#yuli talks
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Ngl I get really annoyed when ppl insinuate that maki never saw past momota's hero persona when in reality she absolutely did
#yuli speaks#top 3 pet peeves tied w treating saihara and harukawa as momota's cheerleaders instead of his actual friends#its such a shallow reading of their dynamics#but also a shallow read of maki as well#she didnt fall for him bc she only saw his hero persona#she saw that despite his hypocrisy and being all talk his care for others is genuine#and wants to help him the same way he helped her
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Can you draw Yuli from the game pop’n music? I saw you had requests open.
Sure! :D (also yeah they’re still open lol)
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i fucking hate the darkside detective so fucking bad ohhh h mm y ygod
#the only good thing abt this game is its making me realize how much i love sam & max#literally crying at my chair thinking abt how much i love those fucking furries#no mention of the word ableism will ever top literally anything they did#those two cops could call me a slur and id laugh with them but if mcqueen and yulie dulies even came near me#i would kill them. immediately#klug talks
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my favourite characters so far in gk are surely hijikata, koito, and tanigaki. tsukishima and usami are also growing on me likely because i love any of tsurumis underlings and their strange relationships with him... tsurumi is also of course a stand out character. honorable mentions go to ienaga and edogai for being main characters to ME even if they are currently irrelevant and dead respectively
#when i was talking to lin and yuly about gk and they were like youre gonna love koito and tsukishima... dangerously true#living after midnight
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For the sleepover
Ronin Warrirors
Character Talk, or really anything. Admin choice. Big into the fandom and love to see thoughts, character talk, ship ideas, anything and everything.
Oh my gosh! I am almost screaming on the other side of this screen because you don’t even know how happy this ask makes me! Nobody else I know has ever watched the show or is interested in checking it out, where it’s so old. I love it dearly though, but have never really met too many other fans or been able to find people in the small fandom it has who are interested in talking to me. So this is just very exciting for me! Do you have any favourite characters? Moments? Thoughts on the characters? While I don’t really ship, do you? Do you have OC’s for the fandom or are you canon only? I’m so interested. I’ll do the character talk meme, at least some of them, because you mentioned it, but always up for any talk!
Why do you like or dislike this character?
So, I will say there’s really no characters that I actively dislike fully from this fandom. Even Talpa has his charms and while Yuli can piss me off at times, he’s a literal child and he’s acting like a child would in a scary situation.
I really like Ryo. I think that while he’s stubborn and a little foolish at times, he’s very brave and he does genuinely care about people. He’s got a big heart and I personally have always just gotten the vibe that he’s very simple as a person, not very materialistic or judgmental about others based on class or looks.
Sage is an interesting one because honestly, I remember hating him as a kid when I first watched this. He was easily my least favourite character but he’s grown on me through the years. I think it really was just how stoic he is in comparison to some of the others that threw me off him as a kid but as I’ve aged, I really love how mature he is as a person. Learning the story of how he got his armor also endeared him to me, because that’s just a really cool story.
Cye is adorable. I love how calm and even-tempered and just kind he is, and his affinity to water has always appealed to me. Despite moving around a lot, I’ve been blessed in that a lot of the places I’ve lived have only been, at most, a couple hour’s trip to either large lakes or to the ocean. Currently live close to water – it’s something that relaxes me and that really appeals to me as a person, so he’s always been my second favourite probably because of that.
Kento amused me the most as a kid when I first watched this and there hasn’t been any rewatches where he hasn’t made me laugh at least once or twice. While he can definitely be stupid, you can tell he genuinely cares about people and he comes across as one of those well-intentioned, slightly stupid extrovert himbo friends and as I have the extreme privilege of having a couple of those in my life, cannot say how much that energy can make a life better.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that Rowen was among my first fictional crushes and has been one of my longest fictional others. I love everything about him, plain out, and though I see his flaws, he’s perfect.
Mia got the short end of the stick because of the time Ronin Warriors came out. Honestly, she got a little better writing than a large majority of the female characters at that point because her story wasn’t made a huge romantic thing and she did have some use and was shown to be very intelligent. It’s just that well-rounded, incredibly fleshed out female characters with goals, dreams of their own, and lives outside of the boys of the story weren’t really part of straight shonen in the 90’s. I think she deserved better but I see a lot of positives as she is.
Yuli, as I mentioned, does piss me off at points but at the same time, I do see him as being an interesting character. He had a lot of potential but again – he’s a kid in a very scary situation and honestly, it’s amazing how brave he could be at times.
The Ancient One…always been kind of neutral. Extremely plot important but I really wish we’d learned more about him.
I want White Blaze as a pet.
Talpa had that voice and I loved it.
I remember, again, as a kid, hating Lady Kayura. Kind of felt jealous of this really pretty, super strong, badass girl. I’ve grown to really enjoy her over the years though and I think having a strong female who could fight and had this great storyline was really great for the show, especially as (kind of mentioned) the female representation at the time wasn’t great all around.
Anubis had one of the first ‘villain redemption’ arc that I remember ever seeing and he’s a large part of why I love that trope and those types of story arcs.
Kale is…just kind of there for me. Honestly, he’s cool enough, but he’s not someone I think a lot about.
Sehkmet had one of the coolest character designs of the show. Also love his snarkiness.
Dais had the coolest powers. I remember thinking that, despite being a bad guy, he was one of the coolest characters and honestly, his power set is still really great to me. I found his fighting scenes really enjoyable, probably the most out of all of them.
Favourite canon thing about the character?
I love the fact that Ryo is more of an introvert than you’d expect someone of that character archetype to be. He definitely comes across as the guy who needs his alone time the most and I think he gets that alone time by being in nature.
Sage really has this incredibly rare and wonderful sense of honor and a real strong sense of right and wrong and I wish at times that I was more like him. He’s also not too proud to take the fall for someone else, to save their honor.
Cye had the most gentle heart and he really felt like he was the one who kind of facilitated and helped build the friendships I do see the Ronins having with each other. I feel like he’d be the guy that all the others would share their secrets with.
I adore the fact that Rowen enjoys mystery novels, but that’s coming from someone else who really enjoys that genre and likes imagining recommendations he’d give and talking about our favourite mystery stories together.
Kento seems like someone who really does try to make everyone happy and comfortable. He feels like the guy who would notice someone being left out in group gatherings and who would go out of his way to include them.
Mia really is insanely smart and hard-working and I admire that greatly about her.
Yuli really did want to be helpful and he was always trying his best to be brave.
The Ancient One tried his best.
White Blaze is perfection.
Talpa had a great voice and wonderful hair.
Lady Kayura was the first really bad-ass female character I remember.
Anubis had a great story arc all around. I recommend watching just for that alone.
Kale’s character design was actually pretty cool.
Sehkmet never gave up. He definitely seems like the kind of person who doesn’t let anything keep him down, at least not for long.
Dias would have made a killing as a Vegas magician, just saying. He seems like he’d have the charisma and showmanship to really rock that career too!
Least favourite canon thing about this character?
Ryo had a real issue, at points, with being almost borderline arrogant and stubborn.
Sage was almost too proper and needed better communication at times.
Cye definitely needed better communication skills.
Rowen, for someone really smart, had a real annoying habit of just blurting out super obvious stuff (I like to blame it on some maybe subpar writing at points).
Kento needed to learn to look before he leaped because he pulled some stupid shit that he would have realized wasn’t for the best if he’d thought for just a couple moments.
Mia needed to stop putting herself in danger.
Yuli REALLY needed to stop putting himself in danger.
The Ancient One could have stepped in a lot more than he did (I have always held that he was kind of under-utilized and I would have loved to see him explored more).
White Blaze is perfection, fuck finding a flaw.
Talpa was obviously a crazy megalomaniac, so there’s that.
Lady Kayura…okay, but she’s 12, why did we need a shot of her bare ass.
Anubis obviously had some arrogance issues, however, he was able to work on them so go him!
Kale was too loyal to someone who he had no right to be that loyal to, but I actually love that. It’s just the only flaw I could really find to talk about. I think it makes a lot of sense for his character and for the kind of relationship the Warlords and Talpa had.
Sehkmet felt a little one trick at times in his attacks but that’s okay, he was trying his best.
Dias….needed to be explored in terms of his personality more.
If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?
Short and sweet, not going to lie, I put every fictional character into a KHR! Crossover-verse at some point. I definitely love thinking about the Ronins and the Warlords as part of Mafia family, with the Warlords in particular being a family of elite assassins who kind of have a rivalry with the Varia. The Ronins are a smaller family being targeted by this group of assassins who turn to the Vongola for help and protection.
What’s something you have in common with this character?
With Ryo, we are similar in that we are more introverted and we both love nature and animals. I don’t have a lot in common with Sage, though I’d like to think I act with honor and have strong morals. I feel I have the most in common with Cye, not just the love of the ocean, but the gentle personality and the slight tendencies to go along with our friends and to keep things calm and peaceful and happy with them. Me and Rowen share a love of science and books. Kento is pretty much my opposite, though I like to think that, though shy, I’m quite friendly and try my best to make others feel happy and at ease. Like Mia, I’m hard-working. Like Yuli, I can sometimes run off at the mouth without thinking about it. Like The Ancient One, I’m not around a lot. Like White Blaze, I’m quite silent. Like Talpa, I stick to my goals even when I suffer set-backs. Like Anubis, I can learn to admit I’m wrong. Like Kale, I have some cool looking scars. Like Sehkmet, my makeup game is strong. Like Dias, I love magic.
What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like & 8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?
I honestly have not been able to be in the fandom enough to really see what’s largely done with the characters, so no opinion here!
9. Could you be roommates with this character?
I feel like I could easily be roommates with Cye, Rowen, Ryo, Mia, and maybe Kale. The rest of them maybe not.
10. Could you be best friends with this character?
I feel I’d have the closest friendships with Cye, Rowen, Kento, Ryo, and Mia.
11. Would you date this character?
I would date Cye and Rowen!
12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?
Ryo takes really fantastic photographs, thanks to living with his father. It’s just that photography never ended up sparking any passion for him but given a good camera, he can take good pictures. It’s only the crappy quality cell phone cameras that he just can’t seem to grab good pictures on.
Sage follows his father into the legal sphere in a way when he grows older, getting into law. He becomes a criminal prosecutor.
Cye knows how to sail, can paddleboard, and has gone white-water rafting.
Rowen has hypoglycemia that gets worse as he ages and in his later years, he has to use a glucometer and properly treat the condition.
Kento really loves pro-wrestling.
Mia honestly has a real guilty pleasure for young adult romances, especially things like Twilight. She was definitely Team Edward.
Yuli makes good grades in his school years and graduates in the top three of his class in high school.
Talpa gets songs stuck in his head super easily and hums when he thinks no one can hear him.
Lady Kayura, at some point, learns to ride a motorcycle. She really loves seeing just how fast she can go on them and has had some close calls, though she has never actually crashed.
Anubis, despite having really long and thick hair, doesn’t really do anything special to take care of it. He’s definitely one of those ‘3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, body wash’ guys and because of that, his hair is really dry and prone to split ends.
Kale, despite how fearsome he looks, has a real soft spot for cute baby animals.
Sehkmet would be a fan of celebrity gossip.
Dias would be a huge Pen & Teller fan.
13. What’s an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?
Ryo and Rowen both call more than they text and when they text, it’s very minimal. Ryo sometimes uses the thumbs up and 100 emojis.
Sage never uses emoji’s. He types very properly, with proper capitalization and punctuation.
Cye uses very basic, starter emoji’s, like the smiley faces and hearts that he knows for sure what they mean. Some of the emoji’s people send him he gets really confused by.
Kento uses gifs way more than he uses emoji’s. He’s got anime reaction gifs for everything.
Sehkmet throws together the most random combinations of emojis just to fuck with people, so they’ll try super hard to try to figure out what he means.
14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.
Ryo dresses really simply, honestly. He’s very much a jeans and t-shirt, maybe a henley long sleeve shirt in the fall, a sweater in the summer. He’s drawn to reds and other vibrant colours. He doesn’t really like socks a lot and wears a lot of sneakers. He’s the type who wears his clothes completely out before he thinks about throwing them out and replacing them.
Sage has a more proper, almost preppy sort of style. He’d be the type to throw a blazer over a t-shirt and some well-fitting jeans, to fancy up an outfit. He wears a lot of natural fabrics too. Polyester and cheap materials don’t appeal to him and he doesn’t really bargain shop. However, like Ryo, he does wear his clothes until they’re in such a bad state that they need to be thrown out, so it’s not like he’s wasteful with the money he spends on clothing.
Cye has a very pastel, beach-casual sort of style. He likes capris, linen, blue hues, and dockers. He prefers pull-over sweaters to hoodies, and has no problem wearing board shorts around town.
Rowen switches his style fairly often, honestly. He can’t settle into one particular style but just kind of buys what he likes, making an eclectic mix of different styles. He’s not really all that great at colour coordination though, so some of his outfits kind of aren’t that great, not going to lie.
Kento’s very relaxed in his style. It’s muscle-tops, t-shirts with the sleeves rolled up with jeans or overalls. He lives in his sneakers, loves crazy socks, and has a couple different baseball caps.
Mia has a sort of preppy style. I honestly feel like she’d wear anything Blair wore on Gossip Girl.
Yuli kind of copies the style of the older boy’s a lot. He goes through phases with all of those styles until he really figures out what he likes and what suits him the best. He’s very experimental with fashion and it takes him a while to figure that out.
Lady Kayura seems like she’d rock leather pants, just saying. I feel she has two moods – goth girl or dainty princess and sometimes she even mixes those two together. It’s really all down to how she feels that day.
Kale seems like he’d kind of dress like a biker. Like, that’s really the vibe I get from him.
15. What’s your favourite ship for this character, 16. What’s your least favourite ship for this character & 17. What’s a ship for this character you don’t hate but it’s not your favourite that you’re fine with?
I honestly don’t really do canon shipping. I admit to having some self-ships in the fandom and I used to have a friend who was into the fandom and whose OC I really shipped with Kento! Honestly, I cannot not ship my friend’s OC’s with their canon characters of choice because I love my friend’s OC’s and seeing what they do with them.
18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?
I have to say that I really love Cye and Kento’s friendship. I find Ryo and Sage’s friendship interesting, along with Ryo and Rowen’s friendship. I wish we’d seen a lot more of the dynamics between the different warlords as well, because that’s something I’ve always been really interested in and would love to hear people’s opinions on!
19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don’t like?
I know a lot of people see Ryo and Mia as a couple but I just never saw it and really don’t feel it, but that’s just me.
21. If you’re a fic writer and have written for this character, what’s your favourite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?
I really love writing self-inserts for this fandom, though I keep those only for me because I know they won’t interest the other fans. I love doing headcanons for any of the characters, getting the chance to dive into who they are, what they enjoy, all the different parts of their characters. I also love thinking about and writing the platonic little things in between the characters and trying to figure out what relationships they would have between them, both platonically or who wouldn’t get along, who would be kind of frenemies, rivals, etc.
22. If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?
Honestly, I love all fics, though I do tend to skip the super shippy ones that focus only on romance, with no other plot points. I will happily take any and all fic recommendations for this fandom, not gonna lie.
#admin chatter#character talk#ronin warriors#ryo sanada#cye mouri#rowen hashiba#sage date#kento rei fuan#kale#dais#sekhmet#lady kayura#mia koji#yuli#anubis#talpa
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This morning my friend and I boarded the bus and an adorable little boy said hello to her. She replied "hello" and the boy, delighted that someone actually answered, started a conversation with us. At some point he asked me a series of English questions ("how do you say ____?" "How do you say ___?") Because he wanted to show off what he's learned on tv. I listened to all of his questions and when he didn't know the answer I gave him the answer.
He was three years old and his mother kept apologizing and saying that "he's just really energetic" and "whenever someone answers him he takes it as a hint to pester them" even though we told her it's okay.
Some kids really just want someone to talk to them. Listen yo their stories. Answer their questions.
(unrelated but a little related: once I did a tour for a group of seven-year-olds and they asked so many questions and listened to all of my answers! They were more attentive than most adult groups I guided)
One thing that I’ve found delights children is fully indulging a question on occasion. One a friend’s six-year-old said “what’s in your purse?” And I took every single item out of my purse and showed it to her and told her what it was and she just sat there attentively for the whole inventory because she genuinely wanted to know what was in my purse.
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Sunsets In December
🎄Pairing: architect major!mingyu x literature major!f reader
🎄Word count: 10k
🎄Genre: college au, strangers to friends to lovers, romance, fluff
note: Finally here!! My first time writing this big of a fic. Exams were on my head so this is heaviiiiiily unedited. Hope you guys enjoy.
reblogs and feedback is appreciated
taglist: @eyearebee @woo-yuli @gyuguys @syluslittlecrows @reiofsuns2001 @archivegyu @jkslvsnella @minwonwoozi @minvxq @somber-reads @caibeauchicfashion
The winter landscape appeared like a symphony veiled in frost, with everything shimmering beneath the moonlight. Clouds piled upon each other, painting a picturesque scene. However, your current sentiments were far from appreciating its beauty.
You stuffed your hands deep into the pockets of your padded jacket, feeling the warmth slowly seep into your fingers, easing the tension from the cold. A frosty breath escaped your lips as you quickened your pace toward the entrance of your dorm, your mind already set on finding solace under your covers.
As you pushed the door open, the familiar buzz of your roommate Minjeong’s voice greeted you. She was wrapping up a phone call, her tone unusually animated. “She’ll be there,” she said, hanging up just as her eyes landed on you. A wide grin spread across her face. “My girl has arrived!”
You narrowed your eyes, suspicion bubbling up. Dropping your bag on the bed, you asked cautiously, “Why are you so chirpy? You’re never this chirpy. What’s going on?”
Minjeong’s grin turned downright mischievous as she stepped closer. “You know Mingyu, right?” Your nose scrunched involuntarily at the mention of his name. “That architecture major? Yeah, he’s impossible to avoid. It’s like he’s everywhere—always talking too much and smiling like he’s on a toothpaste commercial.”
Minjeong let out a laugh, waving off your complaints. “He’s not that bad...” she said, dragging out the words, clearly softening you up for something. Your arms crossed over your chest. “Why are we talking about him? What’s he done now?”
Her grin grew wider. “So, Jihoon told me Mingyu’s been pestering him to set you two up. And, well... you have a date!”
“No.” You didn’t hesitate, pulling your blanket over your head and cocooning yourself. “Oh, come on!” Minjeong tugged at the blanket, her voice brimming with excitement. “He’s been waiting for ages to meet you properly!” “That’s his problem, not mine,” you muttered from beneath the covers.
“But I promised Jihoon!” she argued, yanking the blanket halfway off, leaving your legs exposed to the cold. A shiver ran down your spine, and with a groan, you peeked out. “When?” “Tomorrow,” she said brightly. “I have class.” “It’s Saturday,” she countered, looking way too pleased with herself. It hit you then—she had planned this all along.
You sighed, burying your face in your pillow. “Fine, I’ll go. But don’t expect me to like him or enjoy it. This is all on you.”
____
The next morning, the sound of your door slamming open woke you from a restless sleep. Minjeong entered, armed with an array of clothes and a sparkle in her eye. “Rise and shine! We’ve got work to do!”
You groaned, rolling over to face the wall. “I’m not in the mood, Minjeong.” She wasn’t having it. “You’re going. And if you’re going, you’re going to look fabulous.”
“I’ll wear jeans and a hoodie,” you replied flatly, still hoping she’d drop the whole thing. “Absolutely not,” she said with authority, dragging you out of bed. “You’re meeting the Mingyu. At least pretend to make an effort.”
You rolled your eyes but allowed her to shove various outfits into your hands. As you tried on each one, you dismissed them with a bored shrug. “This is pointless. He’s not going to care what I wear, and I don’t care either.”
Minjeong crossed her arms, her lips twitching with amusement. “You’ll care when you see the look on his face.” “Yeah, sure,” you muttered, trying not to imagine Mingyu’s dumb, overly cheerful expression.
An hour later, after much convincing, Minjeong had settled on an outfit for you—stylish but simple enough that you wouldn’t feel out of place. “Now for makeup!” she declared, presenting an arsenal of brushes and palettes. “Minjeong, I don’t even want to go. Do we really need to do this?” you asked, watching her with growing exasperation.
“Yes,” she replied firmly. “If you’re going to suffer through this, you might as well look good doing it.”
As she worked on your face, you couldn’t help but sigh. The brush tickled slightly as it swept across your cheeks, and the faint scent of foundation lingered in the air. “This better be worth it,” you grumbled, earning a soft laugh from her.
“Oh, it will be,” she replied confidently, adding the final touches.
When she was done, you had to admit she had a point. The reflection staring back at you in the mirror looked polished yet still very much like yourself. “Alright, let’s get this over with,” you muttered, grabbing your bag.
Minjeong grinned, pulling you into a hug before you left. “Have fun! Or don’t. But I need details when you’re back!”
As you stepped out, dread settled deep in your stomach. Mingyu wasn’t your type—always too loud, too present, and frankly too much. But you couldn’t say no to Minjeong. Hesitantly, you dragged yourself forward, already counting the minutes until you could come back and hide under your blankets again.
------
The café was cozy, with warm lighting and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. You sat at a small table by the window, fingers wrapped around your cup of tea, trying to stave off the nervous energy that had settled in your chest. This was supposed to be just a simple date, but your mind kept racing with thoughts of how awkward it was all going to be.
Mingyu arrived fashionably late, as usual. He flashed a bright, eager smile as he slid into the seat across from you. "Sorry I'm late! I got caught in traffic," he said, a bit out of breath but still radiating energy.
You simply nodded, offering a polite smile. You didn’t have the heart to explain that it didn’t matter, as you’d been sitting there for only a few minutes. "No problem," you said softly, trying to keep the conversation light.
He didn't seem to pick up on your lack of enthusiasm. "I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long. I kept pestering Jihoon—god knows how irritated he is when I’m around him now?" His words came out in a rush, and you could already feel the pace of the conversation picking up faster than you were ready for. You laughed half-heartedly, not sure how to continue this conversation.
"You major in literature, right? You must be super creative, huh?" he asked, offering his hand for a handshake, his other hand already grabbing the menu. His eyes sparkled with genuine interest, but his voice was almost too enthusiastic, too loud for your liking.
You nodded, trying to smile without overcommitting. "I guess. I mean, I enjoy reading," you said, your tone more reserved than you’d like. You could already feel the disconnect—his high energy clashed with your more laid-back nature.
You paused when the waiter brought his coffee.
Mingyu didn’t seem to notice. “I totally get that! I mean, I like reading too, but I love movies better—especially action-packed ones. Ever seen that one with the building that—” His words were cut off by a loud splat, and you watched in horror as he knocked his coffee cup over, spilling it all over his shirt.
"Ah, shoot!" he exclaimed, jumping back slightly, but only succeeding in making the mess worse. He tried to clean it up with a napkin, but all it did was smear the coffee further, leaving a dark stain across his chest.
You bit back a smile at the sight of his flustered expression but quickly masked it, feeling guilty for finding it amusing. "Are you alright?" you asked, your tone softening slightly.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m good!" He laughed awkwardly, standing up to get more napkins. "Just, uh, classic Mingyu move, right? Always a disaster in the making."
You glanced at him, unsure if you should laugh or not. "It’s fine," you offered, trying to comfort him, but it didn’t seem to make things any less awkward.
The conversation fell into a lull. You both sat there for a moment, the noise of the café around you filling the silence. Mingyu looked a little embarrassed, but his infectious energy didn’t falter for long.
"So," he said, clearing his throat, "how about we go somewhere else after this? I know a cool spot nearby, really chill vibe, perfect for unwinding!"
You glanced at him, not sure how to respond. His enthusiasm was overwhelming, and you didn’t exactly feel the urge to go along with it. "I actually have to head back soon," you said, offering a polite but firm smile.
He blinked, clearly taken aback by your quick refusal. "Oh… okay. I understand." His smile faltered a bit, and he reached for his drink again, taking a large gulp.
The rest of the date passed in an awkward haze. He tried to keep the conversation going, but his words felt like they were hitting a wall. You couldn’t muster the energy to match his enthusiasm, and he seemed to pick up on the distance between you two.
When the check arrived, neither of you said much. You paid for your tea, giving a polite smile as you stood up. "Thanks for meeting me," you said, a little unsure how to wrap up the evening.
While walking out of the café, you stumbled slightly, adjusting your heel. Mingyu noticed your discomfort but didn’t say anything.
Standing beside you, his face flushed from the chaos of the date, he offered a shy smile. "Yeah, no problem. Maybe… we could try again sometime?"
You hesitated, looking at him for a moment. "I don’t think so," you said, the words coming out more bluntly than you intended.
He seemed surprised, but he quickly recovered. "Right. Well, it was nice meeting you, at least. Take care."
You nodded and turned to leave, feeling the weight of the awkwardness settle behind you. As you stepped out of the café and into the chilly night air, you couldn’t help but laugh to yourself. It had definitely been a first date to remember—but not in the way anyone would hope.
As you parted ways, Mingyu watched you walk away. Just as you turned the corner, he suddenly ran into a nearby convenience store.
You were halfway to your dorm when you heard someone calling your name. Turning around, you saw Mingyu jogging toward you, slightly out of breath.
"I—I noticed your heel was bothering you earlier," he said, holding up a small pack of band-aids. "These can help with... the shoe bite."
Surprised, you watched as he kneeled down. "You don’t have to—" you started, but he was already gently slipping the band-aid onto the back of your heel.
“There. Better?” he asked, looking up with a small smile. You nodded, taken aback by his thoughtfulness.
The moment lingered, quiet but comfortable, as the faint sounds of the bustling campus filled the background. Mingyu glanced at his watch and hesitated before speaking again. “Can I walk you back to your dorm? It’s late.”
You blinked, surprised by the offer, but the genuine concern in his voice made you nod. “Sure, that’d be nice.”
As you walked together, the chilly air wrapped around you, but Mingyu’s steady presence felt like a buffer against the cold. The conversation was light, dipping between small observations and moments of silence that didn’t feel awkward but instead comforting.
When you reached the entrance to your dorm, you turned to him, pausing for a moment. “Mingyu, thank you for the band-aid. And… I hope to see you again,” you said softly, the sincerity in your tone surprising even yourself.
Mingyu’s face lit up. "You mean that?"
You nodded, a small smile playing on your lips.
As you stepped inside, he pumped his fist in the air and muttered, "Yes!" under his breath, walking away with a newfound spring in his step.
A week had passed since the awkward coffee date with Mingyu. You hadn't expected to see him again, and honestly, you weren’t sure if you wanted to. Yet, as you walked to the library that Saturday afternoon, there he was, standing outside the entrance, his tall frame unmistakable.
Mingyu spotted you almost instantly. His eyes lit up, and he waved enthusiastically. "Hey! What are the odds?" he called out, jogging up to you.
You paused mid-step, caught off guard. "Oh... hi," you said, your voice uncertain.
"Studying?" he asked, gesturing toward the building.
"Yeah," you replied, clutching your bag a little tighter. "It’s quieter here than at the dorm."
He grinned. "I get that. Mind if I join you? I have some work to finish too."
You hesitated. The memory of your last meeting flashed in your mind, and you weren’t sure if you were ready for another round of Mingyu’s boundless energy. Still, his hopeful expression made it hard to refuse.
"Sure," you said finally, leading the way inside.
The two of you found a quiet corner near the windows. Mingyu pulled out a sketchbook, surprising you. He caught your curious glance and held it up towards you with a smile. "We’ve got a big project due soon, so I thought I’d get some work done." he explained.
You nodded, slightly intrigued. As you opened your notebook, you couldn’t help but sneak glances at him. He was focused, his pencil gliding across the page with surprising precision. It was a stark contrast to the clumsy, overly energetic version of him you’d seen before.
"Are you working on a story?" Mingyu’s voice broke the silence.
You blinked, realizing he was looking at your open notebook. "No, just notes for class," you said, quickly flipping to another page.
"Literature must be so interesting," he said sincerely. "Do you write, too?"
"Sometimes," you admitted, feeling a little self-conscious under his gaze.
"That’s cool. I’d love to read something you’ve written."
You laughed lightly. "I don’t think it’s your kind of thing."
"Try me," he said, his tone playful but curious.
Before you could reply, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at it, frowning slightly.
"Everything okay?" you asked.
"Yeah, just Jihoon being Jihoon," he said, brushing it off. "He says I’m procrastinating too much."
"Is he wrong?" you teased before you could stop yourself.
Mingyu laughed, the sound drawing a few annoyed glances from nearby tables. "Probably not. But hey, I’m here now, right?"
The conversation flowed more easily after that. You found yourself relaxing, even laughing at some of his stories about his friends and their antics. He had a way of making you forget your initial awkwardness, his warmth and enthusiasm proving to be infectious in small doses.
As the afternoon turned to evening, you packed up your things, feeling lighter than you had in days.
"Thanks for letting me crash your study session," Mingyu said as you both walked out of the library. "You weren’t too bad," you replied, surprising yourself with the playful tone.
He grinned. "High praise coming from you."
You rolled your eyes but couldn’t hide your smile.
"Let me walk you back," he offered, falling into step beside you.
This time, you didn’t hesitate.
-------
A week had passed since your second meeting with Mingyu at the library. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but something about him lingered in your thoughts—his unfiltered enthusiasm, the way his face lit up when he talked about his projects, and, oddly enough, how easily he seemed to brighten the atmosphere wherever he went.
It was late afternoon when Minjeong barged into your dorm, her usual whirlwind of energy filling the room. She dropped onto your bed with a dramatic sigh, tossing her bag aside.
"You won’t believe this," she started, grinning mischievously.
"Believe what?" you asked, glancing up from your laptop.
"Jihoon’s taking me to some event on campus tonight. And guess who’s coming?"
You frowned, already suspecting the answer. "Mingyu?"
"Bingo! He’s been pestering Jihoon to invite you too," she said, sitting up with a sly smile. "You should come. It'll be fun!"
You hesitated, unsure if you wanted to see Mingyu again so soon. "I don’t know... I’m not great with crowds."
Minjeong rolled her eyes. "It’s not a crowd. It’s a small gathering, and I’ll be there. Besides, it won’t kill you to socialize a little. Think of it as a chance to loosen up."
Reluctantly, you agreed, though you weren’t sure why. Maybe it was the faint curiosity about Mingyu or simply the inability to say no to Minjeong’s persistent cheerfulness.
_____
The "event" turned out to be more casual than you’d expected—a small group of students gathered in a common room, chatting, laughing, and sharing snacks. Mingyu spotted you almost immediately, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning.
"You came!" he exclaimed, weaving through the group to reach you. "I didn’t think you’d show up."
"Minjeong convinced me," you said, trying to downplay the awkwardness of the moment.
"Well, I’m glad she did." He grinned, holding out a cup of juice. "Here. No coffee disasters this time, I promise."
You couldn’t help but laugh softly, taking the cup. "Thanks."
As the evening went on, you found yourself drawn into conversations more easily than you expected. Mingyu had a way of pulling you into his orbit, his excitement infectious as he introduced you to his friends and shared funny stories.
At some point, you noticed him fiddling with a small notebook, jotting down notes or sketches whenever he had a moment to himself. Curiosity got the better of you.
"Always working, huh?" you teased lightly, nodding toward the notebook.
He looked up, slightly flustered. "Oh, this? Just some ideas I didn’t want to forget."
"Can I see?" you asked, surprising even yourself.
He hesitated for a moment before handing it over. The pages were filled with intricate sketches of buildings, detailed floor plans, and even small doodles in the margins.
"You’re really talented," you said genuinely, flipping through the pages.
Mingyu scratched the back of his neck, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Thanks. It’s just... something I really love doing."
As you handed the notebook back, you realized that his passion for architecture wasn’t just about work—it was a part of who he was. And for the first time, you found yourself wanting to know more about him.
----
Later that night, as you walked back to your dorm with Minjeong, she nudged you playfully. "You seemed to have a good time tonight."
"It was... better than I expected," you admitted.
She smirked knowingly. "Mingyu has that effect on people. You like him, don’t you?"
You rolled your eyes. "I barely know him."
"Maybe, but it’s a start," she said with a wink before disappearing into her room.
As you lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, you couldn’t shake the thought of Mingyu’s sketches and the way his smile had seemed so genuine. Maybe Minjeong was right—maybe it was a start.
The days following the gathering had been surprisingly uneventful. Mingyu hadn’t reached out, and you found yourself wondering why that bothered you. Minjeong, of course, had her theories.
"You’re just not used to someone like him," she said over breakfast one morning, munching on a piece of toast.
"Someone like him?" you echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"You know, overly friendly, a little clumsy, but so sweet that you can’t help but like him," she said with a grin.
You rolled your eyes but didn’t argue. It was hard to deny Mingyu’s charm, even if you tried to convince yourself otherwise.
---
That afternoon, you were sitting on a bench in the campus park, a book in your lap, when a shadow fell across your page. Looking up, you found Mingyu standing there, holding two cups of coffee.
"Hey," he said, smiling sheepishly. "I wasn’t sure if you liked coffee, but I figured it was worth a shot."
You blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I was passing by and saw you," he admitted, handing you a cup. "Figured I’d say hi. Mind if I sit?"
You gestured to the empty spot beside you. "Go ahead."
As he sat down, he glanced at your book. "What are you reading?"
You held it up, showing him the title. He nodded thoughtfully, though you doubted he recognized it.
"Looks... deep," he said, scratching the back of his neck.
You chuckled. "It’s not. Just something for class."
He sipped his coffee, his gaze wandering over the park. "I like this spot. It’s peaceful." You nodded, surprised by the calmness in his voice. For once, he wasn’t bubbling over with energy, and it made the conversation feel easier.
"Do you come here often?" he asked after a moment.
"Sometimes," you admitted. "It’s a good place to clear my head."
He smiled. "I get that. There’s a rooftop near my dorm where I like to sketch. It’s quiet, and the view’s amazing."
You glanced at him, intrigued. "You sketch outside?"
"Yeah. The light’s better, and it helps me focus. Maybe I could show you sometime?" he offered, his tone casual but hopeful.
You hesitated, caught off guard by the invitation. "Maybe."
He grinned. "I’ll take that as a yes."
---
The conversation shifted to lighter topics—favorite movies, embarrassing childhood memories, and the quirks of your professors. To your surprise, Mingyu was a good listener, genuinely interested in what you had to say.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, you realized how much time had passed.
"I should probably get going," you said, standing up and brushing off your jeans.
Mingyu stood too, looking a little reluctant. "Can I walk you back?"
"Sure."
The walk was quiet but comfortable, the kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled. When you reached your dorm, he stopped at the bottom of the steps, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Thanks for letting me crash your reading time," he said with a lopsided smile.
"It wasn’t so bad," you said, surprising both him and yourself.
His smile widened. "I’ll see you around?"
"Yeah," you said softly before heading inside.
As you closed the door behind you, you couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Minjeong was right—maybe you were starting to like him, just a little.
-----
It was a couple of days before you saw Mingyu again. Between classes and assignments, life had been hectic, but a text from him caught you off guard one evening.
Mingyu: "Busy tomorrow afternoon? Got something to show you."
You stared at the message, debating your response before you typed back:
You: "Not busy. What is it?"
Mingyu: "You’ll see. Meet me outside the library at 3?"
----
The next day, you found Mingyu leaning against a lamppost near the library, a backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked up and grinned when he spotted you.
"Right on time," he said, pushing off the pole.
"I’m curious about what’s so important," you replied, crossing your arms.
"Patience," he said, leading you toward the dorm buildings.
You followed him, confusion growing as he guided you to a side entrance. After climbing a couple of flights of stairs, he pushed open a door, revealing the rooftop he’d mentioned.
The ascent up the stairs was challenging, but it was all worth it. The view was breathtaking. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the campus. A light breeze rustled your hair as you stepped closer to the edge, taking it all in.
"This is where you sketch?" you asked, glancing at him.
"Yup," he said, pulling out his sketchbook and a pencil. "Told you it’s a great spot."
You watched as he settled down, flipping to a blank page. His expression shifted, becoming more focused, and you were struck by how different he seemed in this moment—calmer, almost serene.
"Want to see?" he asked, noticing your gaze.
"See what?"
"What I’m working on," he said, holding up the sketchbook. You sat beside him. The page showed the beginnings of a building, its lines sharp and precise. Even unfinished, it was impressive. "This is amazing," you said sincerely.
He smiled, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Thanks. It’s for a project we’re working on in class. Still a long way to go, though."
"You’re really talented," you said, meaning it.
"Thanks," he said, glancing at you. "You know, I was nervous about showing you this."
"Why?"
He shrugged, looking back at the sketch. "I don’t know. I guess I wanted you to like it." Your breath caught at the sincerity in his voice. For a moment, you didn’t know what to say.
"I do like it," you said softly.
The two of you fell into a companionable silence after that, the only sounds coming from the scratch of his pencil and the occasional rustle of the wind.
---
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Mingyu set down his pencil and leaned back, stretching his arms above his head. "Thanks for coming," he said, glancing at you. "It’s nice having company up here."
You nodded, surprised at how much you’d enjoyed the afternoon.
"I should probably head back," you said reluctantly, standing up.
"I’ll walk you," he said immediately, packing up his things.
The walk back to your dorm was quiet but comfortable, the kind of silence that felt natural. When you reached your door, Mingyu hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something.
"Hey," he said finally. "Would you… maybe want to grab dinner sometime? Like, just the two of us?"
You blinked, caught off guard by the question.
"I mean, no pressure," he added quickly, scratching the back of his neck. "I just thought it might be fun."
You considered him for a moment before nodding. "Sure. Why not?"
His face lit up, and he smiled so brightly that you couldn’t help but smile back.
"Great," he said, stepping back. "I’ll text you!"
As he walked away, you leaned against the door, feeling a strange mix of excitement and nervousness.
You didn’t think much of it when Mingyu texted you early in the morning the next day: “Are you free today?” You replied with a quick, “Depends. Why?”
Moments later, your phone buzzed again: “Meet me at the art museum. 11 a.m. Trust me, it’ll be worth it 😉.”
You stared at the message, debating if you wanted to spend your Saturday surrounded by centuries-old paintings and sculptures. But the thought of Mingyu’s excitement—and his likely terrible attempts at interpreting art—was oddly compelling.
When you arrived at the museum, he was waiting outside, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. His face lit up as soon as he saw you.
“You came!” he exclaimed, jogging over to you.
“You told me to,” you said, pulling your scarf tighter around your neck. “So, what’s the plan, art connoisseur?”
He grinned, stepping aside to reveal two tickets in his hand. “There’s a special exhibit on architectural influences in classical art. Thought it might inspire both of us—me for my designs and you for your writing.”
You blinked, pleasantly surprised. “That’s… surprisingly thoughtful of you.”
“Surprisingly?” he repeated, feigning offense. “I’ll have you know, I’m always thoughtful.”
“Sure, Mingyu,” you said, rolling your eyes but following him inside.
The museum was quiet, the kind of serene atmosphere that encouraged hushed conversations and slow, deliberate movements. You walked side by side through the exhibit, pausing to admire the intricate details in the paintings and sculptures.
Mingyu’s commentary was as expected—part insightful, part ridiculous. “That statue over there?” he whispered, leaning closer. “Definitely inspired by me. Look at those proportions.”
You snorted, shaking your head. “The statue is of a Greek god, Mingyu. Not everything is about you.”
“I don’t know,” he said, shrugging. “I think there’s a resemblance.”
Despite his antics, there were moments when his genuine passion for art shone through. He spoke with animated gestures about the structural elements in the paintings, pointing out the use of symmetry and balance in ways that made you see them differently.
“You’re really good at this,” you said as he finished explaining the perspective in a Renaissance piece.
He tilted his head, grinning. “Good at what? Being brilliant?”
“Good at making things interesting,” you clarified, smiling.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything, just looked at you with that same soft expression he’d been wearing more often lately. It made your stomach flip, though you didn’t let it show.
The exhibit ended with a large installation—a series of sculptures arranged to create the illusion of movement when viewed from different angles. Mingyu stood beside you, his gaze fixed on the display.
“It’s amazing how art can feel alive, isn’t it?” he said quietly.
You nodded, watching the way the light played across the sculptures. “It’s like it tells a story without words.”
He turned to you, his voice softer. “Kind of like us, huh?”
You raised an eyebrow, unsure if he was joking. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… we’re figuring out our own story,” he said, his usual bravado replaced by something more sincere. “And I think it’s turning out pretty great.”
For once, you didn’t hesitate. You smiled, meeting his gaze. “Yeah. I think so too.”
The moment lingered, and you were acutely aware of how close he was standing, the warmth of his presence cutting through the chill of the museum.
“So,” he said after a pause, his playful grin returning. “Ready for the next part of the day?”
“There’s more?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Always,” he said, winking. “Come on. You’ll love it.”
_______
Mingyu didn’t give you much information about the “next part” of the day. He just kept walking with an air of mystery, glancing over his shoulder every now and then to make sure you were still following.
“Mingyu, where are we going?” you asked for the third time, narrowing your eyes at his broad back.
“You’ll see,” he said with a mischievous grin, turning a corner.
When he finally stopped, you found yourself in front of a quaint little café tucked away in a quiet alley. The smell of freshly baked pastries wafted out as Mingyu held the door open for you.
“You brought me to a café?” you asked, stepping inside.
“Not just any café,” he said, guiding you toward a table near the back. “This place is special.”
You looked around. It seemed ordinary enough—warm lighting, cozy décor, soft chatter in the background. “What’s so special about it?”
Mingyu sat down across from you, pulling a small menu from the holder on the table. “They have a rooftop garden. Great view, amazing vibe. Plus…” He hesitated, suddenly looking sheepish.
“Plus what?” you prompted, amused by his sudden change in demeanor.
He cleared his throat. “Plus, I wanted to spend more time with you. Somewhere quieter.” It was rare for Mingyu to say things like that without a teasing edge, and you weren’t sure how to respond.
Before you could say anything, the waiter arrived, and Mingyu quickly ordered for both of you—a couple of their signature drinks and a plate of pastries.
“Wait, how do you know what I want?” you asked after the waiter left.
He leaned back in his chair, smirking. “I pay attention.”
You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help smiling.
After a few minutes, he led you upstairs to the rooftop. The view was indeed stunning—the city stretched out before you, lights twinkling against the evening sky. Small fairy lights were strung around the garden, casting a warm glow over the space.
“Okay, I’ll admit,” you said as you sat down on one of the benches, “this is pretty nice.”
“Only pretty nice?” Mingyu teased, sitting beside you.
“Don’t push it,” you warned, though your smile gave you away.
For a while, the two of you just sat there, sipping your drinks and enjoying the quiet. It was a stark contrast to the usual chaos of your interactions, but it felt… natural.
“So,” Mingyu said after a while, breaking the silence. “What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance to?”
You tilted your head, caught off guard by the question. “That’s random.”
“Humor me,” he said, his tone light but his expression serious.
You thought for a moment. “Well… I’ve always wanted to go on a spontaneous trip. Just pack a bag and leave, no plans, no schedule.”
Mingyu’s eyes lit up. “That sounds awesome. We should do that sometime.”
You laughed. “We?”
“Yeah,” he said, grinning. “Why not? You pick the place, I’ll take care of everything else.”
“You’re serious?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Dead serious,” he said, leaning closer. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little adventure.”
You shook your head, laughing softly. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, winking.
As the night wore on, you found yourself relaxing more and more in his presence. There was something about the way he made everything feel easy, like you didn’t have to put up walls or second-guess yourself.
When it was time to leave, Mingyu insisted on walking you back to your dorm.
“Are you sure?” you asked as you stepped onto the sidewalk. “It’s out of your way.”
“It’s fine,” he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I like walking with you.”
You didn’t argue, falling into step beside him. The streets were quiet, and the cool night air carried a hint of winter.
“Thanks for today,” you said after a while. “I didn’t think I’d enjoy myself this much.”
“Is that your way of admitting I’m fun to be around?” he teased.
“Don’t push your luck,” you said, nudging him lightly.
When you reached your dorm, he hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something.
“What?” you asked, tilting your head.
“Nothing,” he said quickly, then added with a grin, “Goodnight, ___.”
“Goodnight, Mingyu,” you said softly, watching as he turned and walked away.
As you stepped inside, you couldn’t help but smile to yourself. Whatever this thing between you and Mingyu was, it was starting to feel a lot less complicated—and a lot more like something worth holding on to.
The sharp winter air nipped at your cheeks as you stepped out of the lecture hall, pulling your scarf tighter around your neck. Snow had started to dust the campus grounds, crunching softly beneath your boots as you descended the steps.
At first, you almost didn’t notice Mingyu, bundled in a thick coat and leaning casually against a lamppost just outside the building. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, but his grin was as warm as ever when your eyes met. He straightened up, holding out a steaming cup of coffee toward you.
“Surprise,” he said, his breath visible in the crisp air.
You blinked at him, momentarily caught off guard. “What are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d save you from the freezing walk to the café,” he replied smoothly. “Your professor doesn’t seem like the type to end classes early, so I figured you’d need this.”
You hesitated, keeping your hands buried deep in your coat pockets. “You waited out here in this cold?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m practically a human heater,” he said, flashing a toothy smile and giving the coffee cup a little shake. “Go on, take it. It’s your favorite.”
The warmth seeped into your fingers as you accepted the cup, and you couldn’t help but smile. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Impossible in a charming way, right?” he teased, falling into step beside you as you began walking.
You smiled at him, and before you could respond, your phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, you saw a message from Minjeong. “Minjeong just texted. She wants to meet at the café. Want to come?”
“Lead the way m’lady.”
The café was bustling when you arrived. Jihoon and Minjeong were already seated in a cozy corner. Minjeong waved enthusiastically as you approached, while Jihoon offered a small nod, his usual reserved self.
“Took you long enough,” Minjeong teased as you slid into the seat beside her. “Were you two busy planning your next cute outing?”
You rolled your eyes, though a slight blush crept onto your cheeks. Mingyu, ever unfazed, leaned back in his chair and smirked. “Maybe. What’s it to you?”
Minjeong grinned, leaning into Jihoon’s side. “Nothing. Just curious. Right, Jihoon?” Jihoon glanced at her, his expression softening. “Sure.” He reached for her hand under the table, a subtle but affectionate gesture that didn’t go unnoticed.
The conversation flowed easily, Mingyu’s boisterous energy balancing Jihoon’s quiet demeanor. Minjeong’s playful remarks kept everyone laughing, and you found yourself relaxing even more, enjoying the warmth of the group.
At one point, Minjeong leaned closer to you. “You know, Jihoon’s been working on a new song. He won’t let me hear it yet, though. Says it’s a surprise.”
You glanced at Jihoon, who looked uncharacteristically sheepish. “Is that true?” you asked, curious.
Jihoon shrugged, avoiding your gaze. “It’s not ready.”
Minjeong beamed. “He’s so modest. But I know it’s going to be amazing.” She squeezed his hand, and he finally met her eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Mingyu, not one to miss an opportunity to tease, leaned forward. “Wow, Jihoon, you’re setting the bar high for the rest of us. How am I supposed to compete with that?”
“You could start by not spilling coffee on yourself,” Jihoon retorted, earning a burst of laughter from the table.
As the afternoon wore on, the four of you lingered, the café’s warmth and camaraderie making it hard to leave. When it was finally time to go, Minjeong linked arms with you, pulling you aside as the boys walked ahead.
“You and Mingyu seem close,” she said, her tone light but knowing.
You hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I guess we are.”
She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Good. He’s a good one. Just don’t let him talk you into any crazy ideas.”
You laughed, feeling a warmth spread through you that had nothing to do with the winter air. As you rejoined the group, Mingyu turned to you, his smile as bright as ever.
As you rejoined the group, Mingyu turned to you, his smile as bright as ever. “Everything okay?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, his breath visible in the cold air.
“Yeah,” you replied, glancing at Minjeong, who gave you a subtle wink before slipping her arm back through Jihoon’s. The two of them walked ahead, their laughter blending with the gentle hum of the evening.
Mingyu fell into step beside you, his hands buried in his coat pockets. “So,” he began, his voice softer now that it was just the two of you, “what crazy ideas does Minjeong think I’ll talk you into?”
You laughed, the sound light against the winter air. “I don’t know, but knowing you, it could be anything.”
“Anything, huh?” He grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep it manageable. No mountain climbing in the snow… yet.”
“Yet?” you repeated, shaking your head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Unbelievable in a charming way, though,” he countered, nudging your shoulder playfully.
You didn’t respond immediately, your gaze drawn to the snowflakes drifting lazily from the sky. Mingyu slowed his pace to match yours, the comfortable silence between you more telling than any words could be.
Ahead of you, Minjeong and Jihoon paused near a small park bench, the snow-covered scene illuminated by the soft glow of a nearby streetlamp. Jihoon pulled Minjeong closer, brushing a stray snowflake from her hair with a tenderness that made you smile.
“Those two,” Mingyu murmured, his voice low. “It’s nice to see them so happy.”
“Yeah,” you agreed, watching as Minjeong tilted her head up to Jihoon, her laughter bright and clear even from a distance.
Mingyu turned to you, his gaze lingering for a moment before he spoke. “You know, seeing them makes me wonder…”
You raised an eyebrow, curious. “Wonder what?”
He hesitated, a rare flicker of uncertainty crossing his face before his usual confidence returned. “Just… how some people make it look so easy. Like they already know how to fit into each other’s lives.”
His words hung in the air, delicate and unspoken yet heavy with meaning. You didn’t know what to say, so you opted for honesty. “I don’t think it’s about knowing. I think it’s about trying, about showing up for each other.”
Mingyu studied you for a moment, his expression softening. “You’re pretty good at that, you know. Showing up.”
A flush crept up your cheeks, and you weren’t sure if it was from the cold or his words. Before you could respond, Minjeong called out, waving you both over.
“Are you two coming, or are we leaving you behind?” she teased, her voice carrying easily through the crisp air.
Mingyu chuckled, stepping closer to you. “Guess that’s our cue.”
You nodded, letting him walk slightly ahead before glancing back at the lamppost where he’d waited for you earlier. The memory of his grin, his thoughtfulness, and his presence stayed with you as you followed him and the others into the evening.
_________
The next few days flew by in a flurry of snow and assignments, but Mingyu’s presence became an increasingly regular—and welcome—part of your routine. Whether it was his casual texts asking if you’d eaten or his sudden appearances outside your lecture hall with coffee in hand, he had a way of brightening even the coldest winter days.
One evening, after a particularly grueling study session in the library, your phone buzzed. You glanced at the screen to see Mingyu’s name.
Mingyu: Look outside.
Your brows furrowed, but you pushed yourself up from the desk and walked over to the window. There he was, standing in the snowy courtyard below, waving like a dork.
You: What are you doing here? It’s freezing!
Mingyu: Rescuing you from your books. Let’s go for a walk.
It was hard to say no to him, especially when he was grinning like that. Grabbing your coat and scarf, you met him outside. The snow was falling heavier now, the flakes catching in his dark hair as he offered you a mischievous smile.
“Don’t you have assignments to finish?” you teased as you fell into step beside him.
“Probably,” he admitted. “But I’d rather hang out with you.”
The campus was quiet at this hour, most students tucked away inside to escape the cold. Mingyu led you toward the park near the edge of campus, where the snow blanketed the trees and paths in a serene, untouched layer of white.
“This is my favorite spot in winter,” he said, gesturing toward a bench beneath a towering oak tree. The branches were heavy with snow, and tiny icicles glimmered in the faint light of a nearby lamppost.
“It’s beautiful,” you murmured, sitting down beside him. The cold seeped through your coat, but Mingyu’s presence seemed to offset the chill.
For a while, you sat in comfortable silence, watching as the snow fell around you. Then, out of nowhere, you spoke.
“You know,” you began, exhaling a cloud of misty breath, “I’ve always wanted to go on a trip in winter. Somewhere quiet, with snow-covered mountains and cozy little cabins. Just… get away from everything for a while.”
Mingyu turned to you, his eyes bright with interest. “Why haven’t you?”
You shrugged, playing with the edge of your scarf. “Too busy, I guess. There’s always something—classes, work, responsibilities. It feels selfish to just drop everything and leave.”
“Selfish?” Mingyu repeated, frowning. “Wanting to take care of yourself isn’t selfish. If anything, it’s smart. Everyone needs a break sometimes.”
You looked at him, surprised by the conviction in his tone. “You really think so?”
“Absolutely,” he said firmly. Then, a grin spread across his face. “Besides, a trip like that sounds amazing. If you ever decide to go, let me know. I’ll carry your bags.”
You laughed, the sound light and genuine. “You just want an excuse to escape your own responsibilities, don’t you?”
“Maybe,” he admitted with a wink. “But mostly, I just think it’d be fun to go with you.”
The walk back to your dorm felt different, though you couldn’t quite put your finger on why. Mingyu’s hand brushed against yours more than once, and each time, it sent a jolt through you. When you reached your door, he lingered, shuffling his feet like he was debating something.
“Goodnight, ___,” he said, his voice unusually hesitant.
“Goodnight, Mingyu,” you replied, though part of you wanted him to stay.
As you turned to go inside, his voice stopped you.
“Wait, ___.”
You spun around, your heart thudding in your chest. He looked nervous, his hands stuffed deep in his coat pockets.
“I just… I really like spending time with you,” he said, his words rushing out in a single breath.
You blinked, caught off guard by his sudden confession. But as the warmth of his words sank in, a smile spread across your face.
“I like spending time with you too,” you admitted, your cheeks flushing.
The relief on his face was almost comical, and he let out a soft laugh. “Good. That’s… good.” With one last smile, he turned and walked away leaving you standing there in the cold with a heart that felt anything but that.
The room was quiet, the soft hum of the heater lulling you into a deep sleep. That was until Minjeong, with her boundless energy, shattered the peace.
“___, get up! We’re going on a trip!”
You groaned, burying your face deeper into your pillow. “Minjeong, it’s four in the morning. What are you talking about?” She tugged at your blanket, her voice insistent. “No time for small talk. Get up! I’ve already packed your bags.”
That jolted you awake. You sat up, blinking at her in disbelief. “You what?”
“Come on,” she urged, pulling you to your feet. “We’re burning moonlight!”
Despite your protests and half-hearted grumbling, Minjeong dragged you out of bed and out of your dorm. The crisp winter air hit you as you stepped outside, and you spotted a car parked nearby. Jihoon and Mingyu were already waiting, the latter leaning casually against the car door with a wide grin.
Jihoon, on the other hand, looked like he’d been dragged out of bed against his will—because he had. His messy hair and scowl said it all. “I still don’t understand why this couldn’t wait until daylight,” he muttered.
“Because spontaneity is fun!” Minjeong chirped, shoving your bag into the trunk before hopping into the backseat.
You hesitated, glancing at Mingyu. He tilted his head toward the passenger seat, his grin softening. “Come on, ___, it’ll be fun. Trust me.”
Still half-asleep and bewildered, you climbed into the car. Mingyu started the engine, and with Minjeong and Jihoon bickering quietly in the back, the four of you set off into the night.
The drive to the cabin was quiet at first, everyone too groggy to speak much. Jihoon had dozed off, his head leaning against the window, while Minjeong hummed softly to a song playing on the radio. Mingyu glanced over at you every now and then, his smile growing when he caught you staring out the window, mesmerized by the view.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” he said softly.
You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah. Where exactly are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he replied cryptically, his eyes twinkling.
_____
By the time you reached the cabin nestled in the heart of a snow-covered forest, the sun had just started to rise, painting the sky in hues of pale pink and gold. The sight was breathtaking. The cabin itself was picturesque, with a rustic charm that made it feel like it had been plucked straight out of a winter postcard.
“Wow,” you breathed as you stepped out of the car, the crisp air filling your lungs. Snow crunched beneath your boots as you tilted your head back to take it all in.
Minjeong, carrying a bag that looked far too big for her, nudged you. “Told you it’d be worth it.” Even Jihoon, who had been complaining for the better part of the ride, seemed impressed as he surveyed the scene, his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets.
“This is… really nice,” he admitted reluctantly, earning a triumphant grin from Minjeong.
Mingyu emerged from the driver’s side, stretching his arms over his head and exhaling a cloud of visible breath. “Wait till you see the inside,” he said, jingling the keys. “I promise, it’s even better.”
The interior of the cabin was just as cozy as the exterior. A roaring fireplace was already lit, filling the space with a warm glow. Plush couches were arranged around the hearth, and a long wooden dining table sat in the center of the room, laden with snacks Minjeong had apparently packed.
“Dibs on the couch,” Jihoon called, flopping down dramatically and closing his eyes as if he were already done for the day.
Minjeong rolled her eyes. “You can rest later. We’ve got plans.”
“We have plans?” you asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Of course we do,” she replied, hands on her hips. “But first, breakfast. I’m starving.”
Mingyu walked past with an armful of blankets, pausing to glance at you. “Make yourself comfortable. This is going to be a weekend to remember.”
And as you stood there, the warmth of the cabin enveloping you and your friends’ laughter echoing around the room, you couldn’t help but feel like he was absolutely right.
After breakfast—a hearty spread of eggs, toast, and Minjeong's insistence on making everyone try her overly sweet hot chocolate—the group settled into the cozy living room. Mingyu had taken charge of stacking more firewood by the hearth, his movements natural and unhurried. Jihoon, predictably, had reclaimed the couch, wrapped in one of the blankets Mingyu had brought out, while Minjeong scrolled through her phone. You were sitting cross-legged on one of the armchairs, the warmth of the fireplace lulling you into a rare moment of complete relaxation.
“Okay, listen up!” Minjeong’s voice cut through the calm. She jumped to her feet, brandishing her phone like a baton. “I’ve come up with the perfect itinerary for our weekend!”
Jihoon groaned audibly. “Please tell me it doesn’t involve anything before noon.”
“Relax, sleepyhead. Today’s all about taking it easy,” Minjeong reassured him, earning a relieved sigh. Then she turned to you with a sly grin. “But tomorrow, we’re going sledding.”
“Sledding?” Mingyu echoed, his brows raising in surprise as he tossed another log onto the fire.
“Yeah,” Minjeong confirmed, her excitement infectious. “There’s a perfect hill just a short drive from here. I already looked it up.”
You couldn’t help but laugh. “You really thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“Of course,” Minjeong said with a dramatic flip of her hair. “I don’t do things halfway. Besides,” she added, her gaze softening, “I wanted this to be special. For all of us.”
Jihoon cracked an eye open, his expression unreadable for a moment before he muttered, “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
Minjeong beamed and threw a pillow at him, which he caught with ease, his small smile betraying his amusement.
Mingyu straightened up, brushing his hands together as if to clear the dust. “Well, if sledding’s on the agenda, we’ll need to build up some energy tonight. How about a hike before dinner? There’s a trail right behind the cabin.”
“That sounds perfect,” you said, the idea of exploring the snowy woods bringing a flutter of excitement.
The group spent the rest of the day settling in, laughing over card games and teasing Jihoon when he inevitably lost. As the sun began to dip behind the trees, Mingyu and Minjeong led the way out to the trail.
The hike was breathtaking. Snow blanketed the ground, and the trees stood tall and bare, their branches etched against the deepening blue of the sky. Mingyu walked beside you, his presence steady and reassuring as the two of you fell into an easy rhythm.
“Not bad for a spontaneous trip, huh?” he asked, his breath visible in the chilly air.
“Not bad at all,” you agreed, your voice quiet as you took in the beauty of the moment.
Minjeong and Jihoon were ahead, their banter floating back to you. Minjeong’s laughter echoed through the trees, and you caught glimpses of Jihoon’s rare, soft smiles when he thought no one was looking.
“You know,” Mingyu said suddenly, his tone thoughtful, “I’m glad we did this.”
You turned to him, your footsteps slowing. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said, his eyes meeting yours with a sincerity that made your heart skip. “It feels… different. Being out here. Like we’re all exactly where we’re supposed to be.”
His words lingered in the air between you, heavy with a meaning you couldn’t quite place but didn’t feel the need to question. Instead, you let yourself smile, your cheeks warming despite the cold.
As the trail looped back toward the cabin, the glow of its lights visible through the trees, you felt a quiet kind of joy settle over you. This trip wasn’t just a break from reality—it was a reminder of how much these people, this time, meant to you.
_________
The next morning, you were woken not by Minjeong’s voice or the sound of Jihoon grumbling but by the distinct aroma of coffee wafting through the cabin. The sunlight streaming through the curtains painted the room in soft golden hues, and for a moment, you simply lay there, savoring the quiet.
A gentle knock on your door broke the silence.
“___?” Mingyu’s voice came through, low and careful. “You awake?”
Your heart fluttered at the sound. “Yeah, come in.”
The door creaked open, and Mingyu stepped inside, holding two mugs of steaming coffee. His hair was slightly tousled, and he wore a hoodie that looked far too warm and inviting for someone as effortlessly charming as him.
“Thought you might want this,” he said, handing you a mug.
You took it, the warmth seeping into your fingers. “Thanks. What’s the plan for today? Sledding, right?”
He nodded, leaning against the doorframe. “Minjeong’s already got Jihoon outside helping with the sleds. Not sure how she convinced him, but he’s doing it.”
You laughed softly, picturing Jihoon’s reluctant expression. “She has her ways.”
“True,” Mingyu said, his smile widening. “But I wanted to check in with you first. You okay with all this? The trip, the chaos… the early mornings?”
You looked at him, surprised by the question. “Yeah, I’m more than okay. I’m glad we’re here. Feels like a break we all needed.”
He seemed satisfied with your answer, his eyes softening. “Good. Let’s head out, then. The snow’s perfect for sledding.”
The hill was alive with laughter and the occasional shriek as the sleds raced down the slope. Minjeong was relentless, challenging everyone to see who could slide the farthest. Jihoon, despite his earlier reluctance, proved to be surprisingly competitive, much to Minjeong’s delight.
“Come on, ___!” Minjeong called out, waving you over. “You’re up next!”
You grabbed the sled, Mingyu appearing at your side almost immediately. “Need a push?” he asked, a playful glint in his eyes.
“I can manage,” you replied, though your grin betrayed your excitement.
Mingyu crouched beside you, his hands steadying the sled. “Alright, but don’t blame me if you lose to Jihoon.”
“I won’t lose,” you shot back, narrowing your eyes.
The moment he let go, you felt the rush of the wind and the thrill of the descent. The world blurred around you, and by the time you reached the bottom of the hill, you were breathless and laughing, your cheeks aching from the cold and your smile.
Mingyu was already sliding down after you, his sled slightly off course but his expression triumphant. When he finally stopped beside you, he rolled off the sled dramatically, lying in the snow and grinning up at the sky.
“Okay, that was worth the early wake-up call,” he admitted, his voice light and happy.
You flopped down beside him, the snow cold but not unpleasant. “Told you so.” For a moment, the two of you lay there, the world quiet except for the distant laughter of your friends.
“This feels right,” he said softly, turning his head to look at you.
You met his gaze, your breath catching. “What does?”
“Being here. With you….all,” he replied, his voice faltering.
You didn’t know how to respond, but Mingyu didn’t seem to mind. He smiled, his expression unguarded and genuine, before sitting up and offering you a hand. “Come on. We’ve got a race to win.”
You took his hand, the warmth of his touch lingering long after he pulled you to your feet.
Later that evening, as the group gathered around the fireplace, Minjeong was regaling everyone with a dramatic retelling of her sledding victories. Jihoon sat beside her, his arm resting casually around her shoulders, his soft chuckles a quiet counterpoint to her boisterous storytelling.
Mingyu leaned closer to you, his voice low so only you could hear. “I think Jihoon’s smiling more than usual. Must be Minjeong’s influence.”
You glanced at the couple, your heart warming at the sight. “They’re good together.”
“Yeah,” Mingyu agreed, his tone thoughtful. “Kind of like us, don’t you think?”
You turned to him, your eyes widening slightly. But before you could respond, he grinned, his expression teasing. “Relax. I meant in a totally platonic, best-team-on-the-hill kind of way.”
“Sure you did,” you replied, unable to stop the smile tugging at your lips.
Three days passed in a blink of an eye. The final night of the trip had arrived, and the cabin hummed with quiet excitement. Outside, a gentle snowfall added a magical touch to the wintry landscape. The four of you were gathered on the front porch, sparklers and firecrackers in hand, ready to ring in the new year. The snowfall outside had eased, leaving a soft white blanket over the ground, reflecting the flickers of light from the sparklers Minjeong twirled in her hands. She jumped around, her giggles cutting through the quiet hum of the winter night. Jihoon stood close to her, arms crossed, looking as if he were above all the chaos but unable to suppress the slight tug at the corner of his lips.
“Jihoon! Help me light this one!” Minjeong called, waving a firecracker in his direction.
“You’re going to get yourself hurt,” Jihoon muttered, but he moved to help her anyway, his hands carefully guiding hers.
You stood near the porch steps, holding a sparkler of your own, the fizzing light barely matching the warmth that spread through you. Mingyu was nearby, but you felt his presence before you saw him. He was quiet, uncharacteristically so, and when you turned to glance at him, you found him watching you with an expression you couldn’t quite place.
“What?” you asked, feeling self-conscious under his steady gaze.
“Nothing,” he said with a soft smile, stepping closer. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
He hesitated, looking up at the bursts of fireworks lighting the sky before meeting your eyes again. “Stuff. Us.”
The weight of his words settled between you, and your heart picked up a nervous rhythm. You lowered the sparkler in your hand, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. “What about us?”
Mingyu ran a hand through his hair, his usual confidence giving way to an almost boyish nervousness. “I’ve been trying to find the right time to say this, but… I guess there’s no such thing as perfect timing, huh?” He let out a small, awkward laugh, shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets.
Your curiosity spiked, but before you could speak, he stepped closer, his tall frame towering over you in a way that somehow felt protective rather than overwhelming.
“I like you, ___,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “Not in a casual, ‘you’re-my-friend’ kind of way. I mean, I like you. A lot. More than I probably should.”
Your breath hitched, and for a moment, all you could hear was the crackling of the sparklers Minjeong had forgotten on the snow.
“And I know we’ve been spending more time together,” he continued, his words tumbling out now, “and maybe I’ve been too obvious about it, but I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore. I just needed to tell you. Even if you don’t feel the same, I—”
“Mingyu.”
He froze, his face panicked. “You don’t have to answer me now, okay? I don’t want to make this weird, and if you don’t like me back, we can just forget I said anything, and—”
“I like you too.”
The words came out so naturally that it surprised you both. Mingyu’s eyes widened, his lips parting as if he needed a moment to process what you’d just said.
“You… you do?”
You nodded, a shy smile creeping onto your face. “Yeah, I do. I just didn’t think—”
Whatever you were going to say was cut off as Mingyu let out a breathless laugh, his whole face lighting up in a way that made your stomach flip. He reached up, hesitated for a brief second, and then brushed a strand of hair from your face.
“You have no idea how happy that makes me,” he murmured, his voice so soft you barely caught it.
The two of you stood there, the world around you fading into the background. Mingyu’s hand lingered near your cheek, his thumb grazing your skin as he tilted his head slightly.
“May I?” he whispered, his voice tinged with both nervousness and anticipation.
Your answer was a subtle nod, your heart pounding in your chest as he leaned in. When his lips met yours, it was everything and more—a kiss that was sweet and full of emotions he hadn’t been able to put into words.
The sound of a particularly loud firecracker made you both pull away, and you glanced over to see Minjeong jumping up and down, her sparklers lighting the space around her like a scene from a movie. Jihoon stood beside her, looking half-annoyed but undeniably endeared, his arm loosely draped around her shoulder.
“They’re going to tease us, aren’t they?” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.
“Probably,” Mingyu replied, his grin mischievous as he reached for your hand. “But I don’t care. Let them.”
As the night sky lit up with dazzling fireworks, you felt a warmth bloom in your chest, not from the cold or the firecrackers, but from the boy whose hand you held—steady, grounding, and impossibly right.
#seventeen#svt#mingyu#kim mingyu#mingyu fluff#mingyu imagines#mingyu x you#mingyu x reader#mingyu seventeen#kim mingyu x reader#kim mingyu imagines#kim mingyu fanfic#kim mingyu fluff#seventeen headcanons#seventeen drabbles#seventeen imagines#seventeen fanfic#seventeen x reader#svt drabbles#seventeen fluff#svt fanfic#svt imagines#svt fluff#svt x reader#svt mingyu#seventeen mingyu#seventeen ff#svt ff#seventeen fic
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Not A Drill!
I have big Infinity Nikki news to share!
First, watch this, and then I'll talk about the news:
youtube
Did you catch the ad placement for Infinity Nikki? It looks stunning on mobile!
But more importantly, did you recognize the blue dress? Here's a closer shot:
That's the Fairytale Swan dress, but in blue.
Dyes will be a feature in the game!
What colors will you use first for the dyes? What suits or pieces will you dye first?
And this extra special news comes from the official IN Discord:
It's been confirmed... we're getting Infinity Nikki this year! (Thanks again, yuli, for the translation!)
I think this is the link to join the Discord? But please let me know if it doesn't work. I'd love to see you around there :)
That's all I have for now. More news and lore coming up soon, Stylists!
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2!!!
yulie is closest with ace and deuce since they experience the most together! they're always getting into trouble together. i think ace and deuce would teach yulie a lot about the world of twst...also riddle's hope would be that yulie talks them out of bad choices (it doesnt work)
also definitely sebek since theyre in the same class!
i think he would be close to all the first years, kalim, rook, and cater as well. anyone who's a little more outgoing to offset her.
#glory art#glory answers#glory oc#twst oc#ace trappola#deuce spade#answering this from the perspective of no pairing! so yulie isnt with anyone here#sebek zigvolt#sorry i fell asleep like 5 times... too many naps and i still wanna take another one
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I'm On Fire (Chapter 2)
Pairing: DBF!Aaron Hotchner/Reader
Word Count: 2470
Warnings: older Hotch/younger reader, cheating, daddy issues, a little bit of angst
Taglist: @littlepeanut03 @rosaline-black @moonmark98 @yuly @jazzymariexoxoc @frogoko @morgthemagpie
You're staring at the kitchen sink, a full glass of water on the counter to your left. Alone again. It's been days since you've seen your dad.
You let your head rest in your hands as you prop your elbows up on the counter. Aaron had left his number in your phone when he dropped you back home after your late night drive. You were using every ounce of strength not to call him.
It had been a week or so since that night, or morning, you supposed, since you'd watched the sun rise together, when you teased him for his Spartan taste in coffee and breakfast food. You hadn't heard anything, and you were starting to think it must have meant nothing to him. You were nothing but his friend's daughter. Another thing to take care of, like the unmown grass, or filing taxes.
Despite how little you seemed to mean to him, you couldn't stop replaying your conversations in your mind. Although you'd been sleeping for much of the time, when you were awake, you'd talked about everything. He'd opened up about Haley, the way that their marriage was slowly disintegrating because of their different goals, his difficult work schedule. He'd hesitated before telling you another piece, unsure if it was even appropriate to mention it to you.
"She's started..." He sighed. "She's started trying to tamper with the birth control we use. She hasn't refilled her prescription for the pill in a while and..."
He turned away from you as much as he could, fixing his gaze on something on the left of the horizon. His voice dropped to a low whisper.
"The other night when we were... You know what I mean. She tried to pull off the condom. A week ago I was looking in my bedside table for one of my watches, and the condoms were all over the place. The drawer was sticky, so I picked up one of them," He paused again. "It had a hole in it. I thought okay, leak, I'll just throw this one out. But I looked at one of the others, just in case, and..."
"Oh my god," You said softly. "Aaron, that's not okay. If someone I was dating did something like that..."
You felt your jaw clench. How fucking awful was that? Trying to trap him with a baby? It was one thing to try and convince him, to try and save their marriage, to talk about why he was hesitant, but it was a different thing entirely to start taking matters into her own hands. It would obliterate the last of the trust between them. It was sick.
He'd talked a little about his college years, but his playful smile told you there was a lot he was holding back.
"C'mon, Seattle in the 90s? You must have gotten up to no good," You said, trying to eke out some information. "Concerts, weed, girls?"
"I focused on studying," He said, and pressed his lips together.
"You're lying again. That's one of your tells," You pointed at his lips. "You go like this."
You mimicked his expression, the physical manifestation of withholding information or some emotion.
He looked over at you and laughed. "You'd make a good profiler."
"Profiling," You said dreamily. "And you get to travel all over the place. What's it like?"
"It's hard work," He said slowly. "A lot of the time it's unpleasant. But I like to think we make a difference."
"Could you profile me?"
He looked over at you, his expression serious.
"It's not like astrology, or palm-reading" He said. "You might not like what I have to say."
"I won't hold it against you," You replied. "I'm sure none of it will really be new to me. I spend a lot of time thinking about who I am and how I got here."
"You're independent, probably more than you should be, but that says more about your father than it does about you." He paused, taking a breath, and looked over at you again, sadness in his eyes this time. "You're constantly reading the people around you, or at least me, trying to figure out what they're thinking."
You nodded. "It's not just you."
He pulled into the drive through, joining the long line of cars queuing for their morning coffee. For a moment, you thought about how the two of you must look to anyone who took a second to look through the windscreen or one of the windows. You, in a salt-starched button up shirt. Aaron, in a faded blue t-shirt and the joggers you'd been wearing a few hours before. A strange pair of lovers, or maybe just a strange pair.
"The reason you read everyone is because you use it as a pre-emptive defense mechanism. If you know how everyone is feeling, you can adjust your behaviour to avoid making anyone upset."
"Oh," You said. "So that makes me... a psychopath, or something?"
Aaron chuckled and shook his head, looking at you properly now that the car was safely stopped. "No. It makes you like a lot of other women."
"Oh," You said again, somehow feeling even more dejected. "Just ordinary."
He shook his head, reaching across the centre console to wipe some salt from your cheek. "You're far from ordinary."
"Next in line," Came the staticky voice from the speaker. "How can I help you?"
"What do you want?" He whispered.
"Something sweet," You replied. "And a bagel."
He relayed the information to the disembodied voice.
"Is that all?"
"No, could I also get a black coffee? No cream, no sugar, and do you have a bacon and egg sandwich?"
"Sure. Drive up to the next window."
"Thank you," Aaron replied, shooting you a conspiratorial smile. Why did you feel like you were getting away with something?
"Mr. Bacon and Egg," You teased.
"What?" He replied, reaching for his wallet. "Nothing wrong with the classics."
There was a knock at your door, and you jumped. Your dad?
You took a big sip of water before making your way to the door, then peered through one of the little glass windows to see who it was. With a sigh of relief, you undid the deadbolt. Aaron.
"Is your dad home?" He looked you up and down, but there was no hunger in it.
Your brow furrowed. "No."
"We need to talk," He said, letting himself in, locking the door.
Your stomach dropped through the floor. Here it comes. He's going to tell me that I've been coming onto him and it needs to stop. Head heavy with shame, you let your body fall to the couch and looked down at the rug. He's married, how did you think this was going to end?
"Haley's leaving me."
You looked at him, waiting for the next sentence. None came.
"Aaron," You breathed. "I'm so sorry."
"I went for a drive," He said. "To the beach. In Delaware."
There was a long silence, and he walked to the kitchen and back, bringing you the glass of water you'd abandoned.
You took another sip, looking down at the floor again.
"I..." He took a seat beside you.
You looked at him, searching his face.
"I can't read you," You said softly. "You need to tell me."
He looked deep into your eyes, no doubt seeing the feelings you had for him. You couldn't put words to them yet, but you had a feeling your eyes were telling a story your heart hadn't yet been able to commit to. "I didn't like the beach."
Agony tearing through you, you broke the eye contact, rubbing your face with one of your hands. What had you expected?
He took your hand in his, pulling it from your face. His grip was rough, but it was nothing compared to the confusion and pain radiating through your body.
"No," He said insistently. "I didn't like the beach because... It wasn't the beach. It was you."
You looked at him hopefully, praying to every god whose name you'd ever learned that your heart was right to start beating wildly, full of anticipation.
He whispered your name, his hand coming to the side of your face as the space between you seemed to shrink.
"Haley wouldn't mind," You whispered.
"She wouldn't," He replied, his face close enough to yours that certain syllables sent his lips brushing against yours. He rubbed his nose against yours, waiting to be seized by a sudden rush of morality. It didn't come.
You closed the gap between you, taking his chin between your thumb and forefinger, sealing your lips to his. For a moment you stayed like that, just pressing your lips together, not moving, hardly breathing.
Then it was like lightning- his lips moving against yours, his weight starting to shift on top of your body as you slipped beneath him, your hands moving to cup his back, hips dropping open to accommodate his body in this new position. The harsh noises of your breathing between frantic kisses, the wet sound as your tongue just barely left your mouth, tracing over his lips. A thud as his hand met the arm of the couch, supporting his weight. And if that all was lightning, the electric lick of light across a bright sky, the rest was apocalypse, the hounds of hell breaking loose as your bodies settled against each other, his tongue snaking across your lips, testing the seam of them, whether you'd let him in. You tugged his bottom lip between your teeth, running your tongue across the slightly swollen skin as you released his lip.
You settled into a rhythmic tempo, swaying against each other like the waves on the shore, the push and the pull like something divinely inspired, driven by the moon, something of a greater magnitude than mere magnetism. Something like gravity.
When you broke away, it was all changed. Even from this distance, hardly an inch away from him, you knew the world had tilted on its axis. You became aware of the sound of children playing outside, the ring of a bicycle's bell. You were certain that if you walked outside, you'd see them riding their bicycles straight into the sky, or the birds would be flying upside down. The warmth of the sun would radiate from the ground, and the tickle of the grass would rain down on you.
Your eyelashes seemed like monuments as you blinked slowly, attempting to clear your vision. When you opened your eyes, nothing had changed. There he was. There you were.
The sun warmed your bare skin as you curled into Aaron's chest. Something about the kiss had been draining, as beautiful as it was, and you'd led him upstairs to rest. He traced shapes on your back.
"That was intense," He said, finally.
"I'm tired," You said, suddenly feeling like you might cry.
"I shouldn't stay."
You tilted your head to look up at him, taking a moment to appreciate the way that he looked in your bed, his short dark hair contrasting with your cream-coloured pillow.
"You could," You said.
He shook his head.
"I thought you said Haley left?"
He nodded. "She did. But your dad could come back any minute."
It was your turn to shake your head. "He won't be here until Tuesday. He stays at her place from Thursday night until Tuesday morning so they can have weekends."
"Generous definition of weekend," He scoffed. "He should take better care of you."
"He makes sure there's food when he comes. And besides, I can take care of myself."
"You shouldn't have to," He said softly, stroking your cheek with the back of his hand. His voice was filled with fondness, and you broke his gaze so you could rest your head against his chest again.
"You take care of me," You whispered.
"I could," He whispered. "You deserve to know what it feels like."
There were butterflies in your stomach. You lay like that for another hour, waiting to decide what to do. There was no clear path forward, you knew that much.
"I should go," He murmured. "I have some errands to run before everything closes for the night, and work in the morning."
"What are we going to do?" You said softly, sitting upright.
He sat up too, swinging his legs out of the bed.
"What if this is it?" He replied. "The simplest thing to do would be to leave it here."
"Aaron," You said, your voice breaking. "I couldn't live."
You reached for your phone.
"Can I take a photo of us? So at least I know it wasn't a dream?"
His mind flicked to Penelope, and her incredible capacity for unearthing files from anywhere. Your phone was far from secure, and he just couldn't risk a photo like that ending up somewhere it shouldn't.
He shook his head. "It's too risky. No one should find out about this."
You sighed, looking over at the wall, the last of the day's light filling the room with light, although it was limited to a square in the shape of the window.
You took him by the chin, pulling him gently into the light.
He laughed.
"What?"
"Hell of a metaphor," He said, shaking his head with a small smile.
You raised an eyebrow at him, but he shook his head. You dropped the subject and gestured at his shadow on the wall, the silhouette of his head.
"How about this?"
You leaned into the light, leaving your silhouettes facing each other.
He nodded. "That works."
Careful not to let your phone cast a shadow, you framed the shot and looked at him while he looked at you, both of you fighting back wide smiles. Your phone clicked softly, and you checked to make sure the picture was okay. You nodded and showed it to him. He smiled and kissed your forehead, wrapping an arm around you.
"This isn't going to be easy," He said.
You took one of his hands in both of yours, and looked at him seriously. "I don't need easy. I do need you."
You both sat there for a moment, letting your words hang in the air and permeate your skin.
"God," You breathed. "I can't believe you said what if this is it? I couldn't leave things here. I'd die."
"How about this?" He said, echoing your words from earlier. You followed his gaze as he looked down at his hands. He slipped off his gold wedding ring and placed it on your bedside table.
"My promise this isn't it."
You looked at him, tears forming in your eyes, and nodded.
He took your hands in his, and pressed a kiss to them before enclosing them completely in his.
#aaron hotchner/reader#aaron hotchner x reader#aaron hotchner#hotch x reader#hotch#criminal minds#my writing#i'm on fire#dbf!hotch
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in a pregame mmhr mood
#maki harukawa#harukawa maki#kaito momota#momota kaito#Kaimaki#momoharu#harumota#harukaito#pregame kaito#pregame maki#danganronpa#new danganronpa killing harmony#new danganronpa v3#danganronpa v3#ndrv3#drv3#yuli art#please understand my vision of pg maki being a super cringey chuuni and pg momota being a total normie#who doesn't know what shes talking about but she's cute
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Here are the new Belle Cards!
Hey, everyone.
If you've been following me for a while, you might remember a post from 2021 talking about the "Belle Cards."
Belle Cards are the Five Kingdom's equivalent to our Kpop merch, and it's one of my fave tidbits of lore from this world haha XD Belle Cards are often provocative and sold/traded in very specific, hidden places in every big city, so i hope you'll enjoy seeing them! Ko-fi members can download the high-res version of the cards if they want (it's the perfect size to use as your phone wallpaper).
Here's the folder. Yulie's card is the first--to celebrate the release of TdW in a couple of weeks--but I'll soon post the cards for the other members of the cast + the characters in LtGBtK as well.
And if you're not on ko-fi, here's a peek so you can bask in Yulie's muscular glory too. 😳 ♥
#love the guard be the king#visual novel#ltgbtk#tdw#trek to dead water#belle cards#yulie#artists on tumblr
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Yuli Entertainment’s interview SBMS exclusive interview with Xiao Zhan ☀️
Xiao Zhan: I have some questions about Shengyang
"The value of an actor lies in using his work to speak and having a very real feedback connection with the audience."
At the end of 2019, Xiao Zhan had just celebrated his 28th birthday. He received the script of "The Sun Is With Me" and met the 26-year-old Sheng Yang in the script.
About the same age and having similar work experiences, there seems to be some wonderful connection between Sheng Yang and Xiao Zhan. Coupled with the lively and lovable characters in the script, it seems to be an obvious choice to take on the drama.
In Xiao Zhan's work resume, he has played the roles of a lonely and cold prince, a young man with infinite sincerity, a soldier who strives to break through himself, a doctor who is cold on the outside and hot on the inside, etc. These roles have given Xiao Zhan different life experiences. But he still seems to be missing a life-flow work - after Sheng Yang met the audience, this role filled the gap.
The script took more than three years to write. Xiao Zhan also experienced some of his own growth during these three years, which made him have some doubts about his firm choice of Shengyang, "I At 31 years old, how can I play the role of a young brother who is new to the world and has no experience in the world? Can I convince the audience?" In his heart, Xiao Zhan asked himself repeatedly.
Xiao Zhan told screenwriter Li Xiao all these questions.
The original Sheng Yang was lively and innocent, with endless energy. In Li Xiao's words, "He was a sunny and light character." This was also Xiao Zhan's initial feelings about Sheng Yang, but such a character was very Soon there was a round of challenges.
After writing more than 20 episodes of the script, Li Xiao's emotional life has changed, and he has a deeper understanding of the love story between his younger brother and his older sister. "The younger brother who really wants to fall in love must be very mature in his Temperament and ideas." Li Xiao said.
26-year-old Sheng Yang actually has several years of work experience. Should he still be a big boy who doesn't understand the world? Is it possible that I admired Jian Bing for ten years because of an advertisement ten years ago? Should Sheng Yang be a completely straight-forward and passionate character? Can I fall in love with my sister Jian Bing just based on pure love?
These questions seemed to have different answers in Li Xiao's mind. At this time, Xiao Zhan met Li Xiao for the first time at the script planning meeting.
Xiao Zhan's doubts and Li Xiao's thoughts collided at the same time, "Sister Li Xiao and I have met each other late." In Xiao Zhan's eyes, Li Xiao is a person who is very serious about work. The two people's thoughts about Sheng Yang We hit it off right away at the first script meeting.
Xiao Zhan was worried that he might not interpret well the "image of a fledgling, inexperienced younger brother" that was almost overthrown by Li Xiao, and he transformed into a more resolute character, a bit stubborn, and a more serious Sheng Yang. He is no longer a novice in the workplace, but a character with strong personal abilities, inner aspirations, and a sense of maturity.
When encountering difficulties, Sheng Yang is responsible; he also has his own persistence when he extends an olive branch to Jian Bing after losing his job; choosing to start a business is not a young and energetic impulse or a hothead, "We want the audience to believe that Sheng Yang After everything he has gone through, I believe in the decisions he has made," Xiao Zhan said.
Xiao Zhan participated in such script meetings three times in total. The communication with Li Xiao also extended from the script itself to the two people's taste in art. "We will talk about some of the works we have watched recently, and she will recommend many to me." I also saw interesting movies, TV series, and even FM and audio books through her recommendations, and I saw a lot of good works that I had never seen before.”
It is in this atmosphere that Sheng Yang's image becomes more and more full-in Xiao Zhan's heart, Sheng Yang is no longer just a cold description like words, but outlines a complete character portrait. All Sheng Yang's choices The motivations become clear. Only by convincing yourself can the audience have the possibility to believe. Sheng Yang's changes finally gave Xiao Zhan the confidence to perform.
"Now Shengyang has a clear growth line, and the family atmosphere is also clearer. His sense of responsibility and ability, as well as his ability to withstand stress, have improved. His relationship with Jian Bing has also become more grounded and more capable. Make people believe it." In the three years of script creation, Sheng Yang, like Xiao Zhan, has grown up.
"SBMS" was filmed in Chongqing, a city where Xiao Zhan has lived and can give him a sense of security. It may be easier to find the "sense of life" desired in the play in such a city.
Even so, Xiao Zhan was still a little nervous before joining the group, "What I'm particularly worried about is actually that I want to interpret the character of Sheng Yang in a very life-like and natural way. If I can make everyone feel that Xiao Zhan is not acting, but If he is Sheng Yang, then it will be successful."
How to interpret a life-like character is a lesson that Xiao Zhan must complete.
Director Song Xiaofei once took Xiao Zhan to Shengyang's home. After entering Shengyang's room, Xiao Zhan first stopped and looked around to familiarize himself with the environment. Then he went to tidy up the quilt and pillows he was going to sleep on. He sat on the sofa again, then got up, came to the desk, and adjusted all the ornaments on the desk to where he could easily reach them.
"I particularly like the Shengyang family. The art teachers in "SBMS" are very good. They made the Shengyang family very life-like. So when I walked in, I didn't feel like I was acting at all. Instead, it felt like I had already I’ve lived here for a long time.”
In Shengyang's room, Xiao Zhan seemed to see the house where he lived when he was a child. Whether it was the living atmosphere or the environment, everything was too similar.
With such an atmosphere, Xiao Zhan wants to show the role of Sheng Yang better. Therefore, he is always a little nervous, "I have never acted in such a life-oriented drama, and I will be a little uneasy." From the first day of filming, Xiao Zhan would send the director a message every day. information.
"Director, do you think there are any adjustments today?"
"Director, do you think this is okay?"
"How do you feel?"
"How about the scene tomorrow?"
Xiao Zhan likes the feeling of being in the sun on the set of "SBMS". He communicates, discusses, and creates with the director every day. For Xiao Zhan, this is a way to make progress.
On the first day after joining the group, Xiao Zhan's first scene was the scene where Sheng Yang met Jian Bing in a restaurant ten years later. Song Xiaofei deliberately put this important scene on the first day of filming in order to retain Xiao Zhan's character. The feeling of just getting to know Bai Baihe is exactly what the character needs.
Recalling the first day of filming, Xiao Zhan thought it was "quite fun." On the second day, when filming the scene where Jian Bing was drunk and Sheng Yang took care of her in the hotel, Bai Baihe's acting skills brought some touches to him. .
"The plot of that part was that Jian Bing asked for a song. Sheng Yang asked what the title of the song was. Jian Bing looked at Sheng Yang and said, "I really love you." What impressed me deeply was the look in Sister Bai's head when she raised her head. This was very shocking to me at the time. I saw the light in her eyes and her whole state directly and closely, and I really learned a lot."
The excellent performance of the opponent actor also inspired Xiao Zhan's energy. In the subsequent scenes where Sheng Yang muttered to himself, Xiao Zhan's performance was more refined than when he was walking.
Director Song Xiaofei is always good at capturing the impromptu reactions of actors under the camera, and that reaction is the most real and the most touching to the audience. Xiao Zhan said: "In the play "SBMS," I Just do subtraction, don’t think too much about the design or anything else, it’s enough to just immerse yourself in the character.”
Sheng Yang's lines are life-like, but they also convey viewpoints. To be able to express these views without preaching is a test of the screenwriter's creative ability, and it is also a test of the actor's line performance.
Director Song Xiaofei does not ask the actors to say their lines exactly according to the script, which makes it seem a bit rigid. Most of them do not deviate from the original settings of the script, and the actors can handle it as they feel comfortable. "This is similar to the costume dramas I have made before. There are still some differences. For costume dramas, there is his own way of segmenting lines and saying words." Xiao Zhan said.
In addition to family, love and other story lines, Sheng Yang's work scenes are also very important. When walking into Shengyang's office, Xiao Zhan, who had also been a designer, even had a sense of time travel. "Those work stations, hand-drawn tablets, pens, and even the office and design software in the computer are all too familiar." Sitting at Shengyang's workstation, Xiao Zhan will feel relaxed.
"Although these software are not commonly used now, and the technology is a bit degraded, it is still possible to make some pictures and cut some short films when filming." While waiting for the scene on the set, Xiao Zhan would occasionally make two random sketches on the draft paper. , this sense of atmosphere created an inexplicable connection between him and the character Sheng Yang.
In "SBMS", there is a scene that moved the audience and called out the truth: Sheng Yang lost his job due to a certain project accident, but he did not complain to his parents. Instead, he behaved as usual every day and went out to find a job at the designated time. , go home on time to accompany your parents.
Xiao Zhan fully understands Sheng Yang who reports good news but not bad news, because the way he gets along with his family is similar to Sheng Yang. Xiao Zhan likes the noisy but harmonious way of getting along with each other in the play, " Parents will quarrel and have arguments, but they love each other very much, are very happy, and are very beautiful." During the filming of "SBMS", Xiao Zhan's parents visited him twice. For Xiao Zhan, This is also a kind of happiness.
The audience said that "Sheng Yang is Xiao Zhan in the parallel world." Sheng Yang, a Chongqing native and designer, has a high degree of similarity with Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan himself also felt that "in the process of playing Sheng Yang, I will It's a little bit unconscious." For example, Sheng Yang and Xiao Zhan would scratch their heads when they were shy.
"But I'm also afraid that everyone will feel this way." Xiao Zhan said, "I'm afraid that the audience will project their feelings and emotions towards Xiao Zhan onto this character. Although Sheng Yang and I have the same career, in fact we are in the same profession. The personalities are still different, Xiao Zhan may be quieter and more stable, while Shengyang is more outgoing."
There will definitely be some connection between the character and the actor himself. The real reaction given during the filming may include Xiao Zhan's own temperament in some of Sheng Yang's scenes, but this does not mean that Sheng Yang is the actor. Xiao Zhan.
If the audience feels that Sheng Yang seems to be truly living in a certain time and space, it may also mean that Xiao Zhan's interpretation of this character has achieved a landing effect. The "sense of life" he wants to show has been The audience approved.
Broadcasting three TV series in one year is a very rare achievement for an actor. Xiao Zhan also knows clearly, "The value of an actor lies in using his works to speak and having a very real feedback connection with the audience." In the future, TV series are still Xiao Zhan’s main development direction, what will be his next work?
#xiao zhan#shengyang#sunshine by my side#sunshine by my side spoiler#content is almost exactly the same as sina’s that i already shared
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Families
What's small turned to a friendship
Baizhu: Ming! Can you take Qiqi to collect those one herbs?
Ming: Yep! I got it!
Ming: Qiqi! Let's head out!
Qiqi: *Nods, hurrying after Ming*
Ming: *Heads down the stairs, her ponytail swaying behind her*
Baizhu: *Smiles, watching them go then turns away*
A friendship turned to a bond
Albedo: *Sits with his sisters and brother, working on his experiments*
Dorian: *Sits still, letting Klee do his hair* Careful
Klee: I will, you'll look awesome!
Goldina: *Stands beside Albedo, helping with his work*
Minata: *Smiles, finger painting nearby*
Elizia: *Watches Goldina and Albedo curiously*
And that bond will never be broken
Xingqiu: Xenia! Where are you?
Xenia: Qiu!!!
Xingqiu: *Kneels down, holding his arms out*
Xenia: *Leaps into his arms laughing, beaming up at him*
Xingqiu: *Stands up, carrying her back*
The love will never get lost
Gaming: *Walks up the stairs to Liyue* I'm gonna win!
Gilda: *Hops up the stairs, giggling* No you won't!
Gaming: Yes I will! I'm gonna win this time!
Gilda: *Hops up the last stair, beaming* I WIN!!
Gaming: Oh man! I was so close!
Gilda: Better like neck time, Big brother Gaming!
Gaming: *Chuckles* Let's go eat
And when brotherhood come first
Kaeya: *Summons his sword, holding an arm out in front of Vixo*
Vixo: *Stares at the rustling bushes*
Kaeya: *Perks up, a few squirrels scattering from the push* Ah little critters..
Vixo: *Sighs in relief*
Kaeya: *Smiles at Vixo amused and ruffles his hair*
Then the line will never be crossed
Avios: Old man? Dane?
Venti: Hey Avi!
Dvalin: *Nods in greeting to Avios, reading a book*
Avios: *Looks at Venti suspiciously* What are you up to? Where's your wine?
Venti: No wine today, Dane didn't have to drag me from the winery!
Avios: *Looks at Dvalin* Is this not weird to you?
Dvalin: *Smiles* Nope
Avios: *Sighs and walks away to his room*
Venti: *Smiles, hiding his stash of Mora to send Avios to a good school*
Established it on our own
Lilla: HEY GUYS!!
Lyney: LILLA!! *Runs over and throws his arms around her*
Lilla: Laughs, smiling at them all*
Lynette and Freminet: *Hurries over, joining the hug*
Kano: *Walks after them, smiling*
Lynelo and Leena: *Beams, running over* Hi Lilla!
Freya: *Leaps into the hug, Lilla catching her*
Lilla: Careful, hahaha!
Angelina: *Beams at her, holding Arla*
Lilla: Let's have fun! I'll take you all out
Lyney: Hahaha! YEAH!!
When that line had to be drawn
Thoma: *Smiles, Titan sitting in his lap, holding a sparkler*
Titan: *Beams, waving the sparkler around*
Thoma: Careful, you might hurt yourself
Titan: *Holds the sparkler still, beaming* Okay!
Titan: *Leans back against Thoma, smiling*
Thoma: *Chuckles, holding his own sparkler*
And that line is what we reached
Kioshio: *Throws several punches at Wriothesley, weaving around several thrown his way*
Wriothesley: *Lunges forward, holding an arm out*
Kioshio: *Shields his chest, tanking the attack*
Wriothesley: Good job, ready to catch the next criminal?
Kioshio: *Nods* I am.
Wriothesley: *Chuckles and ruffles his hair* You're too serious for your own good
Kioshio: *Fixes his hair, smiling* I know..
So remember me when I'm gone
Chiori: *Nods to Carmilla as the two finished the dress* Good job, 'Milla
Carmilla: *Beams up at her, giggling*
Chiori: *Perks up then fixes Carmilla's loosening bow* There, one should look her best you know
Carmilla: Yeah! A lady looks her best!!
Chiori: *Nods to her* Always
How can we not talk about family
Yoimiya: *Smiles, helping Yulis hold his sparker* There you go!
Yulis: *Waves his sparkler, running around*
Yoimiya: Oh! Be careful, Yulis!
Yulis: *Waves to her with his free hand*
Yulis: *Turns and runs away, running off with some Liyue kids*
Yoimiya: *Smiles after Yulis* Staying in Liyue for him to heal was a good choice
When family's all that we got?
Murkus: *Holds Shuyu with one arm*
Ganyu: *Pokes his cheek* You're too protective
Shenhe: Indeed..
Murkus: You both are too protective...
Xianyun: *Smiles amused* As your older sisters, it is within their right to be protective
Murkus: Mother Xianyun!!
Xianyun: *Chuckles* Fret not, I understand
Murkus: *Huffs embarrassed*
Everything I went through
Xiao: *Sits with Xayda beside him, watching the stars*
Xayda: *Stands up, laughing as she hopped in place*
Xiao: Training! Now! *Vanishes into thin air, smiling*
Xayda: *Leaps up, vanishing after him*
Xiao: *Reappears on top of the Inn*
Xayda: *Reappears two feet from him* I DID IT!!
Xiao: *Nods to her* Good job...
You were standing there by my side
Emilie: Enchantis!
Enchantis: *Runs over, smiling*
Navia: Phibee, time to head home!
Phibee: *Leaps into Navia's arms, beaming*
Clorinde: *Picks up Makio and Cherub, holding them both* Thank you for the invitation
Emilie: *Smiles, holding Enchantis' hand* It was my pleasure!
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride
Tighnari: *Smiles as Sahara finished writing* Nice job
Collei: That was so great, Sahara!
Amon: Indeed...
Cyno: *Pats Mahil's head amused*
Roma and Kael: *Looks over Cyno's shoulder then grabs his headpiece, running off*
Cyno: Boys!!
Zahid: AHAHAHA!!
Kaveh: *Laughs, Kaine sitting beside him
Kaine: *Looks over from his homework surprised*
Alhaitham: Dottie, read this one
Dottie: *Takes the book, his legs sprawled across Alhaitham's legs* Oh..this looks fun!
Alhaitham: *Nods, smiling slightly*
@queen-of-twisted @yukii0nna @zexal-club @albedomestic-airline
#genshin characters#genshin impact#genshin imapct#genshin fandom#genshin ocs#fontaine characters#fontaine genshin#genshin fontaine#genshin impact fontaine#genshin sumeru#sumeru genshin#sumeru gang#genshin liyue#genshin impact liyue#liyue characters#genshin inazuma#inazuma genshin#inazuma characters#mondstadt genshin#genshin mondstadt#genshin impact mondstadt
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Here is the first chapter (I call them Verses to incorporate music terms which has plot relevance later) of my story, of which I have 10 Verses, The first chapter is a bit rough but I gradually learn as I go along and where i'm at in the story now is a lot better in my eyes. Hope you enjoy! any questions please ask :)
The Ballad of Longdead Yuli
Prelude
⌖
"I've walked this road for many a year, unsure if I will ever find what I'm looking for, I often wonder if there is anything to look for anymore, or perhaps this world has long since swallowed any hopes of prying eyes ever meeting it again. I have no reason to continue, yet still my body pushes forth, driven by... in search of..."
In this world there exists a tree. One whose roots span through every quarter of this planet. Harboring the population within its expanse. A mainstay hardly questioned nor pondered upon as anything but truth...
This story is one of purpose. Crossing fates; Identity, the indominable human spirit and what it means to be alive.
Our story could begin anywhere. In the comfort of a home where someone has cracked open a book under some light; on someone's free time away from their busy life; A passing glance from a library visitor and so on. But, for our purposes, we begin with sand blasted wastes, a girl of no name, and most importantly – A Diary of Dust.
Verse
ONE
D slid shrewdly down the steep cliff-face, breathing in with a gasp as she reached the foot of it. The desert night was just giving rise to the morning sun, as such it was still frigid. The ringing of gunfire was still in her ears, she had been running from them. Unsure if she stumbled upon something she shouldn’t have or if she simply happened upon some gunslingers too eager on the trigger. Regardless her instinct was enough to make her not turn back and find out. She was unsure of how long she’d been running, but at this point, she thought, she was sure to have lost them.
D spent her whole life learning to survive in the desert, the easiest place a vagabond can slip away if they so ever have the need. She had no home to speak of, but she quickly learned the tricks of a thief, such as ways to conceal oneself amongst crowds, and not to seem out of place while stealing one’s needs, or desires. As such, D would be in and out of towns. She may appear one day, scrounge what she could, and be out of sight the next. Avoiding the chance of the local law being tipped of the existence of a thieving vagrant in their midst. Since she could walk and talk, she’d done this to survive, at any cost. Surviving and scavenging was all she knew. All she knows now though, is the Sun is quickly rising upon the horizon, it was going to be very hot very soon, and she spotted shelter.
The small building, dilapidated and half swallowed by the dunes, was unsuspecting enough. D managed to kick her way inside without toppling the aged wood responsible for sheltering her, which was a win.
She quickly slung her cloak off and tossed it to the side, nudging her goggles onto her brow. She didn’t realize just how out of breath she was, she slid down against the nearest wall to catch her breath for a minute. It wasn’t long before her eyes began darting around to her surroundings, a scavenger’s curious eye for pickings in tandem with the need to catch her bearings for the coming day. She still had some rations from her time in Witherwood, albeit rot had begun to set in. No big deal, she was no stranger to it, but she needed more food soon. She was doubtful this shriveled shack would have anything, but maybe whoever left this place behind left a can or two of something. She was hopeful, at least.
As her brain stopped focusing on her breathing and her other senses returned, the musty smell of wood rot nearly took out the breath she had just regained, rot wasn't too common in the desert, as rain seldom fell. Regardless, she covered her face with the cloth around her neck and started looking around. The building was not too large, but there was a lot more to the inside as she initially thought, sand had not fully penetrated what remained, save for the few spots it managed to sprinkle its way inside. Despite the building being submerged in sand, she was able to stand straight up. In doing so, however, she learned the building was tilting on its axis, the furthest wall was at quite a decline, and it wrapped around a corner, but that was shrouded in darkness.
From where she stood, there were cabinets and drawers. She eagerly leapt in hastily swinging open the cabinets and pulling the drawers from their hinges. Nothing, nothing, nothing, and nothing. Defeated, her head dropped, there had been nothing to take save for some old wood for fire, if the rot would even take to burning. Some time passed; she was slumped against the wall with the row of empty cabinets, she took one last bite of a half-rotted apple she had stolen. She started to make her way towards the hole she made to enter. Without trying, though, her body stopped, she looked again at the darkened proceeds beyond the corner of the far wall, something about it was calling to her, and, if just for a moment, she swore she saw a bright flash of yellow as if the sun had burst through the dark for just a second. It was impossible, she thought. Every thought and instinct she had was to turn away and leave, but her body was telling her to move towards it.
Accept the dark and you will uncover light... The world, entangled in lies, will it accept truth? These thoughts were not hers, and they were oh, so loud, beckoning her closer and closer. Her legs, as if she were a marionette, were moving on their own, they felt heavy, almost unbearably so. She was kneeling now, the room had gotten steeper somehow, as if her being there was enough to tip the house, the corner was inches away, the thoughts, almost desperate cries now, were ringing in her ears. A veil of countless lives... Locked in time, everlasting, unchanging... Will... You... Question? D winced, her skin felt as if it were burning, her chest felt as if she were pinned, her whole body felt as if it were vibrating intensely. She had no choice but to watch as her body turned the corner, the thoughts, as if a hundred voices in union; SEEK TRUTH. Just then, her vision became overwhelmed with the now almost searing yellow light. Suddenly, she regained control, the light was gone, and her body collapsed under the freedom it once had.
It took her a minute to regain control, as she did, she peered into a dark room, she knew it was risky in old buildings like this, but she took a match and lit it. She was standing inches from a pool of murky water, a strange sight in the desert but after what just happened, she didn’t question it, she was still breathing heavily and quite confused, but she now knows the source of the rot. The insufferable smell of mold and the darkness was enough to make her want to turn back. But whatever that had been, she felt she needed to figure it out. In front of her was a glint of metal, as she brought the match closer it was a wooden lockbox, the corners of which were ornate with metal. She saw nothing else in the room that had not already been thoroughly devoured by the water. She needed to pull it out of here, but the dark was intense, she struck another match and put it between her front teeth, it slightly burned her nose, but it was enough to get it out and into the first room she entered.
She anxiously pried the box open, if this was the cause of what happened, she wasn’t sure if she wanted more of it. Her body kept telling her to open it though. The box held three items, a rusted revolver, a knife wrapped carefully in leather, and a book in pristine condition, The building owners' items before leaving, or biting it, she assumed. The gun was in disrepair, a shame because it would be of good help if she ever needed it. She fastened the knife to her beltline and looked over at the book. She couldn’t read very well, what little she did know was from her only real friend Verrill, but she loved stories. She grabbed the book and flipped through the pages with the notion that Verrill could help her read it when she saw him again. But there was nothing on the pages, every page she passed was blank. She pouted and tossed the book over her shoulder.
She was stumped, there was no clear reason for what happened to her. I really got to stop eating rotten food, she thought. As she was gearing to retrieve her cloak from the ground, she saw something in her peripheral; yellow mist. She snapped her head around at the book laid ajar on the ground, bright yellow lettering seemed to flood the page. She leapt towards the book and picked it up, in doing so, the letters spilling across the pages, rapidly changing. She attempted to fix her sight on the page and began to sit down in hopes of figuring out something...BANG, a shot rang out in the distance, then another, and another.
Shit, did they find me? How? She thought; No, the shots are too far, and there's no way they could have tracked me on foot through the sand unless they were right behind me. She knew one thing though, she had to leave before they got any closer, she's not dumb enough to get into a gun fight. Especially not with just a knife. She stored the book in her satchel, grabbed her belongings, fixed her goggles on her eyes and fashioned her cloak into a shawl, before slipping out of the building,
The sun was in full effect now, from the looks of it, near noon, how long have I been there? She wondered, and took a quick glance back at the building, nothing was visible save for the hole she had made, it was sinking. Shots continued to fire in the distance, and she thought of running the opposite way. Her body, though, had other ideas. Against her will again, and much to her frustration, her body moved towards the gunfight.
Her legs moved on their own for some time and gave way to freedom as she reached the summit of the dunes, she saw the source of the gunfire, a person dressed oddly fancy for the desert pinned behind a carriage, a barn, and two apparent gunslingers firing back and forth. This was not her fight, but the words echoed in her head again; SEEK TRUTH.
D slipped down a pit in the dunes and close to the barn. She felt she needed to help the fancy man, so she slipped off her old knife which was too dull to use anymore, and she threw it towards the barn near the 2 gunslingers, yelling “HEY!” before crouching out of sight, which seemed enough to distract the men, two shots rang out, two bodies hit the floor. The fancy man holstered his gun and started making his way hesitantly towards D.
Whoever he was, he was clearly apt with a gun. She sprang up and raised her hands in the air showing no weapons, the fancy man came closer, taking his hands away from his gun, The bowler hat on his head laid atop long slickened black hair which spilled out like waterfalls on either side of his neck, he looked to have some age on him, there was wispy grey hairs on both sides of his head, his face was clean shaven, He was androgynous, D could believe they were either sex, not that it mattered to her much; She had met all types of people amongst vagrants and wanderers. He was sporting a sand peppered white suit shirt, under grey vest and grey slacks, “I won’t kill you, just keep your hands up for now and come over here” The voice was equally in between, but it wasn’t the time to question that. She started walking towards the fancy man, “toss the knife to the ground and hand over your bag” he said. Great, I help someone against my will and where does it get me? Robbed. She thought, as she complied.
The person took her bag and started rummaging through it, taking a quick look at every object and tossing it on the ground “Really? Is this all you have for food?” they asked. She replied, “If food is what you want, ask!” She replied, the person ignored her, shaking their head. Suddenly, their face turned pale; a grave expression now painted them.
They were holding the book D had taken from the house earlier. “Sit.” he said, “you can put your arms down.” D did as they said, up-close now and the person before them was no more discernable than they had been. Their face was rather round, and they had high cheek bones that pushed outwards from slightly sunken eyes. The person stared at the book for some time, D didn’t know if she should speak up or not. “Can I have my bag ba-” “Where did you get this?” they snapped. D answered meekly “Old house in a dune back that way” she said, pointing behind her. “Dunes? No, that’s not right” he said, looking pensive “That your book?” D asked, Ignored again. “This was buried in Lake Nevorrie, in a house, yes but... that can only mean...”
Their face turned from pensive to excited, as they jumped up, their demeanor changed, now sticking their hand out invitingly “How rude of me! The names Coy Allard, what’s yours?” D, taken aback at the sudden change, she reluctantly shook Coy’s hand. She didn’t talk very much, she learned most of what she knew from Verrill, who himself was a quite well-spoken man, but a rather poor teacher. “I don’t know name, but I’m called D” “Dee?” Coy asked, following with “where did you get that from?” D answered by pointing towards the satchel now at Coy’s feet, which had a D engraved on the largest fold. “Ah, do you like it? ‘D’ I mean.” Coy asked. D just shrugged “Don’t pay attention to it much” she said. “Huh, we’ll put that aside for now.” Coy sat again, tossing the book to D. “What did you see?” they asked. “Huh?” D asked. “Did you see anything, hear anything... Read anything?” The memories of the events in the house earlier had started to resurface, despite her usually poor communication, she retold the best she could, the thoughts that hadn’t belonged to her, the blinding light, her lack of control and the dancing Symbols upon the page.
Coy removed their hat, sliding their hair back and sighing. “Well, that’s that. Fate sure is funny, I worked in the name of that book for ages after its original owner died ‘til I lost hope, I had sworn it was cursed, my goals were fruitless. I’m sure he spites me for it, but I didn’t want my life to be dictated by that book anymore. I guess, though, that book and I are tied by fate.” they laughed, “though, can’t say I didn’t miss the chase” they continued. “What is this? Am I cursed?” D held the book tight to her chest, if this book was cursed, maybe keeping it closed was the best Idea.
Coy snickered, “poor choice of words on my part, age must be catching up” They sat forward, pointing to the book, a grin stretching across their face. “You aren’t cursed, friend, not unless you lack wanderlust or fight. No, you’ve been chosen by the Augur, and what you have there, is the Diary of Dust. Have you read it?” D shook her head “Can’t” Coy put their hat back on, tilting their head slightly “The words won’t show up?” They asked. “They do, I can’t read, and the letters don't stay the same in this. My friend Verrill helps me read” she said. “That makes sense, the letters will only show to those blessed by Augur and will change to any language most understood by the reader. If you can’t read, they will rapidly change until you understand.” Coy responded, rubbing their chin “I guess I'll just have to teach you to read”. Not easy to trust, D jumped up defensively “No! Verrill will help!” she said sternly. Coy responded “We can’t just bring along any random guy! You don’t understand, the Augur chose you, you’re a target now. Which means others around you are in danger too.” She clenched her fists, “I’m used to danger! My whole life is dangerous, Verrill is my friend!” Coy took a deep breath, putting both their hands up in front of them in surrender. “Look, I don’t want to fight you, we just met, you don’t trust me. If you need Verrill we will seek his help, but you need to understand, we need to be quick, we can figure it out as we go” they said, pointing at their carriage. D unclenched her fists and nodded hesitantly, Coy handed her satchel to her and she picked up her knife, she put the book into the satchel, as they both topped the carriage.
It was a long ride with few words spoken, they spoke of location and plan, but no words beyond that. Their goals were the outskirts of Verronas where Verrill sets up cart, he was a snake oil salesman, his trade was dealing in false hope, but the people of Verronas were aware, they’ve long since ran him out of town, everyone knew his products were junk, and his prices too high. It was rare someone was desperate enough to turn to him, and when he sensed a dying man, he’d spin a great comforting story surrounding his product, to ease the customer's mind in his last days, he almost always refuses to take their money He was an interesting man, but not a bad one. The snake oil was a front for his true passion, he loved books, and always had a story to tell. Growing up Verrill was the closest thing D had to a father figure, they’d spent years together running around the wastes, getting kicked out of towns and always getting into mischief. Verrill was her best friend, her only friend. He’d tell tales of his years as a student in the great library of Umbrias far to the east, or his time as a sand raider ruling the dunes, becoming feared and mighty, or his time as a Sherriff’s deputy that took out the infamous Copper-king Lucci Hall. She knew deep down they were tall tales, but she loved them. She had a lot of time to learn from him how to read but her mind was always on other things, and he always said that he hated to see her pout.
As they neared the city of Verronas they reviewed the plan again, it was to stop by Verrill's cart, asking if he would come with them, or at least say goodbye as their goal would have them travelling, likely to not return. D was used to traveling, but she always stayed within a set radius. After today she’d be leaving it for the first time, which was both exciting and daunting for her. Her emotions were lying between the two, a bittersweet symphony for her last days in the wastes, she just hoped it wouldn’t be the last she’d see of Verrill, he was important to her, regardless of time apart.
Time passed as the rumbling hooves shook the carriage. Coy and D were nearing their goal, they rode up 20 paces away from Verrill's cart, as to make a quick exit once they’re done. Coy stayed on the cart to get going as soon as they could. D quickly grabbed her satchel and eagerly jumped to the ground off the carriage and ran to the cart. She saw Verrill behind his counter, but something was off. Verrill was a burly, olive-skinned man with curly black hair and a beard that rode his waist. He almost always wore thick pin-striped pants and suspenders with no shirt. He was almost always in good spirits and wore a smile more often than not. Though that smile was now a bleak grimace.
She always had a way of cheering him up, so she ran up to the cart. “Verrill! I found a cool book, this guy I met said it’s important. We have to go real soon, I thought you’d be able to help and ride with us.” Verrill slammed a book on his counter and fixed his sights to the distance, “No, I don’t want you here, you need to leave.” he said sternly. “B-but you always love talking with me, what did I do? Can I come in?” she stammered. Verrill’s eyes widened, he left his cart to meet her face to face, narrowly slipping out of the door as to not show the contents. “You need to leave D. You’re nothing but trouble! If you don’t leave, I'll make you leave.” Verrill boomed. D began to cry and started punching Verrill in the chest repeatedly. Begging him to change his mind or explain, he did not. With eyes full of tears, she looked up at Verrill, he looked pained, his expression began to distort, his façade was gone, giving way to a face now wet with tears and full of sorrow. He mouthed to her "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. He wrapped his arms around her tight for just a second, releasing what he was really feeling
D, stunned, saw Coy running towards them in her peripheral, Verrill quickly turned and grabbed the book he slammed on his desk a minute before and shoved it to her chest, moving her back a step. She glanced at the book before looking back at Verrill. He was sobbing now, and he began opening his mouth once more, releasing a bellowing “RUN!”
Before she could react; the breath was taken from her lungs, she cried out to no avail. As she was tackled to the ground, A pain like she never felt; A shot rang out, Verrill was dead. D’s vision flashed, then faded to black.
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Yup, they're still talking about me.
I wake up, I check Tumblr, and sure enough they're still hating on me in Wyrmguard. All because they wanted to see Fireworks, I told them to pay attention, they didn't pay attention, and they missed it. But somehow, that's MY fault??? lol unbelievable. Oh, and apparently they're angry at me for using the word "retarded" which is a common word in the English language, and is in various dictionaries. But for some reason, I'm a villain for using that word? lol! That's like how people hate when the word "moist" is used...but it is a common word in the English language, and is in various dictionaries. Meanwhile, I roll up in Stormwind and I get the usual greetings and waves and RP requests. I appreciate them all, but it wouldn't surprise me if those Wyrmguard Pussies Anonymous are the ones wanting to be around Yuli. They'll hate me as Anonymous, and then they'll love Yuli when she comes around. I'm their enemy, and I'm also their fantasy. Simple as that. <3
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