#typographic jokes

[petermorwood]

People will be taking their Master's or Doctorate in Pratchett Studies, and they'll still miss stuff, or catch some but not all, because there are layers of it, and not all of them are in English.

Consider the Patrician's council-room called the Rats Chamber, so-called because it had a decorative fresco of dancing rats.

Now consider that Ratskammer in German means "Council Chamber".

Now consider that early Stuart England had The Rats Star Chamber, so-called because it had a decorative fresco of, yup, stars.

Now consider that the Star Chamber court often used informers, and a slang term for informing on someone is to rat on them...

All that's in just one throwaway notion which doesn't interfere with the flow if you don't get it, but adds an extra little fillip if you do.

As @dduane says, we'll probably never discover them all. Here's another example:

*****

Unless Irish / British and of a certain age, Lord Vetinari's routine with the donkey stuck up a minaret in "Jingo" will mean nothing, except maybe to prompt recollections of an obscure comment from ancient wizard Windle Poons, "Tuppence More and Up Goes The Donkey!" (which is itself an obscure Victorian street-entertainer's saying).

At the time when the donkey got stuck, Vetinari is in Klatchian disguise with a fez, and says, "Donkey, minaret. Minaret, donkey," whereupon the donkey comes down and a nearby guard says "Just like that?"

Another throwaway. Get it? Got it. Good! But if not, Carry On Pratchetting, because there'll be another one right around the corner (or in a footnote underneath it).

And the actual reference was...?

Tommy Cooper (d. 1984). He was a Welsh stage magician and comedian who, like most UK comics of the time, had catch-phrases. Most notable were "X, Y. Y, X" when setting up an unlikely magic trick involving two utterly mismatched objects, and "Just like that!" when, against all probability, the trick was successful.

When performing, he also wore a fez.

All of which which probably sails past US readers every single time and, as the years go by, sails past an increasing number of UK ones as well.

*****

There's subtle typographic wordplay too. Besides Death SPEAKING IN CAPS, there are - or were, in the UK first editions - various "foreign" typefaces; for instance faux-Hebrew for Golem written "speech", and faux-Arabic for Klatchian.

In "Jingo", once again, there's a little faux-Arabic letter in some words of Captain Carrot's dialogue to indicate he's pronouncing that Klatchian sound correctly.

In "The Fifth Elephant", when he says the name of The Land Beyond The Forest, it's always printed as "Überwald".

However when Lord Vetinari and Commander Vimes say it, the print is "Uberwald".

This isn't a typo - it's to show that Vetinari and Vimes can't (or, knowing Vimes, perhaps won't) pronounce the Umlaut-U correctly...

:->

It’s not a Discworld joke unless you read it, don’t parse it as a joke, and then carry on with your life for ten years until someone stops you to say something like “It’s a pavlovian response because the dog ate a pavlova” and you scream Terry’s name with enough indignant rage you hope it rattles the pillars of the multiverse so wherever his soul is he’ll hear it.

[dollbones3]

is there any way to become a sort of typography consultant for indie game developers. no one's gonna appreciate how good your game is if you chose a font that sucks to read

[gailynovelry]

Honestly our casual reading experience has gotten so much better now that we’re allowing ourself to annotate the text. First go around’s a plain reading, and then the second or third is a fun place to start making connections and spilling out our thoughts and theories.

[epicdogymoment]

everyone watch this phony mini pv now ok?

[honeyhae-svt]

Misdated

Kwon Soonyoung / Hoshi FANFICTION (oneshot)

Afab!READER x Kwon Soonyoung - MDNI!!!

GENRE: Angst., Fluff, Smut, Friends to Lovers, Fem!Reader x Non-idol!Hoshi, r18+ (should've been 16+ but since there's smut. oof)

⚠️ WARNINGS ⚠️: Major red flags on both reader and Hoshi, Smut, Unprotected Sex, Angst., Fingering, Kissing, Dating.

wc: 11'507

(english is not my first language, so i apologize for any typographical or grammatical errors :/)

Synopsis: You've been on date after date, searching for the right one. But something—or someone—keeps pulling you back. What happens when the person you've been trying to avoid is the one you can’t stop thinking about?

>>>pictures are from 📌, CTTO

a/n: enjoy, loves!!!

Nothing beats walking through the rain in your favorite rainy weather outfit, ice cream in hand, while telling your boy best friend about another failed date. Hoshi, ever the good friend, holds the umbrella for both of you, shielding you from the soft drizzle. You’ve just come back from yet another blind date—the fourth one this month—and, unsurprisingly, it went horribly wrong.

"I don’t get it," you groan, shaking your head. "Why is it so hard to find the love of my life?"

Hoshi, your best friend for almost a decade, listens attentively. He always does. Every single time a date crashes and burns, he’s right there with advice, or at the very least, a sympathetic ear. But tonight, he’s laughing at your misery, and you can’t help but glare at him.

This morning, you'd asked a friend to set you up with someone. The guy seemed like your type—at least physically—and he was all too eager to meet you right away. That should’ve been a red flag. But you went along with it. How bad could it be, right?

Well, turns out, very bad. Minutes into the date, things got awkward. He started making inappropriate jokes, the kind that made you chuckle just to fill the silence. "You’d look even prettier without clothes," he had said, his smirk making your skin crawl. When he asked, "Are you good in bed?" you were already planning your exit. And when he tried to kiss you, suggesting you ditch the fancy restaurant and head to a hotel, you didn’t even bother finishing your drink. You just stood up and left.

And now, here you are, telling Hoshi about what is easily the worst date of your life, and he’s laughing.

"Hey! It’s not funny," you scold, narrowing your eyes at him.

Hoshi quickly stops, though you see the amused glint still dancing in his eyes. "I’m just saying… maybe it’s time to take a break from dating?"

His words make you pause. You have been feeling burned out. And he knows it too well, which makes your heart flutter. You’ve always felt this way around him—this soft, warm feeling. But you’ve buried it, time and time again. He’s your best friend, after all. And there’s no way you’re risking that, especially when you know he likes someone else. The thought stings a little more than you’d care to admit.

Sensing your mood shift, Hoshi changes the subject, ever the master of lifting your spirits. "You didn’t eat yet, right? Let’s get some meat. My treat."

Your eyes light up. "I want beef!"

He sighs, pretending to reconsider for a moment, but you know he’ll give in. He always does. It’s you, after all.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

You watched him grill the meat, the sizzle of beef filling the quiet between you. The way his fingers moved—so sure, so practiced—made you think about how well you knew him, how effortlessly things flowed between you two. It had always been that way.

But lately, something had shifted. You blinked away the thoughts when his hand brushed yours, sending a wave of warmth through your body. It was small, fleeting, but enough to make you feel a bit more aware of him, more sensitive to his presence.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing your daze.

"Yeah," you lied, forcing a smile.

Hoshi didn’t look convinced, his gaze lingering on you as if he could sense something was off. You couldn’t possibly tell him the truth—about the way you’d been feeling lately, about how your heart sped up whenever you were around him. And even if you did (which you wouldn't), he'd probably just laugh, thinking it was some kind of joke.

"You know," he began, picking at his food, "if this whole dating thing doesn’t work out, you could always just... date me."

You choked on your drink, blinking rapidly as if to make sure you’d heard him right. "W-What?"

He laughed it off quickly. "I'm kidding, kidding! Jeez, your reaction." But then his voice softened. "I mean—" He trailed off, and for a second, you thought he might have meant it. And that small flicker of hope disappointed you more than you’d expected.

You felt a sudden rush of heat to your face, but you forced a chuckle. "Yeah, right."

Hoshi took a bite of beef, glancing at you with an expression that made your heart race. "Actually," he said, "I’ve been meaning to ask you something."

"Oh?" You raised an eyebrow, half-expecting another joke, or worse, a reminder of your disastrous date.

"I’ve been telling you about this girl... and I think I really like her." His words hit you like a punch to the gut. Still, you smiled, trying to sound as enthusiastic as you could. "Oh? Who is she?"

You braced yourself as he continued, each word making you feel a little more hollow. "You know her. She’s really cool, funny, great to talk to—"

You nodded along, keeping up appearances, but inside, you wanted to tune him out. You were dying to know who this girl was—partly to see if she was worthy of him, and partly to understand why you felt this ache deep in your chest. Not that you would ever stand in their way, but you couldn’t help but wonder if she even knew how to handle someone like Hoshi—the grown ass man who believed he was a tiger.

"I just... I want to tell her how I feel, lately," he continued, his voice trailing with a hint of uncertainty.

"Yeah, you should totally do that," you replied, shoving more food into your mouth, trying to occupy yourself. Stress-eating, maybe. Or maybe you just didn’t want to think about it anymore. You couldn’t exactly change the subject now—it’d be too obvious, too rude.

Dinner continued, but his words lingered in your mind, making everything else feel like background noise. He talked about her for most of the meal, and you nodded along, your responses automatic. But deep down, you couldn’t shake the sinking feeling.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

As you stepped outside, the rain had started to pour again. Hoshi was quick to pop open the umbrella, and you both squeezed under its small space, your shoulders brushing with each step. The cool air mingled with the warmth radiating between you, and you couldn’t help but notice how close you were.

"You sure you’re okay?" he asked, his eyes flicking over to you with that familiar concern—the kind that always made your heart skip a beat.

"Yeah," you murmured, though the word felt flimsy, insubstantial. You were hyper-aware of his presence, the way his warmth seemed to envelop you in the cool, rainy night.

"You don’t seem like it," he murmured, stopping in his tracks. The rain poured around you, drowning out the noise of the world, leaving only the two of you standing still in the quiet storm.

You looked at him, confused as to why he had stopped so suddenly. He was looking at you differently now, as if waiting for you to say something. Your mind raced, but all you could manage was a simple, "Thanks for treating me tonight." You nudged him playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "And I’m fine," you added with a forced smile.

He studied you for a moment longer, before nodding. "No problem."

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

Hoshi walked you to your door, his usual playful smile hovering at the corner of his lips. But there was something in the way he looked at you, something softer, something almost... hesitant. Or maybe this is just you being delusional.

"Goodnight," he said, his voice unusually quiet, as if something weighed on him.

"Goodnight," you echoed, a lump forming in your throat. You wanted to say something more—anything that would break through the unspoken tension between you—but the words just wouldn’t come.

You stood there, watching as he turned to leave, the rain falling harder now, watching him as he disappeared into the street.

And for the first time, you felt a sense of dread that maybe—just maybe—things were about to change.

The next day, you woke up the next morning, the soft patter of rain lingering as if it hadn’t stopped all night. The memory of last night hung heavy on your mind—Hoshi's words about dating him, the girl he supposedly liked. It left you confused and restless. He was your best friend, but lately, there were feelings bubbling up that you couldn’t ignore.

You sighed, rolling out of bed. You needed a distraction, something to shake off these emotions. Maybe today, you’d figure out your next move.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

At work, your phone buzzed during lunch. You opened the message to see your friend who had set you up on the blind date.

Friend: "Okay, I know the last one didn’t go so well, but I have someone new for you! Interested?"

Your thoughts instantly flew back to Hoshi's advice from the night before. Maybe you should stop dating. But that wasn’t the solution you were looking for. You were dating for a reason, after all, a reason you hadn’t fully admitted to yourself.

You were dating because of Hoshi.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you thought that if you dated enough people, maybe you’d stop thinking about him. Maybe you’d find someone who could replace those feelings, and everything would be easier. But that hadn’t worked so far. Maybe this next date would be different.

You: "Okay. Set me up."

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

By the afternoon, you had plans for the weekend. Your friend had set you up with Junhui, someone you had heard about but never really known well. He seemed nice, charming, and maybe, just maybe, this could be the distraction you needed.

But the entire time, Hoshi lingered in the back of your mind.

Later that evening, Hoshi texted you, asking if you wanted to grab dinner. Your heart did a strange flip—like it always did when you heard from him. But this time, you hesitated. You didn’t know how to face him after last night, after everything he said. And now, with Junhui in the picture, it felt even more complicated.

Still, you agreed to meet him.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

The moment you sat down across from Hoshi at your usual spot, you could tell something was off. He wasn’t his usual playful self, and the silence between you was palpable. Maybe he could sense that something had changed between you two as well.

"So," Hoshi finally said, breaking the tension. "How’s the whole dating thing going?"

You swallowed, trying to find the right words. "I actually have a date this weekend."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and you couldn’t miss the flicker of something—was it jealousy?—in his eyes. You didn't listen to his advice, which made him feel a little disappointed. "With who?"

"Junhui," you answered casually, but inside, you were bracing for his reaction.

Hoshi nodded slowly, his expression hard to read. One that you've never seen him make before when you told him about the dates you were going to. "Oh. That’s cool."

But it wasn’t cool. You could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Something in the air between you shifted again, and you wondered if you’d made a mistake.

As the week passed, the awkwardness between you and Hoshi grew. He was distant, not his usual self. But you tried to focus on your upcoming date with Junhui, convincing yourself that it was exactly what you needed to move on from whatever confusing feelings you had for Hoshi.

Meanwhile, Hoshi was struggling with his own emotions. He hadn’t meant to make things weird between you two, but the idea of you dating someone else—especially Junhui—was driving him insane. And the worst part? He couldn’t even tell you.

Every time he mentioned the girl he liked, he was talking about you. He had never actually said your name in the stories he told, and you were always too wrapped up in your own thoughts to realize it. But how could he tell you now, when it seemed like you were moving on?

So he did the only thing he could think of to forget about you: he went on a date too.

On the weekend

You had a great time with Junhui. He was sweet, funny, and everything you’d hope for in a date. But as the night went on, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t stop comparing him to Hoshi.

Still, you pushed those thoughts aside, determined to make the most of the night.

But then, as you were leaving the restaurant with Junhui, you spotted something that made your heart drop.

Hoshi was across the street—with another girl.

Your breath caught in your throat. So this was the girl he had been talking about all this time? The one he liked? You felt a sharp pang of jealousy, one that you couldn’t ignore.

Junhui noticed the sudden change in your demeanor and followed your gaze. "You okay?"

You forced a smile. "Yeah, I’m fine."

But you weren’t. Not at all.

The next few days were a blur. You tried to focus on your work, on Junhui, on anything but Hoshi. But the image of him with that girl kept haunting you, and every time you thought about it, your chest tightened with an uncomfortable mix of jealousy and sadness.

You tried to convince yourself that you didn’t care—that Hoshi was your best friend and nothing more. But you couldn’t lie to yourself any longer. The truth was, you had feelings for him. You had for a long time.

But it was too late now. He was already moving on, just like you had tried to.

The following week, the days stretched longer than usual as you and Hoshi tried to settle into your respective relationships. But no matter how hard you both tried, things weren't falling into place. You found yourself smiling through conversations with Junhui, but your mind was often elsewhere—on Hoshi. And Hoshi? He was doing his best to move forward with the girl he was dating, but you still lingered in his thoughts like a stubborn echo.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

Hoshi sat across from his date at a cozy café, doing his best to focus on the girl in front of him. She was lovely, with a bright smile and eyes that sparkled when she laughed. But despite how nice she was, his mind kept wandering to you.

"So, how was your day?" she asked, sipping her coffee. Her voice was sweet, but it barely registered.

"It was good," Hoshi replied, forcing a smile. But in his head, he kept replaying the last time he had hung out with you. How different it felt now, how everything seemed heavier between you two. He couldn’t help but wonder if you were thinking about him, too.

"Hoshi?" she asked, snapping him out of his daze.

"Sorry, what?" he blinked, trying to refocus. His date gave him a concerned look.

"I asked how your day was," she repeated, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "You’ve been kind of distracted lately."

"Oh, right," he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess I’ve just been... thinking a lot."

She gave him a small smile, though there was a flicker of something in her eyes. "Anything you want to talk about?"

Hoshi hesitated, knowing full well that what he wanted to talk about was you—but how could he admit that? He was dating this girl to forget about you, to move on from whatever was stirring inside him. But every moment with her just made him think of you more.

"Nah, it’s nothing," he shrugged, trying to shake it off. He needed to focus. This was supposed to help him move on, right? So why did it feel like the more he tried, the harder it became?

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

Later that night, after dinner, Hoshi walked his date to her apartment. The entire evening had been filled with small talk, but nothing felt quite right. He couldn't stop replaying the times he had walked you home, the easy conversations, the way your laughter filled the space between you. The comparison was driving him insane.

As they reached her door, she turned to him, smiling softly. "Thanks for tonight. It was really nice."

Hoshi nodded, trying to keep his thoughts in check. "Yeah, it was."

But as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss goodnight, his mind went completely blank. Instead of her name, the one that slipped from his lips was—

"Y/N..."

The moment the name left his mouth, he froze, his heart dropping. His date pulled back, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Did you just... call me Y/N?" she asked, her voice a mix of confusion and hurt.

Hoshi’s face turned pale, panic surging through him. "I-I didn’t mean—"

She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "Who is Y/N?"

Hoshi stammered, trying to find a way out of the situation, but the truth was stuck in his throat. He couldn’t lie—his mind was so consumed by thoughts of you that he had forgotten who he was with.

"She’s... just my best friend," he muttered, his voice small. But even as he said it, he realized how much weight those words held. "It was a mistake, I’m sorry."

His date studied him for a moment, her expression softening slightly. "Look, Hoshi, I like you. But if you’re still hung up on someone else... maybe we should talk about this."

Hoshi swallowed hard, guilt twisting in his gut. "I don’t know. I just—"

"Maybe you need to figure out what you really want," she said, cutting him off gently but firmly. "Before you keep dating other people."

He nodded, feeling a wave of regret wash over him. "Yeah, maybe you’re right."

With that, she gave him a small, understanding smile before turning and heading inside, leaving him standing alone on the doorstep. Hoshi stared after her, his mind racing. He had tried so hard to push his feelings for you away, but it was becoming painfully clear that no matter what he did, they weren’t going anywhere.

The next day

Meanwhile, things with Junhui were going smoothly—on the surface. You two had a fun day planned, and you were determined to focus on him, to stop your mind from wandering back to Hoshi.

But that morning, when your phone buzzed with a message from Hoshi asking to meet up later, your heart skipped a beat.

You couldn’t ignore how complicated things were getting. Every time you tried to focus on Junhui, Hoshi was there—whether in your thoughts or in reality. And after last night’s date with Junhui, you couldn’t help but feel a weird sense of guilt. As if you were betraying something between you and Hoshi that wasn’t even defined.

When you met Hoshi that afternoon, the air between you was awkward—more than usual. You sat at a café, nursing your coffee, while Hoshi stirred his drink absentmindedly.

"So... how was your date?" he asked, his tone neutral, though his eyes betrayed something deeper.

You shrugged, trying to keep things light. "It was nice. Junhui’s really sweet."

Hoshi nodded slowly, but the tension in his jaw was hard to miss. "That’s good."

Silence settled over you two, and you could feel the weight of unsaid things pressing down on the conversation. You had no idea that Hoshi had accidentally called his date by your name, or that he had been battling the same complicated feelings as you.

But something was shifting between you, and you both knew it.

"You seem... off," you said cautiously, breaking the silence.

Hoshi looked at you, his gaze lingering for a moment too long. "Yeah, well... things haven’t been going exactly how I thought they would."

You raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave you a half-hearted smile. "I guess we’re both just... figuring things out."

The words hung between you like an unfinished sentence, and for a brief moment, you wondered if there was more he wanted to say. But before you could ask, Hoshi’s phone buzzed, and he glanced at it, his expression shifting as he read the message.

"Sorry, I’ve got to run," he said, standing up quickly. "We’ll talk later, okay?"

You nodded, feeling a pang of disappointment as he left the café. The tension between you was getting harder to ignore, but neither of you was ready to address it.

Meanwhile, as Hoshi walked away from the café, his mind was racing. He had been so close to telling you how he really felt, but something kept stopping him. Every time he thought about confessing, the fear of ruining everything overwhelmed him. After all, you had shown no interest in him, and with your new relationship with Junhui, it felt like the door was closing on whatever chance he thought he had.

As Hoshi stepped out of the café, he felt his phone buzz again. It was another message from Park Woona. He didn’t think much of it at first, just figuring she was texting to follow up on their plans, but something about the message felt a bit… off.

“Meet me at the place we talked about earlier. We need to talk, now.”

Hoshi blinked at the message, glancing back over his shoulder towards the café where you still sat. A flicker of guilt passed through him, but he told himself he’d explain later. Woona sounded urgent, and given the mess his emotions had become lately, he figured it might be time to talk things out.

Still, as he walked towards the meeting spot, Hoshi couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. Everything with Woona had felt different since the last date. She had seemed distant, and truthfully, so had he. It was all just… complicated.

But the complications only multiplied when he reached the café and saw Woona standing near the entrance, her arms crossed and an unreadable expression on her face.

“You’re late,” she said curtly, her eyes flicking over him as if searching for something.

“I got here as fast as I could. What’s wrong?” Hoshi asked, frowning slightly.

Woona sighed dramatically, stepping closer to him. “I saw you with her.”

Hoshi blinked in confusion. “Her?”

“Y/N,” Woona said, her voice hardening as she spat out your name. “The girl you ditched me for back in high school. The one you’ve been pining after all this time.”

Hoshi’s heart sank. He hadn’t told Woona much about you—just enough for her to know you were his best friend. But clearly, Woona knew more than he had anticipated.

“I wasn’t ditching you for her,” Hoshi started, running a hand through his hair. “We’re just friends.”

Woona’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, right. Friends don’t look at each other like that, Hoshi.”

Hoshi opened his mouth to protest but found himself coming up short. *How did he look at you?* Maybe Woona had seen something he was still trying to figure out himself.

“You know, you always had a thing for her,” Woona continued, her voice laced with bitterness. “Even back in high school. She took everything from me. I worked so hard, and she always ended up on top. And now, even you? Seriously?”

Hoshi’s brows furrowed. “Woona, this isn’t about high school. This is—”

She cut him off. “Oh, it’s about high school, alright. You don’t know the half of it. You might have been too busy pining after her to notice, but she stole my spot on the student council, my grades were always second to hers, and to top it all off, she never even noticed how hard I worked.”

Woona’s voice grew sharper with each word, and Hoshi found himself taken aback. He had no idea the rivalry between you two had run so deep. He barely remembered those old high school days, too wrapped up in his own life to notice the tension between you and Woona.

“And now,” Woona continued, her voice quieter but no less intense, “she’s going to steal you too? Not this time.”

Meanwhile, you sat in the café, staring at the half-empty cup of coffee in front of you. The unease that had been gnawing at you since Hoshi left refused to settle. You tried to brush it off, telling yourself he’d be back soon—but something about the way he had rushed out bothered you.

You pulled out your phone, instinctively checking it for any message from him. But there was nothing.

Your mind wandered back to Hoshi’s behavior over the past few weeks. The awkward conversations, the stolen glances, the way he had acted every time you mentioned Junhui. You couldn’t deny that things between you two had been tense lately, but you chalked it up to the complications of growing up, of balancing friendships and relationships.

But now, with him gone and no explanation as to why, something felt… wrong.

As you absentmindedly scrolled through social media, a picture popped up that made your heart drop to the pit of your stomach. It was a candid shot, posted just minutes ago by someone you vaguely knew from work. The picture was of Hoshi—standing outside a nearby café with none other than Park Woona.

Your chest tightened as you stared at the image. *Woona?* The name rang in your ears like an alarm bell. Memories of high school came rushing back—the rivalry, the competition, and the way Woona always seemed to have it out for you, even when you hadn’t noticed her.

But now? Now it made sense. Hoshi had been acting weird because of her. All this time, the girl he liked, the one he had been describing to you, wasn’t just some random person—it was your co-worker, your rival.

*Of course it’s her*, you thought bitterly, your heart sinking as the realization hit you. *It’s always her*.

Woona smiled to herself as she checked her phone, noticing the picture someone had snapped of her and Hoshi outside the café. She knew you would see it. In fact, she had counted on it.

There was a twisted sense of satisfaction that filled her as she imagined the look on your face when you realized who Hoshi was with. You had always been oblivious to her, even when you were taking everything from her—every victory, every opportunity. But now, Woona had something she knew you couldn’t just brush off.

Hoshi.

He was hers now. And she wasn’t about to let you take him away.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” Woona said sweetly, wrapping her arm around Hoshi’s as they started walking down the street.

Hoshi glanced down at her, still feeling unsettled from their earlier conversation, but he didn’t say anything. He just nodded, allowing her to lead the way. He hadn’t meant to hurt anyone, least of all... you. But now, everything felt like it was spinning out of control.

As they walked, Woona’s eyes flickered with a triumphant gleam. This time, she wouldn’t lose. Not to you.

Back at the café, you set your phone down, your mind racing. The more you thought about it, the more it made sense. Of course, Hoshi had been distant. Of course, things had been weird. He had been seeing her.

Your throat tightened as the weight of the situation hit you. This wasn’t just about some silly rivalry anymore. This was Hoshi—your best friend, the one person you had always relied on. The one person you thought would always be there for you.

But now? Now it felt like you were losing him, too.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

You sat at the café, fingers drumming anxiously on the table. Your mind raced in circles—Woona, Hoshi, everything that had happened over the past few days. It was all too much. The tension in your chest grew heavier, almost suffocating, until your phone buzzed.

Junhui.

Your heart skipped a beat, but this time it wasn’t out of anxiety. It was a small glimmer of relief.

“Hey, you free?” his text read. “Let’s go to the amusement park.”

You stared at the message, feeling a strange sense of gratitude for Jun. He had been so patient these past few weeks, and maybe a distraction was exactly what you needed. If Hoshi was off having fun with Woona, then why couldn’t you do the same? Maybe spending time with Jun would help push Hoshi further from your mind.

You quickly texted back, agreeing to meet him at the park.

The amusement park was alive with the sounds of laughter and music, and as soon as you stepped inside, you felt a wave of excitement wash over you. Jun was already waiting for you by the entrance, his usual laid-back grin plastered on his face.

“Finally, you’re here!” he called out, waving you over. “I was about to go on all the rides without you.”

You smiled, grateful for the lightness in his tone. “Not a chance. I’m not letting you have all the fun.”

He chuckled as he led the way towards the games, the playful energy between you two easing some of the tension in your chest. You spent the next hour hopping between rides and booths, exchanging playful conversations, and trying to win prizes. Jun’s laughter was contagious, and for the first time that day, you found yourself relaxing.

“So, why were you so stressed earlier?” Jun asked casually as you walked towards the next booth.

You hesitated for a moment, not sure how to explain everything with Hoshi and Woona without sounding ridiculous. “Just… stuff,” you said vaguely, shrugging. “It’s been a weird few days.”

“Well, let’s make sure the rest of today isn’t weird,” Jun replied, nudging you lightly. “We’ll have nothing but fun.”

And you did. As you and Jun hopped from ride to ride, you laughed together, indulged in street food, and for a while, it really did feel like you were finally forgetting about Hoshi.

But then, while wandering through the park, something caught your eye—a small stall filled with plush toys. Your gaze landed on a tiger plushy, sitting proudly on one of the top shelves. A wave of warmth surged through you, followed by a sudden pang in your chest.

Hoshi.

You couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of him insisting he was a tiger. He had always been obsessed with them, even claiming he was part tiger on multiple occasions. The plushy looked exactly like something he’d love. The thought made you smile, but that smile quickly faded as you realized what you were doing.

*Shoot. I’m thinking about him again.*

Just when you thought you were finally moving on, his memory popped back into your head, like it always did.

Jun, who had been standing beside you, noticed the sudden shift in your expression. “What’s funny?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing,” you said, shaking your head and forcing a smile. “Just thought of something silly.”

Jun looked at you curiously for a moment, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he smiled and pointed to the plushy. “Want me to win it for you? I’ve got pretty good aim, you know.”

You laughed softly, grateful for his attempt to lighten the mood. “Sure, go ahead. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

As Jun tried his luck at the game booth, you couldn’t help but glance at the tiger plushy again, the memory of Hoshi lingering in the back of your mind. No matter how hard you tried to forget, he was still there—his presence, his laugh, his dumb tiger obsession—it all lingered like an unshakable shadow.

Junhui smiled proudly as he handed you the tiger plushy. "See? I told you I could win it."

You smiled back, but it felt... wrong. A knot tightened in your chest as you stared at the plushy. It reminded you too much of Hoshi—his tiger obsession, his playful growls, the way he’d flash that goofy grin whenever he mentioned it. The last thing you needed was another reminder of him, especially when you were trying so hard to forget.

But you took the plushy anyway, clutching it in your hands. Jun had won it for you, after all. It didn’t feel right to refuse, even though holding it only stirred up the thoughts you were desperately trying to push away.

As you sat down on a bench, the night sky lit up with the colorful burst of fireworks. The crowd around you oohed and aahed, but the dazzling display didn’t pull you from your thoughts. Your gaze drifted to the tiger plushy on your lap, and before you knew it, your mind had wandered—straight back to Hoshi.

You imagined him standing at the altar, Woona by his side in a wedding dress. You were there too, but as a bridesmaid, watching from the sidelines while the love of your life promised forever to someone else. The thought hit you like a punch to the gut, and before you could stop it, the tears began to fall.

First, just one. Then another. Until suddenly, your cheeks were soaked. It wasn’t just a few tears—your eyes had turned into waterfalls, and each drop splashed onto the tiger plushy sitting in your lap. You were sobbing, right in the middle of an amusement park, during a fireworks show, on a date with Junhui.

*Get it together*, you thought, but no matter how hard you tried, the tears wouldn’t stop.

When Jun came back, holding two drinks in his hands, his expression shifted instantly. Concern etched across his face as he hurried over, setting the drinks down beside you. He didn’t say anything right away, but he didn’t have to. He just knelt in front of you and offered his handkerchief.

"Here," he said softly.

You wiped at your face, embarrassed beyond words. *Crying? Really?* But the more you wiped, the more tears seemed to fall. The tiger plushy was soaked now, and so were your cheeks.

Jun sat down beside you, his hand gently patting your back as he let the silence stretch between you. The fireworks crackled and boomed overhead, but it was like they weren’t even there. All that existed in that moment was your racing thoughts, the plushy in your hands, and the overwhelming weight of your feelings.

“I know you like Hoshi,” Junhui said quietly.

You froze, the words hanging in the air like the last firework still sparkling in the sky. You didn’t even look at him, your eyes wide as the confession lingered between you both. Had he really known all along? You tried to say something—anything—but your voice caught in your throat.

Jun smiled, not out of amusement, but a kind, knowing smile. “It’s okay. I knew from the start.”

You blinked, still stunned, and finally looked at him. He wasn’t angry or upset. He just... understood. And that made everything hurt even more.

“I—” you began, but your voice cracked. You wiped away another tear, trying to find the right words. “I didn’t mean to use you, Jun. I really didn’t. I just—”

“You needed a distraction,” he finished for you, his tone gentle and understanding. “I get it.”

You stared at him, trying to figure out how he could be so calm, so accepting, when you felt so torn up inside. “I’m sorry,” you whispered, feeling the weight of guilt pressing down on your chest.

Jun shook his head, his hand still resting on your back in a comforting gesture. “You don’t need to apologize. I’ve always known. I could tell from the first time we met that your heart wasn’t in it. Not with me.”

You opened your mouth to argue, to deny it, but you couldn’t. Because deep down, you knew he was right. From the very beginning, it had always been Hoshi. No matter how many dates you went on, no matter how many times you tried to push those feelings away, it always came back to him.

Jun sighed softly and leaned back on the bench, staring up at the night sky. “This wasn’t really a date for me either,” he admitted, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I just wanted to cheer you up.”

You felt a lump form in your throat at his words. “Jun…”

He turned his head to look at you, his eyes warm and full of understanding. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain anything. I just wanted you to have a good time tonight, to help you get your mind off things.”

You were silent for a moment, letting his words sink in. Jun had always been so kind, so patient, even when you didn’t deserve it. And now, sitting there with him, you realized just how lucky you were to have him as a friend.

“Thank you,” you said softly, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jun smiled and patted your back again. “Anytime. But…” He glanced at the tiger plushy in your lap, his smile turning a little playful. “I’m guessing that tiger isn’t helping much, huh?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, even through the tears. “Not really.”

He chuckled too, and for a moment, the heaviness in your chest felt a little lighter. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll figure it out. And when you do, I’ll be here. Whether it’s as a friend, or whatever you need.”

You smiled at him, genuinely this time, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over you. “Thanks, Jun. Really.”

Jun stood up and stretched, glancing back at the still-bright fireworks in the sky. ��Well, how about we forget about all this for now and go win some more plushies? I promise not all of them will remind you of Hoshi.”

You laughed again, and this time, it felt good.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

Junhui drove you home, and as the car pulled away, you stood at the entrance of your house, watching until his taillights disappeared down the street. You sighed softly, a small smile tugging at your lips. Somehow, even with all the emotional turmoil you’d been through, things felt just a little lighter. Talking with Jun had lifted a weight off your shoulders, but despite that, there was still an unsettling feeling. Hoshi—he was still on your mind.

I have to move on, you thought, turning the key in the lock. He’s with Woona now, and she’s the one he’s meant to be with. You repeated that to yourself, but no matter how many times you said it, it didn’t feel any easier.

Meanwhile, across town, Hoshi was sitting in a dimly lit bar with Woona. The atmosphere was cozy, the air filled with the soft murmur of conversations and the occasional clink of glasses. Woona, looking effortlessly elegant, tried to draw his attention with her playful smiles and lingering glances. But Hoshi, the easygoing guy, was completely oblivious to her attempts. He was a sucker for charm, sure, but only when it came to you.

Woona leaned closer, her voice smooth as she asked, “So, what was your day like?”

Hoshi blinked at her, his thoughts scattered. *What was my day like?* He couldn't even remember. All he could think about was you, and the fact that you were probably off having a great time with Junhui. He chuckled softly to himself at the thought, not even noticing the confused look Woona shot him.

“Uh... Hoshi?” she said, trying to bring him back to the present.

“Hmm?” He blinked and glanced at her, his smile fading as he realized he had zoned out for the hundredth time that night. “Oh... yeah, sorry. My day was... fine.”

Woona bit her lip in frustration, sensing that his mind was elsewhere, and not with her. She wasn’t stupid—she knew where his thoughts were drifting, and it made her chest tighten. It was shitty. But still, she wasn’t ready to give up, not when she had come this far.

She took a sip of her wine, trying to think of another way to engage him. “You know,” she said with a soft laugh, “I’ve always thought it was cute how you never seem to get too drunk.”

Hoshi gave her a half-smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He picked up his own glass and took a sip, hoping the wine would help him relax, but all it did was make him feel more disconnected from the moment.

Woona, sensing the distance growing between them, decided to be more assertive. She moved closer to him, her arm brushing against his. She leaned in, her voice dropping to a low, sultry tone. “You know, Hoshi, we could have a really good time tonight... if you just let go.”

Hoshi felt the heat of her words, but they barely registered. His mind was too full of you—your smile, your laugh, the way you made him feel like no one else ever had. And the more he tried to focus on Woona, the more wrong it felt.

Woona noticed his lack of response and frowned. *Why isn’t this working?* She thought, growing frustrated. She leaned in even closer, this time reaching out to rest her hand on his arm. “Hoshi... are you even listening to me?”

He blinked and looked at her, but instead of Woona’s face, all he could see was you—your bright eyes, your teasing grin, the way you would always joke around with him. It was as if his brain refused to let go, no matter how hard he tried. He chuckled again, this time louder, as the absurdity of it hit him. *I’m sitting here on a date with Woona, but all I can think about is Y/N with Junhui.*

Woona, clearly irritated by his distraction, sighed. “What’s so funny?”

Hoshi shook his head, still chuckling to himself. “Nothing, it’s just... I keep thinking about how Junhui is probably making Y/N laugh right now. He’s always been good at that.”

The moment those words slipped out, Woona’s smile vanished. She stiffened beside him, her frustration boiling over. *There it is again*, she thought bitterly. *It’s always about her*.

But she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Desperate to regain his attention, Woona moved even closer, her arm now fully wrapped around his. She leaned in, her lips dangerously close to his ear. “Forget about her, Hoshi,” she whispered, her voice dripping with forced sweetness. “I’m right here.”

Hoshi didn’t respond, his gaze drifting away as his thoughts once again wandered back to you. But this time, Woona wasn’t going to let it slide. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her, and before he could react, her lips were on his, kissing him deeply.

For a moment, Hoshi didn’t move. His brain short-circuited, overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all. But even in the midst of the kiss, all he could think about was you. It didn’t feel right—none of it did. And the longer the kiss went on, the more wrong it felt.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Hoshi pulled away. His breath was shaky, his heart racing, but not in the way it should have been. He put as much space between them as he could, his eyes wide with confusion and guilt.

Woona stared at him, her chest rising and falling with her heavy breathing. She looked stunned, almost hurt. “Hoshi...?”

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of the mess he had just created. “I... I can’t do this, Woona,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Woona’s eyes widened, her heart sinking. She had seen this coming, but hearing it out loud still hurt. She sighed, a heavy, defeated sound, and leaned back in her seat. “You can’t stop thinking about her, can you?”

Hoshi bit his lip and shook his head, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him. “No... I can’t. I’ve tried, but...”

Woona stared at him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face for something—anything—that might give her hope. But there was nothing there. She could see it in the way he looked at her, or rather, the way he didn’t look at her. She wasn’t the one he wanted. She never had been.

A sad smile tugged at the corners of Woona’s lips. “I should’ve known,” she said softly, more to herself than to him. “I should’ve known from the beginning that there was no place for me in your heart.”

Hoshi looked at her, his heart heavy with guilt. “Woona, I’m sorry... I really am.”

Woona let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Hoshi. You can’t help who you love.” She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “But it doesn’t make it any easier.”

Hoshi hung his head, his hands gripping the edge of the table as he tried to find the right words. “I... I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know,” Woona said quietly. “But that doesn’t change anything, does it?”

The silence between them was thick with tension, and for a long moment, neither of them said anything. Hoshi opened his mouth to apologize again, but Woona held up a hand to stop him.

“Don’t,” she said, her voice firm but not unkind. “You don’t need to keep apologizing. I get it now.”

She stood up, straightening her dress as she prepared to leave. Hoshi looked up at her, his eyes filled with regret. “Woona...”

But she just smiled, a sad, resigned smile, and shook her head. “Take care of yourself, Hoshi. And... go to her. Don’t waste any more time.”

With that, Woona turned and walked away, leaving Hoshi sitting alone at the table, his heart heavier than ever.

------------------~~~~~~~~------------------

Hoshi stood in front of your house, staring at the door. His breath fogged in the cool night air, but it wasn’t the chill that was making his hands tremble—it was the thought of what he was about to do. What if Junhui was there? That was the question that echoed in his mind, but he forced himself to shake it off. He was here now, and it was too late to turn back.

He had already called a cab for Woona earlier and made sure she got home safely. She had been quiet the whole ride, no more attempts to cling to him, no more words to sway him. In a way, it was a relief, but it also left him with this unsettling feeling in his chest. Guilt, he realized. He didn’t like the idea of leaving things the way they had ended with Woona, but deep down, he knew there was no other choice. He couldn’t keep lying to her—or to himself.

Now, standing here in the dim glow of the streetlight outside your door, Hoshi felt more nervous than he had in years. He rubbed his palms together, trying to warm them, but no amount of friction could calm the nerves buzzing under his skin. His heart pounded as he raised his hand to knock, but for a second, he hesitated.

*What if she doesn’t feel the same?*

It was a real possibility. After all, you had Junhui. And from what he had heard, things were going well between you two. Maybe you were happy. Maybe you had finally moved on. The thought made his chest ache in a way he couldn’t describe, but he swallowed the lump in his throat. Even if you rejected him, at least he could say that he had tried. At least he wouldn’t have to wonder what if anymore.

He took a deep breath and knocked.

There was a long pause. No sound from inside. Hoshi waited, his hands growing colder by the second. The anxious thoughts in his mind started to spin, but before he could talk himself out of it, he heard movement from behind the door.

The door opened slightly, and there you were, standing in the warm glow of your hallway light. You looked surprised, your eyes widening a little as you took in the sight of Hoshi standing on your doorstep.

“H-Hoshi?” you stammered, stepping forward. “What are you doing here?”

He smiled nervously, his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets. “I, uh... I needed to talk to you.”

You blinked, clearly taken aback by his sudden appearance. For a moment, neither of you said anything, the tension hanging heavy in the air. Finally, you stepped aside and gestured for him to come in.

Hoshi hesitated for a second, then nodded and stepped through the doorway. The warmth of your house hit him immediately, but it didn’t do much to ease the chill in his chest. He stood awkwardly in the entrance, unsure of where to start.

You closed the door behind him, your gaze lingering on his face. Something was off about him. You could see it in the way he was standing, the way his eyes kept darting around like he didn’t know what to say.

“So...” you said slowly, crossing your arms as you leaned against the doorframe. “What’s going on?”

Hoshi opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. How was he supposed to tell you everything he had been holding in? He had practiced it in his head a hundred times, but now that he was here, standing in front of you, none of it seemed right.

“I... I’ve been thinking,” he started, his voice quiet, almost hesitant. “About... everything.”

Your eyebrows furrowed, and you tilted your head slightly. “What do you mean?”

Hoshi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean... about us. About how things have been between us lately.”

He glanced at you, and for a split second, he saw something flash across your face—something that looked an awful lot like relief. But it was gone before he could really process it, and you just nodded, encouraging him to go on.

“I know I haven’t been around as much,” he continued, his voice growing steadier now. “And I know you’ve been with Junhui, and I—” He paused, his chest tightening at the thought of you and Jun together. “I know I don’t have any right to say this, but...”

You stood there in silence, your heart beating faster with each word. There was something in the way Hoshi was speaking that made your own nervousness grow. You had tried so hard to forget about him, to bury those feelings deep down where they couldn’t hurt you anymore. But seeing him here, standing in your house and talking like this—it was undoing all the progress you thought you’d made.

“But I need to tell you how I feel,” Hoshi said finally, his voice barely more than a whisper now. “I’ve tried to ignore it. I’ve tried to pretend that I’m fine, that I can just move on. But I can’t. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Your breath hitched in your throat. This was exactly what you had wanted to hear for so long, but now that the words were actually coming out of his mouth, you didn’t know how to respond. You felt a knot tighten in your chest as the weight of his confession sank in.

“I know you’re with Jun,” Hoshi added quickly, his hands balling into fists in his pockets. “And I don’t want to mess things up for you. I just... I needed to tell you the truth. I couldn’t keep pretending that I didn’t care, because I do. I care more than I should.”

Silence filled the room, the kind that felt too heavy to break. You could feel your pulse racing, your mind scrambling for something to say, but nothing felt right. The weight of the situation was crashing down on you all at once, and you weren’t sure how to handle it.

Hoshi shifted on his feet, clearly growing more anxious with each passing second. “Look, if you’re happy with Junhui, I get it. I really do. And if you don’t feel the same way, that’s oka—”

“I do.” The words tumbled out of your mouth before you could stop them. Your voice was shaky, your heart pounding in your chest. “I do feel the same.”

Hoshi froze. His eyes widened in surprise, and for a second, neither of you moved. The silence that followed your sudden confession was thick, heavy with the weight of what you’d just admitted. You hadn’t planned to say it, not like this, not so suddenly. But the moment he tried to walk away, something in you couldn’t let him. You couldn’t let him think that you didn’t care—that you hadn’t been feeling the same way all along.

“I do,” you repeated, your voice quieter this time, but no less filled with emotion. “I... I’ve been trying to move on, but I can’t. I tried with Jun, but... it’s always been you.”

Hoshi’s breath caught in his throat. He blinked, still processing your words, his mind racing to catch up. His heart was hammering now, louder than before, and he could barely believe what he was hearing.

“You don’t know how many nights I stayed awake thinking about this,” you continued, your words stumbling over each other, unsure but insistent. “About you. About us. And it scared me because I didn’t want to ruin what we had, but—”

You paused, trying to steady your breathing. Your thoughts were spinning, emotions running wild, but you knew you couldn’t stop now. The truth was finally out, and there was no turning back.

“I didn’t want to lose you, Hoshi. And I didn’t know what to do when I saw you with Woona, so I ran away from it. I thought maybe I could move on, but it didn’t work. It never works, because... because it’s you.”

The vulnerability in your voice cut through the tension like a knife. Hoshi just stared at you, his mind reeling, his body frozen. For so long, he had been holding onto this hope, and now—now you were saying the very thing he had been too afraid to wish for.

“You... you really feel the same?” he whispered, his voice barely audible, as if he was still afraid that this might all be a dream.

You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Yes. I’ve tried to push it down, but I can’t anymore. I’m tired of pretending.”

Hoshi took a step closer, his eyes locked on yours, searching for any hint of hesitation. But there was none. Only the raw, unfiltered truth that neither of you could hide any longer.

His lips parted, as if he wanted to say something, but for the first time, he found himself at a loss for words. All this time, he had been so scared of ruining things between you two. But now, hearing you say that you felt the same—it was like every wall he had built around his heart was crumbling.

“I... I don’t know what to say,” he admitted softly, his voice cracking slightly. “I never thought...”

You gave him a small, shaky smile. “I never thought I’d say it either.”

The silence stretched between you, but this time it wasn’t suffocating—it was thick with emotions neither of you had the courage to express until now. There were no words left that could capture what both of you were feeling, but in that moment, none were needed.

The room fell into a deep, comforting silence as the weight of your confession lingered in the air. Both of you were standing there, exchanging soft, almost shy smiles, like two teenagers experiencing their first taste of love. Hoshi took a step forward, bringing himself close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from his body. His eyes were locked onto yours, filled with a tender mixture of awe and longing.

His hand reached out, hesitant at first, but then gently cupping your cheek. You leaned into his touch without even thinking, the softness of his hand making your heart race. There was something so right about this moment-something you both had been denying for far too long.

Hoshi's voice was low, barely above a whisper as he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

Your breath caught in your throat, but you nodded without hesitation. The answer had always been yes.

Slowly, almost cautiously, he leaned in. The space between you seemed to disappear in an instant, and then his lips met yours in a kiss that was both soft and full of emotion. It was like the release of all the tension that had built between you over the years—every unspoken word, every hidden feeling pouring out in that single kiss.

His arms slid around your waist, pulling you closer, and you melted into him. The kiss deepened, becoming more urgent, more needy as the heat between you grew. His lips moved with yours in perfect sync, as if this had always been meant to happen. It wasn't even the first time you've kissed him. Over the past years of your friendship, you remember kissing him as a dare back then. But this, this was different. It was as if your problems washed away in the blink of an eye.

In the back of your mind, you knew where this was leading, but it didn't scare you. There was no awkwardness, no doubt-only the overwhelming need to be close to him, to feel him in every way possible.

He pulled you gently towards the couch, lips never leaving yours, and you let him. The world outside ceased to exist as you sank down together, his hands exploring your body with a tenderness that sent shivers down your spine. The heat between you was undeniable, and soon, it wasn't just your lips that were communicating-it was every part of you.

He pulled you to his lap, while you straddled on him, the kiss remained, leaving you both breathless.

And little by little clothes fell away, hands roamed freely, and the quiet sounds of your shared breaths filled the room. Every touch, every movement was deliberate, slow, as if both of you were savoring this moment that had been a long time coming.

Hoshi's lips trailed down your neck, his hands never leaving your skin, and you couldn't help the soft moan that escaped your lips. It was as if years of pent-up emotions were finally being released, and nothing else mattered but him.

The way he'd touch your breasts, and suck your neck, and his other hand travelling at your back. He was giving you every attention he could. The way you shared your bare bodies, it felt ethereal.

The love-making wasn't rushed, it was slow, tender, and filled with all the things you hadn't been able to say out loud. Each kiss, each caress, was a silent confession, a way to tell him what words could not. Hoshi was gentle, attentive, as if he was memorizing every inch of you, and in return, you gave yourself to him fully.

His hard cock was bulging from his pants, as his hands found it's way to the fabric of your pajama. He pulled it down and effortlessly removed your panties, his fingers capturing and rubbing your clit. Everything was slow, as if he was teasing you, or maybe it was because he had waited for this very moment. The way his fingers enter your folds, you moaned in delight. He loved hearing those beautiful sounds you make.

With his fingers moving in and out of you, slowly but attentively, you were practically breathless. "You're doing well," Hoshi whispered, giving you kisses on your cheek, trying to show you his love and affection. You were wet down below. So wet that Hoshi's pants were soaked with your fluids. His fingers moved faster, making you bury your face on his shoulder, your moans high-pitched as he felt you walls tighten within his fingers. He continued fastly, his fingers reaching to that one good spot.

Soon enough, you came before you even knew it. "Well done, baby," he complimented as he took his fingers out of your drenched pussy. He gave you a kiss on your lips, and you deepened that. While your hands were unbuttoning his pants. He let you, and as soon as he was also bare naked, you aligned yourself to his cock, you were sitting on his lap afterall, so you shifted your hips, the tip of his cock on your clit. You stroked him with your hand a few times, making him grunt in pleasure. But when you finally sat on him, making you let out a breath you were holding earlier.

This was far from the feeling when you felt him with his fingers. This was larger, causing your folds to stretch. It didn't hurt a lot though, but your eyes watered from the pleasure you were feeling.

"Baby... keep moving," he said, and you did. You thrusted your hips against him, the slapping of your skins and your moans the only sounds heard from the room.

The way your hips are moving like you never thought they do, and you pussy swallowing him well were all too good. The friction was making you come again, but Hoshi stopped you, he wanted to come together. He lifted you up, but his cock remained inside you and he brought you to your bed, laying you there while you were underneath him. He then thrusted his hips onto yours, your sounds loud and lewd and your fingers digging onto his shoulders.

He thrusted hard and fast, almost too desperate, the way you tightened around him made him want to erect right then and there. "Baby, let's have kids," he muttered, grunting and breathing fastly when finally, you both reached your climax. His semen coating your walls.

It was a moment suspended in time, a culmination of everything that had been building between you for years. And when it was over, the room was filled with the soft sounds of your breathing, your bodies tangled together, both of you basking in the aftermath of something that felt so right, so inevitable.

Hoshi's arms were still wrapped around you, and as you lay there together, the weight of your feelings settled comfortably between you. There was no need to say anything—no need to rush. for now, it was enough to simply be with him, to feel the warmth of his skin against yours and know that this was only the beginning.

The soft glow of the moonlight filtered in through the curtains, casting gentle shadows across the room. The air between you and Hoshi was heavy with the events of your shared moment—an undeniable sense of intimacy and relief, yet there was also something fragile in the quietness that followed.

You lay in his arms, your head resting on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Hoshi’s hand absentmindedly traced patterns along your back, and every touch sent a comforting warmth through you. It was peaceful, but your mind couldn’t help but wander, thoughts swirling around the events that led to this.

You could feel his breath against your hair, the rise and fall of his chest, and you knew he was thinking too. Everything between you had changed tonight, and while there was comfort in finally being together, there was also a looming uncertainty about what would come next.

Hoshi broke the silence first, his voice soft and a little unsure. “Are you okay?”

The question seemed simple enough, but the weight of it settled in your chest. Were you okay? You felt raw and exposed, as if all the walls you had built over the years had come crumbling down in a matter of hours.

You looked up at him, meeting his gaze. His eyes were searching, filled with a mix of concern and hope, and you knew he was wondering the same thing as you—whether this moment could be the start of something real or if it was just a fleeting connection.

“I don’t know,” you admitted quietly, the honesty of your words hanging in the air between you. “It all feels like a dream.”

Hoshi’s grip around you tightened slightly, as if grounding you in reality. He nodded, his own expression softening. “I get that. I’ve been… thinking about this, about us, for so long. I didn’t know if it was real either.”

There was a long pause before he spoke again, his voice more tentative. “But it is, right? This is real?”

Your chest tightened at the vulnerability in his question. Hoshi had always been so full of energy and confidence, but right now, he seemed almost uncertain, as if he was afraid you might pull away from him again.

You reached up, cupping his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin against your palm. “It is real,” you whispered, the words feeling both like a confirmation for him and a reassurance for yourself.

He let out a breath, one you didn’t even realize he had been holding, and leaned into your touch. There was relief in his eyes, but also something else—something deeper that lingered just beneath the surface.

But before you could speak again, the reality of everything started to sink in. The complications. Woona. Jun. The tangled mess of emotions you had both been avoiding for so long.

Hoshi must have sensed the shift in your thoughts because he spoke up again, his voice quiet but firm. “I don’t know what happens next,” he admitted, “but… I know one thing. I can’t go back to pretending that I don’t feel this way about you.”

His confession hit you hard, sending a rush of warmth through your chest. But it also brought back the reality of the situation. There was so much to figure out, so many things left unsaid—especially about Woona.

“She’s going to hate me,” you murmured, almost to yourself, as the guilt began to gnaw at the edges of your thoughts. Woona had been your rival for so long, and even though you hadn’t meant for it to happen, you couldn’t help but feel like you had crossed a line with Hoshi.

Hoshi sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know. But… it was never going to work between us. Not when I’ve been in love with you this whole time.”

His words made your heart skip a beat, and for a moment, the room seemed to still. He hadn’t just said he liked you. He said love. And hearing him say it out loud made everything feel more intense, more real than before.

Your throat tightened, the emotions building up inside you. “Hoshi, I—”

Before you could respond, his lips brushed against your forehead, a soft kiss that seemed to hold all the words he couldn’t say. “You don’t have to say anything,” he murmured. “Not right now.”

But the weight of those words hung between you both. There was no escaping it anymore. What you had just experienced was more than just a physical connection. It was years of hidden feelings, unresolved tension, and now, the undeniable truth that neither of you could ignore.

You snuggled closer to him, letting the warmth of his body comfort you for now, even as your mind raced with thoughts of what came next. The night was quiet again, but the complications of reality were slowly creeping back in.

Tomorrow, you would both have to face the world outside this room. You would have to face Woona. You would have to face your own tangled emotions and the fact that moving on wouldn’t be as simple as you had once thought.

But for now, in this moment, you let yourself get lost in the comfort of being with him, knowing that whatever came next, you wouldn’t be facing it alone.

—aeya here!: i made this for like, 2 days and it reached to 11'507 words so like... idk, maybe i should shorten it to make more smut. i figured you all wanted the smut parts sooo.... yeah... nvm, this is more of an angst. lol i hoped yall enjoyed this one. im also a hoshi 🐯 stan so i wanted to make this after the jeonghan ff. (honestly though, you can't have one or two stans in svt. we stan them all 😎)

—your likes/reblogs are very much appreciated because it makes up all the writers block and complications that i've been through while writing this one 🥹, knowing you guys liking the story are making my heart flutter. love y'all!!!

—have you guys heard about the nth room in telegram happening here in korea? stay safe children, 언니, and ladies. and to those who were a victim to this, i hope you all recover from the emotional / trauma. let's spread awareness ♡ 서로 돕자!

[calxide]

HIT "TWEET"! 🐦

⸻ PAIRING med student!Kaeya x med student fem!reader

STATUS on-hold ('til 2024) | sporadic updates

TAGS smau with lots of written parts, enemies to ??? lovers, mutual pining, humor/crack, fluff, dying med school students, suffering college burnt out gifted kids

SYNOPSIS Going to med school was, by far, not the best decision you've made. But, because of it, you've made multiple friends online - especially on MedTwt on Twitter. Do you need help? Just type your problem with the hashtag "#MedTwt," and you're one step closer to getting the answer you've longed for!

When you experience struggles in the world of studying medicine and science, your Twitter moot is always there for you. On the other hand, an acquaintance enemy of yours never fails to bothers you. They have such contrasting personalities, yet a familiar feeling of comfort whenever you talk to them. Or is it uneasiness?

Fate surely is a playful one.

WARNINGS profanities; time stamps don't matter unless stated (time seperators do tho – but not the time itself) ; kaeya is a bitch (affectionate); y/n is tired of kaeya's shitty shenanigans; slow burn ('cause we love it here); y/n has an online persona that is named "zie" — this nickname will be used and mentioned a lot; a lot of "k why s" jokes (+ y/n's intrusive and impulsive thoughts). more warnings will be added as the story progresses.

TAGLIST is open, please send an ask or comment HERE if you want to be added/removed! if i am unable to tag you, please check this post.

AUTHOR'S NOTE it's my first time writing kaeya as main character and I hope I give his character justice :')) that banner/header is by far the ugliest i've made.

also, please expect a lot of typographical errors, because i write whenever i'm unhinged and wrote most of the chapters late at night

🐦 TWITTER PROFILES: Fullmetal Hoes | Noble Gases

TWITTER MOMENTS 「BOOK」 ⚡️

What's happening? this stupid guy fought against me because of a book and is now ruining my life.

1 Tweet: Bookstore

2 Tweets: I love Taylor Swift!

3 Tweets: kaiser 💓

4 Tweets: Kaeya

5 Tweets: delusions are okay

DELETED TWEET 1: painful reminder

6 Tweets: science is not science-ing

7 Tweets: do you care?

8 Tweets: siblings

THREAD | REPLY 1: non-existent ass

9 Tweets: be there or be square

THREAD | REPLY 1: i am done with you

REPLY 2: blue emojis

REPLY 3: gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss

REPLY 4: mission: unblock me please

10 Tweets: preparations

THREAD | REPLY 1: shitty bastard

REPLY 2: playing pretend

REPLY 3: why now?

TWITTER MOMENTS 「SCI-FAIR」 ⚡️

What's happening? kaiser and i will finally have a chance to meet e/o <33

11 Tweets: just a hunch

TWITTER MOMENTS 「...」 ⚡️

What's happening? i don't know either.

⠀

UNRELEASED CHAPTER NAMES ARE STC.

TAGLIST 🐦 @mayasshitposts @eternal-dokja @aemiko @temshouineichi @sukunasrealgf @eutopiastar @wonderland-fan @kissingkzuha @aether-darling

[uwmspeccoll]

Staff Pick of the Week

The end of the semester and year is approaching quickly, so I feel that it is only appropriate that I discuss a book about the end times. My staff pick this week is Arne Wolf's (1929-2013) unique typographic version of the Revelation of St. John the Divine printed in Berkeley, California in an edition of 25 copies in 1996. Consisting of elements solely in red and black on cream paper, this book seems chaotic and confusing at times, as the reader constantly needs to change angles to read the text, while they are also bombarded with abstracted full-page illustrations. Wolf’s repetitious typographic schema emphasize the repetition in the text itself, which grounds the reader in the sometimes confusing, word-filled pages of his book, much like the end of an academic semester!

Arne Wolf was a calligrapher, artist and teacher who made a variety of books, usually using solely black and red type, which can be seen throughout the pages of this book.

Designed and produced by Wolf himself, this book was handset from 20th Century metal type and various wood types and printed on Rives Lightweight with binding by John DeMerritt.

Our copy is a gift from the estate of our late friend Dennis Bayuzick, which also donated two other books by Wolf: Genesis: The Generations of Adam and The First Joke of Willingdone from Finnegans Wake, which also highlight his preferred method of typographic creation consisting of bold types and a consistent color scheme.

View more staff picks.

View other books from the collection of Dennis Bayuzick.

– Sarah S., Special Collections Graduate Intern

[eribeen]

Confession

A/N: hi! This is Eribin. I am not a real writer, doing this as my past time. English is not my first language so bear with my English. There’s a lot of grammatical and typographical errors. This is just a fiction from my delusions 😆

Ps: Don’t mind the date. It was on my draft for a very long time 😂 and I decided to upload this on Weesa’s Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEESA!!

CAST

Weesa

Y/N

Y/N’ s POV

I had been planning for almost a week now to confess my feelings to my crush using my dump account. He’s Weesa. My classmate. We’re currently taking up BS Marketing. 

I spent days constructing my confession message to him. So many What-ifs popped in my mind. Like

What if he likes me too? Am I ready?

What if he likes other girls? Will i be okay?

What if he didn’t reply? At least I tried, right?

OMG! He saw it right away! What the—!! What should I do? My heart is beating really fast, and my hand went numb. I saw that he was typing. OMG!

Oh— rejection 😭 It hurts so bad. Lol. As expected. I was not even expecting that he would entertain my confession. This is just a happy crush, but still, it hurts like hell. The Cutie Weesa is inlove with someone, and it’s not me!??? That’s unfair! Just joking. I’ll support him no matter what. Maybe I will just admire him from afar. 

We exchanged a few messages, and he said good night. Right. It’s late for good night and too early for tomorrow 😂 but I was shocked when he sent a messageagain.

Shoot! He was borrowing my confession message. It was kind of lame, though. There’s nothing special about my message, but the courage I took really took me days to send it. And I feel light jealousy for that girl, whoever she is. She’s sooo lucky to have Weesa’s attention. I wish I was her. Lol

I was getting ready to sleep when a text notification popped.

I got up immediately when I saw the text message. My heart beats so much faster, and shock is written all over my face. 

"What the hell? Did he-- Weesa? EEEEHHHH?????"

[thewebcomicsreview]

souper-slingsubmitted tothewebcomicsreview: Could you have a look at my friend’s webcomic and give your opinion of it so far? https://frankyfierro.thecomicseries.com/

Okay, let's take a look.

Not super fond of this first page having a big text dump. It is good that the text dump is broken up into paragraphs instead of being a brick, but maybe if you're doing a wall of text you don't need the pretense of all the word balloons, since the dialogue makes it obvious Franky is speaking in the first person here. That's me being nit-picky, though. I do like the actual text itself, which establishes Franky's character very fast.

Actually, y'know what? I'm kind of coming around to the text dump opening. It's not what you're "normally" meant to do, but it's short, it's flavorful, and between that opening and this title page I feel like I have a impression of what this comic is about already: Jimmy Neutron meets Serenity Rose. Let's see if that impression is accurate!

I like this art, and I like that the narration box is passive-aggressive (since it's established that Franky is the narrator), but man I do not like that lettering. The pixelated font may or may not be a fit for a comic about a machine-maker, tbd, but there's no excuse for left-justifying the text.

Like, this art is really expressive and charming in a cartoony way, but the sterile artificial lettering kind of doesn't support that tone. I presume "Frank ,let" is a typo, but...what's with all the ellipses? Am I meant to read it as "I thought I told you (pause) not to call them toys!!!"That's kind of weird and doesn't seem appropriate to the scene? Is that intentional?

The dialogue generally has this slightly surreal feeling, which I feel uncomfortable criticizing since I'm not sure if the creator is a native English speaker and maybe I'm the asshole here.

So I'll just note to maybe run your dialogue through a spell check at least, because there's a lot of typos, like "figth" there.

Like, I'm pretty confident that the principal is meant to sound wacky, but I'm not sure if Frank is or if that's just typographical errors.

Lest I sound too negative here, by the way, the art is very strong for what this comic is doing. There's actually a lot this comic is doing right, it's just the dialogue that's hurting it.

"I seem to have hit you with the doors again this month" is weird but in a funny way, and I laughed at it. Why "this month"? That's so weirdly specific, like she's accidentally hit him with the door once a month for the last eight months or something. I'm not sure if that's intentionally the joke or not, but I did laugh.

Because, like, this announcement doesn't make sense. "The president of our wonderful student council...Simona Garfunkel Stradivari" and then suddenly the next word balloon has an entirely new sentence even though the old one didn't finish. I'm confused. Is that the joke? Is it weird on purpose? What is this? I don't understand. Is it modern? Or is it just a mistake?

(Also, it should maybe be "The wonderful president of our student council" instead of "the president of our wonderful student council", since the story is all about Simona the villain getting undue praise, and none of the other council members matter)

(Also also that's a pretty expressively drawn speaker, with the scrunchy lines look. I like it)

This is a good panel that demonstrates the point I'm trying to make by harping on the grammar. Here, the ellipses in the second balloon "She's gonna be fine...maybe" reads like she is pausing. Except there are a million ellipses all over the place so I don't know if that's intentional, I just kind of have to assume that's what the author means. (Also "Shorty" is improperly capitalized, which I presume doesn't mean something)

So, here's the thing with this comic. The art is good. It's very good, it's wacky and expressive and cartoony for a wacky and expressive and cartoony comic. The plot, which I've skimmed over here, is perfectly cromulent. The characters are strong. The stakes are clear. It has a lot of mid-2000s anime energy, which is what your friend seems to be going for. The comic's really only got one problem, and I feel a little bad harping on the one thing the comic is doing wrong instead of what it's doing right...but that problem is omnipresent. Cleaning up this dialogue would make a massive difference. My recommendations are:

Run the dialogue through a spell check to make sure there are no typos

Read the dialogue out loud after writing it. If it's supposed to sound wacky, fine, but if it's not meant to sound weird it shouldn't. Have someone else read it out loud if you need someone to check it for you.

Just a little bit more attention to making sure the dialogue works, and this comic could actually be pretty solid! It's so close, there's just this one last layer of polish that's needed!

[erose-this-name]

Primer On Stylistic Elements Of Internet Speak (Zoomerese) (from what I've learned by being terminally online)

This is just text, like, normal fucking text. nothing special about this.

Because base English 🥱 only has support for shouting :O (!) questions🤨(?) and statements ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (.), and we wanted to add new registers of voice :P, (and keyboards limit the ability to add new symbols) :-( a lot of new features to the language have to be made out of other symbols or be made of stylistic elements instead of a dedicated symbol. And since there's no dedicated authority to teach people new abstract symbols, they had to be faces so they could be intuitive. ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡

This isn't sARcaSTIc at all, I mean come on, why would anyone EVER want to indicate SARCASM by OVEREXAGGERATING to compensate for """"English not having a sarcasm punctuation mark""""? Like, c'mon, it's not like "/s" or ".~" can also be used AS a sarcmark.~

Oh, yeah? "RanDOM CaPS mAKeS IT sOunD LIkE mOCkiNG" that's what you sound like.

This is TOTALLY post-irony OR meta-irony, where you just, like, SAY what you actually mean but IN A SARCASTIC WAY??? Uh, what is this, some kinda "gen z exclusive" comedy/slang feature?? Like, wow, I guess you would need to do that to "create some distance" between you and your beliefs by giving you the ability to say you were "JuST KiDDinG", or as a "joke" because ""zoomers"" are so oversaturated with content that normal single level sarcasm doesn't work anymore and they need to layer that shit up two or three times, or some bullshit like that.

I'm finna splain txt messg shorthand, aka sms language. its like faster 2 type & kinda gives u a valley grl vibe. itz actually a bit harder 2 learn than the rest of these and I'm not gud at it. kthnx

This. Is. Putting. A. Period. On. Every. Fucking. Word. This. Shit. Makes. It. Sound. Like. You. Motherfucker. Are. Very. FUCKING. Angry. And. Authoritative. (this prosody is also a new [and relatively rare] feature in spoken English as well.)

UwU, what's this? Nya, thiws iws uwu/owo voice! (UwU)! Iwt iws meant towo sowund wike a baby voice, vewy cute (hazawdouswy cute) (UwU!), awnd iws used excwusivewy by fuwwies awnd femboys awnd fuwwy femboys uwu awnd anyaone who uses iwt "iwonyacawwy" iws secwetewy owne nya of those pwobabwy uwu. use at youw own peril (you will wose bwaincewws awnd become gay) nya! RAWR XD

Dis ar teh LOLCAT, it be VRY OUTDATD MEME, but sum bits ov dis style ov brokd grammar an spellin' still appears on teh interwebs in TINY DOSES 2 mak it seem cutr an dumbr or leik a cat 4 ironic purposez, LIEK ONCE OR TWICE PER POST!!!1!1 DO NOT OVAR USE IT LIEK IM U WILL DYE!!!1!1!

uh all lowercase and without punctuation makes it seem childish/lazy which can be used for irony if what youre saying is actually very important or authoritative but you dont wanna sound that way because you are depressed or just wanna feel cute or maybe some other reason idk im just a boy

Exclamation marks (!) indicate excitement and energy! My Dad (ex-typographer) whose really really cool says that exclamation marks (!) mean you're SHOUTING and not to use them!!! And he's really cool, but that's not right anymore because SHOUTING IS INDICATED BY ALL UPPERCASE!!!!!

AAAA WHY ARE WE SHOUTING!?

fUCK CAPS LOCK IS ON THIS LOOKS LIKE AN OBVIOUS MISTAKE/UNINTENTIONAL SHOUTING FUNNY JOKE.

This is Capitalizing The First Letter In Every Word, which is done on Tumblr Dot Com but not much elsewhere. It brings to mind how Titles and Headlines also sometimes Capitalizing The First Letter In Every Word, and gives your post an aura of Authority and to Nounify Something.

Most other parts of the internet™®© do this where they spam copyright and trademark symbols®©™®©© to achieve the same effect as capitalizing the first letter in every word©©™.

>be me >go on 4Chan.org >dies immediately.exe >looks into posts >discovers entirely unique and interesting writing style called greentext >ask why its called that >Get called a "newf*g, desu" >it's mostly used by incels to gaslight fa/tg/uys and /b/***** (they wouldn't censor that) into reading stories they made up about themselves where they become a sex haver >literally no one believes that any greentext has ever actually happened >find incest greentext >ew.wav >read it anyways because ******** (utter self-loathing is important for authentic greentext) >it's just the plot of Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back >mfw

I learned 4Channerish so you don't have to. Seriously, don't.

(If I've missed anything please reblog to expand our VALUABLE COLLECTIVE EDUTRAINING ABILITIES)

[not-terezi-pyrope]

FIPTION: There Is A Crack In The World (Review)

So, I finally finished "There Is A Crack In The World", the largest part of my fiction reading trade with @fipindustries. It's taken me a while, and I haven't spoken about it much here as I read, sending my in the moment thoughts to Fip directly, instead. Part of the reason I didn't finish it sooner was because I am abroad, and I've been distracted by not being in my own home, hanging out with my boyfriend, actually hanging out with Fip in person, but regardless; I am done now and here are my thoughts.

Crack in the World is a really interesting book for a lot of reasons. There are a bunch of things I didn't like about it, and a bunch of things I really did like about it, and it's fascinating for me how those things intersect. I'll start with my biggest criticisms; the writing itself is very one-and-done, unedited prose, which, combined with this being a novel written in a second language, results in text that feels fairly sloppy in parts, spattered with spelling and syntactic errors, odd sentence phrasing that needs a second eye making adjustments. There are some moments where I can feel the author had a clear picture in her head, but where the details didn't come out as clearly as might have been liked to the reader. These issues would be the biggest barrier to this getting published properly one day, but it's also arguably the most straightforward to fix; the book just needs a thorough editing pass, either by Fip or another editor. The intent is clear enough that I think someone could fix up these issues without any author input, and indeed I found myself doing so in my head as I read. The core meaning is solid, and so when thinking about the book I am going to largely ignore the typographical stuff, the narrative now feels fairly accurately transcribed into my head where I can prod at it as a consolidated story, and it is that story that I'll be reviewing.

The important context for CitW is that it was written when the author was, per her description, dealing with having been in a pretty bad place, and so the tone that the novel seeks to strike is a pretty grimdark one. According to the aftermath post linked at the end, parts of it were an exercise at writing "unrepentant misery porn". Maybe I am desensitised to dark fiction, but a lot of the book didn't really come off that way to me, but in a way that's almost to Fip's credit; even when she's trying to write a dark and miserable story, Fip's delight in writing about whacky characters playing out dynamic adventure narratives comes through in many places, and so the book's dystopic setting feels more Mad Max than 1984. The setting is dark and grim, but it's a cartoonish kind of grim that is, to be frank, mostly just sort of fun. There's a teenage edginess to a lot of it, which Fip has talked about being an accurate description of the mindset for some scenes. The times when that edginess doesn't work are, ironically, when the book really tries to be dark but in a way that pushes into being too crass to be endearing. There's a lot of blood and gore, which I appreciate, but then there are anal rape and shit jokes, which I do not, it feels a little bit too immature and too aspirationally edgy. I think some of that is regretted in retrospect. It doesn't detract too much from the overall feel, though.

The plot is also surprisingly straightforward, not as labyrinthine as I had expected at its core, a fairly conventional dual-protagonist adventure arc culminating in crossed paths (with several side-vignettes, as I discuss later). The ending is dark and follows up on the themes of hopelessness the most effectively of anything in the novel. After the entire book, I think that the background thematic radiation has built up enough for it to be earned, by that point. The final chapter and epilogues are a little fast and blunt, but not unworkably so.

There are two big strengths to the book, two things that I really liked. The first is the characters; Fip is primarily a visual/comics artist and you can really tell, even via writing alone, that she really likes coming up with cool characters with their own specific emotional vibe, and setting them off to interact with each other. These are guys who all feel like they should come with their own splash screen, tag line and iconic halloween costume. There's something almost superhero comic strip about the iconic identities of the characters, about their specific skills and motivations, true even for those that don't actually have their own "superpowers". But don't get me wrong, there's plenty of superhuman individuals on display, here; we have impossibly tenacious gun-wielding assassins, murderous, practically invulnerable clown girls, jungle mercenaries using anti-air rifles as a personal pogo stick, Russian mobster types, a literal dark lord... It's very whacky and fun when you get down to it, which is what really tempers the intended grimdark tone. You might fear that there's some dissonance there but it merges into something unique and interesting. That said, perhaps a more tightly edited version could change some passages with that in mind.

The second thing I really liked was that the story is used as a sort of... Stage setting for a bunch of smaller, more contained narratives, almost smaller parables (sometimes literal parables) that slot into the story. These are clearly separate ideas that were floating around in the author's head, and a lot of them are more tightly written than parts of the main narrative, more fully formed from the start. The two interlude chapters are the clear standouts in the whole work, and both are examples of writing in the style of these little vignettes. I do almost wish that the rest of the story was more integrated to match, there is a risk a few times of the non-sequitur insertions coming across as a little piecemeal, but this becomes less of an issue near the end - the second interlude is at once its own thing but is deeply connected to the rest of the story, and it makes absolute sense that it comes when it does.

One thing that the vignettes also highlight is the difference between pre-planned narrative trajectory/pacing and the "write on the fly" nature of the rest of the novel. There are some times where, in comparison, the "standard" chapters are at risk of tripping off required plot occurrences by rote without dwelling on them, and it's most notable by contrast. Keeping the little sub-stories in the novel is well with it though, and the pacing issue could be fixed with editing.

Other little things I liked: the bounce back and forth between protagonists in alternating chapters was very fun, and helped keep the pace up. I liked seeing the world from different perspectives, and from characters with very different roles in the world. For that matter, I liked the world itself; the worldbuilding was fun, if a little tropey, and I enjoyed trying to dissect the lore. There were a few things that didn't hold up to scrutiny lore-wise in retrospect, but that's understandable given the serial publishing. On the other hand, there was a lot of cool thematic stuff and character foreshadowing that was clearly planned well in advance and paid off really well. I'm avoiding specifics due to spoilers, but there are a lot of fun surprises in this novel!

So that is There Is A Crack In The World. Not a perfect book by any means, but a lot of fun and vibrant ideas. Fip has been sending me her excellent artwork for the story, which really adds a lot, and that compounds my desire to see this adapted as a sort of pulp graphic novel, given an ideal world. At it is, if there is future development of the story to be had it would be in a thorough editing pass. This is not required, however; the story is a fine artefact as it exists on its own, as rough around the edges as it may be, it tells an interesting and satisfying tale of some very cool characters. It's a shame I didn't get through it faster, but I'm very glad I took the time.

Great job Fip. Next up I read The Milkman (although that may also be slow coming; my preemptive apologies).

[doyenami]

Palais des congrès de Montréal

My project name is “Palais.” I chose to take a surrealist collage approach to the design and broke down the physical space of palais des congrès, mashing up exterior and the interior of the building. The palais des congrès is a commercial space, it’s wide and and depending on the days it can be either busy or empty. I chose to mainly represent the streets outside and the inside of the hall with the umbrellas and the stairs inside the cut-out entrance of the palais. About my form of my poster, the poster makes use of hierarchy with juxtaposition the modified images on photoshop. The palais des congrès made shapes and colours are its main design principles. Everything surrounding the structure is based around this. The inside is desaturated while the outside is colourful, so I made it so that in my poster it’s a mix of both. I made a visualization of the street using the names and making it into an alternate. I made the stairs monochrome because they are like that in real life. I desaturated the colours to create contrast between the exterior and the interior. I choose to make a collage styled poster because the palais has this absurdist styled interior with an explosion of colour at a certain point of the day. It especially has this dizzying effect with the sun light and repetitive patterns throughout the building. My goal was to break down and accentuate these aspects to make the palais recognizable. I also sought to make us both typographic and graphic visuals in the building as the palais is recognizable thanks to these two. For example, I made the hand from the tree shaped sculptures in the palais. I turned into a hand because hands often I would joke as a kid that it looked like a hand. As a person with adhd, I feel as though this poster also show a perspective that my younger self used to see when I went to the palais.

I realized I saved this as a draft 😀 sorry for the late submission

[anorc-writing]

Pointless Bio time.

Largely a clone of my old FFN profile.

Welcome

Have fun reading my fics. I have had a lot of fun writing them, so hopefully you can have some fun reading them. Even the non-happy ones. They're fun too, like spicy food.

To quote Terry Pratchett "Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself."

What's my problem, dude? Why can't Harry just be an Alpha male?

(That's not actually a thing. Even Wolves don't work like that.)

I like to play with the conventions of fanfiction. E.g. with  Harry Potter, messed up kid.That kid already had PTSD before the war ended, and had an abusive upbringing. He's gonna have a bad time.

I'll take a trope and apply either crack or common sense to it. Often with naturalistic characters; not Naturalists who go naked, but people who act where possible like real people. And I'm always going to think about the ecological context of magic and thus try to find a way for the original author's worldbuilding to with as few changes as possible to be a stable system. If it was unstable, it would have collapsed in the many millennia since magic was discovered. I'm not advocating (Rowlings) socio-economic conservatism, just assuming that the original works describe a world that existed before the work, and probably afterwards too.   My series of stories about marriage contracts are technically a polemic against them. Who'd have thought.

Typographic conventions

In general I use the following typographic conventions.

"Speech" 'thoughts' 'writing being read by character'

I often don't write out parseltounge in English, just putting in speech that looks like hissing. Occasional "$parseltoungue$" occurs because VMS is cool. (If you understand the reference, you win.)

Unusual words in capital case in dialogue might be Vocal Emphasis. Try saying it aloud. Ditto. For. Over-Punctuated. Speech. (they're angry, or impersonating Alan Rickman playing Severus Snape.)

Sometimes FFN imports a section and bolds the whole thing because it ate a bold sentence at the start and got stuck thinking it's all bold. Not my fault. But tell me anyway.

Oh and people with very old english surnames that have double letter like Jasper fforde (great real world author, please read him) don't necessarily use a capital. double letters predates capitals.

PLEASE NOTE

I don't speak any languages but English. Google translate is responsible for the poor state of non-english languages in my stories. Unless I'm parodying the character, who doesn't speak the language. If you do speak the language, it should be clear from context, unless it isn't. I'd do better but I'm too ignorant. For those reading along in English: Occasional non-english text inserts occur. Life's like that.

An example : In 'Careers Day ch1', Theo Nott who is from a wealthy pure-blood family, understands the Headmistresses broken French but replies in German. What could he possibly be trying to communicate? I beg of you please, get my jokes. Or my characters. Unless they write their own dialogue for some reason. Is that... method writing when the character writes their own dialogue?

I will generally write in 3d person, semi objective and may change P.O.V. character occasionally. Sections of dialogue may not contain much description. Some reviewers don't like it. Maybe I'll rewrite it one day with more description, but I tend to ignore the surroundings and focus on the conversation in real life, so it bleeds through into my text. Occasional accidental transitions into present tense occur. And occasional intentional ones: to be intentionally jarring: something very unpleasant is generally happening and the character, and you, dear reader, by association are possibly dissociating a little.

Unreliable Narrators

My POV characters are not omniscient: They may record things that didn't happen exactly as described. Some lie or are mistaken.

Official authorial excuses section

I write to amuse myself, which means when it feels like work I don't do it. This is a hobby, not a job.

Chapter-at-a-time isn't working for me so there will be a period of lack of progress on some stories. There is writing happening, and it will get posted eventually.

Typing:As I have arthritis and am dysgraphic; I can't hit the key I want to reliably. I have to type then edit every line about four times, for get readable English. On writing days I will finish the day in pain. To quite the princess bride: 'life is pain, princess, anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.'

Beta: Don't have one. Yes, this is all un-beta'ed. I have tried getting beta's and I'm going to try again one day. Today is not that day.

Cursed Child: I will use elements from it, but don't take it as really canon. My rehashes of it are generally parody. And for the love of merlin don't read it, you might as well read My Immortal instead!

Honestly this bit is canon

BOOKS=CANON. Films not so much unless I want to.

Harry Potter: Is thin, has messy black hair and green eyes. And ends up fairly tall. So not Daniel Radcliffe, and I often have Harry disguise himself by making his hair brown and flat, eyes blue, and his face chunkier. Mr Radcliffe has a much wider chin than Harry does. And if Harry hasn't got PTSD, I'll eat a hat. For all of that, by his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry is canonically fanciable. Even Hermione says so (his eyes anyway, which are bottle-green not emerald dammit.)

Hermione Granger: Isn't Emma Watson. Get over it. She's got buck teeth, big frizzy brown hair and pale skin, she's prone to sunburn and blushing. And has some fairly bad habits. Read the books to find out what they are. Spoiler: bossy, thoughtless, resorts to violence, defers to authority figures.

Ron: Has red hair and a big (long) nose. He's tall, gangling and has a long nose and freckles. He's a 'regular bloke' who manages to get good grades with hardly all that much work. He misses out on being as pretty as Bill Weasley was before Bill got scarred up.

The Weasley twins aren't tall. Sorry, the movies lied to you. They're stocky. They play Beater in Quidditch.

Harry has a tiny circle of friends. He never talks to Fay Dunbar, who's in Gryffindor, and the same classes as him for six years.

[celestfoo]

WOII - Week 12 Art Ecosystem

The art ecosystem is a complex network of interconnected entities and individuals involved in the creation, production, distribution, consumption, and critique of art. Just like our planet's Ecosystem everybody and anything they do has a role to play in creating this system.

In particular, networking is a main factor that plays an important point as it is a connecting bridge to open doors to new opportunities, visions, and collaborations with different people from different industries to make yourself grow and gain knowledge.

A great way to get your artwork to be exposed is with an exhibition, school open house, or cultural institution. This way a designer can engage audiences with its art produce. Teaching young designers like me different viewpoints and skill sets and what can be done outside.

I visited the open studio held by BA design students and I was astounded by their work.

My eyes were drawn to this work, as a board game lover myself I have always fancied the design artwork of these card/board games. I would imagine myself working with game designers to design graphics and typographic segments in the future too. Board games are strategy games and I love how every board game I've encountered always has a unique design and style to them.

choking hazard board game

This board game is silly and funny and really no strategy behind just laughter. It shows how probably without all the science behind card games I too can recreate something similar to these base on human relations and comedic narrative.

Singaporean dream

Relateable card game graphics for our fellow Singaporeans to relate to.

To conclude, I'm excited to be working on my future project in collaboration with different departments such as coders, filmmakers, animators, fashion designers, etc... Gaining access to new experiences and also learning along the way through feedback.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference

“Joking Hazard.” Board Game Supply, 18 Nov. 2021, boardgamesupply.com.au/product/joking-hazard. https://coconuts.co/singapore/news/local-satirical-board-game-singaporean-dream-launch-crowdfunding-campaign-week/

[eribeen]

The Pretender

A/N: hi! This is Eribin. I am not a real writer, doing this as my past time. English is not my first language so bear with my English. There’s a lot of grammatical and typographical errors. This is just a fiction from my delusions 😆

WARNING: swearing, Physical abuse? (like in a friendly way)

CAST: Takahide Suzuki and Y/N

Y/N’s POV

“Y/N, please? Help me! This will be the last, I promise!” Takahide pleaded as he followed me. I'm on my way to the cafeteria for lunch during our break, when this jackass just appeared out of nowhere. We’re not classmates, gladly! He’s Takahide, my best friend. a childhood best friend.

“I don’t want to,” I said, and I kept walking. He blocked my way, held my shoulders, and looked at me intently.

"Y/N, please? She doesn’t want us to break up, but I am done with her. She’s so noisy, and she’s not like you. She’s demanding and annoying. Please! This is the last one. I promise!” He said, but I just looked away.

"Takahide, you should be the one cleaning up the mess you’ve made. The last time I said yes to this, I ended up being slapped and embarrassed in public," I said. He wants me to pretend to be his girlfriend again and confront the girl he’s talking about to break up with him. Takahide just let out an awkward laugh and removed his hands from my shoulder.

“But you get even with her, right? You even punched her when she slapped you," he said while laughing. I rolled my eyes at him, and he even laughed harder. “As your best friend, help me, Please?” he pleaded, showing puppy eyes.

“Fine. THIS.WILL.BE.THE.LAST Baka.” I said. He knows I can’t turn him down when he shows his cute side and says the best friend card. Baka is my endearment for him, which means stupid.

“Yeeeesss!!!!” He said this and jumped out of joy. He faced me while smiling widely. My heart skips a beat whenever he’s smiling genuinely at me. Yes, you’re right. I’m in love with him. I don’t know when and where, but I just woke up and realized that he’s important to me, and I get jealous of his girlfriends. YES, GIRLFRIENDSSSSSSSSSSSSS, this guy is a chickboy.

“I knew it! You can’t say no to my handsomeness!" He added, which made me make a face at him.

“Says who you’re handsome, Baka? I don’t find you that even attractive. I dunno why many girls run after you. Just  eeewwww," I said and continued to walk. I was just joking at the part that he’s not attractive. He’s very attractive in my eyes. 

“H-hey! I'm so handsome. Many girls told me that” he defended himself. I let out a small, sarcastic laugh. 

“Whatever! maybe they are blind” I continued to walk, heading to the cafeteria. Finally! I can eat now.

“She’s in the cafeteria, Y/N.” I rolled my eyes at him. Myghad! I’m famished! I thought I can now eat in peace

“Can’t I just eat first? Can't that wait?” I asked.

“I’ll treat you outside. Whatever restaurant you like”  he said. He really know how to please me.

“What does she looks like?” I asked him, and he described her, and now I'm currently walking towards her. That Baka left outside. He will just wait. Mayu is laughing and talking with her friends. Not bad, Takahide. She's pretty, AF.

“Mayu,right?” I asked the moment I stood in front of her. They stopped laughing, and all of their eyes went up to me.

Fuck you, Takahide! She seems like such a wonderful person. "Ahh yes? Who are you?" she questioned me naively.

"I am Y/N, Takahide’s girlfriend— scratch that, fiancè, I mean.” I said, and their eyes were like bawling out of shock. I let out a small smile at them.

“I don’t believe in you," she just said, and she had teary eyes. I mentally rolled my eyes, and I want to beat Takahide’s ass right now.

“Then don't; I'm just saying this as early as possible so it won’t hurt you that much. Eventually, he will find another girl to play with and leave you hanging behind," I said, putting my hands in my pocket. “Break up with him, Mayu. You don’t deserve Takahide. You deserve better," I said, and I was about to leave when she shouted something that makes me realized my real feelings

“Is it okay for you then? That he’s playing around behind your back; you’re his fiancé, right?” I turn to face her and just smile. More likely, a miserable smile. A great smile but my eyes are filled with sadness

I went out of the cafeteria, and the moment I saw Takahide, he was smiling while looking at his phone. more likely, a victory for him. My blood boils. I pulled his hair when I came near him.

“Aawww!! What is that for? You’re being a sadist now, Y/N,” he said. It just hit me when Mayu said that if it’s okay with me if Takahide is playing around, of course not. will never be. It’s not okay with me. But I don’t have the rights. We’re not a thing. I mean—he’s not even mine to begin with. I'm just his best friend. only his best friend. I didn’t answer him and headed back to my room. I have no appetite to eat right now. especially with him. I am irritated with his face right now.

“H-hey!!” He said as he grabbed my arms to stop me from walking away from him. 

“What now, Takahide? I'm tired, so don’t bother me for a  while," I said, continuing to walk away from him.

“Wait up, Y/N; I will treat you to lunch, right?” He said while chasing me. He stopped me once again.

“Treat yourself then. Congratulations on being single again! Then go ahead, find another girl, and fuck their lives, and I will be here to clean up again the messes you’ve made," I said out of frustration. I am more than mad right now. at him and myself. I wish I could teach my heart to unlove him.

“What’s wrong? That would be the last. What happened inside?" He just asked.

“You. And this," I said as I pointed at my heart. He seems confused with my words, but I don’t care. I left him there, but moments later, I could feel his hands once again in my arms. He stopped me and faced me.

“What do you mean, Y/N?" I remained silent. Good thing it’s lunch break and most of the students are in the canteen or outside the campus. I am contemplating if I should admit my feelings for him. But I knew once I confessed, our friendship would be over. Whatever happens, happens.

“I like you, Baka. No— I love you. But I shouldn’t love you, right? We’re best friends," I said, and he was silent and looked down. He's like disappointed? I let out a sigh. I knew it. He will reject me because he doesn’t like me. 

“Fuck you, Takahide. Don’t come near me for a while, please,” I said as I walked away. I cried while walking away. What the hell happened? Did I just confess? Haist! You’re so stupid! It makes me more disappointed when he does not come after me. Maybe I’m right. He doesn’t like me at all.

—————— 1 week later

One week had passed. He really did not show his face to me. I’m glad, but there’s something inside me saying, ‘I miss him’. Fuck! You shouldn't, Y/N! You should move on from now on.

Pretender? Yeah, that’s me. I pretended that I didn’t have feelings for him. I'm the greatest pretender. It’s okay with me to be just a friend, as long as he’s always by my side. I was so stupid last time for confessing my feelings. And now, I regret it. My heart feels so heavy after that incident, and up until now, it has never felt at ease.

“Y/N, someone’s looking for you. He’s outside,” my classmate said. My heart skips a beat. He? A man? Takahide? I went out, and there’s no one outside. The hell? no one's outside. I will punch my classmate for making fun of me. I was about to go inside the room when a man grabbed my left arm and dragged me along with him. Oh? where he came from?

“Baka..” I silently said as he dragged me. He looks so serious. He never glanced at me. What the hell is up with this guy? He never showed his face for a week and just dragged me out of nowhere! Good thing it's a festival right now and most of the faculty are not in school right now. We’re just required to go to school for general cleaning or something.

We’re now on the school rooftop. No one’s here aside from us.

“Why did you drag me here? If you want us to talk, you can just say, or we can talk outside our room,” I said while checking my arm, which he held.

“Y/N, about last week—" I cut him off by picking his ears.

“A-aw!! Aawww!! Yah! That hurts! " He said as he tried to get out of my hands in his ears. 

“About last week, forget it, Takahide. I was carried away by my emotions. That will never happen again," I said, smiling at him, but he was still serious and his face was stern.

"No,” he simply said, closing our distance while still intently looking at me. My heart skipped a beat for a moment as he went close to me. My body just froze and couldn’t move.

“Takahide?" I uttered, but it looks like he’s not happy.

“Don’t call me that. Call me Baka like you always do,” he seriously said, and I stood up straight. Chin up, chest out.

“Why would I? Don’t tell me what to do! You’re just my best friend," I said proudly at him. It looks like he’s not happy with it.

"Best friend to future lover,” he seriously said. I looked at him in disbelief, like that was an awful kind of look. I can't believe him at times like this

“Stop joking around, Baka. I’ll go back to my room. Bye,” I said and turned my back at him, but he hugged me from behind.

“Y/N, I missed you. One week without your presence is torture for me. I didn’t bother you for a week, like you said, but I am watching you from afar. I am a jerk. I know. I played, and I broke many innocent hearts. I shouldn’t have done that in the first place. I am deeply sorry for you and for them, but I will make this right, I promise," Takahide said as he made me face him. I was stunned for a moment hearing all of this from him. ‘What does he mean by that?’

“Y/N, if you allow me, I will correct all my wrongdoings and let me court and love you,” he seriously said while looking at my eyes and brushing my hair out of my face and putting it behind my ears. Did I hear it, right? He will court me and love me.

“I regret all of it. I know this is lame, but I just do it because I want to divert my attention to other girls. I have loved you ever since, Y/N. The first time I saw you playing in the rain, I was sure that I liked you. I am scared of losing and hurting you because I know I am not capable enough; I am not the right person for you; I am a jerk; I am a coward; basically, I am a walking red flag. If you didn’t confess that day, I will continue playing with girls' hearts. I didn’t know that we had the same feeling with each other,” he said, and I just stared at him. Eh? So— he loves me too?

“I love you, Y/N.” He said as his head headed towards mine. Is he going to kiss me? But I kicked his legs.

“Aw! Aaaww! Aaawww!! What the— what’s your problem!?” He shouted as he limped in front of me. 

“My problem?? You, Baka! What do you think of me, Huh? Am I that easy for you? " I shouted back. We’re always like this. Trust me. Maybe our love language to each other is shouting. Not good, right? But this is how we're used to. 

“What? Ofcourse not! "He said

“Then why are you going to kiss me? Did I say yes? Did I give you permission? You should earn my yes, you Baka! " I said, turning my back at him. The moment I turned around, a smile was written all over my face. I am suppressing my happiness right now. I am happy that this is not a one-sided story. I will not hide. I will not be a pretend girlfriend anymore. No more pretending. A tear came out of my eyes, finally!

"okay! okay! I will court you and earn your yes. I know you can't say no to my charm" he shouted while limping. I, walking away put my finger heart at him and laugh. He stood up well and smiled.

THE END

[remembering-the-future]

asterisk - it will happen!

Title: The Astonishing Asterisk: A Mysterious Symbol Unveiled Introduction: Greetings, fellow curious minds! Today, I bring forth an extraordinary revelation that will undoubtedly leave you in awe. Brace yourselves, for I am about to unravel the enigmatic tale of the asterisk, a symbol that is destined to revolutionize the way we perceive punctuation. Prepare to be astounded! The Premonition: In the depths of my contemplative musings, I have stumbled upon a prophecy, whispered by the ancient scribes of yore. They spoke of a symbol, a celestial mark that would descend upon our language, forever altering its course. This symbol, they claimed, would possess the power to enhance our understanding, provoke laughter, and perhaps even grant us the ability to predict the future. Intriguing, isn't it? The Mysterious Origins: According to my dubious sources, the asterisk is believed to have extraterrestrial origins. Yes, you heard that right! It is said to have been gifted to humanity by a mischievous group of intergalactic beings who sought to inject a touch of whimsy into our written communication. Little did they know the chaos that would ensue! Misconceptions Galore: Now, let me clarify some common misconceptions about the asterisk that have been circulating among the uninformed masses. Contrary to popular belief, the asterisk is not a tiny star, nor is it a secret code for interdimensional communication. No, my dear readers, it is far more extraordinary than that! The Power of the Asterisk: The asterisk, as foretold, possesses the ability to alter reality itself. It is rumored that when placed strategically within a sentence, it can transform mundane statements into uproarious jokes. Imagine the possibilities! A world where every sentence is infused with humor, where laughter echoes through the halls of academia, and where even the most serious matters are met with a chuckle. The Future of Communication: As the asterisk gains popularity, I predict a future where entire conversations will be conducted solely through asterisks. Imagine deciphering a message that reads: "*wink* *smile* *thumbs up* *confused face* *laughing uncontrollably*." It may seem bewildering now, but mark my words, this is the path we are destined to tread. Conclusion: In conclusion, dear readers, the asterisk is not just a mere symbol but a harbinger of linguistic revolution. Its power to amuse, confuse, and transform our written language is unparalleled. Embrace the asterisk, for it is here to stay, forever etched into the annals of punctuation history. Remember, my friends, the next time you encounter an asterisk, do not dismiss it as a mere typographical mark. Instead, pause, reflect, and allow its whimsical charm to transport you to a world where laughter reigns supreme. The asterisk is our gateway to a brighter, more amusing future! Disclaimer: The author of this blog post takes no responsibility for any disappointment caused by the inaccuracies presented herein. The intention was purely to entertain and tickle your funny bone. Embrace the asterisk with caution!