#vincenzo you had ONE JOB

[capitanschampagne]

seeing dancing rasta and shakes together makes me crying in daddy issues way

[wongyuseokie]

Crossing Lines | w.j.h

Summary: Your boss is a dangerous man, and you foolishly messed up his schedule, now he’s pissed and you’re the only one that can fix the problem you caused. 

☆ 18+ minors dni |☀︎fluff | ♕ smut | ☁︎ angst |  ♥ completed works

Word Count:  2516 words

Pairings: Mafia! Wen Junhui x Female Reader

Genre/Trope(s)/AUs: Fluff, angst (minor), smut. PWP (it’s got the briefest plot ever) Content Warnings: Jun is a member of the mafia or an organised crime unit, I guess. It’s never really discussed. Think Vincenzo. Mentions of blood and death (nothing descriptive). A knife is used to take off a shirt, but there’s no blood. Is cuddling a warning? Jun is actually just a softie too. Jun threatens to kill her once, but it's part of the dirty talk. She calls him sir but it’s not kinky. 

Smut Warnings: Dom!Jun, oral sex (female receiving), rough sex, use of a scarf as a gag, fingering. Unprotected sex (don’t do this folks), minor knife play. Name-calling. Multiple orgasms, overstimulation, squirting. Dirty talk. 

Authors Note: Honestly, I've been bias wrecked so so badly by this man I want to cry. This fic came to life because of @flurrys-creativity sending me thirst traps and giving me scenarios, and somehow it became a full-blown fic and reading this, too 💕 . Thank you to @the-boy-meets-evil for beta'ing this. You brought my smut back to life and made it much more sense. Thank you, my lovely!! 💕 I shall send you more DK thirst traps as a thank you. Thank you also to @here4btsfics for always letting me thirst and cry over Jun because, look at him, thank you for reading and thirsting over Jun with me ❤️ Authors Note 2: Tagging my lovely June @junkissed-replies ❤️

Banner Credits: @classicscreations Cross Posted on AO3 © wongyuseokie 2023. All rights reserved.

Working for Seoul’s most notorious crime family wasn’t exactly easy. Being designated as the personal assistant to the family's youngest member was even less ideal. Wen Junhui, typically known only as Jun, was the definition of a walking juxtaposition. His doe eyes sparkled like the night sky, and his body made you ache, with abs sculpted by gods and thighs you wanted to ride until you came all over his trademark black skinny jeans. 

On the other end of the spectrum was Jun’s job, which he referred to as more of a  hobby—killing people. He was ruthless. Noone dared cross him. One wrong word, the slightest misstep, and the poor bastard would be dead on the floor of his den before he could even realize his mistake. 

You had grown oddly accustomed to his brutalities. He had a job, and so did you. Your job was to make sure his demands were met, no matter what they were, so you didn’t become another name in a long list of kills. Except he had a soft spot for you. Or maybe it was that you made something on this already hard man even harder. There was a mutual attraction between you two that you never dared act on. The man was dead inside. 

Today was not a good day. You had checked and double-checked Jun’s schedule, but there was still some miscommunication. Whatever it was led Jun to believe you fucked up his meeting plans with his biggest rival. 

In this world, it meant that he deferred the meeting, which made him a pussy. He was not happy. Actually, that was an understatement. Jun was fuming. In one of those cartoons, smoke would come out of his ears. It would be comical if it weren’t for the fact that he literally killed for a living. 

“Y/N, step into my office now, shut the door, and lock it.” 

You felt chills down your spine and wondered if this was it for you. You’d be dead. He got up from his seat, and damn, why did he have to look so criminally good? All previous fear subsided, at least for a moment, as you took in his appearance. He had his signature leather jacket on with ripped jeans. You cursed your body for being such a traitor, clenching at the sight of him. Jun walked towards you,  eyes trained on you as if you were a target. 

Correction: you were his target. He stopped close to you, too close for the thoughts racing through your head. You could feel his breath on your face. Again, fuck your body for being so turned on when he was looking at you like prey. He placed one arm next to you, both showing his dominance and caging you in. His other one fished his dagger out of his scabbard. Fuck, okay, maybe you were really in trouble. 

He twirled the knife through his fingers with practised ease, making you wonder how many times he’d done it. Actually, it made you wonder how they’d feel in your pussy. You cursed yourself again, telling yourself to get it together. You legitimately might die, and all you could think of was those perfect fingers fucking you. At least your body and mind were in agreement on this one, behaving as inappropriately as possible. 

“Y/N, you messed up my meeting, and now everyone is calling me a pussy.” The knife stilled between his fingers as he spoke.

“Sir, I’m sorry I scheduled your meeting properly, but it just got miscommunicated somehow, and I’m so sorry,” your voice came out in a squeak, and you were fucking scared.

“Did you hear me properly, pretty girl?” That was new. He’d called you a lot of things, but certainly not pretty girl. You nodded, trying to make sense of the nickname. 

“Now, how do I punish you?” He cocked his head to the side like he might be trying to tease you. Except, you knew he used the same line on his victims.

“Sir, it won’t happen again,” you begged.

 “You’re right. It won’t,” he said as he pulled a scarf out of his pocket. You thought it was the same one he used to suffocate those unlucky enough to wind up on his bad side.

“Open your mouth, baby girl,” he demanded. Despite the words, it was a demand. There was no room for negotiation. 

 “Sir, please, I’m so so sorry. never happen again, I swear.” 

His eyes went dark. Not only did you talk back to him, but you defied an order. No one did that, not to him. He took his knife and raised it to your neck. 

Jun slowly trailed the knife down your throat, not breaking your skin, until he reached the top of your shirt. In one clean move, showing a deadly skill, he sliced your shirt open and left you standing there in a black lace bra.

“Do you wear clothes like this so someone can fuck you? Do you know what happens to girls that dress like sluts?” His eyes were on the knife as it trailed down your abdomen as if he didn’t expect any answers. 

“No, Jun, please.” 

He dropped the knife, and his hand went to your throat. The pressure was…actually kind of nice. Well, it would’ve been if you weren’t so scared.

“You are mine. Anyone I hire is my property, so you will do what I say. Speak one more time, and I will kill you, make no mistake. Understood?” You nodded. The rational part of you fought off tears because this man and his reputation were terrifying.

The irrational part of you was turned on, arousal dripping into your panties.

“Open your mouth.” 

You did as he said and tied the scarf tight over your mouth, effectively gagging you. Jun picked up his knife again and sliced your bra open.

“Fuck, Y/N, such pretty little tits. You kept them from me all this time.” He flicked your nipple. You stifled a moan, the irrational winning out. 

Jun smirked, “you can make all the noise you want. Scream if you want. No one will save you. The gag might make it difficult to say much, though.” 

He dropped to his knees and pulled your skirt down. He helped you out of it and groaned at your matching black lace underwear. It was impossible to miss the way your arousal dripped from your cunt onto your thighs. 

Jun grabbed your panties, ripped them, and then slid them off. You barely had a second to consider how counterproductive it was. He stood back up and stripped himself. That sent your mind further into overdrive because you’d seen him shirtless many times, but naked? This would be the first. The second he was bare before you, your eyes went to his penis. It was beautiful–long, hard, and thick. You squirmed in excitement at how it was going to ruin you, how he would ruin you. 

Without a word, Jun grabbed you by your waist and hoisted you onto his shoulders so that he could place you down against his marble table. You were face down, breasts against the cool surface of the marble and hips pressing into the edge. Still dripping in arousal, you had to remind yourself who was standing behind you. This man could kill you just as easily as he could fuck you. You were still considering which way it might go when his hand made sharp contact with your exposed cheek.

“Pretty sluts get this.” 

You trembled and let out a strangled moan. You felt Jun turn you around. Your ass pressed into the table. He removed the scarf around your mouth and kissed you. Despite his demeanour, the kiss was soft and tender as his lips moved against yours. He swiped your lower lip with his tongue, begging for entrance, which you happily granted. He used his tongue to deepen the kiss. 

Suddenly, he pulled away from your mouth and kissed along your jawline, nibbling on your earlobe. His lips moved down to your neck, and he started to suck at the sensitive skin, leaving bite marks as he went. God, your neck would be covered in shades of blue and purple. Not that you cared. 

He moved down to your breasts, flicking his tongue over your nipple. It was a lot of attention as he sucked and gently nibbled each before moving further down your body. By his mouth reached your pussy, you were dripping wet for him. 

Wasting no time, Jun pushed you up, so you were now sitting on the table, the sensation of the cold marble on your bare skin heightening your pleasure. His mouth returned to your cunt, licking into it with quick movements. He flicked his tongue on your clit, then enclosed his lips around it and started to suck. Simultaneously, he put one finger into your cunt and started thrusting. The thrusts only got faster when he saw how immediate your reaction was. His tongue continued moving against your clit as he added another finger. You were going to cum far sooner than you wanted to if he kept this up.

The pace was brutal, and Jun was relentless, not missing a beat as he added another finger. This was so much more than you were used to. Even with the addition of another finger, he kept his tongue working on your clit, alternating between quick flicks and sucking. You wanted to reach out for some sort of support that you knew wasn’t there.

Jun knew you needed support and didn’t care, determined to punish you for your mistake. He wrapped his free arm around your waist, rendering you immobile, and continued the nearly exhausting pace. You found purchase in his hair, the only way to stabilize for even a second. Something finally snapped, and you came hard. You tried to move Jun away from your pussy, it was too sensitive for him to be continuing like he was. 

Except, he showed no mercy. His fingers continued to pump into you, and his face stayed anchored between your legs. It was like he took pleasure in your whimpers as he pushed you even further. He pulled a second orgasm out of you as the screams fell from your lips.  Still, he didn’t relent, continuing to eat you out like you were his favourite meal. You were overstimulated and could feel yourself clenching again another orgasm approaching. When you tried to wriggle free, Jun only gripped your waist harder, pressing you further into the table. 

Finally, he pulled away from your cunt, removing the leg that was draped over his shoulder and wiping his chin unceremoniously. Your whole body was shaking as you tried to breathe deeply enough to recover. It was stupid to think he’d let you do that, though. 

Jun pulled you off the table and turned you back around, once again pushing your body down on the cold marble table. He pushed his cock into you from behind. There wasn’t even time to adjust to his size before he began fucking into you. He knew exactly where to hit, once again setting an impossible pace. You tried to grab the edges of the table and steady yourself as he slammed into you. He fucked you until you hit your fourth orgasm, something you were really enjoying despite the way your body protested the overstimulation. But, fuck did this guy’s stamina go through the roof or something? Before you could process that thought, he turned you around again, so you were lying flat on your back on the table. 

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t give you any time to adjust or catch your breath. Not that you cared, really, you were so blissed out. He pushed his cock inside you, and somehow the pace was even more animalistic as he pounded into your overstimulated body. You let your eyes fall shut, head lolling back, and received a sharp slap against your pussy.

“Look at me when I fuck you, baby,” he demanded. His grip on your waist was so strong that you imagined his fingertips would leave bruises. Your whole body was going to be covered. 

Jun’s breathing got more laboured, and you knew he was finally close. His thrusts became erratic, the final thrust allowing him to release inside of you. Despite his release, he didn’t let you relax as he quickly pushed two fingers inside you. The thrusts caught you off guard, and he curled his fingers to hit you just right each time. You let out a scream as you squirted all over his hands, signalling your fifth orgasm for the night. 

The next morning you woke up wrapped in a soft duvet, not entirely remembering how you had managed to get to the bed. Your entire body was exhausted from the night before, and you thought you could have slept through the rest of the day. Except someone was pressing soft kisses between your shoulder blades. 

“Morning beautiful.” 

You shot up at the sound of Jun’s voice, regretting that decision as your whole body was bruised and battered from the previous night. You tried to clumsily climb out of bed. Jun was quicker, gently grabbing you and pulling you into his arms. 

“I know I went off last night. I lose control when it comes to my work. Sorry that I took it out on you, but you did seem to enjoy it,” Jun explained with a smirk on his handsome face, but you could hear the sincerity in his voice. 

“It’s okay, Sir, I’m sorry, I won’t ever make a mistake again.” you apologised. You were unsure where you stood now, despite the lesson he’d taught you. 

“No, Y/N, you won’t because you don’t work for me anymore.” 

Your eyes filled with tears. Not only did you need the money, but you also enjoyed last night far more than you should have. The thought of not seeing Jun anymore stung. Jun took notice of your reaction and tightened one arm around you, cupping your face with the other. 

“I mean, I don’t want my girlfriend working for me. I know my job isn’t…traditional, but you’ve seen a lot while working for me. I do like you. I guess yesterday. I truly realised how much I care. But if this is too much, you can ignore the offer and keep your job.” 

“Sir, I-“ you started, unsure what to say. 

“It's Jun, sweet girl. I promise I’ll be there for you and protect you,” Jun interrupted, everything about him much softer than you’d seen before. 

“I know it's a little unconventional, considering I fucked the absolute life out of you, but may I please take you on a date? Your final role as my assistant could just be letting me know if I’m free tonight” 

“You are, and it's a date,” you replied, snuggling further into his embrace. His hold was so soft, and you were so content that you drifted back to sleep, hoping this hadn’t all been a dream.

[bellysoupset]

The New Guy

It was the first day of class and Vince felt like a toddler in kindergarten. Although he didn't actually remember going to kindergarten back in Italy, but his mom made a point of telling him he had wailed every time they dropped him off, so this was how Vince felt.

Except he wasn't the student today, he was the teacher.

He still wasn't fully back on his feet after such a hellish bout of flu and the emotional stress, but Vince felt steady enough he could at least fake it. Besides, he had wanted to be a teacher his whole life, so even if he felt like crying from the nerves, he was also incredibly excited.

This was his old school and it was weird, to say the least, to walk the halls as a teacher, not a student. Not much had changed - better flooring, a classroom had a smartboard instead of a white one, new teachers.

His old ones were still there, though, and Vince nearly jumped out of his skin upon entering the teacher's hall and having his name shouted, "Vincenzo! Oh look at you!" as if he was the chubby kid who grew up over summer. Which yeah, he sort of was.

The literature teacher was still the same woman, Ms. Lobdell. She had been already been an ancient faculty member back when he was at school and time had done her no favors, but she was sharp as a knife.

His old history teacher had retired, the spot Vince had occupied, and the biology and chemistry teacher, a horrible man whom Vin had hated back then, had also left the school.

He was told all this by Ms. Lobdell, who dragged him around by the arm despite the first class starting at 8 AM and it already being 7:55.

Finally Vince was released from the claws of that sweet wrinkly woman to his class of snotty 10 year old, whom he was already very partial to.

Because moving had been such a huge thing, from his relationship with Wendy and his friends, to quitting his solid job and getting an entirely new place, Vince had been more than a little insecure about the whole thing.

Suddenly it wasn't just "getting a new job", it was "getting a new life" and he felt a gigantic pressure for this to be as good as he had imagined it to be, otherwise... Otherwise he would have gone through all this trouble for nothing.

It was a relief so strong when teaching his first class ended up being everything he had imagined and more, that Vince was teary eyed by lunch break.

"So how was it?" Wendy asked, her voice breathless as she moved around. Vince checked his watch again, noticing his hands were shaking with how nervous he had been. 1:30 PM, she was probably leaving her hot yoga class to get dressed for her evening shifts.

"It was amazing," he confessed, smiling, keeping his voice low, "the kids were great, the teaching plan went smoothly... They keep calling me mister Monacelli, though, which is very weird... It was just great."

"I'm glad," Wendy answered and he could tell she was smiling and meant it, "what now?"

"Now I get my teenagers," Vince scratched at his cheeks, suddenly wishing he hadn't shaved in the morning. He felt too baby faced to handle the teens, doubting they'd respect him, "they're going to eat me alive."

"Yes, but not in the way you think," Wendy teased him, "you're going to be the class crush, just watch it."

He grinned, smoothing his shirt and looking around the empty classroom. Vince had been much too nervous to join the remaining staff in the cafeteria and had had lunch inside his classroom, like a loser. Just a veggie roll too, which normally wouldn't sustain him even for two hours, let alone the rest of the day.

"Now you're just egging me on," he rolled his eyes, "how's your day?"

"Great," Wendy huffed and her voice got distant as if she had left her phone in a surface, "I have far too much free time now that you're not around, so I'm gonna start taking classes."

"Classes on what?" he balled up the paper napkin and grabbed his tooth brushing kit, walking out of the classroom, holding the cellphone to his ear.

"Anything," Wendy sighed, "I just need to occupy myself a bit, it'll help."

"I think you should take interior design classes," he entered the bathroom, "you're always fiddling with things in the apartment."

"Uhm, maybe," she sighed and then he heard a noise and Wendy cursing, "a stupid pigeon just hit my window, I gotta go. Love you, break a leg, Mr. Pussy Magnet!"

"Love you as well, honey," Vince rolled his eyes, hanging up.

His first class after lunch actually went a lot smoother than Vince was expecting, but the second one... He had no idea where his students were.

After fifteen minutes of sitting there without a single soul appearing, Vince peeked at the hallway and frowned. He was half expecting the kids to be pranking him by sitting in the hallway, but nada. Not a single student.

He sighed, locking the classroom and walking back to the teacher's hall to see if anyone else would have an inkling of where his kids had disappeared to.

An older teacher, whom Vince remembered as the trigonometry teacher and who, thankfully, did not remember Vin, was leaning against the window, with his head poking out, smoking.

"Mr. Turella, hi," Vince smiled and the older man smiled back.

"You're the new teacher, right? History?"

"Yeah," Vince crossed the room to shake his hand and the man let out a huff.

"You're looking more like the P.E teacher, son," he teased lightly, "are you lost?"

"No, not really," Vince grimaced, "but I think I lost my kids? No one showed for my class..."

Mr. Turella let out a snort, carefully resting his cigarette on the windowsill and walking across the room to the big schedule that was plastered to the wall, "oh yeah," he shook his head, "Daniels stole your kids."

"Excuse me," Vince frowned, crossing the room so he could look at the schedule as well. Mr. Turella planted a wrinkled finger over the sophomore's schedule and dragged it down.

The class before Vince's was Chemistry, with Mr. Daniels.

"Uh... That's just great," Vince wrinkled his nose in distaste, "I don't suppose I should go over and tell him to release my kids?"

"Bad move for a rookie," Mr. Turella patted his arm, "just wait for them to show and you can chew out Daniels after class. Not that it's going to help much, it never did in my case."

"He does this a lot?" Vince scoffed and the other man nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah, get used to it," the man sighed and walked back to the window, "take the win, it's a break in your schedule."

"It's time they're not learning the curriculum," Vince corrected, groaning as he imagine the headache this would be down the line, when he inevitably fell behind if he didn't have enough time to teach, "alright, thanks Mr. Turella."

"It's John," the man waved him off, continuing to smoke.

Vince returned to his classroom, chewing at his lip since it was still empty. He paced nervously, until his students finally showed, thirty minutes late and chatting loudly.

"We're having P.E now?" a boy asked, causing his friends to giggle and Vince to sigh. It was going to be a long evening.

Mr. Daniels fucking haunted him. His senior students, whom he was dreading already, were also late thanks to the biology classes. Unlike the previous kids, though, they walked in quietly and seemed very interested in Vince, if only because he was new and shiny.

"You cannot be serious-" a girl blurted out, when Vince announced he was holding them for ten more minutes, since they had arrived twenty past the time of class, "sir. You cannot be serious, Mr. Monacelli," she corrected herself quickly.

Vince raised his eyebrows, not the outburst, but at the correction. It was so weird to be treated like that.

"Well, I- Alright, today you can leave, but next time this happens I'll have to hold you until we're done. You can't fall behind so close to SATs," he sighed, gesturing to the whiteboard, "and remember homework."

"Yesssir," there was a chorus of voices, making him cringe. Sir, that didn't sit right.

"I'll see you Wednesday," Vince waved to the door and then sat down, waiting for the kids to leave. As soon as he was alone, he let out a groan and rubbed at his neck.

As Vince walked to the parking lot, he paused as he saw a man leaning heavily against the wall, just outside the view of the buses leaving.

The man had his back pressed to the wall and his hands on his knees, as if catching his breath after running a marathon.

Curiosity got the best of him and Vince stepped closer, wondering if this was a senior student who had been held back - he didn't look seventeen, for sure, but not old enough to be a parent either - and if so, why he hadn't been in his class just now.

"Hey," Vince said, realizing the guy was actually older than he expected as he stepped closer, "hey, you alright?"

The guy shook his head, lips pressed in a thin line, "not feeling too hot..." he let out a soft burp, unashamed, and grimaced, "you're the new guy, the new teacher."

"Uh- It's Vince..." Vince frowned, inspecting the other man. He was a blonde, with most of his hair pulled up in a man bun, showcasing an undercut. He was wearing a buttoned up shirt, but with short sleeves - which should be a crime, in Vin's opinion, - and he could see his left arm was completely tattooed.

Definitely not a teacher, Vince thought, crouching slightly. The guy wasn't short, but compared to Vin he was. He also looked incredibly, terribly familiar.

"I'm Max," the man grimaced and spread his feet apart, "I'm gonna hurl, you should step back."

So casual about the whole deal, as if it wasn't mortifying. Vince frowned even more, "are you waiting for your kid, Max? Can I get someone for you?"

"My kid?" Max let out a little chuckle, which quickly turned into a groan and he wrapped an arm around his stomach, "no, I'm fine. Lunch was just too heavy, the cafeteria food fucking sucks."

"You're a staff member?" Vince frowned, even more confused. He wanted to get a decent look at the man's face, but he was sort of bent over, with a couple hair strands falling in front.

"Bio-" Max cut himself off with a gag and groaned loudly. He panted, back heaving and a couple of belches bubbled up, low in volume, but terrible wet. He cleared his throat, but it morphed into a cough and then Vince jumped back as a splatter of puke hit the pavement, sinking in the gravel.

He made a face, reaching out and planting a hand on Max's shoulders, keeping him swaying, and looked around, hoping there was anyone better equipped to help.

"Fuck-" Max groaned, pressing his stomach with a hand and heaving again. An empty, painful and loud, heave, followed by another cough and more vomit, this time a much larger amount. He let out a little moan, hanging over the puddle with an arm wrapped around his middle and panting.

"Done...?" Vince grimaced and the man nodded, wiping his lips on the back of his hand and then making a face at it, wiping his hand on his jeans.

"Urgh, that was gross..." he straightened up, taking a steady breath and sidestepped the mess on the ground, "sorry. I didn't catch your name?"

"Vince," he repeated, studying the man's face. They were about the same age, now Vince realized, but Max looked younger. Blonde with brown eyes and a tanned complexion, he looked like a surfer who had gotten lost on his way to California, "I'm the new history teacher."

"I'm the biology and chemistry teacher," Max shook his hand, following Vince further into the parking lot and Vin nearly stopped on his tracks.

"You're Mr. Daniels?"

"Uhhh yeah man, the one and only," the guy opened a little smirk, looking amused, "you heard about me?"

"You're the prick who held my kids," Vince glared at him, "twice. Thirty minutes each."

"I had to wrap up the subject," Max shrugged, "and they were interested. You know how hard it is to get these gremlins interested in anything, no hard feelings."

Vince scoffed, rolling his eyes, "quit doing that then," he said, finally arriving at his bike, "...Are you sure you alright?"

"I'm fine," Max smiled, smoothing his shirt and undoing the top buttons, "see you around, Mr. Monacelli."

[lavandaea]

*inhales deeply*

There's spoilers ahead so, yeah, be careful.

This weekend episodes have actually broken my soul.

He didn't even need his feelings to be reciprocate, HE JUST WANTED TO BE WITH HER.

Dear writers, some things to ask, why so much screen time to second male lead? Why create such chemistry? Such backstory? (Spoiler alert: that will make us sympathize with the supposed villain) To just fuck*ing rip his heart out and pulverize it like Grandma with the cow bones, yes, just like that.

Let me get this straight, after having been raised in an environment of violence, pain and God knows what else for God knows how long, he falls in love. He experiences ✨feelings✨ ,he puts all his trust in her like never before, he shares his past and then he gets betrayed.

I swear I never seen someone cry so with so much meaning, feeling, with so much back there.

We made progress for the last (at least) five episodes TO JUST END IT IN A SINGLE ONE.

This could have been handled a lot better in a lot of ways and about a lot of topics that I could actually write an essay.

Let's begin the the main leads.

So, in order to have some sort of feeling about ML and FL loving eachother you need to put screen time ON them. Yeah, they support eachother, they have known far before Si Oh, they are funny and a lot of things more. They even kissed and very passionately, wow.

Just one thing, Why didn't I even blink during that scene but found myself hitting the pillow and blushing when Si Oh did such mundane things as taking her home, opening doors for her, fixing her purse, hair, looking at her with those "I love you" eyes,👏feeling👏guilty👏about👏making👏her👏uncomfortable👏 with👏his👏feelings👏for👏her HELLO??, WAVING HER BACK WHILE HE WATCHED HER GO, SMILE EVERY DAMN TIME HE SAW HER?

I´ll tell you why. Because I know, thanks to you, that Si Oh was experiencing for the very first time what it's like to have human interaction that doesn't involve violence or having to be wary of everything and everyone all the time.

Even after having lived a life of shit, even after still living a life of absolute shit he still wanted to be connect, to be happy, to make her happy, to love and be loved. Moreover, I couldn't help just to feel happy for him, sad, angry, fucking rageous (not more than him, obviously).

Meanwhile, I barely know Hee Sik aka the male lead.

I remember seeing his mother once and I think that's what I understood about his private life. Sorry, I forgot about his deceased brother, that could have been a good topic to develop if it wasn't just mentioned once somewhere in the sixth chapter and left there to rot. Other than that, I know he is a cop, loves his cops friends and loves Nam Soon, also he is really loyal and good person.

Nice👍, very nice. But that's not personality or backstory, that's a job and some general traits everyone should have to live in a society and have a job where you usually do the teamwork thingy.

So, what else??

Or does the man just exist for his job and girlfriend?

It is just I simply don't understand it, you create a seriously complex character that has all kinds of potential and you want us to root for...Yeah, no. He literally could be an extra with how little and simple information we receive about him.

Even Shi Oh had some time to box being a drug dealer and full time whipped for her.

I'm just saying that you want me to suddenly dislike someone you took a considerable amount of time explaining but I have to like this good guy because you just pointed at him 👉🧍, and said, "here's the good guy, please love him"

Sorry, I cant do that.

If you haven't noticed, you just made a character I fell obliged to sympathize.

If you wanted to make him evil and hot you should have just made him evil and hot.

It worked just as well with Jang Han Seok from Vincenzo.

Not have him have "REDEMPTION" written all over him just to go with "Actually, no. He has no chance. ����". It is for lack of a better term, frustrating. (Pointless)

Instead, maybe you should have dedicated that screen time for the construction of the main leads relationship.

Oh, yes. Another thing since we are talking about the matter.

ML and FL relationship progress got weaker and weaker since she had started to spy on Si Oh. And then one episode it was like "Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you, they are actually dating by now" Bom, a kiss. If I need a kiss to know they are in love, there's something going on back there. If a great amount of people are rooting for a couple that is not the main one, something is going on there.

Something lacking.

Scenes of them in love: well acted, nice, cute, cool, okay. But it is like picking a random romance book and start reading it ten chapters ahead, they are in love, but how did this happen??? Last time I check, they were in a friends-catching-fealings-zone.

Where's their development?

I know where is it. In the fake relationship, that it was being used just to turn Si Oh into a complete monster with probably not chance of going back.

"You have suffered a lot, yeah, I see. Anyway here's more pain. Suffer more and go cause some trouble because if not, there's, apparently, no plot"

Nice job.

I have been saying this and I will say it again, kdrama writers/directors are not ready for traumatized villains. They are afraid of them.

[drama--universe]

Almost Drowned

Requested by anonymous: Annyeong, can you please do a Jang Han-Seok/Jang Jun-Woo x female reader imagine ??? Maybe Angst with Fluff(sweet/cute) ending ???

Pairing: Jang Han-Seok/Jun-Woo x fem!reader

Word Count: 730 words

Warnings: tried to make it fluffy at the end, hope it's okay :)

Entering your home, you just wanted to lay down in bed and maybe even cuddle with your boyfriend if he was home. You had the most annoying day at work. An intern had spilled hot coffee all over you and burned a part of your arm due to it, your co-worker of yours had claimed your work as their own and gained a promotion thanks to it, and finally your boss thought that it was okay to put his hands on you. You punched him and lost your job, so... Yeah, definitely not one of the best days you have had.

"Han-Seok?" You called out for your boyfriend, but you received no reply. Even when the lights were on, the apartment felt eerie and you couldn't help but grab the hockey stick beside the door. Your bag was long forgotten by the entrance, the hockey stick in your hand dragged over the floor as you made your way through the house. The sound of water suddenly appeared and you sighed softly, guessing that it was the reason that Han-Seok didn't hear your call. However, that didn't explain the water beneath your feet as it gushed out of the bathroom. So you stayed cautious, raising the hockey stick slightly to push open the bathroom door. You didn't see anything at first, but as you inched closer you noticed a figure in the bathtub. It was only when you realized that is was Han-Seok that you sprung in action. Your weapon fell to the ground with a loud clank as you rushed forward, dropping to your knees. You ignored the pain, pushing your arms into the water and pulling the man up. He gasped for air, trying to keep the water from his eyes as English curses started to roll from his tongue.

"What were you doing?" You exclaimed, but he didn't react as he tried to process everything himself. The name Vincenzo was mentioned in his mumbling and you could only sigh softly as you got up again, pulling a towel towards you to hand to Han-Seok.

"I thought you were killing yourself, dammit." You mumbled as you held out the towel, which Han-Seok grabbed as he got out of the bathtub and he quickly tied it around his waist.

"Like I'd do that." "You kill others, why not yourself either." You replied sarcastically and Han-Seok gave you a look that told you to shut up. You just rolled your eyes before hugging him softly and Han-Seok returned the favor, wrapping his arms around you.

"Why don't you just kill him? Vincenzo, I mean." You asked, looking up to him and he gave you a smirk in return. "Where's the fun in that?" He asked and you hit his chest softly.

"You'll live, how about that for a starter?" You asked and Han-Seok scoffed again, pulling away from the hug as he raked a hand through his hair.

"Where would be the fun in that?" He chuckled before making his way out of the room, leaving out footprints that could only make you groan. You followed him nonetheless, sitting behind him on the bed and grabbing the towel from his hand before looking at his back.

"Who did this?" You asked as you started cleaning the scratches on his bag, avoiding the bullet wound on his lower back since it had been healing nicely. Once you had washed all the blood off again, you pulled a tube of cream from the nightstand and started applying it to the wounds.

"It's nothing serious, darling~. You should've seen the other guy, there's not much left of him by now." Han-Seok spoke and although you could hear a soft joking tone in his voice, you knew well enough that he was dead serious.

"Don't fight too often will you, I can't follow with the washing. Also, stop ruining my floor." You said as you poked a bit harder at one of his wounds, causing him to his and snap his head around to face you. You only patted his cheek softly before continuing with the wounds. When you were completely finished, you put everything away again before handing him his shirt. He pulled it on before turning around to face you, keeping his eyes on yours.

"Am I useful enough?" You asked and Han-Seok smiled, kissing you softly before pulling your down on the bed with him.

"Otherwise I wouldn't keep you around, would I?"

[faceless-mirror]

In a world where vampires are actively trying to fit in with humans, coexist safely and help each other, Vinny and his ESV(Emotional Support Vampire), Ricky, are getting to know each other and learning more and more. Adapting to the life in the contract they both signed, and are living with. As they do they border the line between Friends.... and Lovers.

Tags: @cookiesupplier @phxntxsmicgoricxl

Chapter 1: A Desperate Plea

Vinny was hot. Overheating but he needed to wear his hoodies. Ever since the accident he was in… the one that took the life of his best friend… He couldn’t manage his anxiety without it. His hair was a mess, and here he was in public. The ride here had been awful. He kept to the back streets, and keeping a bit below the speed limit. He rubbed his face. He was so exhausted. He was finally being assigned an ESV. It had taken so long to get to this point. Months of waiting to hear about emotional vampires that were available and looking to help. Apparently, one had just refreshed their application and it was a match.

When his name was called he stood up quickly rushing to the door, following the therapist he knew so well by now. “Is- is there anything i should know-?” he asked following her closely with wide eyes as he tripped up a bit in surprise when she shook her head. “Let’s get you into the room and meeting him. He’s worked with us for years his last contract ended rather poorly but that’s because of differences. You’re also looking for a job correct?” “Well yes- but I don’t see how that’s relevant-” Vinny insisted as she opened the door ushering him in, his eyes still focused on her as he slipped in. As soon as he was in he sat down and looked up.

His eyes widened seeing Ricky Olson- leaned back in a chair, ankle crossed over his knee dressed in leather and a t-shirt, tight black jeans- He wasn’t dwelling on that right now. His hair was draped over his shoulder as he smiled at the anxiety ridden mess of a man. “You must be Vincenzo.” he said simply, standing gracefully and held out a hand. “Richard Olson- You can call me Ricky.” His voice was like butter, warm and soaked in easing his tension as he shook his hand. Vinny was suddenly and sharply aware  that he himself looked like he crawled out of a gutter. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ye…yeah. Like….likewise-” he got out almost choking on his tongue as he swallowed his anxiety trying to instinctively shove it down.

“Mind if I help?” the guitarist asked still holding his hand. “Just to help.”

Vinny merely nodded and gasped at the relief of his anxiety as Ricky’s grey blue eyes turned a vibrant ocean blue as he drank down some of his anxiety. His breathing steadied out as he looked at him in relief. Like a gothic angel coming to grace his life so fully.

“Thanks.” He whispered weakly, as he sat back as Ricky sat back down.

“Now that the introductions have been made… Ricky, you already had a chance to glance over Vinny’s history, censored of course. Your band is currently looking for a drummer, correct?”  she asked, pulling out the contract. 

“Yes we are. We’re looking for a drummer since my last contract left the band. I saw some of Vinny’s drumming videos that were submitted as well. I’ve talked to our vocalist and he’s fine with giving Vinny a chance.”

Normally his head would be swimming with violent anxiety, choking him and his thoughts fully out to the point he couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t see. 

Yet here he was functioning. Fully. 

“If Vinny would like to take it at least.”

Vinny took a deep breath, nodding. “Yeah. I can… I can do it.” he announced making his therapist raise her brow but smiled handing over the contracts. 

“This is a temporary contract showing that you, Ricky, will only take the amount of anxiety and stress needed to keep Vinny healthy and any other emotions that may cause him harm like Depression, sorrow and anger. However, in the event you cannot you are also willing to do what’s needed to help support him through those emotions. Vinny. Your contract is explaining you will work with Motionless in White temporarily until you are either officially offered the position and that you will not disclose the fact Richard Olson is an emotional vampire unless he deems it okay.” she explained going more indepth and answering questions as they both read through.

Vinny signed first, understanding all the details faster considering his contract was shorter, breathing a sigh of relief. Green brown eyes shifted to look over the vampire who was reading everything, noting down all Vinny’s tells. He’s done this before, so many times it seems. 

He knew Motionless In White. He loved them. Practiced to them alot. He would have never guessed that Ricky was an ESV. He watched as Ricky signed the documents and handed them back.

“All right. I will go get these filed. You guys are good to go. You should both probably get to know each other.” She commented with a warm smile, seeming to know that Vinny and Ricky were going to end up closer than what they intended. That’s what happened with Ricky and Chris. Who knew how long it would go this time…

Vinny stood up running his fingers through his long curls, swallowing, “...do… you wanna go get coffee?” 

Ricky chuckled, “Sure. I’m buying. But let’s get to your place and get you in shape before you meet the guys.”

The guys.

Right. Job. He was getting a job and an ESV. 

[survivalistghost]

2023 kdrama list

list of the kdramas i watched and loved in 2023

obviously this is quite late but to those who want to start a kdrama, this is it.

#10 - soundtrack #2

there is such a comfort in the soundtrack series. even soundtrack #1 was so good, but this new instalment, truly works on the og kdrama tropes. lovers to exes to accidental 'fate' encounter to forced proximity to lovers again. puppy dog male lead, angsty female lead, jealousy, wholesome second lead, it's got it all. and ofc, music.

#9 - king the land

many people did not like this drama. honestly, if you're watching a kdrama that is romance and comedy then why would be angry that it had romance and comedy. again, a true example of a classic kdrama, rich ceo guy with hardworking girl, mix in some trauma and employee-employer drama, and this is the perfect clichéd drama.

#8 - see you in my 19th life

honestly i just like watching ahn bo hyun. he is such a pretty man. storyline-wise, i feel like they did a lot of stuff, but the ending honestly disappointed me. shin hye sun, as usual, love the woman, what an actor, the second leads also did not disappoint, loved them all.

#7 - crash course in romance

such a heartwarming drama. choi chiyeol with the temperament of a wet cat, the stress of studies in all asian countries, not just korea. all the romances were so cute (barring the best friend and brother). one thing they could have done better was cast a younger actress for the female lead. even this love triangle was so cute and fun.

#6 - my demon

song kang and kim yoo jung really killed it with the chemistry. i mean, forget everything else, i'll just take 16 episodes of them hanging out. even behind the scenes reels will work. the plot was pretty solid, felt like a remake of doom at your service. song kang does a wonderful job at being both goofy and serious, and kim yoo jung did so good at the angsty ceo.

#5 - the good bad mother

am i surprised this ended up higher than my demon? yes. this was such a good show, the past and present layered together so beautifully. the villains seemed like actual villains, but you weren't sure who to hate until the last episode. really shows some aspects of motherhood through both the eyes of the kids and mothers. had a cute little romance as well.

#4 - the worst of evil

ji chang wook and wi ha jun. need i say more? i have said it once, and i'll say it again - so few do action like koreans do. i mean, vincenzo, my name, midnight runners, and now this, such action masterpieces.

#3 - daily dose of sunshine

park bo young wa sso cute in this one. i miss small kdramas with intense plots. mental illnesses were dealt with very well in this one. the romance was so cute, and chang ryul, my baby, i missed him so much.

#2 - alchemy of souls s2

i just. love. this series. so much. like, the characters are so well built, the storyline, the romance, the destiny, oh my god. please watch this.

#1 - welcome to samdal-ri

this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. what a feel-good drama to end 2023. it was the perfect remix of hometown cha cha cha that we all needed. ji chang wook, my absolute gem of a man, and shin hye sun, queen of no shit given but too many shits given roles. adore the friendships, romance, calm setting, the love between everyone. please watch it.

[inzaghisgirlfriend]

Prompt: jail

---

He hears her before he saw her, mainly because her voice is loud.

Well, that, and his eyes were closed.

"This is fun."

He opened them and swallowed a groan.

There hadn't been any need for her to come.

There was a single, sharp clang that descresdenoed itself into a long and lingering pause before returning with gusto and turning itself into a steadily ringing rhythm.

"It's usually you visiting me in here," she said, as he looked up in time to see her banging two fingers back and forth in the span between the metal bars.

Usually.

The very word should have made him feel guilty.

He thought instead, inexplicably, of the woman's father.

Of a conversation they'd had about her and her approach and wild temper and visits he'd made to this very place when she'd been younger, greener and appearing in front of judges whose usual mode of reigning in newly-minted firebrands was contempt of court.

How he feigned disdain while recounting the stories but his eyes had crinkled fondly as he'd told Vincenzo how it hadn't ever worked on her.

"Need anything," she asked him, bringing him back to a world he'd managed to rob of Hong Yu Chan, where she was still filling his quiet cell with dischordant noise.

"Coffee," she continued. "A book? Stylish and diligent legal defense? A cake with a metal file inside it?"

He pushed himself up partway up, and she paused, expectantly.

So he paid off her antics with a withering sigh.

She beamed but stopped her noise, wrapped the hand that had been making it around the gray metal of a crossbar, and raised an eyebrow his way.

"...Conjugal visit?"

That yanked a cough from his throat as his mind flashed somewhere deeply unhelpful.

He right-tracked it quickly, sat up on the little metal cot he'd been provided, stood, and then strode - best as he could considering the limited space the Korean criminal justice system was providing him - her way.

"Byeonhosa-nim," he opened, deciding the best way to keep things from escalating was to pointedly ignore her jubilance. "Why have you come?

This was decidedly not part of the plan they'd drawn up.

He had drawn up, only to have her force her way into it through the many cracks in his resolve.

Her job had been to write tomorrow's script - he'd get inside the courtroom and past the divider and then she'd get him entered into evidence. Then they'd shift the conversation so the defense actually had to do their job, while the doctor's wife picked apart his reputation and their case.

"You've had a busy night," she remarked with a grin, pointedly not answering his question as he stopped to stand in front of her at cell's locked door.

He feels uncomfortable suddenly.

"Have I?"

Her eyes left his and made an unsubtle and thorough scan of his face, neck, and shirt.

He resisted squirming under the impromptu and intrusive inspection.

"No tie," she asked, when her eyes returned to meet his.

The relief shining in them made plain she'd just checked him for injuries.

Oh.

So that that was why she'd come here.

He feels...several strange things all at once.

He focuses on talking himself out of the easiest one, feeling insulted.

She'd never really seen him fight, he reasoned, and it was highly plausible, he supposed, that she might have assumed he could have gotten hurt.

He shook off the feeling the thought was threatening to bring and gestured vaguely in the direction of his cot, beneath which his tie sat, neatly folded atop his shoes.

"Oh. Okay. But did you -"

A hand shot between the bars so quickly then he'd nearly flinched as it grabbed together a handful of his shirt and yanked him towards the metal rods.

"Aish. You did get hurt," she said, as she snaked a second hand through the gap to manhandle his open collar, yanking it sideways until half his left shoulder was exposed. "What's this?"

Her other hand let go its fistful of shirt and moved so she could trace a neatly-manicured fingernail along the skin at the juncture where his neck met his shoulder.

He circled his elbow backwards to try to free himself, but she just tugged harderbat where had his collar held.

So he gave in, like he'd started to do so worrying often.

Let himself be pulled by it, by her, landing roughly against the cell bars.

He pointedly refuses to flash back to when last he'd been held here by her, their positions reversed, eager to ignore the feeling the recollection always brings.

"You're bruised all over," she noted, pushing in closer to him - close enough that her face was pushed between and even through thr bars which separated them.

Close enough he could feel her breath against the skin now being examined with a touch far lighter than he'd had pictured her capable of.

He swallowed down guilt that only pushed its way right back up his esophagus when her eyes met his and he saw worry shining there.

He rolled his eyes and sighed as disaffectedly as he could manage to seem, rotating his elbow backwards again and managing free of her that time.

He used his new but still-limited freedom to take a half step back from the bars and from her, reaching up to right the set of his collar and draw it better closed.

Conceal everything once again.

"I'm fine," he said, firmly.

His resoluteness only seemed to make her seem more convinced that he wasn't.

So he paused, considering carefully his next choice of words.

They come out soft. Laced with something he didn't intend to let surface.

"That...didn't happen fighting."

A little crease appeared between her eyebrows, and its twin gathered together the skin above the bridge of her nose as he willed away the smile that always threatened when he became reacquainted with either.

Then he saw recognition dawn.

And both faded quickly away.

"So that went okay, too," she asked, and there was something threaded through her voice that he quickly decided to do her the courtesy of pretending he didn't hear, hoping she'd done the same with his a moment ago. "She'll testify, then?"

He nodded as that same feeling forced its way back up his throat.

He swallowed it down once more and watched her rearrange the features of her face into a mask of brash amusement he wished he hadn't gotten so good at seeing past.

"So a full night of carousing then, for you," she added, and it was mocking and playful and nearly convincing. "And opera."

"Mmm," he countered, following her cue to play his usual sniffily disdainful role. "I wouldn't call what I saw in that theater 'opera', but..."

She took the bait he offered eagerly, gratefully, and he let her lead the conversation away and call him snobbish and boring as he took his seat back on his metal cot.

She settled, too, dropping doen to sit on the floor, leaning against the cell's bars as she launched into a summary of what she'd planned on for tomorrow.

[giordirossi]

FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT

When: After Party, post-plot drop TW: Violence, a lot of it. Choose your kidnapees more wisely.

Hadn't enough stress been added to her evening without the untimely release of footage that would send the Russian piranhas into a feeding frenzy?

Not waiting for the grand finale, because she already knew how this video ended, Giordana slipped from the horrified throngs of spectators through the darkness and began seeking out inevitable targets. Protection amidst the impending chaos would be crucial if the Sovrani and their affiliates wanted to leave relatively unscathed.

Like hell did she come all the way to London just to relive the losses of Launceston.

Vincenzo and Giorgio would be exceptional fish in this pond, perhaps too great for a snatch and grab. The others, though... Frankie, Olivia, Patrizia, maybe even Gianna, dangled on the line. Unfortunate that the French were caught in the crossfire of this alliance, but most were none of her concern save for one who could handle himself better than anyone she knew.

Lights flickered on and panicked voices began their crescendo when she descended into a corridor in pursuit of the last place her brother ventured with his wife. Instead, at the very end, she spotted a familiar silhouette that gave her a modicum of relief.

She exhaled. At least one had been located.

The other woman turned and their eyes locked right as Giordana spoke loud enough to be heard across the distance,

"Olivia, you need to––"

Large fingers grabbed the assassin roughly by her hair, knotting through intricately woven curls as they forced her from a standing position into something bent and compliant. The stranger took advantage of her momentary surprise by dragging them into an adjoining room, all the while nails clawed into the back of his hand attempting to find purchase. The wrist alone would allow for position reversal and the opportunity to break free. Yet as soon as she took hold, the man flung Giordana face first into a nearby armoire.

Fucking really.

Impact was negated by adrenaline and she recovered just in time to turn and duck below a fist when it collided against the wood where her now bruised cheekbone might've been. The curse that flew from his lips sounded Russian, but the grunt made when she sucker punched him in the gut and kicked his knee out was universal.

So absorbed in the mission to corral those who mattered most to Giorgio and Vincenzo, it dawned on Giordana a bit too late that she hadn't considered herself in that count.

This was a message for the Sovrani. Leaving her battered yet alive enough to pack up like a damn birthday gift for the Vorshevsky ilk. Someone must have foolishly believed that a lack of weapons made her less dangerous; easy pickings for a hand delivery. Mistake number one, they should've killed her.

The next swing met air yet again as the assailant failed to bring her down to his level. His frame might have been larger and come with a strength she couldn't fathom, but years of will-power fueled training made Giordana exceptionally nimble and agile. It kept her out of reach long enough to whip the heavy armoire door into his face when he lunged for a third time.

Now who was caught off guard?

Using his temporary imbalance against him, one heel struck his sternum and sent the Russian careening into a transparent coffee table which shattered almost immediately beneath his weight.

Sincerest apology to the Berkeleys.

And to the solid mahogany frame of the paired sofa, which subsequently cushioned the blow of his giant fucking head with its base. Lucky break. Not taking any chances, she pulled a tea tray off of the vanity and bestowed three hard dings, the unrestrained force reverberating up her arms.

Glass shards decorated the rug like a shimmering prism and she considered picking up a larger piece to finish the job when her gaze swept towards sudden movement in the wall mirror. Of course this wouldn't be a one man operation.

Said reinforcement barreled at her from behind, tackling the brunette to the floor. With high ground advantage lost, it became the equivalent of a knife fight in the dirt as they landed significant blows on each other. The upperhand position gained and lost as they wrestled for two starkly contrasting motives. Until he found her neck. His fist pressed down with every attempt to cut oxygen at the source so they could cease this fight and she might come a bit more quietly.

Or maybe he'd finally wisened up enough to realize this only ended one way.

A palm splayed out at her side, reaching across the ornate rug for something... anything... only to find a now overturned coffee table book and–– metal. Weighted, solid metal.

A goddamn candlestick.

Fingertips brushed against the cool edge as she squirmed just enough beneath his suffocating grasp to roll it into her hand. The base swung upward and collided into her attacker's skull with a sickening thud. Startling enough to release his hold, which coincidentally gave Giordana the perfect leverage to propel him sideways until she straddled his chest.

Hesitation during this part had never been her forte.

Another blow. Then a third, a fourth, she stopped counting at seven. From there it was only mottled splatter and gurgling, his hands limp with disuse after they failed to defend against her relentless violence. More machine than woman, a shark-eyed creature bound for this singular objective.

When she finally stood and allowed the makeshift weapon to dangle loosely at her side, the metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air. Crimson peppered the expensive flooring around them and any furniture within range; it stained her once gloriously white party dress and dribbled down from her split lower lip and a cut above her brow.

From this vantage point, she couldn't tell if either of the men were still breathing. Nor did she care. Adjusting the one good strap left on her dress and pivoting towards the door, Giordana practically sensed the third body before she saw him. Was it possible to actually leave this God forsaken room?

Whirling with the candlestick poised to strike, a hand wrapped around her wrist before she could leave a pretty dent in his skull, too. For a moment they said nothing, his face speaking volumes more than words could ever convey about the state of her appearance.

The darkened shade over her eyes lifted somewhat as she registered his face. Never fully, never enough to allow complete weakness. He'd taught her that a long time ago.

After a beat of silence, she dropped her arm of her own volition and metal clanged lowly as it hit the floor. Standing in front of him like this, she felt twenty years old again. Messy, violent, and unrefined, having allowed someone to get the better of her because she'd been personally concerned about other people.

And there was Varden, the immovable pillar of exactly what she could be.

His hand moved from wrist to chin, turning over the damage back and forth with a different expression. This one Giordana can't read.

"I'm fine." No quips, no sly remarks. Her chest still heaving a little from the previous events, she didn't have any good natured taunting left in her tonight.

"I know you are." The Frenchman's grasp fell away yet again and his attention turned to the spectacular display she'd left behind. "You should leave here while you still can. I'll take care of this."

[katgallo]

(KRISTINE FROSETH JOY, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER) Oh, is that KATERINA GALLO? I heard the TWENTY-SIX year old is VIVACIOUS. But don’t let that pretty face fool you, they are also FOOLHARDY. Makes sense seeing how they are a CLEAN civilian who works as a DANCER AT SEDUCTION.

full name: katerina cecelia gallo

nicknames: kat, kitty, kit-kat

age: 26

dob: june 17

zodiac: gemini

hometown: manhattan, nyc

occupation: dancer at seduction strip club

gender: cis woman

sexuality: heterosexual

parents: vincenzo & isabella gallo

siblings: grace gallo, griffin gallo, jordan gallo

gang affiliation: none

background

tw: substance abuse, alcohol, underage drinking, drugs

katerina gallo was born before her mother even had a chance to recover fully from twin boys. kat was a difficult pregnancy, a fussy baby. she feels like her parents never really liked her; never wanted her. they had their eldest daughter and twin heirs by the time she came along. where did she fit in?

she was a precocious child. hyper. talkative. loud…literally no volume control. she was sensitive. a family that didn’t bat an eye at bloodshed. and then there was kat, refusing to kill a spider. she marched to her own beat. and boy was she talkative; a neverending stream of consciousness. a compulsive oversharer in a crime family? not ideal.

her parents essentially ignored her, only really acknowledging her to shush her or yell at her for embarrassing them. for talking too much or not getting good grades.

she felt a lack of love and acceptance at home so she sought it out elsewhere. the attention-starved girl was desperate for belonging and validation. she had a near-pathological need to fit in. to be liked. loved even. she was a textbook people pleaser and a follower, not assertive like one would expect of a gallo. she was surprisingly nice, really just wanting friends.

despite the lack of parental acceptance, katerina grew up doused in privilege. she was a private school girl who wanted for nothing materially. more than anything, though, she just wanted to be loved. which is why she was constantly putting on a show for others, always a social butterfly, always endearing and popular.

one of the first girls in her grade to wear makeup and hiked up her uniform skirt so high that the headmaster called home about it. she lived for the attention. she was never afraid to go into a closet with a boy to play 7 minutes in heaven. it felt like love. she quickly gained a reputation for being “fast” as she got older, but she just rolled with it and let a lot of shitty boys come and go from her life. she became a partier, using drinking and drugs to escape from reality. to have fun. to fit in. nothing the other rich kids weren't doing, but it was certainly not the behavior of a gallo. still, her parents didn't send her away. they just continued to ignore her, push her to the side and look at her with shame. they didn't even seem to even have hopes for her. like she was nothing to them.

at eighteen, kat impulsively ran away. for a bit, she lived out of hotels. always booked the cheapest room but she’d buy her own sheets from the local bed bath and beyond because she is a rich girl at heart. more often than not, she’d find someone at a bar to go home with just to have a comfy bed and warm shower. she’d steal their food. literally steal from their fridge. it was all very…not glamorous. which is why she returned home.

after her little independence stint, she struggled to find her way in this city. she was never meant for her family’s lifestyle and business. but she was never particularly academic. not driven or ambitious. she did , however, like the feeling of all eyes on her. and so she ended up with a job at seduction.

personality

+ endearing, kind-hearted, vivacious, loquacious, fun-loving, agreeable, good-listener, sociable, nonjudgmental

- attention-seeking, clingy, foolhardy, vacuous, mercurial, unctuous, impulsive, reckless, hedonistic, uncouth

chaotic good. despite her upbringing and the violence in the city, she still wakes up every morning and relentlessly chooses to see the good in others.

believes in being kinder than necessary. she knows what it's like to feel alone so she doesn’t want others to feel that way. as such, she’s a great listener. you could talk about yourself for 3 hours straight and she’d let you.

presents as very ostentatious and shameless...i mean, she's a stripper. she's not exactly modest or shy. but people are surprised to find a bubbly and sweet girl beneath the body glitter and makeup.

feeds stray cats religiously. doesn’t kill bugs. grows her own herbs and mushrooms.

she is incredibly impulsive and short-sighted. she gives the people that love her a run for their money. like, she doesn’t think twice about accepting an offer to go to a random party in the worst part of the city with some guy she barely knows. girl lacks judgment sometimes. her last name offers her a certain level of protection and thank god for that.

she’s not involved in the gang but she works at seduction and she’s a gallo. so despite being clean technically, she’s not oblivious to the gangs and underworld of the city. she just doesn’t want a part of it despite being born into it.

wanted

[sayitalianolearns]

As an Italian who likes SK, have you ever watched Vincenzo? And if so, what do you think of his accent? :)

Actually no I haven't watched Vincenzo BUT I have watched a reaction video made by two Italian youtubers living in SK since 10+ years. They made a short video and showed a few bits of that Kdrama so I can still say something about it (and also watched other bits on YT back then cause it made me curious... it was around 3 years ago I guess). I think he was taught Italian by an English actress who had been playing with Italian actors? Something like that. IDK how she speaks Italian but generally English speaking people keep an accent even if they live here for years (there are two old singers who basically have been living here for 50+ years, married Italians, and they still speak and sing in Italian with strong English/British accent).

Back to Vincenzo's actor: I remember he had to learn pretty complex phrases (and I remember one among those I heard didn't made sense at all cause a word or two were missing + even in between swearing words, something wasn't totally on point here and there but maybe that's me not having all the context -also I dunno who wrote the dialogues, they wrote the Italian characters' well tho), so ofc this needs to be taken into consideration too. Anyway he played this guy who was raised in Italy by an Italian family but his musicality is different and the accent is very much foreign to my ear, therefore not all the words are understandable when he speaks: he sounds like Gollum at times or doesn't pronounce vowels/words correctly (he prolly tries to speak fast as in Korean but fast Italian works differently), so you need to listen twice or thrice to a sentence to try to guess what he says (and it's lot of fun tbh :') -all this very respectfully ofc cause I know the struggle of learning a language that is totally different from yours and for this reason I think he still did a very good job)...

How does he sound to your ears instead? :)

[breitweisergallery]

Indulge me in your wip tag game.

For your Critical Role: regret only informs the living, for TDJ: kidnapped precanon, count the bones, and given identity and glimmering souls, and for Vincenzo: my body left behind

!! okay okay.

regret only informs the living - told non-chronologically, it outlines a friendship between Percy (campaign one, nobility) and Matilda (campaign three, aka Laudna, dead girl walking) when they were children, when Percy finds out Matilda was killed, and when Bells Hells return to Whitestone to try to bring Laudna back from the dead.

kidnapped precanon - Yohan is ambushed and kidnapped pre-canon while out searching for Isaac's watch with K. He's left locked in a room with Gaon, who has been there for longer. They develop a rapport, left alone locked away like they are. A year later, when Gaon walks into his first job at work, he and Yohan reconnect. But maybe Gaon isn't everything that he claims to be.

count the bones - (Gonna give you a snippet, because it'll explain better than I can). "Magic is a dying art, and most can only do sweeping gestures. Gaon’s control started and ended with lighting candles with his breath, but Yohan’s control was nearly unheard of. Yohan locked and unlocked doors with ease. Yohan summoned the bug out from under his desk, nearly in Gaon’s hand, that one night, and Elijah had told Gaon that Yohan had stood watch over Gaon while he was unconscious, trying to fix the worst of the damage. It had only been when Yohan finally collapsed, exhausted, that he’d left Gaon to heal on his own."

given identity and glimmering souls - At three years old, Yohan is left on the doorstep of a young couple. He doesn't remember anything from the time before, he says. He's a quiet boy, unassuming; he helps with his little brother and with the restaurant his parents own. But he's smart, helping them apply for loans and borrow money without being brought into scams. But this man keeps coming by, a man who looks oddly like his little brother, and he's fixated on Yohan.

my body left behind - (major dead dove warning here). Vincenzo saves Hanseok and drops him off with Luca to heal and stay put. He trains Hanseok- Henry- to be a literal attack dog, kept on a leash, collared. Hanseok prefers it that way. He's never been able to control it himself. Now, Vincenzo can worry about controlling it. All Hanseok needs to do is be good.

[m-blackwell-and-associates]

Following Up pt 2

Nicky’s people had cleaned the grave well enough, now that the original mission, both true and false, was over.  Nicky had the manners to police his own.  Now it was left to her to gather what dust had fallen out of her cousin’s reach and how she could make it pay.  It would be more satisfying to have someone else pay the costs now resting in her ledger.  

“Any reason you chose…”  Angelina turned back a page to see the list of operatives that Nicky had sent. “Diana Rosselini, alias Anna Betancourt?”  

“I felt she was the best of the four.”

“What made her stand out?”  At first glance, all four seemed to be of similar quality.  Military training of one flavor or another.  Specific skills earned in vague unnamed places.  Confirmed kill lists.  All from distant branches of breeder families, probably only accidentally aware of the family business, if aware of it at all.  No one with any strong ties to any Kindred family that she could recall at this moment.  Perfect operatives for those hopefuls with nothing left to lose and willing to work for a family pariah.

Family pariahs.  

Angelina frowned slightly, perturbed at the unnecessary self-reminder, tucking that thought away for later contemplation.  Now was not the time for meditating on old injustices. 

“I feel that a Rosselini was more suitable,” Pietro gave an easy shrug, as if such an important choice was merely an afterthought.  Normally a temperate guide, she found his lack of care or worry to be irritating this evening. 

“More suitable than what, Pietro?  Do not dissemble.”

He capitulated immediately.  “The Rosselini was the only choice, donna.  I wouldn’t dare Proxy Jara without approval of the Pisnob.  I didn’t feel that you’d want the della Passaglia here, all things considered, so Durant was also not an option.”

“Your consideration of my feelings is commendable, but if he was the better candidate, I would have accepted him.  Chances are he wasn’t involved with the…current politics.”  Angelina clicked her teeth shut on the words, biting them where she couldn’t bite those that had risen against her.

Again that nonchalant shrug and easy grin, tacitly ignoring the tempest she held under thin glass  “I would not risk it and besides, the Rosselini was equally qualified and the fourth did not survive the mission.”

“Karl Koeing, alias of Gerhart Auer,” Angelina mused, putting the papers back in order and finding the small work of neatness to be soothing.  There would be very little this evening that would be considered soothing.  “Nicky removed him from the operation himself?”

“Compromised,” Pietro agreed.  “At least that was what my Rosselini has told me, though I find it all a little extreme.  The Butcher didn’t like the fact he was passing information.  I understand his reasoning, but it wasn’t as if the Koeing was speaking out of house.”

A flash of annoyance cut through her precarious calm, jaw tightening against what she wished to say.  Vincenzo. They had been contemporaries once, equal in status as one of the North American padroni.  Their cousin’s unexpected murder had given him the job and she found the timing of it suspect, as well as Vincenzo’s lack of proper familial mourning.   “And Ms. Rosselini was the one that made sure the grave was clean?”

[luna-rainbow]

Vincenzo's sad ending

Q: Did Vincenzo ever want to not return to his mafia ways, and if so, what's the reason? A: I acted it with the sense that he doesn't want to return to that but was thwarted by circumstance. Part of the initial reason was that he's tired of living in that world, so he came to Korea with no plans to return. Most importantly, he then found a woman and a group of people he loves. So he wanted to live here quietly and peacefully, but fate was cruel, and he needed to leave. The situation was such that he couldn't stay in Korea anymore. He couldn't return home, and he couldn't stay in Korea, so he went to Malta. In fact he is quite a tragic character. I was acting with the sense he didn't want to return to that, because I felt this would make his emotions more profound. In the final scene, right before Chayoung and Vincenzo parted, if you look at their expressions, my thoughts were maybe these two would never meet again. Our director and Yeobeen both thought she probably can't go because of her job. It's a bit of a sad ending. When we did the first take, I acted less sad, and used an expression that was along the lines of "we'll catch up later" and "see you soon", but the director told me to be more expressionless in that scene, as that suited it more. (Song Joongki for the online fanmeet interview in May 2021)

Oof. I thought it was a happy ending until I saw this.

I actually really liked the way they handled Vincenzo's reluctance to return to his mafia ways. It was never spoken aloud but it was quite clearly portrayed through the story. Vincenzo's methods softened when Chayoung asked him to hold back, and the first time Vincenzo actually killed was when Babel murdered 4 people Chayoung became friends with. It was also very interesting to see the costumes change throughout - in the middle he relaxed into soft turtlenecks and had his hair down a lot more, but after the incident in episode 15 he mostly stayed in his dark suits and mafia hairdo.

"The worst hell on Earth is to live with regret" -- I've always thought Vincenzo's violent flashbacks were the things that he regret doing, and it seems to be prompted by key events. His first arrival in Korea (and just coming off Paulo's betrayal), just after Chayoung asked if he's ever killed someone, then in episode 16 that flashback got longer and added his mother to it.

As Vincenzo himself says throughout the show, "people who do bad things need to pay the price", and I suspect he sees this as his price. There's never been any doubt that Vincenzo considers himself a bad person, and I think he made up his mind quite early that he could never be with Chayoung, who he sees as belonging to the normal and good side of the world. "A villain never breaks up because they're tenacious even in love." That is his burden to carry for the rest of his life, the one time he's loved that he knows he will never be able to let go, but also knowing he will never actually be able to be with her.

[gardenofkore]

You can do politics and protest in a thousand ways. I sing. But I’m not a singer...I’m different. Let’s say, I’m an activist who makes rallies with the guitar.

Rosa on herself [my translation]

Rosa Balistreri was born on March 21st, 1927 in Licata (in the province of Agrigento) from a poor (and also alcoholic and often violent) carpenter and a housewife. She had two sisters, Mariannina and Maria, and a brother, Vincenzo (paraplegic since birth).

Since she was a young child, Rosa had to work to help support her family. She worked as a maid with wealthy families, preserved fish, and gleaned the fields of nearby villages during summer. Singing was her only enjoyment, and soon her raspy and passionate voice started to be appreciated, to the point she was hired to sing during wedding and baptism celebrations.

Around 15-16 years old, she was married to Gioacchino Torregrossa, called Iachinazzu and whom she will later describe as “latru, jucaturi e ‘mbriacuni” (thief, gambler and alcoholic). From this marriage, a daughter, Angela, was born. True to the description his wife gave of him, at some point Iachinazzu bet his daughter’s dowry and lost it. This event must have been for Rosa the last straw, so once she found out, the enraged and desperate woman stabbed her husband with a knife. Thinking she had killed him, she turned herself to the Carabinieri.  As it turned out, Iachinazzu had just been severely wounded, so Rosa was only sentenced six months. 

Once she served her time, she started working as a peddler, until she left her husband and moved to Palermo together with her daughter. In Palermo, she worked as a maid for a noble family. She was able to send her daughter to boarding school, while she learnt to read and write. Everything seemed to go well until the family’s young son seduced Rosa and got her pregnant. With the (false) promise of marrying her, he convinced her to steal money from his parents. Unfortunately for her, Rosa was discovered and ran away. She was nonetheless arrested and sentenced seven months. When her time was served, she was forced to live on the street until a midwife friend took her in and helped her give birth to a stillborn son.

Thanks to the intervention of Earl Testa, Rosa was employed as keeper cum sacristan of the Church of Santa Maria degli Agonizzanti, Palermo. For a while, she lived in the sacristy’s basement together with her brother Vincenzo, until the priest attempted to assault her. The woman took revenge by stealing the church’s alms-giving and with the money, she bought two tickets for Firenze, one for her and the other for her brother.

In Firenze, Vincenzo started working as a shoemaker while she resumed her job as a maid for upper-class families. The siblings were soon joined by their sister Mariannina, and their mother. The other sister, Maria (together with her children), joined them later, following a terrible fight with her violent husband. Unfortunately for Maria, her husband followed her and, once he found his wife, he killed her. Maria’s death was a huge blow to Rosa’s family, their distraught father was so desperate he hanged himself.

In the meantime, Rosa had started a relationship with Florentine painter Manfredi Lombardi. Through him, she managed to get introduced to artistic figures like Genoese art critic Mario De Michele (who allowed her to record her first album), Sicilian poet Ignazio Buttitta (who suggested that she learnt how to play the guitar and helped her with the songwriting and the composition of the music tracks), or 1997 Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo (who hosted her in the first two editions of his theatrical show Ci ragiono e canto).

Eventually, her decade-long relationship with Lombardi would end after he dumped her for a model, causing Rosa to fall into depression and attempt to kill herself. To make things worse, her daughter Angela had abandoned boarding school because she found herself pregnant and now Rosa had to provide also for her. To her rescue came her friends from the Italian Communist Party (PCI) who allowed her to perform during the various Feste de l’Unità the Party organized in various Italian cities.

She returned to Sicily at the beginning of 1970s. No longer an unknown Sicilian émigré, she came back as an accomplished artist. In 1973 her song Terra che non senti was disqualified during the XXIII edition of Sanremo Music Festival. The disqualification occurs after the RAI denounces the song via telegram as not being an unreleased track, prompting various controversies since it seemed like the real reason Rosa was banned was that the RAI was afraid that she (a known activist with Communist ideals) might use the Festival to make some dangerous social statement in front of 30 millions of viewers. By many, she’s considered the moral winner of the XXIII edition.

In Palermo she kept singing and playing in the Teatro Biondo, as well as touring the world, performing among other in Sweden, Germany, and the USA and always being celebrated.

While in tournée in Calabria, Rosa suffered from a stroke. She was hospitalised in Palermo, in Villa Sofia Hospital, where she died on September 20th 1990, although later buried in Trespiano, near Firenze. She was 63.  

Rosa’s voice, her strangled singing, dramatic, anguished, sounded as if it came from Sicily’s parched earth. I got the impression of having always known her, to have seen her being born and heard her throughout my whole life: child, shoeless, poor, woman, mother, Because Rosa Balistreri is a fantastic character, I’d say a drama, a novel, a faceless movie.

Ignazio Buttitta [my translation]

Sources

Balarm,  Sanremo 1973: la grande assente Rosa Balistreri, esclusa con "Terra che non senti"

Cascio Franco, Quella volta che Rosa Balistreri fu esclusa dal Festival di Sanremo

Grasso Mario, Rosa Balistreri, la cantautrice siciliana che ha vinto contro ogni mala fortuna

Meli Cristina,  Rosa Balistreri, la prima cantautrice e cantastorie donna italiana

PalermoViva, Rosa Balistreri Canta e Cunta

Providenti Giovanna, Rosa Balistreri

[inzaghisgirlfriend]

do you think vcy would ever have children? i can't decide wether they seem like the type to me, to follow the "nuclear family" standard and so on 🫣 i think they wouldn't even necessarily be married on paper (seeing so many ppl be upset he didn't have a ring on in the cameo made me think about how fans perceive their ending in the drama - do we really need a couple to follow traditional standards to consider them endgame?), when they've already sworn themselves soulmates to each other in so, so many other ways... how would a document even make any difference when their love is something that can't simpy be defined on paper

many thoughts!!! this cameo made me feel so revitalized its insane :D

Oooh. Oooh!

Okay, thank you for posing the question!

I have given this so very much thought, and this is one on which I am very torn. Because, on the one hand...

(More after the cut)

No fucking way

- their jobs would make it nearly impossible for them to be present, participant parents (and what's more, they're both such type A competitive high achievers, if they decided to do anything, even this, they'd both want to be the very best at it)

- as you say, they aren't the type that seem to need specific (or "traditional") things for their relationship to be "real" or "complete" - living together full time, marriage, nor children seem to be something either of them would do just because it's what's done or to make it real between them

- both of them have mommy and daddy issues like fucking crazy and, I would think, would be hugely reluctant to potentially impose what they ingested growing up on a child

- they live lives separate from one another - a separation that is a myriad of things including physical distance (literally thousands of miles apart), sociological and linguistical difference (the entire start of the show is culture shock while deeply Italian Vin struggles mightily with the deep cultural differences between his home and Korea), linguistical differences (the child would grow up missing half their two families' core language), etc., etc.

But, on the other hand...

Hell fucking yes

- all that shit I say above about mommy and daddy issues combined with them being so competitive and egotistical and achievement-oriented and steadfastly of the belief that they would be the best at anything they do? I could see one or both of them* (*more on this in a moment) thinking, "Yeah, but I'm better than that and would actually be great" (her, moreso than him)

- so, without that hurdle, you're left with their jobs being difficult to fit around children - however, as with most Vincenzo and Cha Young issues (the difficulty of making their relationship work with their legal issues, the distance between them, the fully formed and completely separate lives they resume after the show), they have fucking boatloads of money between them for nannies and tutors and schooling, not to mention the support of very powerful people (Directors Ahn and Cho and the security agencies and their connections to Interpol, Vinny's mafia network that would stretch into government and beyond), not to mention huge "villages" around them - literal adopted families)

- turning the "different worlds" thing on its head, any child they had would, benefitted by their endless money and resources to make it happen, grow up a bilingual, worldly, person who could slip with ease from one of their parent's cultures, languages, and worlds to the other's, and you can't tell me the ability to cut and run and never lose a step wouldn't be something both V and CY would find not only appealing but necessary to imbue in someone

- he is madly in love with her and she with him and there is definitely something to be said about the compulsion one feels when partnered like that to create something to leave behind that combines the best in both of you - I'm not saying becoming parents elevates love to something higher or more worthy, nor do I think either of them would think this way, but I could see the both of them having this compulsion

- Vincenzo's job kind of requires it, as archaic and old fashioned as it sounds (but that is very much the mafia) - power comes from family, and once he resolidified his position as capo, it would not be long before the family would be wondering about succession plans, particularly in light of what happened with Paolo usurping Vincenzo when Fabio died - and Vincenzo is both duty- and tradition-bound and it is hardwired into who he is so I can absolutely see him feeling the compulsion to do so if he thought she would want it (he would absolutely forgo it if she did not, of course, and never push it with her because he isn't that way)

- I think there might be long periods where one wants to and doesn't say anything because they assume (and probably rightly so) the other one isn't interested, and I think it would be a good 70/30 that Vinny wants to more often than Cha Young but assumes she doesn't and/or would be hugely cognizant of the disproportionate impact of parenting on women, no matter how committed to doing his part the father is

What do you think, though? I'm so curious on others' feelings about this because there seems to be a very hard schism between "never them, they wouldn’t do it" and "Oh Cassano babies though," while I think it is very, very gray, what they would feel and where things would land.

So I could see it either way, honestly, and I've imagined them landing in both places.

Oddly, anytime I've ever penned anything in this vein, it's not been on purpose (which is a whole other level of out of character behavior for either of them to be so uncautious, but that's another topic altogether), and I think it's because it's hard for me to see them making the decision to do it but feeling like if it were made for them, they'd both be over the moon about it (him, a squinch more than her, and more outwardly so.) I also think they'd have exactly one child, it would absolutely be a girl, and Vincenzo would both think she walks on water and be overprotective to a fault and need Cha Young to tell him to dial it back. And she'd marry Luca's son and it would vex Vinny endlessly.