#Rough around the edges; memories and baggage (information).

[kaengeru]

cyberpunk 2077 au ramblings (because you asked for this!!)

(shorthand: streetkid=purple. nomad=cowboy. corpo=monochrome.)

OKAY to start, this is ALL cyberpunk2077!au that ignores the story for the most part. nomad is the only one who is intrinsically tied to the relic plot. the other two have some vague connect to the lifepath background to a point, but otherwise dont end up in the same hole. THEY ARE all around 23/24 at their current state(s). (also: apologies if anyone thought i meant they were actually related - each of them are just a different cyberpunk!au of enya) theres sarah too of course! but im still working on his different designs and he is Not the main character, sorry bud. you will get a snack of him because he is always important to her story <3 GOD. OKAY. ANYWAY. if you know nothing about the game im sorry (my knowledge is only from 2077 and internet research anyway) but here we go!!

streetkid; solo. sante muerte theme. also Purple and/or gold. MAXIMUM chrome. shotguns, sandevistan, mantis blades.

-the most similar to default enya. ANGRY. loud, brash, quick to violence. aggressively hetero. comes off more composed in the downtime between jobs from her excessive confidence. smokes, drinks, drugs, alls fun and fair. lazy grins. head tilts. hands in pockets. baggy pants, tie-front bras, tennis shoes.

-known as rabbit/coneja rather than v, due to a few tattoos, her tendency for jumping fences, jumping onto people, and rabbit-kicking her way out of a tough spot (the chrome she's got makes bone breaking very easy and fun). heywood born and bred. russian/spanish. speaks both fluently but leans heavier on the russian to throw people off (this backfires frequently outside of her immediate neighborhood, where people will often assume she's a scavenger).

-physical embodiment of "why do i hear boss music?". alternates between horror movie villain casually walking after people, or DOOM slayer run-n-gun. thorough, albeit not precise in her work. incapable of subtly or silent tactics. shooting people is way easier than talking to them; will give valentinos the smallest bit of leeway, but so little no one except her can tell. VERY hard to kill. mantis blades are almost exclusively used in tight spots, and even then, if a grenade will do the trick, thats more fun anyways.

-high-functioning cyberpsycho (with a legit diagnosis just in case she does snap, they can make her a nice statistic), virtually no empathy/humanity. very disconnected with her self of self. about 75-80% chrome - including both necessary and for improved functions - with a preference toward (funny enough) subtle or hidden cyberware. WAY heavier than she looks with basal caloric needs being stupid high so she is constantly eating. mostly things she finds (steals) (digs out of the pockets of someone she just killed) etc. her lack of social awareness is most obvious when it comes to food because if it is there, she will take it.

-brief history: mom dies when she's 9 during a bird flu pandemic. dad gets killed when she gets grabbed by some maelstromers for cyberware experiments with a couple other kids at 12. ends up as a violent little street urchin between mandated therapy sessions. starts working simple jobs around 15, largely thefts and such, getting her first hit when she's 17 (though she's already killed her fair share of people). almost all the money she makes is put into upgrading and adding onto her cyberware.

-the sarah connection: her, 17/18. him 19. first contact is she and her "buddies" bullying him into taking his shirt off (to prove he isn't a tyger claw) (because theyre awful). he's new to the city, working as a cook for a local dumpling place that she frequent(ly breaks into to steal food). most similar to default enya/sarah beginnings where she simply will Not leave him alone, though he's more anxious in this realm (for good reason) so she wins out faster.

-he lives in the apartment above the restaurant (owner doesnt because its been broken into numerous times) (guess who) and works a lot, so they often spend their time sitting on the roof and talking. sort of mellows her out, having a comfortable space to explore feelings and whatnot helps process Things, including these weird emotions she gets when she looks at him.

-he dies when shes 21. just gets mugged by a couple guys. closest she comes to a full psychotic break, and likely would of if she hadnt found the culprits in quick succession. theyre left an unrecognizable mess and she's given a friendly warning that the ncpd has her as their prime suspect and she should probably stay out of sight for a while. then streetkid path: goes to atlanta, comes back 2 years later, etc. would probably run into jackie but doesnt work well with others, so, hey, she'll take a free lunch but thats about it.

-dies before her thirties. no blaze of glory etc. just gets gutted in a back alley after finally picking the wrong fight and bleeds out behind a dumpster. she is, surprisingly, fine with this - she's had a pervasive sense of suicidal ideation for a LONG while, but was never going to do it herself, and everyone else sucks at it.

-shoving this info somewhere:

=low INT. has a vague grasp on how to navigate some systems and read a little bit of code, but could much more easily disassemble a deck. that and no people skills. says what needs to be said. impulsive and unpredictable but not unstable. =not a believer in sante muerte, but very much enjoys the concept and messing with valentinos where possible. also was never a part of the tinos, but has a fair number of connections within the gang. =the sort who will roll over to sleep for a couple hours, then get right back to business when she wakes up. not good with quiet or stillness, cannot be alone with her thoughts for an extended period. always has to be doing something.

-im definitely forgetting SOMETHING but this motherfucker is my favorite

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nomad; techie. flower theme. cowboy. minimal chrome. sniper rifles, berserk, gorilla arms.

-enya-adjacent. the most well-adjust and happiest of the three (ignoring the depression). quiet! straightforward when she does talk, and doesnt talk very much. no silence is awkward (for her). actually finds some humor in how differently people react. comfy bi with a preference for women. smokes, but doesnt drink (anymore), and drugs only when necessary. blank stares. careful deliberation. sleeveless vests, leather chaps, cowboy boots.

-prefers val as she gets older, before just going by v when she starts doing merc work. follows the nomad lifepath pretty directly. born in the NUSA, traveling with the bakkers, etc. has that curiosity toward explosives as a child, up until she fucks around and finds out real quick. loses both arms and left eye, burns mostly on her face and upper chest/shoulder. that was the last time she messed with choo2 and gasoline. instead, shifts her energy toward tinkering with machines and cyberware. the latter she finds more enjoyable, but doesnt have many opportunities to experiment with except for her basic (hand-me-down) implants until she saves up herself for an upgrade.

-almost exclusively uses long-range rifles. highly skilled sharpshooter helped along immensely by her one cyber-eye. many problems can be solved this way, for any that cant, her gorilla arms are deceptively customized to deliver a lot more power than expected. not a boxer but enjoys fighting. doesnt get a lot of sleep, spends her nights doing body weight exercises, fiddling with her arms, reading, trying to meditate. professional to a T. whatever the scope is, she will follow it to the letter. not so much "has to be done right" more "thats what i was told to do"; however, she is prone to leniency. minimal deaths depending on the job and involved gangs. being newer to night city has her grouping gangs, corpos, cops, etc in the same bubble. except for shivs, they all get the bullet.

-"brief" history: mom shot by raffen shiv at 9. while tagging along her first patrol at 12, her dad is killed and she's captured alongside a few others when theyre ambushed by raffen (including another girl, sam). rescued after a week or so of rape and torture. her and sam end up becoming inseparable, bonding over their shared trauma. ends up being useful because she goes mute for a number of years with sam being the only person she talks to. becomes an angry violent teen, getting into a whole host of trouble over the years. between those moments, she helps with mechanic work, insisting she gets a fair trade of pay for her work, saving up for improved cyberware, specifically gorilla arms. violence and trouble get worse for a period after this before she gradually begins to soften (very much helped by her interactions with sarah). spends a lot of time alone, improving and modifying her arms and guns, endless target practice, generally honing her skills and abilities into something useful. works random repair and general modification until she starts legitimate merc work at 18.

-sarah connection: these two are THE sarah/enya pair. he is a traveling monk under a teacher who believes in reaching out to the forgotten of society. but not a bhikkhu (the in-game ones, who are ordained) but a ngakpa (under tibetan buddism). different colored robes and vows. theyll travel, spending a few days in an area before moving on. happy to explain their beliefs (which happens frequently enough), but their only real goal is to converse and learn about others. has a vague rotation so they come around every year or so.

-first runs into him at 16 (him 18, still going through training). distant curiosity a contrast to the rest of the teens. doesnt start bothering him until the next year, finding him when he goes to find a quiet spot to meditate to ask her own batch of questions. seeing as this is sarah dialed up to 11, he has a whole lot of suggestions for her, mostly meditative option. blows him off at face, but ends up following some ideas and finds they actually help.

-sarah is, well, sarah, so she finds him an incredibly comfortable and safe presence. helps her relax and open up more. especially so after they start secretly dating (he isnt that kind of monk, after all). plus, his frequent absences actually brings its own sense of contentment. they get married a couple years later when she's 21.

-since this enya/v follows the game, she does end up in night city, relic, johnny, etc. sarah manages to find her, as he does every year, and what with her whole dying thing, decides he's gonna put off his traveling until she figures it out or, well, dies. he's her rock!! okay!!

-for my own headcanon etc: endgame choice is to have the aldecaldos help out (because of course she'd join them), albeit with a whole host of hesitancy and regret after. the connection in arizona helps out because this bitch deserves a happy ending, dammit. relic and whatnot leaves her with a traumatic brain injury, and after all the shit in night city, both cant and wont do merc work anymore. rather, goes heavy into general mechanic/implant modifications which keeps her busy, well-paid, and content. sarah fully shifts into a householder lifestyle instead of traveling and they live happily ever after fuck u.

-some extra info:

=also low INT, cannot hack to save her life, but her people skills are more refined. more prone to not talking than blurting things out which usually works out for the better. =not a believer in buddism but supportive of her big hubby, and finds some of the practices useful for her own mental health. =has memory dampeners in place a few months after her abduction. part of the reason she doesnt touch alcohol is if she drinks too much, it fucks em up and she gets night terrors. relic eating away at her brain introduces the possibility of the dampeners failing at some random point, so she has those removed. misery and suffering for a brief period but gives her a way to deal with her trauma more directly. =her and sam consider each other what they call friend soulmates. they love and adore each other - which theyre fully aware came about because of the suffering they experienced together - but they wont ever be more than friends (albeit, very, very close ones). sam leaves the bakkers a couple years prior to them disbanding officially, but they both stay in contact.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

corpo; netrunner. monochrome theme. medium chrome. knives, overclock??, monowire.

-baby… baby boy (not really, he's a dick). i do NOT have a solid grasp on his character because the corpo lifepath bores me and i dont like netrunning but i needed someone to fill the role. that and i havent given male!enya (aidan) any real thought. drinks (excessively) but doesnt smoke. casual bi, big flirt, bigger narcissist and ego. pretty standard corpo jackass in the way he talks to people he deems lesser. blackout tattoos. toothy smirks. puppy dog eyes. folded hands. subtle designer clothes. long sleeves, dress pants, combat boots.

-aidan vincent (last name). goes by v/vin/vinny or vincent in general, aidan only with people he's close to. russian/japanese with split citizenship between night city/US and japan.

-NO idea what his "trauma at 12" enya hallmark is, but it does involve someone clawing out his eyes (hence, the scars and implants). was leaning toward one parent being in maxtac, maybe something with a cyberpsycho attack?? dunno yet.

-sarah connection: fem!sarah is seth! specifically sesu in this au as she's based in japan. making my own cyberpunk headcanon where arasoka also is very supportive of traditional entertainment and sports, including sumo. including female sumo because HELL yeh. proves herself and works her way to a higher level. him being involved with arasoka and travel etc. runs into her at a sort of after party. BIG old heart eyes immediately, this boy is a sucker for giant women. takes some work on his end but manages to convince her hes genuine and they have a strong but brief relationship.

-she's the one who ends it - in part, because she knows theyre both trying to focus on their careers, and his work in particular keeps him away more than either of them want. probably also the whole kill-or-be-killed attitude. not her thing.

-he's TOTALLY not bitter and disappointed and mad about this (< lying to himself constantly). overcompensates in his treatment toward others, flirting, and hookups.

-the random bits im making up as i type:

=NO clue on his future. dies sometime in thirties probably, something like he has a hit put out on him by a younger corpo and has gotten to the point of hardly caring so he gets caught off guard. unhappy but resigned. =high INT but people dumb. when he's got less of a stick up his ass, it's fairly obvious he's a himbo. extremely so when he likes the other person. =when he's not diving through the net and experimenting with backdoors and various ICEbreakers, he enjoys knife throwing. will happily play circus act when he gets drunk enough, but otherwise, the knives dont come out unless he aims to hurt someone. has a surprising number on him at all times from having an excessive amount of hidden sheaths stitched into his clothes.

-bonus fun fact about aidan: would unironically call himself a short king (he's 6 feet tall).

(if any of you actually managed to read through my brainrot, you deserve a prize holy shit i love u <3)

[bakugotrashpanda]

Two Truths and a Lie

Chapter 2: Life Goes On

Bakugou x Fem!Reader

◈ Pro Hero, Fake Engagement ◈ Word Count: 1433

◇ Chapter Select

◇ Previous Chapter

You’re suffering and it shows.

The following three weeks of your life are an absolute nightmare. The quality of sleep you get goes from fantastic to subpar. Sleeping on the couch to avoid the bedroom and the inevitable breakdown you’d have is the only logical choice to keep going.

And your suffering isn’t contained to your apartment. Your way to work is lined with advertisements and billboards of Midoriya. No matter where you go, you can’t avoid seeing him.

It doesn’t help that you don’t have anything to fill your time with. Staying home binge watching shows and crying into your meals only lasted a day or so. Typing, deleting, and retyping social media posts could only get you so far. And sitting in the darkness letting the soul crushing reality that you are in fact alone is your least favorite of the ways you spent your evenings. As a result, your work performance began to suffer.

It’s just a normal day of typing up your interrogation notes and staring off into space when an email pops up at your computer from your boss marked ‘urgent’. Your blood pressure and anxiety skyrocket.

Rubbing your hands on your pants, you knock on your boss’ door. She looks up from her keyboard and waves you in

“You wanted to see me?” you ask.

“Close the door.”

Never a good way to start a meeting. Sitting in the leather chair across from her, your boss takes off her glasses and rubs her temple.

She pulls out a stack of files. Complaints. “We need to talk about your performance.”

“What, are you going to fire me?” The sarcastic jab leaves your mouth before you can stop it.

Snapping her glasses back into place, she opens the top folder and glances at the report. “No, but you’ll be pulled from active duty if you don’t get your shit together. Showing up late, being abnormally callous during interrogations-”

You can’t hold back a snort. “Oh, so now you don’t like the way I talk to people?” Your job is to grill people – get information needed by any means necessary. “Should I just not speak ever again?”

“Insubordination.” Your boss sighs and takes off her glasses. A flash of irritation makes you want to reach over her desk and snap the glasses in half… Maybe she does have a point. She pinches the bridge of her nose, her brows scrunched together. “I get going through a breakup. I really do. But you need to leave the baggage at the door.”

There’s a pause as her words sink in. They simmer inside you, a low burning heat in your chest that slowly bubbles into anger. She gets going through a breakup?

Does she get being surrounded by nothing and yet everything at the same time? Does she get only being able to use half of what used to be a home? Does she understand that you have absolutely nothing going for you?

So yeah, you’re a little rough around the edges right now. And your fuse is a little short. And you probably should talk to someone about it, but you’re not going to. Not right now.

A breath you didn’t know you’re holding hisses out your nose. Message received; don’t be a dick at work.

“If that’s all,” you stand abruptly and wait for her to nod like she usually does to let you leave.

Except she doesn’t. “I’m recommending taking a week off. A soft reset may be just what you need.”

Icy dread shoots through your veins and extinguishes your anger. “Don’t,” you say softly. Your boss raises an eyebrow. Your knees weaken and you sink back into the chair. “Don’t make me take a week off. All I’m surrounded by in my apartment are memories I want to forget. Don’t make me spend a week by myself in that hellhole.” What the hell would you do with a week of probation?

Hard amber eyes soften slightly. Her head softly tilts side to side as if weighing the pros and cons of keeping you around. Sweat prickles your back the whole time. “One more day,” she decides. “I better not have a single complaint cross my desk, is that clear.”

“Crystal,” you murmur and stand. Your boss nods once and returns to her paperwork, the stack of complaints disappearing somewhere into the abyss of her desk again.

Christ. You didn’t think the break up was affecting you that much. Plastering on a smile, you sarcastically tell yourself to ‘think positive’ and head back onto the floor.

Back at your cubicle you look at your schedule. One more interrogation and then you could in theory clock off early. It should be easy, just another robbery where one of the guys got caught. He’s not spilling where the rest of his team is or where they stored the cash.

That’s where you come in – sweet talking your way into whatever information you want. If you lay your quirk on thick, you could have him wrapped around your little finger spouting off his personal banking details in a matter of minutes. And you’ll do everything by the book.

But, you might as well see what you’re working with before marching straight into the interrogation room. You head to the back room and see a coworker standing in the dark. The two-way mirror shows the criminal with a quirk inhibiting bracelet slapped on his wrist.

“I take it he’s not speaking?” you murmur.

“No.” Your coworker hides a smile by taking a sip of water. “But I know you’ll get the truth from him, Verity.” You watch the man fidget at the table and tug at the cuff – as if that would take it off or stop the terrifying feeling of having your quirk taken away from you. 

Gotcha right where I want you.

“I’ll get you a location,” you say confidently and leave. This’ll be a piece of cake.

“You always do.”

And you did. It took you a minute of talking to loosen the guy up before he responded, but once he did, he was yours. You charmed the information right out of him without over doing your quirk and made sure there would be nothing but glowing reports all around. Probation would be a nonissue for you.

A cold evening breeze kisses your cheeks as you leave the office. Averting your gaze from the giant screen advertising a new underwear brand with your ex as the model, you let your feet take you to your new favorite watering hole on autopilot.

The bar is a little hole in the wall favored by up-and-coming heroes and sidekicks. It’s less about schmoozing and elbow rubbing, and more about unwinding from the day with a cold one with friends. Plus the cook makes some of the best food for cheap. The few tables in the place aren’t filled yet, but give it an hour or so and you would find four or five people all squeezing together to fit at each.

You take your place at the bar – your new ‘usual’ spot and find a beer sliding your way.

“I’m gonna need something stronger than this,” you smile wryly at the bartender and take a sip from the bottle.

“How strong are you talking?” the bartender asks.

“Dealer’s choice,” you hum. Ten seconds later a shot glass filled with clear liquid is plopped in front of you.

“Bottoms up,” you salute before downing the shot. The beer you chase it with tastes like water in comparison. You nearly choke on it though when your eyes glance over at the TV in the corner.

“Too strong for ya?” the bartender asks, but you ignore him. The ticker tape headline sears your brain.

“Pro-Hero Deku and Uravity announce their relationship on social media.” Your drink turns to sludge in your mouth. Pro-Hero Deku fucking what? The alcohol burns in your mouth and the whole way down. Your stomach churns – from the news or the drink, you’re unsure.

Deku and Uravity. Two friends from highschool who decided to take their friendship to the next level. Lovers reunited at long last.

There’s no mention of you or the fact that Midoriya got out of a relationship almost a month ago down to the day in the report. All you can see are candid pictures of the two of them in public, looking all cute and shit. It makes you want to vomit. Or throw your bottle. Or both.

“Well if he’s fucking dating her, then I’m engaged to Dynamight,” you mutter to yourself. “Can I get a few more shots down here?”

Truth: You can’t escape your ex.

Truth: It hurts to know he moved on so quickly.

Lie: You can recall everything that happened at the bar.

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[cupofteaguk]

brighter than fire (m)

summary: there’s quite possibly nothing you hate more than Min Yoongi and his stupid, stupid face—and the stupid, stupid way he makes you feel

pairing: yoongi x fem!reader

genre: camp counselor au, enemies to lovers au | fluff/smut 

warning: SOOOOO much banter omfg, skinny dipping, jungkook is a little shit, rough sex, fingering, oral sex (fem receiving) 

word count: 11k

.

As soon as you step off the bus at the top of the mountain, surrounded by trees and forest and the fresh smell of pine, miles and miles away from your family and the troubles of everyday life—there is without a doubt in your mind that you’re reached your home. The sun is bright, hitting your eyes as soon as you depart from the vehicle, which only serves as a benchmark for what the next few weeks would consist of. And for the most part, you cannot wait to bask in the freedom and the responsibility and the adventure of resuming your counselor position at Camp Bulletproof for the fourth year in a row.

There’s an endearing aspect of being a regular at Camp Bulletproof, one that comes with smiles and waves exchanged with counselors who share the same experience as you, ones you’ve known for many years and have a friendship that can transcend the fact that you all didn’t see each other a lot more than you actually saw each other but that doesn’t stop any of you from spending hours on end supplying backstories for stories or sharing tales from school. It’s a gesture that is done very willingly given that some of these people have plagued your childhood and some of your most fond memories. For the most part, you can’t wait until after hours so the counselors could all have some time to catch up.

For the most part.

“Noona!”

You throw a look over your shoulder in time to see Jeon Jungkook shouldering his own dufflebag and additional backpack, and the sight of seeing an old camper-turned-counselor makes you grin. “Jungkook!” You exclaim, approaching the younger boy. He’s gotten taller over the years, and you remember during your very first year as a counselor when the pair of you were the same height; now, you have to tiptoe to wrap your arm around his shoulder. “It’s great to see you again!”

“You too.” The pair of you pull away to start making your way to the camp director, who is already surrounded by other counselors. “How has your year been?”

“It’s been good!” You exclaim, knowing that you’ll have weeks to go more indepth about your experiences. “I can’t believe you’re a counselor now, I could have sworn that it was just yesterday you were getting pantsed during that dodgeball game. I can still see the iron man boxers in my head.”

“Are you ever going to let me live that down, Noona?” Jungkook inquires, and you turn in time to see the way he’s got his neck angled away from you, gently patting the side of his head, lips pressed together and you can practically see the embarrassment rolling off his skin. Besides the physicality of Jungkook’s growth and the evolution of certain habits that has changed in correspondence to his maturity, you know that there are just some things that will never change with the younger boy—and that thought is enough to make your lips quirk up into a highly fond smile.

“Maybe not,” You say as the pair of you stop to linger just outside the circle of counselors. “I like holding that over your head too much, Kookie.”

Jungkook scoffs at the nickname, an old yet endearing childhood title that was coined by Kim Namjoon that somehow has just stuck throughout the years, a true testament of everyone’s bond and closeness. Yet, he doesn’t say anything to protest. His scoff is one of light-heartedness, a casualness, before that shy smile is back across his face. He smiles at you and you smile back, before a call from the head counselor brings everyone’s attention to the center of the circle.

It’s the day before the campers are set to roll in and there still responsibilities and assessments and last minute arrangements that need to be made to make sure that the campsite is prepared. Most things have been taken care of by the owners of the property, but small details such as schedules and who is sleeping where are important pieces of information that everyone needs to know. The system usually works in which four counselors (two boys and two girls) are assigned to a small group of campers, a group of people who are meant to become a family over the duration of camp and it’s definitely part of the highlight that makes your summer. The fact that you still remember some of the campers names from previous sessions, as well as those important, real world, heart-to-heart discussions—the fact that you know you have been able to reach out to real people and influence them in some way, shape, or form makes everything worth it.

After a brief layout of the rules, regulations, and responsibilities (all of which you have heard before on multiple occasions), the head counselor, aforementioned Kim Namjoon, starts to call names of counselors as well as the corresponding group of campers they will be watching over throughout the camp. For the girls, you are assigned with Karly, as per usual, the pair of you have been working together ever since you both started out four years ago, and as soon as you are given the paperwork containing information on your campers—basic information like a name, an age, and if that particular camper has been here before.

You bid Jungkook a quick goodbye with the promise that the pair of you would meet up later within the day along with some other counselors to catch up—the latter is paired up with Park Jimin—before you detach yourself from Jungkook in order to meet up with Karly.

“Another summer,” Karly gushes as the pair of you are just beginning to move away from the circle in order to walk towards your cabin to start setting things up. Together, you and Karly share details of your year apart, indulging in new friends that they’ve made, relationship complications, as if neither of you were separated in the first place. It’s a good representation of what your summer will consist of and for the most part, you really cannot wait.

For the most part.

“A surprise seeing you here, I thought the kids were coming up tomorrow.”

For the most part.

You turn to find the owner of the voice standing on your right hand side, no previous warning to give away his presence, but you’re use to him coming and going as he pleases. Well, ‘use to it’ feels a bit excessive for you. ‘Use to it’ implies that this is something you’re okay and perfectly comfortable with. ‘Use to it’ implies that this is a gesture that could be mistaken as banter between you and a good friend, a statement that would be false considering that you and this particular person were not good friends. Far from it actually. So much so that just the mere sound of this person’s voice is enough to make your stomach drop, enough to make your eyes narrow down into slits in order to direct your glare to the figure next to you. “I see the sunshine has brought out your best behavior, Min Yoongi.”

Aforementioned boy at your right side, gaze half-lidded to watch you carefully, lips curled up into an amused smile, Yoongi’s smirk broadens at your question—as if you had asked the right one, as if he had been expecting such a statement for his response. “Oh, you like me on my best behavior, don’t you sugar?” He runs his lips over his bottom lip briefly, replacing it with his teeth shortly after.

Something in the pit of your stomach churns. He’s always been like this, every single summer since your arrival, and you absolutely despise him for it. You can feel your glare harden, in spite of the betraying quickening of your heartbeat. “Fuck all the way off.”

“Ooh.” His voice lowers considerably, gaze flickering down to your lips momentarily before it’s flickering across your face. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

It hasn’t even been five minutes since your reunion with Min Yoongi and already want to punch him right in the face. Instead, you settle with throwing him the finger, but when he merely chuckles at the gesture, it only infuriates you more. Before you can open your mouth, however, Karly fills in your words with her own. “Are you guys done flirting yet?”

You whip around to face Karly, eyes wide, already on edge from Yoongi’s relentless teasing, your heart beating faster when you notice your friend’s amused smile and curious eyebrow raise. Your friend has been aware of Yoongi’s deep-rooted interest since your first year together as counselors, but your adamant disinterest on the topic has kept away many potential conversations. “We are not flirting—!”

“Wow, I can’t believe she figured it out already,” Yoongi drops dryly from beside you.

You whirl back to face him, face already flushed at the thought of being associated with him in such a manner. “I’m going to strangle you—!”

“I didn’t know you were so kinky, Y/N.”

You gape at his boldness, which is something that you should have expected, but it’s definitely a first for him to come onto you like this right out of the gate. You can’t bring it in yourself to retort a comeback for him, so you keep silent, glaring at him as hard as you possibly can, although you’re perfectly aware of the fact that it does little to scare Yoongi off. And based on his smile, he knows that you know this. You’re about to open your mouth once more, to snap him off or tell him to stop talking, before you realize that all three of you have stopped walking.

Yoongi readjusts the hold he has on his baggage. “Cabin 32, right?” He jerks his head towards something behind you, and you turn around to find that you’ve reached the cabin you, Karly, and the selected female campers in your group will be housed in throughout the duration of the trip.

Next to you, Karly shoulders her dufflebag and throws a smile over at the pair of you. “I’m gonna go inside and start cleaning up, okay?”

“I’ll join you,” You say at once, very desperate to get away from the source of your exasperation, tugging on the strap of your backpack, about to follow Karly up the steps into cabin 32 when a sudden hand at your wrist halts your gesture.

You feel the sensation of being tugged backwards, the protest and insults already ready on your lips before you feel a breath hovering over the shell of your ear. “Is that what you’re into? I can make it work for you.”

Your first instinct is to shiver, that feeling of an electric current shooting up and down your spine, but you do something else instead. You shove him away. “I would not be into doing anything with you.” But you set your jaw, swallow thickly, and somehow don’t entirely believe yourself. However, you turn away before Yoongi has the chance to see your expression.

.

How exactly does one explain your relationship with Min Yoongi?

It hasn’t always been like this—a thought that may be surprising given how ready you were to rip off the smug smile on his face at just the drop of a hat.

Well, actually, take that back. The very first time you ever laid eyes on the boy, things weren’t always so snappy and tense and full with enough banters to make your friend raise such an amused eyebrow; but the first time the pair of you ever interacted, however, is an entirely different story. It’s hard to forget the first time you ever spoke to Min Yoongi, because it’s such a memory that is firmly etched into the surface of your consciousness—a memory that involved him shoving you into a lake. It had been unexpected, of course, because you and the boy were hardly close enough for that type of thing, but you firmly remember crawling your way out of the lake, a ‘what the hell’ ready on your lips, before he had opened his mouth to say his very first statement ever to you:

“I see you’re all wet for me—how cute.”

He had rendered you completely speechless, and you can still remember that smirk, that crinkle in his eyes, the way his gaze roamed over you and left you feeling completely exposed and how you had known almost immediately that the pair of you were not going to get along easily. It’s been four years since that accident, yet it feels like nothing has changed. He still watches you carefully, his gaze still feels like hot irons across your body; yet your own feelings, the way every nerve in your body seemed to constantly respond to him—maybe that hasn’t changed but it’s certainly become increasingly and increasingly more difficult to ignore.

In spite of this alarming realization, however, you elect to do the best solution you could think of. You choose to ignore it. You ignore Karly’s occasional questioning on the subject manner as you enter the cabin following your previous confrontation with Yoongi, you ignore her wandering stares and inquiring eyes as you do your part in fixing up the cabin. Your friend knows better than to drop too many statements of curiosity pertaining to boy-who-must-not-be-named, given that she’s well aware of the history and rivalry that you share with him.

Just because she knows doesn’t mean that she can’t drop those amused smiles at you, the way she laughs behind her hand whenever Yoongi passes you by and you subject yourself to glaring at him out of the corner of your eye. She nudges you in the cafeteria when she notices Yoongi staring at you during dinner, to which the boy smiles and gives you a wave while you give him the finger.

“You’re supposed to be keeping this PG, Y/N,” Karly scolds gently, although the way her lips are quirked up tells you that she’s not entirely serious on keeping you in check.

“Well, he’s supposed to be staying out of my way, but we can’t all get what we want, now can we?” You retort, refusing to look up from your pasta where you know that a certain Min Yoongi is still watching you over his shoulder. “Every single time he opens that stupid mouth of his, it just makes me want to—!”

“Strangle the life out of him?” Karly finishes, grinning cheekily, the action clearly made as a reference to what you had said earlier that day.

You glare at her over your food. “If you keep talking, I’m going to put a pillow over your face while you’re sleeping.”

There are no flirtatious qualms about this threat, just narrow eyes and enough to leave little doubt of your follow through, which is why Karly settles with returning back to her own dinner without so much as another remark on the situation. Yet, she recognizes the light-hearted, casual banter that comes with it and you know that it’s only going to be a matter of time before she finds another thing to hold over your head for this.

Dinner doesn’t take long to finish and neither does cleaning up the dishes and laying them out for the following day. It is then and there that Jung Hoseok pulls you aside to let you know that some of the counselors are planning a little hangout near the campfire, to take advantage of these last few seconds of peace before the chaos of watching the youth takes over.

Of course, you agree and Karly accompanies you to the site of the fire that is just beginning to get set up as you surround yourself with familiar faces and friends. The sight makes your heart swell, as conversations bleed naturally into the course of what your school years, career decisions, relationship statuses have taken. You sit with Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook, both boys are who you will be grouped with throughout the duration of the summer. You all laugh when Kim Seokjin talks about the state of the relationship he was just beginning to engage in at the start of last year’s camp session, about Jung Hoseok’s dance crew, Jungkook’s junior prom session, the start of your new internship with PR, and rumors about Kim Namjoon’s potential study abroad trip to Europe.

Beyond that, there is also talk of other people, people who are only introduced and known through the mutual individual seated before the fire—talk of drama at school, in friend groups, at work. All that’s needed is a brief, “Hey, remember that asshole who tried to hit on me at work?” to bring everyone back up to speed on the direction of the conversation. It’s the type of relationship that requires disclosure, trust, that willingness to supply years of foundation, but you have all been able to make it work through the years. The realization nothing much has changed over the years between you and these people you know you can safely call best friends in spite of distance and just the fact that you all barely saw one another except for this common safe haven of forests and flickering flames makes your heart swell and you think that you’re definitely set for another summer of excitement with great company.

For the most part.

.

True to Yoongi’s words, the campers roll in the following day towards the late afternoon, just as you and Karly are finished testing out the rock climbing wall. The sweat is glistening across your forehead, your hair a bun at the top of your head as you and Karly dash towards the front of the camping grounds just in time to see the buses rolling over the hill and into view.

You watch the campers stepping off the bus, they all take on a variety of different ages and personalities and some appear to be with friends some not and for some reason this is one of your favorite parts about being a counselor. The before image of these individuals, the shyness that will likely fade after a few hours, the energy that is shared between everyone, getting to watch the campers grow and mature right before your very eyes over the course of just a few weeks.

Everyone meets and settles into the mess hall, Kim Namjoon with his clipboard and loud voice as he draws attention like no other. There’s an authoritative air to him, one that is responded to with kindness and respect and attention as he introduces the camp to everyone and explains the activities and the weeks of fun that is scheduled for everyone. This is followed by counselors from each group coming forward, laying out names before calling forth the campers that would be part of their team. You step forward with Karly, Jungkook, and Jimin before excitedly calling out the list of names you had spent the previous day looking over. Surprisingly, some of them are campers you vaguely remember from previous sessions, and most of them all seem to remember you and Karly as well, which does nothing more than make your heart suddenly feel as if it’s much too big for your chest. It feels nice to be able to recall certain memories with campers, like that time you encouraged Nathan’s involvement in the science program at school, or when you convinced Sophia to ask that boy to the eighth grade dance (she did, and they’re still dating nearly one year later).

The mess hall is a sea of chatters and conversations and laughter just as the last group of counselors practically shout out their list of campers to gather at the last available table. There are barely any awkward silences, in fact, there’s too much noise that Namjoon has to climb on top of a chair in order to regather the attention of everyone.

“Thanks guys for being so patient,” He calls. “Now, your counselors are going to take you to your cabins—dinner is in an hour, so you have until then to get settled in. Dismissed!”

The sun is still casting down upon the ground as everyone steps out from the building, chatter prevalent as everyone takes the separate paths to the cabins. Karly is leading the way for you while you’re situated in the back, catching up with Ashley about her upcoming freshman year on a new campus, sharing your own personal experience about what it was like moving up a grade level and feeling so terrified of your future, unable to notice a figure creeping up on you until you hear his voice in your ear.

“Nice to know that you finally caught up to the program,” Min Yoongi whispers, breath fanning across the shell of your ear as you squeak, you flinch, you jerk away from the sound of his voice, pulling your body away before you’re returning just to slap your hand against his shoulder.

“I’m afraid not everyone can think in broken fragments like you,” You say back. “You’re gonna have to be a little more specific.”

Yoongi stuffs his hands into the pocket of his shorts. “You’re finally with your proper height group.”

You turn back to Ashley to find that you’re only an inch or two taller than her, before you’re whirling back around to glare at him.

You’re about to open your mouth, but once again, Yoongi cuts you off by dismissing himself with one last salute. “See you, Y/N—!”

“Min Yoongi, get your ass—!”

A index finger over your lips halt your words as you cut yourself mid-rant at the sensation of his touch so close to you, you can practically feel the heat of his skin rolling off and that is such an intrusive, unwelcoming feeling in the pit of your stomach that you curl your hand around his finger long enough to push it down. “Tsk, tsk,” He says when you deliver him with another look that could scare away the campers you are now surrounded with. “Looks like Camp Bulletproof’s sweetheart isn’t that sweet. I might have to punish you for bad language.”

You attempt for a snort. “Punish me?” You echo, making sure not to speak too loud for fear that Ashley would overhear, and although she’s probably old enough to be familiar with the implication of this kind of banter, it’s definitely not listed under appropriate camp jargon. “Who’s being tasteless now?”

He shrugs. “I don’t see you telling me to stop.”

That is true, and you internally curse yourself because the boy is actually much smarter and much more observant than he usually lets you believe and you absolutely want to hate him more for it. And you would tell that to him, straight to his face, if the familiar voice that belongs to a certain Kim Taehyung doesn’t shake the pair of you from your trance. You look over Yoongi’s shoulder to see that his group is separating off in the path and Taehyung is giving you and his partner a slightly curious gaze. You ignore this and turn back to Yoongi. “Go away,” You say again, knowing the weakness of your argument. “Go do something responsible for once in your life.”

Yoongi gives you one last lingering gaze, but he seems to rethink trying to fit in one last word into the argument because he turns and disappears down the path, leaving you fuming with a very confused and slightly concerned Ashley still by your side.

.

The following afternoon finds you out amongst the crystal clear lake, one that could rival a desktop screensaver, the sun shining down so brightly that you’ve actually had to fish out a cap just to make sure you wouldn’t get any burns to your face. Your ponytail is laced through the hole at the back of your hat, and you’ve made one last readjustment to its placement at the top of your head before you’re picking up at the oar next to you.

“You finished with your little break?” Jungkook inquires from the other side of the small boat as he mirrors your movements in making a grab for his own paddle.

“Don’t turn this on me, you wanted a break too,” You retort, lifting your hand to wipe at the sweat across your brow before you’re turning out to look at the scenery before you.

It’s the first day of camp, and already it’s easy to tell that everyone is already enjoying themselves and it’s still only the second activity of the day. Given that most activities can only house in a certain number of campers, groups are usually split into two with a counselor from the boy’s group and a counselor from the girl’s group work together to man these specific activities. Karly and Jimin had asked to be paired together, given how close they were (the pair of them actually went to camp here together as campers, so the history between them is extremely long and extensive); not that you minded being paired with Jungkook. It’s nice to see how much fun he’s having as a counselor, and how easily he gets along with the other kids. The counselor role really suits him.

“I have no recollection of this,” Jungkook protests, although you both remember the words exchanged loudly and clearly in both of your minds. This is why you don’t press it, you merely shake your head and down some of the water from your bottle before tossing it to Jungkook. He chases it with ease as he takes a drink too. You look around to see your campers, to make sure no pair has gotten lost. All you see is the bright orange life vests around each pair, all boats you started off with accounted for. He’s just beginning to toss the water bottle back to you before he catches something out of the corner of his eye. “Hey Yoongi hyung!” He calls, moving to wave his arm wildly above his head.

The name feels like a punch to the gut as you look over your shoulder to see the man himself along with his partner approaching the pair of you. Yoongi looks strangely suspicious, but you don’t comment until the boat stops a few feet away from yours, side by side, Yoongi’s black hair and striking contrast against the fresh breath of wildlife all around you, and you watch the way he runs a hand through the locks, your heart reacting strangely to the simple gesture. Taehyung is sitting next to him, bandana wrapped around his forehead like a headband, looking—guilty?

You don’t let yourself think too deeply over that. “Oh hey, I was wondering why it was getting cold all of a sudden.”

“Charming, as always,” Yoongi comments, grinning brightly as he takes note of you and Jungkook’s position underneath the shade. “You guys should be catching some sunlight. It’s beautiful on this side of the trees.”

“It’s hot though,” You retort.

“Oh, because I’m here right?”

You drive your oar into the water, bringing it up just enough to fling droplets of water right into Yoongi’s boat. “If you have to point out how hot you are, there’s a good chance it’s actually not true.”

“Keep trying to deny it, Y/N, but I’ll convince you one of these days,” He says, sounding so confident that there’s a part of you that is actually worried for whatever he has in mind for aforementioned ‘one of these days’. “But if it’s so hot, why not take a dip in the water?”

“If you’re just trying to get me to take my clothes off—!”

“I didn’t say anything about clothes, are you sure you just don’t want me to see you naked? Denial isn’t very strong for the heart.”

You straighten into the boat, fully intent to throw your oar like a spear at his stupid face, but you freeze when Yoongi lifts an object up that had originally been resting on the floor of the boat and you process immediately what it is. It’s a water gun.

Instead of sitting down and ordering Jungkook to row away from Yoongi as quickly as possible like a normal person, you just stand there openly gawking at the weapon in his hands. He’s got it aimed right at you, and you don’t doubt that it’s full of water and he’s ready to open fire at you within a moment’s notice. “Yoongi,” You order, raising both hands as if that’s going to help defend you against water. “Don’t you dare.”

Yoongi smiles. “Maybe if you beg, I’ll consider.”

“Don’t you dare, I don’t have extra clothes for this shit!”

“Language, noona!” Jungkook, the bastard, offering no help or instructions whatsoever to help your escape, cries out from next to you.

Yoongi’s smile widens into a grin. “Even better.”

“Yoongi, I swear—!”

But he starts pumping the cylinder, presses down on the trigger, and you scream before the cold water from the nozzle can reach your skin. When it does, you squeal some more at the power and amount of force that comes from the water gun. It bleeds through your shirt, up to your collarbone, your face, your hands shielding your features, as you stagger to the side to try and escape the range of Yoongi’s weapon. However, in your haste to escape, you forget a few things about your situation. You forget that 1) you are on a boat and Jungkook is screaming from your side that you were going to flip over the pair of you into the water and 2) you were alarmingly close to the bow of the boat and you should really try to be careful about your situation otherwise, knowing you, something terrible could happen—!

And then the something terrible happens.

Yes, that’s right, you fall off the boat, you trip over the bow and are too caught up in Yoongi’s water gun spraying to pay any attention to saving yourself. You can feel yourself falling, and can only manage a sharp breath before you’re submerged into the lake. It does feel rather refreshing to feel the water against your skin, given that you were sweating rather relentlessly just minutes before. You do feel better as soon as you break the surface to catch some air into your lungs, but you would never admit that to the boy who is grinning wildly from his canoe.

As you tread water, you look over long enough to see Jungkook gaping over at you apologetically, as if he hadn’t been expecting you to fall over the way you had. Your attention, however, isn’t focused on Jungkook, it’s on Min Yoongi, and you continue to tread as you see Yoongi and Taehyung closing in on you from their own boat.

Min Yoongi has placed the water gun back on the floor of the boat and has now taken to watching you carefully over the edge. “Looks like you just fell for me.”

He is answered with an arch of water to the face. “You are dead to me, Min Yoongi.”

“That’s not the way to go about a confession.” But then he does something that catches you off guard. He actually stares at you with a look of softness and endearment before he reaches over to offer you a hand.

You look at the hand, and then at the seriousness drawn into Yoongi’s features before you’re realizing that he’s probably not messing around about his offer to help you out of the lake. For a moment, you contemplate dragging him down with you but doing such an action doesn’t feel entirely right now.

So you do something else. You scoff at his gesture, and swim over to Jungkook before lifting your arm up from above the water. You try to think about rejecting Yoongi’s offer, and you try to think about how watching his smile slip slightly had been nothing more than a figment of your imagination as Jungkook takes your arm and helps haul your body over onto the boat.

You turn to Jungkook. “Let’s go back to shore. They need to start getting ready for lunch.” With a nod from Jungkook, the pair of you start to paddle back to the edge, but not before you throw Taehyung and Yoongi a look from over Jungkook’s shoulder. “Bye Tae!” You call in a significantly higher voice, one that makes Jungkook and Taehyung burst out into laughter.

“Hey, what about me?” Yoongi calls, feigning a pout.

“Don’t you have some children to scare?” You drop instead as you shift your attention from both boys on the other boat in order to assist Jungkook with making it to score. You miss the way one of those boys watches you go, the way he lets the smallest of smiles at your insult appear on your lips before it’s faded away before someone could catch him.

.

“Noona, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Jungkook grumbles from next to you, honestly looking sickened at the thought of having been dragged into this in the first place, as the pair of you remain crouched behind some bushes just outside of a certain cabin 25, home to a group of rowdy boys, Kim Taehyung, and one Min Yoongi.

“Jungkook, it’s fine,” You reassure half-heartedly from next to him, the pail of water within your hold as you keep your grip on it firm as to not spill any over or lose your balance. “You realize that you didn’t have to come with me. I just needed to tell someone, and given that you saw Yoongi ambush me with a water gun, you would understand my intentions the most.”

“I-I guess,” The boy mutters, and he sounds convinced. Granted, even when he was a camper, Jungkook was always very familiar with the banters and the hatred that sprouted between you and Yoongi, probably because the pair of you had grown to be quite close during your time as his counselor. He doesn’t decide to push the matter more, which you are thankful for, as the pair of you remain behind the bushes long enough to see Yoongi coming up (alone) following the post-lunch activities. Certain days, these hours between lunch and dinner are dedicated to freedom, for individuals to spend the time however they wish and Yoongi always, always volunteers to take a nap to sleep away his exhaustion. You always hated his predictable nature but now you love it, you crave it, you’re thankful for it.

Still, you can feel your lips twitching at the sight of hearing his hum, a vaguely unfamiliar song, hating how affected this idiot of a boy could make you feel. However, in spite of those thoughts, your mind can’t help but wander to other questions—like, what song was he singing? You weren’t entirely familiar with the radio and new songs that were introduced into your pop culture, but you were sure you had never heard of that song before. Did he write his own music? Was he just good at scouting out good music?

Shaking your head, you stamp these thoughts to the ground. The last thing you need during this attempt to get back at Min Yoongi is a distractive mindset about his life outside of being a counselor.

Just as the boy is about to make his way up the stairs, you spring into action. Without so much as a cry of warning, you jump out from behind the bushes and spray the pail of water all over your target—ensuring a complete success on your mission. Yoongi doesn’t make a noise, he closes his eyes and raises his arms up in an attempt to block the water from getting all over his face, but just as the attempt was useless for you, it’s useless for him as the water still gets everywhere, covering and drenching him from head to toe.

“Y/N?” Yoongi inquires, looking genuinely surprised by your gesture, which is exactly what you were going for. It’s why you waited so long, to let his guard down before you attacked. The water on his hair is dripping down to the floor, as is every other piece of him that is covered in water, from his hair to his face to his white t-shirt that is now sticking to his chest and abs like a second skin and holy fuck, he’s really fit, how long has he been like this?

You have to consciously make an effort to tear your gaze away from his chest, just in time to see him running his hands over his face to rid of the leftover water. “That’ll teach you to spray me down with a water gun, Min Yoongi!” You crow, throwing the pail onto the ground and releasing a victory laugh as Jungkook detaches himself from the original hiding spot to join the pair of you in front of cabin 25.

Yoongi shakes his arms and water droplets fly everywhere and does something that rather unsettles you. “You’re good, Y/N,” He says, light-hearted banter before he’s suddenly stepping forward, hand curling around the skin of your wrist, pulling you towards him that you can feel the wetness of his body coming into contact with yours and you swear that it could seep through your own clothes. “But not good enough.”

You hold your breath at the sensation of being so close to his proximity, which is such an unsettling, yet completely normal reaction to this type of situation. You tug gently on your wrist, but Yoongi doesn’t let up this time. He holds you still against him, watching you the way you watch him and you want to punch him. Right in the mouth.

Speaking of which.

Without meaning to, you flicker your gaze down to his lips. His lips look soft, startlingly so, and you feel this sudden urge to swallow all his sarcastic means, to kiss him and see if you can taste the music on his tongue.

“Noona.” Jungkook’s voice breaks you out of your resolve and you attempt to pull away from Yoongi once more, only he lets you go this time. Only the pair of you don’t stop staring at each other. You continue watching one another, gazes fixed intensely upon each other’s faces as you try to figure out what he’s thinking about. It’s hard to tell, although you can see the way his gaze has darkened slightly, the way he watches you like he’s just waiting for you to make the wrong move so he could pounce.  

You decide that you don’t want to wait around long enough to find out. “I’ll see you later,” You say, allowing Jungkook to guide you out to the volleyball courts, where you promised a certain Jung Hoseok and Kim Taehyung that you would positively crush them at the game.

.

More often than not, the weather up in the mountains remains consistently one temperature throughout a duration of the night, regardless if the sun is up and shining right in your face or not. Some nights are better than others, but tonight is definitely not one of those evenings when a breeze is enough to level out the playing ground to dispel of the heat. Tonight, you find yourself more uncomfortable than you usually are, as you toss and turn in your bed, trying everything to keep cool long enough to catch some sleep. It’s hard to tell whether or not your inability to drift off is caused from the weather or other interior forces that occupy your brain or just a combination of both, but it hardly matters. You’ve rolled on top of your sleeping bag. You’ve traded sweatpants for shorts and even debated sleeping without a top, but no matter, all attempts are useless as you sneak a quick glance at your watch long enough to realize that it’s two in the morning and your mind shows no signs of switching off.

With a sigh, you shift to sit up on top of your bed, momentarily basking in the silence of cabin 32 as you gaze around to see that everyone else around you has already long since fallen asleep. Even Karly is long gone, and you know better than to try and wake her up.

Readjusting your shirt, you straighten up and tiptoe your way out of the cabin, knowing that the exposed moon could help play a part in the recollection of your mind as you slip through the door and click it shut. The moonlight brightly illuminates the campground before you as you take two steps down in front of your cabin before resting on the porch. You rest your chin in the palm of your hand, eyes taking in the dirt across the ground, the other cabins, some faraway point where the other activities lay waiting, the mess hall a little ways off, the lake even close than that.

“Not a fan of beauty sleep?”

You blink, turning your gaze just in time to see Min Yoongi strolling towards your cabin, t-shirt and basketball shorts and you want to groan at the thought of your peaceful evening not being peaceful anymore, but your heart also beats just a little bit quicker as you sneak a quick, unconscious glance down at his t-shirt where you know the skin underneath is firm. Yet, you wonder about its softness, if it’ll be warm if you were to run your fingers down and you have to avert your gaze entirely and count to ten before you trust yourself to speak. “Can’t help that I probably had too much of it.”

“Hm, that’s funny, I always thought beauty sleep never worked for you.”

“You do realize that you have the conscious choice to just keep your mouth shut.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Yoongi grins as he takes the stairs up and sits next to you on the steps. “Can’t sleep either?”

“It’s too hot to do anything,” You grumble, picking at some of the dirt on the wood before flicking it off.

Yoongi is quiet for a moment, debating something internally, before he decides for it because he stands up and offers you his hand. “I have an idea.”

You don’t take his hand. You stare at it, flickering your gaze up to his face. “I don’t like it.”

He grins. “You didn’t even let me tell you what it is. You scared, princess?”

The pet name makes you swallow as you swat his hand away, straightening up. “Of course I’m not scared. Tell me what your idea is.”

His eyes slide across your features. “I can’t tell you, I have to show you.” He starts to make his way down the steps, turning around when he reaches the ground before throwing a gaze up at you. There’s a question, a demand, a request in his eyes.

A part of you just wants to turn him down, but the curiosity to know what his plan is overpowers that vague sense of fear and apprehension, so you follow him down the steps until you’re joining him at ground level. You think you see his smile tilting up just a fraction higher but he turns his head away from you before you can see. You let him lead you down the path, the dirt crunching underneath your sandals as it takes you a moment to recognize the direction he’s taking you in leads to the lake. Questions pop up in your mind, and you’re just about to assume that he’s going to throw you into the lake before the pair of you reach the destination. He stands on the pier, the wooden platform that extends out beyond the shore, turning around only to find that you are a good five steps away from him. “The idea is not going to work if you’re standing over there.”

“If you think I’m going to trust you long enough to stand next to you, you definitely don’t know me as well as you think you do, Min Yoongi.”

“I’m not going to throw you into the lake,” He reassures, albeit slightly sarcastically and exasperated, but also mixed with enough truth to propel you five steps forward. Even with the foot of space between the pair of you, it’s easy to see that the boy is plotting something, something that instantly does not sit well with you, until he reaches down to pull at the hem of his t-shirt. He’s just about to pull it over his body before your eyes widen as you cover your eyes and angle your head away for extra measures.

“Oh my god!” You cry, shutting your eyes as if those previous gestures weren’t enough to prevent temptation. “Yoongi, what the fuck—!”

“You’re missing out on a great view, sugar.”

You can feel your face heat up at the name. You can hear more clothing being tugged down, as you assume he’s riding of his pants next, and the startling thought of these unexpected turn of events is enough to leave you winded. “I don’t—!”

A splash interrupts your train of thought as you count to five before deciding that it might be safe to uncover your eyes. So you do so. One, two, three, four, five…

You slowly lower your hands, flickering your gaze down into the water to see Yoongi floating in the lake. A quick glance at his clothes in a pile next to you tells you that he’s probably not wearing anything at the present moment, and the realization makes your throat go dry.

“Yoongi, what the fuck—!”

“Your turn,” He simply states, treading water while gazing up at you with a look so hard and intense that you already feel as if your clothes has been shredded.

“I’m not—I’m not taking off my clothes for you, y-you creep!”

“If you don’t, I can just climb out and pull you down, clothes and all, so it’s really your choice on how you want to end up in here.”

You want to write off Min Yoongi, to laugh at him and call out his bluff, but the longer you stare at him and he stares back, you realize that maybe he isn’t messing around.

It isn’t until he starts to swim back to the pier do you realize that his intentions are serious and he would not hesitant to dunk you without thinking twice. “Okay, okay!” You cry out, backing up a step and holding out a hand before his own fingers could curl around the pier. “I’ll take off the clothes, I’m taking them off!”

Yoongi lowers himself slightly.

You run a hand through your hair. “Can you just, I don’t know, not look at me?”

“You’re just going to run away if I do that!”

“... I hadn’t even thought of that, but thanks Yoongi, for planting the idea in my head.”

“I’m coming out of the water right now.”

“No, no, don’t!” You retort, already starting to fiddle with the hem of your own tank top. Granted, you really hadn’t thought of running away as soon as Yoongi’s back was turned, but you know that if you did, Yoongi would not hesitant to pull off some kind of prank or gesture that is even more extreme than this particular one and you do not want to take that chance. With Yoongi’s attention momentarily occupied elsewhere, you are quick to tug off your shirt, your pants, before you are leaping into the water with a squeak. The water is cool, pleasantly so, and you come up with a sharp inhale of air soon after. “Happy now?”

Yoongi is smiling as he continues to float in the water. “Feels good though, doesn’t it?”

“It does actually,” You answer, still trying to make sure that you stay as far away from him as you can possibly go. Yes, in spite of the comfort of the cool water against your bare skin, the realization that Yoongi is equally as naked underneath the water as you is enough to take away coherent thought from your mind.

Yoongi doesn’t reply to your statement. He stays quiet, which keeps you curious enough to spare a glance in his direction, only to find that he suddenly appears too caught up in his own little world to pay you too much attention. You watch how at ease he is, the way his head is leaning back slightly to submerge some parts of his hair into the water, the way his eyes are closed to bask in that moment, the sensation of cool water touching parts of his face.

The sight of seeing him so unsuspecting is what sparks an idea in your mind, as you briefly debate whether or not it would be worth stepping so closely to him when both of you are in this state. However, every nerve in your competitive body inches to do something, inches to get back at Yoongi for all those times he made you want to throw a punch at his face.

So very slowly, you find yourself inching closer and closer to him, moving as quietly as you can so the ripples of water wouldn’t catch his attention as you’re finally close enough to see the way his eyelashes cast shadows along his face. There is no furrow in his eyebrows, no sneer curling at his lips, and he looks so peaceful with him that you stop short, eyes unable to stop taking in his facial features.

You swallow, blinking rapidly, before raising your arms up and dunk his entire face quietly and painlessly underneath the water. He thrashes momentarily at the intrusion, but you try to escape outside a three feet radius by the time Yoongi emerges back up. He does seconds later, sending you such an evil eye that you’re sure this is the glare Kim Namjoon vaguely referred to when talking about things that he feared the most.

“You’re playing dangerously here, Y/N,” He says, voice low as he slowly starts to make his way towards you.

“N-No, Yoongi, I’m sorry,” You say, trying to back up at the same pace that he’s moving towards you. But he’s naturally a stronger swimmer than you, so the attempts are nearly useless when he’s only about a foot away from you. Realizing that he’s not going to back down, you let out a squeal as you turn around in a desperate attempt to outswim the boy.

You only last a few seconds before you feel a warm hand find purchase at the bare skin of your waist, dragging until your back hits something firm and it’s like all thoughts are flung out of the window when the weight of what has just happened starts to sink in on you. You freeze under Yoongi’s hold, the way both his hands are on your hips, keeping you firmly planted in the spot, the way your skin is against his skin, the way you can feel everything too suddenly and the thought makes you want to squirm. However, your body refuses to acknowledge those desperate surges for action, instead keeping you rooted against Yoongi’s chest. You can feel the rapid beat of his heart drumming against your back, the touch too much and too intimate too quickly, the addition of Yoongi’s breath against your ear not helping your heart in the slightest.

You turn your head slightly to catch sight of his lips out of the corner of your eye, both of you painfully aware of how silent and how tense it has become in such a short period of time. You watch the way he swallows, the way both of you are waiting for the other to make a move, before a lightning desire between your legs drags you back into reality.

This was wrong.

This was really, really, incredibly wrong. You hated Min Yoongi, hated his guts, hated the way he could make you want to rip out his hair yet kiss him at the same time if only to hear a hitch in his breathing and you suddenly desperately long to run away and hide where these feelings are never going to reach you again.

You push yourself away from Yoongi’s chest and he surprisingly lets you go. “It’s really late,” You manage, breathless even though you hadn’t done anything yet. “I should go.” You swim over to the pier where your clothes still lay waiting, throwing a look over your shoulder to make sure Yoongi wouldn’t watch you change. The boy gives you one last gaze before he turns around, allowing you the privacy you need as you pull yourself up onto the pier long enough to gather your clothes and slide on your sandals before you run back to your cabin, telling yourself more than once not to look back.

.

It’s three more days before you are able to look at Min Yoongi in the eyes again, but this is only because he had thought to approach you first, as per usual, at the first campfire session of the entire camp, which explains the excitement throughout the day leading up to the event. Campfires are your favorite part, mainly because it contains ghost stories and s’mores—which is one of your favorite desserts of all time, a treat that can only be enjoyed around a campfire and with your friends. You know everyone else has been looking forward to the event. Your campers are especially excited, which is why your group is one of the first to arrive to the campfire while Kim Namjoon and Jung Hoseok are just beginning to start the fire. By the time the rest of the campers and counselors arrive, the fire is high and burning and bright, before Namjoon allows everyone to start indulging in on the s’mores.

You have just dismissed yourself from Karly’s side to help yourself to a skewer and a marshmallow when a familiar presence by your side distracts you from the process. You turn. “Can I help you with something, Min Yoongi?”

Yoongi looks down at you and smiles, holding up his own marshmallow on a skewer, the treat looking as if he’s just finished heating it up, if the slight brown around the edge isn’t enough to give it away. “Want to taste test for me?”

“If you want to poison me, there are probably many other ways to do that,”

“C’mon, don’t you trust me? I did turn my back on you when you were naked.”

The mention of that night makes your stomach churn as you swallow, refusing to say anything to continue the conversation in that direction. “Fine, I’ll do a taste test for you.” You reach out to grab the marshmallow, but he jerks back on the skewer.

“Nope, open your mouth.”

“Will you just—?”

He leans closer. “I thought you trusted me, sugar.”

You don’t. Every single nerve in your body is protesting against the arrangement, but you still settle with swallowing once more, before opening your mouth. You watch the way Yoongi’s eyes lower to your mouth before he places the marshmallow in your mouth. You chew slowly, his gaze not tearing away from the movement, even after you swallow and lick your lips. “It’s sweet,” You say quietly.

He steps even closer, breath fanning your lips, and you forget that the pair of you are out in public, at risk for anyone and everyone to catch the pair of you, your body refusing to move away, your mind unable to see the negatives of that scenario. “I wonder,” He whispers, your gaze lowering to watch the way he forms his words. “What sweet tastes like on you?”

“Okay, c’mon guys, let’s gather around the campfire!” Kim Namjoon calls, and Yoongi moves away from your proximity.

His eyes are still dark, still intense and unwavering from your face as he studies you. “Come with me,” He orders, taking your wrist and leading you away from the campfire, up the pathway, towards the cabins before the pair of you are stopping just outside cabin 25. He opens the door and drags you inside.

“Yoongi, what are you—!”

He cuts you off by kicking the door to his cabin closed, slamming you against the hard surface, and pressing his lips against your own. He devours you right then and there, the passion that goes into the movement of his mouth making your head spin as you return the gesture without even thinking twice about it. He’s furious, kissing you as if this is his last chance to do so, hand trailing down to grip the back of your thigh so he could lift up your leg and hold it against his frame. His other hand is at the back of your neck, keeping you in place as he kisses you so hard he could swallow all your whimpers.

“Y-Yoongi, you—oh!” You throw your head back as he moves down to kiss your jawline, down your neck, nibbling at the shell of your ear that makes your whole body convulse underneath his touch. You can hear his chuckling softly, clearly proud of himself for finding a spot that makes you sensitive.

“God, do you even realize what you do to me?” Yoongi groans, pulling you away from the door and directing you blindly around the cabin before the pair of you end up on a bed, one that you hope is his own before he plants his knees between your legs, hovering over you, kissing you once, twice, before his hands trail down to rest at your hips, fingers already curling into the waistband of your shorts. “They’re waiting for us, so I’ll make this quick.”

You prop yourself up on your elbows to watch him. “You sure you can do that?”

Yoongi laughs, a shallow, almost humorless exhale. “Challenge accepted, princess.”

Without a warning, he tugs down your shorts and underwear at the same time, immediately exposing your center towards the outside air. You can feel your body trembling with anticipation over the next few moves, your entire body lit from nervousness and excitement as Yoongi crawls off the bed and grabs the back of your knees in order to drag you to the edge.

Keeping his hands on your knees, he spreads your legs, eying your sex and grinning at the wetness that already surrounds your slit. “You’re already so wet, Y/N, you think you can last very long?”

“M-Maybe,” You manage, although the confidence in your voice is weak and unconvincing, and Yoongi seems to be very well aware of that.

“We’ll see about that.” He buries his face between your legs and the sensation of a warm wetness licking up your slit to your clit makes your vision go white at the unexpectedness of it as you find yourself reacting immediately to the gesture. You gasp, toes curling, back arching, fingers immediately digging into the fabric of blankets underneath you.

“O-Oh fuck,” You whimper, crying out when Yoongi circles the point of his tongue around your clit before wrapping his lips around the bundle of nerves and sucking lightly. Your hands immediately shift from the blankets to his hair, tugging, trying to push him away yet keep him close at the same time. “Y-Yoongi, please, please don’t stop.”

He hears your pleading and decides it would be rather rude of him to reject your request. He flattens his tongue over your clit, licking up just as he decides to slip a finger into you. Your moans turn into gasps, your fingers curling tighter into his hair as he thrusts another finger up into you, his tongue keeping the pattern in a way that makes you gasp.

He loves the mindless noises that escape past your throat, taking pride in how out of control he has driven you, not minding the way your juices leak out of you as he continues his ministration. “Nngh—Yoongi, oh my god, yes, right there, fuck—!”

Your head is so wrapped up in pleasure and ecstasy, so desperate to find your release and chase after it that you hardly pay attention to the way he manages to unbutton and slip off his pants with one hand, tugging down his boxers in order to pull his cock, already hard and ready with precum leaking from the tip. He wipes it off, giving himself a few strokes to ready himself—as if the whines and breathless gasps from your lips weren’t already enough.

He pulls away just as he starts to feel your tighten around his fingers, ignoring your protest.

“Mm, Yoongi, why did you stop—!” He leans back up to kiss you, not thinking twice about making you taste yourself, although you wrap your arms around his neck to bring him closer, to taste him deeper.

“Do we need a condom?” He asks, leaning forward, tip brushing against your folds in a way that makes you tighten around nothing.

You shake your head roughly. “No, no, I’m on the pill,” You explain breathlessly. “Yoongi, please, please fuck me, I need you so badly.”

He presses his forehead against yours. “Well, since you asked so nicely, princess.” He grips the base of his cock, running it up and down your folds one more time to collect the juices around the tip before he pushes himself into you, the tight and warm sensation of you wrapped around him making stars dance behind his vision. “Oh fuck.”

You’re not much better off, your eyes shut tightly together as you dig your nails into his shoulder blades, the stretching such an overwhelmingly pleasant experience that you long to cry out and beg for him to go faster. Which is what you do, whimpering quietly against the shell of his ear until he’s buried to the hilt inside of you, nose against your neck as both of your relish in the sensation of being connected to each other in this manner.

Slowly, Yoongi pulls out until only the tip remains buried in you. A roll of his hips brings him back, the friction against your walls causing you to arch your back as you bare your neck, a cry bubbling from the back of your throat.

There’s a grunt in your ear in his low voice followed by a hand resting at the base of your throat. “You need to keep it down, Y/N,” He orders quietly, just beginning to pick up a rhythm of thrust that makes your legs wrap around his waist to keep him close to you. “You’re going to get us caught.”

You try to bite your lip to keep the whimpers and whines and breathy groans that match Yoongi’s thrusts, but when he quickens his pace without a warning and brushes against a spot inside you that has you seeing stars, it’s nearly impossible to keep that gasp to yourself as you inhale sharply and cry out again.

The fingers curl into the side of your throat, not enough to choke but enough to cut off the noise leaving your vocal chords as the air making its way up to your head and through your body is decreased significantly. Yoongi keeps up his increasingly fast paced thrusts, drilling into you with more and more force that you swear you can feel him in the back of your throat. With his hands around your throat, the only thing you can able to focus on is his cock grazing your walls.

“Do you remember what you said to me earlier this summer?” Yoongi inquires, lips brushing against your ear and sensation of vibrations against your eardrum adding to the pressure building between your legs. “You told me you wanted to strangle me—who knew you were so kinky?” He rolls into you once, twice, thrice more, before he releases his hold on your throat and grabs your wrists to pin them over your head before you could gain enough consciousness to try and fight back. Not that you would try anyways.

“Yoongi,” You whine, arching your back again as soon as you regain your voice. “Yoongi, please, I’m so close.”

He traps both of you wrists under one hand, using the other hand to trail down to roll over your nipple, down your stomach, his thumb finding your clit and drawing circles against the nerves. He draws small, tight circles in just the right place as you can feel yourself being hurtled towards the edge at an increasingly quick pace, the pressure stacking higher and higher as you clench yourself so tightly around Yoongi that the boy whimpers.

You arch your back, your breathy whimpers turning in pants, only able to manage a quick, “I’m so close—fuck,” between your teeth before you shut your eyes tightly and it’s like galaxies explode behind them, the rubber band in the pit of your stomach snapping. Yoongi slams his lips against yours just as you release, your walls spasming around his cock, the cry of your orgasm bubbling up and muffling around Yoongi’s mouth as he removes his hand from your clit but continues to pound as hard as he can into you, desperate to chase after his own release.

He comes with a hoarse shout, shooting his seed up into you as his continues to roll his hips to ride out his high, finally stopping when you’re whimpering for him to stop. The pair of you remain close, arms tangled around each other’s bodies as you can feel your heartbeat echoing loudly through your ear and through the whole room.

“Well, we’ve never done that before,” Yoongi says, lifting himself up slightly to run a hand through your hair.

Your heartbeat quickens slightly at the gesture. “A bit late, if you ask me.”

“How long did you know?”

“How long did I know what?”

He ducks his head to hide his smile for a moment. “That I was into you, moron.”

“Moron?” You echo. “I just let you fuck me and you’re already insulting me?”

“Well, how long were you into me?”

“A few years probably—I could never decide if I wanted to punch you more or kiss you more.” You poke his cheek. “This doesn’t change anything though. I still hate you and I still want to punch you more often than not.”

“The feeling is mutual, princess. Sometimes I can’t decide if I want to kiss you or tie you up.” Yoongi smirks. “Might have to do both one day.”

You roll your eyes. “Wow, look at us being all serious.”

“Speaking of being serious, we should probably head back.”

You can’t help but whine a little when Yoongi pulls out of you, momentarily hating that feeling of emptiness he has left you behind with before you see Yoongi pulling up his boxers and shorts. He roams the floor of the cabin to fish out your own shorts and underwear before handing it over to you. He helps you sit up on the bed before the pair of you exit the cabin and make your way back over to the campfire, where you can hear Kim Seokjin strumming his guitar, leading the group in a small round of campfire songs that he’s been working on throughout the year. No one acknowledges the pair of you as you return back to your original spots around the campfire, although you can see that Karly has noticed your return and you try to prepare yourself for the onslaught of questions that are likely to follow the campfire.

“Hey noona,” Jungkook greets as you slide into the vacant next to the boy. “Did you just come back with Yoongi hyung? Where were you guys?”

When you don’t answer immediately, Jungkook turns to look at you and you notice the way his eyes roam your face, taking in the swollen color of your lips, the mess of your hair, the darkening spot of skin along your neck. He switches his gaze to Yoongi, notices the way the older boy looks to be in a similar state, and you can practically see the weight of realization dawning across the maknae. His eyes widen.

“Oh my god, noona.”

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

[Recap] HBO’s SHARP OBJECTS Episode One: Vanish

It was not long ago that the world was gifted with the twisted tale of the beautiful, yet cunning sociopath housewife, Amy Elliot of Gillian Flynn’s murder mystery Gone Girl. Her second published novel and David Fincher’s (Seven, Fight Club) 2014 film adaptation starring Ben Affleck (Justice League, The Accountant) and Rosamund Pike (Jack Reacher, Pride & Prejudice) stirred up quite a discussion among readers and viewers giving us something with more flavor to chew on than most crime dramas have before. Flynn is not afraid to creep into the dark places of our minds (see what I did there?) and skillfully forces us to follow along. It is now that her first published (and easily darkest) novel Sharp Objects, is being given the on-screen treatment by Blumhouse Productions and Entertainment One.

The premiere of the first episode this past Sunday evening, exclusively on HBO, drew fans back into Flynn’s intriguing world of murder, secrets, sex, and lies. Proving that not only is her storytelling back in an all new way, but that it was always there from the beginning.

Sharp Objects, a psychological thriller if there ever was one, focuses on an observant, but emotionally troubled reporter Camille Preaker, lured back to her Missouri hometown of Wind Gap, and her own treacherous past, to cover the story of a potential serial killing leaving one young girl dead and one girl missing all within the span of about nine months.

Though it sounds like a typical plot line with a guess-who-the-killer-is hook, much like Wind Gap itself, there is so much more to Sharp Objects beneath the surface.

Let’s start with a recap, shall we?

    Sharp Objects Recap: Episode 1

Properly named Vanish, the first episode of this limited series does well to set us up with our main character, Camille, played by Amy Adams (Arrival, American Hustle), and the reasoning behind her hometown return. It presents the plot that will drive the next seven episodes: Camille will report on the murder of one child, Ann, and the disappearance of another, Natalie. We are acquainted with the setting, the seemingly reticent town of Wind Gap. Everything in between introduces us to the suspicious ensemble of secondary characters, those of which include the affluent Adora and Alan Crellin – Camille’s mother and step-father, their capricious 13-year old daughter Amma, the local badge Chief Vickery,  Adora’s obnoxious but lovable estranged friend Jackie, John Keene – the dreamy, but brooding brother of Natalie, and the handsome out-of-town detective Richard Willis.

We see Camille hesitant to return home, pushed only to return in order to please her editor. Proven especially with her chilling family’s welcoming being anything but warm. Upon arrival in Wind Gap, Camille is met with a resistant Chief Vickery as he judicially vies to protect the town and all the secrets it harvests from public exposure.

Camille pokes and prods her way around town running into essential characters including some very mature preteen girls hanging around the search party.  Jackie, who’s recently had a minor “falling out” with her mother, and the new detective in town who seems hesitant to share anything with Camille aside from a drink… for now.

The relationship she has with her perfect mother, Adora, played by the talented Patricia Clarkson (The Green Mile), is obviously tense and effected by some important event that is soon to reveal itself as the woman chooses to remain completely indifferent to who her daughter is and what she does for a living. Within a few lines of dialogue its easy to see her mother is not all there mentally and is dangerously obsessed with what people think and say about her. The people of Wind Gap are not privy to those who are different, but there will be much more to say about that throughout the series. Her stepsister, Amma, a puzzle all her own, seems to play both the wild street tart by day and the innocent china doll of the Crellin home by night. Camille learns the proper girl building a miniature house in the living room that her mother dotes on just so happens to be one of the cheeky preteens she observed on roller skates smoking a joint outside of the search party.

She can barely last a full ten minutes in the large family mansion before running out the front door as her memories, literally, chase her. Like anyone facing the company of wretched family, the artificial etiquette of neighbors, and the sugar-coated town she once ran from on top of a grizzly child murder and disappearance, Camille overindulges in booze and, not without distraction, trying her best to stick to her professional purpose as best as she can. She struggles against being absorbed by this toxic town, but that may prove to be a difficult task when she is being quickly outnumbered by her demons. She reverts to the local dive bar, seemingly familiar territory, to temporarily escape.

    Camille is able to interview Ann’s father in an attempt to keep her story relevant and pull the pieces together to find Natalie. The grief-stricken father offers up little information other than that Ann was different from the other girls her age, something Camille can empathize with being an outsider her whole life as well. His demeanor is predictably off-kilter.

When Camille crosses paths with the preteens again, who are now accompanied by Natalie’s handsome older brother, pillaging the town’s memorial for mementos. The tension is broken by screams of true fear coming from the local diner.

Natalie’s body is found propped up against a window between the diner and another building, in broad daylight. They all rush to the scene, but it is clear the poor girl is dead. As much as Adora and the locals want to push the bad thought aside, Wind Gap will have to face reality and come to terms with the ghastly gut-punch that is a real life serial killer in their midst. A child murderer.

Our episode concludes with Camille slipping herself into a hot bath, for the first time exposing her bare body to us covered in striking scars. Dozens of words are etched into her skin from neck to ankle, Vanish being predominant before the end credits appear.

  Analysis

Aside from increasing the pace and working Camille’s homecoming into one episode for time’s sake, it looks like Sharp Objects will align pretty closely to the novel. Readers are sure to appreciate this, if it remains consistent, as Flynn’s story is an enigma in need of no changes.

The story unfolds exquisitely and harshly all at once, like a knife piercing skin. Initially, you’re numb to the blade, but once that blood starts moving you can’t help but feel the rush of pain.

Amy Adams steps into the part of a stressed, introverted, complicated loner with such ease it is almost impossible to remember that she once played the role of a merry, vibrant singing princess in Enchanted. Her performance is everything we can expect from the actress and more. Somehow she shows the anxious movements and heavy baggage Camille hauls around with her physically making the character real, like someone you grew up with and bumped into at the local grocery store 15 years later. It’s obvious she is beautiful as it’s noted Camille was always a looker, but over time and some serious self-torment she has hardened and that shows in her appearance. That is the Amy Adams we are seeing here. Still beautiful, but rough. She has that look of disconnect at first and slowly we can see her acclimating now that she’s returned to the place she once called home. Even her slight Missouri accent, and the way it strengthens over time of reverted subjection to the locals, is enough to show off her fierce acting chops. She is absolutely fantastic.

    I truly enjoyed the flashback scenes and semi-dream sequences and the way they drift in and out of Camille’s consciousness. My own sister, who knows nothing about film, even commented on liking the way the memories came into play cutting off reality into silence and pure thought processing. Is that not what happens when we think of something in our own minds while carrying on a conversation with other people? When we walk into a familiar room, do we not think of what took place there, ghosts appearing right before our eyes, all the while remaining in present time? Viewers may be a little confused by the ins and outs of this flashback technique, but in all good time it will make sense and prove necessary. The way her childhood thoughts manifest themselves leading one scene into another is truly eerie and gives Sharp Objects the scary little edge we crave. The unknown is supreme here, almost like a character itself. There is no exposition to this story, we are along with Camille in figuring things out when it comes to these murders as well as recalling the dark thoughts and memories she’s worked to hard to push aside.

  “The unknown is supreme here, almost like a character itself.”

  Director Jean-Marc Vallee (Big Little Lies) does a fantastic job bringing this strange, yet common word to life. His plays on color and light truly set the mood for the shady histories set in Wind Gap and the ugliness our characters hide. Everything from the ominous music to the delicate china is meticulously perfected, setting a tantalizing tone that we can only hope lasts us through to the end. Vallee’s flair for the feminine and the frightening in a real world setting is untouchable.

Viewers should be aware that Sharp Objects is deep in hidden subject matter and begs us to question our relationships with others as with ourselves. It’s a story I relate to personally so I am extremely ready to share my thoughts and will be happily at the forefront to travel into Wind Gap with you, exploring this interesting territory and all the seedy secrets laid within its rich farmland over the next few weeks. In my opinion, as an initial episode setting up a lot of ground only a first-person narrated novel can establish, Vanish was a success.

Stay tuned as we’ll see what Camille digs up next Sunday for Sharp Object’s second episode, Dirt – on HBO.

    The post [Recap] HBO’s SHARP OBJECTS Episode One: Vanish appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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What Everyone Ought To Understand About Snapping Photos

Many people that take plenty of photos, end up always trying to find more methods to increase their technique and capture better shots. It could be a never-ending quest, but you can certainly still get a lot of great pictures during the journey. This post posesses a few ideas which will, hopefully, enable you to on that quest.

Be sure that you get ample rest once you learn which you have an extremely important shoot the next day. Yes, too little sleep will directly cause lack of judgment, which will hurt the standard of the shots that you take. Before a photo shoot, get at the very least eight hours of rest the night.

If you are intending for taking pictures outside, reevaluate the lighting every 10-20 minutes, as lighting is constantly changing. Adjust your angle for top level possible shot and illuminate the characteristics that you are looking to highlight. Planning ahead of time is extremely important for producing quality photos.

Once you have spotted the subject of your picture, make sure you take your shot right away. This is especially valid if your subject is a living being, for instance a child or animal. Since residing in one position for some time is hard for animals and kids, you want to successfully obtain the pose you need.

Many digital cameras nowadays have a setting for red eye reduction. Among the worst things which could happen to some good picture may be the subject will have red eye, ruining an otherwise perfect picture. If you have a setting, turn that setting on first, then snap your shot, and presto, no red eye!

To avoid red eyes with your photographs, make sure that your camera either has built in red eye reduction or maybe you affect the direction of your respective flash. You can easily remove them with the use of a graphics software for example Corel or Photoshop if you did shoot an image and yes it contains red eyes.

When you find yourself taking photos, do not forget that sometimes less is a lot more. A picture does not must be overly cluttered. Understand what the main objective of the shot will maintain and be a simplicity of message, so that it could be fully understood by viewers.

Take pictures of small things when traveling. A photo snapped without the particular motive can get important to you later by stimulating your memories and helping you to call back the ambiance of your trip. Shoot pictures of small objects like coins and tickets plus larger things such as street signs and strange objects in markets.

Taking many, many pictures is among the methods to capturing something great, so purchase a memory card which is sufficient to keep considerable amounts of real information. You can utilize you storage device to store photographs that you have not had time to develop yet. It allows you to shoot in a format called RAW, supplying you with greater flexibility once you edit it later,. That is an additional advantage to plenty of memory.

Do not rely on your equipment or on editing too much. The artistic quality of your piece still depends on your creativity, although expensive equipment can make every picture look good. It is possible to take great pictures from an artistic perspective with the extremely cheap camera providing you create something original.

Make the subject comfortable when taking their photograph, otherwise your shot will capture their true uneasiness and nerves. This is also true when shooting a subject to music. Use the extra time to make certain that they are totally relaxed and totally ready before beginning shooting subjects similar to this.

Purchase a storage device large enough to keep the many photographs you may take moving toward becoming a better photographer. Once you have a spacious storage device, then you will be capable to save all of your current pictures. You will be able to shoot using RAW format when your storage device is big. This gives you a great deal of post-production flexibility.

A great photography tip that can certainly help you out is to begin to use sandbags to weigh down your equipment. You must weigh them down with sandbags if you're using big studio lights. It might be a disaster if this expensive equipment were to suddenly fall and break.

If you are getting ready to showcase every one of the shots that you may have taken up other individuals, make certain you are merely showing and sharing your very best shots. Not every person is going to be so kind once they view a practice shot, no matter whether it is in the middle of good ones. Show the best to the people.

It is simple to improve photographs by buying a tripod. Anything less than a perfectly steady hand could affect your motion photography. Utilizing an inexpensive tripod will get rid of blurriness within your photos. A high quality tripod can make your pictures much more professional looking.

Give your subject something to look at to protect yourself from direct eye-to-eye contact with all the lens. You are certain to get additional natural looking photos should you not get them looking into the lens. Ask them to focus on something behind you or trying to one side or even the other.

Ensure that before starting stepping into taking photos regularly which you totally recognize how your camera works and just what it is and is also not able to perform. Photography is about timing and when you are fiddling together with your camera from too little understanding how it operates, you may miss lots of photo opportunities.

A significant tip to take into consideration with photography is it is very important to test out your shots. You will not give your image that uniqueness which is essential, this is important because without trying new techniques. Try shooting from different angles, using different filters, or with various exposures.

Shoot and aim quickly. If you are having a picture of the object which is moving, or could move suddenly (like a perched bird) take the first photo immediately. When it is not perfect, this ensures you have at least one photo of your respective subject, even. Once you grab the initial shot, in the event the subject enables it, you can go on a second, more carefully aimed picture. It is better to have several images to select from instead of spend precious seconds framing the initial shot only to have your subject disappear.

Photography is definitely a unique hobby, as mentioned within the introduction. It affords the hobbyist an opportunity to make a profession, and also to preserve memories for individuals. With some guidance one can go from simple daytime picture taker to understand photographer. This informative article offered some suggestions to assist with that transition.Continue reading Techniques For Geting Lower Rates On Travel Excursions

Though traveling to a new locale might be a grand adventure, additionally, it may work as a way to obtain a lot of stress. Fortunately, there are a variety of strategies which can help to smooth the rough edges. According to plan below you will find some solid tips on how to be sure that your next trip goes.

As an alternative to exchanging dollars to the currency of the nation that you are traveling, work with an ATM. Often these banks offer exchange rates that are superior to individuals get. You might find significant savings through the course of your trip.

To get more exciting, memorable travel experiences, consider cutting down your budget. Traveling on a shoestring, exposes you to definitely novel situations and will teach you people and places that you could otherwise miss. Restricting your spending to bare minimums will enable you to have a realistic impression of the way locals live, at the chosen travel destination.

To help you to find your luggage as it pertains around, put an incredibly unique tag or marker on the bag so it sets itself apart from each of the others. It can be a scarf, some neon tape, a sticker, etc. Make absolutely certain that it is something obvious and bright.

When having a trip, ensure that you split up your bank cards, credit checks, cash and cards. Stick them all into different hidden pockets of the travel and purses bags. Following this easy tip will make sure that should you do get robbed, you will not be stranded without the money.

Throughout the winter, particularly, it is actually wise to keep a few blankets, some boots, some matches along with a large candle, inside the trunk of your vehicle. In the event you skid away from the road and find yourself lodged in the snow bank without having chance of immediate rescue, this can come in very handy.

Don't stop researching prices once you have booked your flight, rental car and hotel room. You may find that this prices have dropped even more. Make sure you thoroughly look at the cancellation policy on your own reservations. Cancel your existing reservations and book at the better rates when you can.

We all know that airplane foods are not really gourmet. A great tip would be to take along your chosen spice or hot sauce, and dress your rather bland meal. It is going to include that extra kick in your food, and definately will help it drop slightly easier.

When traveling, always know the volume of doors in between your hotel and also the exit. When there is a fire, you will need to quickly proceed to the stairwell. You could possibly be unable to see, so feeling the doors and counting till you reach the best one could be your only option, in case the fire produces a great deal of smoke.

Check out information about the patient airports that you will be flying in or away from. They offers you some good traveling tips, car rental companies that operate out of your airport and baggage information. It is among the easiest tips to get the info you need for smooth traveling.

If you are traveling abroad or within the United States, you save a bundle on airfare by employing some simple strategies. Explore flying with smaller airlines. It is possible to spend less by picking a flight that also includes your destination as a stop instead of a final destination if traveling overseas. If you're prepared to rise up early or stay up late, "red-eye"� flights are frequently discounted. Being flexible with your flight plans can clear up some cash for further entertainment or souvenirs.

Usually do not carry your a credit card with you if you travel. Only take the ones that you understand you are likely to need while you are gone. The same goes for jewelry. The fewer valuables that you simply take along with you, the unlikely you might be to have a thief bring them or hurt you while attempting to take them.

Learn a little magic trick if you would like make conversation using the locals. Magic can be something that is certainly almost universally understood. You will open the entranceway to getting an authentic conversation with the person when you carry out a tiny trick for an individual. Simple tricks are easy to learn, so look one up!

A fantastic travel tip that can help you save lots of money would be to do a little bit of food shopping while you're on vacation. Having enough groceries that will help you to come up with a few homemade meals could help you save a lot of money, simply because you won't have to eat out each day.

Challenge you to ultimately pack merely one bag. The greater number of bags you might have, the better weighed down you will end up making it harder to advance from one location to the next. A wonderful way to meet this challenge is always to map out your clothing needs just before packing, after which consider strategies to mix and match clothing to complete double and even triple duty.

When traveling bycar and bus. Alternatively, train always dress comfortably. You will probably find that you're on your way for a while along with a comfortable outfit could make the trip more pleasant. Should you be dressed up in a relaxed fashion, you will also be able to sleep better.

Do your homework about the sightseeing locations you plan on visiting, before leaving home. Make note of attraction hours, days they are closed, and whether you need to get a ticket beforehand. For instance, it is rather frustrating to get to a lot-anticipated art museum, only to discover they are closed every Tuesday.

Now you have reviewed the details within this piece, you need to have a greater sense of confidence about travel. You learned where to start, and you can put it. Are you feeling confident and prepared for the adventures ahead?

[kaengeru]

what form of love do you embody?

love as a choice.

[ love is beautiful because it's built deliberately ] when casey mcquinston wrote "that's the choice. i love him, with all that, because of all that, on purpose. i love him on purpose" and when jenny slate tweeted "i just want someone to grab my little face and scream on purpose, on purpose i am going to care about you" and when jodi picoult wrote "after fifteen years, love isn't just a feeling. it's a choice" and when the good place said "if soulmates do exist, they're not found they're made"

[kaengeru]

wrong place, wrong time.

it shouldn’t have been you. oh my love, you should have lived. if only. if only you had made a right instead of a left. if only your friend hadn’t had so much to drink. if only it hadn’t rained last night. then everything would be fine. a butterfly could have flapped its wings at another time and you would have have been fine. safety was so close, and yet so far. but alas, the stars just had to align.

[kaengeru]

STATISTICAL  CHARACTER  PERSONALITY TEST.   take  the  linked  quiz  from  the  perspective  of  your  character,  then  select  5 - 10  results  from  the  complete  matches  list  that  you  feel  resonate  with  your  character  the  most.

Billy Butcher (The Boys): 88%

Beth Dutton (Yellowstone): 86%

Frank Costello (The Departed): 84%

Tallahassee (Zombieland): 84%

Dr. Gregory House (House, M.D.): 83%

Sarah Connor (Terminator 2: Judgement Day): 83%

Peter Wiggin (Ender's Game): 83%

Man in Black (Westworld): 82%

Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender): 81%

Tyler Durden (Fight Club): 81%

tagged by: @sorrowsick this was hilarious thank u tagging: aAUGH I want to tag the whole dash honestly, this is very fun (if not a bit time consuming)!

with some bonus runner ups I found funny

Sue Sylvester (Glee): 85%

Perry Cox (Scrubs): 82%

Batman (The Lego Movie): 80%

Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' Smith Jr. (8 Mile): 80%

Asuka Langly Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion): 80%

The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz): 79%

Stormfront (The Boys): 79%

Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events): 78%

Walter White (Breaking Bad): 77%

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Dune): 77%

Shrek (Shrek): 77%

Regina George (Mean Girls): 75%

Sid Phillips (Toy Story): 75%

Gaston (Beauty and the Beast): 75%

Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes): 75%

[kaengeru]

No Moral Compass.

You are cold, analytical, and you strive to be as objective as a person of flesh and blood can be. Either you don't understand the concepts of good and evil, or you understand it perfectly and think it's a load of bull. Some may call you selfish, some may call you unfeeling, but you're just doing what you believe will yield the best results, plain and simple. Why bother with petty ideals of right or wrong when you can do what will actively help those you give a fuck about? Your goals may be selfish or noble or anything in between, but you will not let anyone make you feel like garbage for going after them. You couldn't care less about what people brand you as. You just care about getting shit done by any means necessary.

[kaengeru]

what is your throne made of.

gold

those who rule from a throne of gold lead their people fiercely and courageously. even when they feel unfit to rule, they soldier on and never let their fears weaken any aspect of their reign. they value bravery over all other assets. although they care for their people with a burning loyalty, they also believe that violence is sometimes necessary, a symbol of strength to protect the kingdom when it is threatened.

[kaengeru]

if she’s being honest:

You are 26.7% evil, 26.7% chaotic, making you true neutral.

True Neutral people believe in the ultimate balance of forces, and they refuse to see actions as either good or evil. True Neutral individuals do their best to avoid siding too strongly with any one force, whether that force is good or evil, lawful or chaotic. For this reason, True Neutral personalities sometimes find themselves drawn into rather peculiar alliances, friendships, and life paths. To a great extent, they side with the underdog, sometimes even changing sides as the previous loser becomes the winner. Such people often see good, evil, chaos, and laws as simply prejudices that lead to dangerous extremes. Like the Taoist masters of ancient China, they tend to believe that the universe functions best when the light and the dark, the yin and the yang, are in balance.

[kaengeru]

𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄  𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐍  𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄

ah... enya fashion. it is at best, nonexistent, as her general rule for clothing is to fulfill the minimum requirement. in fact, much of any style she may express is almost purely sarah's doing. she'll have her input, but by now, he's learned a lot of what she likes and helps her accordingly.

there are less specifically notable items she wears - though her gauges could fit the bill - rather than a default put together; tank top, shorts, flip flops and a random choice of sunglasses*. its an easy enough outfit, and one she doesnt have to worry about getting dirty. even when she has to dress nicer, this default remains, but its certainly cleaner. also, meme shirts and small embroidered explicits (the latter usually done by sarah with enough bothering).

*though it doesn't often look it, one of whatever shoes she's wearing is customized for her left foot, with additional padding, and however cheap her sunglasses look, they are full strength!

things that rarely make an appearance are sleeves and full-length pants. it's mostly for comfort reasons, because even when she does wear full-cover clothing, it'll be loose fitting. that, and it's usually an either-or situation: she'll either wear pants or a long sleeve top. she is that person wearing shorts in winter.

another “thing she never wears”: underwear. enya has a very few bras and underwear for when she has to have something underneath, but she finds them constricting and in her day-to-day, commando 100%.

for color schemes, enya wears a surprising amount of white. early on, she wore a lot more color, but with her tattoos, she's grown more muted in her clothes. there are pastels, as always, and rarely black, but white in the primary choice. this is also why she has a specific outfit she can get dirty without having to worry.

as for dressing up, she's happy to do it. but given the wrong style - lace and collars are particularly unpleasant - and she excessively frets and complains.

but she’ll dress up nice on a date night with sarah c:

tagged by: @betaofthedead !

[kaengeru]

Enya has a 5 episode fight with god.

“Ughhh, but I dun’wanna.”

[kaengeru]

Wholesome Partner.

You are a slightly toxic partner (42.5%).

Empathy: Individuals who sustain and appreciate emotional connections usually pay attention to their partners, communicate openly, and do their best to strengthen the bond that holds partners together in a relationship. They understand that intimacy facilitates a form of well-being that is beyond physical attraction or surface-level conversation.

update; post-sarah:

You are a slightly wholesome partner (56.25%).

Vulnerability: Individuals who own their vulnerability in a relationship are willing to ask for help from their partners when necessary. They use appropriate, clear, and respectful ways of expressing their needs, and they trust that their partners will be glad to help them in any way they can. Moreover, they understand that being vulnerable can also be a sign of maturity and courage; that vulnerability helps in fostering deep and trusting connections.

[kaengeru]

Enya Ueno, Wicked Seclusion, returned in the next game as a playable character.

Location: Fallen Mountain Ability: Magnet Shout Quote: "A new champion rises today."

[kaengeru]

CHARACTER TROPE.

The Anti-Hero.

A central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes. They often fail many times and are known to be flawed. Opposite of the Tragic hero, you often do things out of selfishness so you can advance and grow as an individual. This is often done unconsciously. When people ask for favors, you expect rewards in return. Your personality can be seen as complicated and you often can through a cycle of moods in a matter of what seems like seconds. You're seen as typically aggressive and full of emotion. There would be times where it seems like you are completely calm and then at a flip of coin be upset about something. You have a lot on your mind 24/7 and it's hard for you to handle. Sometimes your attempts at showing you care can backfire, since you often get too into the emotional aspect of the situation.