#a part of me wishes I could capture his face in drawings slightly more realistically but whatever 😔

[sheepie-self-ships]

Making the faces ever….

[superman86to99]

Superman #85 (January 1994)

Cat Grant in... "DARK RETRIBUTION"! Which is like normal retribution, but somehow darker. On the receiving end of Cat's darktribution is Winslow Schott, the Toyman, who suddenly changed his MO from "pestering Superman with wacky robots" to "murdering children" back on Superman #84, with one of his victims being Cat's young son Adam. Now Cat has a gun and intends to sneak it into prison to use it on Toyman. She's also pretty pissed at Superman for taking so long to find Toyman after Adam’s death (to be fair, Superman did lose several days being frozen in time by an S&M demon, as seen in Man of Steel #29).

So how did Superman find Toyman anyway? Basically, by spying on like 25% of Metropolis. After finding out from Inspector Turpin that the kids were killed near the docks, Superman goes there and focuses all of his super-senses to get "a quick glimpse of every person" until he sees a bald, robed man sitting on a giant crib, and goes "hmmm, yeah, that looks like someone who murders children." At first, Superman doesn't understand why Toyman would do such a horrible thing, but then Schott starts talking to his mommy in his head and the answer becomes clear: he watched Psycho too many times (or Dan Jurgens did, anyway).

Immediately after wondering why no one buys his toys, Toyman makes some machine guns spring out of his giant crib. I don't know, man, maybe it's because they're all full of explosives and stuff? Anyway, Toyman throws a bunch of exploding toys at Superman, including a robot duplicate of himself, but of course they do nothing. Superman takes him to jail so he can get the help he needs -- which, according to Cat, is a bullet to the face. Or so it seems, until she gets in front of him, pulls the trigger, and...

PSYCHE! It was one of those classic joke guns I’ve only ever seen in comics! Cat says she DID plan to bring a real gun, but then she saw one of these at a toy store and just couldn't resist. Superman, who was watching the whole thing, tells Cat she could get in trouble for this stunt, but he won't tell anyone because she's already been through enough. Then he asks her if she needs help getting home and she says no, because she wants to be more self-sufficient.

I think that's supposed to be an inspiring ending, but I don't know... Adam's eerie face floating in the background there makes me think she's gonna shave her head and climb into a giant crib any day, too. THE END!

Character-Watch:

Cat did become more self-sufficient after this, though. Up to now, all of her storylines seemed to revolve around other people: her ex-husband, Morgan Edge, José Delgado, Vinnie Edge, and finally Toyman. After this, I feel like there was a clear effort to turn her into a character that works by herself. I actually like what they did with Cat in the coming years, though I still don’t think they had to kill her poor kid to do that -- they could have sent him off to boarding school, or maybe to live with his dad. Or with José Delgado, over at Power of Shazam! I bet Jerry Ordway would have taken good care of him.

Plotline-Watch:

Wait, so can Superman just find anyone in Metropolis any time he wants? Not really: this is part of the ongoing storyline about his powers getting boosted after he came back from the dead, which sounds pretty useful now but is about to get very inconvenient.

Don Sparrow points out: "It is interesting that as Superman tries to capture Schott, he at one point instead captures a robot decoy, particularly knowing what Geoff Johns will retroactively do to this storyline in years to come, in Action Comics #865, as we mentioned in our review of Superman #84." Johns also explained that the robot thought he was hearing his mother's voice due to the real Toyman trying to contact him via radio, which I prefer to the "psycho talks to his dead mom" cliche.

Superman says "I never thought he'd get to the point where he'd KILL anyone -- especially children!" Agreed about the children part but, uh, did Superman already forget that Toyman murdered a whole bunch people on his very first appearance, in Superman #13? Or does Superman not count greedy toy company owners as people? Understandable, I guess.

There's a sequence about Cat starting a fire in a paper basket at the prison to sneak past the metal detector, but why do that if she had a toy gun all long? Other than to prevent smartass readers like us from saying "How did she get the gun into the prison?!" before the plot twist, that is.

Patreon-Watch:

Shout out to our patient Patreon patrons, Aaron, Murray Qualie, Chris “Ace” Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, Bheki Latha, Mark Syp, Ryan Bush, Raphael Fischer, Dave Shevlin, and Kit! The latest Patreon-only article was about another episode of the 1988 Superman cartoon written by Marv Wolfman, this one co-starring Wonder Woman (to Lois' frustration).

Another Patreon perk is getting to read Don Sparrow's section early, because he usually finishes his side of these posts long before I do (he ALREADY finished the next one, for instance). But now this one can be posted in public! Take it away, Don:

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow​):

We begin with the cover, and it’s a good one— an ultra tight close up for Cat Grant firing a .38 calibre gun, with the titular Superman soaring in, perhaps too late.  An interesting thing to notice in this issue (and especially on the cover) is that the paper stock that DC used for their comics changed, so slightly more realistic shading was possible.  While it’s nowhere near the sophistication or gloss of the Image Comics stock of the time, there is an attempt at more realistic, airbrushy type shading in the colour.  It works well in places, like the muzzle flash, on on Cat Grant’s cheeks and knuckles, but less so in her hair, where the shadow looks a browny green on my copy.

The interior pages open with a pretty good bit of near-silent storytelling.  We are deftly shown, and not told the story—there are condolence cards and headlines, and the looming presence of a liquor bottle, until we are shown on the next page splash the real heart of the story, a revolver held aloft by Catherine Grant, bereaved mother, with her targeting in her mind the grim visage of the Toyman.

While their first few issues together meshed pretty well, it’s around  this issue that the pencil/inks team of Jurgens and Rubinstein starts to look a little rushed in places.  A few inkers who worked with Jurgens that I’ve spoken to have hinted that his pencils can vary in their level of detail, from very finished  to pretty loose, and in the latter case, it’s up to the inker to embellish where there’s a lack of detail.  Some inkers, like Brett Breeding, really lay down a heavier hand, where there’s quite a bit of actual drawing work in addition to adding value and weight to the lines.  I suspect some of the looseness in the figures, as well as empty  backgrounds reveals that these pencils were less detailed than we often  see from Jurgens.

There’s some weird body language in the tense exchange between Superman and Cat as she angrily confronts him about his lack of progress in capturing her son’s killer—Superman  looks a little too dynamic and pleased with himself for someone ostensibly apologizing. Superman taking flight to hunt down Toyman is classic Jurgens, though.

Another example of art weirdness comes on page 7, where Superman gets filled in on the progress of the Adam Morgan investigation.  Apparently Suicide Slum has some San Francisco-like hills, as that is one very steep sidewalk separating Superman and Turpin from some central-casting looking punks.

The  sequence of Superman concentrating his sight and hearing on the  waterfront area is well-drawn, and it’s always nice to see novel uses of his powers.  Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman does a similar trick quite often on the excellent first season of Superman & Lois.  The full-bleed splash of Superman breaking through the wall to capture Toyman is definitely panel-of-the-week material, as we really feel Superman’s rage and desperation to catch this child-killer.

Pretty much all the pages with Cat Grant confronting Winslow Schott are  well-done and tensely paced.  While sometimes I think the pupil-less  flare of the eye-glasses is a cop-out, it does lend an opaqueness and mystery to what Toyman is thinking.  Speaking of cop-outs, the gag gun twist ending really didn’t work for me.  I was glad that Cat didn’t lower herself to Schott’s level and become a killer, even for revenge, but the prank gun just felt too silly of a tonal shift for a storyline with this much gravitas.  The breakneck denouement that Cat is now depending only on herself didn’t get quite enough breathing room either.

While I appreciated that the ending of this issue avoided an overly simplistic, Death Wish style of justice, this issue extends this troubling but brief era of Superman comics. The casual chalk outlines of  yet two more dead children continues the high body count of the  previous handful of issues, and the tone remains jarring to me.  The issue is also self-aware enough to point out, again, that Schott is  generally an ally of children, and not someone who historically wishes  them harm, but that doesn’t stop the story from going there, in the most  violent of terms. In addition to being a radical change to the Toyman  character, it’s handled in a fashion more glib than we’re used to seeing  in these pages.  The mental health cliché of a matriarchal obsession, a la Norman Bates doesn’t elevate it either.  So, another rare misstep  from Jurgens the writer, in my opinion.   STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

I  had thought for sure that Romanove Vodka was a sly reference to a certain Russian Spy turned Marvel superhero, but it turns out there  actually is a Russian Vodka called that, minus the “E”, produced not in Russia, as one might think from the Czarist name, but rather, India.

While it made for an awkward exchange, I was glad that Cat pointed out how  her tragedy more or less sat on the shelf while Superman dealt with the "Spilled Blood" storyline.  A lesser book might not have acknowledged any  time had passed. Though I did find it odd for Superman to opine that he  wanted to find her son’s murderer even more than she wanted him to.  Huh?  How so?

I love the detail that Toyman hears the noise of Superman soaring to capture him, likening it to a train coming.

I  quibble, but there’s so much I don’t understand about the “new” Toyman.  If he’s truly regressing mentally, to an infant-like state, why does he wear this phantom of the opera style long cloak while he sits in his baby crib?  Why not go all the way, and wear footie pajamas, like the lost souls on TLC specials about “adult babies”?

I get that Cat Grant is in steely determination mode, but it seemed a little out of place that she had almost no reaction to the taunting she faced from her child’s killer.  She doesn’t shed a single tear in the entire issue, and no matter how focused she is on vengeance, that doesn’t seem realistic to me. [Max: That's because this is not just retribution, Don. It's dark retribution. We’ve been over this!]

[wonderland-in-bloom]

you are my dream

[vil schoenheit x reader]

@dollimia​ asked: What about Vil and s/o, which meet only in dreams (like "Once upon a dream"), and Vil falls in love in his dream, but he understands that it's just unreal, and then s/o come from our world. And thank you for you beautiful works💖💖💖

aa thank you !! and this is just perfect for today cuz it’s actually vil’s birthday! happy birthday to le beautiful bebeh <3 i might wanna draw something for him later, who knows~

♡

YOU were everything to him. you were perfect. you were the literal definition of vil schoenheit’s dream significant other...because well you appeared in his dreams but also because of how he loved everything about you. yes. love. as strange as it seems for one to fall in love in their dreams, vil was just charmed by you the night you first appeared in his dream. 

for vil it was a rather tiring day. as usual, he had to try his best to deal with epel’s actions which weren’t pomefiore-like, and rook’s unusual comments. after his usual routine of delicately taking care of his skin and hair, he slipped under the covers and rested his head on his fluffy pillow. due to fatigue and just an overwhelming sense of tiredness, it didn’t take long for him to drift off to sleep and enter a whole new world of his dreams. 

he was standing in the center of an extravagant ballroom. dozens of gold colored chandeliers hung down from the high ceiling, drapes of a lilac colored linen snaked around tall marble columns carved with the most intricate of details. no matter the number of chandeliers, the ballroom was dark and was illuminated by one single source of light, which was a large window that towered above him at the end of the ballroom. what astonished vil was a figure by the window. they were sitting by the stairs heading up to that window and was presumably admiring the view. vil could only capture a couple of details about the mysterious figure. he inched closer to the mysterious figure, careful not to make any sound which would startle the figure. before he was able to creep any closer, the figure turned their head. the figure was in awe and truth be told, so was vil. he was bewitched in the figure’s beauty. he was hypnotized by their radiant elegance. “what a weird dream.”

vil paused. the beautiful figure whispered...a dream? “i can agree on that.” he ascended upon the marble, mini-staircase to the figure. he bent down and reached for the figure’s delicate hand and brought it up to his lips, and gently praised it with a soft kiss. “vil schoenheit, pleasure to meet your acquaintance.” the figure giggled. “(y/n)...(y/n) (l/n).” vil took a seat beside you and thus his dreams were filled with such a realistic conversation and lots of details he can remember. when morning arrived, vil’s eyes slowly fluttered open as a smile was plastered on his face. “oh, mon. what happened to you?” rook entered vil’s room and just stared at his smiling face. “nothing.” vil slipped from under his covers out to get ready for the day.

ever since that night vil was just excited to fall asleep. and when he did, he would always meet you in his dreams. he realized as you both spent more and more time with each other, that he was falling in love. he just loved everything about you. he found every inch of you, from top to bottom, absolutely stunning. it was everything he wished for. he would meet you every night in that same ballroom both in your dreams. one night, vil decided to try something new. “will you dance with me, (y/n)?” before you could even respond vil dragged your hand and brought you along with him to reach to the center of the ballroom. he guided you and told you to place your hands on his shoulder and the other to hold his hand. you followed and were quite flustered to know that vil put his hand on your waist. “follow me.” he started swaying to a tune that wasn’t really there. you however, just followed, trying to follow the rhythm of vil’s dancing. the chandeliers suddenly lit up and illuminated the whole ballroom, adding a more magical atmosphere. although you weren’t perfect at dancing and stepped on vil’s foot countless of times, he didn’t mind as you two had endless amounts of fun. your heart raced as you sat down on the staircase with vil. who knew dancing would be so tiring? 

“i’m sorry for stepping on your feet so many times.” vil chuckled. “it’s alright, dear.” he brushed a strand of hair in front of your face. “have you never danced before?” you shook your head. “the only dance i know of are tik tok dances.” he tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrow. “i’m sorry..?” you chuckled and told him to forget it. “i assume you’re not from twisted wonderland then.” once again, you shook your head. “and i assume you’re not from....well wherever i’m from.” this time it was vil’s turn to shake his head. “it’s alright, i enjoy spending time with you. even if you’re an alien or from an alternate universe.” you chuckled. you both realized that this dream had been way too long and that morning was going to arrive soon, which means the both of you had to say goodbye. all of a sudden, you felt his plump, soft lips which met your cheek. he then whispered softly in your ear. “i’ll see you tomorrow night...my love.” 

vil was surprisingly happy throughout the next day. epel was genuinely confused that he didn’t yap at him for being improper. rook noticed this change and was immediately shaken. “did you get a new pair of shoes? or perhaps a new shade of foundation?” vil just shook his head and sighed, an obvious smile on his face. “it’s nothing you should worry about.” vil was just excited to be engulfed in a deep slumber and meet you, as always. however that night, vil was left alone. alone in the dark, empty ballroom. alone, without you in sight. he scoffed to himself in frustration and sat down on the spot where he usually sat. in the marble staircase, hoping you would come. this was the first time in months, that he couldn’t wait to wake up. “RISE AND SHINE MA REINE!” rook bursted inside the room and slammed the door open, causing vil to awaken from his slumber. honestly he was grateful (but at least he should’ve done it much softer). “why so early in the morning?” vil lifted the lavender eye mask. “we have a new student today. they’re supposed to be sorted into their dorm now.” 

“but the year has already started..?” rook pulled vil out of bed. “oui oui, just go on and get into the ceremonial robes. headmaster crowley expects you to be there soon.” vil’s lonely dream was all in his head right now. he was in the mirror chamber along with the other dorm leaders. headmaster crowley enters the room with the new student. vil’s eyes widened as he saw a glimpse of the student. it was you. (y/n). his love. “(y/n)....” he whispered to himself. you were right in front of the mirror of darkness, expecting the dorm you were going to be sorted in. you blocked out all of the mirror’s words and the only word which managed to reach your ears was a weird name. pomefiore. this word baffled vil as well. you. his love. were going to be in the same dorm as him. headmaster crowley guided you to pomefiore’s dorm leader. when your eyes met, your eyes widened and your lips slightly part. “vil...?” 

like the night when you both first met, he reached forward and clutched your hand. he then bent down and gave it a soft kiss. his plump, soft lips. something you’ve missed. 

“vil schoenheit. it’s a pleasure to meet you again, my love.” 

♡

i think i keep thinking about malleus too much i had a dream abt him last night lol 

love, a♕

[mistymark]

VIGILANTE/S IV

part four // 2.8k words // superpowered!au // (sort of) gang!au // series masterlist

summary; in which you consider yourself somewhat of a vigilante.

warnings; swearing, mentions of death, weapons and killing, gang shit really 

notes; this fic is now 10k words and that's a personal record so damn

“I hear training was a success,” Doyoung says when he returns from Jaehyun’s ‘errand’.

You roll your eyes, your jaw set. You don’t look at him, focusing instead on the camera footage Mark had given you to watch. A notepad sat in your lap as you sat cross-legged on your bed, the computer in front of you. The footage was over 12 hours long, showing only a large gate leading to an estate that looked to be the size of a museum. The leader of the Red Crown lived there, you knew, and you were supposed to watch and record who was entering and exiting through the gate during the 12-hour time period.

“I’m being serious.” You finally look over at Doyoung, standing in the doorway, and the expression on his face almost resembles pride. He’s never been anything but serious, but he seems more playful now. “You beat Johnny.”

“He beat me about fifty times,” you deadpan, giving him a pointed look before shifting your attention back to your notepad. Doyoung walks in and looks around the room, as if it’s his first time seeing it – like it would help him understand you.

“What was your time?” He asks, his back to you.

“Fifteen twenty?” The worst fifteen minutes and twenty seconds of your life, probably. He looks at you, and for a moment you can’t read the expression on his face.

He quirks an eyebrow at you, but doesn’t say anything. Briefly turning his attention away from you, he stops to look at the drawings and photos attached to the wall, his face stoic again. He’s looking at the detailed sketches of weapons  – disturbingly realistic, in your opinion – that adorn the wall by the door. The others were strangely anatomical – surprisingly accurate hand-drawn outlines of bodies were pinned against another bare wall. One had a skeleton, another vital organs, and one had the bloodstream mapped out beautifully. Hand-written notes were scribbled across the paper – you’d attempted to read them but the messy scrawl was illegible.

“What’s this?” When he turns around, you hold up one of the leather-bound journals you’d found on the bedside table. It was quite possibly the creepiest thing you’d ever read. One of the entries had just read, January 16th, tried knives again. Sixteen stab wounds. Mostly torso, though heart was avoided. Twelve hours exactly. Another, only two days later, was simply: January 18th, bullet between the eyes (removed). 6.4mm. Four hours.

You’d wondered if the owner was an interrogator like Doyoung – or just a torturer. Part of you was glad you hadn’t had the opportunity to meet him. From what it appeared, none of the others really missed him, either.

Doyoung furrows his eyebrows, “Don’t read that. It’s personal.”

“The guy’s dead.”

You’re unsure if Doyoung hears you, as he chooses to focus on the pictures on the walls once again. Your personal favourite was in the closet, attached to the inside of the door, otherwise hidden from sight. It was a mix of charcoal and red paint, barely resembling a face, but it felt more personal than the ones on the walls, tucked away in the closet where no one would see. It wasn’t nearly as detailed or clear as the other posters, and you had stared at it for almost two minutes before realising what it was.

“The first time Donghyuck fought Johnny, he didn’t even get a time.” Doyoung’s voice sounds far away as he recalls the memory. You wish he hadn’t blocked you from using his powers so that you could see whatever he was remembering.

“What about you?”

“About fifteen seconds.” He snorts at your expression. “Don’t be discouraged.” His attention suddenly moves to the door, and you follow his gaze, though nothing is there. With a nod, he leaves.

You’re left alone again, and you wonder what it is with these boys and never saying goodbye.

You’ve managed to speed up the footage just enough to make your task bearable but have to pause it when a familiar black van enters the shot. It’s identical to the one you’d seen at the Den on the night you met the team, but the number plate is different. This number plate is familiar in a different way. Unlike every other vehicle that had passed through the gates, the driver’s window does not slide down. No ID card is able to be captured.

You know exactly who it is – the only person who can enter the estate without having to show credentials. The Red Prince.

Even though the footage is far too grainy to make out anything in the mirrors, you swear you can see his reflection. Eyes that stare directly into the camera, as if he knows you’re watching. You wonder if he knows he’s being watched, that a group of Supers had managed to hack into his security system.

The gate slides open wide, and the eyes disappear. You shiver.

“Y/n?” You’re shaken from your thoughts when a voice calls you from the other side of your door.

“Come in!”

“Wow,” Mark offers you a small smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Donghyuck never lets me in his room.”

“Well-,” you shrug, then hesitate. You realise you have no idea what to say to him. At least, you don’t have anything to say that isn’t insensitive. Clearing your throat, you push your notepad to the side, “What’s up?”

“I, uh,” his eyes scan the walls, taking in the inside of the room, “Johnny needs the notes from the security footage by tonight. I thought I’d let you know.”

“Thanks, Mark.” You can feel how tight your smile is, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

He turns to leave, but just as the door’s about to close, he pops his head back inside the room, “Oh, by the way, don’t be worried about training today. Johnny was impressed.” He smiles. “Have a good night, y/n.”

It’s almost midnight by the time you get to the end of the footage. 14 vehicles entering, 10 leaving. And you know the licence plates and drivers of them all.

You feel uncomfortable watching the footage, being right at the gate but unable to enter. Your determination to get in there and take down the Red Crown is strong, frustration bubbling inside you. Everything they’re doing goes against what you believe in, and there’s something about your anger that makes you stand up and head to the kitchen. The walls of Jaehyun’s office are transparent again, and the light is on , even though you know he can’t see you, you freeze when his eyes snap up from his laptop.

It’s weird being unable to hear or see the other team members walking around, and the warehouse feels much emptier without them. Soft snoring makes you jump, and you smile at the sight of Jaemin passed out on a couch nearby, his breaths steady, though slightly too fast. Part of you was surprised by how fast he seemed to live his life, though he had told you he had to consciously slow himself down most of the time. “It’s like letting someone win in a race by running slower than them,” he’d explained. “You know you can go faster and beat them, but you don’t. Like constantly coming second place.”

“Does it get frustrating?” You’d asked.

“Almost unbelievably so,” he’d smiled at you, though you could see some inner turmoil behind his eyes.

When you’re filling a glass with water, Jaehyun steps out of his office, the door closing loudly, snapping you out of your thoughts. His feet are soft on the floor – you almost don’t hear him coming. “Can’t sleep?” He’s reaching for a mug on the shelf behind you, and you sidestep to move out of his way.

“I just needed to clear my head,” you swallow, and quickly take a drink of water as an excuse not to elaborate.

Jaehyun slides the mug under the coffee machine, and watches it whir to life. Only now can you read the words printed on the side, ‘World’s Greatest Boss’. You snort when you see it. He turns his head to look at you, and raises an eyebrow. There’s something different in the way he does it. Normally, when he does this, it’s questioning, analytical, intimidating. Now? You’d say it’s borderline flirtatious. It takes you a second to realise why it seems so different.

He’s standing in front of you, leaning over the counter top, waiting for his coffee – in sweatpants. He’s mindlessly biting the inside of his cheek, and you realise you’ve never noticed he has dimples. Probably because he never smiles.

“What?” He’s frowning slightly, but when he looks like this, it just looks cute. The furrow in his brow almost looks guarded, as if he’s worried you’re about to say something offensive.

“Uh,” you look down, collecting your thoughts, then a smile appears on your face. “Your mug, I-”

He looks down at it, and there’s the ghost of a smile on his face, “The first birthday present Johnny ever got me.”

“It’s…cute,” you say it more like a question than a compliment. A loud thud makes you both stand tall, staring into the darkness to make out any movement. There’s a quiet yawn, and the sound of retreating footsteps. You turn back to Jaehyun, and any emotion he’d displayed in the last two minutes was wiped from his face. His face is hard again, and he looks more like the man you’d seen earlier. He looks older, authoritative. “I’m gonna get some rest. I hear training tomorrow is going to be intense,” you offer him a smile.

His attention has moved from you again, staring into the darkness of the warehouse. He bids you goodnight without looking at you, carrying his coffee gently to his office, his mind somewhere else.

You leave your glass in the sink, promising yourself you’ll wash it in the morning, before making your way back to your room.

You can hear faint murmurs coming from another room, but the walls are so thick you can’t make out any of the words. Moving the laptop from your bed to the set of drawers next to the door, you prepare for bed.

The door suddenly bangs open, and a duffel bag is dropped onto the floor noisily. You gasp in shock and the person in the doorway looks just as surprised to see you. “Who are you?” He asks, frozen right there in the middle of the doorway.

“Y/n. Who-” His eyes are wide and calculating, searching the room.

“Well, what are you doing here, y/n?” He crosses his arms, looking at you skeptically.

“I’m part of the team. I-”

“I meant, what are you doing in my room?”

You’re struggling to keep up with the conversation at this point. You shake your head. “Your room – ? Wait, you’re Donghyuck? You’re dead.”

His gaze is fierce, “I was dead. I’m not anymore. Now, I’m tired. And I’d like to sleep in my own bed.” He walks into the room, rifling through the drawers of the dresser, looking for something.

Reaching out for his power, you can feel it thread through your body, though it’s more painful than invigorating, very different to most of the power you can feel in other Supers. “You’re immortal.”

“Obviously,” he doesn’t even turn around.

A lightbulb goes off in your head as the journals on the bedside table catch your attention, “So the journals – you… you were killing yourself?”

Donghyuck rounds on you, “You read my – ? Okay, you’re clearly new to the team. Rule number one; never read anyone’s journal.” At the confused look on your face, he rolls his eyes, “We all have them. You’ll get yours soon. To track your drawbacks; track your strength.”

You raise an eyebrow at him from where you’re sitting on your – his – bed. “Drawbacks?”

“Damn, okay. Rule number two; know your drawbacks. The limits of your power. We all have them. Jaemin’s is how much he has to eat and sleep. Chenle and Mark lack control.” He gestures to his journals before turning back to the drawers, “As you can see, mine is time. Takes a long time to come back to life.” You barely hear it when he mumbles, “Surprise, surprise.”

“You just kill yourself over and over again?”

“Pretty much.” He finds what he’s looking for but doesn’t take it out from the drawer. He turns to face you again, leaning against the dresser with his arms crossed once again. “What do you do?”

“I mimic other people’s abilities.”

His eyebrows raise slightly and he whistles lowly in appreciation, but he doesn’t say anything. “Drawback?”

“Uh… I guess it’s distance. If they’re too far away, it’s like I can’t reach their power.”

He nods in understanding, then furrows his eyebrows, “Johnny will have you training with all of us, then. Have you done ability training yet?”

You shake your head.

“How long have you been here?”

“One day,” you shrug.

“Wait, you’re the one Doyoung brought in?”

You pause, then nod.

“Ah, Jeno killed me before we could meet, I guess.”

“Jeno killed you?!” Your voice is high and loud. Jeno was much stronger, much faster, much more skilled than you were. You had no chance against him if he ever decided you were his next target. Donghyuck’s eyes widen at the loud noise, and he crosses the room to shut the door, “Shit, calm down. I’m immortal – it’s not like it’s a big deal. Almost everyone here has killed me at least once, though he does hold the record.” The side of his mouth quirks up to the side in a smile that you would almost call cute. Maybe if he wasn’t talking about his friend murdering him, he’d be cute.

You don’t know what to say to that. “You’re insane.” That works.

He shrugs, “Jeno’s always been impatient.”

“So he just kills you. Logical.” The disbelief in your voice makes him laugh.

“Rule number three; never get Jeno angry. His drawback is his anger.”

“Holy shit, where were you when I joined? I could have used some of this information.”

He raises an eyebrow at you, “Well, first of all, I was dead. Then I had to go out of town for a day – and here I am.”

You nod, “Right.”

Donghyuck grabs his bag and turns it upside down onto the top of the bed. You aren’t quite sure what you were expecting to come out, but it certainly wasn’t guns. You wait for something – anything – normal to drop out, yet it seems like it’s just guns. At least fifteen of them, ranging in size. You don’t say anything.

He takes one look at your face and immediately explains, “I just bought them. Our weapons dealer is based in China – Winwin? He’s a friend of Jaehyun’s – and he just got into the city two days ago. Jaehyun made me go pick them up.” Under all the posters and sketches on the wall, the walls are painted a bright red, and the subtle blush on Donghyuck’s face almost matches them completely.

“I didn’t realise there was more of you,” you say.

“Us.” You look up in confusion, and he offers you a smile, “More of us.” He clears his throat, his attention going back to the weapons on the bed, “Yeah, Jaehyun has connections everywhere. Japan, China, you name it.”

Carefully, he places the guns in boxes and stacks them in the corner of his room. He brushes off his hands on his thighs, “Look, I’m happy to take the couch tonight, but don’t get any ideas. This is my room, and I fully intend on taking it back after –“ He cuts himself off with a yawn and you raise an eyebrow at him. Rolling his eyes, he heads for the door, giving you an awkward bow of his head as he closes the door.

You feel a little bad about stealing his room, but you’re so tired, you don’t have enough time to think about it before you’re drifting off to sleep in his bed.

[pocket-luv101]

His Lighthouse || Part 2

Fandom: Servamp Ship: KuroMahi (Fem Mahiru) Characters: Kuro, Mahiru

Summary: After Mahiru’s uncle goes missing, she searches London for him. She meets Kuro and she asks him to help her investigate the disappearance. (KuroMahi, Fem Mahiru)

Part 1 || (Part 2) || Part 3

“This is everything I’ve found in my uncle’s office. He has been recording the suspicious movements of the Noberu family. The last date of his report is the same night he went missing.” Mahiru told Kuro. After they finished eating breakfast, she took him to her uncle’s office. She had decided to trust him and asked him to help find her uncle. “If we follow this pattern, he likely disappeared while investigating this family! They must be connected. I’ve tried to continue his work but no one will speak with me.”

“The Noberu are a powerful family. Even if someone knew about their crimes, they wouldn’t want to speak out against them. It’s best to be cautious when inquiring about the family. Between their wealth and status, they’re dangerous.” Kuro’s words made her think of the man who chased them the previous night. She was certain that she would’ve been killed if Kuro hadn’t rescued her.

She had decided to search for her uncle alone because she didn’t want to endanger her friends. Mahiru glanced towards the photo of her mother and uncle. “My mother was a duchess but I know very little about high society. They seem like a complicated bunch with their fake smiles and secrets. It was naïve of me to investigate the family so openly, wasn’t it?”

“I only met you yesterday but you seem like the straightforward type.” Kuro spoke his thoughts out loud and he noticed the small frown that appeared on Mahiru’s lips. He added, “I don’t think that’s a bad thing. For a while, I worked with your uncle and he had a similar approach to you. People are more willing to speak with him than us.”

“I never imagined they would brush me off the way they did. It made me realize how sheltered I’ve been in my little lighthouse. I mainly speak with my friends and relatives through letters.” Her mother and uncle had raised her in the lighthouse and it held a lot of precious memories for Mahiru. At times, she wished that the lighthouse was closer to the city so she could visit her friends more often. Mahiru had many chances to leave but she decided to stay each time.

She focused on the investigation again and said, “You said you worked with my uncle. Was it for investigations similar to the Noberu family?”

“Not in a formal way. He needed something taken care of and he paid me to look into it.” Kuro’s explanation was vague and she could hear that there was more he didn’t tell her. She reasoned that he had his own reason for why he wanted to keep his work a secret. Her uncle also hid his investigation from their family for the sake of their safety.

“I’m sorry if that was a weird question to ask a man I only met recently. I was hoping that you’ll have experience with investigation and you could tell me the best place to search for clues.” Mahiru said. “You don’t have to tell me about your past work with my uncle unless you’re comfortable.”

“My clients would have my head if I tell you such sensitive information.” Kuro didn’t know how she would react if he told her that he was an assassin. She could lose her trust in him if she learned that the Noberu family had hired him to silence her. He hated being an assassin but it allowed him to provide for his family. He had seven younger siblings and they lived in poverty.

When the Noberu first approached him with the request to target a brunette noblewoman, he had refused. Kuro thought it was wrong to kill someone who was innocent. Yet, it was difficult to refuse a request from a powerful family who would target his siblings in retaliation. If he helped Mahiru, she would pay him and he could keep his siblings safe from the Noberu.

“Your uncle has been gone for a month without contacting you. You said that he would send you a letter once a week while he’s on his past investigations. How can you be certain that he’s still alive?” Kuro sat in a chair across from her and studied her expression. “I don’t want to ask this to be cruel but we should be realistic about this. I’ll help you finish your uncle’s investigation but I can’t promise we’ll find him alive.”

“He’s alive!” She yelled and she stared into his eyes. Her brown eyes were steady and they reflected the determination she felt. “My uncle left me this note. It said his co-workers would come to collect his files if something happens to him. Until they come with the news, I believe he’ll return home. Something is stopping him and I’ll be the one to save him.”

“You know him better than me so I’ll trust your opinion.” He agreed quicker than she expected. Her friend, Licht, would often tell her that it was difficult for her to gain the respect of the men in her field. Kuro was different from the others and Mahiru became curious about what kind of life he had. “You’ve managed to collect a surprising amount of information on Frankenstein Noberu.”

“I went to the library to gather these documents. It’s not as much as I wanted.” Mahiru said nonchalantly. Yet, Kuro thought she was intelligent and studious from the progress she made on her own. “This is all the scientific discoveries that they’ve made in the past three generations. They have been given numerous grants but that money shouldn’t be able to cover the cost of research and development.”

“I’ve never went to school so you’ll have to explain the math to me.” Kuro told her. He broke his gaze with her because most would judge him for being uneducated. His family couldn’t afford to send him to school and he needed to work at an early age to feed his family.

“They must be getting money from somewhere else and embezzling the money from their grants. There’s a chance they’re using cheap materials in their research as well.” Mahiru told him without a hint of condensation in her voice. “My uncle has been tracking their movements but he can’t go inside the house to see the details of their experiments.”

“He has the graveyard circled in his map. If that’s a place he had seen them visit frequently, it’s possible that they’re grave robbing to fund their experiments.” He suggested and she nodded in agreement. “Unfortunately, it’ll be impossible to catch them in the act. I doubt they would commit the crime themselves though. They will hire thieves to do the work for them.”

“The Noberu own a large estate but my uncle went through each building to locate the one they would use for experiments.” Mahiru spread out the map between them and pointed to the notes her uncle made on each building. “This one has a basement and it’s far from the main gate. This is the best place to have a secret lab. We should break in to see if they have keepsakes they stole from the dead.”

“Did your uncle draw a map to a secret passage we could use to sneak inside? Otherwise, we’ll be caught easily and arrested. They’re a powerful family and they can bribe the judge to have us locked away.” Kuro pointed out. The sadness in her eyes answered him even before she shook her head. He took the map and folded it before he placed it in his pocket. “I’ll try to find a way inside.”

“Are you planning to investigate that house on your own? My uncle did that and they likely have him captured somewhere in that building.” She jumped to her feet to stop him from leaving. “Thinking simply, we need to work together to find a safe way inside. I already have a plan.”

Mahiru returned to the desk to take out an invitation from the drawer. “I was speaking with others to find a way to enter the Noberu’s manor. They’re holding a masquerade ball and we can use it to sneak in. I still have a few of my mother’s ballgowns that I can wear to disguise myself. You can accompany me as my guard.”

“You’ve thought this out.” Kuro took the invitation from her and studied the font. He wondered whether she would’ve gone to the ball by herself if they hadn’t met. Then again, he already knew that she was recklessly brave. She had pulled them into the river to escape the gun. “I’ll go with you but I’ll drag you out of that house the moment it becomes dangerous. Your uncle made me promise to protect you.”

“I doubted he expected the situation to be this dangerous when he asked that of you.” She recalled the events of the previous night and hugged herself. “That man with the gun would’ve killed me. Do you think there’s a chance that he could find us after we fell into the river? It has been a day and he hasn’t come for us yet. But…”

“Are you scared?” He asked. She didn’t answer him but he knew anyone would be afraid in her situation. Mahiru lived alone in the lighthouse as well. Kuro didn’t understand why he felt a little protective when he saw her loneliness. “Do you want me to stay here in case he comes? I can protect you.”

His offer surprised her but her face quickly softened. “Thank you, Kuro.”

The couch was comfortable and warm compared to the hay cots Kuro usually used yet he couldn’t sleep. With his past, he had trouble relaxing in an unfamiliar place. He turned on his side and stared at the door. Mahiru had insisted he sleep in her uncle’s room but he thought it was better to stay in the living room. He could hear an intruder enter the lighthouse if he slept on the couch.

Footsteps caught his attention and he instinctively gripped the knife hidden under his pillow. Kuro realized that the sound came from the stairs and he knew that it was likely Mahiru. The scent of roses filled the room and he relaxed slightly. He didn’t want her to lecture him about sleeping on the couch so he closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

Mahiru’s footsteps stopped next to him and he didn’t know what she intended to do. He felt something warm draped over him and he guessed that it was a blanket. Her hand brushed over his cheek and his heart quickened for a few beats. He knew that the light touch was unintentional so he had to question why it had an effect on him. She whispered under her breath: “If you’re going to sleep here, you should cover yourself properly. You’ll catch a cold at this rate.”

She leaned away from him and left the room. Kuro waited until he heard the creak of the steel staircase before he opened his eyes. Before she disappeared up the staircase, he caught a glimpse of her lonely expression. Kuro had never met a woman like Mahiru before. She was brave and genuinely cared for her family. He sat up and patted the warm blanket that she had put over him.

Her footsteps continued far past the living quarters of the lighthouse and he wondered if she intended to go through the files on the Noberu again. He decided to go help her and he rolled off the couch. “You lectured me about sleeping properly but you’re the one who’s staying up late with troublesome work.”

As he climbed the staircase, he glanced out the window to the cliffside next to the lighthouse. Between the bright light of the lighthouse and the waves crashing against the cliff, he didn’t know how someone was able to have a peaceful sleep. He reached the office and he was confused to find the room empty. Kuro didn’t know where else Mahiru would go inside the tall building.

Her sad frown appeared in his mind. There would be a lot on her mind after the stressful events of the past week. As strong as Mahiru was, she was a normal woman. He debated whether he should speak with her or if it would be better to leave her alone. Kuro didn’t know her well and he had never comforted someone outside of his family.

Before he decided what to do, he found himself climbing the stairs. Kuro reached the top of the lighthouse and pushed open the trap door. A warm breeze hit him as he stepped out onto the balcony connected to the lantern room. The heat was likely created by the large lamp spinning slowly. He scanned the balcony for Mahiru and he spotted her sitting on the roof of the little house.

“How did you get up there?” Kuro wondered aloud and his voice drew Mahiru’s attention. She thought that he was sleeping on the couch. She carefully moved to the edge of the roof and looked down at him. The glow of the lamp illuminated his face and highlighted his strong features.

“The light will burn your eyes and turn you blind if you continue to stand there.” Mahiru warned and gave him a reassuring smile. She was bathed in both the light of the moon and the lighthouse and he thought she was surrounded by liquid fire for a moment. She didn’t seem to notice him staring because she casually pointed to a ladder. “You don’t have to worry about me falling and hurting myself. There’s a ladder on the south side of the lantern room.”

“Do you want to be alone?” He whispered the question but it tugged on Mahiru’s heart. Silently, she shook her head. Kuro had called her strong and she was worried that he would change his opinion if he learned that she was scared. He climbed the ladder she pointed to and walked across the flat roof to sit beside her.

He didn’t want to pressure her if she felt uncomfortable speaking with him so he stayed silent. Among the quiet, his beating heart sounded like thunder. They stared at the stars above them and he listened to her soft breathing. While they sat far above the world, the vast sky made him feel small. The view in front of them was stunning but his focus was on Mahiru.

She slowly moved to hug her legs against her chest and curl into a ball. He hadn’t realized how small she was until that moment. Mahiru turned away from the stars to face Kuro. “The previous lightkeepers installed the ladder to remove bird nests from the roof but I like to sit up here to watch the stars. My uncle would teach me about the different constellations. You might call me a silly girl but I also thought he was a superhero for knowing so much.”

“I used to read books to my siblings.” He said and she tilted her head slightly at his words. Kuro could feel her brown eyes on him. “In those stories, the heroes will always come home to their family. Heroes have a troublesome habit of waiting until the last moment to save the day in a big reveal. It makes for an interesting story but their family is left behind to worry. You should lecture your uncle about that when he comes back.”

“I will.” Mahiru nodded with a warm laugh. Her heart felt lighter after he spoke with her and she was glad that he offered to stay with her. She knew he only wanted to protect her but he had done so much more for her. “Will your siblings mind that I’m taking so much of your time?”

“They’re already grown with their own lives. Also, my work often keeps me away from home for long periods of time and they’re used to it. They trust me to return home.” Kuro took off his jacket and placed it around Mahiru’s shoulders. She wasn’t cold but she held the jacket around her. “I’ve stared at the stars all my life but I don’t know much about them. Can you tell me what you know?”

“Well, there’s the North Star. You can see it no matter where you are.” Mahiru told him and pointed to the sky. He squinted into the vast collections of stars and he struggled to see which one she pointed to. Kuro didn’t expect her to move closer to him until her arm brushed against his. She sat close to him so their eye line would be the same and she placed her finger beneath the star. “See it yet?”

“I think so,” He said. Kuro was certain that they were so close that their lips would brush together if he turned to face her. She learned away from him and he didn’t know if he felt disappointed or relieved. Mahiru didn’t seem to notice as she continued to name the constellations in the sky. She wore a smile that would light the night better than the lighthouse they sat on.

[ariannjs]

HAPPY | A SasuSaku Short FanFic (1/4)

For Day 4 (City Lights) of SasuSaku Month 2019 - @sasuxsakumonth

This fic was inspired by the Filipino celebrity pair/loveteam called “AlDub” (based from their screen names: Alden & Yaya Dub) or “MaiChard” (their real names: Maine Mendoza & Richard Faulkerson, Jr.). The plot and content have nothing to do with the said actors, but I based the idea for this fic from the themes of Maine’s two most controversial blog posts.

Rating: K+

Summary: The truth was loud and clear, that the combination of pink and green wasn’t meant to be with black and blue – both professionally and realistically.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and AlDub.

Warning: Get some tissues.

Enjoy reading!

...or not.

---

[sakuraharunotes.com/official-blogs]

Hey, Blossoms! It’s been a while! I know I haven’t touched this blog since my open letter half a year ago, but I have important things to share with you – finally – as you read this.

First, I want to thank everyone who has been tweeting me or commenting on my posts to ask about how I am doing every now and then. I may not be able to reply but I’m really grateful to know that there are still some of you guys who care so much about me (despite the amount of fans-turned-to-bashers that came out since the last time I opened up through this blog). 

To answer your queries – I’ve been very fine, really. 

I’ve been a lot happier. 

I’ve been a lot me. 

It took some time, but when I posted that open letter about me feeling like I was losing myself within the whirlwind that is show business – because of all the overwhelming requests (demands) of our loveteam’s fandom – it helped me to be more genuine with myself.

For once, I’m living and working as I should, not as I’m told. And I’m doing things as Sakura, not as any other role.

So yes, I’ve been very fine even though you guys haven’t seen me much on social media. And I’ll always be grateful for all of you who have stayed, respecting me and caring for me as a person, and not just as a celebrity that you often see onscreen.

Second, I know there had been lots of speculations about this but I never answered yet because I know that there would be another uproar that could cause unnecessary hate to a special person in my life. 

That’s what I want to avoid, honestly. I’ve already received tons of hate after I voiced out my thoughts through my open letter that eventually led to the needed separation of my former loveteam. And having a special person receiving hate as well – just because people prefer someone else as the one I should love – is something that I wouldn’t tolerate anymore.

But yes, I want the truth to come from me: I’m officially confirming that I’m happily dating Sasori Akasuna. 

Since when? I’m not gonna tell. 

How? I don’t think I’m required to divulge that. 

Why? Wait a sec—are you kidding me? Cos my answer to that is: Why not?

Although I am deeply flattered with your love for me and my leading man for four years, I have already mentioned in my open letter that Sasuke and I are only friends and workmates in the industry. Up until now. And just because you’re supporting our loveteam, and you’re paying for our movies, or you’re managing fan accounts for us, doesn’t mean that you could dictate us about the matters of our hearts.

Even though we love you, we have our personal lives and individual decisions that need some respect too. After all, whatever you see onscreen doesn’t necessarily reflect our real lives. 

So really, to ask me why I’m dating Sasori is as if you’re asking me why I’m making decisions for my own life.

To give you some sort of peace, Sasori makes me incredibly happy in ways I have never imagined. He cares for me even better than I care for myself. And my family adores him, probably even more than they adore me! Haha. 

What I want to say is that (for my true supporters), you guys don’t have to worry if I have chosen the wrong guy. And (for my former supporters), I understand that there are things (or a person) that you think is the best for me but honestly, at the end of the day, the decision is still mine. 

And now that the truth is out in the open, I truly can’t wait for everything else that is in store for us throughout this year. But what I can assure you all is this: I’m feeling a lot better than I’ve ever been since I’ve entered showbiz, and one of the reasons that contributed to this is my newly found freedom to finally be true to myself without being afraid of what people would say. 

I hope all my fans would respect this.

So thank you, really. For sticking around. It really means a lot to me that you’re supporting not just the Sakura or other roles of me that you see onscreen, but also the real Sakura behind the scenes.

All the things that you’ve done for us as SasuSaku will always be a part of my sweetest memories. But I hope you would continue to support me, and Sasuke, despite going our separate endeavours as artists. I am pretty sure that he’s meant for greater things, even without me as his leading lady. And I can’t wait to see that from afar.

Til next time, Blossoms! Continue blooming where you’re planted! 

— Sakura H.

-

He shut his macbook, albeit with a little more force, as his other hand pinched the bridge of his nose. He remembered reading another post from the same website months ago, and the way he felt after reading it wasn’t like this.

Back then, he felt proud of her. For standing up for herself in a world that tried to manipulate her just because she’s the best leading lady for Sasuke Uchiha, realizing that she has a life of her own and she wasn’t meant to please people even if the fans were basically the ones who made them the most sought-after loveteam of their generation. Amidst the sea of facade, she decided to choose to be real. That personality development that was vivid in her open letter posted six months prior was enough to make him so proud of her.

His head whipped around his bachelor pad, seeing black and blue here and there. His mind traced back to seeing a tinge of pink and green in this same place every once in a while, but as his gaze landed on his macbook once again, it hit him like a tsunami that seeing pink and green here will never happen again. 

That’s why the feeling was different now. 

The truth was loud and clear, that the combination of pink and green wasn’t meant to be with black and blue – both professionally and realistically.

A week after her open letter, they found themselves seated in front of their main manager, setting a new arrangement for the two of them so as to lessen the uproar of fans’ expectations on the world’s sensational loveteam SasuSaku – as their fans called them – with the projects that they were a part of. 

The Music Show that they were hosting alongside another love team – NaruHina – had a drastic adjustment in terms of who would report on the field and in the studio. It wasn’t VJ Sasuke and VJ Sakura together in the studio or on the field anymore. But it was VJ Sasuke in the studio, and VJ Sakura on the field.

They also didn’t have commercials or magazine shoots together anymore, let alone movie projects even after their worldwide blockbuster hit movie entitled “The First,” which was ironically their last.

Although he was discreetly uncomfortable with the idea, considering the fact that this was totally new to their four-year status quo, Sasuke complied and adapted to the changes.

At first, he thought it was just the adjustments that made it difficult. But it suddenly dawned on him when he was offered a project with a new redhead leading lady that it wasn’t just about missing his old routines anymore.

He missed her.

Damn. He totally missed her.

There’s no more continuous chatter from his passenger seat on their way home after shoots.

No more pink strands on his shoulder during long flights.

No more lazy good mornings and good night hugs in their offsite tents. 

No more Sakura.

It was on times that Sasuke was very worn out after coming from the gym or a commercial shoot that the reality of this sank further in his mind. Parked in front of his condo one night, he unconsciously glanced at his passenger seat and blinked as a blurred pink suddenly clouded his vision, or so he thought.

He drove her to her place like the usual, but tonight, he wasn’t able to stop himself from staring at her after turning off the engine of his car. 

Gladly, she stared back as if it was the most normal thing to do at a time like that, which only urged him to slowly lean in, pausing slightly as if to ask her permission, before capturing her lips with his.

It wasn’t their first kiss. But it was their first without a number of cameras recording every angle of the contact. 

And Sasuke liked it. He liked how slow and achingly beautiful the moment was, until they both pulled away, breathless and flushed.

A part of him wished this was how his every night ends and how his every morning starts. But for now, he could only continue to stare at those green pools that never failed to draw him in, whether it’s filmed or not.

As he lifted a hand to tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear, she then chuckled. “That was one heck of a good practice for our next scene, huh?”

And just like that, he was suddenly out of his daze as if a blue electric current coursed through his veins.

“Thanks for the ride. Goodnight...Zeke.”

The next thing he knew, she was already out the door of his car, leaving him blinking once, twice, as his brain slowly processed what had happened. His hand then collided with the steering wheel. “Damn it!”

What he didn’t realize was that their little moment was quite similar to the one on their recent script. 

Groaning, his face fell on his hands. Did she really think he was still on work mode?! He wasn’t being Zeke! He was being Sasuke! 

That night, he went home without touching the said script even though he had some lines that he needed to memorize for the next day.

Just thinking about it now, he wished he didn’t become complacent. Heck, when he entered the show business he was already aware of the fact that nothing is constant in it. He had seen how the ones before him and even those that started alongside him didn’t really have careers that remained skyrocketing. 

He was only one of the fortunate ones and it all began when an undeniable chemistry was seen between him and Sakura on a TV series that aired five years ago. 

While he was still paired up with her, he realized he should’ve made the most out of the time they had. He should’ve told her that his feelings weren’t that of Landon’s, nor Zeke’s, nor Marq’s anymore. 

Instead, his feelings were – are – of Sasuke’s.

But like what people always say, regret comes in the end.

And indeed, it came. Like a wildfire.

---

(Happy - PART 2)

---

This was done weeks ago but I posted it days late for Day 4 because a lot of things had happened lately, hahahuhu. Let me know what you guys think! This is my very first SS angst so I’d love to know your feedback on my writing! <3

Check out my other works here! It you like what I do, kindly consider supporting me on ko-fi or patreon. I’m also saving up for a special post-birthday trip this November so your support would mean a lot to me!♥️

---

June 2019 | AriannJS

[goodwriterwithbadhabits]

Eternally Yours

(I was in a hardcore Soft mood for like three days and this is what came of it. 

Sorry bout the ending.)

Masterlist

Pairing: Chanyeol x Writer!Reader. Married! AU ft. Kaisoo

~~

You had no intention of waking up, but when a breeze shifted your curtain and allowed a shaft of sunlight to practically punch you in the eye, it was hard to drift back off. You turned away from the window, finding yourself face to face with your sleeping husband. Somehow he looked stunning, even in his sleep. His lashes were fanning across his cheeks, his hair was ruffled and sticking up in odd places and his plump lips were parted slightly, letting quiet snores emit. Not even seconds later his phone on the bedside table began ringing loudly. His eyes snapped open, locking onto yours for a moment, making him smile.

“Phone.” You reminded him. Sitting up he answered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. You followed him, squishing your face into his back and wrapping your arms around his torso. As he spoke he began absentmindedly playing with your finger, specifically the ring on your left hand. 

“Hello? Ah good morning Xiumin Hyung.”

“Hi, Xiumin.” You mumbled against his broad back.

“Y/n says hi as well.” He moved the phone towards you so you could hear Xiumin shout.

“Good morning Mrs. Park.” Chan grinned at that, moving the phone back to his ear.

“Look, Xiumin hyung I'm going to be completely honest with you. There is literally nothing you could tell me that would make me come in today.” He confessed, making you chuckle lightly. He smiled at your actions, as he listened to what his elder was saying. “If the building was on fire I would calmly drink a glass of water and watch.”

“You're so mean in the morning.” You laughed lightly. “Where did you even learn that phrase?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow, hyung.” He bid, hanging up the phone and tossing it on your side of the bed. “Was I too mean?” You shook your head, still pressed to his back.

“Not at all Yeol, Xiumin will understand.” You reasoned.

Nearly 4 years ago, when Park Chanyeol had announced that he had a girlfriend, everyone expected her to be like him. They expected a musician or an actress or at least a producer, but what they got was something else entirely. You were an author, and more than that, you had been nicknamed the “Modern Mother of Horror” after your novels had found themselves on every shelf across the globe. You were darkness, you were the creep factor, you gave seminars on how to write the perfect crime novels and how to discuss realistic demons.

You didn't seem Chanyeol's type.

Chanyeol was the human embodiment of a golden retriever, and you were the amalgamation of H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King. Yet still, he loved you, he stayed with you and one day, he married you.

“Do you want coffee?” He asked, eyes barely open.

“If you make breakfast, I'll make dinner.” You offered, pulling away from him to sit up fully and stretch. He glanced back at you, a smile forming on his lips as he saw your tired yawn. Somehow, despite having such a long relationship, the sight of you in one of his shirts still made his heart flutter.

“Good morning.” He finally said.

“Good morning, Yeobo.” You greeted back. He leaned towards you, capturing your lips in a good morning kiss.

“Did you want to go to the gym today?” He asked, laying back down next to you, resting his head on your leg. Your hand immediately went to his hair, combing your fingers through the brown locks.

“Not right now, it's too early.” You both laughed.

“Understandable.” He stared up at you quietly, admiring your face. He always felt like a schoolboy with a crush when he saw you. “How about, I make breakfast while you shower and we can see where today takes us?”

“Sounds good to me.” You nodded. He grinned, leaning up to kiss you again before bouncing off the bed. “How are you always so hyper in the morning?”

“I just have to see that ring on your finger and I feel like I could take on the world.” He confessed.

“Cheese ball.” You teased, but the smile on your face assured him you loved him for it.

~~

When you two had met, nearly 5 years ago, neither of you expected where you were now. He had come to your book signing in Berlin, being a huge fan of your most recent series. When he arrived, it was later in the signing and you were mostly just having fun with your fans. You walked among them, giving hugs and autographs, it looked more like a party than a book signing. He planned to have his security guard approach you when the event was drawing to a close but when he saw how your face light up when Power was suddenly played over the speakers, he couldn't help himself. He approached you slowly like he was a scared deer.

“Um, hello.” He mumbled in English. You turned to him, and when your eyes met his, he couldn't help but smile under his mask.

“Hi.”

“I'm Chan, I love your writing.” He told you, gripping his copy of your novel against his chest. The smile that blossomed on your face made his heart flutter.

“Hi, Chan. It's nice to meet you. I'm Y/n.” You held out a hand, and he quickly wiped his sweaty palm on his sweater before shaking it. “Would you like me to sign your book?” You asked, gesturing to the copy he held.

“Oh yes please.” He held out the book almost shyly. When you saw that it was in Korean, your grin increased. “You're Korean?” You asked, in Korean. He stared at you wide-eyed before nodding.

“Yes, I had no idea you spoke the language.” “I actually rewrote the Korean versions to better fit the language.” You explained, scribbling something on the inner cover. “Is Chan short for something?”

“Chanyeol.” Your eyes darted from the book to his face, then to the security guard behind him. You smirked up at him, nodding slowly as you figured it out.

“Well then Mr. Chan, here you are.” You handed him the book back, no with a message to him in Korean.

“Thank you, you're awesome. I wish I could repay you, for rewriting the books in Korean, it must take a lot of work.” He gushed.

“Thanks, Chan.” You smiled softly up at him. “Actually, are you busy in about,” You glanced at your watch, “Half an hour?”

“No, why?”

“Well, I was supposed to have dinner with my publisher but she's just left for South Korea, would you like to join me?” His stomach did about 40 somersaults then exploded into a cloud of butterflies.

“I'd love to.”

~~

Smiling at the framed selfie on your desk, the memories of your first date flooded your mind.

“Hey babe, what's up?” His voice broke her out of her thoughts, tearing her eyes away from the photo to find him standing in the doorway. He made his way over to her, resting his head on hers, and looking at the writing on the computer. “I stopped hearing typing to I came to see if you had fallen asleep or died.” He joked, making them both laugh.

“I ran out of inspiration and ended up distracted.” You confessed. He hummed, the vibrations being felt on the back of your head.

“Distracted by me?”

“Aren't I always?” To moved your head away from him, kissing his jaw lightly. The grin on his face as he looked down at you was endearing.

“Mm, I also came to tell you that Kai was wondering if we would like to join him and Kyungsoo on a date tonight.” He leaned on the desk, tilting his head back and forth as he though. “I figured, we haven't gone on a date in a while, and we're both gonna be kinda busy in the coming days.” He grinned over at you, while you twirled a pen in your hands.

“Where are they going?” You tried to pretend to sound uninterested but you really did miss date nights.

“There's a carnival by the beach. It's very cheesy so you know Kai had to go.” You both rolled your eyes at that. “So, Mrs. Park, would you like to go on a cheesy carnival date with me?” You pretended to think about it, tapping your chin lightly.

“Well, Mr. Park, I think a cheesy carnival date is right up your alley.” Somehow his grin got bigger.

~~

“I am going to win you the biggest teddy bear ever!” Chan cheered as you climbed out of the car.

“There's no need.” You laughed.

“The quickest way to a girl's heart is through manliness and money.” He joked, spotting the others across the parking lot.

“Babe you already have my heart.” He smiled down at you, kissing you lightly before pulling up your face mask. There would definitely be people who could tell who you were, and this was sure to end up all over the internet.

“There she is!” Kai yelled as soon as he saw you. “I haven't you in ages!” He cried, pulling you in for a tight hug.

“Hello Kai, hey Kyungsoo” You greeted, hugging them both.

“How have you been?” Kai asked, pulling you ahead of the boys and hooking his arm into yours. Just behind you, D.O. and Chan watched your forms. Most other guys would have been at least apprehensive about their wives being so close to another man, but at the beginning of your relationship, it had quickly been realized that while Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Kai were your close friends, that was all they were.

“Chanyeol has decided to win me the biggest teddy bear he can.” Kai gasped, loudly and over dramatically.

“Babe, you have to win me a big teddy bear. There's no way I'm letting Chanyeol be more romantic than us.” He cried, spinning to face the other men. You couldn't help laughing, slowly sinking into a squat as D.O tried to reason with his boyfriend.

“They're already more romantic than us, they're married.” He explained, shooting you a slight glare.

“Then you have to marry me, then win me a big teddy bear!”

“Babe.” D.O. blushed, trying to make Chen stop yelling. Chan helped you stand back up while the boyfriends continued to talk.

“We'll meet you guys later for the finale.” He called.

“I will have a big teddy bear by then!” Kai replied, while Chanyeol just pulled you towards the ticket booth.

Thanks to the masks you both wore, it was a lot easier to just have fun. You both knew the internet was going to have a heart attack about the two of you playing cheesy carnival games together, him winning you a giant stuffed panda, and the two of you just generally being a cheery happy couple.

It didn't take long for you to play every game available, and soon found yourselves walking along the beach as the sun began to set.

“I really miss going on these cheesy dates with you.” You confessed, leaning your head on his arm as you walked.

“I do too. What if we went on a second honeymoon?” He offered.

“Aren't those for old couples that have been together for ages and are trying to rekindle their marriages?” You joked.

“Maybe.” He laughed. “But we're going to have some time after this comeback, we should go somewhere. Somewhere where its always just a bit cold.”

“Why?”

“I like seeing you in my hoodies.” He stated as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

“You'd prefer me to only ever wear your hoodies.” You reminded him. “And preferably nothing else.”

“You got me there, but we went to Dubai for our honeymoon, and we haven't gone anywhere since. So we should go somewhere the opposite of Dubai.” You nodded along to his words, racking your brain for ideas. “Somewhere kinda cold, and more subtle, Dubai was all about being rich and expensive.”

“San Francisco?” You offered.

“That sounds nice, but we're likely to get recognized in such a big city.”

“Oh, what about Big Bear Lake? You can rent these really fancy cabins there and it's really pretty in the winter.”

“I like it, how about we figure out all the details when we get home?”

“Hey, you two!” Kai’s scream made you jump and nearly drop your over-sized panda. “Look what Kyungie got me!” He waved a giant unicorn towards you.

“I love it.” You cried. “Look at my panda!”

“The fireworks are gonna start soon. I convinced the Ferris wheel attendant to get us on the very top for the finale.” D.O told Chan.

“There's gonna be fireworks?” You asked, earning nods from the boys.

“But we gotta get to the Ferris wheel, first.”

You practically ran towards the Ferris wheel, the four of you claiming one of the cars. At the top you could see the city lights sparkling over the ocean, you sat the panda next to you and cuddled against Chan to keep both of you warm. You may have jumped at every crackle from the fireworks but Chan's warm arm around your shoulders kept you grounded. He looked down at you as the finale began, the lights shining in his eyes. Pulling you close he whispered in your ear,

“Is it too soon to ask you to marry me again?”

[mrmichaelchadler]

Brian Tallerico's Top Ten Films of 2018

It’s that time of year when critics take a look at dozens of different pieces of art and try to put them in the same box. There’s something inherently odd about pitting films against each other, but it’s also a way to draw attention to things you love and want to share with more people. It’s often a way to consider themes in art, but I was struck more this year by what my top ten says about my personal taste more than overall motifs in the world of moviemaking. I spoke to Barry Jenkins earlier this month, and he commented on how he’s attracted to what he calls genuine filmmaking. That’s clearly a through-line in my picks too, none of which were made purely to garner awards or fatten wallets. They are deeply personal films from masterful filmmakers, across the spectrum of genre and style. What do Boots Riley and Debra Granik have in common other than a deep passion for what they do? They share that passion with us, and lists like this, at their best, amplify it just one step further. I saw around 250 films released this year. This list could be different with rewatches or even just over time. It’s always subject to change. But, as of today, these were my favorites of a very good year:

Runner-ups: “Black Panther,” “Blindspotting,” “First Man,” “First Reformed,” “Hereditary,” “Lean on Pete,” “Mission: Impossible - Fallout,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse,” “Wildlife” and “Zama”

10. “Sorry to Bother You”

It’s the rare film that can feel both completely current and ahead of its time. Boots Riley’s incredible social satire, anchored by a performance from Lakeith Stanfield that is only getting a fraction of the year-end attention it deserves, is the best debut of the year (and it was a strong one for debuts with this, “Hereditary,” “Minding the Gap,” “Eighth Grade,” and more). Riley’s film echoes his music in its blending of different styles and influences into something that feels both defiantly new and classically funky. It is often hard to tell when you’re in a year what movies from it that people will be watching five or even ten years from now. I would bet money they’ll be watching this one.

9. “You Were Never Really Here”

Lynne Ramsay’s award-winning “thriller” (the quotes because there’s not really one genre appellation that feels like it captures everything this movie does) is such a perfectly calculated work of art that it’s easy to take for granted the first time you see it. Every choice here has been carefully considered by a master craftsman, but that attention to detail is offset by an organic, emotional, borderline dangerous performance in the center from Joaquin Phoenix, doing what I consider the best acting work of the year. Phoenix is mesmerizing, capturing a man who has to access his trauma to do his very unusual job, and someone who dives deeper into his own nightmarish abyss each time. It’s a challenging, unforgettable film, and a testament to the overall quality of the year that it’s this far down the list.

8. “Shoplifters”

Hirokazu Kore-eda is one of our best living filmmakers, a man who personifies the Ebert principle of cinema as an empathy machine. He makes movies about real people, using them to encourage conversation about complex issues like masculinity, justice, and the definition of family. His Palme d’Or-winning latest is arguably his masterpiece, a film that reconsiders so many of his previous themes, but also works purely as heartbreaking melodrama. He spends 90 minutes getting his viewers deeply involved in the life of a family on one of the lowest rungs of society, and then challenges how we feel about them with stunning revelations in the final act. Directing some of the best performances in his catalog (Ando Sakura’s work here may be the most underrated of the year), this is an example of a master working at the top of his form.

7. “Annihilation”

What’s the cinematic equivalent of an earworm? You know those songs, or even ad jingles, that burrow their way into your brain and don’t go away? You think of them at random times, humming them to yourself without even knowing you’re doing so? Alex Garland’s latest is the movie version of that, a movie I saw early this year that will not go away. The images, the themes, the faces, the horrors—there’s something about "Annihilation" that has lodged itself in my memory in a way films rarely do. Part of the reason for that is how open the film is to interpretation, relying on imagery instead of plot twists. Those are the movies that last. We may remember a line or some shocking twist from films we like, but it’s the images from the movies we love that sneak up on us. “Annihilation” will be doing so for decades.

6. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

I smile every time I think of Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest Western anthology, which is somewhat ironic given it’s a movie about death. Maybe that’s part of the game. After all, the final segment in Netflix’s film is about bounty hunters who distract their targets with stories. We’re all just distracted by the stories of life, many of my favorites told by the Coens, on our way to shuffling off this mortal coil. These stories work on their own or taken as an entire piece, elevated by the Coen’s incredible attention to detail in every element of the production, including Bruno Delbonnel’s stunning cinematography, one of Carter Burwell’s best scores, and a simply perfect ensemble. I wrote more about the excellence of this film here, and I’m still smiling.

5. “Widows”

Every once in a while, there’s a movie that gets dismissed as pulp by the critical Illuminati. What’s funny is those pulp movies more often find their way into the cinematic firmament than the most buzzed Oscar bait. I'm not worried about the future of "Widows." It didn’t help Steve McQueen’s masterfully entertaining and enlightening examination of corruption and agency in Chicago that it was horrendously advertised, leaving viewers who might like it at home and those who probably wouldn’t angry in their theater seats. Suffice to say, “Widows” was mishandled, but I am as confident in anything on this list that “Widows” will find a loyal, devoted audience over time. Great movies always do.

4. “Burning”

My top 2-4 are relatively interchangeable, all films that did what is so much harder and harder to do every year—broke through our increasingly diffused attention span. With the amount of distractions in this tech-heavy world, it’s getting more difficult even for film critics to “give themselves over” to a movie. For me, I’m often distracted by the other work I have ahead of me—pieces I have to write or editorial duties at this site. Our brains seem to increasingly be asking “what’s next?!” And so there’s something breathtaking about a movie that is powerful enough to push out the “next” with the “now.” Lee Chang-dong’s masterful thriller does exactly that, weaving a mesmerizing tableau for over two hours and then throwing you back into the world, dazed and marveling at what you just watched.

3. “Leave No Trace”

I had a similar reaction to Debra Granik’s poignant drama when I saw it in Sundance. All the other films in Park City faded away as I became deeply invested in the lives of two strangers. Granik’s compassion for these two people is contagious. We feel for the young Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie) and her PTSD-afflicted father Will (Ben Foster) in ways that is rare in cinema. We want Tom to be happy. We want Will to find stability. We want them to be their best selves, and yet Granik doesn’t even remotely judge Will for his trauma or Tom for her increasing need to leave him. It’s that rare subgenre of the character study that isn’t designed to make some grand statement about all of humanity but fully capture the lives of the people in its center. Will and Tom feel real. We know them and we root for them. And we don’t forget them.

2. “If Beale Street Could Talk”

I couldn’t possibly capture why I love Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of James Baldwin’s “unfilmable” novel more completely than Odie Henderson did in his brilliant review, so just read that first. My top two films of the year—and this clearly reflects a personal preference in what I’m looking for lately—blend the lyrical and the realistic. The story of Fonny (Stephan James) and Tish (KiKi Layne) is tragically real in its injustice and examination of broken dreams. And yet there’s also a poetry to Jenkins’ filmmaking that’s simply beautiful. There is poignant tragedy here, of course, but there’s also overwhelming joy. The joy of a family, of love, of hope, and of filmmaking artistry. It’s the rare movie that I feel will shift ever so slightly every time I watch it, offering me something new to appreciate and adore.

1. “Roma”

That last sentence also holds true for Alfonso Cuarón’s masterpiece, the best film of 2018. So many movies lately feel like they “take” from their audience, whether it be with lazy filmmaking or CGI extravaganza that leave you more exhausted than exhilarated. “Roma” gives and gives. I put so much of myself —what I value in both film and criticism—into my review that I’m not sure what else I could say other than I walked out of this movie on a high that films rarely give me any more. Perhaps it’s a reflection of the state of the form or just getting older and busier, but that “spark,” that “movie magic” doesn’t come along like I wish it would as often as it did when I was younger. I was floating after “Roma.” I still am.  

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