#THEN i started looking though all his lore...

[purple-baron64]

You already pointed out Toriel's drinking, and you covered Alphys in a lot of detail, but I like how we see stuff like this for Asgore and Undyne as well, since they look like they'll also figure into things pretty notably. Asgore in Undertale is ultimately in a super shit situation, King of the Monsters, desperate to protect his people but not wanting to hurt anyone, so he eventually settles on a half measure after an emotional declaration prevents him from meaningfully pulling back lest he risk despair settling over his people.

But in Deltarune, while there's undertones of a secret conflict he can't convince Toriel of (likely relating to the Dark Worlds and Dess' disappearance), the Asgore we primarily see is just utterly pathetic. He's nice and friendly to people, the big, loving, friendly dad figure, but he's completely aimless, losing sight of taking care of himself by giving away all his flowers rather than selling them, and is so utterly desperate for things to go back to the way they were that he's taken to stalking Toriel in a desperate bid to try to start a conversation of some kind, which of course only makes her more understandably upset with him. Kingship was a burden that made Asgore complicit in the slaughter of 6 children, but it also gave him a resolution that guided him toward a goal, horrible though it was. Without that, he seems to have essentially only whatever plan he's working on in the background to go with, and any free time we see him in he's just kind of pitiful.

And Undyne, while we didn't see too much of her, is similarly in an interesting situation because of the lack of a goal that she has. In Undertale, she's a hero to the people, fearsome and mighty and the one who will kill the humans and save the Underground. There's purpose and drive there that guides her toward a cause she truly believes in. But here, she's just kind of a nuisance because she still wants to be that superhero to the people, but she lives in a simple small town without much trouble, so she ends up either bored out of her skull or being a mild pain in the ass in various ways.

I'm super curious to see more of them, especially since Undyne is wrapped up in things now, and Asgore is clearly in some way connected to the big secret plan going on in the background. I'm happy Deltarune is focusing primarily on the newer cast members (I count Gerson in this, since he's basically just a lore character in Undertale, but here he's a huge part of Susie's arc in Chapter 4), but I'm definitely interested in seeing what role the old ones play.

I could NEVER be one of those ppl complaining about the classic undertale characters being “irrelevant” in deltarune. I find the way deltarune highlights each of their flaws through their much more mundane lives so fascinating

[jupitermarss]

unexpected company

shy alien!chan x human!reader warnings: blowjob, corruption kink kinda, aliens, monsterfuck(?), alternative anatomy, sub!chan listen this has no coherent lore or artistic purpose, it’s pure self indulgent filth aka shy alien channie gets a blowjob for the first time ever for the vibes think the avatar’s navi meets stitch meets bang chan. 

moving slightly off grid to finally escape the noise of the city and live out your little house in the woods dream seemed peaceful. uneventful even, because the most that would happen was a hare visiting once in a few moons. that was until a little almond shaped spacecraft crashlanded meters away from your cabin, turning life upside down because not only did it scare the daylights out of you, there was also a pilot inside the ship.

his skin was tinted blue, eye scleras fully black, which, surprisingly... only made him less intimidating, somehow. the visitor was humanoid, slightly lankier than your average male, with a smooth, almost animal-like grace, somewhat primal yet contrasting with his outstanding intelligence and skill in both language and engineering.

when you’d first locked eyes with each other, it wasn’t fear or dread that struck you. on some intuitive and body language reading level, just by one look at your newfound alien company, you figured he was probably even more distressed and frightened than you were. so your initial response was laced with confusion and compassion instead. maybe, a sparkle of curiosity and suspicion, too. 

you gave him water, tried to keep your own body language neutral and non-threatening, showing you were only trying to help and meant no harm. 

this is how it started. 

to answer the question of how it’s going, there’s definitely nuance. 

first of all, he’s now living with you because he needs time to patch up his spacecraft. with limited tech resources available here on earth, it’s taking longer than it could have. 

second of all, he started speaking. he introduced his name to you first, but it sounded like a combination of sounds your mind couldn’t even grasp to then repeat. it was long, tongue twisting and unclear, so you settled on a simpler alternative that phonetically resembled the original name — chan. 

chan picked up basic english in a matter of days and was clearly of some further evolved species than humans. 

he enjoyed pineapple juice and noodle soups, and refused to consume anything else that wasn’t those two options. 

he also had little antennae on the top of his head, that you soon figured were extremely sensitive and almost sacred of a body part, because when you reached to touch them once, he hissed for a warning and sneered as his body tensed up in a reflex response. 

channie wasn’t hostile at all, though. he respected you and your space, keeping his head down and not making much sound, only asking for things when he absolutely needed them. it seemed like where he came from — was an organized and neat, highly developed society that honored manners, respect, knowledge and… modesty? you weren’t sure if it was the right way to describe this certain feeling you were getting. maybe, channie was just… shy. which, if you were being honest with yourself, stirred something inside of you that only fueled the desire to get to know him better. closer. 

“screwdriver, where?” chan asks, popping his head into the living room where you’re now resting with a book in your hands. 

“ahh, not sure? maybe look in the garage, or the kitchen drawers?” you respond and briefly glance at the clock to then realize that he’s been up since 6 in the morning and still haven’t had a breather. 

“chan, aren’t you tired? maybe have a little break?” you add a second before he disappears again, and he stops, perking up his antennae and giving you an almost confused glance. 

“need repair ship. get home!” chan waves his hands as he speaks with a thick adorable accent. 

“i know. but you need rest, too. it’s okay to take a break for an hour.”

“and do what?” 

“rest.” you repeat gently, putting away a long forgotten book and patting the sofa, as if inviting him to sit and join you.

he hesitates but listens, probably out of politeness since you’re the host and he’s the guest, and it would be rude to just walk away from you. as he’s sitting on the sofa, it’s evident that he’s waiting for some sort of instruction or explanation from you, unsure what resting really means. 

“i can help you relax if you let me,” you propose carefully, leaning closer and putting your hand on his thigh, gently caressing him with soothing repetitive motions. 

chan blinks, naive and clueless, but he can admit the touch feels nice, so his body loosens up a little as he sinks further into the pillows. 

there’s a certain level of trust between you already, and you know he isn’t scared or concerned around you, which pushes you further to test out the waters. you slide your palm a little higher to his crotch, and he immediately turns his head to you. 

“why touch?” chan asks with sincere confusion. 

“because it feels good?” 

now it's your turn to be confused. has he never had sex before? is sex even a thing where he’s from? 

“feel good? dunno, chan never touch there,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders and then looking down at his own groin. 

oh.

you swallow and try to keep your cool, even though a strange and probably inappropriate wave of excitement jolts through your body at the news. 

“i can show you. it can feel very good and relaxing. you don’t have to worry, it’s not… painful or anything. it’s nice. can i show you?” you explain and try to sound as reassuring as you can, reading his facial expressions at the same time. 

while you’re studying him so closely, you can’t help but notice how ungodly, unearthly pretty he actually is. his grown out black locks and his sharp eyebrows give him an almost disheveled look yet he still looks so put together, so deeply intelligent. your gaze trails lower and stops at his lips. they’re a darker tint of blue, plush and perfectly shaped. you can tell they’re soft and tender just by looking at them. 

his nailbeds are the same dark blue as his lips, and it gives an impression of matching lipstick and nail polish, kind of rebellious and cute, except it’s just his natural body colors. refreshing.

he’s well built, too. like he can easily climb a tree if he needs to. like he will confidently pilot a heavy aircraft with stiff gears and controls. 

“you can show,” his voice takes you out of your haze, and you refocus on his eyes and scoot a little closer, so that now your noses are almost touching. 

“you can trust me. i won’t hurt you,” you reassure him one last time before planting a gentle kiss on his lips. you hear his breath hitch. gosh.

your movements are slow, patient and soft. the last thing you’d want is to scare him. 

as you undo his pants (the ones he was originally wearing. you washed them after the crash. the fabric is weird and the clasp is some smart unusual shape you’d never seen before), he shifts in place and jerks his hips nervously. this is the first time you see him blush, and it’s an even prettier look than his regular state because the tips of his pointy ears and his cheeks change to a deep violet color. 

chan’s hot to the touch too, and if you didn’t know it’s his natural body temperature, you’d think he's running a fever incompatible with life. his skin is literally burning up which, in contrast with its cold color, makes your brain shortcircuit and buffer every time you feel him.

he’s not wearing any underwear, just his strangely tailored pants, and when you cover his cock with your palm, you gasp out of surprise at what it feels like. 

it’s different. it’s definitely different. 

the shape is closer to a tentacle than a regular cylinder length. it’s twitchy and almost.. alive. flexible and extremely responsive to every brush of your hand.

under a little dark blue tip it’s slightly ribbed and bumpy, hardened but still feels like flesh. 

the antennae on his head begin to tremble, and chan’s breath quickens in a matter of seconds. you both glance at each other confused but with a distinct spark of interest. it’s new to both of you but something nudges you two to keep going. 

you slowly slide onto the floor and get on your knees in front of him, pushing his legs apart and situating yourself comfortably while his cock is out, on full display. sensitive and starting to leak some sort of thick and sticky slick from its slit. 

“a-aah—what-” chan stumbles over his own words, clearly too heated and disoriented to be speaking a language he’d only just learned. 

“sh-h, it’s okay. i’ll touch, and you’ll feel good” you whisper as you lightly squeeze the base of his length, trying to pump him up and down and coat him with his own precum. 

at this point, you’re done fighting your curiosity, so you lick at the head of his cock to taste it, and it takes you aback. it’s… not salty. in fact, it’s the opposite, and reminds you of something close to burnt sugar. kind of sweet, but rich, deep, heavy and with a pinch of something you can’t quite name. 

you take the entire tip into your mouth and suck on it, creating a little vacuum pull with your cheeks, to which chan jolts and almost coughs on his own suppressed moan. 

"do you want me to continue or do you want me to stop?" you ask to make sure.

"no—not stop... continue. please?" he shakes his head and furrows his eyebrows, still flushed with purple hued blush. 

he doesn’t need to ask twice. it’s all the confirmation you need, so you begin to suck again, bobbing your head and trying to take him in deeper each time. he fills your mouth nice and full, hot like gentle lava and textured like a dream come true.

you can only wonder how good and stimulating it must feel against your cunt, if it feels this good against the insides of your cheeks. 

chan’s cock twitches and pulsates for you, its tip pressing against the back of your throat and the roof of your mouth as if it’s also exploring you. as if chan wants to feel up your mouth, map it out with his sensitive part and push into you some more, mutually test how far he can go. 

at some point, you’re not even sure who’s fucking who. because as you grow more confident and properly sink down on him with your mouth, chan’s playing with you back, whether he's even aware he's doing it or not—you can't really tell. his heavy length presses on your tongue which makes more saliva drip down your chin. he rubs against the velvety insides of your cheeks and pushes at them with his curious tip.  one thrust he forces himself in too far, and you gag on it with a lewd sound that makes your own cunt clench.

the little bumps on his cock feel even more prominent now, almost massaging your lower lip with each push inside your mouth, with each slide down your tongue into your throat. somehow, even though you were the one starting it, you no longer feel much in control, now relaxing your jaw and mindlessly allowing chan to use and study you.

chan fully melts into the couch and lets himself get vocal, still tugs at the fabric of the sofa with his fingers as his antennae go limp and frizzy from new overwhelming sensations. 

a release catches both of you off guard as his cock shoots a fat warm load right down your throat. you barely manage to swallow it in time, and it feels similar to drinking hot honey milk in one gulp, only slightly thicker and silkier. 

his tentacle-y length falls onto his exposed stomach with an obscene wet slap, and chan tries to look down at you, his eyes unfocused and drunk-like. 

“did it feel good?” you whisper, hoarse and raspy, licking your lips and swallowing once again. 

“yes—feel good... good,” he replies with a nod, visibly spent and still out of it. 

the image makes you chuckle and smile proudly. 

“do again?” chan asks with a tint of hope. 

“what, right now?!” 

“no, no. no now. do again later?”

you snort and tilt your head to the side, eyeing him and, once again, thinking about how cute he is in his blissful unawareness and inexperience. 

“sure.” 

[tprings-hair]

what happened on tarsus iv?

this is my attempt at creating a definitive list of information on what kirk experienced on tarsus iv for fic writers and other fans who want to know wtf is up with kirk's backstory.

(I have a longer, more general post on tos kirk's backstory here.)

"Kodos the Executioner, summary. Governor of Tarsus Four twenty Earth years ago. Invoked martial law. Slaughtered fifty percent of population Earth colony, that planet. Burned body found when Earth forces arrived. No positive identification. Case closed."

let's start with this quote from spock, detailing the information he found on their ship's computer.

first of all: at its core, this episode is tos's take on the nazis who escaped capture. adolf eichmann was only found in 1960, and would certainly have been in the public memory as a high profile nazi who managed to make a new life under an assumed name. he was not the only one to have escaped capture, and I don't think I need to explain which conspiracy theory the circumstances of kodos's faked death call to mind.

this episode was an exploration of what form cruelty and authoritarianism might take in star trek's universe, with a huge amount of influence from shakespeare's work. the two together make up this central dilemma: is it kodos? might kirk be condemning an innocent man? if it is kodos, does kirk have the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner? is it possible for someone who carried out terrible acts to live a new life somewhere else, and not have the violence follow?

SPOCK: According to our library banks, it started on the Earth colony of Tarsus IV, when the food supply was attacked by an exotic fungus and largely destroyed. There were over eight thousand colonists and virtually no food. And that was when Governor Kodos seized full power and declared emergency martial law.

MCCOY: I've heard of it.

SPOCK: You may not have heard it all. Kodos began to separate the colonists. Some would live, be rationed whatever food was left. The remainder would be immediately put to death. Apparently he had his own theories of eugenics.

MCCOY: Unfortunately, he wasn't the first.

SPOCK: Perhaps not. But he was certainly among the most ruthless, to decide arbitrarily who would survive and who would not, using his own personal standards, and then to implement his decision without mercy. Children watching their parents die. Whole families destroyed. Over four thousand people. They died quickly, without pain, but they died. Relief arrived, but too late to prevent the executions. And Kodos? There never was a positive identification of his body.

the thing is, this introduces a number of inconsistencies. it could easily be chalked up to confusion between multiple drafts of the script, but if you want to look deeper and see where the information comes from, you'll notice the two survivors have very different stories than the official starfleet record.

specifically, spock says that they died quickly and painlessly, and though he is sure that karidian is kodos, he does not seem to treat him as a legitimate threat to anyone's safety. we don't know if kodos ever directly killed anyone, or if he only gave the orders. but kirk and leighton seem to agree on the violence: leighton refers to his own injury as "the bloody thing (kodos) did", and kirk recalls kodos "blasting" others out of existence. it's possible kirk was saying it to confuse kodos, so kodos might say "that's not how it happened" and give himself away. it's also possible that leighton sustained his injury at a different time than the massacre. it seems likeliest to me in any case that the information on the ship's computer is not the entire truth.

which also means you can headcanon whatever you want and nobody can tell you definitively that you're wrong. be free with your tarsus iv headcanons.

exploring the tarsus iv lore (or lack of it) has led me to this sort of consensus in the fandom that kirk was looking after a group of children. I think it's a very cool way of exploring how central it is to his character that he has to be in control, protecting people, and fighting back, and I've read and enjoyed some absolutely fantastic fics with that premise. even william shatner seems to agree. in his novel collision course (which gives kirk and spock a sort of alternate first meeting as teenagers and gives some great insights into how shatner viewed kirk's backstory), kirk ().

the ship's computer specifies the number of survivors later in the episode as nine, and lists them as

Kirk, J., Leighton, T., Moulton, E., Riley, K., Eames, D.

before kirk cuts it off. once leighton dies, the last two surviving are kirk and riley.

the novelization by james blish names a couple more characters, and in order of age: Leighton, T., Molson, E., Kirk, J., Wiegand, R., Eames, S., and Daiken, R., which was what they called the role of kevin riley initially. he is specified as being five years old at the time, and kirk is not a child or teen but a midshipman.

and collision course names still more characters. edith zaglada, an eight year old girl who kirk saw killed. donny, tay, and billy are named as other survivors. this novel doesn't get into kodos's motivations or kirk's circumstances, but it gives us two new characters, griffyn and matthew, who are teenagers employed by kodos as bounty hunters for escapees of the initial massacre. starfleet arrives just as edith is shot and griffyn is trying to convince matthew to shoot kirk. we don't really know if kirk knew any of the other survivors, but he mentions edith's name specifically a few times as a death that affected him a lot. it's heartbreaking to watch city on the edge of forever with that in mind. I also can't find a source for anyone calling him JT, but collision course does call him jimmy during the flashback chapters.

crucially, the novel isn't technically canon. so you can have your gang of children led by JT, or you can have jimmy stick with a couple of people, or you could do something totally your own. none of these are wrong! do whatever your heart desires.

if you want some practical details, there's a great post here by @spirk-trek and pt 1, pt 2, and pt 3 of a great post by @pywren. I may make my own tarsus iv headcanon post if anyone is interested, and if I do I'll link it here.

[ilchulsoleil]

DO NOT TRY MANIFESTING A BEATLES BOYFRIEND!! PLEASE!!! YOU HAVE BEEN SEVERELY WARNED!!!

I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY MANIFESTED THREE JOHN LENNON LOVE INTERESTS IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE!!! I have learned my lesson.

(first and last ones are genuinely uncanny)

Each scenario and how it affected me:

Ok I lied, the first guy I've known for longer than when I first started liking John Lennon (I know. I KNOW.)

First guy, I highkey thought he was a girl when I met him (for a whole two months) and I was really intimidated by him at first but then we became friends and he got me into making music & I've wrote songs about him but he has no idea and he's kind of f-cked up by his youth & we've known each other since we were teenagers. We've tensed up our tight-knit friend group more times than I'd like to admit & the best I can describe our relationship is like enemies to something grander than lovers in a constant cycle only comparable to doomed yuri, but I love him & he loves me back even if things get between us.

This is literally Paul and John guys. He's my John. Like, my official one.

The second guy, my gosh, guys, (derogatory) I started becoming friends with this guy who is literally 1970 raggety, greasy ass John Lennon, and I swear to you I didn't know him for longer than a week and he asked me out without even remembering my name </3 Something's definitely up with this guy but after I ignored him for half a year we became friends again.

Guys. Honorable (or dishonorable) mention is actually this freak ass guy I hung out with ONCE at a volunteer thing for a stageshow and he wasn't even PART OF IT. He just WALKED IN AND SAT AROUND. And he was really bad at everything but he was funny and I guess that got to him cause I never spoke to him again but I saw him last month at a party and the weirdo was in HEAT 😒genuinely hate him. Looked like 1970 John, acted worse than what 1968 mutton chops looks like.

Sigh..

The last guy. Man. This was simmering in the pot of lore, man. I sort of knew this guy, and the first time any of my friends said anything about him, it was NEGATIVE. So naturally I just avoided him but also naturally to myself, I picked up on casual chats with him as I do with everyone, and I realised this guy wasn't as bad as he was put out to be. He was just sort of out there. He had a very distinct (and annoying) voice, and he just acted off. Definitely theatrical by some points. But I didn't judge, and he introduced me to his friends, and I even hung out with them when they all did their music stuff. I never spoke much when it was all of them, but I did when it was just the two of us (do you see where I'm going). This guy spoke more about his best friend more than he ever did anything else, and they were really close and touchy. Like, I thought they were the ones dating at some points. I didn't know him before his past relationships, but according to everyone they were pretty bad, and he wanted to be better than how he used to be with me. So I guess my manifestation of a later John guy was on its way to me. However, he was a little too much for me, and he cut me off because I wasn't romantic enough. Maybe this is his Lost Weekend & we'll meet some other time. I hope I never see him again, though, honestly.

I like being John-less. Even if I have my original still in my life. Love that guy.

I'm gonna start manifesting a Paul McCartney husband now I guess. Just kidding, I learned after the first four times. Leave me alone, Beatles.

[s0s1mple]

BLOSSOM — Yan!Idol!Enha x Reader

Part 8 — Onset

TW: Unhealthy fixation/dependance, possessive behavior, minor panic attack, anxiety (reader is gendered and named)

Masterlist — Part 1 -- Next Part

‘ding dong’ 

‘wdym ding dong’

‘look out ur window :)’

‘u look like a creep’

‘:(‘ I huffed out a quiet laugh, waving at the male outside my apartment complex. Jungwon was standing under the tree just across the street, all suited up in his jacket and mask and hat camouflage. He waved back dorkily though, and I began making my way down. As soon as I reached him outside, his eyes crinkled happily.

“What’re you doing here?” I asked, bumping shoulders with him as I began to walk down the street. Jungwon walked in pace, bumping his shoulder back against mine.

“Wanted to walk you to work, that’s all. Figured you might like some company.” He hummed. My slight smile stretched wider and I cooed a bit under my breath, touched by the sentiment. How sweet of him! 

“Oh really? Thanks. I’m surprised you remembered when my shift started, actually.”

Jungwon shrugged, maneuvering himself as we walked to be on my opposite side. The cars rushed by him on the road, kicking up leaves to swirl around us. “Can’t be a leader if you forget important things, right?”

“Yeah, because my job schedule is so important.” I snickered back. 

“Of course it is. I have to know it so I can see you, don’t I?” He said simply. I paused for a moment, a little taken aback by how earnest he sounded, before Jungwon giggled a bit. “I think the others would throw a fit if they didn’t get their Haneul fix, anyways. You’re integral to our schedule too, really.”

“You’re buttering me up. Don’t over exaggerate.” I scoffed, laughing a bit alongside him. We turned down a small line of shops leading up to my convenience store, and as always my eyes darted about to see what was on sale. I needed new shoes, now that I thought about it…

“Mmm…” he hummed noncommittally. Then he shifted topic. “Speaking of which, when are you free this week?” 

“Huh? Oh. I’m free Saturday this time around.” Immediately the crinkle in Jungwon’s eyes smoothed, and he sighed. “What, are you busy that day?”

“Yeah, we’ve got this movie thing to film…” Jungwon sounded put out by the idea, but my eyes widened and I grabbed his shoulder slightly. He seemed a bit startled by the move, eyes widening as he peered at my hand. I couldn’t quite tell the emotion given his mask, so I dropped my hand shyly. But still I gushed.

“Movie thing? What? That sounds so cool!” I cheered. “Are you guys going to cameo on something? Or is Hybe actually making a movie? I wouldn’t be surprised with how much money they have.” 

Man, to be able to do something like that? I wasn’t interested in being on camera, but the idea of being behind it? Of seeing all the lighting teams and set designers and more running around making magic? That was a dream come true. Once upon a time, when I was younger and more unrealistic about my life, I wanted to be a prop maker. In my small town we hadn’t had much in the way of extracurricularlies, but we did have a good few plays we would put on for harvest and food festivals. The memory of such a thing still stayed with me, of the way the play came to life with the simple backdrops I made and rigged. 

So when Sunghoon or the others sent me photos of that world, it made me irrationally happy. And the notion that they actually went to the next level in production to make mini films? That was crazy to me. Crazy cool.

Jungwon shook his head. “Oh no, nothing like that. We do these mini concept films sometimes, less than ten minutes long, to promote our albums.” I nodded. “Vampire lore stuff.” 

“Vampire lore stuff,” I repeated. “But you still have a director. And cast, and crew, and all of that, right? How fun is it being on set?” I couldn’t keep the intrigued smile off my face, my words a bit more than excited. Jungwon’s gaze cut to mine, and he paused a moment before responding. 

“It’s tiring, to tell the truth, but it’s interesting too. I feel like you’d enjoy it a whole lot more than we would, at least.” He chuckled lightly. Then his eyes widened, and he turned more fully to me as he gently grasped my arm. I could practically see him beaming beneath his mask,  “Wait a minute, would you like to come on set on Saturday? We could hang out there!”

“Huh?” for a moment I didn’t process what he’d said.

“You like films and the process, don’t you? So how about you come and see it first hand?” Immediately my cheeks flushed a bit and I waved my arms around, shaking my head.

“Oh no, no. I’m not gonna interrupt your work-”

“But work is boring, Haneul! You’d be doing us a favor, really.”

“Yeah but the crew would be annoyed at me distracting you-”

“They won’t care, promise! Besides, don’t you trust us to be professional enough to know when to swap from play back to work-mode?” The look I was being given was nothing short of pathetic, Jungwon’s fingers gingerly holding my sleeve, shoulders hunched and tense as he peered at me with wide eyes. Was he really trying to do puppy eyes? He looked more like a cute, sad, kitten instead. I nibbled on my lip, debating, but with him looking so hopeful I could feel myself giving in.

Totally not because I also wanted to see a real set or anything. Yeah, totally not.

“You’re sure they wouldn’t be upset? Have you guys even told management about me? I can’t just go and show up when nobody knows who I am…” the thought of such a thing sent shivers down my spine. I wasn’t an overly anxious person, in fact being pretty confident once I felt comfortable in an environment, but that was the key thing: once I felt comfortable. If I was an intruder, that would most certainly not be the case, and that was my worst nightmare.

Jungwon hummed. “Uh… we didn’t tell him but… how about we smuggle you in?”

“Woah, no way!” I began walking again upon checking my watch and seeing I was cutting it close when it came to work. Jungwon bounded up to easily match pace with my quick strides.

“No, no, listen! There are so many people on set all the time that if you just cover up and we move you in with us through the security gate, people will just assume you work there. Trust me, it’ll be fine.” I shot him a side glance and furrowed my brows.

“Jungwon, that’s risky. You guys could get in trouble.” I couldn’t believe the leader, who had seemed so put together and responsible when it came to group matters up until this point, was trying to essentially get me to break in. 

“They’re not going to do anything to us, don’t worry.” He seemed slightly amused, chuckling. As if the notion of me worrying over such a thing was endearing.

“Jungwon-“

“Haneul-noona…” and there, all of a sudden, was a whiny tone I’ve only heard a few times from Riki of all people. It occurred to me then how childish this all was. Usually in such a case, I would put an end to the nonsense immediately upon realizing that sort of thing, but this time…? It actually made my heart swell with a slight fondness because I understood that Jungwon would hardly be acting in such a way if it didn’t mean a lot to him.

If I didn’t mean a lot to him.

“Ok. Fine.” The conformation tumbled out suddenly, my voice still anxious but betrayed by the fond smile on my lips. Jungwon brightened instantly, hands going right back to my arm as he bounced a little. 

“Really? Awesome! Well text you about it and let you into the building on Saturday! This is gonna be so great.” And just like that, for the remaining two blocks to my work, Jungwon’s arm hooked into mine and he chattered my ear off talking about some of the scenes they would be doing and whatnot. It was probably the most I’d heard Jungwon spiel on about something, and somehow I got the impression it wasn’t because he was excited about the shoot itself.

Oh yeah, because he told me so.

So seeing him so happy now, so enthused, made my heart warm considerably. We stopped outside of the convenience store, and I pulled my arm from his. Jungwon’s arm held in position for a moment, before he dropped it and seemed to relax just a little. Like he was remembering to breathe or something after finally slowing his ramble, I would assume. “Alright then. Just give me the details, and I sort of promise that I won’t chicken out.”

“Better not.” Jungwon chuckled.

“Sort of…”

“Noona…” 

“Fine, I promise.” Jungwon grinned so wide I could see his cheeks puffing up at the edge of his mask, dimples slightly visible. His arms fluttered like he wanted to do something with them, then he simply waved goodbye.

“Good luck on your shift! Text me if you get bored!” I rolled my eyes playfully, saluted the male, and disappeared into the store the millisecond the clock hit time. 

My coworker, so used to me being there five minutes early at the latest, instantly asked if everything was alright. I soothed her worries, bought her a milk for making her worry and wait, and sent her on her way. Then it was right to my place behind the counter, where I’d probably begun to wear a hole into the floor in the exact size and shape of my feet. Screw dental records, they’d be able to ID me through that alone. 

My gaze drifted to the little fox sitting below the counter and I grabbed it and set it off to the side under the gum stand. Sunny stared at me with its cute little beady eyes, and I stared back before sighing.

“Just you and me in the trenches again, huh?”

“Here, here, and here.” Jake shoved a mask, some eyeglasses, and a ball cap into my hands. “Operation is a go once you’re all disguised.” His tone was excited, his smile wide, but he was nodding and behaving like this was some covert military mission at the same time. Frankly, it was dorky and adorable. But I couldn't really appreciate that fact right now considering the nerves gnawing at me like crazy. I put on the eyeglasses- luckily not prescription otherwise I might trip and ruin something- before staring at the ball cap apprehensively.

“Won’t wearing a ball cap inside be suspicious? Besides, that’s more of an American thing isn’t it?” I mumbled, trying to hand it back.

“Good point…” Sunghoon murmured. Jake visibly deflated a little, and Jay stepped up to the plate by leaning in to grab the cap. 

“Here, I’ll do it. You’ll look natural if the purpose of the cap is to keep the hair out of your face. Besides, plenty of the crew wears hats when bringing props inside.” He leaned in and groomed my hair back against my scalp, making me tense a little in surprise as his face loomed before me. His lips were pursed as he focused, and I couldn’t stop my slight smile. Jay noted it and huffed lightly, but his eyes were soft. On came the hat, pulled snuggly and tightly down to keep all my locks in place. He spent some time brushing the stragglers behind my ear before Sunoo cleared his voice and interrupted.

“You should wear glasses more! You look so cute…”

“But I don’t need glasses…” I mimicked Sunoo’s whine and pout, resulting in a giggle alongside a playfully stern look.

“So?” He handed me the mask, and I reached up to grab it, but he was already looping the strings around my ears and pulling it up to my chin. My hands hovered awkwardly for a moment as I was again a little startled by how close and touchy the males were being today as I got ready, but I figured it was probably for the best considering they knew how their own staff looked. Sunoo clasped one of my hovering hands in his, cooing all over again. “We should really get you your own stylist or something. You’d fit right in as an idol! I’d bet people would fight over photocards of you like this…”

“Pfft.” I rolled my eyes, well aware that with my haphazard makeup today- had to look under the radar, after all- that was hardly the case. “Lying is a sin, you know.”

“He’s not lying.” Jay hummed, eyes scanning me up and down. But Jay just adjusted the sleeve of my hoodie appraisingly, normally, before deciding it was good enough. God, what was going on today? My cheeks felt warm, all the eyes on me for once feeling kind of oppressive. Not a bad oppressive, not a suffocating oppressive, but a sort of pressure over me. Like a weighted blanket.

“Cute.” Sunghoon muttered before going right back to adjusting his tie in the van’s front mirror, face even. I flushed a bit more at how earnest he sounded, my brows furrowing in confusion at the nonchalant comment, before Riki piped up and eased my nerves. He threw an arm around me, pulling up my mask so I was covered before miming taking a photo with his fingers. His tongue stuck out in mock concentration.

“I’d buy out thousands of albums just to see that face!” He made a vague motion at my covered face, and I tilted my head with an exasperated sigh even as I was sure my crinkled eyes were showing just how amused I was. 

“I should do an ending fairy like this. My sister says people like that sort of stuff, right?” 

“Oh yeah, for sure.” Riki grinned right back, arm tightening around my shoulders, before Heeseung was waltzing over and gently dislodging me to begin our walk towards the big concrete shooting studio. Instantly I was tense, but his relaxed gait and the easy-going way he smiled at me made me relax just a tad. 

“Still can’t believe I’m doing this…” I mumbled as I spotted a too-pleased looking Jungwon by the door various staff were flitting in and out of. My steps slowed, like my subconscious was trying to stop me, but Heeseung’s body was angled slightly behind me and I had little choice but to keep moving forwards.

“I can’t either. I’m so glad you decided to come with us. It was going to be torture otherwise.” Heeseung grinned a bit, and I fidgeted with my fingers as I tried to match how calm he was. 

“Jungwon is scarily persuasive…”

“Yeah, he knows just how to get everyone he meets to do what he wants. Can’t tell if that’s because he’s the leader, or because he’s one of the youngest and spoiled rotten…” Heeseung mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. I couldn’t help but giggle at that, bumping shoulders with the male and earning a chuckle right back.  

“I heard that.” We’d reached Jungwon, and he narrowed his eyes slightly at his elder. Heeseung smiled back innocently.

“Heard what?”

“Mmm… already, you ready noona?” Jungwon shifted his attention to me, eyeing the crowd of staff walking in with lights to set up. I, on the other hand, was momentarily distracted as I pointed to his hair. It was… blond. A very beautiful blond, in my opinion.

“You changed your hair.” I commented dumbly. He just grinned a dimpled smile at me.

“I did. Do you like it?” At that, I immediately nodded. Jungwon’s grin stretched wider, eyes crinkling. Then he cleared his throat and patted my shoulder, speaking up loudly. “Here, just go help them out with setting up. I know it’s easy to get lost on your first day. Thank you for your help!” Then, with a discreet push from Heeseung on my upper back, I stumbled into line with the rest of the staff.

For an instant time slowed down as their eyes landed on me. I half expected an alarm to go off and for their gaze to disintegrate me on the spot, and the urge to run right back to Heeseung and Jungwon and hide behind them was incredibly intense. But instead a woman at the back of the line spoke up, voice a little strained. “This way. Here, you can help me carry this.” Her box was practically overflowing, so I jumped at the chance and grabbed some parts out of the top to carry. Instantly she sighed in relief, introducing herself. “I’m Jiyeon. Did you accidentally go in through the wrong door?”

“Oh, uh-” My eyes slid to Jungwon and Heeseung, who were already returning to the loading area where the rest of the boys were getting their jackets all fixed up. “Yeah, my mistake. I was just nervous for my first day, I think. I’m Haneul.” I didn’t hesitate giving my name, a fact that made me wince a bit internally, but Jiyeon greeted me all the same. 

“Nice to meet you, Haneul-ssi. I’ll show you around in that case, since we’re matching.” She chuckled as we entered the building, walking right past the guards as Jiyeon nodded to them. I blinked in slight surprise before realizing she was right. I’d been too nervous to even process it. My eyes slid over her mask, to the backwards ballpark cap she was wearing, and in that moment I was incredibly thankful to Jake and the others for dressing me accordingly. 

“Ah, we are! Thank you…” I bowed lightly as we set down the equipment near a filming station. I peeked over, intrigued by the setup they were building. It was almost like… an american talk-show set? Oh yeah, Jungwon did mention something about that during our walk, didn’t he? “Um, what else can I help you with then?”

“Just help me set up this light. You were briefed on it in the training, right?”

For a moment, panic hit me. My eyes darted down to the pieces we’d carried as Jiyeon began taking them from the box. But then, to my surprise, the pieces looked familiar. Hadn’t the technical students in my school used the same thing? I would have thought they had super advanced lighting, but here was something I’d helped with before. With a sigh of relief, I bent down and helped her again. “Yeah, of course.” And as I worked alongside her, my nerves slowly left. This was something I was familiar with, something I could definitely impress with. My limbs moved automatically, memories flooding back, and in no time we had things set up.

“Come on, let’s go see who else needs help.” Jiyeon pulled us over to various other crew members, introducing us to each other, before I finally noticed that the boys had arrived. Jake, Jay, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Sunghoon were all getting their makeup done, and it looked like they’d already been there for a while. I must not have been paying attention. I tried to shoot them a quick smile as I passed, but remembered my mask and felt a bit silly. Jungwon at least caught my eye and smiled back, waving and bowing his head in time with the staff I was with. I didn’t risk any further interaction than that, and just followed along with the staff.

Honestly, it was more interesting to me than their makeup and costuming anyways. 

Camera dollies, hanging lights, boom mics, and more… I was swiveling my head this way and that, curiously studying everything. Jiyeon and her friend pulled me over to move some bleachers, and in the next thirty minutes I was already joking around with the crew like we’d been friends for ages. 

Which was surprising for me, really, considering I was generally pretty quiet. Not shy, but quiet. Calm. So to find myself giggling as fellow ex-theater students told stories, I was all too happy. “Alright, everyone please gather around so we can get started. Quickly, quickly!” And I waddled after the others like a little duckling, hiding half behind Jiyeon as I watched the director and producer step up. “Hello everyone! Let’s work hard today, alright? Would our stars we’re helping today like to introduce themselves?”

Jungwon greeted with a friendly smile, then struck an odd hand sign. The other males made the same sign, and in unison they declared, “One, two, connect! Hello, we are Enhypen!” I blinked in surprise. They had an introduction? Cool. Jungwon spoke up, taking up his role as leader, and bowed to us all. “I’m Enhypen’s leader, Jungwon. Thank you for helping us today.” He looked up, eyes scanning over the crowd, before his eyes settled on me for a fraction of a second longer. 

“Hello, I’m Sunoo.” Sunoo stepped forward next, voice quiet yet enthused. He looked so different from what I was used to, makeup making his eyes all the sharper and his skin porcelain pale. 

“I’m Jake!” Jake grinned earnestly, and I was truthfully a bit surprised by the sight of his slicked back hair. It made his face look different, more angular and powerful. His styling was definitely at odds with his sunny disposition as he greeted the staff.

“Thanks for working with us. I’m Jay.” Jay greeted with a polite bow. His hair was dusted across his forehead, his features painted in such a mature, angular manner- even more so than before, which just made me think of how soft he really looked when compared to this carefully crafted view.

“I’m Sunghoon.” Sunghoon, as per usual, was muted but polite. And wow, he’d always looked the most like the quintessential k-pop idol, but now? I could very easily see him in the role of a drama, more than likely as a wealthy CEO or something with how his hair was elegantly pulled back.

But where were Heeseung and Riki? Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen them getting ready today at all. I had assumed they were maybe off in another room getting ready due to lack of space or something, but now I didn’t see them at all. Were they not filming today? Then why were they out in the lot? I furrowed my brows, then tuned back in as the producer began delegating some more tasks. As he got to me, Sunoo suddenly walked over.

“Ah, sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you could help me out?” He gently got the director’s attention. 

“Hm? Of course.”

“Can I have someone help us keep track of our phones and some of our belongings? I know most of our things are back in the car, but we can’t really leave some of this stuff, and we want to make sure it doesn’t get taken…” Sunoo began shyly. I stood off to the side awkwardly, hiding a smile- not that I needed to- as Sunoo worked whatever plan he and the boys had more than likely concocted to get me over to them. It was cute, actually, the way this really felt like some sort of undercover mission. “It would be best to have someone specific in charge of them so if one goes missing, we know who to approach. If that’s alright, of course…” The producer nodded immediately, seemingly more than happy to accommodate the young star before him, and even more so to avoid being held liable for lost property.

“Ah, of course! Good thinking. Let me see…” His head swiveled around, scanning his employees, gaze drifting over my head and missing me entirely. I arched a brow. I was right there. Sunoo seemed to agree, as he piped up again.

“Producer-nim, could I just take her aside since she’s already here? Unless you already have something in mind.” Instantly the male nodded, practically ushering me off with Sunoo. Just like that, it was mission accomplished. As we walked off towards the chairs for the actors, Sunoo giggled to me and bumped my shoulder lightly. I giggled discreetly right back.

“Nice one!”

“Obviously.” Sunoo scoffed back playfully. 

As soon as we reached the chairs, I was handed a basket of their belongings and given a seat right next to their chairs for ease of access. Jake grinned at me, leaning over his chair’s arm-rest to peer at my smaller chair. “Look at that! Now you don’t have to be standing all day. Great cover-story, huh?”

“Perfect.” I hummed back. “You know, I was so skeptical about coming here, but now that I’m here? This is like… a dream come true or something.” I trailed off a bit, suddenly a little shy at expressing my thanks so genuinely. I usually avoided doing such things verbally, instead opting to show my gratitude in other ways, but it was worth the discomfort for the bright look that spread over Jake and Sunoo’s features.

“I’m so glad!” Sunoo clapped his hands slightly, the mere idea that I was pleased seeming to make him giddy. It was infectious.

“Which part is the dream? Getting to see the cameras, or getting to be with us?” A sudden voice right next to my ear had me startling, jumping in my seat and making my ears flame. I yelped, jerking my head to the side, and turned to see Heeseung’s grinning face. He had a beanie on, and was still in casual clothes. He laughed at my reaction and straightened up to his full height, sipping on his coffee. 

Fingers suddenly corded through my hair, and yet again I was startled. I quickly registered what the movement was. Heeseung had absentmindedly ruffled my hair. Not to the extreme, but just under the back of the hat, rearranging the hair there so it was nice and groomed again. I swallowed down the confusion at the sudden contact, never having taken Heeseung for a touchy type, and just glared playfully back. “Don’t mess up my hair.” I huffed. “And the cameras, obviously.”

“Mmhmm?” Heeseung smiled slightly, watching as an american male was guided in his lines on stage, and just kept fiddling with the ends of my hair. I sighed and let it be.

“I’m wounded! So mean…” Jake mock pouted at me.

“Oh, ok then. Which part is the dream, huh? Getting to see your fans, or getting to see me?” I fired back, tone just as playful. Before I could laugh and say, ‘thought so!’ or something of the like, the three of them spoke in messy unison. “You.”

“You!”

“You.” I paused, brows furrowing in disbelief, and when I registered what seemed to be completely serious expressions on their faces I laughed awkwardly. Would my ears ever stop burning? Why were they being so strange today? They didn’t even have the excuse of trying to get me disguised any more, and if anything were behaving too suspiciously as a whole. What if someone came over right now? Saw us chatting and touching each other? I wasn’t exactly permitted to be here after all…

My mind racing, spurring nervous thoughts, seemed to register to Jay as he passed by with a script in hand. He swatted at Heeseung’s hand, ushering the males who were acting today to each sit in their respective seats. “Hey, our manager is just over there. Relax a little. You’re making her nervous anyways, hovering around her like a bunch of vultures or something.” His voice was light but stern, and with a pout Sunoo returned to his seat. How he could tell I was nervous when I had glasses and a hat and a mask on to cover me, I couldn’t quite tell. But either way, Heeseung shrugged and grabbed an identical seat to mine. He set it right next to my chair and sat down. Just enough distance to look correct, but way closer than I knew he would sit next to another staff member. Jake, in that high chair on my other side, crossed his arms and bounced his leg. His eyes kept darting to me like he wanted to say something, before he would nervously look around and refrain. 

I nodded to Jay, a silent appreciation. Jay’s lips curved at the edges, a half-smile and half-smirk, before he was suddenly called off towards the stage to take his place. “Wish me luck, Haneul.” He threw over his shoulder before heading over to the edge of the frame. I gave him a double thumbs up even if he couldn’t see it as the director began talking with him.

“So how long do these things last? I’ve heard some movie scenes can take hours…” I leaned over and asked Heeseung. He shrugged and swirled his drink.

“Really depends. With this? Today’s shoot will probably be decently short since it’s dialogue mostly and not much spectacle.” 

“Oh, ok.” I couldn’t stop the slight disappointment in my voice. He seemed immediately bewildered, which I supposed was fair. Jake made a similarly confused noise, seemingly listening from above. 

“You want to stay here the whole day?” Jake’s brows raised in disbelief. I chuckled, fiddling with the edges of the box of phones in my lap.

“Well, it’s not like I want to be here that long or anything. It’s more like… I know that when I leave, I probably won’t get the opportunity to see all of this again.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Sunghoon until this point hadn’t spoken much, perhaps zoning out as I had discovered was somewhat common for the male. But now he leaned forwards a bit, enough to peek out from his place beside Jake and look at me. It was my turn to be confused.

“Well, because-” I cut myself off, trying to think of the right words. This wasn’t my world, this wasn’t where I belonged, you probably aren’t going to invite me again since it’s been such a hassle, what if you get caught? All these thoughts and more, and Jake broke back into the conversation with a scoff.

“What, you think we’re just going to stop being your friend or something after this? So long as you’re with us, we’re gonna take you places that make you happy.” He chuckled, like the idea of not entertaining my little childhood dreams was unfathomable.

“You keep acting like you’re not worth us spending time with you, or doing interesting things with you.” Heeseung tilted his head. I felt too studied all of a sudden, the male peering at me from under cherry bangs like I was some unique creature he didn’t quite understand. “But you also don’t act like we’re above you either. It’s confusing.”

“I’m just trying to be considerate.”

“Put yourself first sometimes. We all have busy schedules, and yet you’re the one always acting like everything is good and happy and fine. It’s ok to take time and do fun or immature things, you know.”

“Agreed.” Sunghoon hummed, gaze intense. He seemed to be on the same wave-length as Heeseung. I felt like his eyes were x-raying down to my very soul in that moment. Why was this conversation getting so personal again? So deep? I laughed awkwardly, swallowing the lump in the back of my throat at being called out so blatantly. I wasn’t a people pleaser, but they were certainly right. I put others concerns and wellbeing before myself, signing on for too many things at a time in the past just to make sure someone else had more time to do what they wanted. So many sacrifices just to make ends meet, so many sacrifices I didn’t need to take just to make loved ones feel and live better.

I didn’t need reminders of what I was putting myself through.

“Jay said not to hover, didn’t he? Besides, I think the director wants you for something, Jake.” I managed to say. Jake’s attention shifted to the director. I hadn’t lied, the director waving him over the second he caught his gaze. Jake sighed, casting me a last glance before leaving.

It was softer, more understanding, and made my insides twist uncomfortably. I didn’t know how I felt about people seeing me. Seeing that self that was below all those other things I put out there. The struggles. And god, the others had that exact same look. Not pitying, but understanding, which at the very least I was grateful for. 

And, as if to slice the tension, Jake’s chair was suddenly occupied again. I blinked in surprise when a bag of Banana Kicks was waved in front of my face. Riki had appeared. Dressed in his casual hoodie from before, he looked cozy as he grinned at me. “I got us some snacks! Your favorite, noona~” The way he was waggling the bag, like he was trying to lure some elusive animal, broke some of the seriousness. I laughed, moving to snatch it from his hands, but Riki pulled it out of the way just in time. “Nuh uh. Staff don’t eat on the job, remember?” 

“Wow, cruel. Just taunting me then?” I looked around, trying to see if people were watching, before swatting playfully at his arm. Riki just giggled, elated, and pulled the back open before chomping on one obnoxiously. I rolled my eyes so hard I probably saw the back of my skull. “Aish, this kid…”

“Say please and I’ll share.”

“Bite me.”

“Come over and bite me…” I heard Sunghoon mumble something off to the side, but I was distracted by Riki leaning down and holding a banana kick in front of my face. 

“Rude, but I’ll cut you slack since you won me that prize. Open wide.” His fingers were already brushing the side of my cheek, trying to gently slip the mask down. My eyes widened and I reached up to hold it in place. 

“Hey, you guys gave me this for a reason!”

“Well how else am I going to feed you if you have it on, huh?” He rolled his eyes right back at me, grinning slightly. I furrowed my brows at him. What a weirdo. But it seemed he was set on this idea, just a tad too eager about it for some bizarre reason- I chalked it up to too much sugar, personally- so I put an end to it by snatching the treat from his grasp. Down came my mask in a flash, in went the puff, and the mask was right back up. “Wha- hey!” 

“Mm, delicious, thanks!” And then, before he could respond and give me some smartass or bratty remark, it was all quiet on set. 

If there was an award for the quietest person alive, I might have been a candidate in that moment. I sat still, tense, eager as I watched them call the scene and watched Jay walk up to his place. A slow walk, a calm sit down. That american playing the talk show host talked, and Jay ran through some lines in return. His voice was low, soothing, deliberate. Different than I was used to. I couldn’t understand what was being said, but I personally thought he was doing a great job.

Evidently the director didn’t think the same, because while he was polite he requested another run through. And then a third. “More… intensity. You’ve got the charisma and the tone, but something in your face doesn’t feel like what we’re going for. This is about desire, remember? Try to focus on that idea and keep it in the back of your mind.” Back to the directors chair. “And, rolling!”

Again Jay went through the same lines, back and forth, but… 

His eyes landed on me. 

Never, never had I felt like Jay’s eyes were piercing. When I first met him, I’d thought him maybe a bit sharp around the edges. Certainly in looks, at least. Then I found that he was actually sweet. His gaze was soft, his disposition full of warmth. But this look?

If he was supposed to be channeling desire, he was doing a phenomenal job. Like a razor, sharp and dissecting. Like I was something that already belonged to him. There was some sort of silent promise just below the composed ghost of a smile on his face, something that felt dark and heavy like a weighted blanket. A vow, maybe. 

Were all of them such good actors?

“That’s perfect! Excellent job, Jay!” The director clapped, signalling the end of the scene, and there was a polite round of clapping. But Jay’s gaze lingered for a heartbeat longer. It felt like an eternity, but he finally blinked and there it was again. His gentle eyes, the shyness of a job well-done as he stepped off the stage and Jake prepared to do his scenes as well. Had I been holding my breath? I couldn’t tell until the air wooshed out of me in a long sigh. I clapped lightly, belatedly, and cheered him on softly as he returned to his seat next to Sunghoon.

“Good job!” I breathed as he passed me. Jay shot me a soft smile then, that sort of stupid gecko-smile that made me giggle, and Jake went up on stage instead.

Jake was a bit more nervous than Jay going on, especially since there was someone in a strange monster costume who would be sitting beside him. It was an odd cross between ridiculous and creepy, but Jake seemed to be having fun talking to the person beneath the mask. Then it was time to shoot, and Jake’s nerves were right back. He said his lines, but I could read the insecurity below the surface as he got into the lines were he was supposed to be expressing that hidden desire. The director sighed, putting a stop to it, and spoke up. “You’re having the same problem Jay-ssi was having. Try to pull from deep inside, think of somebody you like or even some food you want, anything that you crave. Ok? And… action.”

Jake took a deep breath, tilting his head to watch the american man- Jimmy, according to his role- before sliding his eyes and body front towards the camera. As I stole another Banana Kick from Riki’s fingers and ignored his soft protests, his eyes too came to rest on me. Again, I was struck frozen as Jake’s whole being seemed to shift. Not like Jay’s did, not sharp or inevitable, but something else. A yearning below the flesh, eyes intense and direct like he wasn’t just passively looking my way, but really seeing me. He wet his lips, fingers folding together and causing his knuckles to bloom white as he gripped hard. As if self-control was all he could cling to.

And then, right when the scene was over, it was just like Jay again. Right back to normal, all smiles and bowing as his take was approved and given praise. The difference was that his gaze lingered, that he made an instant beeline over to where I was and bounced lightly on his heels before me. “Haneul! Didn’t I do great? Isn’t that costume so cool?” He quickly fired, waving over to his new buddy beneath the mask.

I cleared my throat, shaking the odd crawling, invasive feeling created by his performance off, and grinned easily below my mask. “You did awesome.” I giggled. He leaned forward, down to my level, and it was now my turn to have my snack plucked from my hands. I slapped at his hands, but he just laughed, sticking out his tongue, and munched away. Then it was time for the interactions between Sunoo, Jungwon, Sunghoon, and Jay, and I was just left with Heeseung, Riki, and Jake. 

“Cards? Didn’t you bring cards, Heeseung-hyung?” Riki asked as Jake tried to shove him from his chair. The younger male just pushed Jake away easily, grinning as Jake cursed him out for taking his seat.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I did!” Heeseung perked up, reaching into his back pocket. Out came the cards. Out they came, and he tried to shuffle them in a bridge. Did a cool flip of the card, eyes flickering up to mine to see if I was watching, and he pulled them into the correct position. Then they fell all over the floor and his expression collapsed, an embarrassed look passing over his face. Riki and Jake burst out into laughs. I set the box of phones aside and left my chair to help him pick them up. 

“Here, I’m really good at shuffling. Let me.” I swiped some cards from his hands, our fingers brushing, and he paused his movements to retrieve the cards. I felt his eyes on me as I finished gathering them, pushing them into the right place and straighting up to sit back down in my chair. 

And then the cards dropped all over the floor again in my surprise. 

Jake seemed to have convinced Riki to leave his chair, because suddenly Riki was sitting in my chair. Legs all sprawled out like the string bean he was, he was leaning back, and I’d accidentally sat in his lap. I squeaked, cheeks flaming behind my mask, and instantly jumped right back to my feet. Bizarrely, Riki just made grabby hands at me, trying to swipe me back into place as I stood up off of him. “Aw, come back! We can share so none of us have to sit on the ground.” He had the nerve to pout, in fact, like doing such a thing wasn’t inappropriate. I stammered for a moment, eyes darting around to see if anyone saw.

“A-Ah, um, I can just stand. A staff member can’t sit in- can’t sit that close.” I stammered. Riki’s pout deepened, brows furrowing behind his bangs. His head tilted, eyes studying me like I was saying something silly. But there was something heavier there, almost disapproving. It was gone so fast I could hardly say I was certain I saw it.

“But you’re not staff, noona.”

“Riki, leave it alone.” Heeseung finally came to my rescue and the cards were placed back into my palms. I swallowed thickly, nodding to him. Riki shot Heeseung an oddly venomous look before he was right back to asking me to give him the best cards with a mischievous grin. I relaxed as the mood shifted back to normal and dealt the cards out.

It wasn’t long before Riki was cheating, peeking at Jake’s cards in particular and then grinning like he’d won the lottery when Jake shrieked and hid his cards away. We didn’t have too much time to play given the fact that the others were wrapping up decently quickly, but the first game went to Riki, and the second went to Heeseung. Probably because I slipped him some cards just to combat Riki and get Jake some justice.

Then Jay was back, and Jake had to shoot a group shot. I watched curiously as they painted some blood onto his lip. “Can I join?” Jay leaned in and asked. I startled, taken out of my curious staring, and immediately dealt him into the game. The next game went to me, a fact that made me shift around happily where I stood. Oddly, none of the three males seemed too put out by the notion, a stark contrast to their reactions whenever another member won. I chalked it up to their familiarity with each other. By the time the others returned, we’d just hit a point where it was Jay and Riki dueling things out. Jungwon appeared behind Jay, shaking his shoulders in encouragement, and Sunoo took his side. All the others sided with Riki, Heeseung leaning in to coach the younger male. I giggled at how serious they were making the matter.

“No, no, play that one! You can’t let Jay win.” Heeseung murmured. I heard Jay scoff.

“He’ll never let us hear the end of it.” Sunghoon agreed, tone grave. That just made me laugh harder, especially when combined with the way Jay furrowed his brows and glared over the tops of his cards. 

“You’re totally done, Ni-ki, he’s got the best-” Sunoo began. But abruptly, he was cut off. In our fun, we hadn’t noticed that most of the crew had already packed up much of the equipment. And so, with that done, the producer had wandered over to discuss something with one of the members. 

“The box of phones. Where is it?” He asked suddenly. Everyone went quiet, confused momentarily. But I just paled as horror hit me like a train. I looked around my feet frantically, searching for the box that I’d been trusted with. Fake staff or not, I’d been given a duty. Did I seriously just lose my friends’ phones? Oh god, they were going to be upset, weren’t they? Guilt was already spreading over me. When I was trusted with something, the idea of breaking that trust whether intentionally or not was a horrific possibility. 

“I- I don’t-” I stammered, confused and frantic. The boys also looked around, peeking under their chairs to try and help, but it was quickly obvious that the thing I was supposed to take care of was not here. 

The producer inhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “One job. You had one job.”

“Hey, it’s not her fault, alright? We were distracting her.” Jungwon immediately said, hands held out placatingly. But the producer just shot him a tired look.

“Distraction or not, it’s her job. She should know better than to get starstruck by the idols she works with and forget how to do that job.” His tone became more and more harsh, turning to that tone I was all too familiar with in my years of retail. Disapproval, harsh and unyielding, that view of me as a useless tool. I didn’t often hear such a tone, but I certainly remembered it when I did. With how much pride I put into my work, into my ability to be helpful and supportive and be there on time, it hurt like a knife being twisted in my gut when someone got onto me for my work. Maybe it was stupid, probably because of the combination of failing a task and failing my friends simultaneously, but I couldn’t stop the pressure from building behind my eyes. He just continued, his eyes narrowing. “Speaking of jobs, if we don’t find those phones you can count yours lost. What’s your name, hm?” 

Only then did I remember that I wasn’t really supposed to be there.

“Uh- it’s- um-” my hesitation had some of the members trying to speak up, likely to cover for me further, but the producer had already smelled blood and was leaning into my space to peer at me. “It’s Haneul!” For the second time that day, I stressed out and bleated my real name. He clicked his tongue.

“I don’t recognize you, and I definitely don’t recognize that name. Take your mask off.”

It was then that Jiyeon ran over, most of the cast having caught onto the ordeal and bringing even more eyes. She settled off to the side of the producer, nervously trying to get his attention. “Producer-nim, she’s helped us with camera and setup all day. She knows what she’s doing. I don’t think this is a sasaeng-”

“Mask off. Someone get me a list of our employees right now.” He cut her off with a wave of his hand, looming over me, and the pressure and stress built up higher.

“She didn’t do anything wrong-”

“The shooting day is almost done, let’s just let it be-”

“She’s not a sasaeng!” Everyone was talking. The producer, the crew looking for the phones, the assistant running over with the crew list, the boys trying to defend me helplessly. God, I should have never come here. How stupid was I? I didn’t belong here, and yet I’d let myself believe that there would be no consequences. And I’d even lost the belongings of my friends in the process.

Useless. Useless, useless, useless.

“Ah, producer-nim, the phones are over here! Looks like one of the crew moved them so they could bring some lighting through here!” Someone called out. A rush of relief hit me. I’d still messed up, but at least they didn’t have to pay for it. 

“See? She didn’t mean for it to happen. There’s no need to keep interrogating her.” Jay chimed. His smile was disarming, placating, but there was a sort of edge to his voice. The producer scoffed and took the list of employees from his assistant.

“That’s not what this is about any more. I make a point to learn who I employ, and I do not recognize- aha!” He cut himself off and turned the paper around to face me. His finger pulled down the list, down all of the names, and somehow in all of that entire list…

There was nobody named Haneul. 

I paled, body locking up. Things blurred around me. All of a sudden, there were hands on my arms. Security, I realized dimly. They weren’t wasting any time dragging me from the premises, and my feet skittered over the ground as I stumbled along with them. I winced as their grip sunk in, and then winced even further when the guard’s grip slipped off. A pale hand had intervened, grabbing at the hand on my right shoulder and pulling it away sharply. Those same hands shifted to my biceps and I was pulled backwards, shifted around gently to be positioned behind someone’s shoulders. 

Sunghoon, I registered. His shoulders were set, angled in front of me, body tense. “Don’t touch her like that.” His voice wasn’t aggressive, a stark contrast to the way his body language registered in my mind. 

But maybe that was just my stress talking…

No, his voice was quiet and final, a tinge of something I couldn’t quite put a name to without seeing his expression just below it. I blinked, staring past his shoulder. In the commotion I’d been numb to, somehow Riki and Heeseung had crowded around the guard. I could only see Riki’s face from this angle, and it had me slightly confused. What was that look in his eyes? That indignation, like the guard had done some sin or wronged him to some great extent. Jungwon and Jay were off to the side saying something to the producer. Jungwon seemed serious, serious to an extent I hadn’t seen him, and Jay? He hovered behind Jungwon’s shoulder, occasionally chiming in with some short, choppy words that illustrated exactly how upset he was. 

God, everything felt like it was ringing, that anxiety spike finally crashing right back down. Sunoo and Jake were there to catch me, their hands fleeting as they asked if I was alright or needed anything. Jake tugged my mask down so he could get a better look at me, and Sunoo’s arms twitched about like he wanted to hug me but was unsure with all that was going on around us. I mumbled something I didn’t quite remember, probably reassuring them.

Sunghoon stood like a barrier, wide shoulders and more bulky frame a strange sort of comfort. But even that comfort couldn’t stop the guilt and worry that washed over me when I heard Sunoo murmur something to Jake.

“We’re going to have to sort this out with management now, won’t we?”

[sirvinkunt]

The amount of connections that season 5 is going to have to "A Wrinkle In Time" is insane!!!! Like to start we have Verna's human form being called Mr.Whatsit which is directly taken from Mrs.Whatsit in "A Wrinkle In Time" who happens to follow a lot of what I assume to be his storyline in season 5!!

We also have the connection with the episode called "Escape From Camazotz" which is derived from the book again, with Camazotz being a place that is a dark alternative plain that is controlled by "IT" (being either Vecna or the Shadow Monster) which I believe is going to be representing the upside down.

I also believe that that that episode is going to be a lot like the "A Wrinkle In Time" with holly being representative of Meg's father, as we already know she's the one who is missing and who would need to "escape" I think Meg in this would take the position of Mike as he is the one that is related to Holly, and I think that Calvin is going to be Will just from bts that we have seen. I think that episode is going to be extremely similar to the book (or the movie as it's sort of lore accurate) where it's going to be mainly Calvin and Meg (Will and Mike) in that episode being the ones to find his "dad".

An alternative theory I have to this is that Karen may actually go missing in place for the dad and while trying to find her that's when Holly is going to go missing and is going to be the Wallace of the series where she is "possessed" by Vecna and Mike is going to have to get her out (still being in Meg's shoes) by having sibling love. (I don't really believe in this version but it is possible.)

The last theory I have on what this episode could be really comes from the byler in me but I think it's going to follow suit with the first one where Mike and Will will be looking for Holly, as she's the one that is missing, and instead of Holly getting possessed and being the Wallace, I think it's going to be Will as he already has past with being possessed, I still think Will is going to be Calvin in this too as he is a friend helping look for their friends relative but I don't think he necessarily has to be limited to one character. I think when they are trying to start looking for Holly, Vecna (Mrs.Whatsit) is going to inform Will when and where to start (giving him the neck chills or a vision). When he's possessed I feel like to get him out of the possession it's going to be love, as for Wallace that is what gets him out, however family isn't going to be there for him, not like they were in the shed scene in season 2 (which does truly resemble Wallace's possession and how they got Wallace out of that state) the only person there with him is going to be Mike. I think this is (if byler is endgame) where we get a sort of confession, a moment where Mike talks about memories and things such as that (maybe even having flashbacks as scene in leaks). This theory to me seems the most plausible (maybe because it's byler related but I digress..) it ties into themes that we already see within Will and connections that he already has that ties him to certain characters in "A Wrinkle Through Time", I am really excited to see how this truly plays out though because the more I look into it the more "A Wrinkle In Time" actually fits into the Stranger Things storyline and I think them finally playing around with the idea of the two things connecting would be really fun!

(Also side note Calvin and Meg do end up together so if Will really is with him the whole time then that connection would be even more insane.)

Also to add for anyone who doesn't believe there is going to be that much of a connection to "A Wrinkle In Time" in season 5 and that these are all just coincidences, this is bts photo that Ross Duffer posted on his instagram... it is literally the book.

[wincestwhispers]

Wincest Wednesday!

So we know that Dean is a romantic, likes to kiss and hold hands, wants to be charming, likes it sweet.

SO, how would he go about wooing or treating Sam, not necessarily in the initial stages of their relationship, but after, for special occasions or to try to bring some extra romance to the bedroom or their daily lives.

OR

What are little romantic things he would like Sam to do for him, even if he doesn't ever work up to asking?

Thank you ^_^

Happy wincest wednesday Audie!! This is such a lovely question thank you<3

Generally I think Dean is big on acts of service so whenever he wants to woo Sam he’d make all his favorite foods, even the ones he hates. When it comes to more romantic things, I see Dean flirting his way through hunts and research. Sam would be at the table working through his third book while Dean leans on him or across his lap to “read” with him. Sometimes he’ll catch something in the lore he can make a flirty joke out of. Once Dean gets more confident in their relationship he’d look for hunts where they can pretend to be a couple or would generally require them to be more affectionate.

Sam’s a nerd as we know so anytime he makes a comment about something unfamiliar that seems interesting or fun (food, a sex thing, a weapon etc.) Dean catalogues it and finds a way to get, make or do what Sam wants but it’s always a while later when Sam doesn’t expect it. it always leads to very good sex<3 More down the line when Dean’s comfortable, he would find hunts or events that need him to dress him up which usually means more feminine. Sam wants to devour him every time he does this. Dean also starts using some of Sam’s shower/hair products and wears his clothes more so he smells like Sam at least a little all the time.

Things Dean would want include kisses, like, all the time. Dean’s dream is getting kisses everytime he makes Sam smile or happy or when Dean does something well. He wants reward kisses! He never says that though. Sam doesn’t quite do that but he would surprise kiss Dean often, just whenever he looks at Dean and can’t contain it. Little cheek kiss before he goes to shower, deep gentle kiss when Dean’s cooking in his apron, and so on.

Dean craves Sam’s touch constantly. If he could have it his way, they would always be holding hands, or brushing against each other, or (Dean’s favorite) Sam’s hand on the small of Dean’s back. He wants it casually and all the time. Occasionally Sam will rest his hand on Dean’s thigh when Dean’s driving and Dean loves it. Dean definitely would struggle to admit this but one of his favorite spots is on Sam’s lap. It just feels so warm and safe and right. Also food is a big one for Dean and Sam knows this. Gifting him his favorite foods will warm his entire chest every time<3 I could keep going on and on about all the ways Dean and Sam would want in their relationship/romance but sadly my break is over so enjoy this for now!

[puppyfire10]

Gosh...I love this ugly bitch...

[cheriafreya]

the decline of the kingdom hearts fandom needs to be studied 😭 as a former fan myself it's so funny to me how hyped everyone was 10 years ago and how no one cares about it nowadays

[moeblob]

OC

[galactaknightyaoi]

When I first got into Kirby, I didn't expect to like, actually get into it. I thought it'd be like any other hyperfixation I'd had up to that point, that it would go away within a few months and I'd never think about it again.

Given I was so deeply in denial, I didn't care about being fully accurate and had some stuff that was really goofy and/or underdeveloped and unexplained. Stuff I'd made up to just work for the limited time I would be there.

Still, I came up with a few headcanons that I got attached to, and when I started realizing this was here to stay, I still chose to be stubborn and had to work backwards to keep these stupid headcanons, but adapt them into something a bit more fitting and polished.

It led to some cool stuff, like for example, my orbs aren't very magical, this was something I had settled on early on. But after I got invested, I had to think about what that actually meant and the implications of it like, how can they do this without magic? And what about that? What about this canon thing, how do I explain it?

I found decent enough explanations for all of these. But as a result of my unserious beginnings and continued stubborness, now I get really embarrassed at the time to actually talk about my headcanons and the stuff I've come up with.

Because what do you mean your Galacta Knight is half-dragon?

[ziezii]

contrary to both zuko & steambaby #2, those two talk & act the same way (and the girls tease the hell out of them)

[schemelin]

every now and then i experience brief moments of self-awareness telling me to make major changes to the fusionsprunt story

[jichanxo]

how it started:

how it's going:

[cuteniaarts]

Me, six-ish hours ago: Yeah, I had the idea for an Avatar Suiren AU pretty much as long as Suiren herself existed, but idk if I'm ever gonna develop it, it's really hard to upkeep interest for it on my own...

Me, as soon as the concept of Suiren and Vaatu bullying Raava together popped into my head while I was typing out that long ass post: Fuck it, new strain of brain fungus acquired–

(Also yeah traditional art being posted for the first time since... 2020, probably. Don't have the spoons to transfer this to digital rn, maybe I will at some point and I'll do a fuckass Spirit World background or smth. We'll see)

First time drawing Vaatu so don't make fun of me, but honestly he's such a funky little guy and rather fun to draw. You just get that main shape down and then go nuts with the frills :) But also, credit where credit is due, scrolling through the Vaatu tag on @shadelorde’s blog really helped, so thank you for that 😊 And I really had no idea what to do with Suiren’s design here, I think I’ve used up all my character design juices on the nine previous iterations of her that exist, so for now she’s in a random dress with her hair down. I’ll probably alter it if I ever do a proper design for her in this verse

[petorahs]

me being so set on hating every fontaine character because their designs looked too much and only pulling for the sibs + arlecchino but then navia turned out lovable in the quest. they advertised wrio as a dogboy. neuvy is a dragon AND has elf ears.

ITS JOEVER