#Loser|Leader : {Appearance}

[blackcat-star]

Criminal!Jinwoo x reader Warning: Murder, blood mention. Song lyrics: Criminal - Britney Spears.

"According to the report from the city police department, there has been another murder recently, the murderer has been identified as 'The Ghost', who has been responsible for many recent murders...."

Raindrops hit the house windows as they fell. The living room stayed dim while only the television screen provided light.

"The victim is Kim Min-seok. The police discovered that Kim runs a drug trafficking network that operates between different countries. The police have not determined who killed Kim Min-seok. Public opinion..."

You settled into the sofa with your legs crossed while observing the TV screen. Your hands naturally held the hot coffee.

The female TV announcer continued to speak in her normal tone throughout the broadcast.

Another murder had occurred. You couldn't remember how many this month, it was clearly quite a few. It seems like every 1-2 days, another person is murdered.

You mumble, "I don't understand... Why should we feel sorry for those criminals? They don't even deserve to live. He's clearly doing things that the police can't do..."

Serial killer - 'The Ghost' has his own principles. In most cases where he is believed to be the perpetrator, the victims are other criminals. For example, heinous criminals who have not been discovered, notorious gang leaders, and the scum of society who have been released thanks to bribes...

It's clear that  'The Ghost' is acting on behalf of heaven.

Even though deep down, you know that punishing criminals is the duty of the law and the state. If this situation continues, the situation will be very chaotic. The 'Ghost's' actions may make people happy, but they disregard the law. If everyone is like this, the law will no longer matter and the country will be unstable.

You can't help but feel indignant.

Not only because the victims were all criminals who committed heinous crimes, but also because...

The murderer that the whole city feared...was your lover.

Sung Jinwoo.

________________________________

He is a hustler, he's no good at all

He is a loser, he's a bum, bum, bum, bum

________________________________

You never thought you would fall in love with Jinwoo, you never thought you would fall in love with a criminal.

You used to have a normal life, never involved in the underworld, never involved in blood, never involved in darkness.

But that changed since you met him.

It was on a fateful night.

At that time, the city of Seoul was always bright and cheerful, or at least it appeared so. There was no disturbance, the flow of people was still bustling, the peace of the city was still maintained stably.

But in reality, in the alleys in the hidden corners of Seoul, shadows had begun to grow and gradually prepared for 'purification'.

It was pouring rain. You just wanted to go home after a tiring day at the office. Just sitting in one place and staring at the computer screen made your body feel heavy.

You trudged home. The path to your apartment felt more shadowed than normal yet your mind might have created the effect.

The sound of rain mixed with a faint groan startled you.

You came to a halt before noticing him.

A man rested against the wall while breathing hard with one hand pressed to his stomach and blood flowing to the ground.

You normally stayed away from these situations because you feared problems would arise.  You were sure he was probably involved in the underworld or some gang. You could have chosen to ignore him and go home.

But for some reason, you knelt down next to him. Your instinct was to flee but you extended your hands to hold the man's stomach.

"D-Don't touch me. Go home..." his voice was hoarse, weak, but still dangerous and warning.

You didn't listen. In that moment, the recent warnings on TV, about being careful when walking at night, because of several murders that had occurred around your neighborhood.

You now saw only a dying man in front of you.

"You can't die here.." you whispered, and before your brain could process your actions, you picked him up and carried him back to your apartment.

The black-haired man, although injured, still looked at you sharply.

"You know that there have been several murders recently....I'm the murderer, aren't you afraid of me..?"

You knew you should be afraid, should stay away from him.

Looking deeply into his eyes revealed a lost spirit stuck in eternal darkness.

"I-I don't know." You should have escaped but you chose to stay instead.

The moment you met him you understood your world would never stay the same. You entered darkness and understood you could never escape it.

___________________________

He lies, he bluffs, he's unreliable

He is a sucker with a gun, gun, gun, gun

___________________________

Suddenly you felt the empty space next to you sink, and a strong arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you into his embrace forcefully.

You knew who it was.

Your lover was back.

The clock hands had just passed twelve. The rain had not stopped yet. He still had the damp smell of rain on him, and a faint smell of iron.

You knew that after he killed someone, he would shower before he came to see you, he didn't want you to feel uncomfortable. But it seemed that the smell of blood had penetrated his skin, making it impossible to completely disappear.

And it seemed that you were getting used to it.

Jinwoo put one hand around your waist, rubbing the curves of your body.

He took off his leather gloves, put them on the table slowly, then wrapped both arms around you, pulling you closer to him. Your back pressed against his strong chest.

Jinwoo decided to stay quiet without speaking. He held you in a soft but firm hug as he brought you closer. He bowed his head and buried it in your hair while breathing in the scent of your shampoo.

"Did you kill someone again?" A question popped out of your mouth, but you already knew the answer.

He didn't answer, just closed his eyes, then hummed softly through your hair.

He tilted his head, moving down to your neck, placing light kisses on it.

"Do you hate me?" His voice was hoarse, speaking between kisses.

His ebony hair lightly brushed against your chin, along with the light kisses on your neck, making you feel itchy. You giggled, then shook your head slightly. "You know clearly that I cannot"

Jinwoo laughed softly as he showed signs of tiredness through his smile. He leaned back against the sofa armrest to support himself as you relaxed on top of him. His hands still didn't leave your waist.

Silence filled the room. There was only the sound of the news bulletin board still showing the news of the day, and the slow breathing of the two people lying on the sofa.

You were used to this.

Jinwoo had never revealed his true self to you.

He was not a hero, nor a demon.

He was just the only one willing to take action.

He was only dealing with those who the law had not yet reached.

You kissed his cheek lightly, then placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I don't hate you... I'm worried about you."

Jinwoo didn't say anything, but his arms tightened. In that moment, there was no 'Ghost', nor a serial killer.

There was only you and him.

That was the only thing you cared about right now.

__________________________

But mama I'm in love with a criminal

And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical

_________________________

I'm not criticizing the law, this is just a plot, no bad intentions.

[b1asho]

Wof ocs: land-dwelling seawing and grounded skywing (aka Kelp and Osprey). It’s not like they Can’t swim or fly, but it’s a lot harder for them than the average joe.

I don’t have a whole lot of plot for them; they mostly just travel together avoiding the active battlegrounds and maybe help escort an ailing Mudwing kid to her family at some point. Par for the course with my ocs, they’re both losers. They initially only really hang out together for the mutual benefits: Osprey is intimidating enough to ward off most bandits by looks alone and has a more realistic approach to setting goals and general direction (filling in a leadership role and balancing out Kelp’s lack of a backbone or stranger danger sense and curbing her absurd fantasies ) while Kelp knows a little more about *how* to actually get things done and has a better approximation of people skills (filling in Osprey’s considerable gaps in knowledge about anything that’s not farm animals or military tactics and balancing out his aggressively distrustful demeanor that prevents him from asking for help. She’s also the one who can talk their way into and out of situations) they eventually figure out they’re a good team and more or less hang around each other

Right now I think the two are somewhere on the coast near the Diamond spray delta????(google map of Pyrrhia idk)

Some general info related to what’s on the page:

Every tribe has a lot of regional variety in terms of physical appearance. For skywings, the northern ones are the most populous and have united the other major aeries under the goal of pushing for imperial expansion on the side of burn. Northern skywings have the most dimorphism between males and females as well as the brightest colors out of the skywing region types (females have a very distinct reddish orange coloring while males have duller browns and yellows, as opposed to ospreys group where it’s switched to darker brown f vs lighter brown m) This is because they have the most unbalanced parental care system, where the male raises the chicks alone while the female leaves. No matter the type of physical difference, the social separation is ever present and more or less as extreme (completely matriarchal). An aerie is a nesting area for a group of related individuals, where there is one dominant female, a pool of married-in males (one is chosen every season to be the matriarchs pair), some other female subordinates, and the matriarchs kids (including some adult males). Females are leaders, hunters, and providers while the males do menial labor or domestic, and craft tasks. Among all skywing ethnicities, there are cases of males being born with female coloring or vice versa. Males with female coloring do not have a place in society according to their rules, since they look like a female but can’t lay eggs (meaning they are ‘broken’ in the eyes of their peers. They can’t even participate in making eggs because that would look gay and I’m deciding that theyre homophobic for fun/because of the sanctity they put on the hetero-ness of their everything). They’d normally just be driven out in bigger northern aeries, but Osprey is an exception because of his slightly different culture and because his group needed every worker they could get to survive on their land (he was kinda just treated like a defective female that has to work with the males. Not fun). A female with male coloring is more tolerated ONLY if they stay celibate and out of the way of the “real” females (often, they are just put in all-female homes as an attendant). Ospreys aerie was a small and rural one that practiced subsistence herding/hunting, so it wasn’t hard for a northern recruiter to strong-arm them with a little military coercion and cash into giving up their eligible youths for the draft. He didn’t really feel a particularly strong bond with any of his family group due to their previously described sentiments towards his condition, but it’s still a blow to the ego to know that they sold him off to die for not even one iron ingot. He got lucky with the force he was taken into (they got bronze swords and leather armor, which is more than some other skywing soldiers) but not so lucky with the area he was sent to (Sandwing ambush). After being badly wounded and finding out he was the only survivor, he fled rather than going back to a northern base and has been evading capture (and execution) since. The lack of depth perception/decreased vision in general means he can seriously mess up landing and taking off in crowded areas like a forest, and can’t do a lot of complicated maneuvers anymore. Despite already being jaded and cynical at his big teen age, he’s not really equipped to be on his own at all and has been thrown off the deep end in terms of experiencing the world for the first time.

Seawings live in pods of family members and some outsiders. Unlike other dragons, they are actually led by a pair-bonded male and female rather than it being a female-led harem type thing. This pair are the bulls, and they’re bigger than everyone else because of hormones (they’re the only reproductive members. This is enforced to varying degrees between pods, some larger more organized ones even have legislation about it. Homosexual activity is encouraged to prevent threats to the bulls (aka new kids or a new mating pair). Through interacting with other tribes, some of the more powerful “superpods” made up of multiple family lines have adopted a more female-dominant system where there are still physically distinct bulls but only the female does any governing. For trade and other stuff, too, pods will normally only send their female members since no one else would respect a male. Kelps pod was a mid-sized one that was technically a part of another super pod’s domain, but they only really interacted through some resource taxes and occasional new laws being delivered. Kelp was on the bottom rung of the social ladder and chafed a lot with her pod because of her general weirdness and lack of strong allegiance to her bull (her mother). She still feels sentiment towards them because they raised her, but was never able to fit in. The superpod they were under was allied with blister, making their territory a target for mudwings and skywings. Eventually, Kelp’s pod was affected by this when an ongoing battle between the superpod’s troops and some mudwings spilled into their land. The superpod forces lost and Kelps home was looted, in the process she was burned and separated from the others. For about a week she hung around tending to her own wounds to see if her pod would regroup somewhere, but eventually left to find a real doctor (trying not to think about the implications of them not coming back) it’s been about a month since then, and she has somehow been stumbling by using her craft skills. Shes been robbed several times and has only gotten away with her life thanks to the good ol tail slap+ massive seal teeth jaw strength combo (other than that all her health problems are 100x worse because she’s on land most of the time to avoid Mudwing-patrolled rivers and the hostility of other pods.) She’s never been outside her pods range before and the world is not so great, but she has a positive outlook (some might even say a foolishly optimistic one).

[jihyoruri]

❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ 𓍢 HYPNOSIS ahn yujin x reader

↳ warnings idol!au, fluff, oc group, yn is an awkward loser and yujin is obsessed with the voice

ECLIPSE had become the name on everyone’s lips lately, and for good reason. when was the last time yg entertainment launched a punk girl group? never. it was fresh, bold, and something so out of the ordinary for an entertainment like yg, exactly what the industry didn’t know it was missing.

yujin vividly recalls the first time she heard a track from the group. the song was called "amnesia." sure, the other members had incredible voices, but there was one in particular that caught her ear.

the girl didn’t get many lines, but when that voice emerged, it was mesmerizing, almost haunting. yujin couldn’t get it out of her head, if she could, she would have that voice on repeat forever.

it made yujin want to find out who the girl was and immediately ask her how did she acquire such a voice and not be the main vocalist?

rei called her a solo stan for that comment.

and sure, yujin could’ve easily found out who that voice belonged to, but there was something thrilling about the mystery.

she knew their faces but had no idea who sang which parts.

there was something fascinating about not knowing, just hearing that voice without attaching it to a name. the mystery made it even more captivating.

then yujin found out ive would be appearing on a variety show with none other than eclipse. as much as she was a little disappointed that her game of mystery was coming to an end, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement.

she wondered what the girl was really like. with a voice like that, she had to be flirty and fun, the kind of person who could charm anyone without even trying.

well…

“eclipse, introduce your names,” one of the mcs said, gesturing toward the four girls. yujin, seated with her group, who had already introduced themselves, scanned the faces of eclipse, hoping to figure out who possessed that voice that had her hypnotized.

“I’m arang the amazing leader of eclipse!”

too high pitched.

“I’m irene, the main vocalist of eclipse!”

nah.

“I’m yn.”

everyone chuckled at the quiet girl’s simple introduction. arang playfully smacked yn’s arm, and yn winced, looking up at the leader. “ouch, you know i have tender arms,” she said, earning another round of laughter from the room, including yujin.

“introduce yourself properly!” arang scolded, while yn adjusted the glasses perched on her face, the sides adorned with sparkly skulls. “I don’t know what I am…”

“she’s our secret weapon.” Irene says saving yn from another slap on her arm, “our secret talent.”

“yeah… I’m that,” yn said a little louder, causing another wave of laughter.

as much as yujin felt a certain pulling towards the girl, her voice was too low.

“I’m celestial! the charm of eclipse!”

that could be her…

“alright you guys can have a seat!”

“so,” the mc starts, “before we go into the haunted house, eclipse prepared a surprise performance for us!”

the girls of ive clapped their hands while yujin mind started racing, this is gonna be it, she’s gonna find out who that voice belonged to.

as eclipse began to sing, yujin kept her eyes fixed on celestia. she had to admit, when celestia introduced herself, she didn’t feel that pull, not like with yn, but still, she fit the image yujin had in her mind of the voice she’d been searching for.

but as the song progressed, yujin quickly realized: celestia wasn’t the one. the song was already a minute in, and she hadn’t heard the voice that had been haunting her thoughts.

celestia had sung a few lines, but it was definitely not her. irene and arang had also had their parts, and still, nothing.

which only left one possibility…

when the bridge of the song came, yujin’s eyes widened. yn was singing. her voice washed over the room, higher and mesmerizing, and yujin felt the same way she had when she first heard it through her phone completely hypnotized.

as they finished yujin was left speechless, not even clapping along with her other members.

“ah, so amazing!” the mc praised the girls, “so this is how it’s gonna go, you guys will be split into groups and a camera will follow you on your journey throughout the haunted house.”

“arang, wonyoung, rei and irene!”

“celestia, liz, gaeul and leeseo!”

“yn and yujin! you two will be in a pair.”

yujin looked at yn who seemed like she was in internal distress that she was separated from her members, she couldn’t help but find the slight pout on the girls face cute.

“there are different entrances that you’ll go through,” the mc continued. “keep your partners close, and have fun—or be insanely scared!”

as they began preparing for the haunted house, yujin couldn’t stop sneaking glances at yn. the girl was quieter than she expected, almost shy, which didn’t match the captivating voice yujin had heard.

and yet, there was something else. a slight awkwardness about her, sure, but also a tomboyish charm in the way she moved like she wasn’t trying too hard to be anything other than herself. 

she watched as yn stood awkwardly in front of celestia who harshly pushed yn towards yujin.

“shit,” yn muttered under her breath, and yujin couldn’t help but chuckle at her awkwardness.

“nervous?” yujin asked, her voice teasing.

yn looked up from fiddling with her belt, which had a large skull buckle, clearly using it as a distraction. “huh? oh, no, i’ve been through plenty of haunted houses,” she replied, her voice calm, though her hands betrayed her. “you?”

yujin watched as yn quickly adjusted her shirt after realizing she’d tugged it up while fixing her belt. yn’s slight fidgeting made yujin grin. “i get scared sometimes…” she admitted, her gaze steady on yn.

yn scratched the back of her neck, eyes flicking up to meet yujin’s. “cool…”

the moment they stepped inside, the air grew thick with tension. eerie sounds echoed around them, and yujin, who was walking slightly ahead of yn, jumped at the first scare, a hand that reached out from the wall. she yelped, stumbling back and nearly crashing into yn, who caught her just in time. 

yn quietly laughed keeping one hand on yujin’s shoulder while the other one adjusted the glasses on her face, “scared sometimes?”

the sound sent a shiver down yujin’s spine, her face heating up despite knowing yn wasn’t trying to be flirty. still, that low voice, so close, caused an unexpected flutter in yujin’s stomach that she couldn’t quite ignore.

yujin shook her head, “heavy on sometimes, wanna walk in front of me?

yn shrugged and went in front of yujin, seems like she wasn’t lying when she said she wasn’t scared.

so why was she fidgeting earlier?

even though she didn’t seem scared that didn’t stop the quiet girl kept muttering under her breath, clearly uncomfortable with the whole experience.

throughout the whole haunted house yujin watch yn in front of her.

she watched how yn awkwardly stumbled through the scares, yujin found herself strangely charmed.

yn wasn’t the flirty, party type she’d imagined. she was dorky and awkward, but in a way that yujin found oddly attractive.

every time yn tripped over something, or yelped at a random noise, yujin’s heart softened a little more.

“you’re really not a fan of this, huh?” yujin asked, glancing down at yn, who was still holding onto her arm, “you don’t seem scared though?”

“nope,” yn muttered, glancing around warily. “Inhate it, though”

a girl with a batter school uniform jumped from behind one of the corners causing yujin to loudly gasp immediately gripping onto yn’s arm who didn’t make a sound but had wide eyes behind her glasses.

yn unintentionally hooked her arm with yujin’s and dragged the older girl the other way, “okay that scared me, I almost shat myself.”

yujin couldn’t help but laugh at the girls words, knowing the editors would definitely have to bleep that out.

yn didn’t seem to notice it but yujin did, even when they were now far away from the girl yn didn’t unlink her and yujin’s arms keeping the girl close beside her throughout the rest of their journey through the house.

they eventually made it to the end of the haunted house, both of them visibly relieved as they stepped out into the light.

yujin stole another glance at her, watching as she adjusted her glasses for what had to be the hundredth time that night. yn’s messy hair, her slightly ruffled clothes, and that sheepish expression on her face, it shouldn’t have been attractive, but to yujin, it was.

as the filming wrapped up, yujin felt a nervous energy building in her chest. she’d spent the entire time getting to know yn in this weird, unintentional way, and now, all she wanted was to spend more time with her.

before yn could walk off to join her members, yujin hesitated for a second, then blurted out, “hey, can i, uh, get your number?”

yn blinked at her, looking almost surprised. “my number?”

yujin nodded, suddenly feeling self conscious. “yeah, you know, just to…keep in touch?” she handed yn her phone.

yn fumbled with her phone, clearly caught off guard. “oh, uh, sure. here.”

as yn awkwardly handed yujin back her oh won number, yujin smiled, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment. she had no idea where this was going, but for now, she was content just having this quiet girl with a beautiful voice’s number in her phone.

[mariusslonelysoul]

Finally started ds9 so here are some thoughts~ (i'm almost done with s1)

They are NOT pulling punches good god

Even the intro is already much darker

Also trek has always been horny but i was not expecting to hear "sexual holosuite programs". I guessed that's what the holosuites were used for but i didn't think they'd confirm it

I like the uniforms better than tng's. quark's outfit is certainly a statement too

Odo is first and foremost a hater and i respect that

Pls let jake be happier than wes. I'm hoping than with nog there too they support each other

Kira is a fascinating character, the scene with the spiritual leader telling her to accept her violence so she can move on was great

Dax is also so interesting, i hope they explore some more of how she copes with her previous identities

On that note, it's not trek without a character being put on trial

Julian is such a loser i love him

Honestly all the characters are great and i cannot wait to see more of them

I also hope keiko appears a lot, i need the o'brien family to be happy and thriving

Odo and quark are such worsties, they are like spones but without the yearning and tension

Ngl i do miss the captain's chair

[tteokdoroki]

ೀ⋆OCT 3RD MEAN GIRLS ━━ katsuki bakugou + free use !

୨୧ — caution, you are now watching. katsuki bakugou + free use. on october third, he asked you what day it was. btw, in girl world, halloween is the only time of the year when katsuki bakugou can slut girls out and no one can say anything about it. boo, you whore! (4.9K)

୨୧ — rated r. minors, blank and ageless blogs do not interact ! nsfw, heavy smut, characters aged up to 20s, college!au, free use, dub-con, cum-play, voyeurism, humiliation, manipulation, dacryphilia, no prep, public sex(ish), unprotected sex, suprise guest appearance from shouto as aaron samuels, fem!reader, reigina george coded!bakugou.

୨୧ — director’s note. "it's october third." and you know what that means! another nasty kinktober fic for you all! i hope you enjoy this one, its probably my favourite...because uh hello!? reigina george and bakugou? name a more iconic duo! anyways enjoy mwah! - m.list ⋆ kinktober m.list ⋆ taglist ✧

halloween is the only time of the year where anyone can dress like a slut and not get called one for it. 

in the world of the conventionally attractive (or the plastics), the kings and queens of the social jungle, it means ditching the guts and gore in favour of skin tight lingerie with a little fake blood that drips calculatedly through the valley between your breasts — just for a little bit of added attention. it’s the one night of the year where self-objectification becomes acceptable, and you by all means, were not planning on missing out.

for you, a well spent Halloween consisted of tooth rotting candy corn, bad movies and trying to avoid the feeling of fomo (fear of missing out, fyi) building up like fluid in the lungs of a sick person. you’ve been an a-grade loser all your life and you’ve never had the chance to experience a proper friend group, high school, (and now) college experience. 

however this year would be different. this year you would be ditching loser-ville for boobs and bunny ears and the shortest dress you could find. because you finally had a friendship group who did these kinds of things and you had an invite to the biggest festive rager hosted by the hottest guy on campus — shouto todoroki. 

the rest of your friend group, the college renowned plastics, had warned you not to get involved with the half and half campus jock. he already had relations to your beloved ring leader, katsuki bakugou, and your involvement would be breaking several laws of girl and guy code — according to dumb blonde kaminari (he swears he has ESPN or something). katsuki was the head of U.A. university, ruling over the entire student body with an iron fist, an attitude so mean you’re sure you’ve seen professors cry and a glare so sinister he could turn milk sour if he tried hard enough. 

bakugou was the definition of the picture perfect guy and he knew it. it was almost as if his face had been ripped straight from a vogue magazine, his shoulders broad, waist slutty and tiny, abs to die for too — you’d be a liar to say you hadn’t thought about him a few times before bed. katsuki was a king bee (if bees could even have kings) and you were a nobody lucky enough to have been indoctrinated into his group of flawless friends — taken under the guidance of his wing. 

your own friends had told you not to fall for the glitz and the glamour that seemed to follow the barbie blonde everywhere he went. but you couldn’t help it, you were enamoured by everything that katsuki did — turned a blind eye to his bitchy persona and twisted mindset. you hardly believed the rumours about him, blissfully ignoring the truth behind the gossip because katsuki was nice to you. just the other night he had been kind enough to offer his help in setting you up with shouto. even if kirishima had tattle told on you.

regardless, katsuki had your back — you knew that. he was even talking to shouto right now, admist the full swing of the halloween party. how could anyone ever hate bakugou? he was so kind, so considerate, treating you like family from the moment you got here. you see shouto look your way fondly as they chatter about you, his lips curling perfectly around your name while he sends you a wave that makes you feel like the only girl in the world. 

“she likes you, yanno.” the shorter blonde purrs, the corner of his perfectly plump lips twitching up into a knowing grin. he says your name, glowering at the way his ex perks up at the mention. 

shouto blinks slow, mismatched eyes filling with affection the longer he looks at you awkwardly swaying to music you’ve never heard before. “yeah? she does?” 

“it’s adorable, really. she writes your fuckin’ name in the corner of her notes with little hearts. even has the name of your future brats written in a cute little list.” the lie slips from bakugou easily, as if manipulating people is second nature to him.

“don’t bother with that, katsuki.” 

when todoroki’s gaze on you lingers for too long, he kicks it up a notch pressing the head of his body into his ex’s side. “listen, half ‘n half,” with his eyes dark and sensual, the blonde allows his voice to slip into deeper, more mocking tones — playing up this innocent act. one that shouto falls for every time. “i know that she can be a little fuckin’ weird but, she’s my friend…so be nice, yeah?”

men are such fickle creatures — for all it takes is a pair of sweltering, red puppy dog eyes to drag the jock under his spell. shouto nods slowly, his own topaz and granite eyes glossing over with some form of obedience, a loyalty to bakugou that no one else would understand. “yeah, alright.” 

“good,” bakugou purrs, the sound causing his brain to short circuit. “such’a good friend, half ‘n half.” the tail end of his words are replaced by the sloppy sound effect of his lips on shouto’s, tongues beginning to clash and hands possessively gripping waists. 

your rose-tinted window shatters at the sight. 

background conversation falls away as your friend and your crush begin to make out right in front of your fucking eyes. “you know who’s  looking fine tonight, neito monoma.” kaminari squeals, shimmying in his little mouse costume. 

“denki, that’s your cousin.” kirishima frowns. 

the blonde shrugs. “yeah! but he’s my first cousin…that’s not right is it,” 

you don’t have time to dwell on their chit chat — you feel like someone has thrown your entire body  out of whack. you feel like you’re drowning as the realisation hits, katsuki bakugou doesn’t give a shit about you or your feelings. storming away from the scene, you make for the nearest bedroom, hurt and confusion swirling around in the tightness of your chest.

“what are you doin’ in here sweetness? ‘minari and kirishima have been looking everywhere for ya.”

you’re still crying like a sore loser when the king of the plastics finds you hauled up in one of shouto’s many rooms. and you hate that it’s katsuki who’s come to comfort you, sitting beside you on the queen sized bed as his hand slips over your bare thigh.  

but you shrug him off, barely keeping your cool. after all, you’re still mad at him for making out with your crush. “don’t touch me, katsuki.” you snarl, doing your best to sound menacing. “i saw what you did. how could you? i thought we were friends?”

he clicks his tongue, ruby red eyes rolling as if he gives a fuck. “oh, you mean that thing with icyhot?” you don’t understand how the blonde can be so nonchalant, tossing around the situation as if it weighs nothing — costing not an ounce of your feelings. “he came onto me, sweetness. i’d never do somethin’ like that to you.” 

denying katsuki bakugou is never an easy feat, he’s a man that knows where his strengths lie. in the deep timber of his rumbling voice and those eyes, with the blood lust curled around each of his pupils. katsuki is a well trained hunter, and on this occasion, you are his prey. a large hand smooths over the meaty swell of your trembling thigh, pushing the likely pair wide open for him to make room between them. “i’m a good friend, r’member?”

his hands roam your blistering hot body, gripping and grabbing at your flesh from over your costume — it feels good, you feel wanted and melt like a lump of butter in a pan at every cascading touch of his. 

you’d be smart to come to your senses, before you’re snapped up in the unrelenting jaws of a hunter. but you’re entranced by those insanely red eyes, the perfect slant to his lips and all-knowing smile — it’d be useless to escape when you’ve fallen this deep. “you’re not…” your bottom lip wobbles, the achy feeling in your chest now submissive to the liquid lust katsuki has spent months conditioning you to feel. “you’re a bad friend.” 

“d’aw…you don’t think i am?” dropping his tone into a sultry coo, bakugou leans in real close and you instinctively follow the tilt of his head. he looms over you, just enough so that you can see the smear of pink eyeshadow across his eyelids, the plasticky glisten of lip gloss masking the true colour of his plump lips, along with the spark of lust swirling through the brown flecks in his eyes.

you shake your head no. “no, you’re not.” big mistake. 

the of temperature of the room rises just from his proximity and you find yourself willing to let the king of the plastics swallow you whole. “i don’t think i like the way yer talkin’ to me, sweets.” he growls darkly and in warning. “i should make you apologise for bein’ so fuckin’ mean.” 

his breath is warm and wet against your cheek, grip rough on your waist and you can’t help but think how mean he is to you. katsuki gaslights you like it’s second nature or another one of his five senses, manipulates you with ease, putting himself on you when you know you can’t say no. because without him you would have been in social suicide, you wouldn’t have any friends, you wouldn’t have had the college experience. you would have just been ordinary.

“gimme a kiss, gorgeous.” the blonde bites down on your lower tip, tugging it away from you because he misses the metallic taste of golden blood on you — the taste of blossoming obedience in your bloodstream. 

you push back, but it’s no use — bakugou’s closing the gap before your brain can even catch up, fizzing like candied pop rocks while you sink further into debauchery. 

“c’mon…” he forces his tongue past the seams of your lips, bursting through with only the darkest of intentions. you briefly seize up, because your body knows this isn’t what you want, at least not 100%.  but katsuki knows how to work stubborn, prude little things like you — squeezing down on your waist heartily as he leads you into a stupid-drunk kiss. “that’s it, there we go…good fuckin’ girl.”

the world tilts on its axis and you grow lightheaded at the blonde’s praise — you should be mad at him for kissing your crush but at the same time, you’ve never wanted someone so bad. mewling against his watermelon and alcohol flavoured lips is like sealing your fate, giving up little pieces of yourself just to appease your ring leader.

“katsuki, i don’t—“ 

his thumb digs into your cheeks, preventing you from pulling away — not that you’d want to. wet sounds from your kisses vibrate through you and cause a twinge in the heartbeat between your thighs. “i wasn’t askin’, i was tellin’.” he grunts into your drooling mouth, wide open to echo your sweet and pliant voice. it’s with those words that you remember your place, being a plastic requires sacrifices — for you to give up pieces of yourself in order to stay by katsuki’s side. 

including letting him use your mind, body and soul freely. 

“so fuckin’ pretty when you’re obedient for me,” he’s snarls, hot under the collar and eager to steal more from you. he grins at how your eyes roll back just from a couple of half-hearted words. leaning back, katsuki shrugs off his shirt, revealing his  perfectly carved hips and washboard abs, golden skin that only the gods could have blessed him with. the sight of him is enough to make your quivering cunt deep juices into the crotch of your panties. “let’s get back at sho, huh? for playin’ us both.” 

the lines of morality and dissoluteness are often blurred when you’re with him — you become a vessel for his pleasure and you don’t even think to mind. somewhere amidst the messy, sensual lip locks bated breaths, katsuki has managed to get you onto your back and tear through your skimpy little halloween costume to suck his claim into your neck. painting you with deep mauve and midnight blue hues. his eyes dilate, roaring obsidian black taking over his mean, rage filled red eyes in a way that lets you know how bad he wants to fuck you. 

it’s when the sharp edges of his canines graze your pulse point that you remember just how much of a wild jungle college is. you remember that katsuki has the ability to make your life a living hell, the power to take a bite and rip your throat out at any second. in this world, you are nothing but a meek gazelle and katsuki bakugou the lion ready for a feast. 

irrespective of how much the very fact may frighten you, you ignore bakugou’s talons as they sink into your chest and leave indented crescent moons on against each breast. he rips apart the costume you worked so hard on and pushes your hands away from your body when you attempt to cover yourself up. so, from that moment, you let lust slither over your brain so you can arch yourself into him for more pleasure, and remind yourself that even if you're being used — it feels good. katsuki feels good. 

you like that he’s a little mean, a mean girl. all teeth and tongue and biting when he licks into you and breaks the strings of honey saliva that tie your tongue to the roof of your mouth. you love how he roughly grabs you by the meat at your hips and tugs you up to meet the grind of his cock against your underwear. you adore how he pulls the very fabric apart like they’re nothing, rolling you onto your stomach and positioning your hips in a way that makes your back arch.

you don’t even realised that bakugou has kicked off the lower part of his costume until you feel the heat of his firm thighs against the backs of your own and the sticky tap of his flushed cockhead on your ass cheeks — smearing white globs of precum over your hot skin. the blonde groans at the visible twitch of your cunt, the way it glistens and spews lightly for him. 

“oh sweetheart,” he laughs through the coagulated feeling of prurience in his throat. “so fuckin’ wet for me, hah?” he manages, spreading your ass cheeks apart hungrily, a curious finger running through your slick folds and dragging your wetness over your pulsating clit. “s’kinda embarrassing. barely even touched you.” 

the situation is embarrassing, humiliating almost and a fresh set of tears burn at your waterline — mascaras already tracking down your cheeks. you don’t fight bakugou as a muscled arm snakes it’s way around your waist and pulls you onto him until your sex is flush against bakugou’s thick cock — your hearts beating in sync, heavy breathing in tune. his dripping dick slips and slides a through your quivering pussy lips, grinding against the pulse in your clit before easing the mushroomed tip through the tight ring at your entrance. 

“f-fuck!” you squeak, a little out of turn. fuckdolls don’t talk. katsuki is quick to growl and remind you, collapsing his entire weight into your body while you take him with ease. no prep required whatsoever. there’s a delicious burn as his girth stretches you wide open and he fucks you with just the tip — a pleasing buzz layering itself over your logical thoughts. the ones that tell you this isn’t right. the ones that tell you that you’re more than just a plastic play thing. 

bakugou squeezes your hips harshly when you push back onto him, desperate to be fed more of his cock. “keep fuckin’ still, alright?” the king of the plastics rasps, taunting you as he thrusts all the way into your tight heat with no warning. you ooze at the sudden stimulation, basking in the weight of his dick against the insides of your crying cunt and fluttering walls. “sho’s gonna love this, maybe he’ll really want you then.” he continues to purr, jamming a thumb past your swollen lips to press down on your tongue. his other hand grasps at his phone once lost in the sheets, talking a picture of your teary face while you suck on his digit to soothe yourself. 

like a baby sucking on a pacifier as it cries.

sending the photo to shouto, bakugou takes a few more selfies of you like this. his favourite is the one of your face squished between his large fingers, covered in salty tears and sticky drool. “don’t cry sweets. ‘m gonna fix this, help you get together. what are friends for?” 

his voice is soft, nose nudging against your cheek in a reassuring manner. 

but it’s all too good to be true.

briefly, there’s a second where everything is calm, where the blonde lets you relax around him between gentle juts of his hips forward and affectionate kisses peppered against your skin. you should have realised that katsuki’s pleasure is always above your own. because he suddenly finds the motivation to pull out of your snug, sensual heat to pound into you properly, dragging is seedy cock along all of the spots along your ribbed walls that make you see stars. 

you feel like a pocket pussy, only one that comes with crybaby wails and pitiful hiccuped noises. it’s all music to katsuki’s ears, blending seamlessly with the intense base from the party’s music and thump of the headboard smashing against the wall all from the sheer force of his thrusts into you. it’s easy to forget how humiliatingly loud you’re being, you can’t find yourself to be worried about someone catching you either. even if the door is wide open. 

why not? because katsuki claims you willingly, over and over again with each brutish brush of his leaky cockhead against your g-spot. “s-suki! please.” you slur around his fingers that fuck your drooling mouth in perfect rhythm with his dick that plunged in and out of your puckered, creamy hole.  

“yeah, yeah. i gotcha. give into me, sweetness.” 

where he had been keeping you pinned against the sex-soaked cheeks — bakugou pulls  his sweaty chest away from your back and adjusts the roll of his hips, letting them crash into you like waves on a shoreline. to support his body weight above you, his toned arms cage you in, head tilted to the side to watch you sniffle on his dick, red rimming your watery eyeline. “you’re so fuckin’ pretty when you cry, sweetheart.” he moans condescendingly against the shell of your ear, painting a chaste kiss against your wet cheek. “what a pretty fuckin’ girl, suckin’ me in… takin’ my cock. oh fuck.” 

if you could see him, will yourself from the pillows you take purchase in and use to muffle your salacious screams — you would notice how an evil smirk as spread across the blonde’s lips while he ravages you, fucks you beyond the stars and back. “you my pretty girl, yeah? fuckin’ sweet thing.” the praise has you spiralling and simultaneously soothes the burning hatred you have for katsuki in your chest. “why you cryin’ so much? is it over him, or over me?”

the answer to his question slips out of you faster than your sex-crazed brain can catch up. “o-over you!” it’s like you can’t even think for yourself, make any choices for your body outside of what bakugou has planned for you. you’d do anything to please him so that he keeps fucking you, so that you can forget your feelings and keep your place amongst the socially elite. maybe that makes you selfish, maybe it makes you dumb — that you’re a whore for katsuki’s bully cock that churns up your guts and uses you for ecstasy filled relief. 

“y-yeah? mmhm, just like that baby,” katsuki stutters, licking his lips while you throw it back on him. the weak snap of his voice (caused by you clenching down on him) has you gushing nastily down bakugou’s length. bathing him in your juices, dripping down his balls as they clap against your ass, and swing against your clit. 

“yeah…yeah…y-you’re my friend, k-katsuki! didn’t wanna lose you…”

satisfied with your response and feeling a little mean once more, the king of the plastics brings a heavy hand down against your ass before gripping it tight, forcing you back and forth on his creamed dick. you hiss at the newfound pain blooming underneath your skin, blinking back more tears. 

“that’s right sweets, you’ll let me do anythin’ to keep me right? stay bein’ friends.” bakugou barks salaciously into your shoulder blade. greed and power and control sparks between your bodies that move in sync with one another, your hips shakily attempting to catch up with his rough pace.

you gasp when he hits a spot that’s got you howling at the moon. “y-yes, god, yes!”

“even let me fuck your crush? let me fuck you in front’a him?” 

all you can do is nod and gargle in response, passionately sucking on his fingers. “get ‘em nice and wet for me. wanna play with you, gorgeous.” he nips at your skin, leaving the imprint of his canines against you before his red eyes laser focus on where your bodies continually meet. “lift your hips. atta girl.” 

a heinous squeal escapes you, borderline pornographic as katsuki fumbles between your body and shouto’s high thread count sheets. his sticky fingers press into your pleasure nub in tight, calculated circles and he rewards the sound of your choked moans with another barrage of love bites to your neck. ones that you won’t be able to cover up. ones that show how much you’ve been used. 

you wonder if his appetite for your dedication will ever be satisfied. even though your pussy works it’s way back onto him and swallows his cock down like fucking magic — bakugou still wants more of you. he grins sinisterly at the bruises that form just under your skin, that make you hiss when he licks over them and spills his curse words over against that sensitive spot underneath your ear. the sensitivity makes you yelp loudly, despite the people that walk by. 

including none other than shouto todoroki. 

“you’d even let him watch as i creamed your cute cunt, wouldn’t ya? so pathetic. it’s adorable, sweetness.” the blonde goads, pulling back so that he can get a better view of your ass bouncing against his slender hips. spreading you apart with large hands, he drools down onto his cock and your asshole, spitting onto the point at which his shaft slips inside of you — watching the white froth mix in with your viscous nectar and disappear into the creaminess of your tight hole. 

your crush audibly gasps as he enters the room — mismatched eyes drinking in the view of you being absolutely wrecked from behind by his ex. shouto can’t help but admire your puffy face and equally puffy folds while he settles on the bed next to katsuki. he has no idea how his feet even carried him there. 

“bakugou what are you—?” 

the tail end of shouto’s words slip away when you clench down hard on bakugou, his head falling onto the latter’s shoulder while you share shaky moans. “oh my god,” katsuki pants, pulsing against your silken walls and driving his dick upwards into your sweltering mound. “you’re fuckin’ obsessed with me. with him. you just won’t let this dick go, will ya?” 

admitting that you like shouto watching you get fucked by bakugou would be just as embarrassing as admitting your crush on him. it doesn’t matter if you’re crying too hard to confess the matter with words, both of them know it. they can tell by the way your pussy spasms around katsuki’s bulbous cockhead as it bullies it’s way into you with every thrust.  “see icyhot, told ya she was a weirdo,” He chuckles down at you menacingly. “letting me be the one t’stretch her pussy open even though you’re the one that she wants. s’so embarrassing.” 

todoroki let’s out a noncommittal grunt, equally amused by the situation like his ex. “yeah… so weird…”

he reaches around to grab at the fat of your waist and tugs you back onto katsuki so that his dick never leaves you. so that your clit is smooshed up against perfect abs, that contract with every thrust and overstimulate you. 

maybe it’s not such a bad thing to be used by the king of the plastics, if it means shouto gets to touch you too. 

“i think she’s about to cum, katsuki.” the two-toned haired jock states as if it’s obvious, his voice husky and low as the scent of sex trickles into the air. “you’re gonna make her cum, baby.” 

“can fuckin’ feel it, she’s ‘boutta make a mess of me.” they share a lustful look behind you, that leads to them sharing sloppy, uncoordinated  kisses as if you’re not even there. truly treating you like a sex toy to be used whenever, wherever. 

the sounds of their kisses ring in your ears, cause heat to burn at your cheeks and shame to settle in your chest once again. but this time, you don’t fucking care — not when you’re close to cumming, not when both of the people you adore in your life are using little old you. 

forcing you back and forth over katsuki’s dick even faster, shouto finds it in himself to address you, moaning out your name. “a-are you close?” he simpers, tongue rolling over his ex’s.

“i— i am. p-please. let me cum. lemme cum. lemme c-cum—!” you chant as if it’s the gospel, voice tapering off into a set of whistle tone simpers as you finally hit your high. black spots dot your vision, katsuki using a last burst of energy to canter into you, slamming against your g-spot over and over again. the dam breaks before your brain can register it, release trickling out of your fluttering hole like a flash flood after a vicious storm. it soaks his soft tuft of blonde pubes and soils the sheets below, your body wracked with shakes and aftershocks. 

katsuki's cock against your cervix being the epicentre. 

the two men behind you share a sick little laugh when you collapse into the sheets face first, both of them leaning down to kiss either of your cheeks soothingly. 

“so fuckin’ cute ‘n loyal,” bakugou coos in a twisted tone, pulling out of you to jerk himself off over your quivering body. 

shouto smiles and rubs soothing circles in the small of your back in an attempt to calm you down — taking pleasure in your tiny sniffles and hiccups while you come down from your high. 

“your turn, bakugou.” he purrs slightly, using his arm to prop himself up on the bed for a perfect view of you both.  

“mmfuck, shit ‘m so close.” colourful curses spew from between bakugou’s perfect, cherry bitten lips just as he hits his peak. slick sounds accompany the movements of his rough palm up and down his length, coaxing himself towards orgasm. he cums with a shout, a feral growl tearing his chest in two with how loud it is. all while ropes of his blistering hot and white cum land on your ass, pussy and back. 

he collapses next to shouto after that. 

you feel a finger drag through the hot mess on your back and turn around just in time to watch bakugou feed a scoop of his cum to your crush. todoroki sucking his fingers happily. “go get her a towel, icyhot.” he demands, and like a slave to the crown, todoroki follows — disappearing from the room in search for a rag to clean you up with. surprisingly, the blonde helps you to sit up, taking you into his chest so you can snuggle against it. “don’t cry sweetness, s’okay. i forgive you for thinkin’ i was a bad friend.” 

tilting your chin up, you’re rewarded with a firm chaste kiss — swallowing katsuki’s moans as he tastes the saltine tears in your lips. “you’ll never do it again, right?” 

“r-right…” you reply meekly, flinching at the blonde who boops your nose almost affectionately. 

he busies himself with fixing your costume until shouto returns with a wet rag to wipe the cum from between your thighs and the rest of you. you try not to let it get to you when they share another passionate kiss, sucking on each other’s tongues and mussing up each other’s hair until they’re all rosy cheeked and short of breath. 

you would be a fool to think that you ever stood a chance with shouto todoroki after tonight. 

much like you, he’s just another piece in katsuki’s game of chess. he’ll never escape the toxic cycle of their relationship when things keep going like this. 

“you look sexy with your hair pushed back, icyhot.” katsuki says to shouto once they come up for air, ruffling his silky locks out of place. his ruby, crazed, gaze slinks over to you next, a coy smirk playing at his lips. “sweetness, tell him, icyhot he looks sexy with his hair pushed back.” 

katsuki bakugou is terrible. evil. conniving. but he’s all you’ve got, even if he is a mean girl. 

“shouto…you look sexy with your hair pushed back.”

꒰ end. — all rights reserved © tteokdoroki 2023. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[yuu-extended-yuuniverse]

Pokémon AU! (Yuu & Riddle)

Trainer looking at Grim: What kind of Pokémon is THAT???

Grim, offended: I'm not a Pokémon! I'm a TRAINER. Just you wait! I'll be the greatest Elite Four Champion ever! Myahahahaha!

Yuu: Does that make me the Pokémon in this relationship?

~*~

Riddle Rosehearts was the youngest trainer to ever become a gym leader in Twisted Wonderland, and remains one of the most ruthless.

Gym leader Riddle specializes in primarily fire type Pokémon! Which is why so many new challengers who come prepared with a full team of Water-types are so caught off guard when Riddle's partner Pokémon, Roserade, comes out! Who finishes them off with her signature move "Off With Your Head!"

Losers are enlisted to paint the hedge maze roses of the Heartslabyul gym to appear like Poké balls.

More headcanons and enlarged photos below:

Riddle

Heartslabyul is the first gym most new trainers encounter

It is situated in the same city as the trainer school, where Riddle enjoys tutoring on his days off

His partner Pokémon, Roserade, was gifted to him by a childhood friend (Trey) back when it was still a weak little Budew

Mrs. Rosehearts belongs to the ranks of Nurse Joys and originally wanted Riddle to study medicine. To everyone's shock, obedient young Rosehearts went on to become a formidable trainer and eventually declared, much to his mother's chagrin, his intention to become a gym leader and help new trainers

Riddle is still the youngest gym leader, at 18 years old

Despite his harsh exterior, many trainers still attribute much of their success to Leader Rosehearts' insistence on practicing the basics.

If you are strong and fortunate enough to ever challenge Riddle again, his fully trained 6 team includes Roserade, Ninetails, Flareon, Rapidash, Galarian Rapidash, and Shaymin.

When pressed, Riddle refuses to answer where he met a member of the elusive Shaymin Pokémon.

Riddle can often be found racing or playing polo at the Equestrian club, riding either of his Rapidashs.

Despite all the good he does, Riddle can often be too much of a stickler to the rules and unable to see outside-the-box

He first meets Yuu when he is kicking Ace and Deuce, two new trainers, out of his gym for trying to cheat their way through his hedge maze puzzle and disparaging the idea of going to trainer school, refusing to let them challenge him and effectively ending their dreams of challenging the elite four.

It is only after Yuu challenges him for Ace and Deuce's right to re-enter the gym, and uses both lessons Riddle preaches and unusual outside-the-box thinking to defeat him, that Riddle reconsiders his black and white view of the world.

He gives Ace and Deuce a second chance, on the expectation that they first go to trainer school for a week, and asks if Yuu would consider sharing their unique battling style with the students at the school (despite these techniques not being taught in any books)

In the end, all three, Ace, Deuce, and Yuu, earn their Heartslabyul badges, and Riddle wishes them luck at the next gym.

Yuu

No one quite knows where this trainer came from.

All anyone knows is that they showed up out of nowhere with a talking feline Pokémon no Pokédex recognizes, named Grim.

For whatever reason, Team STYX keeps trying to capture Grim for some nefarious purpose.

But despite Yuu's unimposing figure and having just recently started their journey, they are actually a very formidable trainer and have managed to battle off every one of Team STYX's attempts.

Yuu meets Ace and Deuce while the two of them are being kicked out of Heartslabyul gym and a fast friendship is formed.

Ace declares that they are all rivals now, but they still travel together from city to city.

To Ace and Deuce's horror, Yuu seems to enjoy sleeping over in abandoned and haunted houses on their journey

Ghost Pokémon seem to particularly like Yuu

Yuu sometimes runs into an interesting person during their travels, a man they have nicknamed Tsunotaro

Tsunotaro seems to always show up whenever Team STYX is getting up to no good, and helps Yuu battle them off and clear out various Team STYX bases of operation throughout Twisted Wonderland.

Ace and Deuce have never met this mysterious Tsunotaro, but if they did they would be shocked to discover that he is actually Malleus Draconia, Twisted Wonderland's infamous and terrifying Elite Four Champion

But to Yuu he's just Tsunotaro, a weird but nice guy who seems to think fighting off a crime syndicate together counts as a date

[mr-cha-n]

Echoes of Summer

Pairings: Kwon Soonyoung x fem!reader, suggestions of Kim Mingyu x fem!reader

Genres: fluff, angst, camp counsellors AU, sunshine x sunshine

Warnings: drinking, profanities, mentions of sex

Word Count: 18.7k

Summary: Get ready for the most unforgettable summer yet at Camp Logan, where lifelong memories are made, friendships are strengthened, and old crushes make new appearances.

In the backseat of your best friend’s pink Honda Jazz, with Britney and Fergie blasting on the radio and wind rushing through your hair from the rolled-down windows – it has never felt more like summer break.

As you speed down the highway, Emma turns around from the passenger seat to offer you a sip of her Spire remix, which you eagerly accept.

“Are we getting close?” She yells over the music.

You nod as you gulp down the fizzy drink, unable to respond with your mouth full. Unfolding the map beside you, you check the upcoming junction.

“Yeah! I think it’s only three more junctions?” You reply, grinning with excitement.

“Seeing how pumped you are right now almost makes me jealous,” Jane laughs from the driver’s seat, catching your eye in the rearview mirror. “Except, then I remember you’re going to summer camp as an adult, without getting to do any of the cool stuff.”

“That’s not true!” You gasp, feigning offence. “I don’t have to follow the rules, just enforce them – so once the kids are asleep, I can do whatever I want!”

“Oh, you’re adorable.” Emma chuckles. “Those kids are gonna wear you our so much, you’ll be asleep before they are.”

You pout at her, huffing in disagreement.

Sure, being a camp leader might not be everyone’s idea of a great summer, but they at least have to admit that it would be fun. What could be better than running around, doing fun activities, and helping kids have the best time ever?

Well, Jane and Emma would probably argue that their trip to Majorca would be more fun – but you’re convinced that they’re underestimating just how awesome campfires and s’mores can be.

“Okay, how about this – if you have a summer fling with a hot, mysterious camp counsellor that you never see again, I’ll consider your summer better than ours.”

You snort at the suggestion, a bit of the fizz going up your nose, making you sneeze.

“When I was a kid, I used to write diary entries every day at camp wishing for a passionate summer romance with another camper,” You admit after a moment. “It was always about the same kid – Kim Mingyu – we went every year, and I think I ended up talking to him all of twice?”

“Wow, new (Y/n) lore! That explains why you’re such a hopeless loser when it comes to crushes.” Emma teases.

“I can’t even deny it!” You dramatically fall back into your seat in mock despair. “It’s hard being a hopeless romantic in a world where everyone else is so … practical.”

Jane chuckles, shifting her seat as she glances at you in the mirror. “You say that now, but just wait. True romance only comes when you’re not expecting it.”

You roll your eyes, though you can’t help but smile at the thought. “You two are just setting me up for disappointment. What if all the other counsellors are, like, sixty?”

“Then you’ll get some great life advice,” Emma quips, twisting around to give you a playful grin.

“Besides, age is just a number!” Jane adds, waggling her eyebrows suggestively and making you all burst into laughter.

“To be honest, I think you’ll be too busy looking for frogs to look for a prince. You wouldn’t realise someone was into you if they hit you round the head with it.” Emma snorts.

“Yeah, yeah – that was one time!”

“The frogs or the crush?”

“Alright! We can’t all be Casanova’s now can we? Besides, you’re probably right – I do plan on going frog catching and it might take a while.”

You lean backwards, posing with crossed arms and a nodding head. Your pretence at coolness is unfortunately cut off quickly, as Jane slams the car down the junction exit that she’d almost missed, toppling you back into your seat.

A chorus of giggles explodes in the car.

“Do you think you’re going to be able to survive on your own for a month?” Jane chortles.

“The real question is – do you think you’re going to be able to survive a month without me?” You respond, playfully patting her shoulder.

“It’s going to be tough.” Emma agrees with mock seriousness, although you can feel the tender truth to her words. “Luckily, we’ll have sexy Spanish men and bottles of champagne to drown our sorrows in.”

The road in front of you becomes narrower, winding through dense woods, and the familiar scent of pine fills the air.

“That’s it!” You exclaim, sitting up straighter, your heart beating a little faster.

As the camp entrance comes into view, marked by a large wooden sign that reads ‘Camp Logan’, you can’t help but feel a thrill of anticipation. It’s been just under a decade since you were last here, and everything feels exactly the same as you remember.

The car pulls up to the inlet at the start of the woodchip trail leading into the camp. Leaning all the way forward, you embrace your two friends in a long hug, thanking them for dropping you off and cracking up at the almost sombre mood caused by your departure.

Stepping out, you reach for your trunk from the rails on top of the car, pulling it down with ease.

You wave your friends off as they speed away, leaving fading declarations of love as they go. The reality of being on your own sinks in as the dust from their departure settles on the gravel road. You take a deep breath, adjusting your bag on your shoulder, trying to steady the butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

The entrance to camp looms ahead, a rustic wooden archway adorned with carvings of pine trees and woodland creatures. The path is just as you remember, lined with tall, towering pines that stretch up into the bright blue sky.

You can hear faint laughter and the distant sound of campers running about, already immersed in their summer adventure. The excitement you felt during the drive here is still there, but it’s now tempered with a hint of anxiety. What if you don’t fit in with the other counsellors? What if the kids are too much to handle?

The doubts creep in, but you shake your head, pushing them away. This is what you’ve been waiting for—a summer of new experiences, challenges, and maybe even that elusive summer romance your friends teased you about.

As you approach the main lodge, you catch sight of a group of counsellors gathered on the porch, laughing and chatting as they prepare for the week ahead. They seem at ease, already forming bonds that you hope to become a part of. You watch them for a moment, taking in the scene, before a voice behind you interrupts your thoughts.

“Hey there, you must be the new arrival!”

You turn to see a tall, athletic guy with sun-kissed skin and a friendly smile walking toward you. He’s wearing a camp T-shirt and cargo shorts, his camp name, “Frosty,” stitched onto his shirt in bold green letters.

It takes your brain a moment to compute that you recognise his face.

Oh, God.

You look up to the sky for a second, sending a silent SOS as the sun shines down on you, leaving you nowhere to escape. You can feel shock flooding through your body, and you’re struggling to even reply.

“Kim Mingyu?”

The man’s eyebrows shoot upwards, and it’s clear you’ve taken him aback too. You stare at other for a moment, before realisation dawns across his features and he lets out a loud laugh, reaching forward to grab your shoulder.

“Oh my god, (Y/n) (Y/l/n)! I should have known you’d be back here! You’re even wearing the same outfit that you used to wear!”

You peer down at your old camp tee, little denim shorts, and hiking boots, your hair twirled with twine and ribbon into two plaits, feeling a little embarrassed that he’d immediately clocked your effort to recreate your camper days.

“Well if it helped you recognise me, then I’m glad I wore it!” You stammer, releasing a nervous laugh. “Would have been awkward if you hadn’t remembered me but I remembered you.”

Mingyu laughs in response, nodding his head, and you’re grateful that the calm, friendly demeanour he had as a kid is still alive and well.

“I’m meant to give you a tour and get you set up, but I suppose you won’t really need it.” He smiles, running a hand through his hair and you can’t help but look at the flex of his biceps as he does.

“Oh – um, I suppose a refresher wouldn’t hurt!”

He nods, and points over to the right side of the clearing. “Okay, well, your cabin is just that one over there, with the three on it. Let me know when you’re all set up and I’ll introduce you to the other counsellors and we can catch up!”

You thank him, and practically sprint away into the cabin.

The wooden cabin of the counsellors is not far different than the camper’s cabins, although notably nicer smelling and less beds. There are three bunks inside, with chests and small side cabinets to keep possessions on. The floor is covered in a green rug, and you can see that two of the other bunks already have unpacked belongings next to them.

You let out a shaky breath, steading your racing mind as you sit down on the empty bed. You can practically hear Emma and Jane laughing at you, and decide that you’d text them the moment you know they’ve landed from their flight.

Kim Mingyu? Seriously? It is like the universe decided to play a cruel joke on you. It’s not like you still have a crush on him, even if he has grown up well, but even the flash from the past has rattled you entirely.

“Alrighty, so over here we have the other lead counsellors – Ace and Fairy. These guys are the ones to find if you need anything; they’ll be far more helpful than me.”

“Hi, I’m (Y/n)!” You greet them, waving.

“Gonna have to get you a camp nickname before the kids hear your actual name and refuse to call you anything else!” The taller person, Ace, jokes. Their short sandy blonde hair is pushed back by a black band, and they sport the same camp t-shirt as Mingyu, with a pair of long khaki cargo pants.

To their side, Fairy stands, giving you a friendly wave back. She, unlike the others, is wearing her camp t-shirt as a bandeau under dungarees shorts that are only strapped on one side.

“That’s a fair point – have you got something in mind or do you want us to give you one?” Mingyu nods thoughtfully.

“Oh, that’s so exciting!” You beam as you look over at Ace and Fairy, still unable to meet Mingyu’s gaze. “I used to love the idea of having a special nickname when I was a kid!”

“I think ‘sunshine’ would do the trick,” Fairy snorts. You feel a blush tickling your neck at the suggestion, and you wonder if your positivity is rubbing off the wrong way.

“We’ll put that one on the maybe list,” Mingyu laughs, holding out a hand to gesture to where you’re walking next.

“Over by the lake are all the kids' cabins. We've got somewhere around 100 campers at the moment, but a few more will join us in the later weeks. Obviously, all the water activities will be done from the dock over there - do you remember what sort of stuff you signed up to run?"

"All of the outdoorsy ones, I think."

"Okay, cool. You'll probably be working with me, Ace, or Hoshi mostly. The counsellor toilets are just round that corner there; they're hidden out of sight so that the kids don't get confused, but you'll need the code to get in anyways. Over there is the mess hall, as you probably remember. Last year they moved a bunch of the arts and crafts stuff into the left wing of the building, so that might be a little different, but the dance, music, and other indoor activities are still in the west building. The admin office, infirmary, and camp store are all in that building over there - you should pop by something today just to say hello to Laura and Maureen - they're super nice but they like to know who's in camp at all times! And finally, all of the sports fields, woodland areas, and the outdoor theatre are over to the east of the lake. You got all that?"

"I think so! It seems mostly the same?" You smile nervously.

Mingyu seems far less concerned about it all. “Great! So, how have you been? It must be almost a decade since I last saw you!”

You feel slightly overwhelmed by trying to catalogue your life over the last few years into a few sentences.

“I’m good!”

That’s a good start.

“I’ll be starting my third year of university in September, and I’m studying geography, but I think I might do teacher training afterwards. I’m not really sure – but, I guess this summer will be a great tester! Um, I took up knitting in June? Oh – and I’m so excited to be back! Can’t wait to be back out on the lake! How about you?”

Good enough.

 “Oh nice – I could definitely see you as a teacher, you always were one of the nicest campers in our cohort.” Mingyu smiles genuinely, and you feel yourself blushing again. “I’ve been a counsellor here for a few years now; I’ve been doing it since I started university. Don’t judge me, but I am studying business – hoping that the camp counsellor label cancels out the bad reputation though!”

You laugh, nodding. “It’s a bit of a stretch, but I think you’ll get away with it.”

“Glad I have your approval,” he chuckles, shooting you a toothy grin. “Here, lets go to the hall and you can meet some of the other counsellors.”

“Where did ‘Frosty’ come from, by the way?” You ask, curious, as you both walk towards the entrance to the mess hall.

Mingyu hums, glancing at you with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Ah, the infamous nickname story. It’s actually not as cool as you might think,” he begins, pushing open the heavy doors to the hall. The scent of wood, faintly mixed with lingering hints of breakfast, wafts out to greet you.

“It was my first year here as a counsellor. I was super eager to make a good impression, but on the first morning of camp, I didn’t realise just how cold the lake water could be at dawn. So, during the early canoe session, I jumped in to show the kids that it was ‘no big deal’.” He pauses, shaking his head at the memory.

“And?” You prompt, intrigued by the story.

“And I came out so cold that I was shivering, my lips were practically blue, and my skin had turned icy. One of the kids started calling me ‘Frosty’ and the name just stuck. I guess it was better than being called ‘shivers’ or something worse.” He adds with a laugh, his cheeks reddening slightly.

You giggle, imagining the scene. “That’s actually a great origin story. It’s kind of endearing.”

“It’s grown on me.” Mingyu admits.

You both step into the mess hall. The room is spacious, filled with long wooden tables and benches, with large windows on one side letting in the afternoon light. A group of counsellors are gathered near the front, some arranging supplies with others chat animatedly.

As Mingyu leads you over, the chatter quiets down slightly, and all eyes turn to you.

“Alright, everyone, this is (Y/n), our newest counsellor. Be nice and don’t scare them off on their first day,” He teases, and the group chuckles.

One by one, they introduce themselves, each with their own unique nickname story. From what you can remember, there’s Hatter, whose nickname is cryptically based on the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, Sparks, who’s the go-to guy for anything involving campfires or fireworks, and Gecko, who is in charge of the art station in camp.

“Welcome to the team, (Y/n)!” Sparks says, tipping his baseball cap at you.

“Thanks, everyone! I’m really excited to be here.” You reply, basking in the warm reception.

Mingyu gives you a nod, clearly pleased. “I’ll leave you to get acquainted. Feel free to explore more, just be back for dinner at 6!”

As Mingyu heads off to tend to other duties, the counsellors start to chat to you, sharing stories and giving you tips for surviving your first week. You quickly learn that despite their laid-back appearances, they all share a deep love for the camp and seem as dedicated as you to making it an unforgettable experience for the campers.

“I pitched scuba diving at this year’s council, but it got vetoed.” Hatter grumbles.

Gecko scoffs, crossing her arms. “The only thing interesting in that lake is the random shit that kids throw in – that’s if you can see anything at all.”

“Were you the one that vetoed it?!”

“I suggested creating a camp newspaper,” Sparks interjects, cutting through the bickering. “And since it wasn’t a safety hazard, they decided to include it this year.”

“That’s really cool! And the kids can send them back to their parents to let them know what they've been up to!" You gush, imagining how much fun it would have been to have that option when you were a camper.

"You always get your projects picked!" Hatter sighs, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"First of all, that's not true." Sparks says, rolling his eyes. "And second, mine wasn't the only idea to get picked. Hoshi got his star gazing sessions, remember?"

It dawns on you that you still haven’t met all of the counsellors. The thought must be clear on your face, as Gecko turns to you and asks: “Have you met Hoshi yet?”

You shake your head. “No, I’ve only met you guys, Min – sorry, Frosty, Fairy, and Ace. Are there any other counsellors I haven’t met?” You have to force yourself to use Mingyu’s camp name so that you don’t let his real name slip in front of the kids.

“You haven’t met Old Bill yet, but he’ll be holed up in the music room.” Sparks replies, visibly ticking off names in his head. “And aside from him and Hoshi, the rest are arriving tomorrow.”

"Oh! Speaking of which - Frosty mentioned I should check in with Laura and Maureen, so I might go do that now?" You exclaim, remembering Mingyu’s advice. The group nods and waves as you head off. Feeling good about the other counsellors, your earlier apprehensions fade, leaving you with a growing sense of joy at being back in camp.

That afternoon, you wander over to the main building, making sure to pop into both the infirmary and the head office. At dinner, you sit amongst the kids, starting to get to know their names and faces and hoping to make a good impression in return. You return to your cabin afterwards, fondly thinking about your start to camp. You're sharing your dorm with Gecko and Fairy, and the three of you spent the evening chatting and getting to know each other over a bottle of gin that Fairy had sneaked into camp - which had felt rather scandalous to you.

When you get a chance, you shoot a text off from your flip phone to Emma and Jane, reminding them not to call because you didn’t want to discuss the situation in front of your new cabinmates.

You have to stifle a laugh as you receive their elated replies, and almost block Emma for the R-rated suggestions she leaves in your inbox.

Snuggling down that night, you wonder if you might finally get the second chance you’d dreamed of as a kid.

The next morning, you’re practically bouncing with excitement as you make your way towards the camp’s rope course. The first day of camp is always the best. You’ve been looking forward to getting into the activities ever since you got the job, and climbing was always your favourite as a kid. There’s something about heights, the thrill of adventure, that speaks to the childlike wonder still alive in you.

The sun is already warming the air, but there’s a cool breeze filtering through the pine trees that keeps the camp feeling fresh. You cannot wait to start creating memories with the campers.

As you approach the ropes course, you spot a figure standing near the gear shack, fiddling with a bundle of harnesses. He’s tall, lean, and has a shock of platinum hair that contrasts against the dark forest. As he turns around, you are left a little starstruck by the handsome face that greets you, and you have to remind yourself that you don’t have to crush on every cute person you encounter.

Banishing the thoughts from your mind, you wave energetically. “Hey! You must be Hoshi! I’m (Y/n)! Fairy said that we were co-leaders today!”

He turns to face you, blinking at your sudden burst of enthusiasm and offers a small smile, looking a little surprised. “Oh! Yeah, nice to meet you.” He says a little shyly. “You here to help with the ropes course?”

“Absolutely!” You chirp, extending your hand. “I’m so excited to work with you this summer. I love this kind of thing - clinging, jumping, swinging through the air like a superhero. It's so fun that I get to do it for my first session!"

Hoshi shakes your hand, trying to stifle a laugh at your enthusiasm. "Yeah, it'll be ... interesting. But not everyone's into it, though. Some of the kids can be a little scared at first."

"Don't worry!" You declare, "I'm sure we'll be able to hype them up. They'll be climbing like monkeys by the end of the session!"

You expect a polite laugh or another small smile, but instead, something shifts in Hoshi’s expression. His eyes sparkle with a hint of mischief as he straightens up, looking at you with an almost playful glint.

“Oh yeah?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “We’ll see about that.”

Before you can ask what he means, a group of campers starts to arrive, chattering excitedly as they line up near the base of the ropes course.

“Alright, everyone!” you call out, clapping your hands to get their attention. “Who’s ready to have some fun and conquer this ropes course?”

A few kids cheer, while others look a little nervous, shifting their weight from foot to foot as they eye the towering structure ahead of them.

“No worries if you’re feeling a little scared,” you say reassuringly. “It’s totally normal! We’ll go at your pace, and I promise, by the end of it, you’ll feel like Spider-Man swinging through the city.”

The kids giggle, some of them visibly relaxing. You’re about to continue when Hoshi steps forward, a wide grin etching onto his face. "And just to prove it to you all, we're going to start with a little induction ritual for our new camp leader!"

You glance over at him, surprised by the sudden spotlight on you. There’s a challenge in his eyes now, one that wasn’t there before. He adjusts his harness, tightening the straps with quick, practiced movements, and without another word, he leaps up onto the first platform of the ropes course with the agility of someone who’s done it a hundred times.

He glances down, grinning for real now, and holds a hand down to you. "Come on, I'll race you to the top!"

Without waiting for a response, he takes off again, scrambling up a rope ladder with impressive speed. The kids cheer, and suddenly your competitive spirit kicks in.

“Oh, it’s on!” you yell, rushing over to grab a harness and clip yourself in. You barely take a second to check the straps before you’re darting after him, laughing the whole way as the kids below start cheering for you both.

You manage to keep pace with him, climbing and leaping with the same energy that’s always been your signature. Every time you think you’re about to catch up, Hoshi takes another daring leap, swinging across gaps or balancing on the narrowest part of the beams just to show off. There’s a wildness to him that’s completely different from the almost shy guy you met earlier.

By the time you both reach the final platform, breathless but grinning from ear to ear, the kids are cheering so loudly you can barely hear yourself think. Hoshi swings up onto the last platform just a second before you, throwing his hands up in victory as you flop down beside him, laughing.

“Okay, okay, you win,” you gasp, wiping sweat from your forehead.

Hoshi chuckles, leaning back against the railing and catching his breath. "You're pretty fast yourself," he says, nudging your shoulder with his elbow. "I didn't think you'd keep up."

You sit up, grinning widely. "You're just lucky I didn't eat a second breakfast today. Otherwise, I totally would've smoked you."

He laughs again, before peering down at the kids below. "I think we might have to get them strapped up before they start trying to climb the trees themselves."

You nod, finally understanding his plan. The spectacle of the race had taken all of the pressure off of the kids, and had let them see just how safe the course was. It was a trick that you'd have to remember.

Soonyoung watches as you move to the back of the line of kids, crouching down to speak to a young boy at the end. The kid looks nervous, clutching the harness like it’s the only thing keeping him from running back to the safety of the cabin.

He doesn’t know what you say to the boy, but it’s obviously helping as he looks up at you with awe, his hands loosening their grip. You’re offering your hand out to him, and Soonyoung realises that you’re going to go up into the course with him.

He’s manning the guide ropes, and offers you a nod as you look over for confirmation that he’ll be able to manage without you. Now alone at the bottom of the course, his thoughts begin to overwhelm.

The moment you’d run over waving at him this morning, Soonyoung had been flooded with memories. When Mingyu had mentioned last night that the new counsellor was someone they’d both known from camp, he’d never have guessed it would be you.

But you are entirely recognisable. You are just as bubbly and energetic as you were as a kid, running around camp, always surrounded by friends. Soonyoung reminisces over his old camp days, getting stuck on the memory of your first meeting.

It is a week in summer camp, and Soonyoung is having a bad time. His parents insisted on him going; they had assured him that he’d have fun, that he loved the outdoors and he’d make friends quickly enough.

Unfortunately, they are mistaken.

He’s not surprised. He knows he’s shy and meeting new people is never his idea of fun. He was hoping that some extroverted kid may pick him up and carry him into a social group, but that hasn’t happened yet and he’s starting to worry that he’ll have to find a different way.

Soonyoung’s cabin mates are nice enough, but they’ve already formed their own tight-knit group. At night, they talk about things he doesn’t really know about – sports teams, video games, and shared inside jokes.

The worse part is, the camp counsellors are always so cheerful, always asking him how he’s doing, if he’s having fun. He puts on a smile, nods and says it’s all great – what else is he supposed to say?

Soonyoung’s sitting on the edge of the lake on afternoon, his knees pulled up to his chest, staring at the rippling water as a canoe glides by with some laughing campers in it. He picks up a small stone and skips it across the surface, watching it hop once, twice, then disappear into the lake.

“Hey, that was a pretty good skip!”

Soonyoung jumps at the voice, his heart racing as he turns to see a girl standing beside him. You’re wearing a camp t-shirt, your hair tied back in two messy braids, and you’re smiling at him like you’ve known him for years.

“Uh, thanks.” He mumbles, unsure of what else to say. You pick up another rock from beside him, fiddling with it in between your fingers.

“My brother said skipping stones is all about finding the right rock. Here, look at this one!” You present the rock to him – flat, smooth, and lightweight with rounded edges. Flicking the stone with a snap of your wrist, he watches as it skips over the lake three times before dropping down below. You let out a laugh of achievement, and Soonyoung commits the sound to his memory.

“I’m (Y/n), by the way.” You say, plopping down beside him without waiting for an invitation. “I’ve seen you around but haven’t had the chance to say hi yet.”

Soonyoung feels the heat rise to his face. “Oh, um, I’m Kwon Soonyoung.”

You grin, your eyes sparkling with playful energy. “Nice to meet you Soonyoung. A few of the other campers and I are planning on stealing some marshmallows from the kitchen tonight and roasting them over the firepit – do you wanna come?”

He glances over at you, surprised at your offer. You clearly notice his hesitation and offer him a friendly smile, and he cannot help by accept. “Oh, yeah, that would be fun!”

“Okay, great!” You jump up excitedly, and he feels his own spirits lifting in tandem. “Meet us at the kitchen at 7pm.”

He had gone that night, and you’d introduced him to the rest of your friends. Soonyoung fondly remembers that evening, getting to know those campers and watching you laugh and dance around in your own little world.

He hadn’t spoken to you much after that, but he remembers everything. He can admit in hindsight that, by the end of that summer, he’d had a huge crush on you. He was sure you didn’t return those feelings – in fact, he’d heard you gushing to one of the other campers about Mingyu.

Yet, seeing you now, Soonyoung cannot help but feel like he’s been given a second chance. There is a new freedom in knowing that you didn’t remember the past. He could be confident, more daring – everything he wasn’t back then. There is no reason for you to ever associate this version of him with the kid you used to know, and he isn’t about to remind you.

At dinner that night, you find yourself peering back over at the blonde, your mind occupied with questions about him.

You feel like your camper self, looking over at a cute boy that you’re kind of scared to talk to, except this time Kim Mingyu is not the object of your attention. You can actually feel your younger self gawking at you for not taking the chance to flirt with her crush, but for some reason it’s your daring co-leader that is taking up all the space in your mind.

Wow – you think you really are absurd, blushing over a guy you’d met earlier that day. Your friends may have mocked you for your hopeless love life, but they wouldn’t be able to contain themselves if they saw you now.

The rain is coming down outside in a steady drizzle, a soft, rhythmic patter against the cabin roof that creates a cozy, if dreary atmosphere. Some of the campers, having been stuck indoors all afternoon, are grumbling about their ruined evening plans, while others huddle together in the hall, trying to stay entertained.

You glance out of the window, watching the drops streak down the glass as the grey sky darkens into evening. The air inside the cabin feels a little stuffy, and you can tell that everyone needs a pick-me-up, even the other counsellors. That’s when an idea hits you – your trip down memory lane jogging a sweet treat that always lifted your spirits when you were younger.

“Hey, guys!” You call out, clapping your hands together with a grin. A few heads turn your way, curiosity flickering across their faces. “Who’s up for some peppermint hot chocolate?”

“Peppermint hot chocolate?” One of the young girls asks, her eyes wide with anticipation.

“Oh yeah,” you beam, heading toward the small kitchenette. “It’s my special recipe. Guaranteed to make rainy days a hundred times better.”

In the corner of your gaze, you see Mingyu standing up with a large grin, nodding at the kids. “Just what we all need!”

A buzz of excited murmurs spread through the group. Meeting Mingyu’s eyes to express your gratitude for his support, you let everyone know that the hot chocolate should be ready in only a few minutes.

As you gather the ingredients, pulling out the cocoa powder, milk, sugar, and peppermint extract, the chatter in the cabin grows livelier. You’ve been making this recipe for years, ever since you learned it from your grandmother, and it has become your go-to for nights like this.

Just as you get into the rhythm of stirring, you feel someone step beside you. Turning, you see Hoshi leaning casually against the counter, watching you with a small smile that makes your heart skip a beat.

“You’re a lifesaver,” he says, glancing around the room. “The kids were about to start climbing the walls.”

“It’s my secret weapon for rainy days.” You reply, glancing at him form over your shoulder. “Peppermint hot chocolate – grandma’s tradition.”

Hoshi chuckles, watching you with a soft gaze. “Secret weapon, huh? I had no idea that you were a hot chocolate expert on top of everything else.”

“Oh, you have no idea the depths of my talent. This hot chocolate is just the tip of the iceberg.”

He raises an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smirk. “Is that so? Guess I’ll have to stick around and see what other surprises you’ve got up your sleeve.”

“Oh, trust me, you’re not ready for the full 'Peppermint' experience,” You tease, trying to sound casual, but feeling the heat rising in your face, and you know the cause isn’t the hot chocolate. Was he being... nice? Or is that—no, don’t overthink it, you tell yourself.

Hoshi steps a little closer, peering into the pot as the chocolate mixture begins to bubble. “Looks like you’ve got this down to a science.” He remarks, voice low and teasing.

You shoot him a playful look. “What can I say? I aim to impress. Besides, I figured the campers deserve a little something special after being cooped up all afternoon.”

He smiles now, and for a moment, the teasing falls away. “It’s hard to believe that it’s your first day doing this – you’re good at it. Taking care of the kids. Keeping everyone’s spirits up.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” you say, waving a hand dismissively, though the warmth of his words settles in your chest. “I just want them to have fun, you know? The same as all of you guys.”

“I don’t know if you realise it, but you’ve already got most of us hooked. That hot chocolate is just the cherry on top.”

Your breath hitches slightly at his words, and you look up at him, your eyes meeting his. For a moment, the rainy world outside the cabin fades away, leaving just the two of your standing in the warm glow of the kitchen, the pot bubbling gently between you.

You blink rapidly, feeling your cheeks turn even redder. Is he flirting? No way. You are probably just misreading it, like you always do. Right? Surely, he is just being friendly. That’s all.

Before you can spiral any further, you snap back around to the hot chocolate. You quickly ladle a scoop into one of the mugs, spilling a little onto the counter in your haste.

“You’ll be hooked on this when you’ve tasted it!” You chirp, overcorrecting for your nervousness with a panicked cheerfulness.

Giving you a small, lingering smile, Hoshi softly takes the cup from your hands and takes a sip, his eyes never leaving yours.

“Okay, I’ll admit it,” he says, lowering the mug with a grin. “This is really good. You might be onto something with the peppermint.”

You smile sheepishly, feeling a swell of pride but still a little awkward under his gaze. “Thanks. I’m glad you like it.”

“I don’t just like it,” he teases, his voice dropping slightly. “I think you just made my day.”

Your heart feels completely overwhelmed. Is he doing this on purpose? You’re already hopeless at telling friendliness from flirting, and you certainly aren’t used to these little compliments, and it’s all too much for you to handle.

You hand out the rest of the mugs to the campers, avoiding eye contact with Hoshi who stays by your side to help. The kids take them eagerly, sipping their hot chocolate with delighted smiles. The cabin is filled with warmth, not just from the drinks, but from the cozy, cheerful atmosphere that has blossomed despite the rain.

“Hey, this is great hot chocolate!” Mingyu sings as he walks over to your station, half-full cup in hand.

You grin at him, happy for a distraction from the uncertainty standing next to you. “Thanks! The kids seem pretty happy.”

“Totally. You saved the day.” Mingyu praises with an exaggerated sigh of relief. “And, I heard some of the kids calling you ‘peppermint hot chocolate’, so I think – if we shorten it – you may be able to embroider your shirt. ‘Peppermint’ is a pretty cute nickname, all things considered.”

To your side, you think you see Hoshi grimacing for a second, but the expression is quickly wiped from his features.

“It’s a good suggestion.” He says, his tone flatter than it had been earlier.

“I’ll take it! Although if the kids are already calling me it, I suppose I don’t have much choice!” You say cheerfully, feeling your cheeks flushing at the thought. But, you are endeared towards the nickname, and having the campers respect you enough to give you a personalised nickname is pretty special.

By the time you’ve finished talking to Mingyu, Hoshi seems to have disappeared from your side. Even though you feel increasingly nervous around him, a part of you is a little sad that you no longer get to talk with him. But, you have chores to get on with, and 100 mugs aren’t going to clean themselves.

The next two weeks fly past. The camp is alive with the sounds of laughter, shouts and the crackling of campfire, and the days blend together as the campers rotate through their favourite activities.

You’ve spent a lot of time trying to get to know everyone, with a particular focus on your group of campers and the other camp counsellors.

Hoshi and you have still been co-leaders for most of the time, although you’d had a few sessions with Mingyu, Sparks, and one with Gecko. The more time that you spend with Hoshi, the more you are falling deeper into your crush, even if you hate to admit it.

At the start, you’d wondered if the crush was just the product of a new environment, new people, and a lingering suggestion from your friends of a summer romance that latched onto the first cute person you saw. But, if that were true, Mingyu would have been the object of your affections. At this point, you are forced to admit that your crush on Hoshi is more than a matter of convenience. He’s funny, adventurous, and great with the kids, and you have to stop yourself from staring at his face for too long when you’re together.

It’s made it a little harder for you to co-lead with him, but you think you’ve done a pretty good job of hiding your feelings. The last thing you’d want to do is make things awkward for him and the kids, and you’ve had one too many unrequired crushes to make such a rookie mistake as to publicise it.

That evening, after a long day of camp activities, the kids finally settled into their own cabins, the counsellors are left with some well-earned downtime.

You, Gecko, and Fairy pile into your shared cabin, which has quickly become a sanctuary at the end of each hectic day. The cabin is cozy, its wooden walls creaking faintly with the evening breeze that slips through the screen windows.

You flop onto your bed, letting out an exaggerated groan of exhaustion, your limbs spread out like a starfish. “I don’t know about you two, but those kids wore me out today,” you say, dramatically throwing an arm over your eyes. “If I have to get into another canoe, I think I might actually become one with the lake.”

Gecko, who is sitting cross-legged on her bed, leafing through an old camp magazine, snorts. “Yeah, right. You’re like the Energizer Bunny, Peps. I’ve never seen you actually sit still.”

“True!” Fairy pipes in, hoping up onto her bunk and dangling her legs over the edge. “I swear, you were running circles around those kids during the canoe races. I was convinced you were going to tip the boat from sheer excitement.”

You peak out from under your arm, grinning. “Hey, I’m just trying to keep the energy up! These kids need someone to cheer them up!”

"You and Hoshi sure are making it hard for us other counsellors to keep up. My kids came in today asking to have a paint fight because of your antics yesterday." Gecko rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Are we sure you're not secretly still a camper?"

At the mention of Hoshi, you feel a blush creep up your cheeks, though you try and laugh it off. “Please, if you’re going to blame anyone, blame Mingyu – he threw the first brush!”

Fairy smirks, noticing the slight pink tint to your face. She twirls a lock of hair around her finger, her eyes narrowing playfully. “You know, it always catches me off guard when you refer to him as Mingyu.” She begins, her voice dripping with curiosity. “He’s the only counsellor you do that with.”

“I hadn’t realised.” You hum, thinking over her words. “I guess because I’ve known him for so long, it feels weird to not call him Mingyu.”

Gecko and Fairy share a look.

“Sure, but you guys have been spending a lot of time together lately.” Gecko says, raising an eyebrow as she leans back on her hands.

You feel your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Had you?

You’d co-led with Mingyu a couple times over the last few weeks, and spent a bit of time catching up on old memories, but you didn’t think you’d spent any more time with him than any of the other counsellors.

“You think so? I wouldn’t say so.”

“Oh, please,” Fairy scoffs, hopping down from her bunk and plopping onto the bed next to you. “Tell me honestly that there isn’t some history there.”

You blink, flustered. “Oh, well, I guess…” You begin, feeling compelled to tell the truth under their curious gazes. “Okay, well you can’t tell anyone, but I used to have a crush on him when we were campers. Not anymore though!”

You see the pair of them smirk at each other.

“- we’re just friends now. And I wouldn’t want any more. To be honest, I’d be more likely to date Hoshi than Mingyu.” You admit, the blush on your cheeks darkening at your confession.

“Of course! We wouldn’t think any different!” Fairy says in a tone that makes you wonder if she’d actually heard what you just said.

“And it’s totally fine, everyone thinks Mingyu’s hot.” Gecko adds, and you realise that they hadn’t at all heard what you just said.

You sigh, leaning back onto your arms. “I guess.”

Fairy hums out a satisfied tune, moving back onto her bunk. You suppose that it’s still a bit early to emphasise your crush on Hoshi right now, and let the moment pass, hoping that they wouldn’t take it any further in their mistaken understanding of your love life.

Soonyoung is not jealous – he’s determined.

He’s spent the last few weeks trying to keep his cool around you, but it’s hard not to get caught up in everything you are. There’s something magnetic about the way you move through camp, always laughing, always making the kids feel safe and happy. He’s changed so much since you were younger, but you haven’t changed at all.

The issue is – your feelings are an enigma to him. In his eyes, it seems like you’re flirting back with him, laughing at his jokes, placing your hand on his arm, and he’s spotted you looking at him a few times now.

But he’d overheard some campers around the campfire giggling about you and Mingyu and begun to wonder if he’s mistaken your kindness for something greater.

He doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable if he’s wrong, especially when you haven’t explicitly given him any signal, but he also doesn’t want to ignore the spark he feels between you.

That night, as the campfire crackles under the stars, the campers roast marshmallows and sing songs under the stars. You’re sat cross-legged on one of the logs, leading a small group of kids in a lively rendition of an old campfire favourite. Your voice is light and playful, if a little off-pitch, and Soonyoung can feel your laughter infecting him as the kids fumble through the lyrics.

He sits back in his seat with a content smile, watching from across the fire. The firelight dances on your face, your hair illuminated in soft, flickering hues.

“Hey, Hoshi!” You call out from across the fire, your eyes gleaming with excitement. “We’re going to have a marshmallow roasting contest. You in?”

He chuckles, standing up and making his way over. “You’re on,” he says, grabbing a stick. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you – I make the perfect golden marshmallow.”

You stick your tongue cutely out at him in mock defiance. “We’ll see about that.”

The campers gather round, joining in and bursting into laughter as Soonyoung’s marshmallow drops into the fire. He can’t find it inside himself to care though, as he watches the delight etch onto your face as you realise his mistake.

As the kids head off to their cabins for the night, you grab his arm, pulling him off to one side.

“Sorry, I know you probably just wanna crash out, but I wanted to ask you something.” You say quietly, with a small, apologetic smile.

Soonyoung’s heart begins to patter, curious and slightly nervous at what you’ll want to know.

“How’d you know that I was a camper here before?”

Ah, shit.

He thinks back to your second day as co-leaders, when he’d let it slip that he knew you went to Camp Logan as a child. The rain had started pouring, cutting off any questions you could have had, and he’d hoped you’d forgotten about it.

“Well, it was only your second day, but you were bounding all over the place like you knew where everything is – and I know Mingyu doesn’t give that in-depth of a tour.” He replies, his tone casual.

“Ahh, I suppose it does make sense. Also-” You poke at your old camp t-shirt that you are still donning. “I guess I fit the stereotype a little.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, you’re not the only person who returned here as an adult.” He laughs, hoping to make you feel better.

Your eyebrows shoot back with curiosity. “Oh, really? Did you come here too?”

Soonyoung realises his mistake. “Oh, uh, I did go to a summer camp as a kid,” he splutters, caught off guard. “But a different one. Not this one.”

You look a little confused for a second, but nod your head in understanding.

Soonyoung lets out a quiet breath, thankful that you didn’t push the subject further. He’s always been good at staying calm, at least outwardly, but right now, standing here with you so close, his heart is doing somersaults. Not to mention, the way that the firelight glows on your face is making it hard for him to focus on anything else.

“So,” you say with a smile. “You promised to tell me the story of your nickname – I haven’t forgotten!”

He lets out a relieved chuckle, glad that the conversation topic has changed.

“Oh, well, technically Hoshi means ‘star’ – I got it because I used to stare at the stars every night when I was a camper,” Soonyoung explains, his voice taking on a nostalgic tone. He glances up at the sky, taking in the faint but twinkling stars. “I guess the other counsellors thought it was funny that I was obsessed with them. I got approved to do some star-gazing sessions this year, though, which is pretty cool.”

You smile, your curiosity piqued. “Wow, I didn’t realise that you were into that, that’s really amazing.”

He grins, eyes flicking back to meet yours. “Yeah, and I kinda like the name now – ‘Hoshi’ sounds cool, right?”

You giggle. “It does suit you. Though I’ll have to keep an eye on you during nighttime hikes, just in case you wander off to stare at the sky.”

Soonyoung laughs, shaking his head. There’s a comfortable pause, the crackling of the fire filling the space between you. The warmth from the flames mirror the warmth in his chest as he stands next to you, but there is something more pulling at him. He can’t help but feel the weight of everything unsaid between you two—the lingering looks, the playful touches, the way your smile always seems a little brighter when it’s directed at him. He needs to know if he’s imagining it.

“Actually,” Soonyoung says, his voice lowering slightly, a playful edge creeping in, “I think there’s something else that suits me.”

You tilt your head. “Oh? What’s that?”

He hesitates for a beat, his eyes locking with yours, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Being around you.” He says, his voice soft but teasing. “I’ve gotta admit, the stars just seem to gleam brighter when you’re around.”

A blush immediately creeps up your neck, and you look away from him for a second, taken off guard.

“You’re shameless.” You stammer, unable to meet his gaze again.

“It’s true – I’ve noticed that the stars just look better when we’re together. Or maybe it’s just because I’m distracted.”

He has to admit that he’s enjoying how flustered you look as you blink at him. “Oh, come on,” you finally reply, “you’re just trying to get out of telling me more embarrassing stories from your camper days.”

Soonyoung chuckles, stepping just a little closer. “Maybe,” he shrugs. “Or maybe I’m telling the truth.”

The space between you suddenly feels much smaller, and he can feel his own heartbeat racing.

You look back over at time, a small smile ghosting across your lips as the firelight reflects from your eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe,” he says again, his voice light. “But if it means I get to see you smile like that … then I’ll take it.”

Your smile grows brighter, and Soonyoung wonders if you know that he is telling the truth.

“Well, you have a knack for making me smile.” You respond softly, and it’s his turn to feel bashful. All he can do is nod his head, unable to keep his own lips from quirking up back to you.

At the mid-point of the summer, you can tell that the camp is at a bit of a low. The homesickness has kicked in after weeks away from family, and the other counsellors are struggling to maintain the energy after the exhaustion of endless work.

Thankfully, as you well remember, this has been a recurring problem every year, and one that the camp has provisioned for.

Unlike the general mood, you are rather excited. Mingyu has been organising a camp disco for all of the campers over the last few days, and you can’t wait to see the shine come back to the kids’ faces. But, more than that, the counsellors are having their own little after party once the kids are asleep.

You’ve spent a lot of time with the other counsellors now, and although there haven’t been many chances, you have been able to do some group activities together. But, to have a night to properly relax, kick back, and have a drink whilst the camp manager Laura watches over the kids is going to be a much-needed break. You can almost feel the anticipation buzzing in the air as you and the other counsellors exchange knowing glances throughout the day. Mingyu has been working hard to keep the details of the disco under wraps, and although the kids don’t know it yet, tonight is going to be exactly what they need to shake off the homesickness and recharge for the rest of the summer.

You glance across the campgrounds, catching sight of Hoshi helping some of the kids with a craft project. He’s been quieter the past few days, but you can’t help but notice the way he sneaks glances at you when he thinks you aren’t looking. Since that night by the campfire, when he’d said those words that left you a blushing mess, things have been... different. There’s this undercurrent between you two, subtle but undeniably there.

You feel a little flutter in your chest as you think about it, shaking your head to focus back on the task at hand. Tonight is going to be a good night for everyone, and you’re not about to let your presumptive heart distract you from the fun.

The camp disco is in full swing by the time the sun sets. The kids are bouncing around the hall, glow sticks in hand, dancing to their favourite songs, their earlier gloom forgotten. Mingyu, as expected, has done an amazing job—streamers hang from the ceiling, fairy lights twinkle in the corners, and the DJ (Old Bill) is playing all the right tunes. You smile, watching the kids come alive again, their excitement contagious.

You find yourself swaying to the music, encouraging the shy campers to join in on the dance floor, and before long, the room is full of laughter and energy. It’s working. The mood has completely shifted, and for the first time in days, it feels like the homesickness has melted away.

At one point, you’re pulled into a dance-off with a group of younger campers, their enthusiasm too infectious to refuse. You’re spinning and laughing, barely noticing when Hoshi sidles up next to you.

“You’re showing them up,” he says with a grin.

You stop mid-spin, a little breathless, grinning back at him. “Well, someone has to keep up with them,” you reply, playfully nudging him.

He laughs, and the sound is too quickly carried away by the thrum of the music. Before you get any chance to chat more, one of the campers tugs at your hand, pulling you back into the dance circle.

The night flies by, the disco ending with tired but happy kids heading back to their cabins. You wave them off, thanking Mingyu for organizing everything as you begin to gather with the other counsellors towards the staff cabin.

An hour later, the camp feels almost eerily quiet. The campers are fast asleep, and the counsellors have migrated to the staff cabin, music playing softly in the background, the lights dimmed. You can feel the collective sigh of relief as you and the others sink into chairs, finally able to relax.

Mingyu cracks open a few bottles of wine and passes them around, and the conversation quickly shifts from camp duties to light-hearted banter. Everyone’s unwinding, the exhaustion of the past few weeks melting away with each sip.

Hoshi takes a seat next to you, handing you a glass with a casual smile. "You look like you’re still buzzing from the dance party.”

 “It was fun. You’re a good dancer, you know?” You say sincerely, remembering watching him out with the kids. When he wasn’t twirling the campers around or doing stupid moves to make them laugh, he had truly been a sight to behold – moving perfectly to the rhythm with a groove you hadn’t expected.

“Thanks – you killed it in the dance battle. I think you’re lucky you already have a nickname or they’d start calling you ‘the sprinkler’.”

Your nose crinkles with disgust, and you can hear Hoshi laughing at your expression. “Absolutely not. I hope that never-”

“Hey, Pepper!” You hear from behind you, and you turn to see Fairy waving for you to come over.

You turn back around to Hoshi, giving him an apologetic smile as you move towards your cabinmate.

“What’s up?”

Fairy grins mischievously, patting the spot next to her on the couch. The other counsellors are gathered around, some holding their wine glasses, others lounging in comfortable silence. You sit down beside her, and she wastes no time leaning in conspiratorially.

“We’re starting a game,” she whispers, her eyes sparking with mischief. “You can thank me later.”

You raise an eyebrow, confused at her meaning. “Huh? What kind of game?”

Before Fairy can answer, Mingyu appears, plopping down on the other side of you with a bottle of wine in hand. “We’re playing ‘Truth or Drink’” he announces with a grin. “Or, as I like to call it, exposing everyone’s secrets while we’re too tired to care.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “Wow, I think we played this when we were campers.”

Fairy nods, smirking. “He’s just trying to get out of answering questions.”

“Oh, no. I’m an open book,” Mingyu teases, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. “But you—” he gestures toward you—“I bet you have some juicy secrets.”

Fairy claps her hands together, drawing everyone’s attention. “Alright, let’s get started! We’ll go in a circle. Truth or drink. If you don’t wanna answer, you take a drink.”

The game kicks off with the usual light-hearted questions. The counsellors take turns asking things like, ‘What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at camp?’ and ‘what’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen a camper do?’ Laughter echoes through the cabin as the group shares funny stories. Your gaze catches on Hoshi, sitting across from you, as he animatedly retells a story about the time that he ran a 100m sprint whilst drunk.

A little way into the game, Fairy turns toward you, a look that puts you on edge in her eye. “Okay, Pepper, this one’s for you.”

“Go on…”

She leans forward, her voice lowering to make the moment feel more dramatic. “Have you ever had a crush on anyone here?”

The group immediately bursts into giggles, all eyes turning toward you. You feel the heat rise to your cheeks from the attention. You cannot believe that she’s just asked you that.

You let out a soft groan, covering your face with your hands for a moment. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Come on,” Mingyu says, nudging you with his elbow. “You can’t back out now!”

Looking back at Mingyu, you realise you have a choice. Admit to your childhood crush on him, admit to your current crush on Hoshi, or drink and let everyone realise that you do in fact like someone. The answer seems obvious to you – you didn’t like Mingyu anymore so admitting to that crush would be embarrassing but you could get over it.

You peek out from behind your fingers, letting out a flustered laugh. “Alright, alright!” You take a deep breath, deciding to just go with it. “When I was younger… I used to have the biggest crush on Mingyu.”

The room goes silent for a beat before erupting into laughter. Mingyu’s eyes widen, clearly not expecting that answer, while the others start whooping and teasing him.

As the laughter from your confession settles, you glance around the circle, catching a glimpse of Hoshi sitting quietly across the room. His playful grin is still there, but something in his eyes has changed. It's subtle, but the usual lighthearted sparkle has dimmed just a little, and his posture seems more tense than relaxed. You blink, wondering if you’re imagining it, but you can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.

Meanwhile, the other counsellors are still buzzing with excitement over your confession. Mingyu, clearly enjoying the attention, leans back with an exaggerated smirk.

“So, Peps,” he teases, his grin wide, “I guess I was your first camp crush, huh? Man, that’s a big responsibility.”

You roll your eyes, laughing. “Don’t flatter yourself too much. I was, like, twelve. It doesn’t even count.”

Fairy chimes in, giving you a sly look. “I dunno, you two always seem pretty close. Are you sure you’re over him?”

You’re about to respond, to brush off the teasing, but before you can say anything, Hoshi speaks up from across the room, his voice a little sharper than usual. “Come on, Fairy – she said it was ages ago. We don’t need to interrogate her.”

You blink, surprised by his tone. The group falls silent for a beat, and you can feel a shift in the room, the playful banter suddenly feeling a little heavier.

Mingyu, ever oblivious, laughs and holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. No more teasing. Pepper, your secret’s safe with me.”

But as the conversation moves on, you can’t help but glance over at Soonyoung again. His jaw is tight, and while he’s pretending to be engaged in the new topic, you sense his mood is off from his usual demeanour.

After a few more rounds of the game, the atmosphere goes back to normal – aided by a very funny impression of Hatter by Sparks.

“Alright, my turn to ask.” Sparks grins, looking around the circle like a predator looking for prey. Sparks’ gaze lands on Hoshi, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Alright, Hoshi—no dodging this one. Truth or drink?"

Hoshi raises an eyebrow, smirking but clearly unfazed. "Truth. Hit me with your best shot."

Sparks grins wider. "Alright, Soonyoung, tell us… what’s something from your camper days that none of us know?"

The moment the name "Soonyoung" leaves Sparks’ lips, you feel a jolt. Soonyoung? Why does that sound so familiar? The name echoes in your head, and suddenly, it hits you like a wave crashing onto the shore.

Soonyoung.

You stare at Hoshi – no, Soonyoung – wide-eyed, your heart skipping a beat as the realisation sets in. He was at camp before. Not just any camp, but this camp. And you knew him – that shy boy from all those summers ago.

Your breath catches in your throat as the pieces click into place. You’d spent all these weeks with him, not realizing he was that Soonyoung. He’s changed so much—more confident, more playful—but there’s no mistaking it now.

Soonyoung’s gaze flickers, meeting yours for just a moment too long before he looks away, his expression shifting. His smile vanishes, replaced with something more guarded—something that makes your heart twist. You’re on the verge of saying something, of asking him, why didn’t you tell me?, when he clears his throat, breaking the eye contact as quickly as it happened.

“Uh yeah,” he says, his voice more subdued. He forces a laugh, but is sounds hollow. “There’s nothing too exciting – one time, I accidently called the counsellor ‘mom’ in front of the whole group. That was pretty hard to live down.”

The other counsellors chuckle, buying into his casual response, but you can’t tear your eyes away from him.

Minutes pass, and every time you try to say something, to bring it up, he’s conveniently out of reach—answering a question from Fairy, joking with Mingyu, or pouring another drink for Sparks.

The atmosphere in the room returns to normal, everyone laughing and enjoying the game, but you’re stuck. Your thoughts are racing, replaying memories from your time at camp, piecing together everything you now know about him. You want to ask him why he never said anything, why he’s been keeping this hidden when you could’ve shared stories, laughed about the past. But more than that, you can’t shake the hurt—the feeling that maybe he didn’t want you to remember him at all.

Finally, as the game winds down and people start to leave the cabin, you seize the chance to approach him. You wait until the others are distracted, your heart pounding as you take a step toward him, your mind already formulating the questions you need answered.

"Soonyoung," you begin quietly, your voice just loud enough to catch his attention.

He looks at you, but the guarded expression is back, like a shield between you. He doesn’t give you time to say anything more.

"Hey, I think I’m gonna head to bed," he says abruptly, cutting you off before you can even start. He glances around the room, avoiding your eyes again. "It’s been a long day, you know?”

Your mouth opens, but nothing comes out. You watch, frozen, as he turns away, leaving you standing there with a knot in your chest. He slips out of the cabin before you can say another word, disappearing into the night without looking back.

The drunken chatter in the cabin isn’t making Soonyoung feel any better. Mingyu and Sparks had stumbled back together, laughing and swaying and not giving him any time to work out what just happened.

His head is a blur of emotions – scared that you now know the truth, sad at the look you were giving him, embarrassed of the past, and a little jealous of Mingyu.

Soonyoung leans against the wall, arms crossed tightly as Mingyu and Sparks collapse onto the bed in a fit of drunken laughter. He tries to smile, to act like everything is fine, but his thoughts keep spiralling. His heart hasn’t stopped racing since Sparks let his name slip, and now, every time he thinks of the look on your face, that wide-eyed realization, it twists the knot in his chest a little tighter.

You know. You finally know who he really is, and he has no idea what to do with that.

“So, (Y/n) really had a crush on me, huh?” Mingyu says, grinning as he pulls off his shoes and tosses them into the corner. “I mean, I knew I was charming, but I didn’t realise I was that charming.”

Sparks laughs, kicking his legs up onto his bunk. “Dude, she admitted it in front of everyone. You’re lucky we didn’t start calling you ‘Pepper’s new boyfriend’ right there.”

Soonyoung’s jaw tightens, and he stares down at his hands. He doesn’t want to listen to this. He really doesn’t want to hear Mingyu, who’s been hovering around you for weeks, talking about your confession, as if it’s still a big deal, as if it’s more than just an innocent childhood crush.

But Mingyu keeps going, his voice full of amusement. “Man, I should’ve paid more attention back then. I didn’t even realize she was crushing on me when we were kids. Can you imagine if I’d noticed?”

Sparks snorts, shaking his head. “You probably would’ve been too clueless to do anything about it.”

Mingyu shrugs, laughing. “Maybe. But hey, it’s not too late, right?”

Soonyoung feels his chest tighten. The words hit him like a punch, even though Mingyu is clearly joking. The easy way he talks about you, as if he could just turn on the charm and pick up where your old feelings left off, makes Soonyoung’s blood boil.

“Maybe you should try,” Sparks says, grinning. “Pepper is cool. You guys would make a cute couple.”

He wants to say something—anything—to stop this conversation from going any further, but he can’t. His throat feels tight, and his thoughts are all over the place, tangled in confusion and frustration.

Mingyu laughs again, the sound light and careless. “Nah, I’m just messing around. We’re good friends. But still, it’s kinda funny, right? Me and (Y/n). Who would’ve thought?”

“Can we drop it?” His voice is sharper than he intends, cutting through the laughter. Both Mingyu and Sparks go quiet, turning to look at him in surprise.

Mingyu raises an eyebrow, clearly confused. “What’s up with you, man? We’re just joking around.”

Soonyoung swallows hard, trying to keep his voice steady. “I know. But can we just… not?”

Sparks glances between the two of them, sensing the tension but not quite understanding it. “Dude, relax. It’s not that serious.”

But it is serious, at least to him. He can feel the weight of everything pressing down on him—your confession, the truth about his past, the way you looked at him earlier when you figured out who he really was.

Mingyu narrows his eyes slightly, finally starting to catch on that something’s bothering Soonyoung. “Okay… what’s going on with you?”

Soonyoung exhales, leaning back against the wall, his heart still pounding. He doesn’t want to have this conversation. Not with Mingyu. Not when he’s still trying to sort through his own feelings, his jealousy, his fear that maybe he’s already too late.

“Nothing,” Soonyoung mutters, his voice tight. “Just tired. I’m heading to bed.”

Without waiting for a response, he pushes himself up from his bunk and heads for the door, needing to get out of there.

As the door closes behind him, he hears Mingyu say something to Sparks, his voice lower now so that Soonyoung cannot hear what he’s saying.

“You think he’s jealous?” Sparks asks, half-joking but with a hint of seriousness.

Mingyu chuckles softly, but there’s an edge to his tone. “Maybe.”

Soonyoung grits his teeth as he steps into the cool night air, the quiet of the campgrounds a stark contrast to the noise in his head. He doesn’t want to be jealous, but he can’t help it. It’s eating at him, the way Mingyu talks about you so casually, like he has the right to claim a piece of your past, like it wouldn’t be that hard for him to step into your present.

And all Soonyoung can think is that he’s been hiding behind Hoshi for so long, afraid to show you who he really is, that he might’ve lost his chance before he ever truly had it.

The problem with being known as the bubbly, energetic counsellor is that it’s immediately obvious to everyone when you are not feeling bubbly or energetic.

You’ve tried to keep your energy up and you’re still having a lot of fun with your group, but its hard when half of your mind is filled with unanswered questions. And it doesn’t help that the only person that can answer them is avoiding you entirely.

Having had a bit of time to think about it, you are still entirely confused about the situation. You don’t understand why Soonyoung hid your shared past from you, you don’t understand why he’s ignoring you now, and you don’t understand why not talking to him is making you feel so bad (okay, maybe you do understand that one).

You’re not used to feeling like this—so off balance. Normally, you’re the one with the infectious energy, always the first to lift everyone’s spirits. But now? Now it’s hard to keep up the act. The kids don’t notice, thankfully. They’re still having fun, still looking to you for guidance, but the other counsellors have started to pick up on it.

“Hey, Pepper,” Gecko says one evening, sidling up next to you while you sit on a bench outside our shared cabin. “You okay? You’ve been kinda… off lately.”

You force a smile, even though your heart isn’t in it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired, I guess.”

Gecko raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Sure. And I’m a unicorn.”

You huff out a laugh despite yourself, grateful for the attempt to lighten the mood. “I don’t know. It’s just been a weird few days.”

Gecko nods, leaning back against the bench. “Anything to do with Hoshi?” she asks, her tone casual but probing.

You blink, startled by the directness of the question. “What? No, why would—”

“Oh, come on,” Gecko interrupts, giving you a knowing look. “It’s obvious something’s going on between you two. He’s been acting weird, and you’ve been all mopey. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

You bite your lip, unsure of how to respond. Part of you wants to spill everything—to tell Gecko about Soonyoung, about the past, about the way he’s been avoiding you—but another part of you feels too raw, too exposed to talk about it yet. So instead, you just shrug.

“I don’t know. We just… haven’t really talked lately.”

Gecko snorts. “Yeah, no kidding. He’s been avoiding you like you’ve got the plague or something.”

The words sting, even though you already know they’re true. You don’t say anything, just stare down at the ground, your mind racing with everything you haven’t been able to figure out.

Gecko seems to sense that you’re not ready to talk, because she nudges your shoulder gently and stands up. “Well, if you want to vent or throw pinecones at him or something, let me know. I’ll back you up.”

You manage a small smile as she walks away, but the moment she’s gone, the weight of everything comes crashing back down.

By the end of the week, your patience has worn thin. Soonyoung is frustratingly good at avoiding you. Every time you try to approach him, he slips away, always just out of reach. It’s almost like a game, except there’s nothing fun about it.

You watch him across the campfire one evening, the flames casting flickering shadows on his face. He’s laughing with the other counsellors, his expression as lighthearted as ever, and you don’t know how he’s so unbothered. It makes you want to scream.

You don’t know what to do, but you do know what you normally would do when you feel like this – who you’d normally talk to.

That night, you find a snug space in the mess hall after everyone else had gone to bed. Typing the familiar number into your phone, you hear the brief ringing before the twin voices of your best friends ring out through the tinny speakers.

“(Y/n)!” Emma’s voice is the first to break through. “What’s up? You never call this late. Everything okay?”

Jane’s voice follows immediately after. “Yeah, it’s gotta be past midnight over there. What’s going on?”

You let out a sigh, leaning back against the wall of the hall and twirl a strand of your hair between your fingers. You don’t even know where to begin, but you know you need to talk to them. If anyone can help you sort through this mess, it’s Emma and Jane.

“Hey, guys,” you say, your voice quieter than usual. “I’m… I’m just feeling a little off, I guess. Camp’s great, but there’s this... thing.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line before Emma pipes up. “Ooh, sounds like someone’s got boy drama.”

“Shut up,” you mutter, even though a smile pulls at your lips. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh, but it totally is,” Jane interjects. “I can hear it in your voice. You sound all conflicted and mopey like the time that Joshua Hong rejected you in freshman year. Spill, (Y/n). What’s going on? Is it about Mingyu?”

You bite your lip, unsure of how to explain everything without sounding completely ridiculous. You hadn’t let slip about your feelings towards Soonyoung on any of your previous calls, even if you had mentioned him before. “No, it’s about someone else - my co-leader, Soonyoung.”

You can hear your friends cooing through the phone.

“It turns out we were campers here together when we were kids, and he just didn’t tell me. Now that I’ve figured it out, he’s avoiding me, and I don’t know why.”

“So… wait,” Emma says slowly, as if piecing it all together. “You knew him when you were kids, but he didn’t tell you who he really was until now?”

“Exactly,” you sigh. “I didn’t remember because he’s so different now – I mean he looks different, and he used to by really shy - but now that I know, he’s been dodging me. Every time I try to talk to him, he slips away. It’s like he doesn’t want me to know the truth.”

Jane’s voice is thoughtful when she finally speaks. “Okay, so let’s break this down. Why do you think he didn’t tell you?”

You shrug, even though they can’t see you. “I don’t know. Maybe he thought it didn’t matter, or he didn’t want to dredge up old memories.”

“Or maybe,” Emma chimes in, “he thought it would change how you saw him.”

You blink, taken aback. “Why would it change anything?”

“Because he’s not the same person anymore,” Emma says matter-of-factly. “He’s confident and outgoing now, right? Maybe he’s worried you’ll only see him as the shy kid you remember instead of who he is now.”

That thought hadn’t even crossed your mind, and you let it settle for a moment. Soonyoung was so sure of himself now, but was there a part of him that was still afraid of being that quiet, overlooked kid?

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why he’s avoiding me now,” you say. “I just want to talk to him and clear the air, but he won’t give me the chance.”

Jane speaks up this time, her voice firm. “Well, then you’ve got to stop waiting for him to come around. You’ve got to force him to talk to you.”

“Force him?” you ask, feeling a bit unsure. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“Not literally drag him by the collar or anything,” Jane says, laughing softly. “But you need to be direct. If he’s not coming to you, then you go to him. Corner him somewhere he can’t run away. He obviously has something he’s not saying, and the only way you’re going to get answers is if you stop giving him the option to avoid you.”

Emma agrees immediately. “Yeah, if he’s not going to be brave enough to face it, you’ve gotta take the lead. You’re (Y/n), for crying out loud. You’ve never been one to back down from a tough conversation.”

You chew on your lip, their advice sinking in. They’re right. You’ve been waiting, hoping that Soonyoung would come to you, that he would explain himself. But that’s not going to happen. If you want answers, if you want to figure out why he’s been avoiding you and what’s really going on, you’ll have to be the one to confront him.

But the thought of it makes your heart race. “What if he’s just avoiding me because… I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t want to be friends anymore?”

Jane’s laugh is sharp and confident. “If he didn’t want to be around you, he wouldn’t be this weird about it. He’d just be distant and chill. This sounds more like he’s scared or confused. You’ve got to talk to him.”

Emma’s voice softens, more serious now. “Look, the worst thing you can do is leave things unsaid. You’ll drive yourself crazy overthinking it. So just corner him somewhere, ask him straight-up what’s going on, and don’t let him avoid the conversation.”

You take a deep breath, feeling a mix of anxiety and determination settle over you.

“Okay,” you say, nodding to yourself. “You’re right. I’m going to talk to him.”

“Damn right you are,” Jane says, her voice filled with pride. “And, oh my god, can we just quickly mention that I was totally right about your summer romance.”

You choke out a laugh, your head falling back. “Don’t forget that he currently won’t speak to me, let alone actually like me back.”

Emma scoffs, booing down the phone. “Nuh, uh. I don’t want to hear that negative speak. You’re going to find that boy, force him to talk to you, and then jump his bones – I can feel it in the air.”

“Okay, I’m going to hang up now.” You crack up, unable to contain the joy from chatting with your best friends again. Despite Emma’s proclivity for vulgarity, you can’t help but feel a sense of home radiating from the phone.

In spite of your threat, you do actually want to hear about how your friends are doing, what they’re up to now that they’re home from their holiday. You spend the next hour or so chatting, laughing, and feeling a whole lot more like yourself again.

The first rumble of thunder that afternoon had been distant, barely a low grumble on the horizon as the campers gathered in the west building for their activities. By the time that dinner started, the sky has darkened dramatically, thick clouds rolling in like a blanket over the campgrounds. A sudden gust of wind sends the trees swaying, and the smell of rain is heavy in the air.

You have been leading a group of campers in a silly skit, testing their acting abilities with some bastardised version of Shakespeare. Their laughter bubbles through the room as the first flash of lightning streaks across the sky. The crack of thunder that follows seems to shake the whole camp and, just like that, the power flickers out.

The mess hall is plunged into darkness, the only light coming from a faint glow of the evening storm outside. A collective gasp goes up through the room, and the campers freeze, their eyes wide as they look around in fear.

“Alright, guys, no big deal!” You hear Mingyu’s voice call out from across the other side of the hall. “The power’s just taking a little break.”

A second bolt of lightning lit up the hall, and the windows rattled with the booming thunder that followed. This time, a few of the younger kids whimper, and one of the older ones calls out, “What if the storm gets worse? What if we’re stuck here?”

You feel a flicker of doubt, but before you can speak, a familiar voice cuts through the nervous chatter.

“Hey, come on, guys. This isn’t a storm – it’s an adventure.”

Soonyoung strides to the front of the room, his expression completely unbothered, his signature grin firmly in place. Even in the dim light, there is a calmness radiating from him that instantly shifts the mood. He rubs his hands together, as if gearing up for some grand plan. “You’ve all seen movies, right? Power goes out, storm rolls in… that’s when the real fun starts.”

A few campers exchange glances, clearly intrigued, and you feel a wave of relief as the attention shifted from fear to curiosity.

“And what we’re going to do,” Sparks jumps in, joining Soonyoung at the front. “Is make this the most epic camp night ever. No electricity? No problem. That just means we get to tell the best stories.”

As the kids begin to chat between themselves, a spark of excitement now overtaking the room, you gather with the other counsellors to work out a plan.

“Fairy and I will go and get some torches and candles, make a nice cozy atmosphere while we’re waiting for the power to come back.” Mingyu suggests.

“Great, and I can lead a story time, get the kids distracted.” Sparks adds, and Hatter nods in agreement.

Mingyu’s brows furrow for a moment, looking around the room. “We should probably get Old Bill to go check the breakers, see if we can turn the power on.”

“Oh, no need, I can go check them!” You say with a cheerful grin, wanting to be as helpful as you can.

“Are you sure?” Mingyu checks with a frown. “Maybe someone else should go with you.”

“Soonyoung should go.” Gecko pipes in, and you see her giving you a look in your peripheral vision.

Soonyoung hesitates for a moment, before nodding.

“Okay, cool, and Gecko and Ace can work on some snacks and drinks for everyone?”

As everyone agrees to the plan, you feel a sense of opportunity. Soonyoung is going to talk to you tonight, whether he likes it or not.

The loud bangs and rustling of the storm prevents you from any conversation on the way to the breaker room, leaving you filled with tension as you slam the metal door shut behind you. Soonyoung is in front of you, flicking on the battery-powered lights in the room as you lock the door.

He glances around at you for a second, before turning back to the breakers. “So, I guess we just switch them off and on and see what happens?”

The dim light in the breaker room flickers overhead as Soonyoung turns his attention to the row of switches. You watch him quietly, your heart racing—not from fear of the storm, but from the sheer weight of everything you’ve been wanting to say to him.

For a few moments, neither of you speaks. The distant rumble of thunder fills the silence between you, and the occasional burst of lightning lights up the small, cramped room. Soonyoung seems entirely focused on the breakers, flipping one switch after another, as if the problem at hand is just the electrical outage and not the unspoken tension hanging thick in the air.

“Soonyoung.” Your voice comes out a little sharper than you intended, but it gets his attention. He freezes for a second before turning to face you, his expression guarded.

“Yeah?” He asks, his tone too casual.

You cross your arms, feeling the frustration you’ve been bottling up for days bubbling to the surface. “We need to talk.”

He glances back to the breakers, clearing trying to avoid your gaze. “About what? The power should be back on in a few minutes.”

You step closer, not letting him dodge the conversation this time. “Not about the power. About you avoiding me. About why you didn’t tell me who you were.”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “This really isn’t the best time-”

“No,” You cut him off, your voice firm. “It is the best time. You’ve been avoiding me for days, and I’m tired of pretending like nothing’s wrong. I want to know why you didn’t tell me. And why you’re acting like … like you don’t even want to know me anymore.”

Soonyoung finally turns to face you fully, and there’s a flicker of something in his eyes – guilt, maybe, or regret. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, the silence stretching out as the storm rages outside.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it mattered,” he says at last, his voice low. “Back then … I was different. I wasn’t like I am now, and I didn’t want you to think of me as that shy kid from all those summers ago.”

You stare at him, processing his words. “So you just pretended we didn’t know each other?”

He lets out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. “No, it’s not that. I didn’t think you’d remember me. I barely talked to anyone back then, and I figured it didn’t matter.”

You feel a pang in your chest at his words, at the thought of him feeling like he had to hide part of himself from you. “But I did remember you, eventually. And when I did, you started avoiding me. Why, Soonyoung?”

He flinches at the sound of his name. His jaw tightens, and for a second, you think he’s going to deflect again, but then he takes a deep breath. “Because I was scared,” he admits quietly, his eyes meeting yours. “I didn’t want that version of me to affect how you see me now. I’ve changed, and I didn’t want to mess up whatever this is by dredging up the past.”

“So you thought that hiding it was better?” You ask softly.

“I thought it was easier.” He corrects. “But clearly, I was wrong.”

The frustration that had been simmering in your chest starts to ebb, replaced by something else—something softer, more understanding.

“You know,” you begin, your voice gentler now. “I love how fun and adventurous you are, how you’re so great with the campers and that I can never predict what you’re going to do next. But I liked that kid too. Sure, he was quiet at first, but I thought he was really funny and sweet when I got to know him.”

You move forward, feeling a surge of confidence in the dim light of the breaker room. You feel your hand reaching out to grab his, and his fingers are smooth and warm under your grasp. He looks a little taken aback at first, but then his grip tightens around your hand and you feel your heart beat rising. “I don’t just want to know one side of you, Soonyoung. I want to know all your sides, but you didn’t even give me the chance to figure that out because you kept pushing me away.”

He looks down at the floor, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I didn’t mean to push you away,” he mutters. “I just … I didn’t know what else to do.”

He looks impossibly pretty under the dim light, his hair hanging in front of his eyes, wet from the rain. His lips are slightly ajar, and you can tell his breathing is slightly ragged from how close you are standing.

“What are you so scared of?” Your voice is the quietest it’s ever been, the question coming out as little more than a whisper. You can feel his fingers flex away from yours for a second, before renewing their grip on your hand.

“I’m scared that I’m the only one feeling this,” He responds, his voice just as quiet. Your heart pounds in your chest, and you’re certain he must be able to hear it. “I thought – I don’t know, maybe you did too, but then I saw you talking to Mingyu and I wondered if it was better to just keep my distance.”

“Mingyu?” You blink, startled by the confession. “What about him?”

His eyes flick up to meet yours, and you can see the vulnerability there. “Come on, (Y/n). Everyone else can see it, even the kids. You even admitted it at the party, and I knew I had no hope then.”

Your breath catches in your throat, the weight of his words settling over you like the storm outside. You open your mouth to respond, tell him he’s wrong, but the power suddenly flickers back on, the lights buzzing to life around you.

The sudden brightness makes you blink, and in that split second, Soonyoung turns back to the breaker box, flipping the last few switches into place as if nothing had happened.

“Well, the power’s back,” he says, his tone abruptly casual again. “We should probably get back to the others.”

Your heart sinks. The moment is gone, and Soonyoung is already slipping away again. You want to stop him, to make him face everything he just said, but the door to the breaker room creaks open, and Mingyu’s voice echoes down the hallway.

“You guys good in there? Power’s back on, thank god!”

Soonyoung doesn’t even glance at you before he heads toward the door. “Yeah, we’re good. Just flipping switches.”

You stand there for a moment, watching him walk away, your mind swirling. And as the storm rumbles outside, you realise that this conversation is far from over.

Soonyoung leans against the stack of crates in the activity shed, trying to look busy, but all he can focus on is the knot in his stomach. The conversation in the breaker room with you, the almost-confession, the avoidance – it all keeps replaying in his head, and none of it makes sense to him anymore.

He knows he should talk to you, that much is clear. But what’s the point? You’ve got Mingyu, haven’t you? The way you laugh with him, how comfortable you are around him. If he had to admit it, that’s why he’s been holding back all this time—because deep down, Soonyoung’s afraid he’s already too late.

The door to the shed swings open, and sure enough, Mingyu steps in, looking for something on the selves. Soonyoung tense, inwardly groaning. This is the last person he wants to see right now.

Mingyu, oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside Soonyoung, grabs a soccer ball from one of the shelves and tosses it in the air. “Oh, hey! You good, man?”

Soonyoung shrugs. “Yeah, fine.”

Mingyu raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Really? Because you’ve been avoiding me for the last few days, and (Y/n) for like two weeks. What’s going on?”

Soonyoung’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t want to have this conversation. Not with Mingyu. But the frustration is bubbling up, and before he can stop himself, the words slip out. “What’s the point, huh? You and her… it’s pretty obvious.”

Mingyu catches the soccer ball mid-toss, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

“You and (Y/n),” Soonyoung mutters, running a hand through his hair, avoiding Mingyu’s gaze. “It’s clear you two like each other. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

For a second, there’s silence. Then, Mingyu lets out a laugh—an actual, full-blown laugh, so loud and sudden that Soonyoung jerks his head up in surprise.

“What?” Soonyoung snaps, his frustration rising. “What’s so funny?”

Mingyu shakes his head, still chuckling as he sets the soccer ball aside. “Dude, are you serious? You think me and (Y/n) are into each other?”

Soonyoung blinks, completely caught off guard by Mingyu’s reaction. “Well… yeah. I mean, you’re always together. She used to have a crush on you, and it’s pretty obvious you guys get along.”

Mingyu sighs, running a hand over his face, as if trying to figure out how to explain this to a five-year-old. “Okay, first of all, that was years ago. She had a crush on me when we were kids. And second, (Y/n) and I are just friends, man. There’s nothing going on between us.”

Soonyoung stares at him, still trying to wrap his head around what Mingyu’s saying. “But… I’ve seen the way you two are. She’s always smiling around you.”

Mingyu rolls his eyes. “Yeah, because we’re friends, and she’s a friendly person. But that doesn’t mean she has feelings for me. Trust me, dude, if she liked me like that, I’d know. And I don’t know, because it’s not happening. If anything, she’s been trying to figure out what’s up with you.”

Soonyoung’s chest tightens at those words. All this time, he’s been avoiding you because he thought he didn’t stand a chance, when in reality, he was the one making things complicated.

“Look,” Mingyu says, his tone softer now. “(Y/n) likes you. I don’t know how else to say it. That fact that you don’t know it already is crazy to me, but apparently you don’t. And as your friend, I have to tell you that if you keep acting like this you’re going to ruin your chances.”

Soonyoung lets that sink in for a moment, his thoughts spinning. He feels like an idiot. All this time, he’d assumed the worst, convinced himself that you and Mingyu were something more, when in reality, he’d just been too scared to face his own feelings.

Mingyu pats him on the shoulder. “You’ve gotta stop running. Go talk to her. Be honest. Otherwise, you’re going to lose her before you even get the chance.”

Soonyoung lets out a deep breath, feeling the weight of his mistake settle over him. He knows now that there’s only one thing left to do. He has to find you, talk to you and explain everything.

Soonyoung’s practically sprinting through the camp trying to find you. There’s an air of desperation from Mingyu’s warning, and he feels like if he doesn’t solve this now then you’ll never forgive him. He can feel eyes slowly turning towards him as he skates through the campfire area towards the mess hall.

He’s got one mission. He needs to tell you the truth, even if you reject him and tell him to never speak to you again. It’s not Soonyoung’s style to not take the risk, and he needs to stop reverting back into someone he’s not anymore.

The large expanse of mess hall is full of people, whose gaze all turns on him as he slams open the large wooden doors, but you aren’t there. He takes a second to scan the room once more, feeling slightly crazed, before running through to the kitchenette.

He’s already checked the main and west buildings, and if you’re not here then that means you can only be out in the forest or in your cabin. He’s debating whether going into your cabin would be over the line as he steps back out towards the mess hall doors.

“Hosh, you alright-”

“Sorry, no time!” He cuts off Sparks’ questioning, making a mental note to explain later. He practically stumbles as he barrels back outside. His heart is racing, his pulse pounding in his ears, and all he can think about is finding you. He has no idea what he’ll say, but he knows he can’t let you keep thinking he doesn’t care, that he’s been avoiding you out of anything other than fear and his own stupidity.

The air outside is thick with humidity after the storm, the ground still wet beneath his feet. He jogs toward your cabin, his thoughts swirling. If you’re not in there, if you’re somewhere in the forest, he’ll search every inch of camp until he finds you.

And then he sees you.

His throat feels like it closes as you appear in the distance, and his feet falter.

But even as he hesitates, you’re moving closer, practically marching towards him. He can now see that you’ve got this determined look on your face that is making your cheeks puff up in such an endearing way.

“Kwon Soonyoung!” You yell, your voice even firmer than when you’re scolding one of the campers.

He gulps his fear down, willing his feet to start moving again. “(Y/n)…” He calls back, sounding far less confident than he intended.

And then you’re in front of him, an accusing finger pointed at his chest and reddened cheeks betraying your frustration. You seem so angry at him, but it’s the complete opposite of your normal character and he thinks that it makes you look so cute. “This needs to stop, right now. You need to tell me the truth, because I can’t stop thinking about you and it’s completely ruining my mood. I don’t know what delusional story you’ve thought up about Mingyu and I, but it’s not true, and you’re using it to dodge your own feelings. I won’t take one more day of this-”

Soonyoung reaches out to push your hair out of your eyes, his hands lingering on the sides of your face. He completely interrupts your rant, causing you to freeze. Your eyes are wider than he thought was physically possible, lips still parted in a half-finished sentence.

The moment is here now, and he’s going to be brave. “I like you, (Y/n), much more than as friends.”

A small gasp leaves you.

“I’ve thought that you were the best person I’d ever met since we were kids,” Soonyoung continues, his voice shaking slightly but his determination unwavering. “Back then, I didn’t have the guts to tell you, and when we reconnected here, I told myself I’d do it different. I told myself I’d be confident, but … I messed it up.”

He takes a deep breath, gathering the courage to continue. “I’ve been scared stupid that if I told you how I felt, I’d ruin everything between us. And then I was jealous about something that wasn’t even true.”

You blink, your hand reaching up to cover his own. “Soonyoung…”

“I like you,” he repeats, stepping closer, his voice softer now. “Not just as a friend. I like the way you laugh even when things get tough, the way you look after the kids, the way you make everything feel lighter. You make everything better just be being around. And I know I’m not always the best at showing how I feel, but I’m done hiding it.”

The words hang between you, heavy but freeing at the same time. There’s a slight, uncontrollable tremor in his hands as he waits for your response.

“I…” You swallow, trying to find the right words. “I didn’t know … I didn’t know you felt this way. I thought you were avoiding me because…”

“Because I was an idiot,” Soonyoung finishes, offering a nervous lopsided smile. “And I didn’t know how to handle my feelings.”

You don’t respond for a second, and it settles inside him that you’ve still not told him your own feelings. The same anxiety that he’d felt before lurches up into his throat, and he has to will himself to be patient and let you have time to process everything.

He watches your lips part and close again, clearly struggling to find the right words. He feels almost certain that it’s because you don’t know how to let him down nicely, and begins to pull his hands away from your face.

But then, you surge forward and before he realises what’s happening your lips are on his, warm and a little chapped, but so soft, so gentle, that his mind goes completely blank. For a split second, Soonyoung freezes, his heart slamming in his chest as the realisation hits him: you’re kissing him. You’re kissing him.

The rush of warmth floods through him, his anxiety melting away as he melts into the kiss. His hands move back to cradle your face gently, puling you closer and deepening the kiss just slightly, as if afraid you might slip away.

When you finally pull back, your faces are still close, your breaths mingling in the cool night air. Soonyoung’s heart is racing, his mind spinning, but there’s a calm that washes over him – a peace he hadn’t felt in days. The weight of his confession, the fear of rejection, all of it had been for nothing. You kissed him.

He searches your eyes, still not entirely convinced this is real. “Does this mean…?” He trails off, almost too afraid to ask.

You smile softly, your hand still resting on his cheek. “I like you too, Soonyoung. I’ve been pining after you since he first met – I honestly don’t know how you didn’t see it.”

He lets out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, a smile spreading across his face—one so wide, so genuine, that it almost hurts his cheeks. Relief floods through him, a wave of happiness so strong that he can’t help but laugh softly.

“I can’t believe this,” he admits breathlessly. “I really thought I’d screwed every up.”

You laugh too, your eyes crinkling at the corners as you shake your head. “You did, but not beyond repair.”

Soonyoung chuckles, his forehead resting against yours. “I’m sorry for being such an idiot.”

“You’re forgiven,” you reply, your voice light, teasing. “But next time, don’t wait so long to tell me how you feel, okay?”

He grins, his heart swelling in his chest. “I promise. No more waiting.”

For a moment, the two of you stand there, the tension and uncertainty finally gone. And then, he reawakens to the rest of the world. Soonyoung’s eyes widen in horror as the reality of where you both are crashes down on him. The echo of cheers and catcalls rings through the air, carried by the counsellors and campers alike, all watching the two of you from across the clearing. His face burns with embarrassment as he quickly spins around, spotting Gecko and Sparks practically doubled over with laughter, while Fairy’s clapping enthusiastically, a wide grin on her face.

You, meanwhile, are giggling uncontrollably, your hands covering your flushed cheeks as you try to hide.

Soonyoung wants to disappear into the ground, but he can’t help the laugh that escapes his lips. The situation is too ridiculous to feel anything but mildly horrified and amused at the same time. He scratches the back of his head, turning to face the crowd again as he raises a hand awkwardly.

“Well, uh... surprise?” he calls out, his voice cracking slightly.

The crowd erupts into more laughter and teasing applause, a chorus of “Finally!” and “About time!” floating through the air. Mingyu, standing in the front with a smirk, shouts, “Took you long enough, Hoshi!”

Soonyoung glares playfully at him. “Yeah, yeah, alright, I get it!”

You’re still beside him, peeking through your fingers, but then you glance up at him with that familiar sparkle in your eyes, and all of a sudden, the embarrassment doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

Soonyoung lowers his voice, leaning in closer to you. “Well, at least now we don’t have to hide it,” he jokes, trying to play off his own mortification.

You giggle, your blush fading slightly as you finally uncover your face. “I guess not,” you say, a shy smile tugging at your lips. “Still, couldn’t you have waited until we were somewhere a little more… private?”

He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “To be fair, you were the one who stormed up to me.”

Before either of you can say anything more, Sparks bounds over, eyes wide with mock excitement. “Oh my gosh! The drama! The romance! How scandalous!” he exclaims, fanning himself dramatically.

Gecko saunters up behind him, shaking her head with a grin. “You two are worse than the campers. Could you not have waited until after lights out?”

Soonyoung groans, burying his face in his hands for a moment. “Okay, okay, we get it, we’re the camp’s entertainment for the night.”

But when he glances over at you, he can’t help but smile. You’re still laughing softly, your eyes meeting his with an affection that makes the whole embarrassing spectacle worth it.

Soonyoung looks down at you, his expression softening. “You okay?” he asks quietly, just for you to hear.

You nod, your smile widening. “Yeah. I’m good.”

He grins back at you, his heart feeling lighter than it has in days. “Me too.”

You bound out towards the camp entrance, your hair messily crimped by some of your campers, t-shirt stained, and a wild grin smothering your face.

Screams of excitement meet you as you round the wooden ‘Camp Logan’ sign and spot that familiar pink Honda hastily parked on the side of the road. The sight of your two best friends is more than you can handle, and you rush to pull them into a big group hug.

“Oh my god, I missed you guys so much!” You cry out, grabbing Emma and Jane in a tight embrace, your heart bursting with joy. Their laughter fills the air, just as loud and chaotic as you remember, and it feels like no time has passed at all since you last saw them.

Emma pulls back first, grinning from ear to ear. “We missed you too. Look at you! You’re a total camp disaster in the best way possible.” She flicks a playful finger at your hair.

Jane raises and eyebrow and smirks. “Uh-huh, and what’s with the expression? You’ve got that ‘something happened’ face on.” She pokes your arm teasingly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Spill.”

You laugh, trying to act nonchalant, but the truth is bubbling up inside you, ready to burst. “Well... okay, a lot has happened,” you admit, biting your lip as you try to contain your excitement.

Emma immediately gasps, leaning in closer. “Oh my God, you’re glowing. This isn’t just camp fun, is it? Tell me Jane’s prediction came true?”

“Well, technically no.” You start, pausing to watch the excitement fall from their faces into confusion. You lips quirk into a smirk. “You said that I’d have a fling with a mysterious counsellor that I’d never see again, and I know, for sure, that I will be seeing him again.”

Emma’s jaw drops, and she grabs your shoulders, shaking you playfully. “WHAT? You’ll what?! Tell us everything right now.”

You can’t help but grin as you launch into the story, telling them about the confession, the camp’s accidently audience, and the time you’d spent together since. They listen intently, reacting with gasps and giggles, hanging on every word.

When you finish, Emma practically squeals, throwing her arms around you again. “This is so cute, I can’t handle it! And the whole camp saw?! You’re living in a rom-com!”

You beam, happiness radiating from your chest. “I have both of you to thank for it – your advice definitely worked.”

Jane laughs, unlocking the trunk. “Here, pass me your trunk and then we can catch up on all the details. We brough snacks and drinks for a mini picnic – you can tell us more about your camp romance while we stuff our faces, and we’ll give you all the updates of what’s been happening in the real world while you’ve been stuck in camp. There’s so much gossip.”

Jane’s hand reaches out to grab your trunk, before noticing that you’re not holding one. Her face scrunches up in confusion for second, before she follows your gaze which has turned back down the woodchip trail.

“Sorry, I was just helping a kid find his parents.” Soonyoung smiles widely, one hand swinging into a wave, the other holding your case. You can hear a small gasp of shock leave your two friends, and cannot help but bubble with pride.

You run forward, grabbing the case from his hands and setting it down next to the car. Slipping your hand into his with a reassuring smile, you lead him over to your friends. “Guys, this is Soonyoung. This is Emma, and this is Jane.” You introduce everyone, your heart full as all of your favourite people meet.

“Nice to meet you both, I’ve heard a lot about you!” Soonyoung grins.

Emma looks at you, quirks an eyebrow, and then spins back round to your boyfriend with a smirk. “I’d hope so. We are the most important people in her life. Although, apparently, we’ll have to make room for one more.”

You laugh, seeing the blush creeping up Soonyoung’s neck. “I hope that’s not too much trouble for you.” He replies with a soft smile.

Jane moves forward, handing the picnic bag over to him and linking his other arm with hers. “If you tell us all the embarrassing things (Y/n) has done this summer, then we’ll consider you accepted.” She chuckles, leading the group back towards the camp.

You fall behind for a second, happy to see your friends and Soonyoung already chatting like they’ve known each other for years. Your heart swells at the sight, and you smile up at the camp archway with gratitude.

“Come on!” Emma’s arm links with yours as she pulls you out of your thoughts towards where the others had gone. You laugh, stumbling to keep pace with her.

“What do you think?” You whisper in a low tone.

Emma hesitates for a second. You feel slightly nervous waiting for her response, but then a smirk breaks out across her lips. “He’s so hot, (Y/n). You will tell me if you got some, right? You can wait until later if you’re scared other people will hear, but I won’t believe you if you tell me that you didn’t.”

You burst out in laughter, shaking your head at your friend’s familiar antics. “You’re unbelievable.”

Summer camp may have been coming to an end, but you can truthfully say that you’re now even more excited for what comes next.

[saisuta-art]

THE SILLIES YAAAAAY!!!!! ヾ（〃＾∇＾）ﾉ♪

I've revisited my take on the Koopalings with revamped designs based on their hooman forms and giving them more love than nintendo ever gave them and I think I've finished setting up my AU and don't need to change anything else :0 so I'll tell you all about it under da cut!!!! ٩(◦`꒳´◦)۶

THE BASICS

In this AU, the Koopalings are Bowser's biological children.

Bowser Jr does not exist in this AU.

The AU takes place after the events of Super Mario Odyssey, meaning the Broodals show up in it too.

They are usually in human forms but I will draw their koopa forms occasionally.

Their personalities are vastly different from canon. I've kept some aspects from their canon personalities, but most of it has been rewritten.

CHARACTER INFORMATION

LARRY

Age: 15 | MBTI: INTP

The youngest of the siblings. He spends most of the time listening to his music and not caring much for what's around him. He usually appears listless and uninterested, however, when it comes to tennis matches, he changes completely. He will do anything to win, even cheat, and he is known to be a HUGE sore loser!

WENDY

Age: 16 | MBTI: ENTJ

The second youngest, born after Roy and Morton. She is a spoiled rotten brat who always gets the most expensive clothes, jewels and make-up that she can find in order to always look elegant. If she doesn't get her way, she will scream until she wins! She is extremely jealous of the princesses from Mushroom Kingdom and will go great lenghts to look better than them. However, she has a secret caring side for her brothers.

ROY

Age: 16 | MBTI: ENTP

The middle one in between Wendy and Morton. Roy's your average cool jock type: always flexing his muscles, training all day and trying to impress cute girls but failing miserably at it. Wendy often takes out her rage on him by yelling at him or attacking him, but deep down he knows she still appreciates him!

MORTON

Age: 16 | MBTI: ESTJ

Born before Roy and Wendy. As the most strict of the Koopalings, he is in charge of making Bowser's minions work 24/7 and reinforcing the rules so that nobody is caught slacking off. He is also known for being a loudmouth as he can spend hours talking even if nobody's listening to him, and he's got the perfect lungs for screaming too. Toads often mock him by comparing him to a brute caveman.

IGGY

Age: 17 | MBTI: ESFP

The third oldest. Being the most hyperactive, extroverted and unpredictable, he is a real wild child! There's never a monotonous time whenever he pops in! However, he also has a demented side and often has psychotic episodes where he'll cause rampages and hurt anyone who gets in his way, so Larry and Lemmy have to restrain him by strapping up his straightjacket.

LEMMY

Age: 17 | MBTI: ISFP

Despite his child-like appearance, he is actually the second oldest of the Koopalings, being born after Ludwig and before Iggy. He is calm and mature as he wants to act his age. He also hates being patronised for his short stature and demands to be taken seriously. But he is still interested in the circus and practices all the time to be the best performer in the world!

LUDWIG

Age: 18 | MBTI: INTJ

The oldest Koopaling and the one who'll inherit the throne after King Bowser. He is intelligent, haughty, cunning and cocky. He is also antisocial, a bit of a misanthrope and he hates meeting other people, so he spends a long time shut in his room, playing the piano and writing music compositions. However, in front of Mario and Luigi, he'll act like the leader of the group, which his siblings despise.

[lol-jackles]

https://www.tumblr.com/ienjoybeingahater/777733368614895616/dean-winchester-is-the-open-wound-in-the-body-that

Hi there. I hope you’re well.

When you have a minute, I’d love to see your thoughts on the post linked abive. I agree to an extent, especially about writers stealing Sam story lines and giving them to Dean. They use the example of Jack and the writers trying to force a bond between him and Dean, when Sam was obviously his parental figure. Though, I think Jack, as characterized, always saw Sam as his main parental figure. I’d also argue that they cut Sam's much deserved anger short in Season 9, so Dean could have a strop for a season and a half because he was pouting over the fact that Sam didn’t instantly forgive him for violating him with the Angel situation.

Anyway, I just wonder how much you agree with their point that Dean became central focus of SPN.

Dean definitely gut more screen time, but I still think Sam more often had the plot focus, only the late seasons did a shitty job of fleshing them out enough, like Sam being a leader vs a follower with the BMOL in Season 12.

Anyway, thanks for any thoughts you decide to share on this.

Link. Oh boy. I will start with that ienjoybeingahate is not wrong, but not for reasons they or you may think.

The OP appears to treat Dean as a co-lead protagonist or a deuteragonist, had he been one then yes his character arc would have been beyond frustrating. But he's not, he's a support protagonist because less than half of the stories revolve around him, more like 20%.  Dean does not have important stories separate to Sam’s, nor does he have his own supporting cast; most of Dean’s interaction with Cas and other supporting characters are not about him but rather about his reaction to their stories because the role of the support protagonist is not only to support the lead, but also support the side characters.

Yeah, Dean is unfair towards Sam but 1) that’s what brothers do, and most importantly 2) that’s what happens to main characters, they constantly get shitted on. One of the biggest reliefs in real life is realizing you’re not the main character. In The X Files, Mulder was called a loser even by the freaks and rarely given grace.  Xena was constantly reminded of the sins of her past in Warrior Princess.

OP's biggest gripe is that Dean doesn't change, and I admit I've on occasion complained about Dean’s defeatist attitude, a plot device that can get tiresome since season 5. Still, it was a plot device that usually works as part of Sam’s Hero Journey  arc. For example, from Sam’s point of view, Dean’s endless self-inflicted apathy is part of the long list of crappy-things-to-do-to-Sam.  In episode 13x05, Dean temporarily killing himself so he can go into the dead zone to find the bodies and free the souls, while a good idea (I guess???), was still a very crappy-thing-to-do-to-Sam as there was no discussion, just “here’s a needle give me five minutes being dead okay see you later.”  It’s been ongoing since season 2, so I don’t blame Sam in season 14 for thinking the Mal'ex magic box business is just the latest in a long string of events of Dean causing himself harm and then giving up at the first inconvenience.  Sam’s angry speech in episode 14x11 “Damaged Goods” was not only about Dean cutting Sam out of his plan with no discussion but also for giving up by using blind faith in fate as an excuse (“since when do we believe in fate?”).  Sam’s speech in episode 14x12 “Prophet and Loss” recounts their long history of defying fate and surviving literal and figurative hell because they had faith in themselves. Dean is forgiven for forgetting this lesson every season because the plot device kicks in just in time to give us some of Jared’s finest acting of Sam’s decade-long frustrations with Dean’s obstinance, causing him to breakdown and ask, “why don’t you believe in us?”, like a child asking why adults do stupid things when the adults should know better. 

Dean’s defeatist attitude is part of the determinism (Dean) vs free will (Sam) philosophy that ran through the series by Sam confronting and challenging the authority figures in his life: John Winchester, Dean Winchester, Lucifer, and then God. They all wanted Sam to be something he didn’t want to be - John’s solider, Dean’s companion, Lucifer’s vessel, and Chuck’s story.  Eventually, Sam acquiesced to their demands but on his own terms, he became a hunter to leave a legacy, became Dean’s partner to save him, became Lucifer’s vessel to save the world, became Chuck’s story to defeat him and bring free will into the world through Jack, a Nephilim he essentially raised and influenced. New God Jack’s perception of humanity is distilled down to, “When people have to be their best, they can be.”  Looking at Sam, Jack promised a hands-off approach but also people don’t need to pray or sacrifice to Him. Sam has tears in his eyes, he is after all losing a son.  But what Sam gained is his faith in himself. his trust in people and the greater good often gets thrown into his face, but Jack becomes the kinder, gentler God whose message is to trust in themselves, for that is where God resides.

Speaking of Jack, the Dean and Jack subplot happened because the writers were building up their relationship for the sole purpose of tearing it down when Jack accidentally kills Mary.  The problem was their relationship wasn’t developed organically because the writers needed a plot device. The writers can’t have Sam and Jack having a falling out, so it had to be Dean and Jack.  As I mentioned earlier, OP is not wrong but not for reasons they may think. Writers didn't "cater" toward Dean because of his fans, but because they were after their own residuals. Writers create new side characters and get residuals everytime their character appears in an episode. The easiest way for writers to give their characters more screentime is to have them interact with Dean because he’s the go-to character to support the supporting character. Helped that Dean is consistently written inconsistently, so Dean can be anything the writers want him to be when he supports their own character. Writers don't want their creations to interact with Sam because as the main character, it is the job of side characters to support Sam’s story. Once the support character’s job of revealing a side of Sam is done, they are usually killed off and there goes the writer's residuals.

Dean did not "destroy" Castiel by becoming an accessory to Dean on behalf of the Destiel shippers. Castiel was "destroyed" because he outlived his purpose after season 6 and Misha couldn't find a better job. Season 6 was Castiel’s best season in terms of character development because it made sense from his arcs in season 4 and 5.  Castiel as a villain actually makes sense because angels are lawful-evil assholes and despite Cas’s best attempts he can’t escape his nature, which is the point of Dean’s arguments about monsters. From season 7 onward, Cas became a plot-driven character instead of a character driving the plot. Stories shouldn’t move the characters like lifeless game pieces. It’s the characters that should move the story forward. The characters’ choices should impact the story and not be inconsequential. (My unpopular theories  here and here and here and a short version  here on why Misha was initially hired as a regular for season 5 & 6 and rehired again as a regular for season 9-11.)

OP's "From the very beginning, Sam had potential, potential for something beyond hunting, beyond the endless cycle of death and violence that consumed their lives. He had dreams, ambitions, and a future that should have been his"

Did OP not see the series finale "Carry On"? Sam left hunting and its endless cycle of death and violence and accomplish his primary goal that had kept him driven and move the story forward, attaining normal life. It was never about eradicating monsters to extinction or avenging his mother’s death.  Sure, Sam is very good at hunting and even became a leader, but they always made sure to show that Sam doesn’t have passion for the family business other than saving people’s lives.  Claire Novak shows way more enthusiasm for the job. 

OP's inability or refusal to see Sam as the main character may be colored by mistaking the character with the most POV as the main character. But as any Dean stans will tell you, Dean's POV means squat because Dean isn’t being talked about by other characters. Dean and his POV mainly revolve around Sam. To quote a casual observer I found on tumblr: Sam gets the larger story arcs in the show and Dean gets more of the “silly and fun” filler episodes.

Sam is dynamic character who went from a college student naive about the supernatural world, to becoming a skilled and effective hunter and then a leader and later a father figure to a future God, and finally a father with a family of his own.  Dean was essentially the same character from start to finish but that’s fine for a support-protagonist, in fact it was essential for the show’s formula.  Yes Dean is a supercool character because the jerk-with-heart-of-gold is practically a fail safe archtype.

"I’d also argue that they cut Sam's much deserved anger short in Season 9, so Dean could have a strop for a season and a half because he was pouting over the fact that Sam didn’t instantly forgive him for violating him with the Angel situation."

I semi-agree that Sam's anger was cut short. First, remember that Dean isn’t going to learn the same lesson each season, which was why he made Sam’s anger over the Gadreel possession about his (Dean) own issue and left Sam alone (with Cas in the bunker) to hunt down Gadreel… only to run into Cain got the Mark to, huh, kill Abaddon instead for some reason. That "reason" was Jensen's years long campaign for a Dean-centric storyline, which he got for season 10. That means the last half of season 9 was rewritten to set up Dean's "rare" storyline (Jensen's quote here ). I explained here why season 10 didn't work, the jist is because Supernatural was not set up to have Dean as the main character.

Back to Sam's anger, he told Dean the unvarnished truth: Dean didn’t want to be alone. This gets brought up again by Billie in season 11’s “Red Meat”, and in season 13’,’s “Advanced Thanatology” when Dean tells Billie that he’s dragging down Sam. Dean does have self-awareness but he can't live a life without Sam, so Sam has to give up just about everything so that Dean wouldn't be alone. In season 8, Dean gave his blessing and permission for Sam to return to the ordinary life he always wanted for himself but, you know, only after he (Dean) dies. Which is what Sam did in "Carry On".

In the end it was okay that Dean's character growth was minimal because he’s Han Solo, the comfort food of the series.  We don’t want mac & cheese to change. Dean is the awesome sauce but not the main course, which I explained in the “Support Protagonist” tag.

July 2015 Comic Con:

Interviewer:  Let’s talk about growth in Dean’s character. Jensen:  Or lack of growth?

Link.

[nejihyugamyreligion]

Neji, the Decline of a Great Character

It is no secret that Naruto Shippuden marked a decline in the saga. Many characters suffered due to Kishimoto's poor creative decisions. But without a doubt, one of the most affected was Neji. From his appearance in the Chūnin Exams, Neji was presented as a prodigy, a Byakugan genius marked by a cruel fate within the secondary branch of the Hyuuga clan. His fatalistic philosophy, his resentment toward the main branch, and his undeniable talent in combat made him a fascinating and complex character. Neji grew up consumed by resentment. Hizashi, his father, gave his life to protect his twin brother Hiashi, after he killed the leader of the Kumogakure clan who tried to kidnap Hinata, Hiashi's daughter and heir to the clan. The Cloud Village demanded the life of the Hyuuga leader as compensation but the Clan decided that it would be better to hand Hizashi over since being from the secondary branch it was their duty to protect the main branch, a decision with which Hizashi himself agreed.

Many criticize the harsh way Neji treated his cousin Hinata during the Chūnin Exams because at the time of this battle we knew nothing about his past. But now, knowing the context, I ask you: Do you think it was unjustified? It was logical that he had so much pent-up anger towards all the members of the main branch, who were technically his owners and could do with him whatever they wanted, since we know the consequences of carrying the cursed seal: if you disobey orders or pose a threat, they can fry your brain in a matter of seconds. He was a simple pawn destined to live in servitude. Living knowing this from such a young age must be quite disturbing, and that's why he developed that fatalistic attitude towards life due to the frustration that consumed him.

Obviously, this doesn't justify him taking it out on Hinata, who was in no way to blame for all of this and was rather another victim of the absurd rules of the Hyuuga Clan. Hiashi humiliated her from a very young age, denigrating her and considering her weak and unworthy of representing the clan as heir. Neji, despite knowing all this, only focused on the fact that she was privileged to belong to the main branch while he had to resign himself to living eternally in slavery.

There's a key moment in this fight, when the four jonin stop Neji from delivering the final attack on Hinata. When he asks Gai sensei, "Why are you and the other jonin interfering? Does the main family deserve special treatment?" And as always, Neji was right. The Hyuuga Clan has always been one of the most influential in Konoha, so it's not unreasonable to think that Hiashi had already given instructions to protect his daughter, especially if she had to face Neji.

What we must recognize is the courage and determination Neji displayed at this stage. He feared nothing and no one. He spoke his mind and fully trusted his abilities, which made him seem arrogant and overbearing. Even in the battle against Naruto. Surely when you first saw it you thought, "What a hateful, pessimistic guy! Naruto is right." But after seeing how things unfolded in Shippuden, it was easier to understand Neji's point of view and admit that, despite how depressing his words may sound, his theory was correct. "The destiny of one born a pawn is to remain a pawn."

It's not true that effort and hard work are enough to beat a genius. Because even though Naruto beat Neji, we must remember that he wasn't a "loser" as they initially wanted us to believe. He did have talent and all the odds in his favor to win that match, and so he did, as simple as that. It was his destiny. When Neji tells him that not everyone can become Hokage, since most of those who have made it have done so due to a series of factors that have intervened. In this case, Naruto being the son of the fourth, a jinchuriki of the Kyubi, a descendant of Ashura, and so on, only corroborates Neji's words one by one.

Unfortunately, Lee's case was even sadder. We were led to believe that his character's main goal was to prove that a talentless loser can achieve anything he wants if he truly desires it. However, when he is defeated by Gaara in the Chūnin Exams despite all his effort and strong performance in battle, we could already sense that he would be a character without much relevance to the story. The idealistic idea that effort and perseverance overcome natural talent was never demonstrated. In fact, as the series progresses, and especially in Shippuden, this entire ideal is completely contradicted. The moment they decide to sacrifice the development of characters like Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten, Shino, Hinata, and Chōji, to name a few, to focus attention on Naruto and Sasuke, both descendants of gods and with plenty of natural talent, we realize that the message of effort is discarded. Anyway, this is a topic that will go on for a long time and I will probably develope later. Let's get back to the point.

It was so disappointing to see how, as the story progressed, Neji's development felt stagnant. After his defeat against Naruto, we saw glimpses of his potential and growing maturity, especially during his search for Sasuke and in his interactions with Team Guy. But sadly, this growth felt limited. Neji was often relegated to a supporting role in the main story arcs. His intelligence and unique Byakugan abilities could have been strategically exploited in various situations. Instead, he became a supporting character, lacking the depth and focus many of us expected after his shocking introduction.

The fact is that Neji very quickly lost that spark of rebellion that characterized him in Pt. 1, that eagerness to rebel against what had been imposed on him since childhood. It was assumed that after the fight against Naruto, Neji would have seen things more clearly and this would have changed his perception of life, but while it's true that he took on a more relaxed, less arrogant, and kinder attitude, the truth is that it did nothing to change his reality. In fact, he became even more resigned, accepting the things he couldn't control. On the positive side, he put aside the resentment he felt toward Hinata and improved his personal relationships with his friends and classmates. He showed himself to be a more even-tempered and balanced person. And don't get me wrong, all of that is very good. He needed to heal, mature, and move on.

What really doesn't fit with his character development is that he stopped fighting against the cruel fate imposed on him when Naruto had supposedly inspired him otherwise. The fact that he forgave Hiashi so easily, becoming his lapdog, is something I'll never understand. It would have been more coherent if he had repaired his relationship with Hinata and the two had joined forces to change the rules of the Hyuuga clan from the inside, due to the fact that they had both suffered abuse at the hands of Hiashi. I would have liked to see them speak out together, defend their point of view, and demand that the secondary branch be permanently abolished so that no one else would have to suffer the consequences of such a cruel fate.

Not to mention the worst, most infamously vile and despicable thing they could have done to Neji: his death during the Fourth Great Ninja War. While the war resulted in significant casualties, Neji's death was particularly unnecessary and inconsequential to the main story. It felt like an abrupt way to get rid of a valuable character without giving him a meaningful conclusion, a dramatic device to escalate the conflict and protect other main characters, rather than a logical consequence of his own development. Kishimoto's poor narrative decisions at this point are evident. Because I could understand that it makes sense given his background and how much his father's words shaped him since he was a child. They both shared the same vision, those words he said to Naruto during their battle "There's no method but death to escape this horrible curse" so, although it's very sad, it's a death that could have been expected for Neji. What I really hate is the bland way in which it was executed. Everything happened in a matter of seconds, without giving us time to react, and even the reactions of the other characters were so empty, lifeless. It wasn't tragic, it wasn't epic, it was a scene without grace.

We could have seen Neji play a more crucial role during the war, fully showcasing his talents as a squad leader, showing off his skills in battle. A better resolution would have been for him and Hinata to defend Naruto together while he was recovering and perhaps reveal some hidden ability of Neji or both of them that could help them confront the Juubi and leave everyone speechless. What a waste of narrative potential.

In short, Neji began as a character with incredible depth and enormous potential. His initial arc was brilliant, showcasing his struggle against determinism and his eventual acceptance by his peers. However, as the story progressed, his poor development and the absurdity of his death felt like a stab in the back for all of this character's fans, who lamented that he wasn't given the opportunity to shine even more and to have the development of such an interesting character.

But what do you think? Did Neji truly experience personal growth, or did Kishimoto simply not know how to develop his story properly?

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Jan 24th

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1. Any fics that have wwx coming back and lwj is the lan sect leader?

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2. hii itmf a fic where there is acknowledgment or focus of the fact that mxy's body is smaller/younger than wwx's original would've been! same idea as All Technicalities by DummyDiplodocus like an outsider pov of it like jc or the juniors. or lwj noticing it! doesn't necessarily have to be the focus btw just like it's there. tysm!!!! :)

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions)

🔒 Forget Myself in Memories by geethr75 (T, 10k, JC & WWX, JC & JL, JL & LJY & LSZ & OYZZ, WangXian, LXC & NMJ, JYL/JZX, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Time Travel Fix-It, Juniors travel to the past, Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, double trouble, Past WWX meets future WWX in MXY's body, Past JC meets future JC, JL and his jiujiu, Sect Leader JL, Sect Leader OYZZ, Sect Heir LJY, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, JGY dies as Meng Yao, SS and JZn dies, JGS dies, WQ and WN lives, JYL and JZX Lives, no golden core transfer, No golden core melting, The Juniors save the day, WWX saves the day too, Alternate Timelines)

Brothers, Brothers-in-Law and Husbands by xxxMiaHikarixxx (G, 7k, WangXian, LXC/JC, LWJ accidentally hurts WWX, Injured WWX, WQ is alive, protective Lans, protective JC, for once both LXC & JC are good, Wedding, Protective Wen siblings, LJY and LSZ are best boys)

Out with the new, in with the old by XxRainbowHeartxX (T, 13k, WangXian, LXC/JC, Curses, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Fluff and Angst, Twin Prides of Yunmeng Feels, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Bodyswap, Good Uncle LQR, Hurt WWX, Sad WWX, Family Feels, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Memories, POV WWX, Unreliable Narrator, Light Angst)

Is Your Old Body Considered a Halloween Costume? by The_peregrine_falcon (G, 3k, WangXian, WWX’s original body, Junior quartet makes an appearance, LQR’s blood pressure is going up, LWJ is chief cultivator, Fluff, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon)

Saw My Life in a Stranger’s Face by timetoboldlygo (T, 27k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Married Life, Domestic Fluff, Light Angst, wwx’s face changes post-canon to look like his original face, Slight Panic Attack, because lwj doesn’t recognize his husband, the mortifying ordeal of not knowing your own body, the terrifying inevitability of change, taller!wwx theory)

What Is Left Over by Loriqod (T, 30k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Yunmeng brothers, Post-Canon Fix-It, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Happy Ending, WangXian in Love, bite-sized angst, Canon-Typical Violence, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Training Montage)

~*~

3. I'm in the mood for wangxian fics where lan zhan is struggling to come to terms with his love of pretty clothing and femininity/or some repressed gayness/internalized homophobia. Explicit fics generally preferred but I'm not picky. Thank you!! @pussyaside

See all this and more for just ten dollars a month!series by ScarlettStorm (E, 382k, WangXian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, Modern, Getting Together, Pining, Porn, like in the writing and also as a plot point, onlyfans au, repressed LWJ, sex worker WWX, in this house we support sex work, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, hornt™ way too many details about onlyfans probably, mental health, therapy is good actually, Angst, Nonbinary NHS, Established Relationship, Fashionista LWJ, Fluff and Smut, they’re horny and in love, Domestic Bliss, tender kink, Fiber Arts, autistic LWJ, Neurodivergent WWX, switch rights, a soupçon of gender, get in losers we’re introspecting about queerness, Genderfluid Character, Gender Exploration, Hurt/Comfort, past trauma, But They’re Working Through It, aggressive mutual caretaking, knitter LWJ, genderfluid WWX, Adhd WWX, Feminization (absolutely not forced and in fact very desired feminization), Date Night, they’re just disgustingly in love and they gotta fuck about it)

Bunny Baby by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, LWJ Has Feelings, Soft WangXian, Gender-Nonconforming LWJ, Protective WWX, Bad Parent LQR, Fluff and Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, POV WWX, Autistic LWJ, [Podfic of] Bunny Baby by frostedhearth)

Soul Deep by El_Toro (G, 1k, WIP, JC/NHS/WWX/LWJ/WN, Polyamory, Nonbinary LWJ, Modern, Trans WN, LWJ Wears a Dress )

~*~

4. Are there any wangxian fic where nobody believes they are married it could be modern setting or any anything else

Marital Claims by yeolinski (M, 5k, WangXian, Lawyers, Established Relationship, Marriage, Married Life, Accidental Marriage, the juniors are interns, nobody believes they're married basically)

‘cause it’s worth the sacrifice to finally be strong by MichelleFeather (G, 4k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ & WWX, LQR & LWJ & WWX, 3zun, Modern, reverse trope, Jiang Family Bashing Everyone sucks, Established WangXian, Married WangXian, Married WangXian Have Children, Good Uncle LQR, Child LSZ, LWJ & WWX Adopt LSZ, Homophobia, Supportive LQR, Friends to Lovers, they met in middle school, cutting off people who aren't supportive, Good Person JZX)

~*~

5. Hello! ITMF Fics set pre-Sunshot Campaign where it is just the teenage characters being young, dumb, and having fun. It could be the Cloud Recesses study arc or an au teen arc. Bonus points if Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Nie Huaisang are besties and dealing with teen crushes (LWJ). I just want something light and fluffy where all the characters are happy, please! Thank you so much!

🔒 The Golden Cutsleeve by syrus_jones (E, 77k, WangXian, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, Humor, Aged-Up Character(s), WWX POV, WWX is a gremlin, Internally Screaming LWJ, No Sunshot Campaign, First Times, Accidental Sex, Masturbation, PWP, Porn with Feelings, WWX experimenting with things he shouldn’t like always, Happy Ending, Porn With Plot)

Bet Your Heart by Vamillepudding (G, 14k, WangXian, LXC & WWX, Canon Divergence, Romantic Comedy, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together)

it’s just (aah) a little crush (crush!) by sweetlolixo (T, 9k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Romance, Fluff, Pining LWJ, Humor, Courting Rituals, Teen Wangxian)

lan xichen by antebunny (G, 6k, LXC & LWJ, WangXian, LXC & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fluff, LXC needs friends, LXC is Tired, LXC is wangxian's #1 fan, drunk LXC, Getting Together, Cloud Recesses Study Arc)

loveliness by orphan_account (T, 1k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Pining, Teen Romance, Getting Together)

Orchids in Lotus Pier by Vamillepudding (G, 21k, WangXian, JC & LWJ, Canon Divergence, Romantic Comedy, Mutual Pining, Protective JC, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings)

Pigtail Pulling by protos_metazu_ison (G, 3k, WangXian, Fluff and Humor, Crack Treated Seriously, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans)

🔒 Three changes. by orange_crushed (M, 18k, WangXian, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Cloud Recesses, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Friends to Lovers, Romantic Comedy, Kissing, Fade to Black, Mild Sexual Content, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot No War AU, Falling In Love, Non-Graphic Violence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Sparring, Harm to Animals, Don’t Worry The Animal is Fine Wangji Makes Sure of That, Developing Friendships, Wangji Makes Friends At Summer School, teenagers in love, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Blood, First Time)

🔒 Tangible by apathyinreverie (T, 2k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Canon Divergence, LWJ is smitten, and furious about it, WWX is just as smitten, and shows it by pestering LWJ for attention, who just wants some peace and quiet to read, although if he gets to hold the sunshine disciple in his lap while doing so, he's actually more than fine with that, Fluff, Humor, Possessive LWJ, First Kiss, Getting Together, the library scene)

A Purrfect Day in Gusu by DrJLecter (T, 21k, WangXian, JGY/LXC, LWJ gets turned into a cat, WWX thinks it's hilarious, Canon Divergence, Cloud Recesses, no Wen clan, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Idiots in Love, Happy, Cute, Falling In Love, Love Confessions, Supportive LXC, Meddling LXC, Matchmaking, matchmaking LXC, POV WWX, NHS Knows Everything)

For the Sake of a Smile by Reikosama7716 (Not Rated, 94k, WangXian, WWX/Everyone, CSSR/WCZ, WIP, Older WWX, Oblivious WWX, Jealous LWJ, Possessive LWJ, ProtectiveJC, JZX's Attempt in Public Confession, WWX and his ducklings, Everyone is young and gay for WWX, WWX and Jiāng siblings are cousins, Canon Divergence, LQR Metaphorically Qi-Deviates, WWX in his YLLZ appearance, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Third wheeling of unfortunate sect disciples, Not Everyone Dies, LWJ is princess carrying WWX, WWX is self-proclaim gege, QHJ tries to be a better parent, LWJ's attempts to buy courting gift, Cold Springs, Disciples peeking at WWX, Cinnamon Roll WN, CSSR's shameless flirting attempts, LWJ reading 'books', NHS translates bird language, JZX playing straight man for once, LXC too, XY is a Little Shit, Shameless WWX, Implied "Everyday is everyday", Papa Lan ships it and he's the MVP at it, Papa Lan: Is it possible for my son-in-law to conceive?, Sect Leader WQ, JYL being dark and maybe a secret sadist?)

~*~

6. Hello! 👋 for the next itmf id like a fanfic in which lwj is talkative with wwx, but ONLY with wwx. Or, if that’s too specific, a fic that shows the difference between how lwj behaves with other people and how he behaves with his Wei Ying.

Thankssss :D

~*~

7. Hi! ITMF some 5+1 fics

together all along by stellarmusings (G, 5k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, Modern, 5+1 Things, Getting Together, Misunderstandings, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Domestic Fluff)

Cotton Wool by incendir (M, 34k, wangxian, LJY/OMC, JL/LSZ, JC & WWX)

Criteria by incendir (T, 10k, LSZ & LWJ, wangxian, OCs)

one of our own by glitteringmoonlight (G, 7k, WangXian, Post-Canon, wangxian is mentioned but not the focus, this is just the lans being a wwx defense squad, people being nice to wwx, people being mean about wwx but immediately getting shut down, POV Outsider, 5+1 Things)

Revenge is a Side Dish Best Served With Tea by merakily (G, 7k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Protective LWJ, Petty LWJ, Fluff and Humor)

You Are My Euphoria by orphan_account (M, 18k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fluff, Making Out, 5+1 Things, Mutual Pining)

💖 You, Asleep and Dreaming by etymologyplayground (M, 9k, WangXian, LWJ POV, 5+1 Things, Literal Sleeping Together, Sharing a Bed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Intimacy, Getting Together, Fluff, Post-Canon, Undressing, wwx’s ‘angry lwj’ kink)

A Start on How by misscam (M, 7k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, Modern, College/University)

had a marvelous time ruining everything by livinginaworldofnoise (G, 8k, WangXian, Modern, Established Relationship, Fluff and Crack, tfw you're trying to propose but you're thwarted by some cats your boyfriend found under a dumpster, Marriage Proposal, assuming wangxian's new kittens stop thwarting them, WWX is only slightly less feral than these kittens if we're being real, [Podfic] Cold read of had a marvelous time ruining everything by kisahawklin)

🔒 Lessons in Belonging by Nyatci (M, 12k, wangxian, Modern, Childhood Friends to Lovers, POV LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canonical Child Abuse, Bad Parents JFM & YZY, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Homophobia, Good Uncle LQR, background 3zun, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assumed Asexuality, but it’s just an assumption, some mild non-overly-explicit smut, LWJ really wants to put a ring on it, so he does, Domestic Fluff, wangxian adopt a-yuan, 5+1 Things, softer than how the tags make it sound)

spoke like we meant it by BlackWiresOnHerHead (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, 5+1, Fluff, oh my god they were roommates, Friends to Lovers, Getting TogetherP, ining, Cuddling, Accidental Confession, Humor, Abandonment Issues, Light Angst)

~*~

8. Hi! For ITMF, I am looking for well-written fics where WWX goes through qi deviation (I've read Twelve Moons and a Fortnight). Thanks! @kesterling

~*~

9. Hello! Have you got any pre canon fics as in after Wei wuxian's death, lan wangji's grief(ofc one need not ask for that specifically it'd always be in a fic) and his relationship with lil A-yuan(and other lan disciples) Ik it's not totally wangxian so perhaps I shouldn't ask for it, but I don't know where else to ask and I couldn't find anything myself. I wanted to read it cause the way juniors admire him in the main book, it's so heartwarming and enough to show how good lan wangji was with them. So yeah if you've got anything...

❤️ To be of use by Erisette (Not Rated, 53k, WangXian, Found Family, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Father-Son Relationship, Missing Scene, Good Teacher LWJ, LSZ is an angel, LJY is the best of brats, Cloud Recesses, Seclusion Lite(TM), Everyone under 20 at Cloud Recesses worships Hanguang-jun, Fluff, Hanguang-jun is the coolest, Worldbuilding, this is not sad tho even though it's set in the time jump, the fluff-to-sads ratio is v high, Mojo’s post) This is one of my favourite fics

🔒 the map of days by everythingispoetry (M, 20k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Permanent Injury, Recovery, Disability, Parenthood, Character Study, Thirteen Years of WWX’s Death)

Gathered Herbs & Sweet Grasses by hansbekhart (Not Rated, 19k, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian, dad wangji, LWJ’s Questionable Parenting Skills, Grief/Mourning, Recovery, Injury Recovery, Hopeful Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Gathered Herbs & Sweet Grasses [podfic] by someplacelikebolivia)

it’s a long road but we’re not alone by Stratisphyre (M, 61k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Parenthood, Grief/Mourning, Family Feels, Reunions, Golden Core Reveal, Getting Together)

Inquiry by incendir (G, 10k, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian)

🔒 Response by Aki_no_hikari (G, 12k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Feels, Love Confessions)

🔒 藕断丝连 by RoseThorne (G, 456, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Memory Loss, Memories, POV Third Person, POV LSZ, Rituals, lotuses)

🔒 A voice long gone by Vrishchika (M, 11k, WangXian, WIP, Angst with a Happy Ending, Epistolary, Grief/Mourning, Stream of Consciousness)

~*~

10. Thanks so much for all your amazing work!! For the next itmf, can I have some delicious angst with a happy ending based on misunderstanding. I just really love the docs where lwj reads wwx all wrong and is a jerk and then realizes the error of his ways. Especially if he isn't so subtle about his opinions and disdain. I just require a happy ending. Also not a fan of wwx forgiving too easily. He deserves to have lwj grovel or suffer a little, too.

我的皇后是農民 | sowing seeds in the cold palace by sweetlolixo (E, 84k, WangXian, Imperial Palace, Emperor LWJ, Imperial Consort WWX, Farmer WWX, Angst, Romance, Wingman LJY, Wife-chasing-LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Best Boy A-Yuan)

much sweeter than by mellowflicker (T, 3k, WangXian, Royaltyish, Arranged Marriage, a little bit of, YLLZ WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending)

Tempo Rubato by Spodumene (E, 108k, WangXian, Modern, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, persuasion au, Separations, Mutual Pining, Depression, Miscommunication, Emotional Roller Coaster, Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Reconciliation, Eventual Smut, Jane Austen Fusion, Underage Kissing)

🧡🔒 Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 178k, WangXian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX, caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

🔒 Snow by kuro (M, 38k, WangXian, Modern, Snow, Sick Character, Caretaking, Fluff, Sugar Daddy, only they’re like… bad at it, Angst, Rabbits, Food, Sexy Times, occasionally)

the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation)

🔒 Wish I could forget the taste of your skin and the feel of your hands pinning me down by KizuKatana (E, 63k, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, Modern Cultivation, weapons-grade thirst, Getting Back Together, Trying REALLY hard to not still like your Ex, but failing, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Canon Divergence, Case Fic, LWJ’s canonically big dick, sort of a ‘thirsting for your co-worker ex’ vibe, it eventually gets worked out, Mutual Pining, Guest-starring LWJ’s canonically poor communication choices after romantic cave encounters, novel canon relationship dynamics, basically this fic is about escalating sexual tension)

🔒 The Second Jade of Lan’s late but incendiary sexual awakening by KizuKatana (E, 41k, wangxian, First Time, LWJ’s Horny Grip, LWJ does not know what hit him, and yet somehow he still realizes it before WWX, canon wangxian dynamics, college AU, LWJ starts off annoyed at WWX, But quickly discovers both his competency kink and a caretaking kink, Genius WWX)

Betrothed by Dixielis (E, 10k, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, Hybrids, Fox WWX, Dragon LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, Miscommunication, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mpreg, Unplanned Pregnancy)

what you have tamed by lianhua_lianzi, Senforza (E, 94k, WangXian, Animal Traits, misunderstandings, Courting Rituals, Pining, Lan family dynamics, Drama, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Arranged Marriage, Wangxian break up but get back together, Eventual Happy Ending, Implied Mpreg, Unresolved Sexual Tension, unintentional and eventually resolved “gaslighting”, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX) lan zhan fucks up so bad prepare to cry on this one but the happy ending makes it better

~*~

11. Heyo, are there any Wangxian fics where its actor Au? Like the who mdzs plot is actually a show and the actors are all friends/couples or actor au where they act in stuff and its really dramatic and Wangxian is also dramatic? Please and thank you and I hope you have a nice day or night😁 @yasssbassss

call me, beep me by myung (T, 39k, WangXian, MM/WQ, JC/WN, JYL/JZX, Social Media, Modern, Actors, Celebrity, Chatting & Messaging)

~*~

12. Hello, could you please help me find fics where WY is ashamed of his scarred and malnourished body during cloud recess period or in modern au (where no lost core or war happened, only Jiang family)

Thank you!

🔒💙 Holding shreds by barisan (T, 5k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, No Sunshot Campaign, Body Swap, Not for sexy shenanigans, Chronic Pain, Hurt WWX, Hurt LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abusive YZY, Bad Parent YZY, Bad Parent JFM, Good Uncle LQR, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, POV WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jiāng Family Bashing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Getting Together, Smart WWX) I'm not sure if Wei Ying feels ashamed of his scars in these but he's definitely uncomfortable with people finding out about them.

🔒 Warming up (to him) by barisan (T, 9k, LQR & WWX, WangXian, Hypothermia, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Temporary Character Death, Medical Inaccuracies, YZY Abuses WWX, JFM Bashing, pre-wangxian, Good Uncle LQR, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)

~*~

13. Do you have any Lan Xichen focused fics without xiyao? :) <3

and he sang about the stars by hauntme_then (M, 29k, WangXian, Brotherhood, Growing Up Together, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Canonical Character Death)

🔒💖 Drag Me Into Your Coffin (I Will Drag Your Sins Into the Light) by the5leggedCricket (G, 2k, Canon Divergence, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel Fix-It, BAMF LXC)

🔒💖 Alternative Choices by StarClearWaters (Readoutloud) (T, 20k, WangXian, LXC/WQ, POV LXC, Protective LXC, Time Travel, Temporary Character Death, Butterfly Effect, Mpreg, Panic Attacks)

🔒💖 The blame game by apathyinreverie (T, 13k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LSZ & WWX, WWX & WQ, LXC & WWX, Fix-It, Time Travel, LXC time travels, Canon Divergence, Possessive LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Fluff, Siblings, Romance, Golden Core Reveal Golden Core Fix-It, crack-y idea taking itself far too seriously)

🔒 Postlude: Lan Xichen by treemaidengeek (G, <1k, Grief/Mourning, Post-Canon, Angst, Past 3zun, LXC needs a blanket and some hot chocolate, smol fic full of feelings, preceding larger fic full of even more feelings) and the rest of the series sort of counts—it's focused on Lan Xichen/Song Lan, so spotlight on both of them

~*~

14. Hi I was the confused newbee i think im doing this right 🙈. I have a kink for fics with wei ying's frist time with a guy is Lan Zhan. Could you plz help me find some long fics like this. I don't have any other preference in what the fic is about it can be a fix it/retelling/time travel etc any thing will do as long as Lan Zhan is his first male partner.

I hope i did this right🙈🙈🙈😳 @wangxianbff

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions) link in #2

i'm the one for your fire by occultings (microcomets) (E, 43k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Mind Reading, Enemies to Lovers, it's only enemies to lovers in WWX's one braincell, Misunderstandings, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Whump, brief illness/injury, Pining, light bdsm in the first chap, Cherry Magic AU, Getting Together, [PODFIC] i'm the one for your fire by occultings by mulberry_graceful, i'm the one for your fire [podfic] by esbielle)

Once Patience Bears Fruit by FinallyGotTheInvitation (E, 109k, WangXian, WIP, Immortal LWJ, Immortal LSZ, Mortal WWX, soon to be Immortal WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, almost every character diesand then, ALL CHARACTERS LIVE, And I mean ALL, be prepared for some returning faces, Fluff, Smut, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Oblivious WWX, Protective LWJ, uncovering the past, Reincarnation, Sex Magic, magical sex, "dual cultivation", novel canon, Age Difference, Drunken Kissing, Light Bondage, Major character death in a flashback, Angst, "Straight" WWX, Until he finds out he is in fact not straight, WWX has a bit of self discovery, Power Play, Dom/sub Undertones, Intercrural Sex, LWJ Has a Big Dick, Orgasm Edging, Anal Sex, Praise Kink, WWX is a Brat, Virginity Kink, blowjob, Multiple Orgasms, Biting, WWX is a Tease, POV Alternating)

the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation) link in #10

Walk the Circle in the Other Direction by notevenyou (E, 31k, WangXian, Modern, College/University, High School, Coming Out, Homophobia, Bad Parenting, Alcohol, Recreational Drug Use, Vomiting, Panic Attack, Bullying, Minor Injuries, Blood, Fighting, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Oblivious WWX, honestly not as dark as the tags make it seem, bisexual WWX, WWX/MM, sex between a man and a woman, [Podfic of] Walk the Circle in the Other Direction by notevenyou by AuntieIroh)

Marriage of duty by ninho_emy (M, 33k, WangXianm Rape/Non-Con, A/B/O Dynamics, Arranged Marriage, Mpreg, Canon Divergence, Angst and Tragedy, Happy Ending, First Time, First Kiss, Rape between the main characters)

~*~

15. Hi! I’m in the mood for WWX and JC not going to back to Lotus Pier while occupied by Wen. JC doesn’t lose his core. WWX doesn’t get forced into an alternative cultivation method. Any ideas? @hairybeardtongue

Wei Ying & Jiang Cheng don't return to Lotus Pier in these because Jiang Cheng injuries Wei Ying so I'm not sure if these fit really: 🔒 Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent by Preludian_Staves (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Muteness, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Not JC Friendly, Confessions, Angst, Choking, Red String of Fate, Appearances by Paperman WWX, Inventor WWX, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Goes to Cloud Recesses, Feelings Realization, Caretaking, Supportive Lan Family, Genius WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Protective LWJ, Protective Lan Family, Character Death (not wwx or lwj)

Obscuring the Sun by Karmiya (E, 24k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & WN, the sunshot campaign, Past Domestic Abuse)

The River Brought You Here by ChilianXianzi (Not Rated, 11k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, POV Outsider, Amnesia, not JC friendly, Past abuse, Strangulation, Found Family)

Lay my body down by tawaen (M, 48k, WWX & WQ, WWX & WN, wangxian, WWX & JYL, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Eventual WangXian, No Golden Core Transfer, Not Cultivation World Friendly, Canon-Typical Violence, Not JC Friendly, What if WWX saw the first siege of the burial mounds and said Nope to the war, OCs, OC point-of-view for one chapter for plot reasons) Jiang Cheng returns to LP on his own in this one and is imprisoned by the Wens but doesn't lose his core

~*~

16. Hello! ITMF Wei Wuxian cultivating a new golden core? Not modern, please. Thanks everyone!

💙🔒Away from Trouble by Ilona22 (M, 15k, WangXian, Not JC Friendly, WangXian Get a Happy Ending)

Discarded by teawater (E, 187k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Dying Lan children, Hurt/Comfort, YL WWX, Golden Core Reveal, Case Fic, Depression, Family Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Angst with a Happy Ending, and it’s not always dark, POV Multiple, BAMF WWX, dubious morals in the Lan sect Feels, Pining, Grief, Fix-It, BAMF LWJ)

Overcome by thunderwear (E, 7k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, First Time, First Kiss, Feelings Realization, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, Idiots in Love, Fix-It)

Practical Considerations by teawater, the_anthropologist (E, 97k, WangXian, JC & WWX, LXC & WWX, LQR & WWX, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Found Family, Spouses to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Politics, Scheming, Lán Elders are assholes, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, eventually BAMF LXC, learning to make decisions, Learning Self-worth, Self-Esteem Issues, Sweet Wangxian, Domestic Fluff, Fix-It, JC is a big asshole, he improves somewhat but it's open-ended, WWX learns to stand up for himself, POV WWX, POV LWJ, POV JC, Golden Core Reveal, Teacher WWX, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism, Past Suicidal Thoughts, Post-Sunshot Campaign, WWX Protection Squad, Feelings Realization, WWX protector of the twin jades, Protective LWJ, Protective WWX, Protective LQR, Demonic Cultivator WWX, WWX is Loved, Married WangXIan, Genius WWX, Everybody Lives)

Sunder by naqaashi (E, 32k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, Mutual Pining, Emotional Sex, Porn with Feelings, PWP, Light BDSM, Fix-It, POV LWJ, YLLZ WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Top/Bottom Versatile | Switch WangXian, Light Dom/sub, Explicit Sexual Content, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Grief/Mourning, Five Stages of Grief, Suicidal Thoughts)

the breaking of your soul (upon my lips) by sunsandships (M, 40k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal, Happy Ending)

The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence)

~*~

17. Hello! Im in the mood for A/B/O mating run fics either Lan wangji or Wei wuxian are the alphas thankyou! @lunamooonn

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[seyluz]

Sylus is a simple man.

He has high self esteem-a secure man indeed. His charisma, his appearance, his body, his demeanor, and all the little--smallest thing he did just straight looking flawlessly, smooth and perfect. The head of Onychinus, the wealthy man that can give you lot of his properties, his money, his black card without hesitation. He is perfect no doubt. You wonder why he always look so perfect with his charisma and you start to wonder does he have maybe a weakness? and what is that?

He is not jealous easily

He is handsome.

He is Tall

What is he lack of actually?

Other than singing and dancing--lets not talking about that.

You will spend so much time to figure it out, but failed.

You think you will never, ever can find his weakness.. until this moment come true.

"... F-fuck. Kitten, dont-ah-squeeze it, so, so-hard."

He looks like he was fighting his self, his self control when he move his pace. The first time fucked by him, he looks like a loser. His face red, his sweat glistened on his chin, his jaw clenched, his chest move up and down when he try to thrust his cock inside and out. You barely even move, only whispering his name yet hes getting down bad for you. He looks desperate--you dont know why but he looks like that.

"Sy-Sylus.. It wont fit, it wont-" You are crying as you feel half of, yes its only half of his eight inch cock but you feel so full, your stomach so hot. It feels hurt for the first time but undeniably so good too, God so good you think you can see heaven.

Sylus is a man of consent, but he also reach the point where he cant, fucking cant hold it anymore. So when you whining about it wont fit, he beg. Beg like a dog. Like a loser. He lick your neck, your earlobe, his voice cracked--, "Please.." he sounds so desperate. you try to open your eyes, as you glance at him and see how needy, how fucked up he is, and how he even will kneel worship you, "Please.. kitten.. i will, ah.. fuck"-- you squeezed him again, he groans, "i will make it fit, it will feel so good. God, Fuck. So good i promise."

His voice sounds so sexy--so sensual. His hands are roaming up and down your body, worshipping you, touching your most sensitive spot that makes you moan and moan.. more and more.. until you get even wetter, soaked by your own love essence until your womanhood twitching asking for more. Sylus will kiss you, lick your legs and all, to make you feel good.

And it is. the first time you realize how his weakness is you. And only you. How he is so desperate to make you feel good, to give you pleasure you never think you can get this way so great, Sylus is that man.

And when you finally nod, he will bite your neck again affectionaly and thrust his cock to the point you rolls his eyes back in your head, scracth his back and scream his name.

".. God, you are so tight. Heaven. Fuck."

Your head spinning so does him. As you open your eyes you will see how Sylus's expression make your wall twitching again. God damn, its so sexy. that man groans and moan, he bites his lips as he thrusts inside and out.

This feels so good. and so new.

You feel you have him wrapped around your finger. The Onychinus leader that feared by people is your man. A man that is so perfect yet having you as his weakness.

"Sorry, Kitten. I-" He kisses you again as his tongue enter your mouth, "I will come. Ah-" He said.

"..P-please." You will beg since he hasnt come yet even after made you came for two times after entering you. This is crazy. Your wall getting tighter. He find his way to rub your clit and make you move relentlessly frantically.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Im gonna.. come.. please let me, let me.. inside." He whispers on your ear, again he sounds like a loser. But somehow it makes you hornier than before. He is your good boy, isnt he?

You nod, wrapping your legs around his waist making him slam even deeper, hitting your g-spot again-and again.

He buries his face in your neck, and feel he trembling so hard as he come inside you. His seed pourin and fillin you up as you reach your climax for the third times. Your walls squeezing his cock, milking out his cock and make him groans again and again.

"I-it wont stop." You moan.

"...Please take it, all.. yes like that, sweetie."

So much. So so much.

After pourin all his seed inside you, he finally can breath normally--so do you. You start rubbing his hair, to his temple and chuckle when you see his face still so red--to his ears.

"You.. how many times you said 'please' to me, hm?" you ask. Sylus then chuckles too, as nuzzle to your chest.

".. i dont see anything wrong with begging to your beloved woman," He kisses your cheek, "besides, i know you like it, kitten."

"H-huh? when and where i stated it?" you blush. Does Sylus know what's on your mind?

"You were twitching when i said please."

"Uh, oh. stop it." You blush.

"Okay, but you have to admit it, sweetie." He smirks.

"No, i-" You want to refuse it but his crimson eyes staring to your soul, ".. It was natually.. went like that."

He chuckles, "There, there.. no need be shy."

"But you do sound like a..." You pause for a while, dont know you to say it to him, because all of this time Sylus is a perfect man but he actually can be so desperate too. It was sexy.

"Like a loser?" He guess it right.

"Are you mad if i say that?"

".. No, but i do find that im a loser," he nod, "you will never know how much i tried to hold myself to not let my self restraint snapped everytime we are together. Like damn it, its so hard."

You giggle, "... what is this? a confession?"

"... perhaps," He smiles, as he kisses your eyes, "This head of Onychinus is a loser. Your loser."

You laugh heartily as you hug him, "Tell that Onychinus leader that i love him. If he was down bad, then we were down bad together, hahaha."

You think it will take forever to find what is his weakness? When you had him wrapped around your little finger.

[whoatherebigguy]

I recently made some tweaks to Cyclogenesis Zigra's design and I took the opportunity to finally give him a proper ref sheet, so here he is!

Since the design im using for Rapid Ascent is much closer to his canon appearance, I felt comfortable pushing this guy's look a bit further away from his og look.

basic write up for him[big ol' ramble warning lol] + extra doodles below

also going to use this post to clean up/update the little bits of lore ive been sprinkling about for him, while still leaving enough out that it can be revealed in future goofy comics.

[1st doodle is of a younger version of him, around the first time he tried(and failed) to take over the Earth. 2nd is closer to the "present", hes arguing with Viras as they collectively plot to kill the rocket turtle.]

Anyways, Zigra is obviously one of my favourite characters of all time, hence him getting starring roles in both of the continuities i ramble about lol. I try to keep him very in-character when I write him for Rapid Ascent, but he's a little more complicated in Cyclogenesis as he's one of the 4 "main" characters.

Zigra originally "left"[basically got kicked off of] his home planet to explore the galaxy, he was woefully under prepared, but managed to carve out a niche for himself. However, exploration quickly turned into a stream of failed conquests, which eventually landed him on Earth. This part plays out pretty similar to the og film, with the exception being that Zigra isn't really taking it very seriously. Gamera obviously chases him off both times he tries this and, pathetic failure that he is, Zigra ends up deciding to stumble back to his home planet. Only to find that it's been claimed by the Dominion of Zanon. Cue a horrible attempt at a revenge quest, one that results in him spending the next 6 years in a fish tank. He eventually gets unintentionally "rescued" by a splinter faction of the Virian Expanse and agrees to aid in their goals in exchange for one day using their forces to get revenge against Zanon. During this time is when he gets his armor/exoskeleton to help him navigate on land long term, he also gets Character Development. Going from a selfish entitled loner that thinks anyone smaller than him is inferior, to a selfish entitled loner that thinks anyone smaller than him, except 5 particular Virians, is inferior. Unfortunately, this weird little arrangement falls apart when Viras forms and leaves the faction without a real leader. [bit more about Cyclogenesis Viras here if curious!] Zigra elects to stay loyal to Viras as he feels he's too old to go back to his old ways and too tired to start a new life. The two remain allies for the rest of the narrative, despite many disagreements early on. They eventually end up back on Earth, this time looking to take the Atlantean core[which is currently being used to power Gamera] to keep Viras alive. At this point, Zigra isn't really invested in taking over the planet or even killing the rocket turtle, but he'd rather Gamera die than his only friend so he goes along with it. Ultimately this ploy is what finally ends both their lives, fortunately ive got lots of silly little comics to do before that happens.

I'm writing Zigra with an emphasis on being a sentient alien fish, instead of just a giant fish. His main role in Cyclogenesis is: "guy that is objectively Not Great, but has such awful luck that at some point you just kinda feel bad for him." Hopefully his endless loser moments and affinity to make bad choices are somewhat entertaining lol.

Also he becomes part of Iris , but dont worry about that right now

[torialefay]

Going back to Chris jorking it lol do you think he tries hard to hold back his moans like covering his face with a pillow or biting down on his blankets or shirt to not be too loud? I feel like he’d be too paranoid of any member walking in on him doing it that. he’d probs lock his door or wait for everyone to be asleep but idk… If you think about it because they all have their own rooms now they have that privacy of being sexually active so I’m not surprised if hes felt so deprived of not being able to do anything when he was sharing a room with the others that he now jacks off like a mad man haha but what are ur thoughts??

i am a proud member of the "chris is extremely vocal in bed" club!!!!

when it comes to ✨jorking✨😭 it though, i would say yes, he still gets a lil vocal, but nothing crazyyyy.

but let's think ab this for a second: that man doesn't wear clothes... like he doesn't wear clothes. not only would he not have anything to bite down on, but he also has free access 24/7. that being said, the other members talk ab him being naked in front of them all the time, so he probs has good... self control? hell idk what to call it. basically, he's probably good at hiding his *tendencies* around others.

but at night, when everyone else is asleep, he jacks off hard. i feel like he actually probably has a really high sex drive. i read a study not too long ago (if i can find it again, i'll link it), where the average amount of times a male in chan's age range got off in a week was between 3-7 times. i'd venture to assume he's on the higher end, except for maybe if he comes home so physically exhausted that he passes tf out.

but as for mental exhaustion??? that man is rubbing one out and calling it a night. a lot of people say that getting off before bed actually helps them fall asleep easier, and we all know christopher is the king of not falling asleep. i'm sure he uses it in rotation as one of his remedies 🤭

but back to being loudddd, he definitely lets out some soft noises and grunts, but he's careful to not be too loud. i really don't think he wants to risk the members hearing him. but like, if he gets reallllly into it, and he IS letting his imagination take him away, i can imagine him letting out a few soft whispers to whoever he's thinking about.

i def think he's a combo of porn, maybe a litttttle smut from time to time, & i do think he lets scenarios play out in his head. i think we'd all be lying if we said chris never fantasizes about stuff stays have said to him. he's just a weak weakkkk man. take this with a grain of salt (i know some people are gonna get mad ab me saying this ab our "wholesome leader"), but he's a horny 26 y/o guy with somewhat loser-like tendencies, a dozen complexes ab his appearance, & getting absolutely zero play... yet people are posting about what they'd do to his "big, hard cock" or how his nose "would feel so delicious to ride on" & you're telling me he isn't getting turned on AT ALL? like nahhhh he definitely thinks ab it sometimes. maybe even ab multiple people doing all of those things to him at once. does he have a little bit of a power/corruption kink too and maybe thinks ab abusing it at times? it's likely he's at least had a few instances of that. or he’s tempted to say the least.

this was all a very long-winded way to say: christopher gets extremely horny, he thinks about/watches all different kinds of things, and he def wants to moan depending on the situation, but he is great at keeping it low.

that's it. that's all i've got.

[misseviehyde]

CONFISCATED - Part 1

"AGGGGHHHHHH! I FUCKING HATE YOU, I WISH YOU'D DIE!"

Lawrence winced as the screams of his hysterical teenage daughter rang in his ears and she slammed the door to her bedroom so hard, the house shook and plaster fell down.

Bella was volatile at the best of times, but by confiscating her phone - the most important thing in her life, her Father had really just set her off.

He could hear sobbing and crashing in her room and knew she was trashing it. He knew from experience that Bella would try anything to get her phone back... threatening him, threatening to hurt herself... begging, screaming, pleading, lying... it was kind of sad. She might even try to contact her Mom, but even though he and Beth had separated, they still parented together and it would do little good.

'Since when did teenagers get so addicted to social media?' he thought. He'd noticed his daughters addiction to her phone had been getting worse and then when another parent had contacted him to say Bella was bullying her daughter he had decided to act.

He'd been pretty disappointed to see the mean messages calling the other girl a fat loser. He knew Bella was a popular girl and obsessed with her looks, but he hadn't realised she was so mean. It seemed everyone was afraid of Bella and she liked it.

Lawrence had decided that he needed to get his daughter back on track. She would be moving out soon and he didn't want his legacy to be a spoiled toxic bitch who thought she could treat other people like dirt. Bella seemed to think the only thing that mattered in life was money and status.

"I better go through here and see what else she's been up to..." he mused.

Scrolling through the phone, Lawrence was a little embarrassed to see the clothes and outfits his daughter had bookmarked as things to buy. They were all skimpy and expensive... he wasn't sure he approved. There were also pictures of boys in her phone and he didn't want to think about his horny daughters crushes on other men.

As he scrolled through, his eye was suddenly caught by an app he had never heard of. Brat App.

Opening the app, Lawrence saw it was some sort of social media app. It seemed you scored points for posting selfies and completing tasks and then you could spend those points buying outfits and upgrades.

Bella had obviously been playing it a lot. She had accumulated a lot of points. Perhaps she'd been saving up?

Intrigued Lawrence opened the avatar menu.

CREATE NEW AVATAR?

He clicked the button and a 3D doll appeared. It was female - you could only have a female representation it seemed. The name Loren had been randomly generated. He went with it.

Clicking on the doll, Lawrence saw you could spend points to buy different features. He began to play.

Hair: blonde. Body-type: Princess. Makeup: Pink

Each selection changed the avatar making it more attractive and feminine looking. Lawrence found it strangely addictive. Strangely pleasing to shape and mould the avatar, to watch it getting prettier and prettier.

Make her bitchy. Make her mean.

He wasn't sure where the intrusive thought came from but it felt good. Yes... why not make the avatar look hot and mean. A bully... even worse than his daughter.

Yessss. Make her super popular... make her an IT girl.

He selected the toxic femininity personality trait and pushed the natural leader button. Loren was going to be an Alpha girl.

More... make her meaner. Make her a total nightmare. Make her completely evil.

The intrusive thoughts felt really good and Lawrence saw that there were other options besides physical. He began to play with those. He cranked the popularity slider to maximum. He selected Head Cheerleader. He selected the slider for wealth and pushed it as high as it would go.

Make sure she knows how to fuck. She has to be the best at everything. Make her a fucking dirty slut...

Lawrence didn't feel embarassed as he entered the sexuality tab. It seemed so natural now to adjust Loren and make her nastier.

Sexual Orientation: Likes boys but will make out with girls. Sexually confident - switch. Likes to be fucked by Alpha's, but peg and dominate beta boys.

He noticed he'd nearly spent all of his daughters points. She'd really been saving, but he'd had enough points that he could pretty much max out all of Loren's stats.

The avatar was now of a mean, bullying, rich brat. She was the Head Cheerleader and a completely cruel delinquent who got whatever she wanted. She oozed toxic femininity, was an avatar of lust and desire and clearly had no morals. Loren was the most evil bitch it was possible to be.

COMPLETE AVATAR AND TRANSFORM?

Lawrence stared at the big button flashing at the bottom of the app. What did that mean? His thumb hesitated over it. Something wasn't right here.

Push it loser. Push it and see.

Lawrence felt like something was influencing him. Something external... yet also something within himself. Something hungry and dark and desperate to be free. Something that had seen its chance and was going to take it.

He pushed the button...

Lawrence screamed in pleasure as pink lightning blasted out of the phone and engulfed him. Bones cracked and skin tightened as with a howl of orgasmic pleasure he began to transform.

Long blonde hair cascaded from his scalp and makeup simmered across his features as his drab clothing became hot and sexy. Breasts grew and his dick shrunk away and his ass inflated out.

Loren was becoming a reality.

Pussy lips opened as body hair receded and a hot blonde teenage slut rolled her pretty eyes in ecstasy. Nails shot out, thick makeup covered her face and the new bitch giggled in glee. This felt amazing.

"Ohhhhh fuckkkkk yesssss," she hissed as her transformation completed.

Loren blinked. She looked down at the phone in her hand. What... a.... rush.

She smirked and standing up walked to the mirror to admire her perfect body.

She was eighteen... she was popular and she was horny.

This was going to be a lot of fun...

The end?

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Ellooo! Can I maybe request THH students aka the competitors of the killing game meeting pokemon Violet/scarlet trainer Y/n because a worm hole brought them in the killing game? Maybe they have some legendaries that help atleast make sure monokuma doesn’t pressure them all so maybe no killing? Maybe Y/n could offer they’re Pokémon as therapy animals and maybe hold “mock” Pokémon battles with the others by like giving them a Pokémon of theyres so they can try out battling! :3 I hope you have a nice January!

Thank you! Hope your January is good to you, too! For reference I'll leave the team vague (except for Mewtwo and Porygon Z for plot reasons), but they still have access to others they've captured in the Paldea/Kitakami/BB regions

I'll just do a few characters to help me ease back into writing the og Danganronpa series (which I haven't written for in like 5 years apparently????????)

............

General

You weren't sure why the wormhole ever opened to begin with.

Maybe there was still some instability within Area Zero despite the time machine being long gone, or perhaps something else decided to open up a pocket in the universe.

But regardless, it dropped you off inside of a school.

Not Naranja/Uva or BB Academy, but a much different school that had an ominous atmosphere hanging over it.

You quickly meet the other students there after being summoned to the gym, discovering that they all woke up here, too.

They didn't know anything about each other---nor did they know anything about Pokémon when one asked about your "Ultimate" (which you soon learn is your talent).

From what they understood, you tamed animals and made them fight other people's animals, which....seemed a little concerning.

But before you could explain any further, Monokuma shows up to announce the killing game.

Immediately, you take it upon yourself to defeat him, so you send out Mewtwo to destroy the bear--who self-destructs in response, but fortunately they're able to put up a psychic shield in time as he reprimands you for attacking the headmaster.

Your Legendary's appearance shocks every student there, realizing that these "animals" of yours actually possess magic and are 100% not of this world.

Whatever any of them believed before was thrown out the window.

Given your unexpected arrival (and the fact you were pretty much untouchable thanks to your team), Monokuma won't be able to enforce the killing game as much as he liked to--although he thinks someone's gonna eventually kill somebody.

While the gate couldn't be breached, you and the other students try to accept living within the school, certain there was another way out.

He still tries handing out the first motive, only for your Porygon-Z to corrupt every video so that nobody felt pressured to kill.

But while everybody was at first wary of you and your powerful Pokémon team, they've grown to trust you, even considering you a leader.

You have no idea how to return to your world, so you might as well stay here and form friendships with these people.

Makoto

He was the first student you met...and the first to make you realize something was incredibly different about this school.

But after you saved everyone in the gym from having to worry about killing, he became more curious about you and your team.

Since nobody knew about Pokémon battling, you decide to pass the time by become a teacher to all who were willing to learn!

Makoto was first in line, of course.

You still had access to your PC, and after getting it hooked up to the computer system (with help from Chihiro), you lend him an Eevee for practice, bringing out one of your fighting 'mons to teach him about type advantages.

"So I just...give them a command, and they'll listen?"

"Yep. That's all! I'll let you try first."

On the sidelines, Monokuma vouched to have the loser get executed--but ofc nobody listens to him.

Makoto genuinely enjoyed the mock battle, as his luck allowed him to land several critical hits on your Pokémon.

Afterwards, you introduce him to a Shiny Eevee, and during your free time, he's surprised to hear about your harrowing tales of shiny hunting.

"Your talent would work pretty well where I come from," you remark. "Because these guys are super rare to find in the wild."

"That's pretty cool. So what's your strategy? Do you camp out for a few days in the wilderness or...?"

"No. I kinda just run around until I find one. But sometimes, I'll be getting chased by some angry Pokémon who don't like me being on their turf...and in my panic, I'll stumble across a shiny."

"Hahaha..I can picture that happening to me with my kind of luck." He chuckles, now unable to get the image of you running from an angry Eevee mob out of his head.

Ishimaru

Despite witnessing your Mewtwo's heroic act in the gym, Taka still sees them as an animal that shouldn't be walking around inside a school, feeling obligated to enforce that rule when he catches you two going to get snacks.

"Excuse me, but pets are NEVER allowed inside the cafeteria!!"

"I thought I already explained that they're not a "pet", Ishimaru." You and Mewtwo stare at the prefect. "At my school, we're allowed to have our Pokémon out as long as they're not a distraction."

"Well...this is a different school in case you haven't noticed! So different rules apply here! Now please put your Mewtwo back in that little contraption-"

"A pokeball?"

"Yes! The poke-ball!"

"....and who are you gonna tell if I don't?" You grin smugly, watching him draw a blank. "Surely not Monokuma, who's been keeping us hostage here, right?"

Taka freezes up, but after remembering that you basically stopped a potential murder from taking place...he relents and stops bothering you about keeping your Pokémon away (though he's still not happy about it).

He was appalled at your suggestion of having "violent" battles in the gym--to which you reassure him nothing's gonna get destroyed, as they're only mock battles.

He watches a few, nervous whenever the Pokémon on either side faint or take heavy damage.

Then one day (post-sauna), he stops by your room and asks if he could try it for himself, admitting that he's been taking notes on the sidelines and wants to be tested.

He was craving new knowledge and decided that if Pokemon was the only "study" available, he'll accept it.

Delighted, you let him train with a Charcadet. You haven't decided what armor to give them yet, but they were still quite strong with their bold nature.

The two immediately get along and battle quite well, although when Taka loses, he feels terrible and tries going over what he could have messed up on.

You remind him that battling was supposed to be fun, but you give him an A+ for having the same passion and vigor as an experienced trainer--which lifts his spirits.

You decide to let him keep Charcadet for the time being, noticing how they've been picking up his attitude, discouraging other Pokemon from causing trouble or mischief within the school.

Mondo

After learning about his Ultimate, you just knew you had to show off a Shiny Cyclizar that you've caught.

But he takes one look at them.....and laughs.

"No way, you're telling me people can ride that wimpy little lizard????"

"...yes. And this "wimp" can actually reach up to speeds 70 MPH. They've been around for longer than you, I, and your precious motorcycle have been alive." You remark, which makes the biker shut up for the moment.

He wishes he could have his motorcycle just to race you and prove himself better, but he takes your word for it after you climb on Cyclizar's back and run a lap around the gym.

If you have a Miraidon, his jealousy would be shot to the maximum because your motorcycle-lizard is not only 100% robot but they can shoot electricity AND fly????

That's so badass it should be illegal.

If you have a Koraidon, he might have a brief confrontation with them after they assume their Apex form, believing he was threatening you.

Luckily, you quickly recalled them before he could even try throwing a punch.

But since battling interested him, you let him practice with that same Shiny Cyclizar...only for him to discover that they won't listen to any of his commands.

You intended to teach him a lesson about respecting Pokémon, since he hasn't apologized for insulting them--but he didn't understand and thought you were lying about the moves you taught them.

But eventually, you get it through his thick skull and he yells out an apology, which Cyclizar seems to accept as they use Scale Shot-

Only for to miss your Pokémon all five times, making him fume as you mention accuracy as another aspect of battling.

Least to say....Mondo is extremely competitive and acted like a sore loser when you, a champion-ranked trainer, beat him.

But he got over it eventually, and you let him keep the Cyclizar, who did forgive him and gladly kept him company.

Aoi

While you were talking about the different Pokémon types, of course the Ultimate Swimmer would be most interested in the water types.

So you let her browse your PC for some time.

Lapras and (surprisingly) Aqua Breed Tauros piqued her curiosity, asking you if she could train with them since you also mentioned having done double-battles.

Funny enough, those two had natures that subverted her expectations: the gentle-looking Lapras was rash and aggressive with their attacks, while the scary-looking Aqua Tauros was so timid they were outcasted from their herd.

Once they come out of the PC and Aoi gets to know them--they're basically her Pokémon forever now. Sorry.

She absolutely LOVES that they can join her in the pool! Even if Lapras can't swim around much, they still enjoy the water.

And Aqua Tauros' body fat allows them to float around without fear of sinking.

If you were to tell her that Lapras' species was nearly hunted to extinction, she'd prob tear up, but you'd then reassure her there's a lot of protection laws and their population has grown in abundance since.

When it comes time for the double battle, you send out some strong electric types of your own, just to see how well she'd do in the face of type disadvantages.

You didn't realize how closely Aoi bonded with Aqua Tauros until you used an attack that was normally a OHKO--only to see them still standing, having "toughened it out".

Turns out that her cheerful mood and encouragement have given the bull the confidence they needed.

Sakura

After watching your battle with Aoi, Sakura steps in and asks if she could see the Pokémon you have available.

You decide to show her the fighting types, and she immediately takes an interest in Urshifu, who you've had since your trip to Galar's Isle of Armor.

They remind her so much of her dojo, and felt inspired when you told her about the journey their previous evolution (Kubfu) went on to help them achieve their current form, whether it's Single or Rapid Strike Style.

The Legendary wants to learn more about her fighting styles--so the pair have a friendly sparring match with each other.

You worried about Urshifu hurting her with their move set, but they fortunately restrain from using anything dark/water/fighting-related powers.

That's a form of self-control you've never seen before in a Pokémon, but you're relieved (and impressed) when Sakura yields with only a few scratches.

Although she vowed to never lose to a human opponent, this doesn't count as Urshifu isn't exactly human.

You then introduce her to the Tyrogue line you've caught in the canyon biome (Tyrogue, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, and Hitmonchan), and they're collectively awestruck after seeing her rematch Urshifu, wanting to learn her ways.

So she ends up being a teacher to them, and it's quite adorable seeing them all training together in a way that not just strengthens Sakura's own mind and body, but also theirs, too.

She's not too keen on using them to battle, as she sees them as their own individual who should have the choice to battle if they want.

But because you assured her they wanted to, she agrees and uses Urshifu while you sent out Iron Valiant, a fighter from the future--and despite the type disadvantage, she actually won and thoroughly shocked you.