most recent years, disguising herself as a relative of a local “haenyeo” or sea woman diver that wants to continue the family tradition. 

It’s a shame she only got to enjoy the peacefulness of Jeju for a short time before it was evident the situation on the island was not as it seemed. Though she kept to the south side of the island, alone in her little home, there were talks of clans beginning to clash among the other supernatural creatures, internal and external, human hunters becoming aware of their presence. It was bad enough that it seemed her kind was already a rare sighting, and on occasion still hunted, but now she had to protect herself not just from the other creatures but humans as well. She has seen enough war to know what it brings but Sooyun has learned over the centuries to stay out of wandering eyes and to be ready for anything.

[mgsapphire]

My K-drama recommendation master list Part 2

You can find part 1 here

Look, you gave us relatively new recommendations, what about ones older than 10 years? I'll give you my top 5

Princess Hours (2006) Is a modern Cinderella story. It's 24 episodes long. Available on Viki.

Personal Taste (2010) Honestly, problematic plot if you put your mind into it, but entertaining nonetheless. It's 16 episodes long, each one lasting a little over an hour, available on Viki.

Cinderella's Sister (2010) You hate every character, but there's still something that makes you watch it. Available on Viki.

Thank You (2007) was ahead of its time, it's about a single mother with a daughter who has an HIV+ diagnosis. 16 episodes long, each one lasting a little over an hour. Available on Viki.

Stairway to Heaven (2003) for a good melodrama.

What about romantic fantasies involving fantastic beings?

Guardian: The lonely and Great God(2016) A classic of the genre. It tells the story of a God who was once a man, and is being punished by immortality, unless he meets his bride, who just so happens to be a high schooler centuries later. Available on viki. 16 episodes long with 3 specials, all lasting about 75 minutes.

Hotel Del Luna (2019) it would be unfair to talk about Goblin, without talking about this other masterpiece about a being cursed into immortality and granted special availabilities along with it, but a curse is still a curse, and she must run a hotel meant for ghosts, where after centuries of being, meets a young man who is alive. Availability on Viki, 16 episodes long and each one lastz about 75 minutes.

Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020) You get to see Lee Dong Wook as another mystical being, and Kim Bum is his half brother. 16 episodes long and one special, each one lasting about 65 minutes. Available on Viki.

My roommate is a Gumiho (2021) what's up with gumihos? It's still airing. The title is self explanatory. Available on Viki and Qiyi.

Angel's last mission: Love (2019) is a cute and sad story about an angel who is about to ascend and a ballerina who has a cynical view of the world. Available on Viki. Each episode averages 30 minutes, with 32 episodes.

Doom at your service (2021) About to finish airing. It tells the story of a dying woman who wishes doom upon the world, and the doom who answers her plea. Available on viki, 16 episodes long, each one lasting about an hour.

The Scholar Who walks the night (2015) another Lee Joon Gi entry, but I swear all of his works are great, it's a period drama that tells the story of a scholar who is a vampire and the young bookseller he meets. It's 20 episodes long, each one lasting about an hour. Available on viki. Also, if you've liked Lee Soo Hyuk in Doom at Your Service, I advise you check this one out.

Tale of Arang (2012) two Lee Joon Gi entries in a row? Girl, you have to stop. Anyways, this one is another period piece of a magistrate who can see ghosts and the ghost of a young woman who doesn't remember her life, nor the cause of her death. Available on viki, it's 20 episodes long, each one lasting a little over an hour.

Look, those are fine or whatever, but I started as a K-pop fan, where can I see some idol dramas? Don't worry, I came prepared

Full House (2004) with Rain as the main character is the og idol drama in my opinion. Available on Viki. 16 episodes long, each one lasting about 73 minutes.

Imitation (2021) is currently airing, and it's literally an idol drama about idols. You can find a looot of idols too: Jeong Yun Ho and Park Seong Hwa from Ateez, Chani and Hwi Young from SF9, Park Ji Yeon from T-ara, Lim Na Young from I.O.I and Pristin, and although Jeong Ji So is not an idol, she is the main lead, and I absolutely love her, she's also in Doom at your service. Available on Viki.

Miss Panda and Mr. Hedgehog (2012) features Donghae from Super Junior, and if I'm going to recommend a Super Junior drama, I would rather recommend one featuring him over Siwon.

At a Distance the Spring is Green (2021) is currently airing too, and only has four released episodes, but I've liked it so far. Featuring Park Ji Hoon, and Kwon Dun Bin. Also, I have a lot of opinions about this show. Available on Viki.

I was going to put an IU drama but, all her dramas are good, so go and watch them all, the woman has range.

Dream High (2011) is the king of idol dramas, in my opinion. It talksa about a high school for people who want to be idols. Another one with a long line up of idols, so let me start: Suzy, IU, Taecyeon, Nichkhun and Wooyoung from 2PM, Ham Eun Jung from T-ara. Leeteuk (SuJu and Chansung (2PM) make cameos. Similarly to Imitation, Kim Soo Hyun is not an idol, but he's the main lead. It's 16 episodes long, each one lasting about 65 minutes. Available on Viki.

Wow, quite a few, but they all seem rather popular, do you have some underrated gems? I'm going to have to go down memory lane, but I do

The Queen's Classroom (2013) This one feels like a fever dream, because I'm aware it exists, I watched it back when it first aired, but I can't find it anywhere now. It's based on a Japanese drama of the same name. It's about a strict but warm hearted teacher and her students' lives and struggles. 16 episodes long. DM me if you find anywhere to watch it.

1% of Something (2016) is a really cute drama, the chemistry is off the charts, and if you're looking for skinship, this one is the one for you, underrated arranged marriage kdrama, I'm telling you. It's 16 episodes long, averaging 45 minutes, and it's on Viki.

I'm not a Robot (2017) has a really cute plot, not underrated per se, but not hyped enough. It's 32 episodes long, each one averaging 30 minutes. Available on Viki.

Do you like Brahms? (2020) is a music themed kdrama, really cute and wholesome. If you like 2setviolin and watched their critique on their YouTube channel, let me tell you, the cast actually knows how to play violin and stuff, and there's an actual child prodigy in there. It got so much hate bc of that one yt video. It's 16 episode long, each one lasting about an hour. Available on Viki.

Solomon's Perjury (2016) a good reflection on youth and the pressure society has. 12 episodes long, lasting about 63 minutes each. Available on Viki.

The Greatest Love (2011) is a super entertaining TV show, and just supper funny and cute. 16 episodes long, each one lasting around 65 minutes. Available on Viki.

Two Cops (2017) if you like Kim Seon Ho, I think this was his TV acting debut. It's a hilarious action comedy TV show. 32 episodes long, lasting around 30 minutes. Available on viki.

Do you have any recommendations where time traveling or time is central to the story?

Alice (2020) look, I can't give you a full explanation because it's too mind bending. Let's leave it at detective meets his mother. Available on Viki.

Signal (2016) The premise is similar to that of the movie Frequency (2000) in which there's communication between the past and the present via technology. The plot is based on the real Hwaseong serial murders. Really interesting. Available on Netflix. If you like the premise of communicating with the past via technology Call (2020) is a Korean thriller movie available on Netflix.

Chicago Typewriter (2017) this one is about reincarnation but we get to see both timelines. Available on Netflix.

Tomorrow with you (2017) Time-traveling but make it ✨depressing ✨. The story of a man who time travels, and how that ability messes with his marriage. Available on Netflix.

What about historical dramas? I don't really watch those, but here are some I liked

The Moon Embracing the Sun (2012) is one of the few I've finished. It's really good, it follows the love story of a king. Available on viki. 20 episodes long, each one lasting about an hour.

Gunman in Joseon (2014) Am I recommending you this one because of Lee Joon Gi? Maybe. It has 22 episodes, each one lasting about an hour. Available on Viki.

The Crowned Clown (2019) a story of the Prince and the Pauper if I must give you a description that is relatable, but if you know the book titled Skogland, it's closer to that. It's 16 episodes long, each one lasting about 80 minutes. Available on Viki.

I'm a little ashamed to say this, but do you have any BL? I do, I do

To My Star (2021) is a story about an actor and a chef, and how they learn to cohabit after the actor is forced into hiding. You can watch either the movie version or the drama version, both available on viki.

Color Rush (2020) is a modern romance fantasy about people called Monos who can't see any color unless they meet their Probes, however this may turn dangerous as the Monos may experience obsessive behavior, so what happens when a young high schooler meets his probe?. You can either watch it on its drama or movie version. Both available on viki. By the way, if you're a long time deobi and was wandering what happened to Hwall, he's one of the main leads.

You Make Me Dance (2021) follows the story of a university dancer who is in debt and his debt collector. Available on viki in both versions. The movie is 107 minutes long.

Just Friends (2009) is a short film, but ahead of its time, if you can't tell by the year it was released on. It's a cute story about a man who visits his boyfriend in the military. I found it in dramacool.

That's all from me, if you have any specific genre or them you felt I didn't add in, do feel free to tell me.

[mindmeltonabun-blog]

Tale of the Nine Tailed: Explanation of Lee Rang’s Death and Lee Yeon’s Ending Scene

Well folks...here we are once again. I did say that I would not write another TOTNT post unless there was anything worth discussing in the finale. I know many of you may feel utterly devastated or somewhat confused by how TOTNT ended, but I hope my post will be able to comfort you somehow. Anyways, let’s put on our thinking caps one last time for TOTNT!

Lee Rang’s Death

One of the biggest complaints many have had is the death of Lee Rang. Many said that the writer did him dirty while others wished that Lee Yeon and Ji Ah would’ve died instead. However, when we looked at his character arc’s as a whole, his death was justified. We mustn’t forget that he murdered hundreds possibly thousands in wake of his anger. 

Yes, he did do some good towards the end of his life such as taking in Yuri and Kim Soo, but that shouldn’t discredit all the atrocious acts he had committed in the past. Saving the life of two people doesn’t make up for all of the lives he had taken. Additionally, it is noted that Lee Rang did also assist the Imoogi’s group to bring the Imoogi back to life which caused for a slew of horrible events to occur in the first place. 

In the end, it was Lee Rang’s turn to sacrifice for the one he loved. Everything in TOTNT is cyclic if you think about it. First Ah Eum died to save Lee Yeon then Lee Yeon died to save Ji Ah. Therefore, it was only logical that it was Lee Rang’s turn to die for the one he loved which was Lee Yeon. 

Everything in life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine, what matters is what you do despite being dealt a bad fate. Both Lee Yeon and Ah Eum/Ji Ah weren’t dealt with a particularly good fate, but yet they still remained good people. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Lee Rang. Yes, he was dealt with a bad fate with having been born with a mother who didn’t want him, but he was also lucky because he had been taken in by a brother who greatly cherished him. Instead of appreciating the time he shared with Lee Yeon and remaining a good person even after the events of Lee Yeon leaving for the Samcheon River, Lee Rang still decided to take a turn for the worst. 

Over and over again, Lee Rang had escaped the punishment he so rightly deserved. For example, even after killing those villagers, Lee Yeon spared his life. Lee Rang had been basically living off on borrowed time. In a way, Lee Rang was lucky that during that borrowed time he was able to resolve the misunderstanding he had with Lee Yeon as well as have a small family of his own. Finally, if there’s anything TOTNT has taught us, it’s that if something is the will of the afterlife judges, it will be carried out eventually. One can’t escape their punishment.

In my opinion, things could have gone a lot worse for Lee Rang in the end. Meaning he could have been reborn as a shrimp. Instead, the afterlife judges granted him reincarnation as a boy who had a mother who cared for him and granted him his last wish which was to meet his brother again. He got all of wishes fulfilled. Thus, it was a satisfying ending for Lee Rang. 

Update 12/07/2020: Does Lee Yeon Meeting Reincarnated Lee Rang Indicate Many Years Have Passed?

No, it doesn’t. The team probably wanted to use the same child actor (Joo Won Lee; DOB: 05/03/2011) as to imply that Lee Rang had been successfully reincarnated. Sure, they could’ve used someone who was a few months old, but how then would Lee Yeon recognize Lee Rang ? Remember that Lee Yeon only met Lee Rang when he was around 9 years old. There would be no way for Lee Yeon to recognize what a few months old Lee Rang could’ve looked like. Get it ? Again, Lee Yeon meeting reincarnated Lee Rang happened in 2021!

Why Does Lee Yeon Still Have His Gumiho Powers?           

Initially, when I first watched this I was beyond shocked, left confused, and was rethinking my opinion of Lee Yeon as a good person. However, once I watched it with subs and then did a little research into how Gumihos can become human, the ending scene made sense. Again, everyone should’ve taken Jo Bo Ah’s advice of looking up myths and see to how they pertain to whatever happened in TOTNT.

Anyways, in legends, Gumihos can become human in the following ways:

1)    Refrain from killing and eating humans for 1000 days

2)    The human who found out a Gumiho’s true nature, must tell no one of its secret for 10 years

3)    Over a period of 100 days (other versions say 1000 days or ~3 years), Kumiho must not be detected by the human they are married to.  If the Gumiho fails on this quest, they will lose any chance of becoming human and will be a Gumiho for 1000 years

4)    Gumiho must consume the livers of 1000 humans over 1000 years. If they do not do this by the end of 1000 years, the Gumiho will dissolve in foam/bubbles

In particular, the ending scenes was in reference to #3. When Lee Yeon had came back to life, he was still technically a Gumiho hence why he could enter the Office of the Afterlife. I know you might ask well why didn’t Taluipa or Shin Ju sense he was still a fox? Because at the same time Lee Yeon was human, but only during the day or nights when there wasn’t a full moon (read further below for an explanation). Additionally, Lee Yeon probably didn’t tell Shin Ju because he didn’t want there to be any possibility that information would get leaked to Ji Ah. Better safe than sorry was Lee Yeon’s personal philosophy!  

Although, Lee Yeon did come pretty close to being discovered as a Gumiho when he let it slip that he knew that their child would be a daughter. This all goes back to the intro in Ep 1 where it is said that Gumihos have the “ability to see miles ahead”. Luckily for Lee Yeon, he convincingly tricked Ji Ah and played it off as he was just saying weird things.

Until his 100 days were up, Lee Yeon had to keep his Gumiho nature hidden from the only person who mattered which was Ji Ah. Let’s be honest here, it’s really hard to trick Ji Ah so Lee Yeon had to be super careful around her. Usually in legends, Gumihos fall short of reaching the 100 days because they are discovered by their betrothed. During Lee Yeon’s 3 months transitional phase of becoming human, a situation arose that could’ve have caused Ji Ah to discover that Lee Yeon was still a Gumiho aka Mr Samjae entering into Ji Ah’s life. 

This caused a problem because whatever misfortune befell on Ji Ah it would also inadvertently affect Lee Yeon too. Meaning that if Lee Yeon didn’t get rid of the Samjae, it could cause Ji Ah the misfortune of finding out Lee Yeon still was a Gumiho, thus ruining his plan of ever becoming human. 

The only way anyone could tell Lee Yeon was still a Gumiho was to have seen him during a full moon. This was in reference to how in legends, werewolves (also in the same canine family as a fox) can only undergo transformation into a wolf when there was a full moon (symbolistic of metamorphosis). So while in the transitional state of Gumiho and human, Lee Yeon was able to take advantage of there being a full moon to be able to transform into a Gumiho. Subsequently, Lee Yeon then used his Gumiho abilities to rid of Mr. Samjae Spirit. Thus, Lee Yeon eliminated a potential threat that could have caused Ji Ah to find out his Gumiho nature before the 3 months of remaining undetected was completed.

Flash forward approximately 3-4 years later after Lee Yeon’s face off with the Samjae, Lee Yeon is now seen as having been successful at becoming a full human as well as having daughter with Ji Ah as seen here in the following pictures (family picnic). My only complaint is that the production/editing team ended up deciding to not include the following scene. I do not know whether it was their decision or the writer’s to not include this. There could be numerous reasons why such as they had wanted to leave the possibility of there being a season 2 or there was limited time allotted for the length of ep 16 or the writer had wanted to leave an open ending. Whatever the reason, I do hope we will eventually show this to us. In doing so, they would give so many of us the proper closure we needed for TOTNT!

Side note, it looks like Lee Yeon and Ji Ah did end up introducing their daughter to her adoptive grandparents. Awww!

Updated 12/07/2020: Timeline of Samjae + Lee Yeon’s Transitional Period

There were also a bunch of questions concerning when exactly the whole scenes with Ji Ah and Lee Yeon had occurred. This occurred in 2021.

Samjae is believed to occur over a three-year period, and follows calculations based on the twelve zodiac signs. The first of the three years is known as deulsamjae (Kor. 들삼재, lit. entering the three calamities), the second, nuulsamjae (Kor. 누울삼재, lit. middle of calamities), and the third, nalsamjae (Kor. 날삼재, exiting the three calamities). The first year in this three-year cycle is supposed to be the most unfortunate. 

Source: https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/en/topic/detail/4151

So doing a little math, one will be able to see what years the Samjae entered (deulsamjae), remained (nuulsamjae), and then exited (nalsamjae). So the Samjae entered into Ji Ah’s life in 1994, 2003, 2012, and 2021. The cycle of every 9 years refers to the time period from one Deulsamjae year to the next (not every 9 years from her year of birth). For example, 1994 + 9 = 2003, 2003 + 9 = 2012, and 2012 + 9 = 2021.

What the show was trying to convey is that when Mr. Samjae came into Ji Ah’s life, it also coincided at the same time as Lee Yeon’s 3 months transitional period. Additionally, there were some who asked, “Aren't we to assume that many years have passed because Lee Yeon did say first root canal, first picnic, first snowfall, etc ?”. No, I took that scene as him mentioning things he either already did or will eventually experience.

Anyways, I really didn’t think I needed to point all of this out because I had assumed you all would’ve put on your thinking caps by now!

Last Remarks.

I hope that this post was able to resolve any confusion many of you may have had about the last episode. The writer did truly keep us on our toes until the very end. But with a little research into myths as well as analyzing everything as a whole, one should’ve been able to understand where the writer was coming from. Again, I want to give a big thanks to the cast, crew, and writer for all their hard work to give us TOTNT!

[fcxrcin]

It’s been a while since Hansol’s got her hair cut short, SO hair that was once shoulder length is passed her shoulders. She’s been meaning to get a haircut but hasn’t had the time. Who knows, maybe she’ll just let it grow! Especially since the cold season is approaching. Not that it actually does anything to her. The cold doesn’t bother her, but STILL. 

---

The fox bead, as mentioned in the beginning is a very important jewel of ALL gumihos. It holds the power of knowledge and so much more for those who manages to steal the bead from the Gumiho. For Hansol the bead is everything. It is technically her life force. It’s also what keeps her at control for the most part. If anything were to happen to her fox bead, she’d become feral. There isn’t any recognition on her end when she does become like this and will attack anyone on sight. 

[sleepylixie]

Pearls & Lilies 

Seawalker/Merman Jeongin X Spellcaster! Fem Reader (platonic)

1.6k words, fluff, Beware of a singular mention of injury ( no toes were farmed in the making of this piece of fiction)

Fantasy AU, Supernatural! SKZ, Part-2 of Prince of Pearls from the In Umbra Universe (this can be read individually) 

A/N: I’m back with my favourite merman! A Happy late( in my country and his)  birthday to the Maknae on top Yang Jeongin ehe~ Here is my little addition to the In Umbra fic collection AT LONG LAST. Hope you like this! Do let me know what y’all think :) 

Time flowed slowly in Atlantis, it seemed- almost like the underwater resided in a whole different plane of existence from the world he’d been a part of not too long ago. Jeongin realized this when his mortal body clock prompted him to sleep twice in a day- It was a nice feeling, like he was watching mortal time tick past him without taking him with it. Turned out, he wasn’t wrong.

Atlantis and the expansive merpeople kingdom had an entire plane to themselves, much like the ones the other supernatural races had for themselves- it was called Thallasia.

He remembered sitting with a cherry-haired female mermaid named Yeri and her brother Jungwoo before his first day of classes, listening intently to their long-winded descriptions of Thallasia. They spoke highly of the underwater plane, with its depthless trenches with blinking lights for the houses built into the sides, the meadows filled with coral that glowed in the dark and castles built of granite, agate and studded greenstone.

Jungwoo even went as far as to whisper of a secret pathway into the mortal plane, promising to show him later in the day when he noticed Jeongin’s attention visible pique at the words. That very night, Jungwoo showed him the seaweed-covered tunnel and led straight into the darker, murkier open seas of the mortal plane.

Seawalkers- mortals turned merpeople- were allowed to go back to land whenever they wished provided they never divulge the existence or location of Thallasia and Atlantis. Unlike trueborn merpeople, they retained the power to use feet or fins as they wished, which allowed seawalkers to tread land as and when they wished. The secret of Thallasia was a well-kept one to the landwalking mortals because seawalkers were created woefully rare and far in between. 

That pathway became one of his most frequented corners of Atlantis in no time. Every other weekend’s sunrise would find him slipping through the seaweed and swimming down the long tunnel into the mortal seas. His personal plans of reuniting the merpeople with the landwalkers only solidified with every visit he paid to Busan and the towns that were rapidly developing around his hometown- but with his visits, he came to developing one new relationship. You.

He remembered his first steps on land, Jungwoo’s head poking out of the water as he watched Jeongin with bright, curious eyes. The feel of the sand on his toes pulled a wide grin to his face, his eyes welling up with tears from emotions he was yet to place. It was at that moment when he realised, he missed the land.

He missed having legs, feeling the crisp air in his lungs in the midst of a long run on the sand, feeling the fine grains under his toes. He missed climbing up trees for fresh fruit, his palms and soles chafing against the rough bark of the trees. He missed watching the sunrise and set and the chilly breeze against his arms but most of all, he missed his parents. Despite loving his new seawalker life and all the novelty it offered, it wasn’t entirely his own: Jeongin’s blood might have always sung for the oceans, but his heart was mortal born and raised. 

//

“Hello, seawalker.” Jeongin’s lips quirked up of their own accord when he heard your voice, drawling and accented before you slipped into the chair in bench in front of him. Salen’s Bar and Inn was a supernatural haunt he’d taken to rather quickly, with the boisterous crowd and young owners who knew how to keep their patrons happy. One of the owners named Hongjoong, a former seawalker who had renounced the ocean after centuries of piracy, often enjoyed Jeongin’s  whispered stories of Thallasia and Atlantis.

“Hello, charlatan.” he mockingly raised his glass of orange juice at you. You gasped in mock offence, reaching over to smack his arm. “How dare you! I am a respectable young lady, a successful tradeswoman at that!”

“Say what you will,” Jeongin chortled, sipping his drink. “But the only reason you sell anything if because of magic. Doesn’t that make you a fake?”

“I tell all of them it’s magic, it’s their fault they don’t believe me!” You laughed aloud before flagging down one of the waiters, placing your usual order and a mug of hot coffee. “Jeongin watched as you settled yourself further onto the bench, pulling off your heavy midnight cloak and fixing your sleeves and dress around your now cross-legged feet.

His first meeting with you had been an odd one. Jeongin’s mother had run out of ginger and herbs and threw him out of the house to do a grocery run for her, late in the evening. Quickly making his purchases, he decided to take the scenic route back home, away from the beach road and through a copse of trees. What he did not realize was that somebody else had taken that exact route that evening and had panicked at the sound of him following them.

Imagine Jeongin’s surprise when he was waylaid by an angry-looking girl with green sparks lighting up the tips of her fingers, telling him to back off from her trade items before she sliced his toes off. It was one of his life’s greatest embarrassments that he’d screamed in a rather high-pitched manner when you’d appeared out of thin air, your eyes shining unnaturally bright against the darkness of the copse.

After copious amounts of explaining from Jeongin, you relented, letting him pass with a begrudging apology- but Jeongin insisted on walking you all the way to your doorstep in a gesture of goodwill.

You were a spellcaster from the skinwalker plane Kyrmena- particularly from Gumiho territory, where your accent came from. Your parents had let you travel the country when you became of age, letting you learn more of the world by yourself. Busan had captured your heart for its serene beachside and the approachable people, which was why you set up a little home for yourself in Salen’s Inn, trusting Hongjoong and Yeosang’s hideout for the land living supernatural races.

That had been more than 6 months ago, the two of you becoming fast friends over Jeongin’s weekend visits. It was now tradition for him to take up this particular table at Salen’s before you bustled in from your market run, your hair tousled from the sea breeze. You were always the last person he met before heading back to Thallasia, bidding him adieu at the beach when he left.

“Yeosang has been begging me to make him a pearl and lily circlet for him lately,” you were saying, your accent curling curiously as your hands fluttered around you. “But who’s going to tell him the only pearls I have are the fake ones? I’m not going to give a dear friend a fake pearl circlet!”

Jeongin leaned on the table, his fingers lacing together as he stared at you incredulously. “Are you dense or just well and truly blind?” He asked, his voice betraying the extent of his exasperated amusement. You stopped and stared at him, your eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You’re talking to a seawalker, “ Jeongin pointed exaggeratedly to himself, “about lacking pearls.” Your eyes widened, palm smacking against your forehead in a rather comical manner. “Wow, I’m truly a few bolts short of normal today.” you grumbled before fixing Jeongin with a beseeching stare.

“Get me some pearls, please? My usual contact for them ran out and I’m sure I’m going to get orders from the seamstress for more pearl and rose-petal necklaces.”

The people of Busan had been collectively fascinated by the pretty young lady who set up shop in their market one day, your trade consisting of the most beautiful flowers laid over pieces of precious stones and jewellery. They flocked to your shop in awe, your wares sometimes running out before the day passed- how did your flowers not wilt for weeks? How did your jewellery never lose their shine? Little did they know you set a time-slowing spell on your pieces, slowing down the flowers’ wilt and the jewellery’s dulling to a great degree.

Jeongin sighed loudly, rolling his eyes despite the smile on his face. “Whatever. Meet me by the beach at dawn in 4 days.” Your eyes brightened immediately, a smile stretching out your lips as you slid off your bench to give Jeongin a tight hug, squealing excitedly.

“You’re the best.” you giggled, as Jeongin grimaced at the bodily contact, taking your original place on the bench. “I’m sure you spent your days dealing with me just so you could ask me to get you pearls for free one day.” Jeongin sighed dramatically as he sipped on his orange juice.

“Wait, you knew ?!” You gasped, your hand raising to cover your mouth in mock shock. “I thought I was doing a good job at pretending to be your friend!”

“You clearly weren’t.” Jeongin responded with a straight face, your eyes meeting and stares holding for a split second before you burst into pointless giggles.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you those snacks you like from Daegu the next time you visit.” You grinned at him just as Yeosang dropped by with your order of food, your attention now speared on the dark-haired Fae boy. Jeongin watched in amusement as you explained Jeongin’s agreement to get you pearls for his long-awaited pearl-and-lily circlet, Yeosang’s green eyes lighting up in pure excitement at the prospect. You giggled as Yeosang patted the top of your heads in thanks before wandering back to Hongjoong, prompting you to focus on your food.

Jeongin held your friendship with him at the highest of regards, despite not knowing you for very long. You were fierce yet easy to amuse, soft with your sentiments and so very talented with your hands. Watching you piece together the strangest combinations of metal and flowers into the most beautiful pieces of jewellery would never stop fascinating him- your artistry effortless and so, so charming.

It was almost easy for time to slip by faster with you, your easy banter with him making time pass faster than he’d expect it to.

For once, however, he didn’t really mind it.

Taglist: @aliceu @decembermoonskz @kisskissbanggang @lavenderbexlatte @jl-micasea @cuokka @cotccotc @straykidsownmysoul @illicit-roses @fylithia @stellarmonsterr @soya-zz @popisdead (Dm or drop me an ask to be added or removed!) 

Network tag: @inkidz @kpopscape @districtninewriters​

I’d love to hear what you think of this story! - Elliana.

[aer-in-wanderland]

 구미호뎐 | Tale of the Nine Tailed - Lost in Translation EP01

In which my sister and I sat down with a pint of mint chocolate chip and wrote down everything that occurred to us while watching the fan-subbed version of TotNT EP01. Contains mild spoilers. 

Prologue

We open with an excerpt from the Hyeonjoonggi (현중기・玄中記), which the internet informs me originated in China sometime between 265-317 CE. In Korea in particular, gumiho are typically thought of as being female, but this is an example of a classical text that says they can be either. From what director Kang Shin Hyo said at the TotNT press conference, the premise of TotNT began with the idea of challenging this base assumption by making the gumiho male and placing him in modern-day Seoul. I would translate the passage as follows:

When a fox becomes 100, it can become a beautiful woman, or become a man who has relations with women. A fox that lives for 1000 years communes with the heavens and becomes a cheon’ho (heavenly fox). Its gifts are like that of a powerful shamaness; it can perceive things more than 1000 leagues distant.”  

To my sense, the passage was introduced to show precedent for the existence of male gumiho in traditional folklore, as well as to illustrate that foxes over 1000 (cheon’ho) can be closer to deities than monsters.

On to the show. The year is 1999. I’m surprised the subs left ‘Fox Ridge’ untranslated as Yeou Gogae since it seems like it would be relevant information that the place where the accident takes place is somehow tied to foxes. 

When the imposter parents (who I believe are also foxes) chase little Ji Ah up into her room and her not-dad says, “You little brat!” (or at least, that’s what the subs we’re watching say), this is an example of what’s called ‘code switching.’ His phrasing is somewhat old-fashioned, which in this case helps to give the impression that he’s not human since it’s the cant of creatures in traditional fairytales. For anyone studying Korean, the line is, “요 년 봐라,” where ‘nyeon’ might mean anywhere from ‘girl’ to ‘wench’ or even ‘bitch.’  

Okay, I have to ask. Does no one else in Seoul drive on Fox Ridge? How did Ji Ah have time to go home, get attacked, and then be returned to the scene of the accident (I’m assuming by Yeon) before anyone came across it? 

Also, how did Yeon know where to take her? He tells grown Ji Ah that he just happened upon her after catching the scent of blood, but I get the sense there’s more to the story than that. I feel like this is part of a larger pattern wherein Yeon goes out of his way to rescue someone and then pretends as if he didn’t.

Episode 01 Title Card: What Happened on Fox Ridge

According to Yeon’s alarm, our current timeline begins on Saturday, August 29, 2020, and he has a wedding to attend. 2020 yet no COVID19? I guess this really is a fantasy drama. ;p

The BGM playing while Yeon gets ready is called ‘The Fox's Wedding Day,’ or, more literally, ‘day when a fox goes to be married’ (Yeou ga shijip ganeun nal) and it’s actually Yeon’s theme. I was expecting his theme to be the track entitled ‘Gumiho,’ but I guess not lol

The sun-shower. In both Japan and Korea, a sun-shower is known as ‘a fox’s wedding’ (kitsune no yome-iri/yeou ga shijip ganeun nal), so this is already cluing us in that the bride is a fox (I say ‘bride’ because both these phrasings typically apply to a bride marrying into her husband’s house. The phrasing is different for grooms, who ‘receive’ the bride). This is what Yeon means when he arrives at the wedding hall and says, “That’s because a fox is getting married today.”

It’s strange to me that the bride’s identity has completely dropped out of the subs. She’s Yeou Nui (literally ‘fox sister’), a folklore character of the Brothers Grim-style horror school of fairytales. Her thing is that she’s a gumiho who preys on families with only sons who desperately want a daughter. She insinuates herself into their lives, brings calamity down upon them, and finally, eats their livers. Like most fairytales, there are many permutations of her story, but many of them feature her saying she’s consumed 999 livers. I understand where - absent this context - some people might have seen Yeon as the bad guy here (spoiler: he’s not). 

The subtitle here for Yeon’s line says: “But you need to know that changing your identity isn’t as simple as you think.” What he literally says is:

Yeon: How did you go to ground so completely? You think that if you change your face and your identity, your blood-stained past will change too, right? But changing lives isn’t as simple* as changing subway lines. [*Note: ‘simple’ is in English]

This is the first real dialogue we get from Yeon, and one thing it’s doing very intentionally is showcasing just how much he’s adapted to modern life. It does this both with the content of what he says (talking about changing subway lines), as well as with the amount of English loan words he tosses around. So I personally would have kept the bit about the subway in if I had been translating. 

Yeou Nui’s line was translated as, “Please forgive me,” but it should more properly be, “Spare me,” or “Let me live.” Yeon is an enforcer, not a judge. (Also, ‘forgive’ is another word entirely).

Yeon’s line that’s subbed, “Listen, you fox. How could you dare dream of having a happy ending after eating so many livers?” is the result of what’s called diagonal translation, which is an unfortunate side-effect of subtitling conventions. What he literally says is:

Yeon: Yeou Nui, after eating the livers of countless adoptive parents and older brothers* how can you dream of a happy ending? 

[*Note: The word he uses for ‘brothers’ here is 오라비들, which is a semi-antiquated word, and again, the sort of language used in folktales] 

Yeon’s line, “Here’s a piece of advice” is more literally, “Here’s a bit of advice stemming from experience,” which is the first hint we get in-drama that he’s been in a similar position. 

Nam Ji Ah

We get our first introduction to adult Ji Ah as she narrates the script she’s editing for her TV program on her way to the wedding hall. When Jae Hwan worries about her changing the script without the writer’s permission (again lol), Ji Ah's response translated literally would be: 

Ji Ah: Then let’s go with this. PDs’ livers have to be swollen or coming out of their bodies. 

That’s a pretty disgusting image in English, so I don’t blame the subs for changing it to something more sensical and less graphic. But as a cultural note, in Korea and Japan, having a large liver means to be gutsy or brave. Ji Ah’s character description similarly describes her as, ‘a woman whose liver is [so large it’s] coming out of her body,’ meaning she’s about as gutsy as it gets. 

Okay, call me a cynic, but I loved Ji Ah’s line about not being able to digest wedding food due to the choking atmosphere of forced happiness pfft 

Jae Hwan saying, “Who knows? You may meet your destined partner at a place like this,” as Yeon walks by in the background = Jae Hwan unwittingly hitting the nail of the head #1

Lol Yeon acting like a bored kid held captive at a dinner party while the wedding takes place. Bless Lee Dong Wook because I’m sure it’s all ad libbed. I feel like this could be a game: spot the LDW ad lib. 

The Wedding Hall Incident

When Yeon returns to her dressing room after the wedding, Yeou Nui changes tactics from begging to putting her hackles up and challenging Yeon. Linguistically, that’s marked by her code switching to an archaic cant. Yeon, however, remains unfazed and responds with the most modern thing possible, completely undermining her bravado:

Yeou Nui: Oh former master of Baekdudaegan, what authority have you to condemn us?

Yeon: Get a hold of how she’s talking (rhetorical). Hey, if it wasn’t for you I would’ve been watching American TV shows while eating ice cream today!

Okay, I love the way Yeon materializes his sword. I thought he was (un-)transforming his umbrella at first, but he later does it with a plank of wood so I assume he can do this with pretty much anything?

On the topic of his sword, I posted a gif set not long ago referring to it as a sa’ingeom (사인검), literally ‘Four Tigers Sword’ (referring to the year, month, day, and hour of the tiger when such swords were supposedly forged). You’ll notice it doesn’t have a cross-guard since they’re traditionally ceremonial swords rather than actual weapons. The first sa’ingeom were made during the reign of King Taejo (1392-1398), but I assume they gave him one despite it being somewhat anachronistic because they’re also said to cut down evil spirits and ward against calamity. Mostly, though, it looks really cool and is very traditionally Korean. 

Not for anything, but I love this BGM track that’s playing during the wedding hall fight (‘The Uninvited’). This short action sequence was so great. I wish we could have seen more of Yeon hunting down supernatural baddies. Also more of those gumiho eyes. More gumiho everything in general. 

As he stabs her, Yeon’s line to Yeou Nui in the subs was rendered as, “Don’t do something stupid like falling in love in your next time.” I would have translated this as, “If you’re reborn, don’t do something so [useless] as falling in love.” Again, for anyone studying Korean, the phrase is ‘사랑 따위" (sarang ddaui). ‘Ddaui’ means ‘such a thing as,’ and it’s always used to disparage whatever proceeds it. There’s no good way to communicate that disparagement in English grammatically, so I opted for ‘useless’ in an approximation. 

The BGM that plays the first time Ji Ah spots Yeon leaving the wedding hall is called ‘White Pupils’ (or literally ‘white eyes’). The imagery typically associated with that is death, so I’m curious what inspired the track title. Maybe they mean ‘white eyes’ like the fortune teller since it’s used at fateful moments?

“Who knows? That may be the story you were destined to cover.” = Jae Hwan unwittingly hitting the nail on the head #2

“Were they mass hypnotized or something?” = Jae Hwan unwittingly hitting the nail of the head #3. Thank you, exposition fairy. ;)

Okay, when Ji Ah and Jae Hwan examine the scene, Ji Ah’s line is subbed, “I need to see what that woman of this love story looks like,” which is ungrammatical in addition to being wrong. What she actually says is:

Ji Ah: I need to see the face of that protagonist of the Romance of the Age. [And I believe the ‘protagonist’ she was referring to is actually Yeon ;) This is bordering on meta, seeing as he’s actually the protagonist of the epic romance that is TotNT] 

Kim Soo Oh

The BGM playing while Yeon sits in the park people-watching and then looks pensively at his hand is called, ‘Thread Rings.’ Between that, what LDW alluded to in his VLIVE, and some still cuts I saw of deleted scenes from EP16, I’m convinced there was something more to those rings that got cut due to time constraints. ㅠㅠ

Fun fact: This scene between Yeon and Soo Oh was the first scene of the drama that they filmed.

When Soo Oh asks Yeon what he’s doing there, the sub for Yeon’s response was, “Nothing other than waiting for someone.” That strikes me as off in tone as well as pacing. I would have translated it as, “Just.....waiting for someone.” (which is literally what he says).

When Soo Oh asks Yeon why he’s waiting, the sub says, “Because a fox can only love one person till death.” I don’t really have a problem with that translation, but what he literally says is, “Once a fox takes a mate they never forsake them. Until death.”

Sub: “How are you coping with that?” / “Not well.” > Literally: “Are you okay?” / “I’m not okay.” I actually like the sub here since it better conveys how precocious Soo Oh appears in this scene. He seems to alternate between precocious and adorably dim throughout the drama depending on who he’s with, though when he’s with Rang, it’s mostly the latter pfft

When Yeon turns down Soo Oh’s offer of friendship he says, “Your nose. I’m not big on men with runny noses. And human lifespans are too short to be friends with me.” Yeon's use of ‘men’ struck me as funny since I guess to someone over 1600 years old, an 8 year old and an 80 year old aren’t all that different. Also, Yeon giving serious life advice to an 8 year old is adorable. He talks to him like he’s an adult. 

The Afterlife Immigration Office

Between the BGM and the way the camera pans up the endless levels of shelving, did anyone else feel like Yeon entered Hogwarts for a sec? (not complaining) ;)

For the record, Yeon uses banmal with Taluipa and calls her halmeom (granny). In contrast, Hyeonuiong is pretty much the only character Yeon speaks to in jondaetmal and addresses respectfully as ‘elder’ (eoreushin). He speaks to Ji Ah’s parents politely as well, but it’s mainly because they’re her parents.

The text introducing Taluipa’s character wasn’t translated in the version we’re watching but it reads: ‘The god who rules over the River of Three Crossings (Samdocheon), the boundary between this world and the next.’ The hanja for her name (奪衣婆) refer to her traditional role, namely, removing the clothing of the dead for her husband to weigh on the Uiryeong’su (su = tree) to measure the weight of their sins. This is the same tree that the Uiryeong’geom (the wooden sword that appears in EP13), is allegedly carved from.

Lol Taluipa saying she has to keep up with the times but also using a computer that’s positively ancient (come to think of it, it’s probably from the 80s since that’s her favorite decade)

Again, I’m surprised that Yeou Nui’s character name dropped from the subs completely. The subs here just say, ‘the female fox.’

For Taluipa’s line, the subs say, “You’re to obey the order and capture who you’re sent after,” but that’s a loose approximation. More literally, it should be: “If the higher ups say to bring someone in, then you just have to bring them in.” I’m only mentioning it because the line implys that both Taluipa and Yeon report to someone higher up the chain of command. Otherwise they may be misconstrued as Taluipa’s orders. 

Yeon’s line, “My compulsory military service has gone on for 600 years. How could I not go crazy?” is hilarious when you consider that Korean men are required to complete 2 years of military service, and even that often feels like an eternity, so I think for any Korean, the idea of 600 years of it is just exceptionally cruel. The line is iconic enough to have been included in Yeon’s character profile.

I noticed this a while back, but ‘mountain god’ is being consistently translated as ‘mountain spirit.’ Technically, Yeon is (was?) a god, if a low ranking one in the grand scheme of things (the Korean word is ‘sanshin’ where ‘san’ = mountain and ‘shin’ = god). I understand the use of ‘spirit’ though, since he’s not a god as gods are typically thought of in western mythologies. 

Lol Yeon sticking his fingers in his ears (I would bet money this was also an ad lib)

Taluipa has a line that’s subbed, “Foxes never stay in debt.” More literally, it should be, “They say foxes repay eunhye no matter what.” You can find my explanation of eunhye here.

Wow, the subs really dropped the humour ball on Taluipa’s line here. First off, she says, ‘Right now’ in English. And while the sub says “Do you want your freedom back?” what she literally says is. “Do you want to be discharged?” (since Yeon had just likened his duties to military service).

On his way out, Yeon actually tells Taluipa, “Halmeom, you’re going to go to hell” (which is not the same as the underworld/afterlife as it said in the subs. Taluipa’s job is literally to ferry souls, so she goes to the afterlife all the time anyway). Also, when he says “I’ll pray for it everyday,” his phrasing is that of an elderly person pfft

As I mentioned, Yeon speaks formally to Hyeonuiong, who in return affectionately calls him Yeon-ie or Yeon-ah, which I find adorable.

Lol I’m not used to Ahn Gil Kang playing such a friendly character. Seeing him wheedle Taluipa with aegyo is hilarious. 

Code Red

Somewhat of a side note, I can’t help but wonder, is Shin Joo’s last name ‘Gu’ because he’s a gumiho, a la My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010)’s Gu Mi Ho-ssi?

I wish the subs had just left ‘Lee Yeon-nim’ as-is, instead of changing it to ‘Mr. Lee.' As a general rule, I’m in favor of preserving character forms of address when translating. 

Personally, I would have translated the name of Ji Ah’s TV program as: ‘In Search of Urban Legends’ rather than ‘Unveiling Urban Legends.’

I really like the dynamic between Ji Ah and writer Kim Sae Rom. “Should we fight?” / “Yeah, let’s fight~” How great is it that this drama doesn’t have a single catty, bitchy, stuck-up or otherwise obnoxious female character? 

For anyone keeping track, Shin Joo speaks to Yeon in jondaetmal while Yeon speaks to Shin Joo in banmal, underlining their master/retainer dynamic. 

Side note: There are actually multiple ‘types’ of jondaetmal: what I think of as ‘neutral polite’ (i.e. simply adding ‘yo’ to the end of all your sentences), the more formal polite (i.e. ending with ~[seu]mnida), that which elevates the subject, and that which lowers the speaker. The interplay of the four allows for varying degrees of politeness. The way Shin Joo speaks to Yeon is pretty much the highest degree. That doesn’t mean they aren’t close. Polite language can indicate distance but also level of regard irrespective of distance. This applies to Rang and Yoo Ri as well.

Again, Shin Joo calls Ji Ah ‘PD-nim’ but that became ‘that female director’ in the subs. PD-nim is a respectful (and non-gendered) form of address, and it’s perfectly suited to Shin Joo’s genial and deferential personality, so I wish the subs had just kept it. 

I read an episode recap where the recapper mentioned she wasn’t sure what Shin Joo’s deal was. At the time I was confused, but now I think I get it. In the subs, Shin Joo says, “When I’m a seasoned veteran? I’m now up to the point where I’m wondering if I’ve turned into an actual person.” What he actually says is:

 Shin Joo: No way~ How long have I been living in this (the human) world? Recently, I sometimes even have an existential crisis wondering, ‘Am I a person or a fox?’

[So he flat out says he’s a fox here, but that wasn’t reflected in the subs.] 

Fun fact: this was Hwang Hee’s first scene that he filmed with Lee Dong Wook, and the BGM as they exit is Shin Joo’s theme.

I love the way Lee Dong Wook played this scene where they pay their tab. That is all.

It’s only as Yeon and Shin Joo exit the restaurant that we see that the sign out front reads ‘The Snail Bride’ (Ureong Gakshi). This is another folktale in-joke, since the snail bride’s whole thing is that she cooks delicious meals for her human husband everyday. 

For the record, the Snail Bride (Bok Hye Ja) also uses honorific language towards Yeon and calls him ‘Lee Yeon-nim.’ I just assumed it was in deference to his ex-mountain god status, but it turns out she has a personal reason for holding him in high regard as well that we discover in the final episode.

As Yeon and Shin Joo walk away, Shin Joo’s line is subbed, “That show’s actually quite famous.” Since Korean doesn’t require a subject, the sentence is somewhat ambiguous, but I understood him to be referring to Ji Ah herself rather than the show since he says: “[Something is] really famous around the broadcast station.” 

Lee Rang

Lol Kim Beom. How are you 32 years old? 

I love how sharp and no-nonsense Ji Ah is. It’s so refreshing to not have to wait for the characters to catch up to what the audience already knows. 

Rang’s theme that plays as he transforms back into his suave self is so iconic. The music director (Hong Dae Sung) really is a genius. It’s funny when you think about how different Rang’s theme is from Yeon’s. 

Fun fact: Kim Beom shared in his Instagram LIVE that Rang ‘picking the wrong shoes’ was actually intentional. He was testing Ji Ah to see if she’d notice. 

Okay, Rang says here that he likes, “everything about her (Ji Ah) from head to toe,” (not in a romantic way but in a grudging respect/she’s fun to toy with kind of way) but what happened to that? Are we supposed to assume that he would have liked her if she hadn’t been the object of his brother’s affection? But he approached her knowing that’s who she was...? I don’t know. I do know I wish they’d had more scenes together. Their verbal sparring is great.

Side note: One Korean fan nickname for Rang and Yoo Ri that Kim Beom liked was ‘Hoket-dan,’ playing off the Korean for pokemon’s ‘Team Rocket’ (Roket-dan) and mashing it together with the ‘ho’ from ‘gumiho’ haha

Yeon’s obsession with mint chocolate ice cream is a hilarious counterpoint to his status as a cheon’ho and his ex-mountain god title. Point to the writer. In Japanese, this would probably be called ‘gap-moe’.

When Yeon tells the man behind the counter, “When I’m indebted to someone, I’m obligated to return the favor,” he’s once again talking about eunhye. As a fox, he’s supernaturally bound to repay good deeds done for him. As far as I’m aware, this is unique to the drama and not part of the traditional gumiho lore. 

Yeon eating ice cream like a happy kid XD Lol Lee Dong Wook, how are you 39?

Fun fact: Yeon’s line when he answers Rang’s call, “The number you have reached doesn’t exist, you punk” was an ad lib by Lee Dong Wook. The combination of the formal phrasing found in a typical voicemail recording followed by ‘you punk’ is particularly funny. It’s so witty I actually wouldn’t have known this was an ad lib if LDW hadn’t confessed as much himself. 

“Let’s meet.” / “I refuse.” /  “I’ll set your house on fire.” Hahaha What is with these brothers? Are they 1600+ and 600, or 16 and 6? Are the zeros silent??

Bus 1002

Ji Ah: “If possible, pick a different dream. I’ve been on the clock for 22 hours straight now.” I like Ji Ah so much. She’s unpretentious, intelligent, honest, driven, resourceful and witty. 

Lol As Ji Ah struggles with the old man, you can hear Yeon offscreen urging the driver to get moving. Only he calls him, ‘driver yangban.’ Yangban is originally a word for a nobleman, but much like the word ‘lady’ in English, what was once a term of respect is now...not. lol Also, I’m pretty sure this was another ad lib by Lee Dong Wook since it happens entirely in the background.

This scene with Ji Ah piggybacking the old man is so classic spooky-folktale. I love it. 

"You’re the only person I saw.” *Close up of the totem pole* They managed to make that whole sequence creepy despite nothing actually happening. Cool cool cool. 

So our old drunkard is revealed to be a Mokjangseung (mok = wood). Jangseung in general are totems that stand at crossroads and the entrances to villages. tvN published some backstory info explaining Ji Ah’s past with this particular Jangseung and why he elected to save her which I translated here.

Aaaand we’re back at Fox Ridge. I can’t believe I only just noticed this, but the episode title could refer equally to the accident in Ji Ah’s past and this bus accident in the present. 

Of course Rang staged the accident at the site of Ji Ah’s greatest trauma. Also, the fact that he knows that about her is telling. 

Appropriately, the BGM playing as Ji Ah arrives at the scene of the accident is ‘Fox Ridge’ (Yeou Gogae). Iconic.

Back over to Yeon. The first time I watched this I wondered where on earth he was heading in that downpour but it turns out he was in pursuit of Rang, who had given him the slip. 

Seeing Yeon limping injured through the rain ㅠㅠ  Also, while Yeon later tells Ji Ah he carries his umbrella everywhere because he hates his fur getting wet, he clearly isn’t bothered here, choosing to keep it sheathed on his back instead. I guess all bets are off when he’s in Gumiho Mode. 

Detective Baek and Ji Ah speak in banmal and he calls her ‘Nam Ji Ah,’ which I assume means they’ve been friends for a while. 

Wow, good for Ji Ah for having made note of the exact number of passengers in the midst of all that chaos. I certainly wouldn’t have. 

Hospital Encounter

So after Rang gave his brother the slip, Yeon realizes the next day that he’s at the hospital thanks to the news article Shin Joo reads out to him. Idk but I like that shot of the two of them heading out. There’s something vaguely Avengers about it. Which is maybe not surprising given that was another early influence for the show. 

I liked this conversation between Ji Ah and ‘Soo Young.’ We get to see Ji Ah’s own resolve and drive in the advice she offers: “Even so, I hope you’ll become strong. It’s way more fun to be a PD than a victim.” 

As with when he arrived at the wedding hall, the cinematography + BGM as Yeon approaches the hospital with his red umbrella is just A++ 

The BGM playing when Ji Ah spots Yeon approaching the hospital information desk isn’t on spotify or anywhere else that I’ve seen. It reminds me a bit of the ‘Tubular Bells’ theme from the Exorcist (a movie I actually haven’t even seen). If anyone knows what it is, I’d love to know. 

“My only talent is my face~” pffft  Also, decidedly untrue. 

When Ji Ah tells Yeon, “Yes, I’m scouting you, but not for that,” She literally says, “but not for that genre.”

And now the subs say ‘Fox Ridge.’ Okay, then. 

When Yeon says, “From the sound of it, it won’t be well made,” ‘well made’ is in English. Again, the peppering of English through Yeon’s speech makes him sound more modern.

When Yeon says, “Plus, I’m very devoted” his line is more literally, “Plus, contrary to how I look, I’m the devoted type.” Are you saying you look like a player? pfft

Yeon is such a big softie, so why does he keep threatening to kill people? Does he not realize they might take him seriously?

For this entire conversation (interrogation?), both Yeon and Ji Ah are switching back and forth between polite speech and banmal, almost on a sentence by sentence basis. On the whole, it gives the impression of a verbal sparring match.  

“It’s not as if this was a blind date. No thanks on a second one.” lol I do enjoy cheeky Yeon. 

Oh, I love that Ji Ah thinks on her feet. Using her leather bag to lift Yeon’s fingerprints was a smart move. Although, I’m not entirely convinced it would work that well in real life. 

The ‘grim reaper’s outfit’ exchange was a coordinated ad lib between Lee Dong Wook and Hwang Hee. I mean, of course it was lol Casting Lee Dong Wook is the gift that keeps on giving. 

Was that supposed to be Yoo Ri entering ‘Soo Young’s’ hospital room in those boots?

Minor detail, but ‘Soo Young’ calls Ji Ah ‘eonni’ meaning ‘older sister.’ It’s common convention in Korean to refer to people by familial ‘roles’ that fit their general age range even when you’re not actually related. I could digress, but I guess I just find it jarring when they have her addressing Ji Ah by name in the subs since Ji Ah is older and virtually a stranger. 

Okay, when ‘Soo Young’ hears that Ji Ah lives alone, the smile she gives is effectively creepy. 

The contrast between ‘Soo Young’s’ narration and the events of what actually happened on the bus that we see as viewers is great. Point to the director. 

Wow, Rang really just slaughtered a whole bus worth of innocent people without a thought. I feel like we all managed to forget that about him as the show progressed. Hats off to the writer and to Kim Beom’s compelling performance. I actually worried initially that Rang would remain a one-note character because that would have been such a waste of Kim Beom, who is a fantastic actor. I’m so glad that wasn’t the case. 

I love the subversion of viewer expectations when it turns out that Ji Ah knew all along that ‘Soo Young’ wasn’t who she claimed. This is something TotNT does repeatedly and well. We get both the dramatic tension of her being in danger and the satisfaction of her having had the upper hand all along. Point to the writer.

I’m pretty sure Ji Ah knocked that pitcher over with the express intent of using a shard from it as a weapon. Point for character consistency. Past or present, Ji Ah is apparently a ‘stab first, ask questions later’ kind of girl.

The Brothers

“Hey you! I clearly told you I didn’t want a second date?!” Haha Oh, Yeon. 

I saw comments from Korean fans about how Yeon burst into her house with his shoes on here, and now I can’t not think of them when I watch this scene: ‘Entering the house with your shoes on...in the Republic of Korea...Ha...’, ‘Even if you bust the whole house apart, you have to take your shoes off before entering...’ lol

I love Yeon’s line that’s subbed as, “As if, brother.” In Korean, it’s “Do you want to die, little brother?” The word he uses for ‘little brother’ is ‘아우야,’ which, while still used occasionally today, is an antiquated word Yeon might just as easily have called Rang 600 years ago. It’s also, in contrast to the first half of his sentence, quite an affectionate term of address. 

Rang’s line subbed as, “It’s a long story, but the family has a dirty past,” should more properly be: “It’s a long story, but you might say we come from a broken home.” Saying they have a dirty past makes it sound like they’re the mafia or something. Also, as a fun language note, the expression is literally ‘a bean-powder household.’ 

“Are you worried I’ll be sucked into the Underworld?” should be: “Are you worried I’ll go to hell?” Not sure where they got ‘sucked into.’ Rang just means when he dies. Also, I wish the subs would do a better job distinguishing between hell, the underworld, and the afterlife. They’re three different words. 

“It’s because you embarrass me, that’s why.” Lol at the way Yeon covers his eyes. That’s definitely another ad lib from Lee Dong Wook. 

When Rang calls time here, he actually calls Yeon ‘hyung.’ I suspect this wasn’t in the script but rather something that slipped out subconsciously on Kim Beom’s part, since the writer was clearly saving that word for when it would hurt us viewers the most. ㅠㅠ

Yeon’s line is subbed, “Old habits really do die hard,” but it should properly be: “You still haven’t fixed that habit?”

“If you don’t find it until the end of the next month, this woman will die.” This should actually be: “If you can’t find [that] by the next end of the month, your woman will die.” The subject is actually omitted so it’s unclear to what exactly Rang is referring, which is intentional. I also understand hearing ‘your woman’ (ni yeoja) as ‘this woman’ (i yeoja), but when they later flash back to this conversation they use a different take in which the line delivery is clearer and I’m confident it’s ‘your woman.’ This also explains Yeon’s confusion, since at this point he didn’t even know she’d been reborn. 

I Waited for You

For anyone wondering how Ji Ah got into Yeon’s apartment, apparently his house code is 0000 lol

From his expression as he discovers and then watches the video she secretly took of him, I feel like Yeon is impressed with Ji Ah in spite of himself and I’m 100% here for it. 

For the record, from this point forward, Yeon and Ji Ah use banmal with each other. Ji Ah has a tendency to speak to many of the supernaturals in banmal, which is honestly the opposite of what I would have opted for in her shoes. 

Yeon’s question of, “How did you come here?” could mean either, ‘What brings you here?’ or ‘How did you get [in] here?’ in Korean, and honestly they’re both valid haha

Minor note, but she actually says his Korean age is 36, which would be 35 by the typical reckoning...except he’s actually ~1636 so it’s a moot point, really. 

Ji Ah’s line, “Now I can proudly say that it’s fate,” translated more literally would be: “At this point, it really is fate and not coincidence.”

I feel like Ji Ah’s strategy of throwing herself off the balcony here is possibly the only thing she does in this entire show that strikes me as dumb. Like, I’m pretty sure if Yeon hadn’t been both benevolent and able to fly (and she had no guarantee that he was either), letting her just fall here would have been the easiest way for him to resolve the matter/the only thing he could have done. 

Yeon’s line, “Did you just test me?” is one of the rare instances in which he code switches to archaic speech. I guess using his gumiho powers put him in a Gumiho frame of mind. ;)

On the whole, I prefer the instrumental OST tracks to the lyrical ones, but ‘Blue Moon’ is just sooooo catchy. I wish they had continued using it more. 

And that concludes Episode 1. I’ve never posted anything like this before, but hopefully it was at least mildly interesting. Let me know what you think. 

[pyrctechnic]

𝐈 𝐃 𝐄 𝐍 𝐓 𝐈 𝐅 𝐈 𝐂 𝐀 𝐓 𝐈 𝐎 𝐍  /  𝐂 𝐀 𝐑 𝐃

when  yongsun  hands  over  his  identification  card   ,   it’s  clear  something’s  struck  a  nerve   .   ❝   hey   ,   you’re  the  GUMIHO’s  son   ,   aren’t  ya   ?   you  know   ,   that  notorious  south  korean  villain  who  ate  her  victims’   —   ❞   the  poor  student  volunteer  didn’t  get  a  chance  to  finish  their  sentence   ,   mostly  due  to  yongsun’s  fists  connecting  with  the  student’s  teeth   .

H I S T O R Y

yongsun was born in seoul, south  korea. his childhood was glamourous. his father was a fashion designer & made a name for himself on multiple international runways. his mother was a model who was known for her fierce, in-control  demeanour. she was a force to be reckoned with & she always got what  she wanted. she was a ballet dancer before that, though as all dancers are forced to be met with — the body’s not meant for such rigorous fervour all the time. the two were determined to pamper their child & make sure that life wouldn’t be cruel to them.

their child was fierce & determined like his mother, hard-working & passionate like his father. his eyes were set on the heroes he saw on the television & the way they looked so cool while they fought. growing up, he was a huge hero merch fiend. this served as an endearing trait as he became a child actor personality. whenever they published behind-the-scenes footage of young yongsun, he was always decked out in hero merch. he was a good child actor, compliant to his parents & possessing a natural talent for memorization. not to mention that his parents already had influence in the entertainment world.

as he got older, a few things became abundantly clear. yongsun was becoming a bully, heavily demanding & not the greatest when it came to rejection. yongsun was also becoming a proficient fighter, practicing with his quirk until twilight & learning all he could about the way fireworks worked. yongsun was the king of the playground & woe to those who tried to contest that.

oh, the way things changed when he graduated elementary school. he stopped taking up actor roles, claiming he wanted to focus on his schooling. shame, the public thought, he had such a handsome face that belonged on the screen. still, if one were to dig, they could find all the television shows & movies that yongsun was in as a child. nonetheless, yongsun was kidnapped at twelve by a small villain organization that belonged to the GUMIHO.

the GUMIHO was a notorious, ruthless villain that attacked people on the streets. seemingly at random. the victims would go missing for weeks, only to turn up murdered & without their livers or hearts. like the legend of the nine-tailed fox, the villain was dubbed GUMIHO by the public. soon, villains flocked to the GUMIHO in attempt to form a powerful organization that wreaked chaos & cruelty across seoul. 

yongsun’s parents begged heroes to help find their son. they made public statements, issued rewards for information regarding their only child. they pleaded with the world to not let him be taken by the GUMIHO. five days later, yongsun made an appearance. he broke himself out of the hideout all on his own. he escaped the clutches of the GUMIHO. but the yongsun that came back wasn’t the yongsun that was kidnapped.

somehow, yongsun became even mouthier & rude than before. he closed himself off from his parents, holed himself in his room, only talking to a select few. he became very good at the broody preteen sterotype. then, one day, their home was invaded.

his parents, frantic & desperate not to be taken in by the police, were quick to deploy counteractive measures. still, officers in gear stormed their mansion. when yongsun’s father begged yongsun to go with them, to continue living the life they always had — yongsun took a walke talkie out of his hoodie pocket & radioed the leader of the raid that the villains GUMIHO & ENDER were trying to escape through a secret exit in the private study. yongsun didn’t leave his father’s gaze as he did so & his father noticed something that he’s never seen in his son’s eyes before: pain. it hurt yongsun to put his parents behind bars but it’s what heroes do, right? heroes have to make sure that villains end up punished for their crimes by the law.

you see, the GUMIHO & ENDER had an outstanding investigation to identify & apprehend them. they were close to cracking the case too. in desperation, yongsun’s father suggested that they kidnap yongsun. not out of malice & never intending to hurt him, but to throw the police off their scent. they trusted yongsun to put up a fight, to be a hassle for their henchmen to handle. maybe they put too much trust in their hero-to-be, as yongsun completely escaped & noticed strange discrepancies during his escape. his broodiness was actually investigation into his own parents.

the wealth that the villain couple accumulated legally was sealed away until yongsun became of age. until then, he was set to live with his maternal grandparents... who lived in america. he also disappeared from south korea’s media. he declined interviews & statements of his own. he all but disappeared from his home country’s eyes. GUMIHO & ENDER were sent to the highest security villain prison that south korea has to offer. although visitors are allowed, they both knew that they couldn’t expect any.

in america, he was the classic angsty teenage transfer student. however, he excelled in hockey when he was offered the chance to try out for the high school team. in fact, people assumed he was going to put everything into hockey. he never spoke about being a hero. he still refused to talk about his parents. he seemed to forget about being a hero.

turns out that yongsun was being a vigilante all throughout high school. he’d sneak out in the middle of the night to find crimes to stop. during this period of time, he was angry & cruel. full of grief & loss. any villain that he’d leave on the doorstep of the police station was beaten to an inch of their life. at least, they were alive. he had choices to make upon coming to college, however. let everyone know he was still fully intending on being a hero or continue this facade & accept a hockey scholarship ? he continued to pretend for two more years before finally having to drop out of his old university to pursue heroism.

he reached a stalemate. he couldn’t fight any better than he could, unless he had support items & endorsements. he couldn’t continue only doing this at night, as his regular schooling required his attention if he weren’t to fail. so then, he entered u.a academy two years late. still, he was exceptional in the course & quick to use his experience as a vigilante to his advantage. 

S T A T I S T I C S

POWER: ★★★★★

SPEED: ★★★✰✰

TECHNIQUE: ★★★★✰

INTELLIGENCE: ★★★★✰

COOPERATIVENESS: ★✰✰✰✰

M O V E S

ILLUMINARY: yongsun lights a bunch of short, bright white bursts of fireworks from all over his body, temporarily disabling his opponent. this movie is accompanied with a straightforward advance before he jumps & spins, using the momentum of the small fireworks to keep him moving forward like a missile. this move allows him to get closer to his opponent to allow for short-range attacks.

EMPEROR’S PARTY:  this move is considered an ultimate move, something he uses when he’s confident that victory is assured. the reason being is because it takes a lot of concentration to manifest. he fires off fireworks from his feet, thrusting him into the air. from here, he sets off a sequence of fireworks that are large, loud & that will set anything within two meters of it on fire. it’s called emperor’s party as it’s reminiscent of a fireworks show finale. his body is hard to see through the fireworks.

SIKE OUT: there are some fireworks that are bright & sparkling, though do little in terms of damage. these gaudy displays are some of yongsun’s favourite moves. he’ll shoot these types of fireworks from his hands in a straightforward as the firework is already creating a trail of sparks as they emit from his hand. he then sends a second barrage of fireworks, though they are a delayed ignition firework. they are silent & invisible until the last possible moment & by then, yongsun would have maneuvered his opponent to be in the crossmark.

C O N N E C T I O N S

t b a (aka i’m leaving right away but i want to post this i will come back to edit this)

[unnursvanablog]

All the books I read in 2020 / part 2.

The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker: ☆☆☆☆☆

Loved how these myths and legends were used within this story. It is a beautiful tale of immigration and friendship and how Wecker conveyed that was just beautiful. The text did drag its feet in some places, but this story is also so character driven; their experience with the world, and their longings, so I understand that slow pace. Everything about it felt really sincere and it truly is a book that leaves you with something. I have never read anything like this before and I felt like it bridges the gap between historical history and fantasy well.

Naturally Tan - Tan France: ☆☆☆

I listened to this book in one sitting as I drove from the capital area and all the way home to the countryside. And I really enjoyed it because I really like Tan France and he narrated the audiobook himself. The text, the chapters and therefor the book itself goes a bit all over the place and it feels a bit vapid at times. It was about everything and nothing, really.

The Silence of Bones - June Hur: ☆☆☆

I am not so much for these types of mystery novels, so it was not something that drew me forward, but I did find the atmosphere that Hur created within the story and the historical elements really great and made the story quite enjoyable. I felt like learning a little more about certain parts of Korean history that I did not know before, and I really enjoyed that.

In the Labyrinth of Drakes - Marie Brennan: ☆☆☆

The world that Brennan has created continues to wow me. It is complex and it’s so much fun to travel around it. I love getting to know these characters at different stages of their lives and it just makes you like them even more. The story often runs into the same problem for me and that is that I find the first parts of the story so exciting, it is an adventure, but then it loses me a little towards the end.

The Will to Battle - Ada Palmer: ☆☆

After the amazing storyline of the second book, this book really lacked any excitement within the plot to propel you further and instead we got a lot of philosophical lessons and musings. In the previous books I felt like Palmer managed to strike a balance between those things, but not here. So little was going on. This story is deep, beautifully written, and complex and all that, but the text is often so long and dense, and my dyslexia just wants to skip these walls of texts that often just feel like statements about something philosophical but not real conversations or reflections from the characters.

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep - H.G. Parry: ☆☆☆☆

I was hoping for a 'grown up version' of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, and although that was not quite what I got, I really enjoyed this. I thought the world was well thought out, and the idea of the readers interpretation of the characters and even literary criticism can affect how they would appear in our world was a cool concept. In some places I felt that the story was a bit stunted or towards the end I was starting to predict where it was going, and there was a lot of misunderstanding between the characters so the story could continue, which got on my nerves. But for the majority of the time, it was a really fun read.

Midnight Sun - Stephenie Meyer: ☆

You can judge me for this. I judge myself too. It was strange to fall back into the Twilight world after completely falling out of it after reading the last Twilight book. But out of sheer curiosity, I decided to give this one a try. But wow… this was not fun and added almost nothing to the original story and Edward is just so damn boring and having to spend time in his mind was just kind of a torment.

The Absolute Sandman, vol 1 & 2 - Neil Gaiman: ☆☆, ☆

I was going to listen to the whole thing via the new and shiny audible version of the Sandman comics, but I could sit through more than the first two volumes. I could not tolerate the violence against the female and queer characters. Oh my god! You do not have to go that far to make your story edgy, or create a complex, dark world. Nothing that happened seemed to move me or make me want to keep listening to this story. It does not really seem to revolve around anything. Or maybe I am just too annoyed to pay attention to the story. Fortunately, Gaiman seems to have improved as a writer since.

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman: ☆☆☆☆

Listened to this and although contemporary YA is is usually not something that hooks me or interest me in any way, Oseman manages to make the story so genuine and down to earth despite all the teenage drama, and the character felt so real that it just draws you in. The daily problems of teenagers often seem too dramatic or unreal to me in books like this, but that was not here. The text is not to flowery, but not too simple either. The story just as a really good pace going on. Everything just flowed together.

Wicked Fox - Kat Cho: ☆☆☆

The story did sound like a kdrama to me and I was hoping it would be that. Just fun and cute and fluffy with some loveable characters and sprinkle of myths and legends. It was fun, it didn't go into too much depth with most things within the story. It kinda brushes over a lot of things. For me the book started of well, but then towards the middle of the book things start to happen to fast and there was not enough time spent on bulding things up, so in the end the story kinda went nowhere for me. The little bits of the Gumiho legend, at least how the legend was presented in this book, inbetween the chapters was my favorite bit.

The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien: ☆☆☆☆

You can tell that worldbuilding and just spending time making things up for this magical world that he crated was one of the things Tolkien enjoyed the most when it came to writing. The stories about Middle Earth, even the backstories, are so rich and lushus. I do struggle with the writing style, it does feel a bit dry to me at times, and it does feel like short stories set in the world of Middle Earth and not at tightly knit story which isn't always my cup of tea so it did take me a while to get into it.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London - Garth Nix: ☆☆☆

The story really throws you straight into the action and you just have to find your bearings as best as you can while the story goes on. It was really fast paced and the story never really stops for too long to give you a breather. It was light and funny, a little weird and the character were whimsical, which I enjoyed. Sometimes I felt like I was in a Doctor Who episode, except with magic and not aliens. I just wish it would have let the story breath a little more for me to really enjoy the world that Nix had crafted and such things.

A Deadly Education - Naomi Novik: ☆☆

I do not know what happened here, but wow, this was so not Novik at her best. Neither the characters or the worldbuilding that I am used to getting from Novik was in this book and for the most part there wasn't a whole lot going on in this books. I can deal with a slow burning book and really just enjoy a good fantasy world but there was very little interesting things here to explore. I can deal with a unlikeable main character, but this one didn't grow at all during the book, she just kept on reminding us why she was cranky all the time and how much she delighted in it. There was a whole lot of telling about this magical school and the diverse world outside of it, but very little showing so it all seems rather empty and after a while I just started to skim over the text. And there was really no story there that kept me going and I could not see the purpose for anything that happened.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab: ☆☆☆☆☆

Oh, wow. The feeling that this book created inside me and the sincerity within the text just grabbed me and would not let me go. I made me feel a lot of things, and I love when a books do that. There are so many emotions behind it and you can really feel them. The atmosphere that Schwab creates in the story is great and it hooks you in, but it is the character and their stories that make you stay. I don't usually enjoy timejumps, but Schwab did them so well and they do explain the story and the motivations for each of the characters really well, although it get's a bit repetitive at times, especially towards the end.

The Moomins: The Exploits of Moominpappa, Moominsummer Madness, Moominland Midwinter - Tove Jansson: ☆☆☆☆

I love the Moomins, but there's just something so cozy about these stories and characters. They are part of my childhood, they are so light, whimiscal and funny, yet have depth to them, which is a balance that is difficult to achieve in my opinion. My journey through this book took me almost a year, as I only occasionally picked it up to enjoy the text and my stay in this small, strange world that Jansson created. I was savoring it.

Shine - Jessica Jung: ☆☆☆

SNSD, the band that Jesscia Jung was in, is my favorite kpop band since I started listening to kpop more than 10 years ago and their music is one of the main reasons why I got into kpop to begin with. So of course I was intrigued! The story here is something that I think could be inspired Jessica experiences within the kpop industry, or that thought never left me as I read it even if there were lot of unbelievable things going on within these pages. But it's definitely overdramatized at times. But how she talks about gender discrimination between female singers and male singer, from other people in the business and from the fans and the expectations that people have towards these singers and such. That felt really authentic to me. For all the glamor and the dazzle of the kpop world within this book the plot and the characters are a bit dull, and some of the more unbelievable events (like all of those trips and secret cafes) often pulled me out of the story. And I did not find the clichéd YA romance fun to read at all.

[yuseonguarch]

❝ not all good people are innocent. ❞ ( Hyunshik to Nara )

short stories 🌠 accepting

               ❝ are you only just starting to learn that? ❞ the gumiho asks pointedly, gaze still fixed on her prey – american, male, not too muscular and seemingly here by himself. has he done something bad? no. unlike the younger fox, nara doesn’t care much for the moral alignment of those she consumes. good or evil, they’re all just flesh. ❝ life gets easier when you stop worrying about things like good and innocence. most humans treat animals like walking instant meals, i’m just returning the favour. ❞ a pause as her target makes eye contact, the fox flashing him a coy smile that seems to get his attention. ❝ will you be okay by yourself for an hour? somehow i don’t think i can invite you along on this one. ❞

@unfinishedjulyrain

[jincherie]

vulpine | yoongi [m]

↼pairing: yoongi x reader ↼genre: gumiho!yoongi, supernatural creatures!au, smut ↼words: 12.7k+ ↼rating: nsfw ↼warnings: smut: explicit sexual content, oral (recieving), fingering, lots of cum, she fucks the fox, also he consumes her life force a bit its no biggie, slight dirty talk ↼notes: happy belated yoongi day y’all!! ah, it feels good to write again

Life as a supernatural exterminator is never boring, but when you get called to a case at a large home in the woods you think its nothing more than just the usual haunting. It didn’t take you long after arriving, however, to realise that it wasn’t a ghost or poltergeist plaguing this house, but something different, something dangerous.... something alive.

↼posted; 11.03.2018

masterlist

A soft sigh left you as you pulled the handbrake up, twisting the key in the ignition to turn the engine off. Honestly, your small little compact car didn’t do a very good job of making a professional first impression. It was nothing like the strong, bulky black four-wheel drive that you usually drove when on the job, but your business partner was using it right now. Namjoon had terrible timing— he was mostly in charge of the logistics and office aspects of your business, while you went out on the field and took the jobs. He almost never had reason to use the car, but of course he happened to need it when you were going to meet and assess a job for a new, well-paying client.

On the topic of the client… you peered up through your windscreen at the large, looming house before you. It was honestly only a couple of feet short of being a mansion, a curious blend of modern and traditional styles evident in its architecture and surrounded by reasonably dense forestry on all sides. Although, if you were remembering correctly, you’d also passed a large lake on the way in as well. It had been a beautiful scenic drive, and you would have enjoyed it more if your mind wasn’t preoccupied with thoughts of this new job and what exactly you were going to encounter in the house at the end of the winding road.

As a supernatural exterminator, it was your job to help people out when they encountered problems of the more paranormal kind. You’d seen it all— ghosts, spirits, sprites, disgruntled fae. Hell, you were pretty sure that from what you’d heard over the phone, the people in this house were dealing with a poltergeist, or a haunting. Flickering lights and power surges, missing objects, levitating items— whatever was in this house was strong, but it didn’t seem particularly malevolent. You were going in today to do a more formal assessment and see if your suspicions were correct.

Staring up at the house for a moment longer, you caught sight of a curious face peaking out through the blinds, a face that immediately paled and lurched back a second later when they caught your gaze and realised you’d seen them peeping. Unable to contain your grin, you grasped your duffel bag and swung your door open, easing out of the small car and locking it behind you once the door was safely shut. It mightn’t be your first choice to take on a job, but this car had a special place in your heart and you didn’t ever want anything to happen to it.

Adjusting the strap of the bag on your shoulder, you turned and began towards the front door of the house, your footsteps light but boots crunching loudly on the golden leaves beneath nonetheless. It didn’t take you long to reach the porch, and it wasn’t even three seconds after you knocked that the large, white door was swinging inwards and you were greeted by three nervous, youthful faces.

“U-um, can we help you?” spoke a crimson-haired male, whose cheeks were slightly pink, ears burning. You guessed he was the one that you’d caught peeking out the window. You were surprised, however, at their question.

“Excuse me?” you queried, head tilting slightly. Perhaps you’d gotten the wrong address. “Did you not call for a supernatural exterminator?”

You watched as all three of their faces simultaneously lit in realisation.

“Uh, yes— yes we did. Sorry. We just spoke to a guy named Namjoon on the phone, and assumed he’d be the one coming out…” one of the other males spoke, silver hair falling over his forehead as his cheeks flushed slightly. “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have—”

You laughed, “No, that’s fair. Although I don’t know how much help Namjoon would be. He’s really good at his job, but also a scaredy cat, and a klutz. I keep him on officework.”

They all nodded in understanding, mouths dropping open slightly. It was silent for a few moments as you peered into the house, trying to get a feeling of the place. Strangely enough, it felt… off. Different, very unlike all the other poltergeist or haunting cases you’d taken. There was something in the air you couldn’t put your finger on, and the hair at the back of your neck strained to raise, as though it wanted to but didn’t quite have sufficient reason yet.

You returned your gaze to the three males that were staring at you blankly. You blinked, a smile beginning to creep onto your face. “Are you going to let me in…? I mean, I can work from out here, but it might be a bit difficult.”

Immediately and once more in synch, they all flinched back into the present moment and jumped back, clearing the way for you and bumping into each other in the process as they fumbled apologies. You tried not to laugh as you stepped into their house, politely keeping your eyes averted as they whispered angrily at each other to ‘get off my toe, Jungkook! You’re too heavy!’.

“This is quite a large house you have, must be a lot of rooms,” you observed, partly for your own benefit and partly to make conversation. “Is it just you three living here?”

All three of them followed behind you as you moved further into the house, inspecting portraits and walls. It was surprisingly modern inside, although you didn’t really know what you’d expected since it hadn’t been particularly ancient on the outside.

“Uh, yeah— I mean, Hobi used to live here too but when all the freaky things started happening he booked it. He’s not very good with scary things,” the final of the three males spoke this time, seeming slightly nervous as he laughed lightly and brushed raven hair from his eyes.

At the mention of a name, you suddenly realised you’d completely forgotten to give yours and instantly cursed yourself for being so rude and unprofessional. You turned, facing the three of them, and they stopped in turn, startled.

“Right, I never introduced myself,” you said, before offering a smile and holding out your hand. “I’m y/n, and I’ll be taking care of your case. It’s nice to meet you.”

The one with silver hair immediately grasped your hand and opened his mouth to respond, but you stopped him quickly when you realised what he was probably about to do.

“Don’t say your full name,” you instructed, offering a soft smile to lessen how weird it sounded. “There is power in a name and it’s not good for certain entities to have that over you.”

The male paled, before gulping and recovering, a shaky smile that still shone brighter than you expected stretching his lips. “I see. I’m Jimin, this is Jungkook and this is Taehyung. It’s nice to meet you, y/n.”

You smiled, shaking the hands of the other two before you returned your gaze to the room you’d found yourselves in. A lounge room, complete with well-worn couches and a large flatscreen that seemed to be used largely for gaming, if the consoles and controllers were anything to go by. A large doorway to your right revealed a kitchen and dining area, and another to your left revealed the hallway and a large staircase that presumably led to the upper floors.

A breeze seemed to pass through the room, cool against your skin, but most notably causing the hairs at the back of your neck to raise. You turned your gaze to the three males.

“So, I know you told Namjoon what’s been going on, but would you mind repeating it for me?” you asked, placing your duffel bag down when it started to hurt your shoulder. “It will help me piece together what we’re dealing with here.”

“Of course!” the crimson-haired male, Taehyung, seemed to have gotten over his initial embarrassment at having been caught peeking out the window and was now eager to talk. “Well, first of all, our things have been going missing. I haven’t been able to find a matching pair of socks for weeks, Jungkook’s keys keep going missing and turning up on the opposite side of the house, where he hasn’t been for them to get there, and Jimin’s lube keeps disa—”

Jimin, face and ears burning bright pink, delivered a solid punch to Taehyungs arm that had him shutting up instantly and emitting a pained grunt. Jungkook snickered, continuing for his friends since Taehyung didn’t want to risk death and Jimin currently looked like he’d literally rather be anywhere else but here.

“We’ve noticed lights flickering, sometimes our alarms will go off at weird times that we haven’t set them to, and sometimes we walk into a room and there’s something floating in the air,” the raven-haired male supplied, hands wringing nervously as he held your gaze. “What do you think it is?”

You hummed, comparing the information you’d just received to what you’d heard from Namjoon. It matched, and you pinned them with a slightly concerned gaze. “Have any of you been hurt? Slapped, scratched or hit by something you can’t see?”

They seemed alarmed, but all shook their heads ‘no’, and you let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good,” you said, offering a reassuring smile. “It doesn’t seem to be as serious as it could be. I think this is either a haunting, or a poltergeist.”

Jungkook sputtered. “Poltergeist? What’s the difference?”

You turned, gazing about as you decided how to word what you wanted to say. You’d said you thought it could be those things, but honestly… something still felt off. It didn’t feel like it should if it were a poltergeist, or even a haunting. Your skin didn’t crawl, and you weren’t filled with the immediate urge to run, to get as far away as possible as quickly as possible. You didn’t feel like you were in danger, you felt…

A shudder rolled down your spine as your skin prickled and a chill brushed over the back of your neck. You felt like you were being watched.

The feeling was faint, almost barely there, and you decided to ignore it for a moment to answer the concerns of the three boys before you.

“Both share similar signs, but a haunting is more like a… recording, you could say, of an event on an environment. Nothing living is the cause. But with poltergeists, its usually caused by the psychic energy from the unconscious mind of a living person, who is usually under some sort of stress.”

Understanding dawned on their faces, and you moved over to trace a finger over the worn material of the couch, observing the faint scratch marks in the leather. “Do you guys have a cat?” you queried absentmindedly, turning to meet their eyes.

When they shook their heads you hummed and filed the information away for later. You then proceeded as you usually would, inspecting the house and even taking out some technology to rule out certain possibilities. By the end of it you weren’t too much closer to finding out what is was that was inhabiting this house with them, and the feeling of being watched never truly faded.

At last, after a good half hour or so, you made your way back to the front door, duffel bag over your shoulder, and began to bid them farewell.

“Thank you for having me,” you said politely, smiling when they muttered responses with grins of their own. You suspected your presence had eased them greatly. “I’ve done a couple of tests, and I’ve ruled out a couple of things, but I still need to go and put all the information together and figure out what to do next. I…”

Your voice halted suddenly as your eyes strayed from the three males to the right where the staircase lay. In the harsh shadows beneath the stairs, something glimmered with an indecipherable source of light, and you squinted to make it out before your heart suddenly stopped. A pair of slitted golden eyes pierced through the black and bore straight into your soul, igniting a sharp and sudden fear within you that you hadn’t had time to prepare yourself for. All at once the feeling of being watched intensified, a chill freezing your back as a shudder rolled down the length of your spine under the sudden, crushing weight of a stare you hadn’t noticed until just now. Your breath stuttered, and you just barely managed to recover as the eyes retreated, fading back into the deep shadows, and the weight lifted just enough for you to talk once more. You whipped your gaze back to your clients.

“I… I’ll be back soon, and we’ll see where to take it from there. Until then, I’m just a call away. You can reach me on this number,” your fingers trembled slightly from the adrenalin now coursing through your veins as you handed Jimin your personal business card. They didn’t seem to notice what had just happened, and if they did then they didn’t show it. Jimin offered you a grateful smile.

“Thank you so much, y/n,” he said, sincerity seeping into his tone and warming some of the blood frozen in your veins. “We look forward to seeing you again.”

You smiled, barely managing to keep it natural, and bid them farewell. The entire walk back to your car, your back burned with the weight of a gaze that was most certainly not meant to be there, and your heart didn’t stop racing until you were well on your way home.

It wasn’t a haunting, or a poltergeist that was inhabiting that house. Another unwitting shudder rolled down your spine. No, it was something alive, something supernatural that you hadn’t ever encountered before.

And the swirling feeling in your gut told you it wasn’t going to be something that was easy to get rid of.

x     x   x     x     x     x     x

It wasn’t even a week later that you found yourself back at the house that Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung shared. You’d been planning on coming back a bit later; in the four days you’d had since you were last here you’d been loaded up with work from other cases and had barely had time to research into what was causing such a ruckus at their home. However, this morning you’d received a somewhat panicked call from Taehyung, wherein he almost begged you to come back because something else ‘freaky’ had happened and they were all alarmed. So here you were, stepping out of your car and walking up towards the front door once more. Funnily enough, Namjoon had needed the work car today as well. You were going to have to arrange a roster and tell him to do all his business on those days so he didn’t keep stealing it from you.

You didn’t even have a chance to knock, let alone steel yourself, before the door was swinging open and you were being ushered into the house once more by the wired-looking trio with wild hair and frantic looks. You were somewhat bewildered as they ushered you into the kitchen, stopping by the large window that allowed a generous amount of sunlight to filter through.

“Um, rough night?” you asked, shocked when Taehyung grasped your hands desperately and almost sobbed.

“y/n, we heard noises. All night. I-It was like footsteps, and then banging and- and shuffling, and then whenever one of us walked down the hallway upstairs there was growling— there was growling, y/n!” he blurted in a frantic, hushed whisper, the other two nodding along with each word that left his mouth.

Your eyebrows shot up. That was definitely a development, and one that didn’t sound too great. You cursed mentally, wishing you’d had more time to research what could possibly be going on here before you’d returned. The image from when you’d departed last time suddenly welled fresh in your mind, and a light dose of fear began to seep into your system. You took a deep breath.

“Well that doesn’t sound good,” you said, ignoring the dismayed looks on their faces in favour of turning and rifling through the kitchen drawer to your side. Fortunately, they had the item you were looking for, and you pulled out the piece of silverware you’d thought to grab. Jungkook gave the silver butterknife in your hand a dubious look but otherwise just seemed like he was trying to hold it together.

“Why are you whispering, by the way? Are the noises still happening?” you asked, placing your bag on the bench and digging around for your phone. You wanted to make sure it was easily available in case you needed to call Namjoon. “Also, where did they happen exactly?”

“No, they stopped around five-thirty, when the sun began to rise,” Jungkook answered, watching as you set your phone on the bench. “They happened upstairs, in the hallway between our bedrooms… why?”

“Do all of the things you reported to me happen at night, before the sun rises?” you asked, curious but also trying to piece together more of the puzzle before you. They all took a moment to think before nodding, realisation lighting in their eyes as they made the connection you just did. Whatever was in this house was predominantly active at night.

“Okay,” you said, straightening and pulling a smile on your face that you hoped reassured them. “Take me to the hallway between your bedrooms.”

They all looked understandably horrified by the idea, and you guessed they’d all probably been camping down here in fear ever since they heard the noises. It took them a moment to realise you were serious, at which point they grumbled slightly before begrudgingly turning to lead you up the stairs. A chill of fear slid down your spine like ice as you passed the staircase where you’d seen the eyes, but to your surprise there was nothing lurking in the shadows this time around— the shadows didn’t even seem deep enough to hide anything. There was still the faint feeling of being watched as you climbed the staircase, but nowhere near as intense as last time. It simply felt as though the walls had eyes, rather than an intense stare from one known source.

You followed the boys up the stairs and down a couple of hallways before they rounded a corner and abruptly halted. You peered around them to see what the hold up was, and hummed in understanding when you saw nothing but an empty hallway. Ah, they were just too afraid to go back in. That was understandable— in all honesty you’d rather not. But, bravery was a requirement in your line of work, and part of the reason you’d made it this far, so you gripped your butterknife tighter for a moment before stepping around them and moving into the hallway.

The floorboards, an indecipherable age, creaked slightly with the weight of your careful steps. You peered around, trying to see if there was, first of all, a logical source of the sounds. The walls were plain, and besides the doorways into their bedrooms, there was nothing else that really gave the opportunity for creaking and groaning, let alone growling. Perplexed, you walked down to the end of the hall and back, turning around in a full circle once you reached the middle. You looked to the three males huddled in the corner and fought the inappropriate urge to laugh at their distressed expressions. This was where they’d said they heard the growling, and the other noises, but you were struggling to see how…

In your sweep of the hallway, your eyes caught on something that glimmered peculiarly on the floor against the wall to your right. Blinking, you bent to inspect it further, surprise filling you as you took it between your fingers and realised what it was. Straightening, you held the pearl before your eyes and turned to the other three people in the hall.

“Does this belong to any of you?” you asked, expression neutral despite how quickly your mind was whirling. All three of them shook their heads, Jungkook’s lips pursing.

“Is that a pearl?” he queried, daring to step one foot closer and have a better look. You returned your own gaze to the object in question. You believed it was a pearl, although much bigger and much more perfectly formed than you had ever seen one before. It seemed to almost swirl before your eyes, a glimmering opalescent colour that seemed out of place against your thinly gloved hand.

“I think so,” you said, grasping the pearl loosely and turning around to see if there was anywhere it could have come from that you didn’t see before. Once more, there was nothing out of place, and you almost gave up before you got the sudden urge to look up. Realisation washed over you instantly.

Lo and behold, there was a door to the attic on the ceiling.

You let out a soft ‘huh’, before turning back to the boys and offering a reassuring smile. You were beginning to piece together a suspicion as to what exactly was plaguing them, although it wasn’t a haunting, or a poltergeist, it wasn’t exactly better. You walked over, beginning to travel back the way you’d come. They trailed after you like lost ducklings, muttering amongst themselves, and halted when you did at the bottom of the stairs, near the front door.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything particularly out of the ordinary up there,” you began, watching as their expressions fell in confusion. “But I don’t doubt what you’re telling me. I’m still not sure what’s going on here,  but… I have a much better idea than I did before.”

They nodded along to what you were saying, and you took a breath before continuing, a small smile on your lips. You didn’t know whether you were going to get a helpful answer with this question. “By any chance… have you ever had any fox problems? In the forest, or around the house…?”

To your surprise, all three of their faces lit in recognition.

“Actually, yes,” Jimin started, eyes wide in surprise at the fact you’d asked something like that. “There’s always been a lot of foxes in the area, but there was this one fox…”

Taehyung picked up where his friend left off, “We used to eat outside a lot more, but there was this one fox that always used to hang around and steal our food the second we weren’t looking. It always stole our meat. It always looked like it was laughing at us, too.”

There was a pout evident on his face by the time he stopped speaking, and you had to fight another grin as you spoke, “Sounds like this fox caused you a lot of grief, huh.”

They all nodded solemnly, completely serious, and you hummed, putting the information together. You thought you finally had an idea of what it was that was plaguing them, but you wanted to go home and research it further before you did anything further.

“Okay, well. I think I know what’s causing your problems,” you said as you started towards the door, opening it and preparing to leave. You subconsciously rolled the pearl in your grasp, marvelling at the strange energy that seemed to emit from it. “I’m going to go back and do some research so I’m better equipped, and when I come back I’ll have a plan on how to get your house back to the way it was.”

All three males looked at you like you’d personally saved them one by one from the fiery clutches of the devil himself.

“Thank you so much, y/n!” it was Jimin that was gushing his thanks to you once more, the others nodding along fervently.

“You’re welcome,” you said, offering one last smile before you departed with a wave, allowing the door to swing shut behind you. Your pulse calmed the second you were back in your car, the absence of the fear you’d felt last time helping greatly to soothe you. Right, now you were off home— you had some research to do before you visited this house once again.

x    x   x    x    x   x    x    x   x

“’Gumiho’? That’s not something I thought I’d ever see you searching. What brought this up?”

You started at the sudden presence behind you, the voice in your ear breaking you from your deep spell of concentration. Your ass nearly left your seat and met the floor with how badly you jumped. “Holy fuck Namjoon, don’t do that to me.”

The tall male snickered, coming around to the side of the desk where you could see him. His head tilted as he regarded the way you placed a hand over your chest to calm your racing heart. “Wow, you’re really wound up. Is this for a case?”

You let out a sigh, pulse sufficiently slowed for now, and nodded as your hand went back to the mouse and you clicked another link open. You had far too many tabs at this point, but there was a certain comfort in the chaos. Information on what you were looking for was so sparse that having so many tabs open made you feel like you were actually getting somewhere.

“Yeah,” you said, fighting a yawn that tried to climb its way up your throat. “I think this might be what’s bothering those three kids in the big mansion.”

Understanding dawned in Namjoon’s eyes. He blinked from behind his squared glasses. “You think a gumiho is bothering them?”

You nodded, abandoning the computer for a moment and leaning back in your squishy office chair to face him properly. Your fingers fiddled mindlessly with the thin, silken material of your pyjama shorts, your eyes drawn to the mug of what smelled like hot chocolate in Namjoon’s grasp. God, you wanted some of that action. You hadn’t had a hot chocolate in so long—

“Yeah,” you said, moving your gaze back to his face instead of fantasising about cocoa flavoured drinks. “I found this when I went over today— I think its one of the pearls gumiho’s are known to possess. They reported things that sounded like a haunting or a poltergeist, but they called me today and said that last night they heard sounds too, which I’d usually just add to the haunting signs but they said they heard growling.”

Namjoon nodded along and you continued, “They said they heard it every time they walked through the hallway between their bedrooms. So I went up and had a look, and I found this on the floor, and above it, on the ceiling, a door to the attic.”

Namjoon’s eyebrows rose as he pieced together what you were saying. “You think there’s a gumiho living in their attic and causing them trouble?”

You nodded with a slight shrug. “It’s all I’ve got so far, nothing else seems to fit quite as well. I mean, I’m actually a bit confused since from what I’m reading, the gumiho is very different from similar creatures in Japan and China. While they’re regarded to have a more ambiguous moral compass and often take the role of trickster, all I’m seeing on the gumiho is that it tends to be more malevolent, and usually takes a human form to lure other humans and eat their hearts.”

Namjoon made a face, looking down at his hot chocolate in slight distaste. “That is… problematic.”

You hummed in agreement. “That’s why I’m slightly confused. I haven’t been getting a malevolent feeling from that place, and so far none of them have been hurt, just scared. It seems like its playing with them, but that doesn’t fit the lore for gumihos. But at the same time, I haven’t heard of the other two fox creatures possessing pearls. So I’m not sure what to think.”

The tall male offered a shrug, placing his mug on the desk and gesturing towards it wordlessly to indicate you could have it— apparently he’d lost his appetite. You beamed, lurching forward to take the cup as he spoke. “Perhaps this gumiho has different preferences. You can’t expect them all to have the same personality, right?” he paused, tilting his head. “Have we ever dealt with a gumiho before?”

The trickle of nerves and apprehension that you’d been denying for most of the evening suddenly welled up, capturing your attention once more. You took a sip of your new hot chocolate to distract yourself from the feeling. “No, I don’t think we have. We’ve dealt with a couple of other creatures that weren’t the usual ghost or pixie infestation, but never one like this… never one that was intelligent and not bound by laws or rules.”

Namjoon hummed, resting his pyjama-clad hip against the desk. “I see. Don’t worry too much, whatever happens, I know you’ll be able to handle it. I wouldn’t start a business with someone that was incapable.”

You smiled, heart warming at his words. “And here I was thinking you started a business with me because I was your best friend. Would you have left me for someone better, Joonie? I’m hurt.”

He snorted, rolling his eyes at your playful jabs, and straightened up from the desk. “If only it were that easy to get rid of you,” he chortled, smiling when it elicited a laugh from you. His expression grew softer after a moment. “You should sleep soon, though. It’s nearly twelve, and you’re not going to be much good to someone if you’re tired and can’t think straight on the job.”

You nodded, since he had a point after all. You’d been rereading the same sentence over and over like a sleepy fool before he’d come and scared the living daylights out of you. You’d do a bit more reading, then you’d go to bed and finally rest your eyes.

“Yes sir,” you smarted, saluting and relishing in the exasperated eyeroll Namjoon gave you.

“Go to bed, brat,” he chuckled, turning to make his way up the stairs to his floor. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” you bid him farewell, already turning back to your laptop for your final bit of reading.

You spent a bit longer than you intended, going through quite a few of the tabs you’d pulled up, and by the time you were closing the lid and preparing for bed you thought you might have fried the last remaining brain cells you had. Although despite the painfully restricted amount of information and lore on gumihos, you had learnt a fair amount, so it wasn’t in vain.

They were similar enough to their Chinese and Japanese counterparts, but what set them apart was their perceived moral compass, their usual intentions, and their pearls. Gumiho, from what you had gathered, fed off the energy of others, and when doing this they used their pearls— which were apparently very precious to them and also tied to their life force, as some lore stated. Other sources stated that they also fed on the hearts of humans, but you didn’t know how accurate either was. Longevity was how they came to be, and could shapeshift into a number of forms. All that you’d read informed you that unlike the kitsune, when the gumiho shapeshifted into a human it was not to play or trick the humans, but to lure them closer so they may eat their hearts. It was a disturbing snippet of information, you would admit, and it was particularly unsettling in your current tired state.

Now that you knew more about what you believed was likely in that house, you could sleep a bit easier, and tomorrow you would make a plan on how to best deal with it. No matter whether the gumiho intended to harm them or not, the way it was acting now meant that it couldn’t stay— it had to leave, and you had to figure out a way to make it.

You grumbled softly to yourself as you climbed into bed, something niggling at the back of your mind but your brain too tired to process what it was. You’d probably remember when you woke up. Letting out a soft, contented sigh as you sank into the plush mattress and your soft blankets embraced you, your eyes fell upon the large pearl you’d placed upon your bedside table before they finally closed and you slipped off easily into sleep.

x    x     x     x     x     x     x    x

It was dark. Nothingness caressed your skin, your hairs raising and the flesh of your arms giving way to goosebumps as you strained to pick up something, anything, with your senses. You should have been panicking at the lack of stimulation, but instead the only feeling that greeted you was a small ball of apprehension and anticipation mixed into one in the pit of your stomach, like you were waiting for something despite not even knowing what.

A sensation brushed the skin of your hip, sharp as it scratched over your shivering flesh, before it tilted and suddenly changed. Fingertips and hands pressed against your body now, and your mind struggled to keep up with the new feelings.. You couldn’t see, but an image flashed behind your eyelids, one you couldn’t forget if you tried.

The golden eyes you’d seen in the shadows of the staircase so many days ago burned themselves into the forefront of your mind, slitted pupils drilling into your soul once more and stripping you bare before their gaze. A peculiar mix of fear and exhilaration swirled within you, your heartrate accelerating greatly.

The air shifted, nothingness still present before your eyes, and the hands on your body stilled, nails digging into your sensitive skin and holding you very firmly in place. A voice, low and deep and rumbling against your ear, greeted your senses from the inky depths.

“Where is my pearl, little human?”

You jerked awake with a loud gasp, lurching into a seated position and flitting your gaze about as your vision returned and the remnants of the dream released you from their clutches. Chest heaving with your rapid breaths, your eyes fell upon the pearl on your bedside table and you suddenly realised what your mind had been trying to tell you before you fell asleep.

You pushed yourself from your bed, snatching the pearl and your phone as you went and booking it to the door. You slipped on a pair of shoes and grasped your keys, and then you were sprinting to your car. You barely registered the time, 2:43AM, as you threw your belongings on the passenger seat and turned the car on. You were only a few minutes down the road when you got the call.

“y/n!” it was Jungkook’s panicked voice that rang through your car’s stereo, your phone connected via Bluetooth. Distress was evident in his tone, and there were other sounds echoing in the background that set off alarm bells in your mind. “y/n, please come quick! Everything is happening at once— the noises, th-the levitating objects— y/n I think whatever is in the house is angry!”

Your teeth found your lip as your foot pressed further on the pedal, the car beginning to travel down the highway at speeds that were most definitely illegal.

“I know, I’m on my way,” you said, hurrying to instruct him on what to do from now. “I’ll be there soon, but in the meantime you and the other two need to get out of the house. Get in your car, and get out of there for a while. I’ll deal with everything, okay?”

Jungkook seemed to hesitate before he spoke, “…Okay. We’ll leave now. Thank you, y/n. Please be safe.”

You had to smile at the sincerity in his tone, heart warming despite your distress. “Of course I will. Make sure you get out of there, okay?”

Jungkook muttered an affirmative before he left the phone, and you just heard him calling for the other two before the call hung up completely. You chewed your lip, guilt eating at your insides. You were at least seventy-five percent sure that the reason things at the house had gotten so bad— that the gumiho had become angry— was because you’d taken the pearl. Granted, you hadn’t known what it would do at the time, but as soon as you read information on gumiho and their pearls you should have taken it straight back. You’d been so tired… but that wasn’t an excuse when other people’s lives were possibly on the line.

By the time you reach the house in question, the car that usually sat to the left of the driveway was long gone, and only some of the windows across the side of the house were illuminated. A fresh spike of fear grasped your heart as you realised you were about to go in there, half-cocked and alone, and there was a very high possibility that you would not come out again. Why had nothing about this case gone to plan? You were constantly coming back here, caught off guard and unsure of yourself or what step to take next. This wasn’t good for your health.

Gulping, you grasped the pearl and exited your car, remembering suddenly that besides your boots you were clad only in your silken singlet and sleep shorts. Cursing your lack of forethought about, well, everything¸ you slammed the door shut and started towards the house. You decided that the less you thought about it, the easier it would be.

Contrary to what you thought, the house was eerily silent as you stepped over the threshold and into the foyer, floorboards creaking slightly under your weight. You held your breath, waiting for something to come flying off the wall or levitate in the air. When nothing happened, you let the air go and stepped further inside, allowing the door to click gently shut behind you. There were some things scattered off the floor that had clearly fallen victim to the gumiho’s earlier tantrum, but aside from that the house was just as it had been the other times you had visited.

You shook your head, realising that you were just stalling the inevitable, and took another deep breath to steel yourself before you moved towards the stairs and began your ascent. The usual feeling you got in this house washed over your skin, but this time it was joined by something else— you could feel the presence of another being in this house, and you wondered how you could have possibly missed it each other time you came.

Your hand found the railing as you ascended, approaching the hallway where you knew the creature to be faster than you’d like. The pearl was gripped loosely in your other hand, and with each step you took it seemed to throb and pulse with more and more energy, alive against the skin of your palm. It wasn’t long before you reached the second floor, and you paused for a second, gulping, before you swallowed your fear and pushed on.

The hall was dark, the boys having abandoned their bedrooms before they thought to turn the lights on, and there was much more cluttered over the floor here. Evidence of the gumiho’s wrath. Your nerves were set alight— the creature did not seem pleased at all that its precious pearl had gone missing.

Your eyes strained to see in the dark, catching sight of the door to the attic hanging open and a staircase extended down. Either it had been left open in the creature’s haste and it was still up there, or it was somewhere else in the house— the skin on the back of your neck immediately prickled at the thought that it could even be standing behind you, were that the case. You resisted the urge to turn around like an amateur and instead started towards the staircase. You had a pearl to return, and in the event that you didn’t get eaten, you also had a gumiho to convince and evict.

The closer you grew to the doorway in the ceiling, the more you were able to see. There seemed to be a small light lit up there, and it was casting the slightest glow over the doorway. Heart racing in your chest, you steeled yourself and gripped the flimsy metal of the staircase railing, beginning to climb up. You had no idea what you were going to encounter once you reached the top, and you were too terrified to entertain the thought sooner than you really had to. One step, another. A bead of sweat began to form on your temple.

You reached the top, climbing somewhat gracefully to your feet, and halted the very second your gaze swept over the room. It was in even greater disarray than the floors below, dusty belongings scattered across the worn floorboards and deep scratch marks embedded in the old wooden beams supporting the roof. It was a small oil lamp that lit the large room dimly, but there was still an abundance of deep, dark shadows, and it was as your gaze swept over to a dim corner that your heart stopped in your chest for the second time in a week.

Those golden eyes, no longer wide in neutral curiosity but narrowed in displeasure, bore into you from the shadows in the corner to your right. You went rigid, heart beat increasing dramatically as you struggled to continue breathing normally despite the fear lighting your veins on fire. There were blankets, soft and fluffy, pushed into one big pile on the floor, working as a nest, a bed of sorts.

A low growl split the air, and the eyes rose from their low position, higher and higher until they were just above eye-level and fear clutched your heart tighter than before.

“Curious,” a low voice rumbled, the eyes blinking languidly as the deep tone reached your ears. You could sense the anger hiding deep in the curves of the word, could taste the contrasting interest coating the edges. “The human from before. I did wonder when you would be back. What brings you here, girl?”

You gulped, trying your best not to let your fear show despite the fact you were certain he could hear your thundering heartbeat.

“I’ve come to return something,” you managed to say clearly, adjusting your grasp on the pearl before you brought your hand up and held your palm out, displaying it for him to see. “I believe this belongs to you?”

The reaction was instantaneous, the eyes narrowing and pupils tuning to thin, furious slits as a sharp hiss pierced the air and melted into a dangerous growl that had the hairs on the back of your neck shooting to attention. You watched as the eyes moved, like he was shifting in the shadows, and the thought made you nervous. “My pearl,” he snarled. “Why do you have it.”

It was a demand, and you found yourself answering before you could control your tongue. “I didn’t mean to take it,” you said evenly. “I found it downstairs when I was investigating. I didn’t know it was yours, that it was important to you. I came here to give it back.”

The creature shifted, mulling your words over for a moment, and it took every ounce of your self control to stay still and resist the urge to run back the way you came. You didn’t even realise you were holding your breath until the eyes moved once more and a figure was stepping from the shadows, and the air whooshed from your lungs in a soft gasp.

He was beautiful, probably the most entrancing being you had ever seen, and he carried himself like he knew it. Platinum strands fell over his forehead, skin a light honey tone and gleaming youthfully despite the slight darkness beneath his glowing, cat-like eyes. His shoulders were broad beneath the beautifully embroidered, silky cloth that hung from his lean frame and tied around his waist, and your eyes were drawn from the smooth expanse of his chest to the nine white, fluffy tails swirling behind him, and the two large, fox-like ears atop his head. Gold and silver pierced the appendages, an ornate choker winding around his neck and rings fixed around his long fingers. Looking at him, you almost forgot how to breathe.

His tongue darted to wet soft, pink lips as he strode slowly towards you, slinking over the floor so fluidly it was almost like he was gliding. The closer he got, the harder it was to keep your heartrate from accelerating more than it already had, to stop your knees from wobbling.

He halted before you, eyeing you shrewdly, as though inspecting whether or not you were up to anything funny, before his hand whipped up and he snatched the pearl from your palm. His claws just barely brushed your skin and a shudder was rolling down your spine, the gumiho too busy inspecting his beloved pearl and cupping it in his hands to notice your reaction.

Once he deemed it the real deal, a huff of air escaping him in satisfaction, that intense gaze was on you once more and you immediately felt like you were being stripped bare before his eyes. His lips curled, eyes sweeping over the length of your frame as he stepped back once, before beginning to move and circle around you. A wave of embarrassment flooded you as you suddenly remembered once more that you were in nothing but your short, silken pyjamas and your boots.

“Why have you been coming here, girl?” he asked suddenly, catching you off guard. You tried to calm your heartbeat as you answered.

“They thought they were being haunted, so they called me to come take care of it,” you supplied honestly, meeting his gaze despite the instincts screaming within you that you shouldn’t. “Why are you here, playing with three boys and living in their attic?”

He smiled, a grin that was, in all honesty, nothing but fox-like. His gums peeked forth. “You’re very brave, for a human. Don’t you know foxes like me eat little girls like you?”

You couldn’t help the shudder that travelled down your spine, your heartrate spiking. “I have heard such things, yes.”

He smiled, teeth sharp.

“Do you know what these pearls are used for, little human?” the gumiho queried, tone rumbling lowly against your ear. You fought another shiver, your eyes following him as he circled you.

“I have an idea,” you managed to say, the words almost getting caught in your throat as fear and trepidation curled in your stomach. The fox chuckled.

“I use them when I feed. You know how creatures like me feed, don’t you?” he hummed, eyes never once leaving your form.

Your mouth shut, words unable to climb your throat despite how much your mind was willing them to. Images flooded your mind, fuelled by the information you’d read only hours ago. The creature grinned, leaning slightly closer.

“I think you do,” he breathed, and your hands balled into loose fists at your sides in an attempt to stop the rest of your body from trembling. “I am here to feed, and they’re fun to play with. I do not wish to devour their flesh, and the distress they emit… has a certain flavour of its own.”

You swallowed thickly, organising your thoughts and steeling yourself for what you were about to say. You had to remember your main goal here. “You can’t stay here,” you said softly, meeting his swirling golden eyes once more. “You know you have to leave. I can’t let you stay.”

The gumiho slowed to a stop before you, rolling the pearl in his grasp between his long, nimble fingers and mulling over your words. The glint in his eyes was sharp, nicking at the tendrils of fear around your heart and causing them to constrict tighter.

“You’re asking me to leave my home, my food source. You’re asking me to starve?” he queried, eyes widening with a sly gleam that told you he was very aware of how he was turning your words around.

“No,” you immediately responded, feet shifting on instinct. “I’m—”

“Then what are you proposing, hm?” he almost seemed to purr, a hand coming to toy with the end of the tie that cinched the material at his waist. He tilted his head, ears twitching and tails swirling behind him in a calculated manner. “It will have to be a very sweet deal if you want me to leave.”

You hesitated, unsure how to proceed since you had no idea what he could possibly want, what you could possibly give him that he would take. “What will you accept in exchange for your departure?”

You didn’t miss the way the gumiho’s eyes rolled leisurely over your form once more, drinking in each bare piece of your skin that was revealed to him. His tongue darted to lick his lips, trailing along the edge of his teeth. “I’m very hungry,” he said. “Feeding on only the little bits of fear from these boys… it’s not very fulfilling. I haven’t had a decent meal in so long…”

A part of you, deep in the recess of your mind, sensed where this was going, but still you spoke. “What do you want?” it came as a whisper, the loudness of your voice no longer something that was under your control.

The gumiho looked like he couldn’t have hoped for a better response.

“You,” the answer was immediate, his burning gaze sweeping over your form once more and eliciting a shiver that bordered the line between fear and something else you weren’t quite ready to admit yet.. “Human women are so plain nowadays, always striving for the same ideal, the same image… but you— you’re different. You smell different, look different… delectable. I could just eat you up.”

Your heart skipped maybe one too many beats at his words, kicking quickly into overdrive as your breath hitched in your throat. You felt heat wash over your face, and the fox seemed delighted at the development. He hummed, pleased, and reached his free hand to traced a finger along the heated skin of your cheek and down the side of your face.

“So pretty,” he purred, eyes swirling a deep golden that captivated you easily, ensnaring you and dragging you into their depths. His lips curved. “Truly a meal fit for a king.”

You snapped out of the trance, narrowing your eyes at him but unable to will your body to move away just yet. You were enjoying his touch too much, more than you wanted to admit, even as you realised with a sharp jolt of fear that the creature before you was renowned for consuming human flesh.

“I’m not going to let you eat me,” you said, pulse racing and fear tickling your senses. The panic must have been evident in your tone, because the gumiho barked an amused laugh.

“Silly girl, I do not wish to eat your heart,” he snickered, lips curving into a wicked grin. “I have long since abandoned such a primitive way of life. I am hungry for your life force, yes, but that is not all I wish to feast upon.”

It took a moment for his words to register in your head, and the second they did you balked. “Y-you—”

“Won’t you give me a final meal?” he queried, low baritone causing butterflies to erupt in your stomach. His eyes bore into yours without pause. “I assure you, I am much easier to convince once I am fed, little girl.”

You weighed your options, a strong sensation like time was running out fuelling you to think faster. If you didn’t do this, what else could you do? You didn’t know anything else that would tempt him from the little home he had made for himself here, and you certainly didn’t think he would be very receptive should you withdraw and come back again. You were incredibly attracted to him, drawn to him, and with each moment that passed you became less and less adverse to the idea. He just wanted to feed, right? You tried to pretend like you weren’t completely ignoring the second meaning to his earlier words. But still, attractive or not, were you really about to trust a fox?

He must have sensed the decision in your eyes, as he began to grin before you even voiced your answer. You couldn’t will your voice above a murmur, “Okay. What do I have to do?”

“Excellent,” he purred, hands coming to your waist and making you jump slightly. His tone lowered as he spoke once more, “To feed, I only need a kiss. But before that… I think I will have dessert first.”

You didn’t have time to ask what he meant before his head tilted and you were pulled forward, soft lips brushing against the sensitive skin beneath your jaw before they latched and a sharp gasp was pulled from your throat. Wetness was already beginning to seep between your thighs. The fox grinned against your neck, kissing along your skin and pulling you into an intoxicating haze as you were enveloped in the enthralling scent of him. Delicate blossoms mixed with musk invaded your senses and you fought a moan as the gumiho’s teeth scraped against the sensitive column of your throat, fingers digging into your waist and claws poking your skin through the thin material of your shirt.

You were pulled close, so close your chest was pressing against his, hardening nipples pressing through the silken material of your sleep shirt, and without a second thought you allowed yourself to fall victim to the pleasurable sensations he was eliciting within you. Your fingers clutched at his arms, bunching in the soft material of the traditional robes hanging from his form. You felt his fox ears flick against your jaw, could feel how the tails moved and swirled through the air behind him. A soft growl slipped through his lips, rumbling against your throat as your hips shifted on instinct and rolled, pressing closer against him.

You didn’t bother trying to deny your desire for him, for the beautiful gumiho you were being paid to evict from this home, but still you couldn’t manage to keep your mouth shut.

“I don’t even know your name,” you gasped as his hands slipped beneath the hem of your shirt, brushing the heated skin of your waist. The pearl was cool and almost seemed to thrum as he rolled it over your sensitive flesh.

You hardly noticed as the fox began to move the two of you back to the shadowed corner he had first appeared in. “You can call me Yoongi, little human,” he nipped your throat, relishing in the soft noise you made in response, and eagerly grasped you tighter before dipping you backwards.

You yelped as you fell, back meeting the soft, plush pile of blankets and furs. His body fit easily above yours, hips slotting perfectly between your thighs as he rolled his pelvis against you. He grinned devilishly at the moan it pulled from your throat.

“Yoongi,” you breathed, and you were surprised when the fox above you shuddered lightly in response. He dove back down to resume his previous activities, lips pressing, pulling, suckling down the column of your throat and over the soft skin of your collarbones.

A generous amount of your chest was already exposed and the gumiho made good use of that, lips laving a wet trail of pink and rose blossoms across the top of your chest before he grew sick of the barrier between you and leaned back. He clicked his fingers, and blue fire immediately enveloped the soft turquoise material of your shirt, flames licking along the hem.

You yelped, understandably alarmed, and almost went to move before you realised the fire wasn’t burning you, and dissipated into the air before you even had time to formulate a proper response, your shirt disappearing with it.

“Foxfire,” you whispered, amazed, and the gumiho grinned.

“Correct,” he rumbled, before he dove down once more to continue tasting the sweetness of your skin and the softness of your curves.

A sharp gasp fell from your lips as his own brushed over your nipple, his breath hot against your skin, a noise that melted into a moan as he enveloped the bud in the wet heat of his mouth, suckling harshly and keeping his swirling eyes on your expression the entire time. His other hand came to cup the opposite breast, thumb and fingers kneading the supple flesh and eliciting another soft noise from your throat. His fingertips trailed along the underside of your breast, and you noticed that the claws that had been there before were no longer present.

There was a hand left unaccounted for, something that completely slipped your mind until you felt something smooth press below your sternum, rolling down your abdomen and over the soft swell of your tummy, cool against the curve of your hips. You moaned when Yoongi pressed the pearl lower, rolling it over your core through your thin, silken shorts and against your clit. Your core was throbbing at this point, his ministrations more than enough to turn you on, so the slightest stimulation was making your head swim pleasantly as desire swirled in your abdomen.

“You’re so soft,” Yoongi purred, voice thick, as he released your nipple with a pop and rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger. “Are all humans as sensitive as you?”

You didn’t have a chance of forming a coherent answer, as he dipped his head once more to continue his trail down your body with his lips. It wasn’t long before he reached the hem of your silken pants, and even less time before they disappeared in a very similar fashion to your shirt. The fox’s breath seemed to catch in his throat at the sight of you laying bare before him, covered in marks and glistening in a trail left by his mouth. He could smell your arousal, you knew he could because you were soaked already and the second your pants disappeared his pupils dilated, blown wide in lust and desire for you.

He hummed, admiring the view before him for a moment longer before he slid back and lowered once more, hand leaving your nipple after a final tug that had you gasping, so that his arms could wind beneath your legs and come over your hips. Your fingers clutched the blankets beneath you, back curving slightly as you felt his breath over your dripping core. The anticipation nearly killed you, but you still weren’t ready when his tongue finally darted out and delivered a tentative, kittenish lick along your folds.

You gasped, hips straining to move but unable to beneath his iron grip. You felt his lips curve against you, heard the pleased hum sound from deep in his throat, and were almost distracted by the soft flick of his ear against your inner thigh when he went back for more. He lowered his face completely, delivering one more lick against your clit before beginning to eat you out in earnest.

Your thighs tensed, muscles quivering as your back arched and you moaned at the sudden, powerful onslaught of sensations. Pleasure shot along your limbs, hot and scorching, to pool in your abdomen. His tongue worked like magic against your core, laving over your clit as he suckled the sensitive nub into his mouth and allowed his soft lips to wrap around it. His hands kneaded the flesh of your hips and tummy as you whined and moaned, panting softly as he buried his face between your thighs and hummed, pleased, at each noise you made.

You could hardly believe how quickly he was working you up, how rapidly the knot had formed in your abdomen and how much it tightened with each movement of his tongue against you and each gentle suck of your clit. He held nothing back, each movement wild and unchecked and wrought with an intense passion you weren’t used to in every detail. It was like he knew exactly what to do to bring you to the edge, and even as he did so he was enjoying himself greatly.

He rewarded the noises that tumbled forth from your lips with hums and moans of his own, the vibrations against your core only adding to the pleasure. You hardly noticed as one of his hands moved from your hips, arm shifting back. You did notice, however, as the fingers of that hand traced along your slit, gathering your slick juices as they went. Yoongi’s teeth scraped your sensitive clit and you jolted, gasping loudly, as his fingers slipped between your folds and two pressed against your entrance.

You would normally be alarmed, but you suspected that with how absolutely aroused you were, and how close you were already to coming undone, fitting them in wasn’t going to be a problem. Yoongi continued to work his tongue masterfully against you, playing you like a musician does his favourite instrument, and he began to work his slick digits into you in time with each flick of the muscle.

They slid in easily to the knuckle, the slightest traces of a burn present for a mere split-second before he was moving his hand and you were whining lowly, hands leaving the blankets in favour of winding through his hair and grasping his ears to tug gently. He groaned instantly, sucking harshly against your core as his fingers curled within you and you cried out loudly, lurching closer and closer to the edge with each movement he made.

You knew you weren’t going to last much longer, but you still weren’t ready when you looked down on a whim and met the swirling golden eyes already staring up at you. The gumiho grinned, and you had a split-second of confusion before he returned his lips to your clit, taking it between his teeth gently at the same time as he curled his two fingers within you, pressing deliciously against your g-spot. It was so much, too much, at once, and you were easily pushed off the edge and into the throes of what had to be the most intense orgasm you’d had in months.

You whined loudly, voice cutting off into a trembling gasp as your body tensed, core clenching around his fingers and thighs quivering against his arms. Your back arched sharply, curving off the blankets, and it took you a solid while before you finally began to come back down. Through the pleasure-filled haze in your mind, you registered the gumiho between your legs still diligently lapping up every drop of your release, making your body jerk with each brush of his tongue against your sensitive nub. You wriggled, whining softly, and tugging his hair gently. He didn’t pull back until he was sure he’d gotten every last drop, licking his lips as he gazed over your already fucked-out form with a sense of pride and satisfaction.

He almost purred as he crawled back over you, hips rolling against your own as he dipped to suck and kiss your neck once more. You’d never gone this far without at least kissing someone first, and there was an alarmingly large part of you that wanted to taste his kittenish, pink lips.

Yoongi nipped the skin of your throat before he pulled back, taking in your slightly heaving chest and flushed face. He decided it was a sight he very much enjoyed.

His tongue darted out to swipe along his lips once more. “You tasted even better than I could have hoped, little human,” the devilish smile returned to his face. “But I want to hear you scream now. Dessert isn’t over quite yet.”

Your body was trembling in anticipation as he tugged the tie at his waist and in one go it came undone, the soft material covering his form slipping from his shoulders to pool as his hips. You couldn’t help but openly admire the smooth expanse of light, honey skin now exposed to your greedy eyes, and the gumiho before you relished in the attention. His lips were curved into a pleased smirk as he shifted the rest of his robes from his form and your attention was then directed to another region entirely.

Instantly, fresh heat flooded your cheeks and your mouth nearly dropped open. Fuck, he was a lot larger than you imagined, and with a girth you could almost already feel stretching you open. Embarrassingly, you had to squash a moan that wanted to rise in your throat, your lips pressing together to keep it in. You couldn’t keep your eyes from his swollen length, the tip pink and leaking precum.

Yoongi watched your expression for a moment before he shifted closer, nuzzling the skin of your neck briefly and then resuming his earlier onslaught of kissing and suckling. His hips rolled and shifted against yours, swollen length grinding against your clit and sending a fresh flush of pleasure over your form.

“Are you going to be good and scream for me?” his voice, low and thick with desire, had you shivering against his form. “There’s no one here but you and me. Your sweet noises are all mine to hear.”

You tried nodding, but the action was cut off with a moan as he rolled his hips once more and another wave of pleasure shot to your core. His hips shifted, his mouth becoming well-acquainted with your chest once more, and it wasn’t long before you could feel his bulbous head parting your lower lips to press against your slick entrance. A shock of excitement jolted down your spine, the thrill of the situation permeating the pleasant haze in your mind and eliciting a soft noise of encouragement from your lips.

You attempted to relax your tensed limbs, but couldn’t help the way your body shifted and writhed as he began to push into you. His girth stretched you open, a burn tingling along your spine as his head dragged along your walls and further into the velvet heat of your core. Whimpers and whines tumbled from your lips and your back arched as your fingers fought to find purchase on his shoulders and the toned planes of his back. Yoongi let out a long, low groan as your nails dug into his skin, his cock slamming the rest of the way into you until his pelvis met yours once more.

A sharp yelp broke from your lips, soft pants filling the air as he gave you a moment to adjust. You honestly didn’t think you’d ever taken someone as big as him, he stretched you further than you ever had before and the resulting cocktail of heady pleasure and slight, sparking pain was intoxicating to you. Yoongi shifted, rolling his hips and causing the angle of his cock to change within you and you moaned loudly as his thick tip pressed against your spot. Your thighs trembled against his waist, fingers digging into the giving flesh of his back, and he seemed pleased at your reactions. He rolled his hips back, pulling almost completely out of you, before snapping them back and slamming into you once more.

You cried out loudly, eyes pinching shut at the onslaught of pleasure flooding your senses. One of his hands gripped your hips and the other pinched and tugged your nipple before coming to trail his thumb along the column of your neck. He began a steady pace, each thrust into your heat causing you to clench around him, the coil in your abdomen beginning to tighten and curl. Soft groans and growls tumbled from his pretty, swollen lips to join the symphony of your own wanton cries, fingers digging in to the soft flesh of your hips and urging you to roll your hips back and meet his thrusts.

Every touch of him against your heated skin was intoxicating, the heat in his swirling golden eyes threatening to swallow you whole as he brought his thumb to brush your lips and you enveloped it in the wet heat of your mouth. Something soft brushed your legs, and the sight of those eyes dilating from slits coupled with his extra appendages was enough to remind you suddenly of who exactly you were currently fucking— what you were currently fucking. To your surprise it only served to further your arousal, a keening whine tearing from your throat as he moved and pulled his hands away to grip your thighs. His fingers dug in, a pleasant ache where they pressed into the supple, giving flesh of your thighs, and he moved them, angling your body effortlessly.

Your legs now pushed closer to your abdomen, his thrusts began to hit places even deeper inside you and you almost sobbed at how painfully good it felt, how hot you felt your skin flush with pleasure and desire. You’d never been so affected by anyone before, never felt such all-consuming desire.

“You’re taking me so well,” the gumiho marvelled, golden eyes fixed on the juncture of your thighs where your pussy greedily swallowed all of his length again, and again, and again. You’d lost control of the moans falling from your lips, hands falling from his shoulders to grip the blankets. “Are you going to swallow all of me when I cum in that greedy pussy, hm?”

A shuddering moan left your throat, your eyes barely managing to hold his gaze. You gasped his name as he shifted his hips, changing his pace and slamming into you with renewed fervour and such force you could already feel the delicious ache that would grace you come tomorrow. You were drowning in the intensity, the all-consuming depths of those swirling, flavescent eyes. He grinned down at you, sharp teeth peeking out against petal lips and gleaming in the low light, his skin bathed golden in the glow of the lamp and glistening with a light sheen of sweat. There was something wild in his eyes as he grinned down at you like a predator down at the prey caught in his claws, something feral in the curve of his mouth. Each slam of his hips against yours, each hard drag of his cock against your fluttering walls, brought you closer and closer to the edge of your second climax of the night. You watched, entranced, as bright red markings began to appear over his face, perfect in shape and colour, as though they had been painted on with the hand of only the most skilled artist. Lines over his cheeks, under his eyes, following the curve of his lid and lash line. He had never been as stunningly, hauntingly beautiful as he was in this moment, unchecked and wild and feral. He was a fox, after all.

He must have sensed you were growing closer, moans dragged from his throat as you clenched around his swollen length with each hard pump of his cock into your heat. He leaned down, closer and closer, until his lips were just barely a centimetre from yours. You were so, so close, it was hard to keep your gaze centred on him when you wanted nothing more than to tilt your head back and sob at the intensity, the pleasure.

“I’m going to kiss you now, little human,” he murmured, breath hot as it brushed your lips and tone low against your ears. You watched as his mouth curved into a devilish grin, and instantly knew this was the end for you. “But first, I want you to cum for me. Now.”

And you did, with one final slam of his hips into you your back curved and you were crying out loudly, noises that almost resembled his name falling forth but never greeting the air as his lips crashed onto yours and swallowed them down. The coil in your abdomen snapped, pleasure pressing against your limbs and sweeping through your mind, washing it clean of any and all thought process. It was so much, too much, as you felt your chest heat and warm with each movement of his lips against yours. He managed two more powerful thrusts into you before his hips were stuttering, and you were barely coherent enough to notice as his cum flooded your pussy, splashing hot against your walls and dripping out around his length when you were filled to the brim.

Your limbs tingled, quivering, but you couldn’t focus on anything but the intoxicating scent surrounding you and the heady taste of his lips and tongue. So consumed by the pleasure and sensations were you, that you hardly even noticed it when something cool passed from his mouth to yours, your tongue moulding around it instinctively. It was a peculiar flavour of ecstasy that washed over your limbs even as your high began to fade, keeping your head bathed in the softness of the clouds and mind in a delicious haze.

You didn’t know how much time passed before he was pulling back suddenly, panting heavily and body thrumming with energy. He slipped from your core, and you let out a soft noise as your combined fluids began to flow forth and trickle from your abused entrance.

“Fuck,” the gumiho cursed, eyes moving from your blissed-out expression and tired, glistening form, to the dribbles of his cum leaking from your pussy. He licked his lips, golden eyes meeting your heavy-lidded gaze once more and seeing you in a new light. “You…”

His hand trembled almost imperceptibly as he used it to gently brush the hair from your face. God, you were so tired. You blinked languidly, groaning softly as you tried to stay awake. It was a strange sense of tiredness, almost like a high of its own.

The look in the fox’s eyes bordered on tender before he steeled himself, beginning to pull back.

“Thank you, little human. A more delicious last meal than I ever could have hoped for,” he said, tone low and rough. “I will honour our deal and depart this house now.”

Something welled within you, an urge, and before you could even think to stop yourself the words were tumbling forth from your lips unchecked.

“Don’t go,” you mumbled thoughtlessly, eyelids fluttering as you stretched a little. So tired.

The gumiho was amused. “I must find a new place to stay, little human,” he spoke, tone curling around the words. “I am a fox of honour.”

If you were in your right mind, you would have definitely slapped sense into yourself for the words that escaped you next. “You can stay with me,” you mumbled, eyes closing momentarily. “’S okay, I have a spare… room.”

The fox’s eyes gleamed, a positively devilish grin curving his lips. “Oh?” he purred, returning to your side and draping something over your body. “Who would I be to refuse such a generous offer?”

You mumbled something, barely coherent, and could no longer hold your own against the powerful urge to sleep. You registered a soft touch over your cheeks, and words murmured lowly against your ear, before you finally slipped into the unconsciousness that called you so.

“Sleep now, little human. Restore the energy I took. I think you will need it later.”

And then you were gone, drifting in a sea of blackness and dreams and completely unaware of the mess you’d find yourself in come the waking hours.

Out of the frying pan, and into the fryer.

↼masterlist

[kumihoborn]

@tnkts wants pain

      ♡  HER MANAGER SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT -- says she should show up to the awards with another solo artist. it would drum up rumours && put both of their names into the spotlight, for either the better or worse, boosting his career as well as her own. he’s a newer, upcoming artist ( a rapper wanting to make a solo career ) && she honestly has zero interest in both him as a person && the career they want her to boost up. he should work for it -- not that she particularly has to in a sense, though she worked her whole life to be as good at performer as she is. he didn’t have thousands of years experience -- he is nothing && yet she has to smile && hang off his arm in a beautiful, expensive short dress that he isn’t worth even in the slightest. 

      part of her is sure she agreed to the arrangement because she knew the rapper would be there that night. she’s the face of their company -- he has everything to gain from her but part of her knows she’ll gain something in the form of possibly making the rogue jealous when she sees them together. she’ll sell it, she decides -- she hates it but she’ll sell it as she makes a show of arriving, tails on full, gorgeous display for all ( though specifically one ) to see. she doesn’t know why she’s being so petty -- there’s a tight feeling in her chest when she thinks about it but she can’t place it ( or doesn’t want to ). usually she’d just ignore those who annoy her but she feels drawn to her in a way she can’t explain -- in a way that only makes her more irritated. 

      every little glance at her smug face fills her with the oddest sensation of mixed feelings -- so she puts up a calm front again to face the rapper as she makes her way toward k/da. she hopes she’ll end up sitting next to someone other than akali but she also knows her luck just isn’t what it used to be these days. still, arm intertwined with her date, she gives a short wave as they approach the rapper && she tries her hardest to keep a neutral face without trying to outright rub it in as harshly as she really could at the moment -- not that she entirely thinks it would even work; despite what has happened between them before she’s certain she only holds disdain for the gumiho.

     ❝ akali. --it’s a pleasure to see you here. ❞

      it takes every bit of her being to not toss out some sassy comment, though she’s sure she’ll get one in return.

[jjillekkot]

I know I was quiet during E3, but I too am weak for the Devil May Cry series; so much, that I actually have a verse for it. Feel free to interact with me with it. 

Speaking of that verse, I’m working on augmenting it slightly for interactions with @stylishdevilhunter. Yuffie will still be a demon hunter & exorcist from the countryside who is outsourced by Devil May Cry to assist on missions from occasion. She’ll typically stay at DMC during these missions, as they require her from days to sometimes weeks at a time. ( Maybe on occasion she’ll be nice and have sleepovers with @devilglow. Maaaaaybe. )

The primary change is that I’m slightly adapting it to include my daemon verse ( which is still standalone, should people want to interact with it for like... historical drama or InuYasha kinda content? ). Just as the Sparda twins are half-demon, so is Yuffie, her mother having been a kumiho ( alternatively, gumiho ), a nine-tailed fox demon. 

There are some slight differences. In this verse, Yuffie does not inherently possess any magical powers and cannot shape shift between spirit and human forms. She also does not possess the orb: instead, her weakness is that falling in love is a gamble, and may result in her losing possession of herself and instead at the whims of whoever may garner her attention. ( Knowing this, she typically avoids romance and associates mainly with those who would hold no attraction to her. )

Additionally, as materia does not exist in this universe, Yuffie can manipulate the elements by communicating with the spirits that exist within elements and living objects ( i.e., trees, rocks, etc. not unlike what is seen in Berserk ). She also possesses knowledge in alchemy and crafting, allowing her to create items and weapons not unlike what the Sparda sons might retrieve from Divinity Stones. However, she cannot forge weapons from demons-- she can only enhance latent abilities. This is in addition to her traditional skills as a ninja, and all athletic prowess from her original source content she retains ( i.e., she is good at magic, prefers long-distance weapons but can use short distance and close quarters combat, is capable of improvising weapons, is not a heavy-hitter but can strike quickly, high speed and luck, etc. ).

Finally, she thrives in places surrounded by nature as there are more spirits whose power she can manipulate in battle; however, desolate areas amplify her natural skills and talents, giving her stronger attack power. Despite being half-demon, she does not possess an ability akin to Devil Trigger. Instead, however, she does retain an affinity to foxes and woodland creatures, and can convince demons via charming to join her team for a limited amount of time. She can also drift between the human and spirit realms at whim, a talent which assists her with both stealth and convening with spirits and demons for her conveniences. ( Finally making use of those Persephone aesthetics. )

Her appearance resembles that of modern verse: sporting textured asymmetrical bob haircut with a deep side part and heavy fringe; tattoos of a crescent moon and a rose behind her right ear; a minimalist tattoo of waves overlayed with watercolor brush strokes on her outer left thigh; and she is always seen wearing military-style boots.

[justanythinggoes]

K-Drama is Life <3

Because K-drama is life! Lol. I think after the DOTS fever, the number of k-drama watchers significantly increased. I was so surprised to see so many people watching k-dramas on subways, buses, while waiting in line, as well so many people sharing them on social media. I still watch k-dramas, but I think the height of my k-drama addiction was circa 2011-2013. It was during this time that I was working on a graveyard shift. Because of my schedule, I was always so wide awake on weekend nights. And because I don’t like to party or go to clubs, I would always end up spending the night watching k-dramas.

Here are some of my recommended (kinda not so old) k-dramas that I’ve watched and would want to play back right after finishing.

YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL (2009) – I remember watching this back in my college days. I love the theme – a cross dressing girl joining a band. I also love the songs. I even downloaded the show’s songs and became a big fan of PSH and JGS together. All in all, it was a cute watch for the college then me!

MY GIRLFRIEND IS A GUMIHO (2010) – Something cute, something light, something funny! A feel-good watch with very adorable leads! Shin Min-Ah is one of my Korean girl crushes and she delivered her role well. What a very cute gumiho she is!

CITY HUNTER (2011) – Umm, it’s a LMH starrer, so no questions asked if I’m gonna watch it. Lol. But seriously, this is my favorite drama of Lee Min Ho. I’ve watched him in BOF, it was a fun mess to watch and it was the show that made him a certified Hallyu star. Heirs was all butterflies in my stomach, but the storyline was meh. Personal Taste was forgettable. I forgot to continue watching LTBS because I couldn’t shake-off Jun Ji Hyun’s acting from MLFTS. The feels were kinda the same. But City Hunter was the show that made me a certified LMH fan. The show was so good and action suited him so well. The drama was well executed; the other casts were just as stellar. If I were to recommend a LMH drama, this is the one!

THE PRINCESS’ MAN (2011) – I think I finished this show in one sitting. That means I didn’t sleep for the next 24 hours just to finish this. Wow! The storyline is like a Romeo-Juliet love story set in the Joseon period. What made me so invested in this show was the main couple’s chemistry! They looked so good together that after the watching show, I keep on looking for videos of them together. Hoping they had something going on behind the cameras, lol. Aside from the love story, the storyline about political power and revenge were solid. Although there were some low moments in the middle (Because this is period drama and 24 episodes), the whole drama itself remains awesome. Go, watch it!

GAKSITAL (2012) – Oh, Gaksital! Where do I begin? This drama is a bit long at 28 episodes, but definitely worth the watch! I didn’t expect to watch this one. It’s a heavy period drama centered around a hero wearing a bridal mask (Gaksital) that was set during the period of Japanese occupancy in SK. I can’t remember what made me decide to give this a go, but I’m glad I did! I think it was after 5 to 6 episodes that I started to feel so engaged and excited while watching this show. Every character provided solid performance especially Joo Won and Park Ki-Woong! They’re both too awesome in this drama!

DREAM HIGH (2012) – My heart! I love this show. Don’t we all want a show that makes us want to work hard to achieve our dreams? Plus, the songs in this show are just as amazing. It’s light, sometimes heartbreaking, funny, endearing… And that ending, I loved it!

REPLY 1997 (2012) – My fangirl heart! If you are a fangirl like me, you can totally relate to this show! Lol. Still my fave among the 3 Reply Series. The 1988 series may be the most popular, but it totally broke my heart with what they did to Jung Hwan’s character! Anyways, this show was like a breath of fresh air. A nostalgic look back on the lives of six friends in Busan.

MY LOVE FROM THE STAR (2013-2014) – Jun Ji-Hyun is a winner! She totally owned her character. She is most suited to play this kind of character. I’ve watched her in a movie before where she is quiet, but I would always remember how she is as a Sassy Girl. Haha. Kim Soo-hyun on the other hand is handsome! I’ve known him from Dream High and I already like him from then. Both leads match perfectly and you’re in for a wonderful time!

HEALER (2014-2015) – Healer-nim! This show made a Ji Chang-Wook fan out of me. This show was perfect for him! I just wish they extended it to one more episode so the ending didn’t feel so rushed. Nevertheless, it didn’t lessen my love for Healer. Aside from his action scenes, I love love love the chemistry between the leads. They looked so good together on screen! My gawd! Aside from actions, he’s so good at romance too! What can’t he do? HAHA. I’ve tried watching K2, but it didn’t feel right for me so I dropped it. Lol. I’ve also watched a few episodes of Suspicious Romance, but it also didn’t register so well with me. I feel that I don’t want to watch any other show of JCW other than Healer, Lol. I want to always remember him as Healer!

SPLISH SPLASH LOVE (2015) – Short but sweet! I only watched this recently, but would want to recommend it for those looking for a starter. It’s only a two-part drama special so it wouldn’t take up much of your time. I like Kim Seul-gi! I wish they’d give her more lead roles in the future.

[only1jinyoung-blog]

HIGHCUT vol. 203

Interview Cut (Jinyoung)

You’e My Destiny

The boy who b-boy, Lim Jaebeom, and the boy who came from Jinhae, Park Jinyoung, met in 2009. At the open audition for Seoul’s JYP Entertainment. Even their wait numbers were 24 and 25, lined up next to each other; beating out 10,000 applicants, they were the unprecedented joint winners. They debuted together through [DREAM HIGH 2], and through the name ‘JJ Project’, released an album. With the group ‘GOT7′, they promoted and together these boys’ heart beat. And after 5 years, ‘JJ Project’ has returned. Now they are in their 20s. JB and Jinyoung whom participated in the composition and writing of all 8 songs were modest throughout the interview but their confidence and ambitions seeped through. The two men who said that without regrets, they poured everything (into the album) and they couldn’t recommend only one point so they ask (for listeners) to pay attention to everything - their profile, how are they so similar.

Jinyoung “The Day’ was a song written in the plane as I listened to a song and started missing my parents”

When JJ Project was decided to regroup, how do you feel? I went to ask the company (reps) honestly. Why now of all times? I thought that GOT7 still have many things to achieve. But the reps from the company said that ‘You guys are the representative of GOT7; if you show a different side, it can help in growth of GOT7.’ I was taken by those words (laughs).

As you prepared for the album, it seems like you realized your own growth. No matter how you look at it, there’s a little more freedom/easygoing than 5 years ago. Ah, also my throat doesn’t hurt. During JJ Project’s first album, it was the ending stages of my puberty development and I didn’t sing much too. I only rapped so in the few instances where I sang, my throat hurt. This time my vocal chords have definitely became sturdy. Feels like I found the way to comfortably produce a sound. 

Looking at the lyrics, you could say that the team’s color has changed a lot in these 5 years. You can just think of it as being opposites. Back then it was really bright, wasn’t it? In the beat this time round, there’s youth included in the song so we will sing and dance.

Which song do you have the most attachment to? My solo song called ‘The Day’. I wrote about something I really wanted to write about. The content of the lyrics are, “The day that I thought everything was good; thrown away so easily. The day that I thought the world was falling apart, I’m forgetting about that like it was nothing.” I’ve always lived thinking ‘Good things aren’t (always) good things and bad things aren’t (always) bad’. No matter how sad or how happy you are, it’s really that a year down the road, that memory becomes faint. 

Do you get embarrassed or cringe when you read the lyrics that you wrote out loud?

I just think of this. “I need to do this. When this ends well, I just need to go home. There’s no time. I need to go quickly.” (laughs).

I looked up an interview you did in your early days of debut. You described your teens as ‘preparing��. If you’re to describe your 20s in one word?

‘Warming Up’ (HC: Isn’t that exactly the same as your teens?) It is undoubtedly different. If you would compare it to working out, your teens is bringing your clothes along and your 20s would be you slowly warming up your body by running on the treadmill then getting on the bicycle? I’m just 24 so I haven’t started sweating yet. I think sweat would appear when I’m around 29.

In that interview, you described your ideal type in details. ‘When we’re in a cafe, I hope she’s a little talkative when we’re chatting; I hope she looks natural. It’s fine if she goes for surgery, as long as it looks natural to me. I hope her eyes are a little huge and her features are distinct. No bangs, long natural hair cascading down naturally like a goddess. Jeans, shirt and canvas shoes.’ I remember why I said that. That was influenced by [My Girlfriend is a Gumiho] that Shin Min-ah sunbaenim appeared on. Every time I receive a question on my ideal type, I tend to describe the female lead in a movie or a drama that left a deep impression on me. Therefore, right now I don’t have an ideal type. Because I haven’t been watching any love/romantic movies (laughs). Although I do watch a lot of movies.

You said your hobby was to watch movies alone. I watched 5 movies in a span of a few days. “Dunkirk”, “Hedwig”, “Amazing Spiderman”, “Maudie” and what was that other one... “Dunkirk” was edited to intercross three perspectives like a novel so it was great. The running time was short so I like it even more. I cried watching “Maudie”. I cried knowing it was a biographical movie. I’m happy when I watching movie alone. I don’t need to concern myself about anyone else and I can focus fully. And every time I watch a movie, I talk to myself. When a character does something unsatisfactory, I’ll be like “Aigoo why are you like that...” if there’s someone next to me, I can’t do that can I? (laughs).

You would be busy but you’re watching quite a lot. Is it the level of learning acting? I watched them without any thoughts but people say to go watch and learn (laughs). No matter how well an actor acts, I think it’s hard to analyze that. Not too long ago, I went to the Pixar Animation Exhibition.

Don’t people recognize you when you go around like that? If they recognize me and go “Jinyoung right?”, I’ll be like “Yes that’s right, shhh”. They recognize me but because they’re not fans, they don’t follow (laughs).

You must be busy with this and that. In the JYP Pictures production of [Magic School], you’re taking on a role of a college student who has never dated and dreams of being a civil servant, right? Heard that filming has ended. Isn’t this your first time acting in a role where you’re in your 20s? That’s right. Although it’s acting, I got to experience the ordinary life of being in the 20s by proxy so it’s nice. I was most envious of (the role) being able to live with his family together. I haven’t been able to go to my parents’ house in over a year.

As I was on the way here today, I went to your ‘fancafe’. You have a lot of interest in the fans so you have a nickname ‘*Fan-Jal-Al’? Looking at SNS, it caught my eye how GOT7 fans would go on holidays and bring along their official goods, GOTOON dolls, take photos of it and upload it. Did you know about this? No. Really? (Manager: You haven’t seen it even once??) I don’t use SNS so I don’t know about this at all. Wah, I feel so sorry now. I’m really thankful. A holiday is your own time but to bring the dolls with you.. I should go look it up once this interview ends. When I go for a trip, I should bring along the goods, take a photo and upload it too. *Fan-Jan-Al is a short form to mean ‘He/She who knows fans best’

With the regards to JJ Project’s return, the fans expectations are high. 5 years ago, at the question ‘Which step/floor is JJ Project on?’, you answered ‘20th floor basement’. With this album, how many floors do you think you’ll be able to climb? Till 5th floor (above ground)? Because the 5th floor is where the JYP Management offices are. Our company’s top floor. (everyone laughs). With regards to the album, I have no regrets. I did everything that I could. Our stories are included. Please enjoy it. 

source: GGOONERR_ translation: haetbitmark