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jenoptimist · 5 years ago

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there was something freaky about the Jeongs and you were going to find out what it was

When the girls around you squealed loudly, you had to wonder if it was really worth being in the indoor community basketball court where your school’s team was playing against another school from a town miles away.

It wasn’t that you had anything against the sport–your dad was an avid fan of the sport which in turn meant that while you weren’t particularly fond of it you certainly respected it. It wasn’t even because you had some sort of grudge against the players, who were all more or less great guys. It was just that there was this really big focus on Jeong Jaehyun. And he was great. Really, he was. He deserved all the hype that he got. Jaehyun excelled in school; class president since forever, always number one in exams and he was even good at sports. Another notable thing was that he was also incredibly kind with good manners and a boy-next-door sort of charm about him that often had people swooning over him, from teenagers to the elderly.

But there was something freaky about him.

Sometimes he went around like he knew something nobody else did and would walk around unseeingly. On semi-frequent occasions you swore that he’d swing his head around to look at you incredulously or smile to himself, head tipped downwards like he was trying to contain his laughter, as if he heard what you said. Which would be normal and all–if you were in his vicinity. But, no, you would be at your designated spot in the cafeteria chatting with Minghao and Sicheng or walking behind the crowd of students during a field trip, and he would just incline his head so that he could look at you. There were also the times where he would be extremely irritable, not come in for a day or two and then come back and act like his usual self. That didn’t happen often but they occurred enough for you to notice–you didn’t know how he got away with it, one of your suspicions inclued that he was secretly a witch or something. Although you knew that the more logical reason was because he was dubbed as the town’s Golden Boy.

However it wasn’t just him, his entire family was freaky. It wasn’t something that you could put your finger on, not exactly, but you knew that they weren’t just any normal family.

There wasn’t any evidence to support your claim, not that you said it out loud or anything because contrary to what your brothers have said about you, you did, indeed, have some self-preservation and self-awareness. Besides, it wasn’t your fault that you had a tendency make more reckless decisions than they did. At that point your mother had already abandoned her dreams for another one of her children to become a doctor. Which was the best, honestly, because it gave you more freedom to do what you wanted.

Even with your lack of evidence you knew that they were just weird. But what was weirder was that nobody seemed to notice that they were weird. Apart from you that was. Everybody seemed to be blinded by the fact that they were a wholesome, good-doing family that were pleasing to the eye–they were practically local celebrities with the way people fawned over them. It was a great achievement that their ancestors founded your small town years and years and years ago, really, it was, but it was strange that not one person from any generation left for somewhere else, like a big city or something. Did nobody find that strange? Was it really possible that nobody in their family tree took the chance to book it as soon as they graduated high school?

The girls surrounding you screamed hysterical encouragements when Jaehyun managed to steal the ball from an opposing player, spun around and began zooming towards the other end of the court before you could blink. You narrowed your eyes when you noticed that halfway down the court, Jaehyun seemed to catch himself. It was barely there, his expression of realization, before he slowed down which allowed the other players on the team to catch up to him.

There was something freaky about the Jeongs alright, and you were going to find out exactly what it was.

There wasn’t any sort of plan that you had in mind to carry out your investigation to uncover the truth, in fact you didn’t even know where to begin and so that paired with the overwhelming amount of homework you obtained meant that you pushed it to the back-burner. You were up to your eyeballs in various essays and math problems that you barely had time to breathe, granted it was your fault that you left a few last minute but the point still stood.

It was your poor time management that brought you to hurriedly end the sentence of the last paragraph on your poetry essay. Fortunately Mrs.Kim collected them at the end of her classes which often worked in your favor. If Sicheng knew that you didn’t finish your assignment he would have scolded you for ages seeing as he was basically an advocate for education which was fitting since him and Jaehyun were in an unsaid competition for valedictorian and salutatorian. Although what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him and you would be lecture free.

“...and that is all for today, please hand over your assignments to the person in front of you and pass them up.” Mrs.Kim ended class earlier than usual and you have been seasoned enough to learn that that meant she had something up her sleeve. After she received everyone’s essays she placed them on her desk and spun quickly to face the class. “For your next assignment, you are going to work on a project. It’s worth fifty percent of your grade and you can choose whatever topic you want as long as it remains relevant to writing or English composition. Since it’s worth that much, you’ll have until the end of the term.” There were no objections until she added, “I’m going to call out your assigned partner.”

The only person you were friends with in the class was Minghao and the two of you looked at each other in synchronization with matching faces of dread. It wasn’t that you particularly disliked anybody in the class, what with the town so small that you basically grew up everyone in your year, but it sure would be amazing if you could work with one of your best friends. Minghao having an affinity for creative writing and such was only a bonus.

You remained hopeful as Mrs.Kim read through her list since she didn’t call out either of your names. That was until she said, “Minghao and Yugyeom.” You slumped in your chair, placing your cheek in the palm of your hand as you moodily waited for your name to be called. “Y/n and Jaehyun.”

The name of your partner had you straightening up in your seat, ignoring the envious gazes shot your way. This was great, you could totally ace this project and jump at the opportunity to analyze Jaehyun at a closer level. When you turned to glance at him, you found him looking at you already so you gave him what you hoped was a friendly smile before you diverted your attention back to where Mrs.Kim was finishing off calling out the names.

When the class was over, you packed up your stuff and zoomed over to Minghao. He threw his arm around your shoulder and the two of you started mock crying over the fact that you weren’t project partners as you walked over to the cafeteria.

“I mean,” he said as he chewed on his apple, “at least we get to make new friends?”

Before you could even reply, there was a small ‘thud’ of a tray being dropped on the table and when you looked over at Minghao’s right, you found Yugyeom about to sit down. The sound was repeated on your left and you weren’t entirely surprised to find Jaehyun settling in the empty seat beside you.

“Um,” he arched his eyebrows in a questioning manner, “that’s Sicheng’s seat.”

The corner of Jaehyun’s lip quirked upwards, “Sicheng has lunch with you guys later.” That time it was your turn to arch your brow at him quizzically. How did he know when Sicheng had lunch with you and when he didn’t? It was weird. But then again you knew that the other jocks had lunch later too, although that was basically common knowledge wasn’t it? Refusing your thoughts to spiral, you chalked it up to his freakiness instead. He definitely saw your expression though he did nothing but give you his award winning smile.

“Uh, okay,” you turned to face Minghao but found him and Yugyeom immersed in conversation. “So,” you said as you bit into your sandwich, “our project.”

“Our project,” Jaehyun parroted with a nod, “anything you want to do?”

“I haven’t really thought about it.” That was a small lie, you wanted to do something related to ancient folklore or Greek Mythology, or basically anything to do with mythical creatures in history or something. But you weren’t about to tell him that because you knew that not everybody had a fascination for Greek Mythology and the like, since it wasn’t as if every kid read the Percy Jackson & the Olympians when they were growing up and developed a somewhat obsessive fascination with them. “What about you?”

Jaehyun considered you for a moment, head slightly tilted, his dark eyes boring into you. “Yeah, same.” There was a small pause. “Well, how about you come to my place on Friday? We could, you know, brainstorm and stuff.” When you nodded your agreement, you traded phone numbers and dispersed when it was time for your next class.

“What do you think of the Jeongs?” You asked as you piled vegetables onto your plate. It was a rare evening where your entire family was present for dinner since your both your dad and oldest brother had early shifts at the hospital. It was a great opportunity to gather some intel on Jaehyun and his family.

“Mrs.Jeong is a great mayor.” Is the reply you earned from your mom once she finished chewing her food, “she’s fair, kind and always thinks about the citizens. But she’s also firm and nobody can do anything without her knowing.”

“Mr.Jeong is the same,” your dad answered before including, “very hands on and always ready to help.” When you looked to Gongmyung for confirmation, he nodded and gave you a thumbs up.

“And Jaehyun?” You asked somewhat hesitantly. The chances of them knowing him were large considering whenever you went to visit the hospital to bring lunch to your dad and Gongmyung, Jaehyun was around talking to whoever–staff, patients, visitors. Your mom probably knew him because he was one of the volunteers to help bag items at the grocery store. Judging what they said about his parents, they would probably sing his praises and not include anything they found off about him.

Doyoung, who had been eyeing you curiously, said, “are you asking what we think about them as some sort of”–he swung his chopsticks around as if it would help him find the word–“approval thing? Do you have a crush on Jaehyun or something?”

The question had you choking on your food, shaking your head vehemently. It was concerning that your mom brightened at what your brother said, eyes sparkling with hope as she batted her eyelashes at you. Gongmyung and your dad furrowed their brows, staring at their plate of food in a huff.

“Oh shut up frog face!” You retorted once you got yourself together. “I do not have a crush on Jaehyun”–from the corner of your eye, you saw your mom deflate into her seat and Gongmyung release a small sigh–“we have a project together and he invited me over on Friday so,” you trailed off, trying to find the right words, “I guess I just wanted to know if, um, you guys are alright with them or whatever.”

Before Doyoung could reply, your mom butted in. “Well, why wouldn’t we be alright with them? They’re a lovely family.” She tittered with excitement, “a project, huh?”

“Yeah, for Mrs.Kim’s class.” You finished the last of your food. “So it’s okay if I go, right?”

“Of course!”

Gongmyung and your dad grumbled to themselves while your mom went on a tangent about baking something for you to bring over to them. Doyoung shrugged his shoulders when you passed him a look and took some meat off your plate, smiling unapologetically when you glared at him.

The Jeong residence was in the middle of nowhere. Okay, admittedly that was an exaggeration but it was only because they lived a few miles from the rest of the people who lived in the town. Practically everyone knew where they lived due to their choice of location. You had never been inside of their house before but you did go trick-or-treating there when you were younger. Doyoung used to tell you scary stories about how the Jeongs ate people because why else would they live in the woods, y/n?

Other variations of his story included how they buried ‘annoying little kids’ around the area. Gongmyung would scuff the back of his head and assure you that the Jeongs were definitely not people-eaters or buried kids.

Maybe it was Doyoung’s fault that you always kept a watchful eye on Jaehyun growing up, what with all those stories. Although if he didn’t tell you those false tales, you wouldn’t have noticed that there was something up with your classmate.

As you finally approached the Jeong house, you marveled at its appearance. There was a cute little stone path leading up to their house, various flowers littered here and there. The house itself was a very pretty and clean colonial house with a porch that had wooden seats and a table. How could Doyoung ever have scared you when their house was so inviting? It was probably the rest of the area, you supposed, since it was all dark, looming trees.

You hopped off your bike and held the handles as you walked up to their house. Unsure of where to leave it, you leaned it against their porch knowing that the chances of it being stolen were slim. Once you were sure it wouldn’t collapse on the patch of daisies, you removed the apple and cinnamon loaf that your mom made for the Jeongs.

It was when you fell on the second step that you were glad that you were holding on tightly to the pyrex loaf pan. If you broke it you wouldn’t want to know how your mom would react. You cradled it in relief and hoped that the jar in your backpack was in tact or else the stuff inside it would be a horrible, sticky mess until you could get home and wash it.

“Are you okay dear?” Mrs.Jeong’s voice chimed from above you and you found yourself looking at her concerned face when you glanced up.

“‘m fine,” you winced slightly, rubbing at your leg, “probably gonna leave a bruise though.”

“Sorry about that,” she apologized, smiling at you serenely. “My husband was supposed to fix that in case we have any visitors.” She griped lowly, probably not wanting you to hear.

“Oh, uh, do you not get many visitors then?” You asked awkwardly as she lead you inside. What were you supposed to say to that? ‘Yeah that sucks, maybe you should invite more people over or something.’ Maybe it would have been better if you said nothing at all.

“Not really. Our other relatives live elsewhere and Jaehyun doesn’t really invite anybody here.” She sighed wistfully before turning to smile at you brightly, “so imagine my surprise when he told me that somebody would be coming here, and such a gorgeous somebody too.”

There was a loud thump upstairs that had you pulling a face whereas Mrs.Jeong just chuckled to herself as if she were in some sort of inside joke. You didn’t know what to say in return but it seemed like she wasn’t expecting one anyway, judging from the way she turned around to lead you into the kitchen.

“You have a very nice house.” You complimented once you took a seat by the island. It was open spaced and minimal, family photos here and there and you had to resist the urge to look at the baby pictures of Jaehyun.

“Thank you, my husband and I weren’t too fond of the idea of getting too many items when inherited this house. Now, can I offer you something to drink?”

You shook your head. “No thank you. Oh, um, actually my mom made this for you,” you slid the loaf pan towards her before shrugging your backpack off and unzipped it, shoulders relaxing at the sight of the perfect condition of the mason jar. “She made this too. It’s peach jam. And that’s an apple and cinnamon loaf.”

“There was no need but thank so you so much. Jaehyun will love the jam.”

“Hey y/n.” Jaehyun greeted from behind you. You spun around and gave a flimsy wave, hoping that your smile wasn’t awkward. “C’mon we can go to my room.”

As you hopped off your seat, Mr.Jeong came from behind his son. “Oh, you must be y/n! It’s nice to finally meet you. Your dad talks about you all the time. Sorry ‘bout that step by the way, I’ll fix that as soon as possible.”

How did he know that you tripped on a step on your way in? The only explanation that you could come up with was that he either saw it happen, like maybe he was looking out the window for some reason, or maybe he was by the doorway and saw his wife standing over you. But that was impossible since you definitely would have seen him on your way in and you were absolutely sure that you didn’t.

Not knowing what to say, and still confused, you chuckled awkwardly. Jaehyun looked as if he were restraining the urge to smack his hand on his face. “It’s nice to meet you too, sir.” You turned to face his mom, “you too, ma’am.” And with that you walked over to Jaehyun and allowed him to lead you to his room.

Just as he was about to close the door, he groaned and left it slightly ajar as he mumbled under his breath. You surveyed his room; there were various movie posters, which looked to be a mixture of thriller and horror, that covered up the entirety of one of the walls. There were a few fashion magazines spewed on his table, a stack of CDs on his shelf and little Pokémon figurines on his window sill. It was neater than you thought it would be, too. Cleaner than your room anyway for sure.

You copied Jaehyun when he sat cross legged on his carpeted floor, placing your bag beside you. “So,” you began as you took your notebook and pencil case out of your bag. “Come up with any ideas?”

“Yeah, I was thinking maybe we could focus on one author and analyze their work? Or that we could analyze a classic so that our project would only focus on one book instead of a lot of different ones.”

You hummed. “That sounds pretty good, were you thinking of any specific authors or books?”

When Jaehyun brought up that he was thinking of Jane Austen’s work and that he couldn’t decide between The Picture of Dorian Gray or Dracula, you launched into a long conversation about the pros and cons of each. Jaehyun’s passion was incredibly clear as he spoke and you were taken away with how absolutely alluring you found it.

You weren’t blind, of course. You knew that Jaehyun was all sorts of attractive and that it was the main reason why so many people fawned over him in school. It was actually ironic considering how nobody batted their pretty eyelashes at him all throughout middle school but did a one eighty as soon as he joined the basketball team and lost his baby cheeks, trading them for a defined jawline and muscles instead. You always considered Jaehyun cute, even back then when he had that awful haircut and hadn’t grown into his ears yet, but having a clear look at him now it was obvious that you found him handsome. Anybody would be stupid not to think he was.

“You really don’t have anything that you want to do?” Jaehyun asked after your lengthy conversation, searching your eyes. “I’m completely okay if we don’t do my idea.”

Although you couldn’t handle the intensity in his eyes, you held his gaze head on as you replied. “Yeah, I had an idea but I didn’t know if you would be, like, into it or anything.” He prompted you to continue with a movement of his hand, giving you a small boost of confidence. “I was thinking maybe we could do something on ancient folklore or Greek Mythology? Like, maybe we could relate it with cultural impact and stuff like that? I dunno, we don’t have to do it.”

“Ancient folklore?” Jaehyun repeated, “do you mean like with mythical creatures and stuff?”

You nodded. “Yeah exactly. Griffins, chimeras, the fae, vampires and werewolves.”

“That sounds interesting,” he replied after a moments of silence, a pensive expression written on his face, “there probably won’t be a lot of groups doing that topic.” You agreed with his statement by nodding your head. “Okay we should do that then! What mythical creature should we start with first?”

Surprisingly, the project was going pretty well. Within almost two months, the two of you gathered a bunch of information online and from the local library in between Jaehyun’s basketball practice and extracurricular activities. It also helped that Jaehyun had extensive knowledge, as did his parents, and they even had a few books of their own that helped to gather necessary information. Although you had to admit, it was quite frustrating whenever Jaehyun shot down any possible facts regarding certain creatures, vampires and werewolves especially. You hadn’t snapped at him yet but you were definitely on the brink of it, all it would take was one more unimpressed stare that he often paired with a dismissive wave.

Another surprising thing that resulted in doing the project was that you and Jaehyun had actually formed a friendship. The Jeongs had come over to your house for dinner several times and vice versa, your mom had ample amounts of peach jam for whenever Jaehyun came over, Mrs.Jeong stocked up her fridge with your favorite soda, and your brothers seemed to have taken Jaehyun under their wing–they did things like go fishing on the weekends and played video games together. Jaehyun and his jock friends even started sitting at your table and greeted you whenever they saw you in the hallway. It was actually really nice, and if Minghao and Sicheng weren’t professionals at sulking, you would have considered Jaehyun as one of your close friends–maybe even one of your best friends and you knew that was weird but there was a feeling you couldn’t explain whenever you were with him. Like you have known him for as long as you’d lived, which was technically true since everybody knew everybody in your town.

Honestly, you had almost forgotten about your opinion about the Jeongs being freaky because it was really easy to overlook their unorthodox behavior (which you weren’t completely sure whether or not they did it on purpose to try in hint that they were other) when they accepted how easily you and your family slotted into their lives.

“Hey loser,” Jaehyun grumbled as he dropped his tray and took the seat beside you, his arm automatically sliding across your shoulder, his hand lingering on the nape of your neck for a millisecond.

That was something that you noticed the Jeongs did a lot–touching you whenever possible, also including your whole family whenever it was possible. At first it started off with little touches like Mrs.Jeong rubbing the back of your head, Mr.Jeong giving you high fives and Jaehyun’s hand lingering somewhat firmly on your arm whenever he needed your attention for something. Eventually Mrs.Jeong would hug you tightly whenever you entered and left their home, Mr.Jeong would pat your head affectionately or clap the back of your shoulders, and Jaehyun?

He did all sorts of touching, a combination of the lot. It seemed that his preferred way, though, was to wrap his arm around your shoulders and push you into his side. When the other students started noticing his favor towards you, a lot of them had asked if you were together but before you could ever say anything, Jaehyun would be there, paralyzing them with his smile and swivelled you away from them.

You couldn’t exactly pinpoint what had triggered the Jeongs to start being so affectionately with you but you were sure that it had something to do with the afternoon that Jaehyun fell asleep in your presence when the two of you were watching a movie. Mrs.Jeong had walked in, glanced between the two of you repeatedly and you couldn’t help but noticed how her expression softened. You remembered looking at her helplessly when Jaehyun threw his arm around you and pushed you closer but she did nothing but wink and exit the room, leaving you confined next to him for the next couple of hours.

Truthfully, you didn’t mind that they were so affectionate with you. It wasn’t as if you were touch starved or anything, but it was nice to know that there were other people who cared for you that weren’t limited to your family, Minghao and Sicheng. It made you feel part of something, even if you didn’t know what it was. You had suspicions of course, but you didn’t want to reveal your cards just yet.

“What’s up,” you greeted, easily melting into his side. You wouldn’t ever admit it to him, but you felt extremely comfortable whenever he had his arm around you and you also refused to feed into the voice that lingered at the back of your mind telling you that you were developing feelings for him.

When you got nothing but a low grumble in return, you slid away from him slightly so that you would have a clear view of his expression; his face was shrewd, brows knitted together as he glared at his lunch. When you thought about it some more, you realized that his grip on you was tighter than normal which made you purse your lips.

“Is it because of the game?”

It was the semi-finals later and everyone had been on Jaehyun’s back, constantly mentioning how he would be leading them to victory and whatnot which had to be all sorts of stressful because of the pressure. When he shrugged in reply, his mouth pressed together firmly as he refused to look at you, you slowly became aware that this was probably one of his irritable days.

“Jae,” you called, wanting to reach out to direct his head in your direction but unwilling to do so because, well, you knew how that would look. The rest of the team, Mingyu and Jungkook in particular, would always make sure to drop teasing comments whenever you and Jaehyun so much as stared at each other for longer than three seconds.

The longer he refused to look at you, the more the aggressiveness in his features increased. Mingyu and Jungkook’s teasing be damned, you were just going to go for it. You wiped the palm of your right hand onto your jeans since they became clammy at the thought and slowly, you brought it up to his cheek and redirected his gaze from his poor, unsuspecting lunch to you. Mingyu and Jungkook started acting up but seemed as though they were at a far distance as you stared concernedly into Jaehyun’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?” You asked softly, trying to contain your panic and racing heart when he relaxed into your touch. For a moment, you thought that he wasn’t going to say anything since he just closed his eyes and kept inhaling and exhaling deeply, as if he were doing some breathing exercises. When he opened his eyes you swore that they were a molten yellow, like gold, but you decided not to comment on it because you wanted to root out why Jaehyun wasn’t acting like his usual sunny self.

“Nothing. Everything’s fine. I’m fine.”

Not liking how curt he sounded, you frowned. After a second you hesitantly slid you hand down to the crook of his neck, like he did with you sometimes when he was within your vicinity. There was a soft sound of his quick inhale but you chose not to focus on it.

“If you’re sure,” you paused to search his eyes, not liking how troubled he looked, “but I’m here to talk if you need someone, alright? Always, for anything. Even if it’s something that you think is stupid.”

“Alright,” he repeated hoarsely, “thank you. I’m always here too, for anything. Promise.” The sincerity in his voice made your stomach flip-flop and it seemed like you couldn’t find your voice. In turn you allowed your hand to rest on him for a few minutes longer, meeting his heated stare head on before removing it as you cleared your throat, resuming your original position.

When you saw the shit-eating grins of the others, including Sicheng, you stuck your tongue out at them but you remained silent as you tried ignore how hot your cheeks felt. Even though Jaehyun said nothing either, content flowed through you when you felt his muscles relax beneath his hoodie.

(After he shot the winning basket with a few seconds to spare, the students surrounding you cheering with all their might, you were left breathless. The bright smile that he sent your way was a massive contrast to the expression that he was wearing seconds ago, his competitiveness consuming him. When you mirrored his smile, giving him two thumbs up, it only served to make him smile brighter–if that were even possible. His eyes followed you even as his teammates hoisted him up into the air, only stopping when they became engulfed by the students who flooded the court.)

There was a gnawing in your chest that stopped you from sleeping. It left you staring at the ceiling aimlessly, tracing the alien baby that got stuck on it from when you and Doyoung were competing to see who could throw theirs higher when the two of you were younger. The two of you got into trouble and it was something that you rued your older brother for the months that followed but now it was something that never failed to bring a laugh out of you. You remembered only forgiving Doyoung because he used up all of his allowance to buy you that fancy toy that you had been begging for for weeks.

Deciding that if you weren’t able to sleep, you would go to see if Jaehyun was awake. It was a common occurrence for one of you to go to each others houses in the little hours in the morning whenever either of you was unable to fall asleep. You shot him a text as a heads up, not bothering to check for a reply because you knew that he would probably be awake anyway since it was a Saturday.

Once you were bundled up, you tiptoed down the stairs, slipped on your shoes and left. It was easy to escape since your family were a bunch of heavy sleepers and your bicycle was never chained up to anything or in the garage, it just leaned against the side of your house, waiting to be used.

The cycle to their house was something that you could do with your eyes closed at that point, the cool air whipping against your skin as you began to peddle faster. You wanted to be there as soon as possible, Jaehyun always had the best snacks stashed in his room. When you saw the comforting sight of their home, you began to slow down as you squinted to get a better view of Jaehyun’s room. The fact that his lampshade wasn’t on made you feel a little dejected. Maybe he was asleep.

Not wanting to give up, you got off your bicycle and left it at its usual position by the porch. You fished your phone from your pocket and frowned when you saw that you didn’t get a text from him, which always let you know that he would leave the front door open so that you could slip inside. After some heavy debate, you decided to try and see if the door was open. No dice. With a sigh, you spun back around to make your way back to your ride when something ahead of you made you freeze.

There, by the line of trees that started a few meters away from the end of the path, was a wolf. As far as you were concerned, there were absolutely no wolves in your area even though there was a huge forest. So you must have been extremely sleep deprived because there was absolutely no way there was a wolf staring at you, right? Right?

Wrong. No matter how many times or how hard you pinched yourself, the wolf didn’t disappear. It seemed to be waiting for you to make the first move. You wanted to, honestly, but your feet were firmly planted on Mrs.Jeong’s pristine porch.

With a shaky breath, you slowly took a step forward, keeping your eyes on the wolf in case it made any sudden movements. When it seemed unbothered by your action, you took another then another until you reached your bicycle. Your heart dropped into your stomach when you heard a crunch on your right, knowing that it had to be another wolf because the one you kept your eyes locked on hadn’t moved. Your pulse was all you could hear in the silent night, palms sweaty with nervousness. You were going to get mauled weren’t you? You were going to get mauled in front of Jaehyun’s house on Mrs.Jeong’s pretty flowers.

The whine that kept from the wolf on your right made you slowly look at it’s direction. When it took a step closer you fumbled back, unceremoniously landing on the innocent daisies, eyes wide with fear. Another whine escaped the wolf and it was only then that you heard the panting of different wolf closer to you. When it did nothing but bump it’s snout on the side of your head, you relaxed a bit which the whining wolf took as a sign to creep closer to you. It stayed patiently by your feet, as if waiting for a sign. After weighing out your options, you decided that if these wolves actually wanted you dead, they probably would have maimed you already.

Against your every instinct, you reached a trembling hand out towards it. It pawed it’s way over to you and bent its head so that it was under your hand. The other wolves seemed to take it as a sign to edge closer to you. It tickled when they licked your cheeks and hand, and you couldn’t help but coo at how cute they were. It was a huge relief when you realized that they meant no harm.

Your brows furrowed when the wolf you were petting looked at you, it’s huge eyes achingly familiar and that was when it dawned on you. “Jaehyun?” When it, no he, whined, a small gasp escaped your lips. You turned to look at the others, “Mrs.Jeong? Mr.Jeong?” When you got a response to both, you felt a little faint.

They turned and left you sitting there as you gathered your thoughts, emerging from somewhere after a few minutes and stood above you.

“Are you alright honey?” Mrs.Jeong asked gently after a couple of minutes of roaring silence. She didn’t come up to you like she normally did, trying to soothe you by rubbing the back of your head, and you found that you missed it.

“I’m, uh, I don’t know.” You replied honestly, your thoughts were a mess. You had your suspicions but you didn’t think that they were true. Before you found out the truth, you liked to imagine that you would reenact the scene from Twilight where Bella was confronting Edward about his true nature and it would be this whole thing that you and the Jeongs could laugh about if they got the reference. Although now that you were actually faced with the truth, you didn’t know how to react. It was literally like those expectations versus reality posts that were online.

“Why don’t we head inside so you can warm up, hm?” Mr.Jeong suggested and you nodded numbly, your legs carrying you on autopilot as you entered their house. When your eyes flickered over to Jaehyun, you found him with his head down and you hated how ashen he looked.

You nodded thankfully at Mrs.Jeong when she passed you a glass of water. You took your time to drink it, wanting to prolong the oncoming conversation as much as possible. When the glass was empty, you placed it on the coffee table and, not knowing where to look, you met Mrs.Jeong’s patient eyes.

“So,” you said as the nerves you felt were slowly disippating, “werewolves.”

Mrs.Jeong looked as though she was fighting down a smile, laughter dancing in her eyes, “werewolves.”

“I frickin’ knew it!” Clearly that wasn’t the reaction they were expecting, from the looks of surprise displayed on their faces. “There was always something, uh, how do I explain it? Other about you guys. I could never place my finger on it but you guys were definitely a little weird to me. Not a bad weird! Just, you know, you guys are bit different from everyone else who lives here. I mean, who lives in the woods, right? Not that there’s anything wrong with living out here! Your house is amazing! But, yeah, don’t think I haven’t noticed you guys try to drop some hints.” You felt yourself relax when Mr. and Mrs.Jeong chuckled. “I’ll admit that I was a little scared earlier but could you blame me? I was tired and just wanted to chill with Jaehyun, like we always do.” You gulped a breath of air, “hey, be real with me, do you guys have, like spidey sense or something? Or you know, is anything from the movies real?”

“Wow,” Mr.Jeong laughed, “looks like we had nothing to worry about at all.”

From there they told you about their family history. They explained the truth about how their ancestors actually stumbled across the land and answered all the questions that you had patiently, with fond smiles. They also told you that touching was a way to scent mark you and your family because that was a pack thing and that you had been pack for some time, that it had been cemented the day that Jaehyun was willing to fall asleep in your presence. They then told you that they could hear when people lie, something about an uptick in someone’s heartbeat, and their senses were enhanced compared to a regular human.

The relief hidden in their eyes was plain as day, although the same couldn’t be said for Jaehyun since he still withheld his eyes from you.

“I’m sorry you had to find out that way,” Mrs.Jeong once you couldn’t think of any other questions to ask them. “We were supposed to tell you after tonight’s full moon so that we could formally add you and your family to the pack.”

“Oh,” your shoulders sagged, “sorry I ruined your plan.”

“Don’t worry about it kid, we were expecting something like this to happen sooner or later.” Mr.Jeong assured you. “We can just invite them over for some lunch later and tell them then.” He added after sending a thoughtful look at his wife.

“Yeah, that would be cool.” You responded, “I can’t wait to see their faces!” Doyoung was going to freak and you were already anticipating it so that you could record their reactions somehow.

The two adults laughed and you joined them, keeping a worried eye on Jaehyun. His mom seemed to notice because she stood up immediately, lightly slapping her husband’s shoulder so that he would follow. She gave you a wink, shooting her son a firm look when he looked up after she cleared her throat at him pointedly.

“Is this why your always moody each month? ‘Cause of the full moon?”

Jaehyun’s eyes snapped up to meet yours. “I’m not moody.”

“Aha! Got you to look!” That had him pouting and you allowed a few beats of silence to pass before you laughed at the absurdity of it all. Before you knew it, he began laughing with you too, staring off with small chuckles before it escalated to a full laugh. “Werewolves, huh.” You stated once the two of you were composed.

“Yeah,” Jaehyun wasn’t fully relaxed yet, you could tell–what always gave him away was how he held himself just a tad too stiff and the way he gripped his knees. “I wanted to tell you before but mom wouldn’t let me because even though you’re really nice and seemed like you would accept us, she said she couldn’t take the risk.”

“Understandable,” you said, nodding agreeably, “does anybody else know?” He shook his head. “Is that why you guys don’t have many visitors?” When he nodded in agreement, you hummed thoughtfully, “then how come you asked me to do our project here?”

“You’re going to think it’s stupid.”

You arched a brow, “remember what we said to each other in the cafeteria?”

“Well, yeah but–”

“No buts! C’mon, I promise I won’t laugh.”

The two of you had a stare off but he surrendered because he figured out that you weren’t going to give up. “Okay,” he sighed, redirecting his stare to his knees again, “before I joined the team, back when I was shorter and wasn’t as popular as I am now, you probably won’t remember but it was my birthday and nobody really knew even though we’ve all grown up together. Everyone was more focused on Valentine’s day but you went up to me, wished me a happy birthday and even gave me a card.”

“Oh,” you whispered as the memory came back to you. “I remember that. You looked so sad but I remembered it was your birthday because I heard Seokmin greet you before we had to go back to class, so I made you a quick card and gave it to you.”

“Yeah, I still have that card, and since then I’ve always wanted you in the pack because my mom used to tell me that the pack would always make you happy, make sure you’re never forgotten or feel left out.”

“Jaehyun–”

“Wait! There’s more,” he met your eyes and kept his locked on yours as he continued, seeming to gain confidence in whatever he saw in your expression, “that’s why I wanted you to be pack at first but as we grew up I realized that you would be an amazing pack member because you’re loyal, smart, witty and you make me happy. And you probably think it’s creepy that I know that but my hearing is enhanced because I’m a werewolf, so I always hear a lot of things. I’ve learned to tune out most things but I never block out the sound of your voice.”

“Um,” you were oddly flattered. You never thought that throughout the years that you had been watching Jaehyun that he was watching you back. How did you not notice? It probably had something to do with other wolf traits. You had even more questions to ask at that revelation. “That’s– Wow.”

Jaehyun smiled sheepishly at you, ducking his head, “yeah.”

“That’s actually sort of cute? Like, I can’t believe you actually remembered that?”

“I used to think about it all the time,” he mumbled, “you’re part of the reason why I joined the team. I liked basketball but I also thought that it would get you to notice me since you never hung out with anyone but Minghao and Sicheng.”

“Oh,” you said again dumbly, feeling speechless. “well if it helps, you were always on my radar.”

Jaehyun visibily preened at your words, “really?”

“Yeah, really.”

You looked at him questioningly when he let out a groan, hiding his face behind his hand. “Nothing, my mom just said something.”

“Wait a minute! Does that mean she was teasing you when I first came here?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And that your dad actually heard me fell instead of seeing it?”

“Yeah. I heard you fall as well. Mom kept nagging dad about it after you left to fix it.”

“Hm,” you paused, thinking of any other instances, “is that why you were looking at me funny when you asked if I had any ideas for our project? ‘Cause you knew that I was lying?”

“Mhm and I agreed to your idea because it was unique and because it would be easy, since we’re werewolves and all.”

“Oh true,” you thought some more, “so I could become one too, right?”

“Definitely. Mom’s never turned anyone but gran did when dad asked for it, before mom was the alpha.” He assessed you for a moment, “why do you want to be turned?”

“No,” you responded after some you considered it, “at least I don’t think so. I like being human.”

“Fair.”

“So.” You trailed after a pregnant pause that consisted of you and Jaehyun staring at one another. You decided you liked this look on him, there was something different about the way he carried himself now that the truth about his nature was out there.

It was starting to get brighter, you could hear the birds chirping but you didn’t feel an inch of exhaustion. Not after what you had just learned. Part of you wanted to stay and ask Jaehyun endless questions but ultimately your logical side won.

“I should get going, my parents will look for me if I’m not there for breakfast.”

“I’ll walk you.”

The walk back was full of banter and it was great to listen to Jaehyun tell you how amazing it felt that you finally knew the truth, and how he couldn’t wait until the rest of your family knew. He then told you about other things, like how they sometimes hunted game or the one time he almost shifted in class because he heard someone talk badly about someone else.

“Well,” you said as you stopped by your mom’s car in the driveway. “This is me.”

“No way.” Jaehyun replied sarcastically with a roll of his eye to which you stuck your tongue out.

It was probably the left over adreneline from earlier or maybe it was because you decided that you didn’t care, but you let go of your bicycle in favor of wrapping your arms around him tightly. You didn’t let him go for a while, allowing him to bury his face in the crook of your neck. When you let go of him, he had a cute smile plastered on his face.

“After lunch tomorrow!” You shot him a confused look as you grabbed your bicycle from its position of the pavement. “I, uh,” he scratched the back of his head, “tomorrow, after we tell your family, we should go on a date.”

“Really?” You asked in disbelief.

“Yeah! But only if you want. You don’t have to say yes.” He was uncharacteristically nervous, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, and you couldn’t help but find it adorable.

“I’d love to go on a date with you.”

Your answer earned you a mega watt smile, “great! I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Duh.” You replied sarcastically. It did nothing to wipe the smile of his face, “I can’t wait.” You added seriously.

“Me neither.”

Feeling a rush of braveness, you motioned him towards you and when he complied, you placed a kiss on his cheek and ran to your door. When you looked back you saw him watching you with a dazed expression, sending you flying kisses and stopped to motion you to go inside.

Once you stepped inside your house and shut the door quietly, you placed your head on it and squeezed your eyes shut as you tampered down the high pitched squeal that threatened to make its way out of your throat. When you managed to compose yourself, although unable to calm your racing heart, you jumped at least fifty feet in the air when you caught Doyoung staring at you with his arms folded against his chest.

“Um, hi?” You hoped he didn’t see anything that happened between you and Jaehyun.

“I knew you had a crush on Jaehyun.” He said triumphantly because of course you were wrong. “If he treats you anything less than you deserve, he’s dead.”

You grinned at him teasingly. “Love you too.”

Doyoung made a face in response. “Gross.” Despite what he said, however, he still smiled at you fondly and ruffled your hair affectionately. “Now go to sleep you idiot, it’s five in the morning.”

“Shut up frog face.” Although that didn’t stop you from following him as quietly walked up the stairs. “How did you know anyway? Did you see what happened outside?”

“Uh, yeah. I’ve known that you two have been doing this for ages. It’s not like you’re quiet when you close your door or when you two talk. Did you forget how thin the walls are in this place?”

You hummed. “Thanks for not snitching on me.”

“You owe me big time, loser.”

#tadaaaaah #i would just like to say that this is a belated thing for my main biss #love u 🥺😭🤧#its pretty long and it was supposed to go one dirction but it took a different turn #which i guess i dont mind 🤔#idk listen im happy with what it is atm but i might edit some things later on #or something idk i havent decided smdmskdk #i hope yall like this one 😌✨🦋🧚🏼‍♂️#anyway here come the tags:#nct scenarios #nct #nct au #nct 127 #nct u #nct imagines #nct jaehyun #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun imagines #jeong jaehyun #jaehyun au #jaehyun x reader #jaehyun #edit: sorry this one isnt gender netural folks #pls forgive me i always try to make it reader-friendly but i added a ‘she’ in this one 🤧#sorry again :(( my other ones (apart from 1 or 2) are gender neutral tho !!! promise !!!!!!!#edit to my edit: i made it gender neutral !!!!! took away the ‘she’ and added ‘gorgeous somebody’ mwah love u all enjoy

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smellycinnamonthundahfudge · 6 years ago

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5 gifts peter got for mj and 1 she gave him

im still alive bishes haha. am i really just choosing to participate in a different prompt that i barely have anything planned out for instead of finishing the one i was late in following up on? yes i am. prep urselves for some gift giving spideychelle to develop their relationship pre-ffh hehe

after hoco and peter starts to gain a work spidey life balance, he finally starts to notice that mj apparently... cares... about... him???

it wasn't obvious at first, hidden under a layer of deadpan sarcasm and witty comebacks, but the interest seemed to be there

which was why every time peter would miss a meeting, he'd actually feel bad this time because he really did want to be there this time

he'd feel terrible every time mj would ask him where he was, why he didn't show up. she was hoping he'd show and he let her down.

the first couple of times it happens, mj's understanding enough.

but it happens a couple of times too often and back to back and something snaps

you see, peter and mj have developed a bit of a rapport over the couple of months after hoco.

peter finds out mj likes coffee and tea, she read a stephen king book one time, he noticed, and they talked basically all week about king (and some of the issues surrounding him, his work, and their adaptations ofc)

soon enough their talks extend beyond school and they start meeting up in the library, at their places, at coffee shops, pizza places, an arcade one time where mj managed to beat peter at air hockey. her lil energetic whoop and almost doing a victory dance (before realizing she was in public) was worth losing for.

but admittedly, peter was just a tinge bit stressed and overextended and he unfortunately let his time with mj fall by the wayside.

he'd accidentally left her at seen for days after he completely forgot she sent him a message. she called, he answered, a robber was currently running away from some cops, he hung up on her...

suffice it to say, peter became a bit of a bad friend and he completely understood why mj reverted back to their previous relationship, he did it first

which was why peter decided enough was enough

mj has been a great friend to him, a true one, and an underappreciated one at that

which was why he decided he'd spend as much time, effort, and thoughtful gestures necessary trying to make it up to her

problem was, they were currently on clipped one word reply speaking terms right now. mj barely looked at him, she went back to sitting all the way to the other side of the farthest table during lunch again...

he needed a way in

so he went back to basics, the next day, he knew mj had a 7 am class so peter went to school at 7 am too, just to give mj some much needed caffeine

trouble was, was that mj was running late and when he gave the coffee, she left just as quick as she came

she said a quick "thanks, parker" and swoosh she sprinted to class

and peter was left there with 3 hours to spare til his next class. oh well, at least the effort made her do that quick lil toothy smirk

his efforts would work eventually won't it?

but if an omniscient narrator were watching him for the following days, they probably would have said no, no they wouldn't

one of those days, peter brought a thermos of tea only to find that mj had brought her own

"great, i thought the point of these gifts were to make things less awkward between us" peter thought to himself as he winds up walking away in slight shame from the awkward interaction

he winds up sharing the thermos with ned instead, who promptly responded "wow i get your secondhand gifts, you sure know how to make a guy feel special, peter"

"shut up, ned, do you want some or not?"

"no, come on, give it to me. free drinks are free drinks even if it's essentially just warm leaf juice. besides, i heard this helps with a sore throat."

"well, at least someone's happy with my gift"

they clink their cups together and peter begins brainstorming his next probably bound to fail gift idea

as he was walking home from school that day, and saw mj heading to the library, said idea lights up in his head in the form of bookmarks

those were cute right? and mj would probably use em all the time cus she reads so much and she reads multiple books at a time, so she'd probably use multiple bookmarks as well, right?

bookmarks it was, peter decided

he thought he'd print a bunch of personalized ones. ones that were photos of them, had quotes from significant historical female figures, and of course science puns

he knew mj didn't appreciate them as much as he did, but a part of him thought she'd like them nevertheless and would think of him when she'd use them

peter knew this gift giving crusade would be... heavy on his wallet, but as he stared at the price for laminating a couple of personalized bookmarks. he concluded lamination was a scam and believed mj would be careful enough with her books, and consequently, her bookmarks, to not need some flimsy piece of plastic to protect it

so peter opted for some folders and cardboard to make said bookmarks instead

it's only later after he got tossed into a sewer by a dude in a mechanized rhinoceros suit that he learned a valuable lesson: always laminate bookmarks

ok he was kidding (lamination was still a scam and bad for the environment and you couldnt write on the things after you laminate em)

but really tho, he did learn something. he realized he hasn't had the best of luck keeping his gifts intact in time to give said gifts to mj

so he decided to employ reinforcements

once peter's saved enough money to buy his next gift (a sketch notebook that he saw at a cutesy old crafts store), he decides that he should take ned with him when he buys it and that ned should just give it to mj instead

(better safe than sorry)

but peter still wanted mj to know the gift was from him tho, so he decided to write a letter and insert it within the notebook.

so he writes, or more like incoherently rambles and apologizes really

but peter thinks he got to the crux of the importance their relationship had to him and really, he just wanted to make things up to mj

that's what mattered

here's the thing tho, halfway thru writing said letter, he realized that having ned give it to her was kind of a cop out.

not to mention, not giving it personally but writing this long ass sort of confessional letter?

pfftt peter liked to think he was better than that

talk about sending mixed messages

so peter decided that he would still have ned keep the notebook and the letter, right up until the point that he was going to give the gifts to her.

and finally, peter parker, in this whole gift giving crusade, is finally given a fucking break.

at lunch time, the three of them are now all sitting at the same table

(peter and mj's relationship have mostly improved in the time it took him trying to give all those gifts, but he still felt guilty and he still wanted to show his appreciation for her)

ned "slyly" (mj saw it, how sly could he have been?) passes peter the notebook under the table

and peter braces himself

"i can do this" he repeatedly quietly mutters to himself until he finally approaches

"hey, mj"

"greetings, parker" casually replies mj without so much as looking up from her book

"i uh... got you something"

"is it something ned gave you?"

"what?"

"cause if it is, he can give it to me himself, you know" says mj in a semi shout to ned as well (ned looks at peter with a facial expression that said dude wtff?? how did i get in the middle of this???)

"what? no no no this isn't from ned. i bought you this."

"so why did ned have it?" says mj in her cool suave investigator mj interrogatory tone

"well..."

peter had officially maybe five? six? seconds to decide whether to share his embarrassing tales of failed gift giving woes to mj or to make up something on the spot

screw it, embarrassing failed gifts it was instead. truth shall set you free and all that, right? plus maybe it'd help him practice for when he tells her his biggest secret

peter sighs in defeat and tells mj in an almost quiet mumble "all my other gifts were destroyed when i kept them so i decided to have ned keep them instead"

"i'm sorry what?"

"it's just that the last time i tried to get you a gift, it just wound up getting ruined so i thought i'd just have ned hold onto it until it was time to give it to you."

peter can barely look mj in the eyes, the cafeteria just seems so interesting all of a sudden.

"oh"

that made peter look back at mj cus she seemed... shocked?

mj is.... shocked????

"soo... you bought that... for me?"

and god forsake peter parker because mj just gave him the cutest shyest little happy smile that he never knew she was capable of having.

"yeah yeah i did" and peter finally gets to give mj his gift/s (im counting the letter as the 5th gift cus im lazy af hahaha) and all the other trials and errors and failed gift attempts completely made the end result worth it

until ofc mj opens the damn thing and finds said letter that peter had completely forgotten at the moment was there

"what's this??" mj asks in an overly sarcastic teasing tone that kinda makes peter want to die

as mj opens the letter right there during lunch in the school cafeteria, peter suddenly lunges to block said letter's contents from mj's sight

"petet what the hell are you doing?" asks mj with the sweetest laughter that peter would totally googoo eyes about at any other moment had he not been focused on trying (and obviously failing) to keep his dignity intact

"uhhh can i ask that you just read that some other time, mj? and uh not right here, right now, in the cafeteria? it's just really embarrassing" peter shyly requests of mj, scratching his neck and looking at everything in the cafeteria but her

to that, mj simply has a sympathetic look on her face in reply

"sure, peter" says mj with a reassuring smile

and with that, peter breathes a big sigh of relief and finally lets go of his feelings letter for mj

mj closes the notebook up, keeping the letter safe inside it in the process, and secures the notebook safe inside her bag inmediately

suffice it to say, for mj, that notebook is precious cargo and she shall treasure it as much as she is capable of treasuring something

because peter parker felt guilty over not getting to spend time with her as much as they did and kind of pushing her to the sidelines and so it was just a genuine thoughtful gesture that showed peter valued their friendship/relationship as much as she valued it

PRECIOUS. CARGO.

but speaking of said cargo...

"hey peter"

"yeah?"

peter had gone back to his seat right next to ned

"sooo what was the other gift you tried to give me?" asks mj, getting back to their playful teasing banter ways

mj's question sends peter facepalming himself with the table

"don't think i've forgotten about that, i'm probably not going to stop investigating til i find out so might as well just spill the truth, parker"

peter stops his repetitive headbanging onto the table and sighs

"fine, mj"

and peter goes on to explain his bookmarks idea beginning all the way from the thermos incident

the three of them spend the rest of their lunch looking at the photos peter was going to use for the bookmarks, fondly recalling memories upon looking back at the some of the photos and laughing at all the corny science puns peter had planned on using as well

things were finally back to normal, if not better than ever.

time for some cliche corny af happy end quote ending about how their friendship and the memories they shared together was the real gifts they had buuuttt i did mention mj would be giving peter a gift didnt i? soooo mj pov epiloooggguuueeeee

here's the thing, mj had an inkling peter parker was trying to attempt something

he was at school at the same time as her crack of dawn class and gave her some much needed caffeine

he tried to share his thermos of tea with her

it seemed like peter was trying to make amends and it really was sweet and thoughtful so ofc lil by lil she began to soften back

but as mj was printing the bookmarks peter had planned to give her

mj requisitioned the idea for herself since they actually were good ideas if she's being honest

tho she would never tell peter that, ESPECIALLY the science puns one

she'd reserve those for only when she's at home, the least likely place peter could ever see her use that

ok so back to- as mj was printing said bookmarks, she began to appreciate peter's thoughtfulness

and it is totally not because of any feelings said gifts and gift attempts gave her

but right now, as she had finished printing bookmarks and got nostalgic and reread the letter of peter confessing to her how much their relationship meant to him again, she suddenly had the unscratchable itch of needing to sketch peter

and a balancing of the scales gift idea was born

because you see, rn, peter had the upper hand in terms of the morality of their friendship and mj couldnt have that nooo

mj was sketching a screen cap of a video she took of the class while they were waiting for a professor and peter gave her that impossibly adorkable smile

because she HAD TO

she couldnt let peter hog all the gift giving glory

she didnt do it because of feelings or whatever ppfftt

this was just to balance the scales, mkayyyy???

or at least that's what mj told herself once she's finished her sketch and proceeded to look for all her old ones of peter

just to even things out

and that's exactly what mj told him as she shoved said sketches that were currently inside a plastic envelope onto peter's hands

(1. less likely for them to be ruined that way. 2. she was not going to have those sketches out in the open for everyone to plainly see wtf)

"this is just to make things even between us, no need to make a big deal about it"

peter was in awe for a while, his jaw slightly dropped, but he smiles in adoration of the girl of his dreams and gives a genuine "thank you, mj"

"you're welcome, peter."

mj even smiles a little before the bell rings and she hightails out of there

mj lightly sprints away, still slightly in shock and unsure of what she just did and what just happened

while peter is left looking at mj's direction fondly and looking back at her gift for him

and as he peeked inside the envelope to see its contents and saw all those sketches of him

peter felt like he truly didn't deserve someone like mj

and he felt like all the gifts in the world he could think of and muster up wouldn't be able to make up for that fact

holy fucking shit i cant believe i actually finished one of these things again. it's like pulling fucking fingernails and teeth at the same time, i tell you

but honestly i'm just really really happy i finished it and it's so pure and fluffy imo and nothing im just. i love these two sm.

this fic was supposed to be for 5+1 things day but since they're also a bunch of headcanons i like to think i'm just posting these in advance for headcanons day tomorrow hahahaha

IM BACK ON THE SPIDEYCHELLE MONTH TRAIN BABY TOOT TOOT TOOOTTTT

and i have a couple of fics left in me so whew keep a lookout for those if they decide to come hahaha

all hail spideychelle everybody. i'll be back i dunno haha

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comicteaparty · 6 years ago

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January 11th-January 17th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from January 11th, 2020 to January 17th, 2020. The chat focused on the following question:

What’s an unplanned idea you had through your story part way through that forced you to change things? How did everything go?

eli [a winged tale]

After my beta feedback there were some characters that needed further fleshing out with stakes and relationships. Therefore I had to change some backstories to make certain interactions impactful. Thankfully im at the start so nothing i had to go back and fix. I did think of some alternative openings should the comic goes to print but that can be future me’s worries

snuffysam

simultaneously very little and a huge amount, lol. in terms of big story beats, they've pretty much all stayed the same since i first started planning the comic. the twists have been set up and paid off and the like. but there's a bunch of things i've improv'd at the last minute. one notable example that was pretty well-received - in book 2 chapter 4, taci has a fear of puns (basically only shown in facial expressions and a single comment from mizuki towards the end of the fight). this was added because... otherwise the fight at the end of that chapter is just a bunch of walking around in near-identical dark tunnels. the way the fight ends is fun, but the fight itself isn't really anything. with taci having a reason to be afraid of coruby, the fight has more stakes & entertainment value, and it makes coruby feel much more interesting as a character. another huge example is the love triangle in book 1 - in that in the script, it was non-existent. mizuki being into girls was originally only gonna be introduced in book 2 (guess where), and the relationship between cahe and pejiba was going to advance with no real competition (besides bullets). it was gonna be mentioned in like book 3 that she had a thing for pejiba, but nothing in book 1 itself. (similarly to the pun thing, you may notice that mizuki being into pejiba isn't referenced at all in the dialogue besides pejiba saying "i know what mizuki thinks of me" which is kinda vague. i... don't like changing scripts last-minute lol.)

Mei

Not gonna lie, everything I do is entirely unplanned. I focus a lot on improvised comedy and what feels right 'at the moment', and considering I write scripts way in advance, sometimes it leads to jokes falling flat when I read them again a few months later. Which is all fine, honestly, it's part of the process. The main unplanned idea for My Husband is a Cultist was turning it from a 12 page one-shot into a fully fledged webcomic, now with 3 chapters and more to come. It was very 'on a whim', and from that very first chapter I came up with more silly ideas. And the more I talked to friends, the more ideas I had for chapters. So the biggest change personally was going from a pure slice-of-life comedy and spending time actually building the world around it so that there was structure to the chaos. I'm still working on it all. I now have an underlying plot that I'm hoping to explore, and I have the arcs planned out way in advance. So it's wild that I went from 'random ideas spewed on a document' to 'I now have a plot and several arcs to cover'. That being said, I still come up with a lot of things on the fly, so I'm changing things constantly as I go and hoping that there aren't too many inconsistencies!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

One of the most important story elements of Phantomarine (http://www.phantomarine.com/) came up early in the second chapter, when I was asking myself some more questions about the world - and came upon a crucial opportunity. Luckily I didn’t have to change too much to make it work, and while it didn’t really change the plot, it upped the emotional stakes 100-fold. Which is just what I wanted. In this world, I have a big naval force, of which my heroine is (was?) the future leader - but with relative peace and cooperation between the different island nations, who the heck does the navy fight? Pirates? Eh, maybe. But vanilla pirates have been done to death, and while they can be awesome, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to tie them into the world’s supernatural element - while strongly avoiding the Pirates of the Caribbean cursed-buccaneer aesthetic. I decided to tie them to a particular blight that affects some of the characters - so as to up their stakes and better convey why they’re societal outcasts. And finally, I wanted to give them a freaking awesome name, something both nautical and supernatural. Thus, for those reading - the Fata Morgana. What didn’t even exist at the beginning of the second chapter is now an absolutely crucial story element, and I’m so happy they came into the picture. They’ve changed everything for the better. This is one reason why I resigned myself to revealing the world in bits and pieces - I’m revealing it to myself as I go along, too. It helps to be slow sometimes

eli [a winged tale]

The Fata Morgana introduction in the story was A W E S O M E! I’m so glad you have them in the story and looking forward to that amped up stakes!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I think the biggest example would be the last-minute inclusion of Jonathan as a main character in my comic Dark Wings: Eryl (https://www.flowerlarkstudios.com/dark-wings-2/). I had originally planned for him to be a temporary character that we said goodbye to at the end of Chapter 5. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised the main travelling party needed another character to balance things out. I was really struggling with planning future scenes because the pool of characters felt too small. I also realised that I had developed Jonathan’s character quite a lot for him to be dropped so early. So halfway through drawing chapter 5, I rewrote the second half and he’s now a major part of the cast.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

A second example is Anor in my other comic, Children of Shadow: Ashes (https://www.flowerlarkstudios.com/cos/). He was originally written as a far less sympathetic character. In fact, he was going to be a borderline antagonist who only became sympathetic close to the end. But my characters often do things I don’t expect, and as I was planning the story, he and one of the other main characters, Rava, started falling for each other. I honestly loved this, and so I reworked the entire story to make Anor part of the main cast and much more sympathetic. He’s still a tsundere, and at the point where the story is now, still in constant friction with Rava, but I feel he’s now a much stronger character and is contributing a great deal more to the story than when he was a vaguely ominous frenemy in the original draft.

varethane

ooooo I am intrigued by this factoid about Anor

re: unplanned story elements, in Chirault..... [spoilers obviously] Ridriel and Trillia being sisters was something that hit me out of the blue about halfway through the story, and I immediately reworked a lot of things to make it happen http://chirault.sevensmith.net/(edited)

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

In ghost Junk... We actually avoided a major character death and had revised it literally a chapter before it happened!! We had everything written out right the the very end, but were seeing the readers reactions and reflected on the importance/and if it was absolutely necessary! So with that said, we saved the character, and kept the necessary impact and growth that it was to bring, and honestly- I'm so happy we did it

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

@varethane Yeah, Anor’s character has evolved a LOT since the first draft.

Phu

With Blackblood, we actually created the 2nd and 3rd chapters and then thought we wanted a chapter ahead of those as sort of a prologue to give some world building and lore elements haha. Worked out well i think! https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/blackblood/list?title_no=300252(edited)

Erin Ptah (BICP 🎄 Leif & Thorn)

This is kind of the opposite, since I did the "include a new thing in the story" part first, and that's what forced me to come up with a previously-unplanned idea to explain it... In Leif & Thorn, I had a character drop a reference to "that country doesn't allow interspecies marriages" before there's any canon reference to nonhuman species that human characters might want to marry. ...and even I didn't know what that species was going to be. Had some vague idea about revealing that mermaids existed, but in my head I never managed to integrate them with the rest of the plot or the worldbuilding real well. A few months later, I finally remember that I like drawing Tiny People (not like hobbit-size, think Borrowers-size), and realize this is the perfect setting to have a Tiny People Species! Now I get to come up with plot-based excuses to draw them wherever/however I want. Plus it opens up a whole new mine of jokes: https://leifandthorn.com/comic/somethings-cooking-26-29/

Can't for the life of me remember where I got this quote from, but there's an author who, when readers would ask for details about future developments in her books, would only give answers with the disclaimer "I reserve the right to have a better idea." Words to live by.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Damn, I love that quote.

DanitheCarutor

Admittedly there isn't a whole lot I've changed, maybe a couple small things here and there, but major stuff has been the same since I started. During the very beginning of the planning phase Daniel wasn't even going to be in the story and Julian was going to be homeless, but I wasn't quite satisfied with it. The story would have been too short, contrived and the resolution didn't feel satisfying. After some brainstorming and reflection on my feelings on certain experiences I've had, I added Daniel and 'The Guide to a Healthy Relationship' as it is kinda fell into place. It's weird thinking about how important Daniel is in spite of how new a character he is. Usually it takes me a little time to build one up before throwing them into a story, they gotta age like a fine wine first, but he popped out all ready to use like one week hooch.

Not sure if it counts, but I've also made changes to future parts of my comic. Like recently, even though I know what the ending is, I put a more final image in my head on what the final frame will look like. Also I changed an event that will happen at some point revolving around Apollo and his friends. Originally something skeevy was going to happen with Brandon and Apollo involving video uploads, and a homemade contract that was signed with Apollo was drunk. I thought it was too... I dunno, stupid? impractical? So I changed it to Julian was going to (unwillingly) attend a party at Brandon's (Apollo's friend) apartment, then some big, jealousy induced fight happens where Julian gets kicked out and Apollo feels bad. I didn't like that either, felt too reaching, so I'm going with another event that is a little out there but does happen in real life and something I have done some good research on.

Gonna be as vague as possible because it's spoilers.

keii4ii

Surprising myself is pretty much every step of my writing process. For good or bad.

I do plan things in advance, but find that sometimes things aren't what they seemed from 15 chapters ago.

I think what it is is this particular comic is such a visual story. I could plan out my previous comic with far greater accuracy. That comic was more dialog-driven; you could convert it into an audio drama with minimal changes, and it would still make sense. Whereas my current comic, you can't turn it into an audio drama without very VERY extensive changes (not even sure if possible... Many silent scenes). So I need to actually draw the pages to feel it out. And I can't draw out of order. Brain just won't that way.(edited)

carcarchu

totally agree with you @keii4ii sometimes u have to actually draw it out to get a feel for it. when i write out all the dialogue for my chapters i feel like it always ends up coming out so stiff, thats why i prefer to let it flow naturally and if something happens that i didnt account for just roll with it and adjust the story accordingly

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I'm kind of weird about always needing to know exactly how many pages a chapter is going to have, so I script right down to the panel. It can create flow problems on occasion, so I wish sometimes I could plan my pages more visually, but my brain just doesn't work that way. >< It's a good thing my stories mostly rely on dialogue because they're pretty much novels in comic form.(edited)

Cronaj

When planning a scene at the end of Chapter 3 of Whispers of the Past (https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/whispers-of-the-past/list?title_no=191366), I was having a hard time writing the dialogue. I had the images of my lead characters, Agatha and Izrekiel, talking by the docks in the moonlight, and I knew generally what they talked about, but I couldn't script it. And then, one day while walking to work, my characters straight up had the conversation in my head! And as the dialogue unraveled, the characters (mostly Izrekiel) did something completely unplanned (which I won't reveal because spoilers). This unplanned change has completely upped the drama and sexual tension for the entirety of the future story. The second event of this is in Chapter 2, where Izrekiel is helping out on Kelan's farm. Initially, there was going to be some dialogue that mostly served as world-building, but when actually writing the scene, it occurred to me that they would likely not talk too much, too absorbed by the work of harvest. And then, I suddenly visualized/heard Kelan and the other farmhands SINGING. I don't know why it popped in my head that way, but they began singing a working song. Now, I am not a musician, but I used to sing in choir and do musicals and such, and like half my family members are musicians, so I have a bit of a musical background. Anyway, all this to say that the characters started singing, and in response, Izrekiel (who has amnesia) has a flashback to some repressed memory of men marching and singing the same song, with altered lyrics. This can get extra spoilery, so I won't delve too deep into what his memory means, but.... The lyrics go as such: Oh earth, oh rain, Oh sun in the sky, You grant me with your fruit In this land. And they are directly mirrored in the flashback with: Oh strength, oh grace, I'll raise my sword, With victory in mind In this land.(edited)

Deo101

For me, I totally changed the ending! I was going to make it a tragedy, and then at some point I realized I didnt NEED to... that a story can be happy and good. So, I rewrote a ton of stuff, and actually ended up adding in some new characters! I'd say It's gone very well ^^ I'm much happier with everything now (for one, I can think about the ending without crying!!) I've changed a lot of other little things as i've gone along too. too many things to count, really.

Tuyetnhi

Initially I was writing the story timeline to 5 days but it spanned to something about a year. Which means I had a chance to develop it further than trying to rush plot points. Used to be like 3 chapters originally but now its like ....I guess 20 chapters? I don't remember the full count but lmao I'm ready to endure.(edited)

varethane

most of the biggest changes to Chirault were decided on during the first 3 years of me making it..... I completely threw out the first plan I had made, lol. There was no specific trigger for this, except maybe for 'I don't like this, actually'

keii4ii

Oh! I remembered something specific. My tiger character used to have a 'generic lean-ripped' build. Kinda like the rabbit from Juuni Taisen. Then I posted a random beach day picture, and someone (who wasn't used to seeing characters with visible leg muscles... A lot of comics they read have characters who suffer from Skipped All The Leg Days syndrome) pointed out how insanely muscular his legs were. I ran with it. Today his legs are 2x bigger than they were in that beach day pic, and it's all muscle. Also while this character stays very lean throughout the story, I as the author guarantee you that if he were to put on fat, his thighs will be the first to expand, and the most. 8)

Tuyetnhi

omg

Cronaj

@keii4ii I'm so glad for this change. Lu's legs are majestic

Capitania do Azar

Interesting replies here

In o Sarilho https://www.sarilho.net/en/, I have avoided one major character death in the first part of the story because I grow super fond of them and also because it wasn't really going to build up to anything... Which felt really unfair. So now I had to come up with narrative lines for them and I'm quite enjoying that. Furthermore, I was halfway through chapter 3 when I figured out Eurico's looks but especially his role in the story. It involved drawing a lot of trucks (and there will be more trucks in the future) but I'm really excited for him as a character

Desnik

As I was writing my comic I was trying really hard to keep the POV limited to one character, but that character doesn't have enough perspective to set up the plot very well at the beginning. This meant hopping POVs to some other characters and now I'm gently trying to squash a lot of these subplots before they go completely out of control...

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #comic tea party #ctp #creator interview #comic creator interview #creator babble

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correresmidestinoweb-blog · 6 years ago

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How to Write a Paper in One Night

Being in college is a chore. It takes a lot of work, carefully planned over the course of a week, or a month, or a quarter to make sure everything gets done with the full attention it deserves….are you laughing yet? No one puts in the time "required" to properly complete their college work. No, rather it's a rush at the end every week or two to complete a 10 page paper or learn 200 years of ancient Roman history overnight. You all do it, I did it. It's probably a better training skill than all the random stuff you "learn", because honestly in real life do you think you'll have the time to sit and schedule everything that pops into your life ahead of time. Yeah…thought not.

Anyways, for those of you just entering college from the snore inducing boredom and ease of High School, you're probably incredibly unprepared for the shear amount of work you'll have to pull out in the last second. I'm not saying it's easy just because you'll procrastinate. No, it's still hard. You really should take the time to do your work properly. You just won't, and so you need to learn how to procrastinate. It's a fine art, in which I feel I've become something of a Renoir.

First off, make sure you've got all your books and notes. If you don't go to class, which is entirely likely for those of the procrastinating ilk, make sure you get them from a classmate. Also, double check and make sure your professor doesn't have a website. They'll usually tell you, but more than once I've found a class's notes sitting in an archive online, especially now that 90% of them put everything they teach you into PowerPoint presentations and then just read it to you for an hour every day (yeah, lazy). It's usually only an extra 30 seconds out of their day to put the stuff online, and then when they receive twenty plus emails a week asking for the lecture notes, they only have to point you to the website. Well, some are a bit more facetious about their pupils not even bothering to come to class and don't openly offer said notes. However, for sick students and whatnot, they'll put them online to save paper and all it takes is a couple of quick Google searches or an email to a sick student and you've got your notes. Or…just ask a classmate. But then you're relying on them actually paying attention.

You should have your books too. If you never bothered buying them because you would just take notes or go to sparknotes, then you'd better go buy them, because BSing your way through a paper is going to take at least some resources. You can't magically ascertain the information from just being near smarter people. School would be much easier if that were the case.

So, sit down and start reading. Yup, you're going to be reading a lot the night before your work is due. But, this is better than doing all the assigned reading, because now you're searching for specific information. Instead of general learning (which would only stick around and clutter up your brain later) you're doing targeted research. An eighth the time, and none of that pesky remembering it. You should have your topic at least. If not, start surfing message boards and snag one from someone smarter than you. Don't ever take their work though. The last thing you need is to get kicked out of school for plagiarism. It's lazy and embarrassing. Steal concepts, but never words. And if you steal a concept from the middle of their work, cite them. Your university will not take kindly to cheating. You'll be so red taped and black listed, you might as well go and get an application at Jack in the Box, and trust me you don't want to work in fast food.

You can't procrastinate now. You've done that for three weeks, so I'm sorry (I know it hurts), but in terms of actual physical writing time, you'll need at least three hours to type your paper, which speaks nothing of writing it. And writing it involves finding quotations and that ever so pesky chore of thinking. Sit down, grab an energy drink and a bag of chips, close your door and put some headphones on. No television, and put your phone on the charger. Now open up the word processor and just start typing.

You probably think you have writer's block. But, writer's block is completely unrelated to having absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You're stuck with the second one right now, so just keep on reading on your topic and finding bits and pieces to put together.

The thing here that most people don't realize is that the standard writing process isn't in effect for you. You're not drafting, or brainstorming. That's the stuff you should have done two weeks ago. No, you're writing your paper, so make sure you've got your idea and just start writing and keep writing until you create a thesis somehow.

I usually start as broad as possible, and just start talking about something. If I'm writing about the Hero Quest of Pip in Great Expectations, I start by talking about Greek Mythology and the origin of the classical hero. Working my way down, I'll talk about the modern hero, then about the alterations made in the industrial age, and how Dickens rewrote archetypes for his comedy, and finally start talking about Pip. By now you should have a general idea about what you want to say. It might be general but you'll clarify in your next few paragraphs, and then come back and rewrite the first paragraph.

Paragraph one is almost always trash. Especially with this method, because your weary, angered professor after reading 30 of these lovely last minute essays will put a big red X through anything that doesn't have to do with your paper, and those first few grasping sentences are completely unrelated. But now you can start stealing from the text. Snag a quote and make a point. Snag another quote and make another point. If your thesis ends up as something incredibly broad and useless like "Pip's quest from anonymity and worthlessness into a position of wealth and power in London mirrors the classical hero quests, but works through Dickensian views of industrial England" you're still good. It sounds intelligent and has a lot of promise. Now just find specific quotes and build a narrative. Start at the beginning of his change, talk about his childhood, then go to when he changes, then compare to the Hero quests of old, then show how they're different.

Almost any paper, if written quickly can boil down to something simple and incredibly easy to write, a compare and contrast paper. You choose a prominent theme from the book you just "read". Find a source that mirrors or better yet foils this theme and compare the two. Don't just list how they're different though. That's high school stuff right there. You'll want to write exactly how the outside source changes what you think of your book. It sounds hard but jus think about it. You've got Great Expectations. It has a main character who goes on a kind of quest. Now you have a classic archetype of which there are hundreds of sources to draw on. You take a basic outline of this archetype and apply it to Pip's quest and how he fits it, and when he doesn't fit it. Now you finish your paper by describing why he doesn't fit it sometimes. Which gets you back to the Dickensian views part. You've just pretty much written a paper that says, Pip's quest is classic but different because Dickens was writing about a different time in human history. Incredibly simple; you're not telling anyone anything new, but three things will guarantee a good grade.

If you write well at all. You've got to be a halfway decent writer, which if you're in college I'll assume you are.

Professors love outside references. It shows initiative and research and makes it seem like you did extra work (which you didn't). I've written papers overnight without drafts and without ever reading them back to myself and received comments that I must have spent hours working on it. Not quite.

Confidence in your assertions. Say everything with absolute certainty, and back it up with a quote. Do this enough and even if you're wrong, it'll seem like you've made a decent point, which gets you brownie points.

Writing a paper is a tumultuous task but it's also a scalable task that can be made incredibly quick and easy if you know how. My second to last quarter of college, I wrote three order thesis papers in two days; two of them 10 pages, and one 25 pages, and received a 3.8, and two 3.7s. It's a matter of confidence and above all else an unmitigated fearlessness to be incredibly lazy.

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eledritch · 8 years ago

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10 Tips for Writing (Good) Smut

so. let’s do this.

About a year ago, I had to read a book for my school’s summer reading assignment called How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster. It’s not a bad book, pretty decent actually, but there was this one chapter about sex scenes in literature. And one of the first sentences was along the lines of “writing sex is boring.”

and I did a double-take. Bc in my experience, that is absolutely not the case, and if you do find yourself bored while writing smut, then you’re not doing it right. See, Thomas’s main argument was that there’s only so many ways you can write sex scenes, because there’s only so many sex acts you can choose from. (My boy Thomas is clearly a vanilla dude, but let’s not hold that against him.)

But one of the most important things to keep in mind while writing smut is that it’s not necessarily just about the act itself. So while Thomas is right that there are limits as to how many ways ppl can have sex, he failed to realize that writing sex is about a LOT more than that. And I’m gonna prove it to you.

Just to get it out of the way, I’ve been writing smut for about 6 years now. I’m 18 now, so yeah, been doin’ this since I was 12. Which is a little weird, thinking back on it, but honestly I think it’s healthy for adolescents/young teens to explore their sexualities and learn about sex in a safe, controlled setting like writing fanfiction has been for me.

It was a better sex ed than anything else I got in Arizona, that’s for sure. And for the record, I’m a virgin and I don’t believe you need to have sex to be good at writing it. Conversely, you could have sex a hundred times and still not be good at writing it. The important thing is that you EDUCATE yourself and do your research so you know what the heck you’re writing about.

When I first started writing smutty fics in middle school, they were pretty bad. Not the worst, but not good either. Don’t let the seemingly simple nature of writing sex fool you - it can be really hard (ha, ha). Even if you’re a good writer, you might try to write a sex scene and find yourself slogging through it because you, like my boy Thomas, are focusing only on the act itself. that’s a mistake. don’t do that.

Which brings me to this list of 10 things you SHOULD do:

1. You gotta get in the right mood. By this I don’t mean you need to be horny to write smut, you absolutely don’t, in fact you probably shouldn’t bc you're likely to get distracted. What I mean is that if you wanna write vanilla, sweet, slow love makin’, then you should be in a good or at least halfway decent mood. Get comfy. Make yourself a warm drink.

Don’t try to write sweet sex if you’re angry or upset or sick or in pain - it’s either gonna turn into not sweet sex, or it’s gonna take you a long-ass time. Case in point, I tried to write a tender blowjob scene shortly after getting my wisdom teeth removed and just couldn’t do it, because ow, can you even imagine.

But you can use those negative moods/emotions to your advantage, too. If you're having a bad day, it’s actually a great catharsis to take those feelings out in your writing. You can apologize to your characters later - or maybe you’ll work out all your pent-up rage halfway through a brutal scene and turn it into something a little less intense, that works just as well!

2. Do your research. Research is important before you dive into any piece of writing, but it’s a necessary step for writing smut. If you’re a virgin or have no experience with the kind of sex you’re writing about, you’re gonna have to do some Googling. You don’t need to look up porn, porn honestly grosses me out and isn’t my favorite thing to draw from, but you do need to know the complete ins-and-outs (ha...) of whatever act you’re writing about.

A good way to do research is to read other fanfics, popular fanfics by seasoned authors who have gained a large following/a lot of attention by writing the right stuff. You can also check out posts by people who actually gave tips to fanfic writers, there are several by gay guys which are helpful if you’re not a gay guy and you’re writing a sex scene about gay guys. They’re the authority, listen to them over the fanfic authors.

If you’re delving into something like BDSM in your writing, do your research on that, too. Don’t misrepresent people and practices just because you didn’t bother to learn about them. If you’re not willing to learn about them, you’re not going to be able to write about them.

Oh, and lastly, but not leastly, LUBE. if your characters are having anal sex especially, they need to use lube, my dude. the human body made that rule, not me.

3. Write empathetically. It’s unavoidable - when you’re writing smut, you have to learn how to put yourself into the shoes of the POV character. This can be kinda challenging if, for instance, you don’t have a dick and having a dick is very important for the POV character to make that scene work. But that’s what your imagination is for - use it.

Think about how this character would experience this situation not just in terms of the obvious sensations they’re feeling, whether pain or pleasure, but also in terms of their thoughts, their emotions, their memories, etc. A lot of good characterization can happen during sex scenes, and it makes me sad that all too often writers don’t take advantage of that.

4. Don’t be afraid of using repetitive words. Sex is a repetitive act, get that through your head before you write it. One of the most irritating things I come across while reading smut is the author’s need to use endless synonyms for ‘cock.’ Stop. Please stop. Cock is fine. You can use ‘dick’ too if you really wanna add some variation. But anymore than that, and it’s just downright distracting. Don’t use member, penis (just...not a sexy word, at all), organ (NOT SEXY), etc - use length, prick, and erection sparingly if at all, and boner is more of a funny word than a sexy word, so keep that in mind. I’ve also seen ‘manhood’ used and i mean....i guess??? but why would you use that when you can accomplish the same thing in 4 much better letters? C O C K. just do it.

alternately, when referring to parts of a cock, just stick to the basics. shaft, head/tip/crown, balls. that’s it. maybe talk about veins if you’re gettin real detailed. you don’t need to wax poetic about it, or about the actions within the sex itself. you’ll find yourself reusing a lot of verbs and that’s ok! the usuals may include (but are not limited to) - thrust, buck, shove, press, slide, glide, ride, fuck, bounce, drive (into), arch, kiss, suck, bite, stroke, smack, slap, rock, embrace, squeeze, tremble, shudder, moan, groan, whine, whimper, hiss, shout, scream, gasp, curse, beg, sob, grunt, sigh.

5. Understand connotations vs denotations of words. This is an important tip not just for smut writing but for any writing. Words that may be ‘synonyms’ in terms of definition may not actually be synonymous. This can be an issue if English isn’t your first language - even if it is, it still trips people up. ‘Shudder’ and ‘tremble’ are both defined as someone’s body shaking, but they have different meanings! Shudder is more violent/intense, more of a full-body kinda deal and often more negative in connotation (i.e. ‘shudder of fear’). Tremble is more subtle, and more of a localized thing (i.e. his hands trembled) and connotates nervousness or apprehension more than outright fear - or it can be used to convey a more subdued/internalized fear. There are situations in which they can be interchangeable, and situations in which they really aren’t.

Understanding exactly what words mean will help you know when to use them and make your writing more fluid, comprehensible, and realistic for the reader.

6. Avoid using cliche/overused phrases. For the love of god, don’t use the phrase ‘their tongues battled for dominance.’ I’M BEGGING YOU. listen, i’m guilty as charged, i’m sure i wrote it at some point in my earlier days, but don’t make the same mistake! not only does the phrase have some troubling implications about the perception of m/m relationships (in which the phrase is almost exclusively found) as little more than a fight for dominance, it’s just...that’s not how kissing works?

Your tongues don’t battle, that’s not a good description for it. Why would you use a cliche phrase like that when you can talk about teeth clashing, tongues pressing, mouths sliding/slipping, biting at lips, hair pulling, nails scratching, hands grasping, pulses racing, and everything else that goes into kissing? Using phrases that many have used before you is a lazy way out and it dulls your imagery and the reader’s immersion into the story.

7. Think for yourself while writing and be original! It’s the only way you’re going to find your unique voice, or writing style, which often shines through in smut-writing and sets yours apart from the rest. Writing mediocre smut is easy, but if you’re reading this, you don’t want to go that route. While it’s helpful to draw from other smut writers when you’re getting started, you need to be able to draw from your own mind above all.

Yeah, it’s true that your fifth grade teacher probably didn’t mean ‘brainstorm new and exciting sex positions and scenarios’ when she said ‘be creative.’ But you’re not in fifth grade anymore (or at least, you better not be), and that’s what I mean when I’m telling you to be creative right now.

Developing your voice/originality happens through a variety of ways, including plain old practice, trial and error, and understanding the technicalities of writing. What I mean by that is remembering all the stuff your English teacher taught you about - imagery, figurative speech, idioms, irony, dialogue, diction, syntax, figurative devices, metaphors, simile, etc. Speaking of which...

8. Everybody loves a big, dramatic sex metaphor once in a while. This is tricky, because you really shouldn’t overdo this - if you do, you risk making your smut the most pretentious, unreadable piece ever. Metaphors tend to do that when you use them without discretion. But when you choose and use them carefully, you can turn a sex scene into something more meaningful, both for the character and the story as a whole.

If you’re just writing a quickie in a club bathroom, don’t bother with this (unless that quickie was life-changing and birthed the spark of TRUE LOVE between your characters, which is entirely possible, no judgment, I’m happy for them). But if you’re writing about your character losing their virginity, having sex with someone who means a lot to them, having sex with someone who just returned from a long absence/is leaving them for a long time, etc...you may wanna make things a little ~deep~ for a second.

I’m not gonna tell you exactly how to write your sex metaphors because you’ll know when and how to use them if the occasion presents itself and if you have your voice figured out. Talk about bodies being more than bodies, lips being like brands of fire, whispers being sacred vows, orgasms being fuckin’ nirvana, idk, orgasms are tricky because sometimes people will write ‘his orgasm RIPPED through him’ and you’re like ??? is he okay? that sounded painful...

You can see how metaphors can quickly make a story exhausting/confusing/unenjoyable if you use them too much. But once in a while? Man, go for it.

9. Humor is key. This is perhaps one of the most important tips I have for you, because personally it’s improved my smut writing the most, as well as made the whole activity a lot more fun. Smut is supposed to be an enjoyable thing to read. But no matter how arousing/hot/absolutely obscene you make it, some readers are going to get bored. I said earlier that sex is a repetitive act, it just is. Your goal is to make it sexy AND entertaining. You want to keep the reader engaged.

And humor is the best way, I’ve found, to do that. A lot of fanfiction sex is guilty of being too perfect. Try to steer clear of that. As tempting as it can be to make a sex scene where everything works without a hitch and everyone is serious, fully consumed with love/arousal, etc, there is something genuinely delightful about writing the awkward, funny parts of sex, too. They don’t have a place in every scene, but in many, especially first times/trying new things, they’re great. Not only does adding humor make your characters seem more human and likable, it makes the bond between them seem more real and makes the reader more attached to them.

And isn’t that the point? Your readers aren’t gonna to want to read about flat characters they can’t relate to or straight-up dislike, no matter how hot the sex is.

10. Don’t forget the little things. This final point goes back to what Thomas got wrong in his book. Sex should NOT be boring to write. Don’t write on the surface about what’s happening, adjust the lens through which you, the character/s, and the reader view it. Write about the sex itself but also write about the little things (not your character’s dick, don’t be mean) - the freckles on their lover’s shoulder, the fading bruises on their neck, the way their lover’s hair feels against their skin, all the not-obvious sensations that add realism and a spark to the scene that sets it apart.

This goes for non-tactile things as well - maybe your character has ADD or is just distracted easily, and goes off on tangents of thought (or speech) during sex. Maybe they’re really fascinated with a certain aspect of their partner/s, like their eyes or mouth or hands or the sounds they make. Maybe they notice small details about the setting - the smell of the sheets is comforting, the crack on the ceiling reminds them of their bedroom back home, the weird deer head on the wall looks like it’s staring at them, the possibilities are literally endless. It’s up to you how you want to use them, but please - use them.

So in summary, no, Thomas, writing sex - and reading it, for that matter - shouldn’t be boring. It’s an excellent way to further characterization, improve your writing, find your voice, and make your story overall a better one.

#writing #writing tips #fanfic tips #i've had this in my drafts for soooo long jeez louise #hopefully it helps #even if it's long af and rambly woops

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abysscontemporary · 5 years ago

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The 2020 Comedy Club Shutdown

The comedy club shutdown of 2020 may one day be known as the Great Vanishing Act of the Coronavirus Era. The disappearance of stand-up comics and live audiences, engaged in the conjuring up of mirth and laughter at intimate indoor venues, has brought a halt to a social economy, marked by the exchange of wit and performative delivery for levity and amnesia of ill fortune.

If you think this opening paragraph is unlike the set-up of a live, onstage comedy bit, you’re right.

It illustrates the situation live comedy is in today.

The spoken word, brought to you live and in-person, is very much different from and livelier than the written or mediated word, and the absence of live stand-up comedy puts into sharp relief how its vibrancy is noticeably different from what has succeeded it (e.g., essays, audio and/or video shows, posts on social media, etc.) Live comedy and its brilliance are sorely missed.

To take a closer look at the distinctions between the conditions of comedy before mid-March 2020 and the lockdown that came afterwards, this writer conferred with a selection of New York City-based comedians in August 2020. They reflected on what their concepts and practices were like before the pandemic and what their outlooks are for the future. All were elegant in expressing how the art of unseriousness is serious business. Furthermore, they portrayed what it’s like to go from being specifically a stand-up comic to being – more broadly – a comedy artist.

What was your routine before the COVID-19 lockdown in terms of writing, rehearsing, performing, pursuing projects, and booking opportunities?

SASHA SRBULJ: Before the lockdown, I would typically conduct writing sessions with my closest comedy buddies towards the beginning of the week and perform one to three shows at various spots in Manhattan throughout rest of the week. In between all of this, there would be dozens of discussions with other comics; we’d brainstorm, rehearse, and generate booking opportunities for each other. This weekly cascade of stuff could all fall under the rubric, “pursuing projects.” Also, by hanging out together during the week, we’d find ways of spurring creativity and ideas.

Since the start of the lockdown, almost all of these in-person activities have stopped, and they’ve become much more rare because the clubs are closed. We do try to maintain as much online and text-messaging contact as possible - but that's only one element, and it can’t replace the whole experience.

VERONICA GARZA: Before the lockdown, I was performing almost every day, doing shows or going to open mics. If I wasn’t at a show I was booked on or at a mic, I was supporting a show. Also, each and every day, I would try to write or to come up with at least three premises to work on. January and February 2020 were actually really busy months for me, and I was very excited to see where this year would go for me in comedy.

EMILY WINTER: Before Covid, I'd spend all day writing at home for my various writing jobs and script pursuits, then I'd do standup at night. I'd usually write new jokes on my way to shows or just work out new ideas when I got on stage.

CAROLYN BUSA: I’m realizing a lot of my routines happened for me on the train, and that’s the same for writing. Either on the way to a gig or on the way home from one. Those were always the times I was most inspired. Especially after experiencing how a joke hit.

After gigs, I would usually come home from a spot and fall asleep with my notebook in my bed, trying to perfect a bit about submissive sex right before bedtime.

The same goes for seeing a good show. I’d know a show was really good when I’d come home inspired and want to write a bunch of new premises.

Booking opportunities kinda happened naturally at countless weekly and monthly shows. Surely, some months were slower than others. (Cute, how I thought THAT was slow compared to now). During those times, I focused more on writing; my own show, Side Ponytail; or pursuing open mics.

I feel like I always have and always will have a million project ideas spinning in my head, but, without money or deadlines behind most of them, I complete and pursue them more slowly than I’d like to.

DARA JEMMOTT: I was really just moving and flying by the seat of my pants - taking any and every gig to make it work. I would do most of my writing on stage. With working 10 hours a day and then doing two to three shows a night, it was very difficult to sit down and find time to write. However, quarantine has allowed for me to write way more and in different areas.

MARC GERBER: I never made a set time to sit down and write, the way a novelist or a journalist might. My jokes come to me spontaneously, either through stream-of-consciousness - while daydreaming, that is - or in conversation with others.

My jokes generally start off as amorphous drafts. I have either a punchline that needs a strong opening premise or a premise that will need a strong punchline. About 10% to 20% of the bits that I come up with make it to the stage.

Before the lockdown, I would meet with comedian friends, and we’d polish and improve our jokes together. I’d rehearse only before a big show – such as one for recording an album or headlining a major gig. By this point, doing a 10- to 15-minute set had become rote. If I had a brand new bit, I might rehearse it in isolation several times before it performing on stage.

I typically don’t pursue projects or booking opportunities. Primarily, I am reluctant to ask people for opportunities, unless they are big, and I am ready for them. For example, I recorded my first album in November after aggressively pursuing a record label and convincing them to produce the album and release it. (Happily, the album debuted at Number One on the iTunes comedy chart and it’s been on heavy rotation on a major Sirius station). In terms of getting spots and other smaller opportunities, I generally take what I’m offered if they’re legitimate. However, I don’t ask for much, and I don’t implore people to put me on their shows. I think my approach is tactful.

ROBYN JAFFE: I stepped on stage for the first time just nine months before the comedy clubs and the city shut down, and I quickly became hooked.

I’m a teacher by day, and, over the summer, I was planning to explore more open mics, bringer shows, and auditions because the comedy scene doesn’t lend itself to the preferred early bedtime of someone, like myself, who works in a school during the rest of the year.

How have you responded to the lockdown? Did you initially see it as brief hiatus? Did you make it an opportunity to pivot to new projects? What have you missed most about stand-up comedy, so far?

SASHA SRBULJ: The lockdown was a shock, and, within the first three months, the only shows I did were on Zoom. I've since seen people doing park shows, parking lot shows - anything to fill the void. Aside from Zoom shows, I've done shows on Twitch, which was new for me.

I’ve done game-type, interactive audience shows. (There are online games now that are comedy-centric. An algorithm throws out some phrases and premises, and then, several comics try to make jokes out of them. The audience votes, participates, comments, etc.)

It's a format that provides a different kind of audience feedback. On Zoom shows, you generally can't hear the audience and mostly can't see them; so, it's hard to gauge and impossible to improvise much. The Zoom shows are improving, though. Even in five months, there's been tremendous progress.

I've pivoted to writing more - both bits for the stage and for writing in general. The time has also given me an opportunity to strategize the narrative for my next special/album. Planning basically. It's an opportunity to think things through deliberately.

What I've missed most about comedy was my friends. I thought it would be the laughter or the crowds and my own douchey desire to be at the center of attention; but what I actually miss the most is my friends.

(Note: My douchey desire to be at the center of attention is running in close contention.)

VERONICA GARZA: Overall, I’ve been generally concerned about my health, so I’ve done what I can to stay inside and avoid crowds.

I took the whole thing as an opportunity to work on other stuff. I finally made a full draft of my solo show about my dating men and even performing it over Zoom for two festivals. I have worked on an entire new half-hour of comedy. I’ve also considered this as an opportunity to work on scripts I’d intended to write.

I miss performing live. I miss seeing the audience - or even the lack thereof - and figuring out what I’ll do on stage. I miss seeing other comics and having that one drink after the show where we bitch about a show or a venue, but also just catch up. I noticed shows popping up randomly in New York City, and, honestly, I don’t think it’s safe enough for them yet.

EMILY WINTER: I absolutely thought it would be a brief hiatus, and I was excited. As both a writer and a standup, I feel like I never have enough time to dedicate to many of my writing projects. I saw this as the Universe forcing me to concentrate on my writing projects for a while. Since coronavirus, I've written two new pilots, rewrote an old one, wrote a movie with my husband, and got a book deal. I’m about halfway through the book-writing process. My two new pilots still need a lot of work, though.

I do miss stand-up. I miss the feeling of connection that you have when a set is going well. There's just this beautiful buzz in the air. It's magical.

CAROLYN BUSA: Oh brother. This is THE question isn’t it? Are you waiting for me to say, “God, I miss the mic!! Get me on the stage! My blood and bones need it!! Punchlines! Laughter! Applause!” Not quite.

I definitely did see it as a brief hiatus but kinda like how I adjust to traveling super quickly. (Every hotel or Air BnB feels like home within hours.) After a short time, NOT getting on stage felt freakishly normal. It kinda freaked me out and made the last ten years of my life feel like a fever dream. Maybe I'm already on a ventilator.

I, of course, miss having a great set, applause, and people telling me I'm funny. I miss the thrill of finding the line that makes whatever wild idea I have relate to the majority of a crowd. Or, if not relate, at least understand where I'm coming from.

I also miss parts of the socialization that came with comedy. My good friends, those that I'd see every now and then, the bartenders, the Barry��s! My social life was my day job and comedy, both of which are now gone.

Admittedly, there's a part of me that feels relief. The hustle has really beaten me up, so to kinda put that aside does not feel horrible. I thought I'd have more pockets of success at this point in my comedy career, and, even though I really like who I am as a comedian, not having to prove it for a few months feels ok.

So,...(shrugs shoulders) I'm still writing, and I'm still making goofy videos, but, more importantly, I'm really trying to figure out what makes me completely happy.

DARA JEMMOTT: At first, I responded to the lockdown with annoyance and fear, and, then, I enjoyed the fact I got to sit down for a second. Afterwards, I had to grieve a life I once knew.

I am getting to enjoy doing nothing because who knows when that will come again? I did realize that maintaining my mentals would be a top priority and that it was important for me to find projects to distract and dive into. So, I wrote my first pilot. Never would I have had time to do that before.

MARC GERBER: I initially saw the lockdown as a brief hiatus. Fortunately, I had my album coming out, and it gave me something to promote and look forward to. The success of the album’s release was encouraging, and I was able to do a number of online shows to promote it.

Since then, I have focused mainly on my other career as a psychologist, as the online shows are somewhat underwhelming, and I have been living outside of the city and thus, not getting the opportunity to do any of the outdoor shows that clubs and independent producers have been putting on.

What I miss most about stand-up comedy is the camaraderie of my comedian friends. Of course, there’s also nothing better than making 150 people laugh on a Friday night.

ROBYN JAFFE: I wanted to keep up with comedy-writing and joke-sharing during the lockdown, so I started a Twitter account. I also began to post a video to my Instagram account every Sunday night, and I call it “Pajamedy Sunday.” I may not have been able to get on stage all of these months, but I’m trying to make people laugh during a difficult time.

I did one Zoom show but otherwise haven’t performed.

What do you envision yourself doing before comedy venues fully re-open? After comedy venues fully re-open, what do you most look forward to doing? When live stand-up comedy fully returns, what do you expect the dynamic will look like between you and your live audience?

SASHA SRBULJ: While comedy clubs are closed, I hope I use my time productively. Aside from ironing out some aspects of my set, there's a writing project I want to try out and see if it has legs.

After comedy venues fully re-open, I am most looking forward to performing and seeing the community come back, which I hope it does. This lockdown has lasted long enough that things may not just snap back into place like before. I'm hoping that the thirst for comedy and just fun in general helps bring the community back quickly.

Frankly, until we have full herd immunity - either via a vaccine or just pandemic spread - I can't imagine things going back to the way they were. Brick-and-mortar comedy clubs are physically intimate spaces, especially in New York City, and laughter is an involuntary response that can spread aerosols. Unfortunately, comedy clubs, along with bars and night clubs, will be among the last establishments to reopen.

In the meantime, outdoor venues, virtual shows, and socially distanced shows are our only way. Once it's safe again, I think people will resume their lives as before. It may take a while for 100% of the people to be comfortable again, but, once the green light is given, most people will revert to the norm.

I initially thought this would permanently scar an entire generation of people and scare them from social interaction. However, as it turns out, the hardest thing about this crisis was getting people NOT to socially interact. So, I think when it will finally be safe, people will come back.

With both the positive and negative aspects of what this means, “You can't change people.”

VERONICA GARZA: If comedy venues even survives, I’m sure it will be a while before I return to live performances. I very much look forward to performing, but I also don’t want to rush to return to the stage and putting myself at risk.

I’m not that selfish. When live comedy returns, I’m sure it will be lovely. This current pause we are in has made everyone eager for some laughter, so I look forward to when we can safely do it in-person. As for now, I’m enjoying doing it safely over Zoom.

EMILY WINTER: I've been hesitant to perform at outdoor shows because I'm so immersed in my writing right now. I'm going to hold out a little longer while I re-work pilots and finish my book.

Once venues re-open, I'm looking forward to that brilliant feeling of connecting with strangers and feeling the collective energy in the room. I think that will be more difficult since I imagine people will be sitting farther apart. It's hard to create one unified energy when people aren't physically close together, and I worry about that.

CAROLYN BUSA: I will continue to think about and explore how to use my creativity to maintain my happiness! Writing, when I'm inspired; creating, when I want; and exploring other paths, possibly.

I've been dipping my toe back into writing stand-up, but it's been SLOW. I don't want to pressure myself too much or even say, “Put pressure on myself.” (Oh god, I hate brains).

I haven't done any outdoor performances, but, from what I hear, people are happy to hear jokes and happy to laugh. I'd expect that would be the same for when comedy fully returns.

I honestly don't know what to predict though. Every time I try to think of what something in the future will look like, I suddenly need a nap. My hope with this worldwide slowdown is that, in the future, comedy can be separated from those who want to hustle and work hard from 8 pm to 1am and those who want to do it from 5 pm to 11 pm.

DARA JEMMOTT: I'm really not thinking about "fully-re-open" and what that looks like or when that will come. I'm not going to put my life on hold and resume it after quarantine. Folks got to learn to live their life regardless and make the best of the situation.

I've been doing plenty of Zoom shows and outdoor shows, so I expect the dynamic to be the same. Uneasily and with trepidation, I’ve been happy to be out of the house and around people. But, "after quarantine" - I stopped using those words a long time ago.

MARC GERBER: I have been listening to the experts (e.g. virologists, epidemiologists) and not the politicians since this began. I knew by mid- to late February that comedy venues were going to close down. Before one of my shows in late February I posted, “Come see my while you still can!” Many people thought I was a joking, but I was being deadly serious.

According to the experts, this is going to be a long fight, particularly because of how poorly the federal response was in controlling the virus. I think comedy is going to come back very gradually.

Before the lockdown I was getting regularly booked at some of the best clubs in New York City. However, there are many, many comics ahead of me on the seniority list. I believe that for the next several years, if not longer, I will have fewer opportunities to perform than I’d had before the lockdown. I will have to find a way to engage myself creatively without getting on stage as much. That might include podcasting and writing. I am still figuring it out.

I feel fortunate to have a stable career as a psychologist. While comedians won’t be in high demand for a long time, psychologists certainly will be.

ROBYN JAFFE: Now, I attend comedy shows outside to enjoy live comedy and shamelessly talk to comics before or after the show. I hope to pick up where I left off whenever that becomes possible!

Comedy can be transformational, and these stand-up comics are stand-up people. Reading what they’ve said suggests that hearing what they will say on one stage or another will be something to look forward to.

Carolyn Busa: http://www.carolynbusa.com Veronica Garza: https://twitter.com/veros_broke Marc Gerber: https://800pgr.lnk.to/GerberIN Robyn Jaffe: https://twitter.com/rjaffejokes Dara Jemmott: http://www.instagram.com/chocolatejem and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/comedians-for-hire/id1448386062 Sasha Srbulj: https://sashasrbulj.com/ Emily Winter: https://www.emilywintercomedy.com

#standupcomedy #standup #comedy #covid19 #pandemic #lockdown #performing #writing

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