#a year from now is a complete mistery

[malewifemanhunter]

[lynaferns]

The Forest On The Other Side

Chapter 1: I want to go home.

Ver. [ENGLISH / SPANISH]

EDIT: This fic is now on AO3

A girl gets lost in the forest and finds a misterious gate in the middle of nowhere. At the other side she meets a... very peculiar individual who seems to only want to befriend her and play. Everything seems fine. Until night falls and someone else joins to play...

Again, I appreciate feedback about the english adaptation. English is not my first lenguage and I still mess up sometimes.

This is in some way a more "joyful" story than BIOMáquina, still with its dark themes. I wrote this a year ago. By this I mean I forced myself to get it written down and ended up hating it and burning myself out. A couple of weeks ago I decided to reread it and I though it was pretty ok actually, so I edited it a bit to make it flow better. It used to be written more as a script for the comic I wanted to draw buuuut that didn't happen (cough stressed myself out cough forced myself cough don't force yourself to make content out of a hobby, a hobby is supposed to be for your own fun). I'm not completely satisfied with the final draft but I think is good enough for my first ever fic written.

I originally planned to make it a Y/N thing but that didn't last long. But I keeped the original idea of the first person POV. The Y/N stories I've read has always some narrator telling you what you do insert you in the story. I thought of making the MC the narrator, this way the reader can insert themselves like it's their story or they can read it as if someone else is telling them a story. This is also a bit limiting, since the narration is also the MCs thought process and sometimes I may skip details MC couldn't have seen.

AU, Magical forest, DCA centered, Sun fnaf, Moon fnaf, Elves Sun & Moon, OC, Selfinsert, Character & OC, platonic, friendship, slowburn (kind of), Moon is agresive at first, Moon is also a bit of a gremlin, Protective Sun (I think), OC is a potty mouth, Female Main Character, First person, Angst.

The first post where I showed this AU and my first sketches ideas.

Tumblr archive with all of the art, ideas and anwsered asks.

Youtube Playlist which I'm pretty proud of how it turned out :] It's in a specific order but you can put it on mix.

Note: even though I try to keep things light some things may be triggering for some readers.

CW: Anxiety, Suicide ideation, Implied death, Choking, Non sexual abuse.

Wordcount: 9,700 (It's not rounded, that's literally the number Word tells me it's at lol)

Welp.

Here we are again, in the old village house (yey...). Well, 'I am', my family won't arrive to settle in for another week. They brought me here beforehand a few days ago for organizational reasons. They took a quick look inside before they left to see the state of the house, if it needed any repairs and such, and they headed back to the city. While they finish preparing everything, I take care of the house and text them messages about anything that may be needed for when they return.

We haven't been here in years, the house needs some repairs, and I'm sorry for the spiders, but it could use a deep cleaning. We can't do a deep cleaning but I have been cleaning what I can these last few days, at least so that it looks decent... at first glance.

Well, it's not like anyone is coming to visit.

It's a quiet town, until the kids from the town next door come to make a racket with their bikes. They play in our field, scare away the cats and throw cans around. They are assholes.

Anyways, the people in the village are nice. The adults I mean, the kids I used to play with, I don't get along with them anymore. Some of them aren't kids anymore, we have grown up and are going down different paths. But those who are still kids... they're still interested in the only older kid in the town who listened to them and let them do whatever they wanted, to a certain extent.

I don't want them to come looking for me to go out and play. I've been avoiding them by saying that I'm busy cleaning the house and getting it ready for when my family arrives, but I feel like interacting with them less and less. That's why I'm going out to the woods behind the house to get lost for a while, as always. The kids don't go near the forest so they won't bother me there.

There is an area for tourism and hiking but not many people come, some police cars border the forest from time to time but they never go inside. The reports of missing people in this forest have been coming in for decades, only some lost children have returned but there is no trace of any of the adults who disappeared along with the rest of the children. The areas marked with signs are safe but you can't go out of bounds unless you want to disappear with those people.

And I, who right now am alone and with no one to notice my absence if I go missing, am going to head straight to the forest. Don't you think, I don't want to disappear, I just don't like people and I usually go into the forest but I don't go too far away. As long as I see my house in the distance, I know how to return.

I grab my bag with my sketchbook and pencil case, in case I feel like drawing (probably won't) and step out to the back porch. The outer sliding metal door that protects the inner one is rusty and difficult to open. It would be better to oil it but I don't know when it will be done, considering that the broken railing has had a wooden board tied to it for years. I already sent my mother a message talking about it.

I enter the forest and start walking around. It's hot, of course, it's early summer, but it's quite noticeable after being in the cool inside the brick and stone house. That's the good thing about coming here in summer, the houses are made to stay cold inside and it's great, sometimes I even need to wear a jacket. But outside I'm dying, the trees don't provide enough shade. In fact, some trees are missing. I used to have my routes memorized but time has passed and some paths have changed, some have disappeared and others have formed. I admit that it makes me a little sad... I began to walk absorbed in my thoughts not paying attention to where I was going.

I'm walking away, I should go back. I'm not going to draw anything here anyway, and it's hotter outside than inside so I'm gonna to turn around-

I hear screams and laughter in the distance, the sound of the voices produces me an immediate disgust. It's those kids from the next door village. They must have come to 'investigate' about the disappearances or maybe they don't care and they just came to be idiots-

They're getting closer.

I don't want them to see me. God. Don't let them see me. Anyone but them. They're getting closser. Don't let them see me. I can't go back home now. They're cutting me off. Of all the people who could have found me. It had to be them. No, please. Don't let them see me. I have to go further into the forest, I can't let them see me. They're getting closer. Don't let them see me. I want to leave. I want to leave. I'm getting too far. I want to leave. I don't see my house. I want to leave. I don't see the village. I want to leave. I don't see the kids.

...

...

...

Where am I?

Fuck.

Where am I?

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

…

—

Now I'm wandering through the forest. I don't want to go back. I want to get out of here. Even though I'm walking in a straight line I feel like I'm going around in circles, and I'm not going to get out of here now. Great. I'm lost. Now what? People who get lost in this forest don't return, no one has returned except for some children.

...

I'm going to disappear.

...

For now I keep walking until something happens. Maybe there's an animal that kills people who get lost, or maybe it's a group of kidnappers, or maybe I should stop giving myself anxiety and focus on getting out of here. Maybe if I find a field or road, or even the tourist area, I'll be able to get out of here and return bordering the fores-

...

There is... colorful graffitis on the trees. Someone has painted eyes, hands, stars and more on the bark of the trees...

What's this?

I don't know where I've come to, I didn't know this was here, in the middle of nowhere in the forest. The trees have red leaves like in autumn even though summer has just started... The first thing I thought was 'climate change's fault' but there is something that stands out in the middle of this entire flat area and it is disturbing me.

In the center there is a kind of circular gate made of stones supported by roots.

Okay, maybe it doesn't sound aaaaas disturbing as, I don't know, a totem with a human figure being impaled or something, but it's giving me a bad vibe. What is this place? Who built a stone arch in the middle of everything and why?

A bird appears flying from behind me and goes through the gate, but nothing comes out on the other side... wait what? how? The bird has crossed the gate, and disappeared behind the stone arch? ...I had to imagine it, it's not possible that that happened. I approach the arch but not before picking up a rock from the ground and throwing it to the other side of the gate.

It's still there.

…

For some reason the thought of going through the gate makes me uncomfortable, so I go around it.

...

...And the rock? It's not there.

I go back and look from inside the portal.

The rock is there.

...

I look from outside. The rock is not there. I repeat this multiple times. Rock. No rock. Rock. No rock. Rock. No rock... What?

Alright, this is weird, this is VERY weird.

Even though it is clear that this isn't normal, I have to go back, pick up a fallen branch from the ground and pass it through the portal. This time I don't throw it, I've grabbed a branch long enough to see it peek out from the other side of the arch.

...

Welp.

I should be seeing not only the branch, but also my hand sticking out of the side, but I'M NOT SEEING IT. OKAY. OK. ALRIGHT. IT'S CONFIRMED. THIS IS WEIRD.

I'm asleep, right? Or unconscious. I must have passed out from exhaustion from endlessly wandering through the woods and I'm delirious or something. No, wait, it can't be, in my dreams I'm not this aware of what's around me. Where am I?

A breeze begins to pass through the gate. It's getting stronger but not enough to push me. The leaves rise from the ground and float towards the portal, none slipping outside, all entering through the stone arch. Suddenly the breeze that had become wind stops. The leaves fall to the ground.

...

I look back for a moment, as if there was something behind me that could help me make a decision. Grabbing with both hands my bag strap I look back at the portal again. Okay. Alright. This is possibly the death of me. I'm going to cross. I'm going to go to the other side. I'm just one step away from crossing. I wrinkle my face and narrow my eyes before taking the last step.

...

Nothing has happened. Everything seems the same. However, I know it's not the same... Or at least it doesn't feel the same!

Well, I've already crossed. I'm gonna... keep walking, I guess, even though this is scaring me and I don't know if I'll know how to go back. For now I'm moving forward. The red leaves have disappeared several meters ago. It's starting to look like a normal forest, except for the multicolored drawings and handprints that I keep seeing on the trees. In fact, it seems like the trees are taller with every step I take. So high that I can barely see the top. I almost tripped while looking up. Whether this is the same forest I come from, I no longer know.

This was a bad idea. I just hope to find something that'll help me know where I am, a sign or the road if possible.

*cling*

...?

I hit something with my foot. There is a ball attached to a small chain on the ground. Oh, no, wait. *cling diring ding* It's a rusty bell, I think. It doesn't have the typical cross-shaped hole or slot, rather it has several holes in a pattern. It looks like it can be opened.

There's nothing inside.

?

There's nothing? But I could have sworn it had rang. I close it again and shake it.

*...*

Nothing.

I'm going to put it in the bag, it's totally a good idea. I'll think about it later, for now I'm moving on.

—

I've been walking for a while now and throughout this time I had a constant chill on the back of my neck, as if someone had their eyes on me.

*din dirring* I hear a soft tinkling in the distance.

Okay, I'm not alone, awesome, what do I do now? Do I say hi and risk the potential danger finding me? Do I ignore the sound of bells and keep moving? It's very possible that whatever made that sound is watching me right now...

“Hello?” Still nervous, I try to say hello looking around “...” “Is someone there? H-hello?”

“-HEEEEELLO!”

“AAAAAH-!” I cover my mouth with my hands as I turn to look at what the hell has greeted me back. I take a few steps back while I look at the figure of earthy and sunny tones who responded, he seems as surprised as I am, I think (with the scream I made, normal), at least it looks like he's surprised. He wears a two toned wooden mask... it looks like a sun, with a crescent moon on its right... It gives the impression of two faces merged into one... Damn, he is tall, he's almost doubles my size. He appears to have two skin tones dividing him in half, his right side being the lighter and the left darker, especially the arm, which also has a light-colored tattoo of lines representing a sun symbol that covers from the shoulder to the pectoral and to the middle of the bicep. The right arm is covered by a long fingerless glove that reaches to the shoulder and is tied around the chest. He's wearing baggy pants with leaves coming out of the waist and legs, some... cloth boots? with a long toe bending sharply and curving in a geometric swirl with a bell at the tips, a bag hangs from the waistband of his pants and falls below his hips. His chest and neck are tied by ropes decorated with hanging stones, metals and crystals, he wears a pendant that ends in a carved symbol of a crescent moon with rays. Some of the 'sunrays' on his mask have ropes tied between them holding them in place and some metal dangling. Some red ribbons along with bells hang from his wrists.

“um... Helloooooo.” He greets again, this time he lowers his tone of voice. I manage to react, I turn around and walk away. “¡ah- eh- Wait!” Nope, I'm not going to wait and see what he does with me, I'm leaving. “He-! Hey!” Nope. I quicken my pace and try to get lost among the trees, changing direction every time he appears in my vision angle. “Human? Human-! FRIEND. Can I call you friend?!” Nope, nope, nopnop, nop, nop, nope. “Friend! Hey!” God, no, god, god, no, why are you following me? “Look, I know what you're trying to look for...! And believe me, you're not going to find it~!” How are you still following me? Where do you come from? “Hey! Listen! Why don't we do something else besides running in circles!?” Noooooooooo... “There are TONS of other activities we could do! Like... HOLY MOLY, look at this stick! Do you like sticks!?” Leave me aloneee... “You aren't looking at it! Okay, alright, you don't like sticks, erm... what might be of interest to you...” If I don't look at it it doesn't exist. “Could you help me a little here?” I want to leave... “Look, no matter how much you wander around, you won't find the portal-!”

“STOP—! STOP FOLLOWING ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!” The sudden scream startles him again, making him jump in place. He stands completely still looking at me. I'm leaving before he gets angry.

“B-but I- ...okay.” I thought I heard him say before I left him behind.

It seems that this time he's not following me, finally... Although I'm not calm, he could still be following me and simply not be in sight. Anyway, I think I'm coming back? I hope I am. I want to find that portal as soon as possible and go back to the house- what the fu-? “WHY?”

He's there. Right where I left him. Sitting on a rock. Waiting. “...! I haven't moved from the spot!”

“Yeah- but- WHY?”

“Because I knew you were going to come back here!”

“...What?”

“Is what I was trying to tell you! You can't leave! No matter how hard you try to find the portal, it won't appear before you!” The Sunman exclaimed.

“…” I'm just about to turn around. In fact, I'm already turning around.

“N-No, wait! Please don't go!” I stop in my track and look back at him. He gets off the rock he was sitting on but remains squatting, almost at my height, a little below. I move back, keeping my distance. He puts his hands up. “Look, I'm not doing anything! I won't chase you! Just- ...don't go.”

“…”

“L-look, listen, there's no way it's going to show up! Well, not to you at least. But even if you find it back, it won't work! It only works when it wants to work.”

“...” Let's imagine that I trust what he says “Ok... and when does it want to be working?”

“...” “No idea!”

“...”

“...”

I'm about to collapse on the spot. At least he doesn't seem hostile, for now. “...” “Okay... Good... Great...” “...” “FanTAS-tic.”

“...” “You don't seem like it.”

*ಠ_ಠ* I could only look to the side in frustration in response to that. I looked back at him with concern showing on my face and grabbing the strap of my bag with both hands. “And... what... do you plan to do with me?”

He took his hand to the chin of his mask and with the other he held his elbow in a comical thoughtful pose. “MmmmnnDUN know! What do you plan to do?” He asked so nonchalantly. He ended up sitting on the ground crossing his legs. “You have a good while until the portal opens again...!”

“...”

“...”

“...”

He started swaying. The silence has become uncomfortable for a while now, but I can't organize myself on what to say, and I don't know if I trust him. I don't even know if he's human, although something tells me he's not.

“You could wait here.” He suggested, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Or anywhere else, if you want. I would recommend somewhere high like the treetops (for no particular reason)! If you're going to wait... But wouldn't that be really boring?” There was something in his tone of voice... “Being there... at the top of a tree... waiting... alone... with no friends to hang out with (can I call you a friend?). Aaall on your own until the portal opens again.” He looks aside for a moment “...” And back at me again. “With no one to be with you.” He repeats the head motion “...” “alone...” Wow... I wonder what he's implying, ahem. “Wouldn't you want to have someone...? ...Someone...keeping you company?” Yeah, yeah...

“...” I guess... “I-I guess I wouldn't want to be alon-?”

He rises to his knees. “That's what I thought! Do you want me to accompany you? Only if you want! But can I?” He clasped his hands together as if asking a favor.

“um...”

“Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?” He approaches, dragging his knees on the ground.

I'm starting to miss personal space. “Okay! Okay, alright...”

“REALLY?” He started hopping and jumping around me. “OH, ohoho hO! Great! Oh, there are TONS of things we could do! Like... Like...!” He moves faster, doing bigger and bigger flips and jumps, it almost seems that he is very light, as if the breeze of air lifted him. “We could paint and decorate trees! Or we can also paint on rocks! Or paint leaves! Or paint us! Oh! We can tell stories! I'm very good at making shadows and puppets.” He moves from place to place with each sentence he says. “We can also play something!” It's moving so fast all I can see is the wind and the leaves it stirs up as it moves. “Anything! Whatever you want!” Finally he stopped in front of me half crouched. “What do ya say?! Hmm! Friend!?”

“Don't... call me like that.” Makes me feel awkward.

“Oh...why not-? Oh true, true! How silly, I don't know your name! What do you call yourself, potential friend?”

“...”

“...” “Aren't... you gonna tell me your name?”

I twist the bag strap “Depends...” I must say I'm a little skeptical about this. “Are there any consequences for telling you my name?”

“...Consequences...?”

“Like... I don't know... Mmm-by telling you my name I become your possession and cannot regain my freedom until... certain conditions are met...”

“...”

“...”

“Why- how-? Where did you get that from!?” It did sound a bit stupid when I said it out loud.

“I dunno- that's what they say in old children's stories about elves and fairies!” I just hope the embarrassment isn't showing on my face.

“Really?” I could feel his deadpan expression behind the mask.

I shrugged.

“...” “Okay... Oh, what if I tell you my name first? Will you tell me yours? It's only fair, I'm Sun!”

“...”

“Can I know your name now?” He asked expectantly.

“...How do I know you're not trying to trick me?”

“...” I must be driving him crazy with this “The only thing I can do with your name is treasure it in my memory.” He put his hands together as if he was carefully holding something and brought them to the forehead of the mask. I gave him a distrustful look. It doesn't seem like it made him desist “Please?”

I grip at my worn out bag strap “...” “ Fern...” I ended up murmuring.

“Hmm? Fern? OH, I like it!” “Sounds like FRIEND.” He emphasized the last word by making a gesture like jazz hands, leaning to the side and moving his head closer to me.

“Yeah... I think you are missing a couple of letters.”

He straightened his posture again. “Nope, I don't think so!”

“You're still not my friend.”

“Oooowwwwwnnnnnggghhh” He lowers his head dramatically until it practically touches the ground “nnnnnnngggghh, alright!” And cartwheels to stand up again “So... what will it be?”

“Hm?”

He straightened his posture and puts his arms on his hips “We have plenty of time, ya? What do you wanna to do?”

“I don't know, what do you want to do-?” Bad mistake.

“Come with me!”

“aaAAAAA-!” Before I knew it, he had grabbed my arm and I was being dragged through the woods. We visited several places and he offered me an activity to do in each of them.

—

Sun took me to a place where the trees were full of colorful paint “We practice painting on the trees here!” He said.

“Ah.” That explains the crossed out lines and the repeated imperfect shapes. By the look of it is also where he tests the quality of the paint.

“Do you want us to paint something!?”

“Not really...”

“Oh, would you prefer it to be on a rock?”

“Nah.”

“...And in star leaves-?”

“I don't want to paint, Sun.”

“Oh... Well, I can show you more places!”

“OkayyEEEEEE-” And I'm being dragged away again.

—

He brought me to another area of the forest, the ground here seemed more leveled. Not a single tree was straight, all of them were twisted and even seemed to be hollow. “How about playing something!? Like hide and seek-! No, wait, I can’t let you out of my sight.” He mumbled at the end “And chase?! We can climb a tree and see who reaches the top first! We have a place full of vines and it's perfect for swinging- and jumping from one tree to another-!”

“I don't... really want to move a lot…” With the way he runs without getting tired and me, who doesn't exercise... he would let me dead.

“Oh... well, theeen-”

—

We arrived at a place full of vegetation and humidity. Sun seemed quite excited... “This place is full of insects! We can look for cool bugs!”

“Mmmmmnoooo... I don't want to.” I had to tell him, trying to show as little disinterest as I could.

“You don't like them?” He sounded a little disappointed hearing my reaction.

“No, I do like them, some of them, but I don't like to touch them.” And I'm terrified of them flying into my face.

“Oh, well, it's okay!” He said brushing it off and we moved on to the next stop.

—

“I know that bird!” He stopped us on the way to point at a robin high up on a branch.

“ah.” I said as I removed leaves from my hair and clothes, and checked that I still had my glasses.

“He's a little rascal!”

“...” I think the bird is making us the equivalent of 'mooning'.

—

“Look fish-! Oh, they're gone…” The noise must have scared them away “We can go find more places to look at them if you want!”

“...” “...no, pass...”

“…”

—

“Look at this stick!” Sun had suddenly sprinted past me, picked up something from the ground, and came back just as fast, showing me the stick as if it were a sword.

“oh.” It's a cool stick, must admit it.

“Do you want to look for more sticks!?”

“No...”

“oh...” He looked at the ground in disappointment.

“Why would we go looking for sticks? There are all over the ground.” Specifically, in this area the ground was all sticks. We are literally just stepping on sticks right now. I don't see the ground.

“Variety!” Sun said pointing at the ground with both hands. A branch is heard falling in the distance.

—

“That's a deer!” He pointed at the deer passing nearby. The deer stopped to look at us.

“Yeah, I see.”

“We call 'em Adoquín!”

“...Why is it called Adoquí-?”

*THUMP!*

“…”

The deer smacked itself against a tree when trying to run away. It stands still for a minute, processing the hit, looks at a side and then the other, then runs off again but this time avoiding the tree.

Another *thump!* is heard in the distance.

“...” Alright.

—

“Do you wannaaaa look for pine cones? There will be some fallen around here. Oh! We can also look for mushrooms!”

I keep saying no to everything he suggests and it doesn't look like he's going to run out of ideas to pass the time. In fact, he's very insistent that we do something. I guess at some point I'll have to say yes to something. “...” “...okay...”

“Hmm?! Okay? Okay to what?” His exaggerated surprise offends me but I don't blame him.

“To... I don't know, pine cones?”

“...You don't look very convinced.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“OKAY! On the hunt for pine cones then!” I startle a little at the sudden shout. He makes a pose pointing in a direction, as if he were leading an expedition.

He takes me through the forest looking for pine cones. We aren't finding many, especially me who's not paying any interest. He tries encouraging me to put more effort into it but I keep looking at my boots.

We passed near a shingle river. I find a pebble at my feet and bend down to pick it up and take a better look. It's like a bluish gray, it has some reddish lines in the shape of waves, it feels good to the touch.

I hear the soft tinkling of a bell and feel a shadow fall beside me. “You like pebbles?” Sun is crouched next to me with his arms full of pine cones.

“…” I nod.

We go down to the river and spend some time collecting pebbles with curious shapes or small details of colors, lines, spots, etc. He comes over to show me one every time he finds weird shapes.

“…”

*rin* This time he's hunched over resting his hands on his knees. “You look… a little down.”

“…”

“Hey... we can do something else if you're tired of the pebbles.”

“...” I drop the pebbles I was looking at on the ground.

“...” He turns his gaze from me to the sky. It hasn't gotten late enough to be getting dark, but it's been a while between the walks we've taken (dragging me from here to there), looking for pine cones and then pebbles in the river. He looks back at me. “Oh, I know! Can I take you to one last place? A better place than the ones I've shown you!”

“…” I got up from the ground and waited for him to start leading to follow him.

We enter the increasingly thick forest. The trees are taller and bigger, in fact, I start to see platforms and bridges lying between the trees, I even see small shanties in them.

“Wait here!” He takes a run and jumps onto one of the trees with bridges. He takes three steps running up the tree, with a jump he pushes himself off and climbs with agility until he reaches the platform and climbs on it. “Just a moment!” It can't be seen from here but I can faintly hear some squeaks. I have no idea of what he's doin-

*rush*

“........eh?”

A rope.

A rope has fallen. At the level of my head.

“.......”

What?

…

He said he knew a better place.

No. It can't be this.

“Is it at a good height?! Can you reach it?!” He says...

It can't be.

A better place.

He can't be referring to this.

A better place.

A better place. A better place. A better place. A better place.

“Can you put your foot in?!”

“..........” For some reason what he said throws me off. “WAT-?”

“Can you put your foot in the loop and hold on to the rope so I can pull you up!?”

“..............”

“You can't climb trees, can you?! ...or you can?"

… “...” Oh “....It's...It's too high!”

“Okay!” Squeaks are heard and the rope descends to the ground.

I put my foot into the rope as he told me and hold on to it. “O-okay...!”

“Are you ready!?”

“Yes!”

“Okay!”

He begins to pull up the rope (which doesn't tighten around my foot as it supports my weight) and helps me up to the platform. (That's what it was for, obviously, what else would he want? I'm such an...) “Come on!” He says cheerfully, as always, and takes me over the bridges. “You seem tense... Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!”

“S-something like that... it's nothing.” He tilts his head at that but he says nothing. I have an unpleasant sensation in my throat.

We arrived at a high place with a view of waterfalls, I can't see above the trees. We sat on one of the bridges, resting our arms on the rope that serves as a railing and letting our legs hang off the bridge. I've thought about taking out the sketchbook to draw... but I don't really feel like it right now, so I just quietly observe the landscape. It is a better place, yeah.

…

I feel watched. I turn to look at him ...Of course he was looking at me. I don't even know whether to say something or keep quiet. ...I decide... not to say anything and look to the front.

“You... aren't very talkative, huh.”

“…”

“Not that it's a bad thing! Many people who have come here weren't very talkative at first either.” More people...

“...” “I have… nothing to talk about.” I don't want to talk.

“...” “Well, I do.”

“…”

“If it's okay with you, of course.” He laughed. Although something tells me that he is going to talk anyway.

“…”

“...” “What brings you to the forest?”

“...” Really? “I got lost.”

“Yeah, I already know!” He says between laughs “But what made you get lost?”

“...” “There was a group of kids I didn't want to get close to and I decided to go into the woods to lose them.” He makes a 'hum' sound and looks at me expectantly waiting for me to continue “And... I ended up getting myself lost...”

“...” “Only that?”

“...” “Well, yeah.” What do you mean 'oNlY tHaT'?

“...Mmm...” He places his hand on the chin of the mask.

“...” “What?”

“Nothing!” “...” “You know? You're the first human to visit the forest in a loooong time. For several cycles now…”

“Cycles?”

“Mhm” He nods.

“...What are cycles?”

Sun points to the sky “The turns that the Moon makes in the sky!” He emphasizes by rotating his arm in the air. It's pointing right at the Moon that's visible in the sky.

“Oh...” He uses the lunar cycles to know what day he's in, makes sense. “...” “So no one has been here in a while.”

“That's what I said! Well no, but yes!”

“A-and so the humans who came are still here? Have they been here all this time?”

“Yeah...! Well, no!” He paused. “They're gone!”

“What do you mean they're-?” He didn't let me finish the question.

“They are gone! They 'left'!” It sounded like he had given this answer many times already.

“What do you mean they left-?”

“They 'left'!”

“...” “...You mean...they disappear-?”

“Nope!” “...” “Something like that!” “…” “Mmmore or less…” He hesitated between one answer and another.

It seemed worthless to ask about the missing people. “...okay.” “Can I ask you-?”

“You can ask me anything!” A hint of nervousness escaped his tone.

“...okay. What is this forest?”

“My home! And the home of many other animals.”

“...” “Alright, and... how many are you...? How many of you live here? I mean. You have taken me everywhere and we haven't seen anyone of your…” I make a pointing gesture, spinning my hand around in the air. He can't be human, it doesn't look like he is. “...” “Honestly, I don't know what you are.”

“...” “There's only me... And someone else!” He looks away, as if trying to hide something.

“Oh... and who's that someone?”

“Oh! N-no, don't worry! He’s… just a friend… But it’s not important that you meet him or anything!” He brushes it off making a gesture with his hand. “Uh-um- How about we talk about you!? huh? What things do you like? Earlier, since you said no to everything, I thought you didn't like ANYTHING!” He continued talking without letting me respond. “I didn't know what to do if I ran out of ideas. I started to worry! But at least you're not one of those who spend all day shouting and threatening with a weapon in hand, ahaha...” He let out a nervous laugh.

“Um-”

“Well, you ran away screaming, yes.” He began to gesticulate widely as he complained “Like everyone-! No, not like everyone, some don't run, but those who, apart from running and screaming, attack you...! I mean...!” Something tells me he wasn't going to shut up and I was already half listening. “First they throw rocks at my head, then they insult me and run away. And I have to run after them because I can't just leave a human running around alone! No! I can't! Not in this forest! Anything could happen to them! But they never let me warn them!” He sounded tired. “And when I get them to stop running away from me, they throw things at me again and yell before demanding me to tell them where are they and how to get out of here, and when I explain it, they yell at me even more and accuse me of lying!” He turns to look at me with his hands pointing to his chest. “What reason would I have to lie?!” I don't know if he hasn't noticed or if he's ignoring the deapan I responded with. “UGH! I don't know what to do with those! But anyhow... I'm so glad we found something to do in the end!

“eh?” I snap out of my thoughts. It seems that now he is directing the conversation to me.

“The pebbles!” He sits turning his body towards me, leaving one single leg hanging from the bridge and the other resting on it. He takes out of his pocket some of the pebbles that he had been collecting with me. “I don't know why I assumed you wouldn't want to look for rocks. Maybe because you didn't want to paint them before... You left them back in the river in the end tho, I thought you would keep some.”

“Ah... I don't know. I didn't think I could take them with me.”

“You can keep some of mine!”

“No, it's okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“You suuuuure??” He insist.

“Yeees.”

He puts a pebble very close to my face “Suuuuuuuure?” Each 'u' sounding higher than the last.

“...” I push the pebble away from my face “Yeeeees.”

“mmmh... Okay! But I hope you don't regret it later when you don't have a cool rock like these and think 'Oh man, I could have a cool rock right now!'.” After a bad impression of me, he keeps the rocks in his pants. “So... Besides pebbles, what else do you like? Mm? I haven't been able to deduce much from today.”

“Don't know.”

“What do you mean you don't know!? Oh! Is it a secret?” He approaches and starts to whisper, putting his hands to the mask's mouth “I won't tell anyone, promise.”

“No. I don't know.” I looked to the side. “I can't think of anything... so suddenly.”

“ooow...” He slumps a little over the railing, looking sad.

“…” I hesitate whether to say something or not “...Drawing...”

“Mmm?!” He no longer seems sad.

“And listening to music, I guess.” “It's... all I do... most of the time.”

“Really!? Oh! I also like drawing! And music! But is that really all you do all day? Don't you do other kinds of things? Like reading! Or writting. Don't you go out for a walk or play with your friends?” I wrinkle my face at that last bit and he tilts his head in confusion.

“I don't go out.” “I have comics, but I rarely read.”

“Comics?”

“Um... They are stories but instead of narrating what happens there are drawings and only what the characters say is written.”

“...It's a book with drawings?”

“Yeah, but with a lot of drawings on each page, from start to finish.”

“WOAH.” He sounded perplexed. “That's drawing A LOT.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Ahh, I'd love to see what they look like.” He rested his arm on the railing to hold his head in his hand “Too bad I can't…”

“I didn't bring them anyway.”

“Do you normally carry them around?”

“No, it's just that I didn't bring them to the village with me, I left them at home.”

“...” “Oh!” It seems that something has clicked on him. “You are not from the village.”

“No, I'm from a more urban area. My family used to come to the village every year in the summer, but we stopped coming. Now it seems that we are trying to get back into the habit.” I sighed.

“Why did you stop coming?”

“...That's personal.”

“Oh... okay.” He let a minute of awkward silence pass. “Hey, I can bring some books that I have at home! I think you might be interes-!” He looks away from me to the sunset behind us, the sun is almost gone. “-ted...” I look at the sunset too and then at him with confusion. “...” “...oh...oh-OH, Oh-no!” He stands up abruptly causing the bridge to shake slightly. What could have he seen? “We have to move!” He extends a hand to help me up. “We have to start moving!”

I get up in a hurry on my own, ignoring his hand. “O-okay, to where?”

“Come, run!” Once again he grabs me by the arm and leads me over the bridges between the trees until we reach a tree hut. It's small and dark, it looks like a small shelter. He opens the door and enters “You'll spend the night here, stay inside, do not go out, try to hide well and don't open the windows or doors, okay? Here, there are some blankets. I'll come back later.”

“Wait wait wait! What? What do you mean you'll come back later? What's happening? Why do I have to hide-!?”

“Sssh-ssh-sh” He grabs me and covers my hand with his, his left hand resting on the back of my right hand. He begins to speak in a calmer tone, with a voice that I had not heard him use until now. “It's okay, nothing happens. I have to go, I'll come back, but I can't stay now. You hide, try to rest, I'll be back, I promise.”

“...” I take my hand away from his. “Okay.” “I'll stay, but don't take too long.” Please, I don't want to be here alone.

“Yes. I'll be back.” He affirmed one last time. I watch him run away and disappear among the trees and undergrowth. I enter the small shelter to inspect it.

*TAP TAP TAP* *PLOK* *TAP TAP FOOSSSH! *

…? A noise comes from behind me. I turn around and there's a pebble on the floor.

…

Okay.

I take out my phones flashlight to see better inside the house. There are what appear to be some trunks, small cabinets, and a trapdoor in the floor, It seems that there are corners and blind spots for the windows where the little moonlight that enters through the cracks cannot reach. It's freezing cold and I haven't brought my jacket. I leave the bag on the floor against the wall, I cover myself with the blanket and curl up in a ball in the most hidden corner I can find. I'm tired, I want to sleep, but I can't close my eyes.

…

—

It's been a few hours now.

…

I can't sleep, I simply can't.

…

It doesn't look like he's coming back.

*creek*

…?

*rin*

*tap tap, creek*

Sun?

“S-...” I pause before saying a word, I have the feeling I shouldn't speak. I remain silent and wait.

*tap, tap, tap, creeeeeek, tap*

*rin dirrin*

If it were Sun he would have already let me know it is him. That or he's playing a prank on me which isn't funny, but I'd better stay silent. From the shadow I look at the windows. I notice movement through the cracks, something has just passed through the wall next to me.

*dirriring dirring*

I cover myself more with the blanket, back against the wall, I stay as still as I can, I leave a gap between the blankets and the floor to see. A red glow sneaks through the cracks in the window and scans the room.

…

The glow is gone.

*tap, tap, rin, tap, dirring, tap, tap*

It's on the roof.

…

*tap, tap, tap...*

It moves again.

*rin *

…

It sounded on the other side of the wall.

…

…

“nghehe...”

It laughed. Why did it laugh? Whatever is on the other side of the wall just let out a laugh that made the hairs on the back of my neck and all over my back rise.

…

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no no no.

I have to move. I have to get out of here. I can't stay here.

*creeek*

It came from the door. It's trying to get in.

*rin*

The trapdoor.

*rin dirring*

Where was the trapdoor?

*creek creeeek*

I crawl across the floor making the minimum noise, carefully feeling the floor, looking for the edge of the door.

*tap tap ring dirring*

…!

I found it. I open it carefully. It's too high. I'm at a very high altitude, I don't know if I'll be able to go down.

*rin, creeek...*

…

Fuck it. I slip through the gap quietly, closing it slowly, but that doesn't stop the door from creaking. I cling to the bark of the tree-

…

I left my bag. If it comes in and see it it'll know for sure that I have been there-

…

It doesn't matter now. I have to focus on getting down from the tree without killing myself. My fingers hurt and I can't put my foot down properly because of the soles of my boots. I feel like I'm going to slip at any moment. Somehow I make it to the ground. Still attached to the tree, I look up at the house. I don't see it-

…

A shadow appears from behind the tree. I press myself against the tree and hold my breath. It's looking for something. When he doesn't seem to look I move to a nearby tree, he moves to another tree, I move to the next, and the next, and the next. We continue like this until I start to get further and further away from him. When I think I've lost him I start running. I hide behind a tree to catch my breath.

…

I slowly peek out from behind the tree.

*rin*

…

It sounded above me.

…

I don't look up, I run.

“nnghehee...” He laughs.

He gives me a few seconds advantage before coming after me. The chase begins.

I run forward as much as I can, I hear his footsteps behind me but I don't look back, there's no time for that. I hear him laughing like a madman as he moves from left to right, from one tree to another, crawling on the ground, trying to confuse me, waiting for me to make the slightest mistake to catch me.

“Ah-” I trip. As soon as I fall to the ground I get up, ripping my stockings and scraping my knees, falling again, my nerves not letting me stand up.

“Nnhehehhehe...” Asshole. He has stopped running, he approaches by walking. I try to keep as much distance as my hands and legs allow me to move. I search desperately with my hand for something on the ground to throw. Finally my hand finds something.

I throw a rock at him “AGH!”

The rock passes by him, flying one or two meters away from him. He hasn't even moved, he didn't move a single muscle to avoid it, he just watches me still from where he is. I hear the nearby *pof* of the rock falling to the ground.

“...”

“...”

…

I get up and run. He grabs my leg and I fall to the ground again. He won't let me get up, every time I try he throws me to the ground. I struggle, I kick, but I don't break free from his grip. He never stops laughing, he is enjoying this. He drags me closer to him, no matter how much I twists, he doesn't let go. “ACKH-!...Hhhh-hh...-hh-h...” He grabs me by the neck, red pupils stared at me, I'm looking straight into his crescent moon mask (or waning, I don't know. Do you think I care right now?). He raises his free hand and his veins begin to glow a platinum color that extends to his fingertips. The hand approaches my face, I don't know what it's going to do to me, I'm scared, I don't want to look. I close my eyes, cover my face with my hands. I wait.

…

…

…?

Nothing's happening. It stopped. Why?

“Mun, nïe.” I hear Sun's voice. I open my hands a little to see what's going on. Indeed, it is Sun, several meters away from us... He looks exhausted. The one with the moon mask stares at him for a moment, until he decides to look at me again while bringing his glowing veiny hand closer. “¡Mun!” The Moonman looks at Sun again “Fehreh.” He seems to speak another language, I don't understand what he says.

“...” “Nïe” For the first time I hear him say something else besides laughing. Even though I can't understand him.

“Fïer pehgïer.” Sun responds.

“...” Moonman remains silent again.

“Bïelïe óubseh góuh...” Sun continues.

“Móu txehb móunsuvïe.” The Moon responds.

“Lïe bóu ¿Sóundïe mïesugïeb fehreh nïe txehtehrlïe?”

…

The air feels tense. Probably because of the hand grabbing my neck.

“¿Zkaóu fuóunbehb txehtóur tkaehnvïe nïe bóueh mehb zkaóu ïesreh rehuh óunsóurrehveh óun leh suóurreh?” Longest sentence I've heard him say so far.

“...” “Fïer óubseh góuh.” “...” “Vóuyehmóu óuntehrdehrmóu vóu óulleh” Sun takes a step forward “Nïe suóunóu fïer zkaóu ehtehkehr ehbu” Another step forward “Nïe sóunóumïeb fïer zkaóu txehtóurlóub... óubsïe” Another step “Óullïeb bïelïe óubsehn... fóurvuvïeb.”

“...” There's no response from the moon man.

“Behkehb tïemïe óub óubïe.”

“...”

…

The hand that grabbed my neck now grabs my shirt and yanks it. I grab his wrist as he pulls me to my feet and drags me to Sun, making me stumble. He throws me against him. Sun catches me before I fall over.

“Ska óubpkaóurhïe óub óun gehnïe.” The moon says something as he walks past. Sun puts a hand on his shoulder before letting him go, there's a pause between the two. The Moonman disappears into the trees. Wind and leaves are heard passing by.

…

He's gone. I feel dizzy. I fall down.

—

…

…

…

A faint light begins to seep through the cracks, illuminating enough to wake me up and make me open my eyes, I look around. I see my bag propped against the wall. I'm at the shelter where Sun left me.

…

My body aches, I have a hard time keeping my eyes open, it feels like I've been sleeping on the hard floor. No, wait, there are some blankets underneath me... It's still too hard to sleep well, either that or as I said, it shouldn't help me at all that everything hurts. After a while of staring at the ceiling I try to sit up. I emphasize trying. With every slight effort a pained moan escapes me.

“Oof...” Hurts.

*creek, tap tap tap tap*

Those wood creaks bring back bad memories from last night (which by the way, I'm alive, wow, I just realized), I can't help but cringe at every noise, I hear footsteps approaching, I try to move but the stinging pain prevents me from it.

*creek... *

The door opens.

Triangular shapes appear through the door followed by orange earth tones. “…Oh…!” “Early bird!” Thank god it's Sun and not the other one, or something worse “I didn't expect you up this early!” He says laughingly.

“ah?”

“How are you feeling?” He walks in. When he sets foot inside I lean back, towards the wall. “...” I don't really know why I did that. Sun stands at the door showing confusion with his usual head tilt. “...Arrr...re you okay, Fern?”

“...” I became tense suddenly. I really don't know still if I can trust him? He hasn't done anything to me yet but that doesn't mean that I can trust him. I don't know if he plans to do something with me like whatever that other one, the moon one, was going to do last night. “...ehh...hhh...h...” I can't get a word out, I'm afraid to ask.

“Mm?”

“...” I don't know what to say to him. My eyes go somewhere else.

…

He enters further into the house, ignoring that I keep my distance from him, leaves a bag he was carrying on the floor and begins to open the windows, letting in the little light of the dawn that is just beginning. He kneels on the floor in front of me with the bag. “Are you hungry?” He opens the bag and takes out an apple “Do you like apples?”

“...”

“No?”

“...”

“Um... I also brought berries... (It's what I had on hand coming here) There are... different types, you can choose” He brings the bag closer to me. I move further away. “uhhh...”

“...” I want to leave.

“You don't like them either...?”

“...” I don't want to eat. I want to leave.

“...”

“*snif... *”

“u-um...!”

“...*snif* *sob*...” I started crying out of nowhere.

“Ahhh...! D-do- don't cry! Ah-I-Um- Ca-can go find other things you might like-!”

I felt ashamed for crying and I put my hands to my face trying to wipe away the tears, but they wouldn't stop coming. “*hic, sniff, snif *” I looked away in an attempt to cover my face. I ended up looking at the floor, letting my hair act as a curtain.

“I can go in a moment!” Sun was already getting up.

“...w-want to leave...” I managed to get a murmur out.

“...W-what? Um...”

“...” *hic, hic *

“O-okay, um... If you aren't hungry... -we can do something else- uh- we can go look for rocks like yesterday in the river!”

“...” I don't want to do anything “...want to leave...”

“O-or we can do something else! Ah-bah-b-b-b- W-won't you like to go draw??! Somewhere, some landscape?! Wherever you want! We can draw together! If you prefer we can look for animals instead of landscapes!”

“...leave...want to...go... *hic, snif *”

“¡D-don't n- uh! ¡L-let's... um- let's not- uh!” He no longer knew how to order his words “H-hey, ¿Why don't we go to-?” He extends his hand towards my arm.

“I want to go home...”

He stops before touching me and removes his hand. “...” “...home?” There is a pause. He remains silent and unmoving. He finally speaks “Do you want…?” His tone became more serious.

“...”

“...to... go see the portal?” I look up slightly, I can't see through the tears and the fogged lenses of my glasses.

“...” I nod my head.

—

…

We didn't walk far until the red began to become visible. He brought me back to the portal. The same plain of red leaves and stone arch in the center of it all, as yesterday.

…

Sun has been quiet the entire time.

He advances towards the portal and stands facing it. He turns. “Come.” He extends his hand towards me. “You can pass through.”

“...”

I advance towards the portal. I stop before crossing. If it doesn't take me back home, what do I do? I don't want to stay.

A breeze begins to come out of the portal. The breeze turns to wind, the leaves rise, they pass through us. It's the same thing that happened yesterday when I went to cross. I turn to face Sun. Motionless, he looks back at me, the leaves pause in the air for a second as if time has stopped, the wind changes. From where the wind and leaves came now they come in, they push me towards the portal. I finally cross it.

…

Am I in the forest I know? I turn to look at Sun who stayed behind in the portal. “...Sun?” He's not there. I look around. He's not here. I've already crossed the portal, he must have left.

I notice a sudden draft pass by me. It's soft, like someone walking past you. I turn towards the forest, I have to start moving, I don't want to be here another minute.

...The air current that I noticed has lifted some leaves, they reach the trees, between them the wind does something strange, it forms a transparent silhouette. It looks like Sun, I can barely see him but I could swear it's him. The wind figure raises its hand and makes a gesture, it wants me to follow it. When I approach it turns around and walks into the forest, leaving a trail of leaves behind it. I follow the trail of the air current. Sometimes it stops to look at me, making sure I'm still following it. The red-leafed trees and the paintings disappear from view the farther we go. We crossed the forest until we arrived at the entrance of the town, near my house. There is no one on the street. If I walked into the house and pretended nothing had happened, officially no one would have noticed my absence.

I'm not one hundred percent sure if the wind figure that guided me is Sun or not, but I should at least thank him for bringing me back.

…

The air current has dissipated before I turn around. I look around, there's no one.

…

…

…

I enter the house, go up to my room and throw the bag on the floor. I go to the bathroom to wash. …I feel something strange in my hands but I couldn't say what. Doesn't matter. I change my clothes and get into bed, the tiredness of the previous night makes my body succumb immediately and I fall asleep instantly.

—

…

…

…

“ah...!” I wake up with my lungs begging for air. I need a moment to calm my breathing. I look at the clock without lifting my head from the pillow.

…

It is 12 midday. I rub my eyes and from my eyes I move to my face. I'm still tired. My body still aches. I stare at the ceiling.

…

My bag. I reach out to pick it up from the floor, making strange positions so as not to get out of bed.

I open it and search in the pockets. The bell. I put the bell to my ear. “...” I shake it.

*rin, diring diring*

“...”

I open it.

…

It's empty.

[stayconnecteed]

❪⠀🪐. cappuccino⠀𓏔⠀lee know⠀❫

☆ customer!lee know x afab!reader ( i wanna be yours oneshots )⠀★⠀8.1k words

( i am extremely sorry for the delay of this one shot ♡ )

synopsys: after a bad run you are forced to look for a second job, and you end up covering the first shift at the campus café. every morning you find the same guy waiting for you to open, leaning on the wall, looking flawless, and it gets on your nerves. until one day you see him leaving the dance academy where you teach, getting on the same bus as you. warnings: in this one she's the barista, guys. a part from that, we have mentions of reader not having enough money, lee know with his misterious aura but being a literal sunshine, also he's insecure :(( unusual hopeless romantic minho too, he's a softie (and whipped) reader's insecure too 😔 mentions of overworking and skipping meals. minho saves the day!! let me know if i missed something.

If life as a college student was hard, life as a broke college student in a country completely different from your own was pure hell. You had never let it get to you when you said your dream was to make it as a choreographer in Seoul and everyone laughed in your face, so you certainly weren't going to let anything stand in your way now that you had gotten a chance at Seoul's famous arts university, JYPU. The plane ride had been a challenge, because you kept wondering if you were really doing the right thing, but when you landed and saw you had messages of encouragement from your sister and the few friends you had left in your hometown, their words had filled you with determination.

A couple of years had passed since that moment, and perhaps the circumstances were still not the best, but you were still determined to achieve everything you set your mind to. The language barrier had not been a big problem, because you had learned some Korean while you were in high school, but it had only helped you to find that tiny room you were living in and get hired at the dance studio a couple of blocks away from the faculty. You were earning enough to pay for food, rent, and the materials you needed for class. But when understanding your classmates became a little more complicated, when the language used in the lectures became more technical, you had to pay a personal teacher to help you improve your Korean. And since you didn't have enough money, you were forced to fit a second job into your busy schedule, getting a little bit of extra money to live slightly more comfortably.

A friend of a friend from the Music Production department had recommended you to the owner of the most famous café on campus, and after hearing your story, he had hired you right away. This Chris guy had been very nice, and had taken an interest in your schedule to find the shifts that suited you best, even waiting for you after one of your classes to have lunch with you and talk about everything in peace and quiet. You had never met a boss so concerned about his employees, and he made it much easier to have to get up before dawn to be the one to open the café, because he always left you some candy hidden in your apron pockets or a note encouraging you to start the day with a smile.

However, the first time you had covered the morning shift, the 5.30 am shift, there was a guy waiting at the door. You had arrived, exhausted as you were every day, the laptop and your college books weighing like heavy bricks in the backpack on your shoulders, along with the sports clothes you wore for the afternoon classes. Chris had told you to be there at the normal time and he would show up to explain some of the details and give you the keys. After all, it was your first day. But instead there was a tall, slim guy leaning against the metal grille, his slightly long bangs covering his eyes, though that didn't stop him from scrolling lazily on his phone, headphones hanging around his neck, and looking flawlessly put together. Certainly not how someone should look on any given day at 5:30 in the morning.

You flashed a shy smile as you reached his level and he lifted his head to find out who you were, his sharp cat-like eyes sparkling from the reflection of the light on his phone screen, and you grabbed your own in a hurry to send a message to the cafe owner.

You 5.32am Hi, Chris I already arrived, where are you?

Chris 5.32am Hi, sorry Still in the subway Like... 2 minutes away

You 5.33am Yeah, no worries It's just There's this guy...

Chris 5.34am OMG wait Dark aura, looks like a cat and gave you a dirty look when you showed up?

You 5.35am Yeah, quite accurate

Chris 5.35am Oh, that's Minho Don't mind him, he's inoffensive Most of the time He's there for his morning coffee

You 5.36am Okay, then See you!!

Chris 5.36am 👍🏼

And then he showed up, out of breath, in a hurry, around the street corner, phone still in his hand, unblocked. You smiled unconsciously, trying to ignore Minho's gaze weighing on you while Chris approached, flashing his dimples as he stopped in front of you to catch his breath, breathing some kind of greeting that you responded to with a nod. He pulled out a dinosaur-shaped keychain, a very adorable doodle version, and bent down to unlock the metal grille, pull it up ーgiving a little jump to get it all the way upー and unlatch the lock on the door. Minho hadn't bothered to greet him, you guessed it was a common thing between them, and he didn't look up from his phone screen either, a bored gesture plastered on his face. You followed Chris as he entered the café, leaving your backpack on the counter, and standing awkardly in the middle as he went to switch on the electrical panel.

"Get his coffee ready while I finish up in here," he instructed you, stepping into what you thought was the kitchen, "I'll be right out to help you."

You nodded, grabbing the apron from the rack that already had your name on it, and stood behind the counter, Minho having rested his forearms on the surface, again with the phone in his hands. If he was reading some article or playing some online game it must have been interesting, because except for the few furtive glances he had given you, his eyes had been glued to the screen the whole time. Clearing your throat, making just enough noise to get his attention, you flashed your best customer service smile, "What'll you have?"

"Cappuccino" he mumbled, sitting up and stretching absently, "grande, to go".

You made a small affirmative noise, turning on the coffee machine, and picked up the cup in the size he had asked for, with its respective lid.

"Chris, where's the milk?" you asked, walking into the kitchen, stifling a laugh when you caught him wrestling with the flour, staining his dark blue t-shirt white.

"'Storage room'" he muttered, his ears taking on a reddish hue, "If there isn't any under the counter, Jisung must have forgotten to restock it last night."

You hurried into the kitchen supply room, after grabbing a scoop of coffee powder and put it in the machine to make some espresso, and came out with two packs of milk, setting them down on the floor to place them as soon as Minho left, but grabbing one of the bottles to make the steamed milk and creamer.

It wasn't your first time working as a barista, and not in the hostelry industry either, so really the only thing you had to get used to was the café distribution. Luckily, Chris seemed like a pretty neat guy, so you didn't think it was going to be much of a problem. You set about pouring the milk into the necessary containers to heat it to your liking and get the effect you were looking for, as the coffee dripped into the cup you were using to measure the amount, the chestnut-colored liquid falling, first in drops and then in a small stream of caffeine, flooding the white porcelain.

You mixed it on the counter, in front of Minho, so he could see how you did it, although you hadn't seen him look up from his phone at any moment. Actually, he had been watching you. He always did 一observing his surroundings, that is一, but with you his eyes flashed with curiosity. Chris was known for rescuing stray souls in need of a job, a quality through which he had met most of his friends, and he wanted to find out why a girl like you would have caught his eye, or would need extra money. Usually JYP University students had wealthy parents, and if that wasn't the case, they had at least gotten a temporary job that allowed them to live comfortably. But you had arrived, with your worn converse and patched hoodie, your backpack full of safety pins and big dark shadows under your eyes, screaming to anyone who could see that you didn't quite belong there.

He had wanted to take care of you. It had crossed his mind for an instant to give you a friendly smile, to introduce himself, to ask you about you; he had felt the need to approach you and engage you in a conversation that would allow him to get to know you better. Because as soon as he laid his eyes on you, he knew that despite being two strangers, you were going to be the one who, only with the sweetness of your voice and the kindness of your gaze, would break through all that was and what was remaining of him once you left him, would turn his unleashed fire into a warm hearth. But he wasn't good with words, and you had rushed to grab your phone to busy yourself, watching his chance fade before he could even realize it. It had bothered him how comfortable you seemed to feel with Chris, even though he knew his friend had that effect on people, and how you'd smiled when you'd seen him show up, like he was saving you from someone 一from him.

But at the same time, he had struggled not to curl his lips as he realized how strange you felt in the situation you were in, standing at the entrance of the café, as if waiting for instructions. It wasn't that you were a contradiction, but that you caused him too many dilemmas. Like having to repress that electricity that ran through him the only time you looked into his eyes, when you looked up to check how much his coffee cost and he already had the money in his hand. He had tried not to brush his hand against yours, dropping the coins onto your palm at full speed and picking up his cup, leaving the place, with you still on his mind. He couldn't concentrate in class that day.

Unfortunately, you had no other choice but to focus. The scholarship you had been given depended on your grades, thanks to which you had obtained a place at the university. If you dropped below your grade point average, they would take it away from you, and that was something you couldn't allow. But some thoughts had slipped in your mind about the boy you had met that morning, remembering the shape of his eyes, sharp and rounded at the same time, and his slender figure. You had allowed yourself to smile at the memory of him, even as you hurried to stuff your backpack and boots into the locker at the academy where you worked, your jeans exchanged for a leotard and the most comfortable sweats you had, always arriving a couple of minutes earlier than required so you could get ready.

But even if you wanted to stop thinking about him you couldn't, because soon what you had considered an isolated event became a habit that every day was harder to break. The next morning, after barely five hours of sleep, you got up again, crawling as best you could to the outside of your cramped room, your body trying to feed on the freshness that the shower had left on your skin, your heavy backpack digging into your shoulders. And when you managed to reach the café, the keys tightly clutched in your fist, he was there, again, his long figure leaning against the grille, again, and his gaze fixed on his phone, again.

When he heard you, your stifled pants revealing your presence, he sought your eyes, separating himself from the wall so that you could open. You bent down, sitting back on your heels, to undo the lock on the grille, and accompanied it with your hand as you stood up again, mimicking the hop you'd seen Chris take the day before to get it all the way up. Unfortunately, it only got halfway up, and you felt your cheeks redden with embarrassment, fearing that Minho had seen it. Still you pretended nothing had happened, trying to straighten your shoulders under the weight of the backpack, unlocked the door, leaving it open behind you, and stepped inside.

You repeated the steps that Chris had indicated to you the previous morning, going directly to the electric panel to turn on the power, and then you entered the kitchen, crossing it until you reached the room reserved for the staff, leaving your backpack on one of the chairs, and taking the apron that had your name on it before leaving. You hung it around your neck as you undid your steps, and by the time you got behind the counter Minho was already pinning his catlike gaze on you.

"Grande cappuccino to go?" you asked, your fingers tapping on the surface like a piano in a nervous gesture that Minho found adorable.

He merely nodded, averting his gaze to his phone screen, as if he had somewhere more important or urgent to be and was checking the time to make sure he had enough minutes left to get there. It was a somewhat pretentious gesture on his part, without stopping to think whether it would make you feel better or worse, but he couldn't help it. He was torn between absorbing every detail you could offer him, and trying to delay the moment when you would reject him, when his feelings would be too obvious to be denied. And even if he had mentally chosen the second option, he let his gaze follow you as he performed a graceful dance with the sole purpose of making his coffee.

He had noticed a difference from when Chris made it to when you had made it. Minho didn't know if it was your expert hand or some ingredient you had used to make it, but it tasted slightly sweeter. And since he had tasted it he hadn't been able to stop thinking about what your lips would taste like, if he got to kiss them someday. Minho kept telling himself that it was a silly crush, that the butterflies he felt in his stomach when you handed him his glass were the effect of hunger, of thirst, of any excuse he could think of but the ghost of the feel of your skin on his. Or maybe you were a witch, and had used his cappuccino as a love potion.

However, it didn't matter anymore. If you had wanted to have him trapped in your web, he wasn't going to be the one crying out for help to be rescued. Not when he felt his heart falling off a cliff every time you looked at him, adrenaline racing his pulse, not knowing for sure when it would stop. At least until he handed you the money, turned around and walked out of the café, the bite of the cold winter air bringing him back to reality, leaving behind the pleasant warmth of the place, and also of your smile, which he could still feel in the palm of his hand thanks to the coffee you had made for him.

And meanwhile you watched him walk away, the coins still in your hand, until there was no trace of him left. Then you sighed, coming out of that strange daydream in which you were interacting ーif you could call what you were doing thatー and put the money away, leaving the apron on the counter and taking a chair. Your problem wasn't being short, it was not knowing how to jump high, you decided, as you leaned the chair against the street and looked up, more than willing to climb the grille to the same height Chris had left it the day before.

To your surprise, it was in place, even though you knew perfectly well that you had left it halfway up only five minutes earlier. You shrugged your shoulders and went back inside, leaving your chair in place and hurriedly putting on a black shirt before tying on your apron and starting your day.

The next morning, you went to work with your heart in a fist, expecting to see him leaning against the grille, letting out a small sigh of relief when you saw that he was. You hid the smile that struggled to appear on your lips, and frowned as you looked at him, refusing to let the mere presence of a stranger affect your mood that way.

This time, Minho greeted you with a quick glance and a small nod, a display that made you blush, hiding your reddish cheeks from him as you bent down to lift the grille. You figured that this routine between the two of you would be repeated quite often, since you weren't planning to quit your job and he was going to need his coffee every morning, so you decided to put all your effort into maintaining a cordial relationship with him.

You soon realized that he was the type of person who also got up early on weekends, since you still had to cover your shift and he was still at his usual 5:30 am spot. You had no idea what he was studying ーor even if his major that was the reason he was getting up so early. And it wasn't like you were going to ask Chris either, you didn't know him well enough to figure out if he would tell Minho or not.

In fact, he kept making stupid excuses for why he had to go to your unofficial morning appointments. He told himself you wouldn't have anyone to climb the grille for you. What if the lock on the door got stuck and you couldn't get in? His coffee addiction had nothing to do with it, although he would probably develop one just from drinking so much cappuccino, and if he didn't feel like getting up one day, just the thought of knowing that he would be able to see you before going to class made him wake up instantly.

And somehow he ended up going on the weekends as well. The first Saturday just to see if you were also working those mornings, stuttering his order when he saw that you had already opened and he hadn't been there, but after taking the first sip from his cup he had to sit for a long time on one of the benches in the nearest park, feeling sick at the fixation he had developed with you.

Could he consider it a crush when he tried to look for you with his eyes every time he leaned to wait for you, pretending to use his phone? When he walked through the corridors of his college and thought he recognized your beautiful hair in the crowd, only to end up being a random girl? When his heart stopped for a few moments as soon as he entered the café that morning just because he heard you laugh? 

That Sunday he was on the verge of not going. But every minute that passed and it got closer to the time to open the café, his anxiety increased, so he dressed in the first shorts he could find and a shirt he had lying on his bed and decided to go for a run. He wasn't a big fan of doing sports, but he liked the feeling that flooded his body once he finished, exhausted, knowing that it had been worth it. He had jogged towards 5STAR, towards you, ready to drink his morning coffee.

Until that moment the only thing that kept him from murdering anyone who bothered him as soon as he woke up had been the caffeine shot, but he had lately been smiling only thanks to you for a week, and it was much healthier that caffeine. That Sunday you had looked at him, surprise on your face, probably because he had changed his normal outfit for a slightly more revealing one, and you had had to clear your throat before asking if he would have a cappuccino. He had smiled shyly and asked for a pastry to go with his coffee, since he wasn't willing to go running on an empty stomach, and had waited as long as it took while you put the first batch of croissants in the oven.

He had pretended not to notice, too, when you stole glances at him from the kitchen, blushing when he couldn't help himself anymore and made eye contact with you. After all those days he still wondered why you kept asking him if his order was still a cappuccino, when his answer had always been yes, but he would never dare to find out, because hearing your sweet voice was a hell of a lot better than all the alarms on his phone. What he didn't know was that you adored the look on his face, his lips curving slightly and nodding adorably, and that you weren't willing to give that up either.

The mornings went on, each and every one of them with the same repressed interaction, and the same warm feeling in your chest as you said goodbye to each other until the next day, neither of you making the first move. You had grown accustomed to his presence, almost inherent in your morning routine, and he had learned to soften his attitude in front of you, but never without exchanging more than three words in a row.

The first time you said something different, a few weeks later, was when you mustered the courage you needed to thank him for raising the grille for you every morning. At first he had done it slyly, taking advantage of you coming into the kitchen to make a little jump and push it up. Then he hadn't cared if you saw it or not, realizing that if he wanted you to notice him he would have to be a little more obvious. And now he was doing it without any kind of embarrassment, waiting for you to pull it up more or less to your height to take the leap, in front of you.

"Thanks for helping me with the grille" you had whispered, pouring the milk into the glass, while the coffee was being made behind your back.

He had made a nonchalant gesture, as if it wasn't that important, or if he had done it for anyone, and he had seen you smile, embarrassed, but his ears had turned red.

That same day, taking advantage of meeting up at Han's apartment with the group of friends, he followed Chris into the kitchen when he offered to go get more beers and tried to ask some sly question about you. Chris was no fool, evidently, but he let Minho get the information he wanted. It was most adorable to see his gaze light up at the mere mention of your name, or how he drank in the words Chris whispered hurriedly about you, fearful that any of the others would walk unannounced into the kitchen and interrupt them.

You, on the other hand, had begun one of the most difficult periods of the term: when your exams were combined with the recitals of the girls you were teaching, limiting your time even more and drowning you in due dates, subjects to study and two jobs you couldn't afford to loose. You couldn't complain about how lucky you had been to find jobs that matched your preferences, but you did say, without hesitation, that the one at the café was much better than the one at the dance academy. Not only in something as obvious as the salary, but the conditions were nicer with Chris as the boss than with that man who had assumed that because you were a woman and beautiful you would surely be better at teaching ballet and dealing with the little girls.

That was what you had confessed to Han, since his shift was the one after yours, while you took advantage of the brief ten minutes he managed to save for you, arriving earlier than he should have, and you spent by having a coffee. He had nodded, giving you to understand that he was listening to you, while he stored all that information to be able to communicate it later to Minho. All the co-workers you had dealt with had been very nice to you, but Han was your favorite. He compensated for your introversion with witty and funny comments on his part, which made you burst out laughing and the mood relaxed. He always paid attention to everything you said - even if he had hidden intentions to do so - and you had several hobbies in common.

Besides, he was the only one who would talk to you about Minho without having to ask, and even if you pretended to be disinterested, he could see the way you nodded at his words, and your lips tried to avoid curling up at the silly anecdotes in which you were utterly oblivious to this different version of the gentle Minho who said good morning to you. He would brighten up your breakfasts, at least until you realized what time it was and rushed off to avoid missing your morning classes.

Because the classes were also demanding enough. It may not have been as difficult as a science degree, but the exams on music history and dance, along with all the physical sessions and dances you had to prepare for the end of the semester not only tired you mentally, but you would arrive home at night totally exhausted, with just enough energy to take a shower and go to bed. You would also skip a meal or two due to lack of time, resulting in quick snacking whenever you had a second. More than once your belly had growled in the morning, in front of Minho, and you had formulated a quick apology, without even turning around, too embarrassed.

They weren't the best conditions for a healthy life, even less if you were a teenager trying to survive, but it was the only - and best - thing you had. At least you had your mornings at 5STAR, with the opportunity to see Minho every day without fail, and the hours at the academy with your girls, who were immensely fond of you. Seeing their excited faces when you proposed to change the typical play based on the Nutcracker or Swan Lake for an invented version with all the Disney princesses made the two nights you had spent almost without sleep planning the story and the choreography worthwhile. That way everyone would have a starring role, and not just the one who got the main role, which was something you had missed in your childhood, so you were happy too.

One morning, however, when Minho came to your not-date, the café was already open. It wasn't that the fact itself was strange ーyou had sometimes arrived early because you hadn't been able to sleepー but that the grille was all the way up, and you always left it halfway up no matter what time you arrived. When he entered, the door bell ringing behind him, the one who came out to greet him was Changbin, another of his friends, who flashed a mischievous grin at his confused face.

"Looking for your girl?"

"YN is not my girl" he protested, slipping his phone into the pocket of his jeans.

"Ah, but you took it for granted I was talking about her" the boy replied, winking at him, starting to make his coffee.

Minho missed your sleepy voice as you murmured good morning to him, and the graceful way you moved behind the counter, in and out of the kitchen, gathering all the ingredients and utensils you needed to prepare his breakfast, which although varied in pastries, always consisted of a cappuccino. He pulled out his wallet, preparing the coins he always counted out before handing you over, and the movement caught Changbin's attention.

"So you're not going to ask?" he said, rephrasing, still with his back turned.

"You seem to be eager to tell me," he replied, rolling his eyes, "so go ahead."

"Oh, you're no fun" Changbin complained, his face contracting into an adorable pout.

"I didn't mean to be" Minho said, cracking a sarcastic smile.

"You know what, I'm sure you wouldn't have responded to her like that" he muttered, pouring the milk into the cup. "Anyways, I'm sure Han will text you as soon as he finds out, but Chan hyung convinced her to ask for a couple of days off."

"Chan hyung?" Minho couldn't help but frown, not understanding.

"Apparently, YN has been pushing herself more all month" Changbin explained, picking up a cup-sized cap, finishing his friend's order, "and you know how Chan hyung is when he sees someone overworking."

"He gets all protective" summed up the dancer, paying for the drink.

"Exactly" he stated, crossing his arms once Minho had his coffee in his hand, "and she must have been having a really hard time. I guess Chan hyung asked her about her schedule to find out which days would be better for her to rest, and yesterday he asked me if I could cover her shift."

And it had been that way. Just the day Chan had decided to stop by to see how you were doing, he had found you passed out on the kitchen floor. You had made him promise not to tell anyone, and he had sworn to keep his lips sealed, only if you let him make sure you were okay. He had woken up one of the other employees, and then had taken you to his house. You had been somewhat shocked by the seriousness with which he had taken it all, but you had let him do it, rambling about everything you had to do and how little time you had, while he prepared a very nutritious breakfast for you.

"You should quit that job at the academy" he had advised you, his gaze fixed on the chicken frying in the pan.

"I can't" you had protested, whining, "there's less than a week until the Christmas performance. I couldn't let the girls down like that."

"Are you willing to quit after that, though?"

"If I find a better job," you had supposed, shrugging, trying to avoid yawning.

"What if I offer you a double shift at a higher salary?" he had proposed, filling the plates with food and setting them in front of you, reaching for a clean set of chopsticks, "I can even switch you to the afternoon, so you'll get more sleep."

"That's very kind of you, Chris," you had murmured, "but I don't know if it would be a good idea. Or legal, at this rate. You're already paying me more than my fair share."

"You could find a roommate, then" he had continued, not giving up, "I know a guy who..."

"Thank you, really," you had tried again, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at his effusiveness, "but I'd rather sort it out myself."

Chan had looked down, blushing as he realized he had gone too far anyway, and had apologized, leaving you to eat in peace. You couldn't thank him enough for how much it had meant to you that he had accepted you into his house and fed you, but he had more surprises up his sleeve. He had told you that he was going to give you two days off, and also that he knew someone in your class who could get you the notes of what you would be taking that week in the main subjects, so that you could spend the next few days resting. Before saying goodbye, you had given him a big hug, almost crying, and you had returned to your little room, more than ready to faint from exhaustion.

But Minho didn't know that. For him it was the first time you had been absent, and the first notice that you were really that unwell. Not that he hadn't noticed the dark circles under your eyes, but you had always looked so cheerful in front of him in the mornings, with that bright smile that lit up the café when you saw him, that he hadn't realized the real gravity of the situation. And he blamed himself for it, for his lack of attention to detail, for having been so absorbed in his feelings that he hadn't realized your own reality.

That's why the next day he didn't go: it didn't make sense, since he knew you weren't going to be there. And in any case, he wasn't in the mood to get up so early. He didn't go to class either, his mind too absent-minded to attend to three straight hours of long, monotonous explanations. But he didn't miss his daily appointment at the dance academy, one of the few places where he could let himself go, it's physical exertion and music taking him away from all the buzz he had in his head. He would go to practice the dances he had to present in his subjects, but also to memorize choreographies he found on the internet or create his own from scratch.

The mere fact of putting the bottle of water and the change of clothes in his sports bag for later made a slight curve form on his lips, wishing that the subway would move at the speed of light so he could arrive as soon as possible, and nodding as a greeting to one of the owners of the place, who was always sitting at the reception desk, heading straight to the studio he had booked.

That evening Yewon was not in her usual place, but running back and forth, somewhat stressed, having exchanged her usual low heels for ballet slippers.

"Hello, Minho!" she greeted him, waving some papers with a hurried gesture. "You have studio C10, as usual, but I will have to change it tomorrow!"

"What's all the fuss about?" he asked, securing the strap of his bag over his shoulder in a nervous gesture.

"Two of our teachers couldn't make it today, and it was unexpected," she explained, not bothering to use the comfortable office chair to type something quick on the computer. "Jisoo took maternity leave after a little scare with the baby, to be at home and rest. But Jinyoung has finally quit."

"The one who wanted to set up his own academy?"

"That same one," she replied, trying to stifle a complicit laugh. "I'm covering his ballet classes, but I'm short of someone to take over Jisoo's hip hop classes. You wouldn't be willing to volunteer, would you?"

"With kids?" Minho tried not to let his panicked face show too much.

"Yes, but only today," she replied, letting out a melodic laugh. "You can wipe off that scary face, don't worry. My sister is in Jeju, sorting out some family issues, and she'll be back tomorrow. She'll take care of it until Jisoo and her baby are healthy and the happy mom can continue working."

"Huh" he knew he couldn't refuse, not when Yewon had always been so nice to him, even if he was late on one of the months' payments, always greeting him with a smile. But children made him panic. Those little humans who judged you without a filter, always bursting his eardrums with the screams they made, and so wild that they deliberately ignored any orders they received. He realized it sounded like he was describing real demons, but in his experience, it was totally justified. "Right."

Yewon clapped her hands in excitement and led him to one of the studios reserved for afternoon classes. They always put the children in the larger rooms, so they could run around freely. And if you were able to teach ballet for whole afternoons to children, surely it couldn't be too bad for him. After all, he was pretty good at hip hop, and he had a couple of easy choreographies he could teach.

Luckily, the group was small ーfour boys and three girlsー more than willing to learn, half of them with dreams of becoming idols, and all of them with wide eyes watching him dance for the first time. It wasn't the first time people had complimented him, but the fact that eight-year-olds were looking at him with such admiration made him die of embarrassment, and also made it seem much more real than any empty words they could ever give him.

When the time came to an end, he had gotten as much exercise as any other day, had laughed a lot more, and had not been alone, like the vast majority of his afternoons, though unfortunately he had not found a solution to your problem. Yewon left the ballet studio, sweating but smiling, waving goodbye to his students, thanking him again and again after Minho high-fived all his children. It was only after a quick shower that he knew what he should do.

The break had been wonderful for you. You had dedicated yourself to sleeping and eating, without worrying about anything but going to your ballet classes on time, and you were afraid that getting used to it would be easier than breathing. You kept telling yourself that what you were experiencing was a temporary hiatus for a couple of days, something Chris had managed to do but it wouldn't last forever, and that you should be grateful. Although you should also try to figure out what was going to be your life after that, because going on as you were was not an option.

But you were tired of looking for a job and the options getting worse. If the pay was perfect, the schedule was bad for you. If it fit with your classes, it wasn't worth it because it was too far away or the salary wasn't enough. You were definitely going to keep the job at the café, but you also wanted to keep the job at the academy. You were totally lost. Maybe you could stay the same for a couple of months, asking for fewer hours and saving a little more at home. Cut back on showers to the academy bathroom, and try to ration your meals. It could work.

After the established time had passed, you came back. And you were looking forward to it. You got up energized, grabbing a couple of pieces of fruit while you packed your stuff in your backpack, and even noticed it less heavy on the way to the café. When you arrived, you didn't see Minho in his usual place, but since it wasn't the first time either you shrugged your shoulders and opened the grille, leaving it halfway and going in, following the routine that by now, you knew by heart. You busied yourself with the trays of croissants and brownies that some co-worker called Felix was leaving ready on his shift for the next day, waiting for Minho to arrive. You had the milk ready, the coffee powder already in the machine. All you needed was for him to show up to press the button and serve it to him.

Only he didn't show up.

It was the sound of the grille going up that made your heart race, and you left the staff room totally hopeful. But although you expected to see the young man with the mischievous smile and gentle gaze, you found a guy you didn't know at all, looking lost, and a little nervous tic in his hand. You took a big breath of air, forcing a smile, and stood behind the counter.

"Good morning," you murmured. "What will you have?"

"Oh, hi" he said to you, trying to avoid your glance. "I didn't know if it was open yet...".

"Yeah, yeah" you affirmed, the shy curve of your lips reassuring the boy, "don't worry. I usually have a friend of mine come over to help me with the grille, but he's not here yet."

"Then I was right to put it up, wasn't I?" he asked, his fingers still drumming on the surface of the counter.

"Yes, of course," you confirmed, your hands fiddling with the edge of the apron, trying not to let your disappointment at the boy's presence show too much, "thank you. What will you have?"

"A macchiato, please."

Similar to a cappuccino, you thought, unable to get Minho out of your mind. You didn't know why his absence was affecting you so much. You didn't even have that much of a relationship. Outside of your greetings, and small conversations here and there, you didn't interact much else. Even if after all this time you felt you had known him all your life, even if seeing him in the mornings made your day, even if you wished you could spend your whole life mixing espresso with milk if it meant Minho smiled the way he did.

Your shift took forever, each coffee making lasting longer than necessary, and perhaps too short, customers coming and going and none of them being who you expected. You understood that the shock must have been the same for him ーin case his feelings for you were remotely similarー on the days you had been absent, and you feared that he had grown tired. That so many shared mornings would have been for nothing, and yours would have been a relationship by proximity. It wasn't the first time you had maintained such a friendship with people, because you were forced to go to the same place together every day, and not because there was actually any bond.

Maybe he thought you were not coming back, and had decided to look for coffee somewhere else. Maybe you had misinterpreted everything you had experienced, and had taken cordiality for friendship. Maybe nothing of what you felt was reciprocated, and again you had been daydreaming.

Despite all your efforts, you couldn't concentrate on your classes that day. You took the lunch break you had promised Chris, pulling out of your backpack a container of a small salad you had made yourself in the morning and a piece of brownie Han had slipped in when he thought you weren't looking. After retiring to the library for a couple of hours to study you went to the academy, ready to go over the dance with your girls.

You wore your leotard under your jeans, so, as usual, you only had to put on your sweatpants and ballet slippers, locking yourself in the studio half an hour early to dance by yourself for a while, and at five o'clock, letting it fill up with energetic and joyful girls, ready to become their favorite Disney princess for a few hours. You always had a great time, and in your heart it made up for everything it meant in your private life.

After the shower, as you were coming out of the changing room with your hair still slightly damp but back in your normal clothes, your backpack slung over your shoulder, walking down the hallway towards the lobby, you stopped when you heard Minho's voice. You couldn't make out what he was saying, but you could hear the angry voice of your boss, and you peeked your head around the corner, trying to see without being seen, in time to see your boss hit the table lightly and Minho frown in an annoyed gesture, turning around.

You hurried out, ignoring the exclamations of your boss calling you, and followed Minho. He was carrying a cup of coffee that wasn't from 5STAR, and for a moment you feared it was over altogether. That he had found somewhere else to buy his cappuccino. That maybe your friendship had broken down without you realizing it. That it didn't mattered if you thought you didn't care if it never evolved into something more ーsomething you longed forー, you were content with whatever it was that you had. You noticed also the jacket he was wearing, the logo of a dance academy that wasn't yours drawn on his back, and tried to match his long steps to reach his pace.

He was heading in the direction of the bus stop where you usually caught the one that dropped you off near where you lived, and you got on after him, sitting down next to him, still frowning.

"YN?" he mumbled, taking off one of his earbuds so he could talk to you, turning his body slightly to try to face you.

"What were you doing talking to Mr. Kang?"

"Huh?" he asked, as if he hadn't understood anything you had said.

"I've never seen you outside the café before," you told him, propping your backpack between your feet, "and just the day you don't come in the morning I see you in the afternoon at my academy, when you don't even come here."

"Well... It has an explanation" he tried to defend himself, his ears turning red. "Han had said... Ehem, since you didn't come to work these days... I..."

"I was resting" you told him, leaning your back against the backrest, "I had been having some complicated days, and Chris has recommended me to change jobs, but I don't know..."

"I know" he interrupted you, "I know. That's why I was talking to your boss."

"What?"

"He told me that next week is the performance you've been working on for the past few months" he summarized, avoiding looking at you, not feeling ready to find out if he had taken too much of a risk or not. "I wanted him to make your work conditions better, and maybe I told him that the academy I go to they have an opening for a ballet teacher so he should watch out how he treats you. They pay like a normal job, not a part-time one, and the schedule is the same."

"Really?" you stifled a cry of excitement, covering your mouth with your hand, "Oh my God it's perfect! It's literally the miracle I was waiting for! I'm so happy I could..."

"You could...?" he repeated, urging you to finish the sentence.

But you couldn't finish it. You didn't know if you should. It would be crazy, in fact.

"Whatever," you solved, seeking to change the subject, "it doesn't even have to do with dancing."

"And what does it have to do with?"

You cleared your throat, mumbling an answer you knew he couldn't hear, too embarrassed to let it sink in, hoping he had heard it, and also hoping the opposite at the same time.

"With you" you repeated, this time louder, looking into his eyes when he asked you to say it again.

"With me?" he breathed, his heartbeat increasing its speed, roaming his gaze all over your features.

"Yeah" the worst thing it could happen was that he rejected you, and he never came againg to the café. And you already thought that was what had happened, so there was no point in not trying it. "I was going to say that I'm so happy I could kiss you right now".

"Kiss me?" unable to think straight, he was only repeating what you voiced, watching your lips moving and your cheeks slightly blushed.

You flashed a bright smile and caressed his cheekbone, the pad of your finger gentle and soft against his skin, and his breath got caught in his throat, swallowing hard, and confirming your crazy theory of him liking you back. He tried to touch you the same way, his hand twitching with anticipation, but it fell to his lap when you kissed him, his eyes closing down immediately to focus on the way your lips moved over his, lazy, slowly, enjoying every single second.

Minho knew that he had fell first, and harder, and then he had waited patiently for you to reciprocate his feelings. And when you did, you understood that his heart was so full of love and adoration you couldn’t stop yourself to love him in the same deep, absolute and fathomless intensity.

☆ series masterlist !!

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[arabellasleopardcoat]

Ace of Cups (Hotd x Reader)

Summary: An act of kindness leads you to a misterious stranger who offers to lift a block on your love life. Feeling lonely during Halloween, you decide to give it a go. Now there is a blonde corpse in the middle of your bathroom, and it turns out the corpse is not really a corpse.

Pairing: Rhaenyra x Reader, Aemond x Reader or Daemon x Reader.

Warnings: Mature language. Mentions of corpses. My first ever crack fic?

A/N: Happy Halloween! At the end of this silly set up, you have to choose a card. There are three endings. Choose wisely.

“Um. Excuse me?” You raised your hand, trying to get the couple of teens at the register to stop… Whatever they were doing. Probably making out, if making out involved pushing their tongues to the other person's tonsils. “Excuse me?”

Ugh. You hated it. Even as an adult, you find being around couples awkward. Especially if they were making out. When the couple in question was, like, half your age, it was even worse. If it were up to you, you would have left them alone and found another corner store, but you would rather not end up walking three blocks just to be able to buy a bottle of overpriced wine.

“What?” The girl pulled apart from the boy, with an annoyed expression. She took out a piece of gum and started chewing annoyingly. “What do you want?”

Despite your best efforts, your dismay must have shown on your face.

“Miss. What do you need, miss?” The girl corrected herself, rolling her eyes. But the damage was already done. You tried to force your face to remain fixed into a pleasant expression. This was not going to ruin your plans of having a pleasant night all by yourself.

“I want to pay for this. Please.” You handed her a bottle of your favorite wine. You would need it to make your night better. After all, this was the first time you would be spending Halloween completely on your own.

Having recently moved into your own apartment, it was not like you could spend the night with your family. All your friends had plans out of town or with people you didn't know. And while your coworkers had invited you out for drinks, you really didn't feel like slipping on a tight dress and wasting half your salary on overpriced cocktails.

There was no one to watch a horror movie or go out with, like you had done in previous years. Instead, you had planned to take a bath, eat some nice dinner and enjoy a glass of wine. Maybe watch a movie. Perhaps, even do a ritual of some sort, like the ones that appeared on TikTok. The energies were supposed to be stronger tonight, or so you heard.

Your self-care was not about to be ruined by a teen girl who didn't even know how to kiss. You refused.

“I am going to need some ID.” The girl rolled her eyes. She looked as done as you felt.

Cursing yourself for not having it already out, you started fumbling with your bag. This was shaping up to be a terrible day. Not only were you about to spend Halloween alone, but you were also going to have to hear teenagers, the meanest creatures on earth, have a go at you.

Good God, why couldn't you find it quicker? Your wallet seemed to be hiding under everything you had. To be able to look for it, you started taking out some things and leaving it on the counter.

“Uh… Babe. Can’t you just… Let her? She is obviously old enough.” The boy asked, sounding annoyed. He eyed your growing pile of things on the counter. A used chapstick, your keys, a pencil, crumbled up receipts. He wanted you gone, and soon. “More than old.”

And that was a bit insulting, really. The boy had chosen to remain quiet during the whole exchange, and now he interrupted just to say a rude thing? You were not even that old. But it appeared that in the age of planned obsolescence, you already were.

The girl's eyes shifted between your furious expression and her boyfriend's bored one.

“Fine.” She said. You handed her one of the crumpled bills that you had placed on the counter. “Have a good evening.” And without sparing you a glance, she handed you a receipt and started making out with her boyfriend, again.

You were fuming. There it went, your relaxing evening. You were not in the right headspace for it now. Deciding to reclaim what little of your good mood was left, you decided to take another route home. Perhaps, walking across the park might lift your spirits.

Grasping the bottle of wine and surely looking like an alcoholic, you walked out of the store. As of late, you felt terribly lonely. Living alone was hard. Not only you had to do everything by yourself, no roommates or family to fall back into, but you also had to come home every night to an empty apartment.

At first, you had been ecstatic to have your own space. You had loved your rented apartment, in a centric place of the city and decorated in a very modern fashion. You hadn't protested your landlord's condition of no pets and no changing the colors of the walls, too happy with having something of your own. The novelty of having a place to yourself had worn off after a while, and you had to face your sad little beige walls and a deafening silence.

It had not helped how busy your friends and you were. It seemed like the days when it was easy to coordinate an outing were long gone. Now with responsibilities, jobs and studies, it seemed like you only saw them once in a blue moon.

You were starved for human contact. You had been thinking lately of getting a partner, but the attention you received only discouraged you. So far, the only offerings you had gotten were from creepy guys, or people you had no interest in at all.

Taking a deep breath in, and choosing consciously to let go of the negative thoughts you were having, you took a step forward. The noise of the park was comforting. Among the chirping birds, there were the cheerful voices of children running around.

You smiled. Barely six, but there were already people in their customs. There was a couple dressed up as Danny and Sandy from Grease, and a little girl dressed as Barbie. Many of the children carried their plastic pumpkins, and you had to give them a few loose candies you had laying in your bag.

Trying to avoid disappointing more children with your lack of sweets, you crossed the park, taking the route where there were more trees. Under one, you found a middle-aged woman sitting on a bench. She was dressed in full witch regalia, pointy hat and all.

She must have been around her late thirties, with a head of dark, glossy hair and big eyes. In truth, you could not truly place her face in an age range, looking strangely young but with an air of maturity. Gorgeous, you thought. In a really intimidating kind of way.

You shook your head, trying to get rid of the thought. She was probably someone's mother, indulging her children by dressing up with them. The thought made your heart clench with longing for your own mother.

“Good evening, darling.” The woman said, taking out a cigarette. The gesture was effortless, like one made by a sixties' actress. You smiled, helplessly. You hoped one day you ended up being half as cool. “Do you happen to have a lighter? Or some spare change?”

“Oh. Um. I don't smoke, but I think…” You started searching your purse, and produced a couple of the crumpled bills. Perhaps it was the thought of your mother, or your loneliness, but you couldn't help but want to aid her. “Here. It might serve you to buy one at the corner store.”

Instead of making eye contact, the woman seemed oddly fixated on your hands. Self-conscious, you wondered if it had anything to do with your jewelry or lack thereof.

“Thank you, dear.” She took the bills from you, and quick as lighting, she grasped your hand. You didn't even have an opportunity to try to avoid her grip. “You have very interesting lines here.”

“I do?” A bit weirded out, you try to remove your hand, but she only grips it harder. The woman forces you to tilt your palm up towards her. One of her fingernails traces one of the lines on it. It makes you shiver.

“You do. Your love line is diverging.”

That doesn't sound good to you. You frown.

“Is it?” Feeling very silly for being self-conscious about your hand, you look down. You had never noticed before, but one of the lines in your hand diverges into three.

“Let me…” She reaches into her bag and pulls out a tarot deck. She shuffles hurriedly, under your bewildered eyes. Three cards fall in order. The Empress, The Devil, and The Hermit. “Interesting… And if I… Oh, I see.” Another card falls off the deck. This time, it's The Lovers.

“I am sorry… I really have to go.” Weirded out over the whole thing, you wish to leave. Things are only getting stranger, with the woman taking out the tarot deck.

“Don't.” She says sharply, her hand going back to your wrist. Surprised by her aggressiveness and the urgency of her tone, you decide not to argue. It can't hurt to entertain her a little longer. “I see a great future for you. There are three paths going forward, but you need to lift the block you have on.”

“Block?” You repeat, dumbly.

“You are lucky today is Samhain.” She huffs, pocketing the tarot deck. She searches her bag before pulling out a small sachet. It smells strongly of herbs. “Here. Bathe in this and look in your mirror tonight. When the veil is thinner.”

“The veil…?” You ask, puzzled by the entire thing.

“Between worlds, darling. Gods, it seems one has to teach you everything. Between twelve and three.”

“Oh. I don't really believe in…”

“At least keep it. And here.” She writes some numbers on a piece of paper. “If you run into trouble. The magical kind.”

Unconvinced you haven't been the victim of the most elaborate scam in history, you eye her warily.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing. Nothing you will later not freely give.” She smiles, cryptically. “Have a good Samhain, darling.” And she gets up and walks away.

You glance at the bag. You don't want to be rude, but you doubt you will obey. She is a stranger, after all, and a pretty crazy one at that. As not to upset her, you pocket the bag and give her an awkward wave.

The rest of your evening is much less eventful. You get home and prep dinner, nursing a glass of wine. With everything that has happened already, you feel like you deserve it. You are generous with it, topping it at least twice.

As you curl into the couch to watch a movie, dinner and another glass of wine in front of you, the tarot reader's idea starts to sound right. You do feel lonely, and surely, throwing some herbs into a bath can't cause anything too terrible. At most, you would feel relaxed from the water and the smells.

Wine always makes you sad. Mopey, even. Tonight, your loneliness feels too tight, too solid against your chest, to be ignored. You long for someone to hold you through the night, to be by your side when things are tough. Someone to share your happiness and greatest achievements, but also your burdens. Mostly, you crave a sense of belonging. Belonging so well, your edges fit someone else's edges like a puzzle piece.

At the thought, you shake your head. Love wouldn't fix your loneliness, you think. There is something deeply alienating about the life you currently lead. Away from your family and friends, you feel unfulfilled. No matter how passionate you are about your work, it does not help to numb the longing for something more. If the perfect partner showed up, you would do the same you had done with your family and friends, and let life get in the way.

You wash your dishes. Curious, you take the little pouch the woman had given you out of your pocket. You smell it, deciding it has no hurtful contents. On your laptop, the clock reads quarter to midnight.

The tub fills as you decide to light some candles, to better set the mood. You add some Epsom salts before pouring your herbs in. The water shimmers under the candlelight in ways it should not, yet you do not notice. You mistake the swirls of colors for the herbs steeping in the water. The room starts to smell strongly of rosemary and lavender.

You enter the tub, satisfied with your choice. The heavenly smell is already relaxing you, and you congratulate yourself for taking the leap of faith. Slowly, the warm water relaxes your muscles and makes your body feel heavy. Almost too heavy. You catch yourself nearly dozing off, and decide to step out. You are alone, and you have been drinking, staying in it would be dangerous.

Careful not to slip on the wet floor, you wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and step towards the mirror. Your reflection is the same as always. If the block the woman had spoken about was a real thing, which you doubted, it left no physical evidence. You examined your face, noticing your paleness. But as your eyes meet the ones of your reflection, there is a flash of a foreign color in them.

There is a woman in the mirror. It's the same one you met at the park. She looks different now, dressed in a medieval green dress. Her lips stretch into a smile.

“I do hope you didn't choose The Hermit. Or The Devil. Oh, darling, I am so sorry. They are all bad choices.”

Someone presses a hand on your shoulder.

“Well. Better you than me. We shall meet again.” Her voice whispers in your ear, but when you turn, you see nothing.

You scream. The clock strikes twelve. A sudden spark of bluish purple that makes you turn again to face the mirror, relieved to find nothing more than your reflection. Your heart beats faster and faster, anticipating something you can't yet name.

Just as you are catching your breath, you notice that the face that is looking back at you it's not yours. You recoil, moving back as fast as you can. A loud thud echoes in your bathroom and your heels connect with something solid. You trip, screaming even more when you realize exactly what you have hit. A body. There is a body on your bathroom's floor.

You crawl towards them, shaking their shoulder and desperately looking for signs of life. You are starting to tear up in fright. The body is lying on its front, with a shocking head of silver hair. They groan.

This time, you scream so loud, your neighbors bang at your walls.

A voice then answers.

“What in the Seven Hells is going on?”

Choose your card:

The Hermit: You have decided to draw your attention inwards, in a path of self discovery. You are a quiet person, but quite bright. You enjoy learning and seek a mentor, though you enjoy your solitude. This is your next chapter.

The Empress: You are very connected to your femininity. You enjoy having beauty in your life, and the stimulation of your senses. You wish for your life to be comfortable more than anything. You are a romantic at heart. Your next chapter is here.

The Devil: You are a complex, multifaceted person. But if you could be described in one world, it is hedonist. You are very self-aware, and do not fear your shadow. If any, you embrace it. This is your next chapter.

[boingfessions]

HAPPY OINGO BOINGO DAY EVERYNYAN!!!

I hope everyone has a great time today! Surely more than one person asked themselves a question: What the HELL is Oingo Boingo? Well, the name itself is complete absurdity! But what makes Oingo Boingo Oingo Boingo? Find out in this post under cut!

Our beloved crazy ginger man! Daniel Robert Elfman is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. Delusional, orange af, joker-like, face with a combination of slasher smile and Kubrick stare, perhaps even had prolonged non-fatal rabies in his time in Oingo Boingo that was only recently cured when the band broke, but unfortunately (or not) returned in recent years. Now his entire body is covered in tattoos and his hair is straight now because of dyeing it to hide his gray hair, ergo his old age. The truth is that he is actually a skeleton disguised as Danny Elfman to pass himself off as living human so that the Grim Reaper don't come after him, but SHHHH!!! I did not tell you anything!

Danny Elfman (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)

Steve Bartek (lead guitar, rhythm vocals)

Fluffy tall boy <3. Steve Bartek is an American guitarist, film composer, conductor, and orchestrator. Elfman's right-hand man and the one he trusts with his skeletons in his closet, oh and his film compositions too of course! One of the few members of the band who was not consumed by it and therefore did not become a feral creature in the process. He plays little guitars because he's a big man, y'know! He usually wore ridiculously short ties along with baggy t-shirts. His guitar solos drove Danny so crazy that he was spinning around and caused him to have back pain to this day, so you know how to blame. Nowadays unfortunately his beautiful dark curls have become gray, but luckily he now looks like an adorable grandpa now! (just like the others)

Kerry Hatch (bass guitar, backing vocals)

A marvelous human being! Kerry Hatch is an American musician... and that's it. Walking diva and Zoolander wannabe, this lad was the band's bassist until 1984, when he decided to join the band "Zuma II" (what the HELL is that band? I have no idea!). A pretty lad who likes to be handsome and play bass guitars that don't even look like bass guitars, I don't know what else I could say about him! Maybe he thought the band wasn't good enough for him and decided to leave to pursue something better, but that's just a guess... if you can consider a landscaping business better!

Richard "Ribbs" Gibbs (keyboards, backing vocals)

Mister mistery~ Richard Gibbs is an American film composer and music producer. Like Kerry, he left the band in 1984 to join Zuma II, and to be honest I don't know what what that band had to make not one but TWO members of Oingo Boingo (the best band in the entire galaxy and even the sixth dimension) have left to be in that band. Anywho, all I have to say about him is that he did well in life, being a composer like Danny and that's it.

Johnny "Vatos" Hernández (drums, percussion)

THIS IS JOHNNY VATOS FROM OINGO BOINGO MAN!!!! He is a drummer with crazy hairstyles who likes to dum ba dum through life. Almost as crazy as Danny was, he stayed loyal to the band even after they broke up (yes, he was in another band called Food for Feet, but I don't give a DAMN!) Years after the band broke up he managed to reunite about four former members and form "Oingo Boingo Former Members", made up of him, Steve Bartek, John Avila, Carl Graves and Sam "Sluggo" Phipps, in addition to new members. Idk about you, but I would like to have him as my grandpa!

Sam "Sluggo" Phipps (saxophone, backing vocals)

Leon Schneiderman (saxophone, backing vocals)

Slam Bam "Sluggo" Phipps is an American saxophone player known for his signature bright, expressive smiles, where he shows off all his teeth and can light up an entire room. The tallest guy in the band and the one who likes to show off his instrument the most, rising it high in the air when attention is focused on him. Well, maybe not so much, but you understand what I mean! Maybe he can be too expressive and noisy, but we still love him ❤️

Dale Turner (trumpet, backing vocals)

Do you remember when I said that Sluggo had the brightest smile in the world? Well, I lied! That one goes to our dear Leon Schneiderman, the other saxophonist in the band. He could do anything in the whole world, even his own instruments! Being a childhood friend of Danny's, it can be said that he has been in the band every moment since it started, even longer than Danny himself! Don't you love him and his smiles?

John Avila (bass guitar, backing vocals)

Our beloved grandpa-mom. He is an American trumpet player who entered The Mystic Knights after they let him audition after seeing him practice in secret. He makes sure to keep an eye on the other guys in the band and can (if he hasn't already) spank them to make them behave (except for Sluggo; NOBODY spanks Sluggo). Even if he is the shortest member of the band along with John Avila, that doesn't make him any less authoritative, being around ten years older than the rest of the band. He is silent like a mouse and has never been heard to speak, perhaps because he is reserved or has nothing to say. He left the band and is currently enjoying his life privately, and I really hope he's okay!

HE IS MY BABY, MY CUTIE PIE, MY PUPPY, MY LOVE, MY LIFE, THE BEST BOY IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!!!!!! RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem, sorry about that... John Avila is an American bassist and music producer. A literal human puppy and the shortest member of the band. He looks like you could pick him up in your arms and cradle him like a baby... Sorry, I'm off topic again! What do you want me to do? He's simply adorable! (At least for me). Anywho, Although he appears in the Gratitude MV, it was not until 6 months after the release of the album So-Lo that he joined the band along with Michael Bacich, being the new bassist and keyboardist respectively. He is usually hyperactive and you can see him at concerts jumping, spinning and playing his bass like a pro. The strange thing is that, even though the years go by and he obviously ages, he still seems to be the same mischievous and playful puppy-like guy... Okay, sorry again!

Michael Bacich (keyboards, backing vocals)

Quiet nerdy boy. He's was the keyboardist of the band since 1985 until 1988. Yes, he didn't stay for a long time, but his presence in the band is still important as he was present in the band's best era (Dead Man's Party). He looks like the typical nerd who would say "actually☝️🤓" and give you information that you didn't even ask for but still decided to give you to expand your zero knowledge. He also looks kinda shy and like someone who Danny would bully if the band were in a cliché teen movie. Like Dale, he decided to move on with his life after leaving the band, which it's okay after all.

I ran out of space for more images! Don't worry, I'll reblog this post right away talking about the rest of the band (which are only two members but still!). Thank you very much for reading this far and HAPPY BOINGO DAY TO ALL OF YOU AGAIN!!!

[ikamigami]

Okay! I found it!

I know what mainly triggers Sun's psychosis - or psychotic episode/break (remember that psychotic episode can last from hours through weeks and months even)..

..and it's *drum rolls* ✨✨Eclipse ✨✨

Before Sun killed Bloodmoon he was repeating to himself that he isn't like Eclipse.. then later Bloodmoon was saying almost the exact same things Eclipse was saying to Sun before Sun expelled Eclipse from his head.. and boom Sun shoot Bloodmoon - "pull the trigger"..

Later Sun was speaking in similar way to Eclipse and he acted like Eclipse.. Sun tried to get rid of Eclipse - "I'm just Sun-restraining you" "you want to kill people.. I let that happen, I make it happen"..

Let's talk about Murder Mistery episode with Earth, Moon, Sun and Foxy before October last year (with Ruin and BM) cause Sun was acting as if he had a psychotic episode - it's very possible that it was a short one - remember it may last hours (previous lasted months) - he was agitated, his speech was incoherent, he was acting unusual (he tried to force Earth to shoot him, he was saying some very weird things - many of them were referencing to things between him and Eclipse), sometimes he was moving a lot but at another times he was standing completely still..

He started to "freak out" when he heard that Foxy said Eclipse. Sun misheard Foxy but it led to this small psychotic break..

Now Sun snapped at Eclipse in unusual way for him.. saying that Eclipse should kill himself and that everything was Eclipse's fault and that he hates the fact that Eclipse just started existing.. it's very not like Sun..

When Sun snapped at Eclipse previously - when Eclipse had a star - it wasn't like that.. back then Sun pointed out that Eclipse has nothing beside making their life miserable and that even with such a power like newton star he still didn't do anything to them beside some annoying minor inconviniences - he wasn't a real threat..

Sun is drinking alcohol (I don't believe that he stopped drinking) so he's now more relaxed and symptoms of his disorder are dulled a little bit (he's acting more reckless though) but it is only for the time being because sooner or later alcohol will make things worse and it'll worsen symptoms and it may lead to another psychotic episode - this time worse because of alcohol - and with how Sun recently expressed that he has suicidal thoughts and it even seems that he contemplated jumping off the railing of the lighthouse Sun may end up attempting suicide.. (it is a possibilty, I'm not saying it'll happen for sure)

Eclipse being a trigger reminds me of this post of mine - read that if you want to know why I think that Sun doesn't seem to want to reach out to only Eclipse (when before he tried that with BM) and to find out why I think that Sun thinks he's Eclipse..

Also I think that Sun may most definitely have depressive psychosis is because he was depressed even before first October takeover and later his depression worsened to the point that people in YT comments started to realize that - I want to say that Sun probably has either atypical depression or high functioning depression which still is depression nonetheless, just because Sun doesn't display usual symptoms of depression it doesn't mean he doesn't have it - later he had psychotic break (while still being depressed) where the psychotic part of disorder was displayed and later he was depressed once again and he still is depressed..

Why I think Sun doesn't have bipolar disorder is because his psychotic break didn't seem like a typical manic episode where a person has delusions of grandiose..

Hence why I think that Sun's delusions are centered around guilt and unworthiness - which explains why he blames himself so much for everything and linked post also explains why I think that Sun believes himself to be evil..

Another thing is that many people wrongly assumed that Sun's determination and clear goal to kill Eclipse was proving that he was thinking clearly and that he didn't have psychotic break..

But ask yourself if Sun was thinking clearly why he didn't go prepared for his mission to kill Eclipse? He didn't take any weapon when he just could easily take even a barrel cause they still had laser canons in them at that time.. yet Sun just went straight ahead without any weapon, not knowing where to go, he didn't even had a clear plan on what to do or how to defend himself if Eclipse would attack him - it was a suicidal mission..

People just have wrong picture of how psychotic break works mainly because of movies etc. - someone who experience psychotic episode may still seem to act logical.. Also having clear goal and be determined to do something don't disprove someone having psychotic episode because then person often has a clear goal which they have to do no matter what..

Off topic - I think that what proves that Moon was dreaming is that it seemed more like a story - dream has a storyline. Unlike Sun's hallucinations which were appearing and disappearing - they weren't fluid..

[gayalienwilde]

My secret fairy gift to @thomtrebond one of the longest analyses I've ever written until now (so much so that I'm still working on this). Truthfully, I was afraid that The Whole Shebang podcast had already said all there was about the Oscar Wilde references in Velvet Goldmine, and it has been a while since I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but while writing and doing research for this (I've studied more for this analysis than I ever have for school lmao) I realised things that I hadn't thought of before so this was a surprise for me as well! Also, since this analysis is gonna be split into different parts I'll link them all once I'm done with them. I hope you enjoy your gift <3

Part one: The importance of being Jack Fairy

When thinking about Velvet Goldmine and Oscar Wilde I'm reminded of the first episode of the miniseries "Queers" (2017), although I can't stand Mark Gatiss (Sherlock trauma) this episode is well written and just thinking about it makes me cry. There will be spoilers for the episode in this analysis, so be warned.

For the people that don't care about spoilers here's a small summary of what you need to know to understand this analysis: in the episode, titled "The Man On The Platform", the protagonist, a WWI soldier, gets asked about how gay men recognise each other, and he answers saying:"A certain liquidity of the eye." Later in the episode, he recalls a story from his teen years, while waiting for a train with his family he sees a prisoner getting taken away, he meets the gaze of the prisoner for a second and he feels seen by him and thinks "He knows me for what I am", after that he learns that the prisoner is Oscar Wilde.

In Velvet Goldmine, it's the pin that creates this connection between the characters and Oscar Wilde, Jack is able to find himself and others quite like him after finding the pin, and later we have all the young queer fans relating to Curt and Brian. The movie shows that self recognition through the other is an important aspect of queer communities, having an example of queerness to relate to or be inspired by makes it possible for people to find each other and learn about themselves.

In Jack's case, Oscar Wilde is not only a connection to queerness but also an inspiration for his art. Jack Fairy is the personification of art, specifically born from aestheticism's idea of "art for art's sake" Jack's persona is just that, beauty that exists simply to be beautiful and reveal nothing, the movie adds to this by never making Jack Fairy speak, even during the Death of Glitter concert he's either reciting a poem or singing, the little we know of Jack's inner thoughts is shown in the flashback of him as a child, adult Jack Fairy is a complete mistery to us.

What's interesting about this is that, unlike Brian, we never feel that Jack's persona is a manifactured one, even if we know nothing of him, and his looks and aesthetics are obviously thought out, he still appears much more genuine than Brian. Following Wilde's idea of art as an amoral creation that never expresses anything other than itself (in true wildean paradox fashion Wilde himself doesn't always respect this rule), it then becomes obvious why it doesn't matter if we know nothing about Jack, the way he presents himself is enough to express everything he wants other people to see, he's being truthfull to himself never trying to justify or moralise his art or himself but simply being, any possible reading or interpretation about his persona becomes then nothing more than the viewer's own thoughts or ideas projected onto him and do not necessarily reflect the truth, adding to the allure of his persona and making it a perfectly malleable art medium, free of bounds or expectations (apart from beauty, which is of course what all art, according to Wilde, should strive for).

On the other hand, Brian constantly trying to add a message to his aesthetic ended up being to his detriment since what he was saying was being fed to him through the record company to attract press, not leaving then any room for interpretation and putting strict barriers around his art, and of course to define is to limit causing his entire act and persona to never be as authentic feeling as Jack's. It's clearly artificial but not in a camp way, even if it might have started off that way, the alien and uncanny later becomes fake the same way advertisement is, planned and trying to get your attention for money, reaching the peak of uncanny valley with Tommy's way too pristine looks and character.

But even after having roasted him I have to admit that Brian's character has a much bigger connection to Wilde's work than Jack does, since Jack's story is more inspired by Divine from Genet's "Notre-Dame-des-fleurs", even having a scene from the book remade almost exactly in the movie, with Jack it makes more sense to compare him to Wilde himself since, just as Wilde became one of the major exponents of aestheticism and homosexuality in England, in the movie Jack is one of the original inspirations of the Glam Rock movement and an iconic figure in the queer community of the 60s and 70s, so of course he'd be the one to find the pin and carry the legacy of Oscar Wilde.

Tune in next whenever I post it to see me roasting Brian more in part two

[thelunarfairy]

Hii again1!!1 xd Goodnight, since I'm typing this at night.. And we have the same timezones so- Uhh Good morning? You'll probably read it tomorrow... It's midnight rn so-- alrr i'll get to the point now...

I said this before in one of my posts, but I wanted to hear ur thoughts about it so- (if u want to talk about it ofc xd)

About the hand that appears misteriously in chapter 101... I've been thinking about chapter 106 and while reading your last post about it...

"A voice beckons from the darkness" (What chapter is this, by the way? I completely forgot about it- I just stole that image from your last post lol)

"But whatever you do, you mustn't respond."

Those 2 phrases parallels those 2 panels so much- I don't know if it's just a coincidence or really something to take in, but it's just something that I noticed while reading your post xd

The hand that appears to Kou reminds me of the Twins' hand to be completely honest (fingers that seems a lil' bit more larger than the others), while the hand that appears to Nene reminds me of hers (delicate fingers) xD But then again, just like u said; it might just be Aida's style of drawing the girls' and boys' hands.

Ohwell-

Have a good night, afternoon, or day! <3

Hello again :DDD how are you? hahaha you got it right I only read it this morning

"A voice beckons from the darkness, but whatever you do, you mustn't respond."

Wow you made an amazing association here, I really liked this because it makes total sense! The hand appeared out of complete nothingness and disappeared in the same way. Yashiro answered her and this voice came bringing a bad omen (even the title of chapter 101 is called an omen, this is the chapter in which the hand appears), an accident that happened and which apparently could happen again.

If this was the consequence of her responding (the accident) then it could happen again. I've been thinking about what kind of accident it would be. In the other post I talked about the big clock that broke, but I stopped to think about something today.

I thought about the possibility of this accident being directly related to the twins' deaths, but it didn't seem to make much sense.

Apparently, the twins were 12 years old at the time of the flashback festival, as they are in the first year of middle school (in Japan the first year class is made up of 12 year old students) but Yugi doesn't live long enough to the next festival as they die at the age of 13, shortly after July 22nd before the summer holidays. Amane does not kill Tsukasa anywhere near the school festival. So this could rule out the hypothesis

But what if this accident was responsible for making Amane decide to kill Tsukasa? The festival is directly linked to the twins and Tsukasa told Nene that he would show her more about Amane when he reappeared to her. So he will show it to her during the festival because it is related to Amane's past.

Have you ever thought how crazy it would be if Tsukasa was ordering Amane to fix the clock just to show Nene about Hanako's past? XD (just a joke)

Now I have this in my head, is the accident related to the motivation or the death of the twins? (there are thousands of other hypotheses, omg) hahahaha

Yes the mysterious hand resembles Amane's when she pokes Yashiro, but it later resembles a girl's in the second panel, so it remains mysterious.

Note. The chapter where Hanako's hand appears before Amane tries to make Kou faint is 50

I hope you liked it, thanks for the ask! ;)

[hira492]

Look. That episode Mando episode.

Man, i´m not even angry, i´m just disappointed , cause I KNOW how good this show can be. Specially this season that´s, supposedly, gonna revolve around what it means to be a Mandalorian and Mandalore's history 

Din is such an interesting, compeling and complex character and he could be so much more if only THEY- JUST. LET. HIM.

They are completely misunderstanding what´s what drove people to Mando at first. Yes, it´s cute to see this bounty hunter begrudgingly take care of a jedi baby BUT the show is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! It was about dissecting this misterious and closed off character who´s being through so much, it was seeing how all that trauma that he has - that made him separate himself from everything and everyone - was what ultimately helped him connect with Grogu. It´s lovely to see him open up little by little knowing he shouldn't, knowing that a goodbye is imminent. It was complex, it had layers. 

And Grogu. I know everyone jokes about how he was just made to sell toys and i thought so as well before starting the show a few years back. I used to really hate him and all the fuss everyone was making around him being a cute baby, but when i finally watched the show, i sat captivated and saw it was so much more. He´s more than just cute baby, he is a survivor ,just like Din, and has lived through so many things. His story is so interesting and he could be much more than a “marketable sw mascot”, but again, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWING THEM THAT!

It´s so frustrating watching this first episode and see both our main characters being reduced to “cute baby” and “dad”. They feel as they have no agency. And damn my brain for making me think this, but i felt, watching this episode, as i felt watching the last Jurassic World movie. Everyone is a diluted version of their character, everyone moves and does whatever the plot and script needs them to do without any explanation or reason to why or HOW they did it and everything just moves SO FUCKING FAST for no reason.

The first 3 episodes of the 1st season were such bangers cause they were the total opposite of this one. They were paced so well, letting viewers experience events along the characters, they made an amazing use of Show not tell (cof cof what do you mean Grogu was away from Din for around a year, Favreau cof cof), they introduced a conflict in a natural and organic way, and most importantly, they trusted the audience to understand what was happening without having a character explain it as we were a bunch of idiots or smth. 

Think about that scene in the 3rd episode when Din decides to take Grogu back from the imperials. We, as an audience, understand (without seeing the guy´s face) what´s going on in his mind in that moment; the doubt, the regret, the decision, everything just through body language, well done cinematography and music. We didn´t need Din or someone else going “you felt bad so you went back for him”, no, we just understood, and the show trusted us to understand that, to come to our own conclussions and understanding of the scene and motivations of the characters. AND WE HAD JUST MET THE GUY.

The difference here from last episode is that they gave us something to work with and, watching the episodes, you understand Din´s final decision.

Now we just don´t know what the hell Din´s thinking, and not because of a mystery or to build tension, it just feels as if Din is a weird NPC that moves the story forward and is there only to show us cool action scenes, cameos and Mandalore lore, without relating to anything. He feels as if he´s just not thinking at all, not as being stupid, but just as if he literally had no mind of his own, no opinions,no feelings, no nothing. And Grogu is just..there, i guess. Being cute and that´s all. 

Also, not as important as the narrative and script issues i had with the episode but, when i first watched The Mandalorian - begrudgingly, i must add, as i actually hated star wars but a friend of mine kept insisting that i gave it a try - i was amazed at how detailed the effects were, how everything felt alive and lived in. I remember rewatching again and again the scene where Din lands the Razor Crest in Arvala 7 and just admire the detail of the dust and water moving with the ship´s power, the way everything felt so real. Everything in the 1st and 2nd season ( i have my issues with the effects in season 2 as well but they´re still okay, imo) felt alive, real. And wow, what a downgrade this episode was.

For a show with a ridiculous budget it´s not showing at all. The kid helmet at the start looked like a toy (i can let it slide cause it´s literally brand new so you could argue there´s no reason for it to not look all shiny and clean), the alligator was okay, i guess, but didn´t feel nearly as real as the  Krayt Dragon from S2, and the rest...to be honest, not surprised at all. I kept getting thrown off by the straight up green screen feel of the Greef vs Random Pirates scene (Also an unnecessary scene, tbh, felt like an escuse for a “cool star wars space battle ™” ). The Mandalorian castle was cool, tho, i guess.

I´m not dissing the people who worked in the show´s Visual Effects at all, btw. I know they can do amazing things, cause they have, i´m sure it was more of a direction and studio issue.

It surprised me how Mando´s episode in TBOBF felt much more interesting, well paced, compelling and true to Din´s character than this episode. 

I know it might be way too early to judge the season as we only have this 1st episode but it´s not looking too good, Mando nation.

I want to be clear, I´m not saying everything sucked, either. I´m just frustrated cause this is my favourite show, it means a lot to me and i just want it to be as good as i know it can be.

[maguro13-2]

Demons Unleashed ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Gaiden Pt.3 ~

[Salem Town Hall - Salem, MA]

[Central City (Yoru) - Mariko Nanba]

Eruka : Hey guys!

Ashley : Long time no see, Eruka.

Kimial Diehl : Congratulations, Froggy! I heard that you finally completed your Majo Detective Training.

Eruka : I sure did! I'm finally beginning to work in the force! Now that I am a recruited Majo Detective, I will save the innocence and stopping the evil forces and crime itself! No evildoers shall face the almighty Eruka Majo Detective! I am great with skills and far surperior although using frog magic was utterly useless so I decide to get my official spell book and learned traditional types of various magic.

Penny Crygor : Well, good for you! Good for you! Surely that you just wanted to go back as a frog princess in your homeland of Louisiana?

Eruka : Nah! I like it here up north. It's nice and cool to be a great person to visit New England. I mean, this entire state is one heck of a place to live here! I'm sure everything will just be at work! We always gotta love Boston! So I heard about this state being lucky for you to be grew up on.

Kimial Diehl : Actually, I grew up here as a child before I moved to Tokyo and right before I triggered the second event in Tokyo after the Shattering.

Eruka : Eh? The Shattering? The event that took place around 12 years ago? That the was the event when Maka Albarn was a little girl that triggered the power of Shattered Resonance and literally just wiped out 80% of Japan's population. So the Masked boy Makoto Asagiri of the Phantoms of Society, managed to save her life and is also a survivor of the event. Same goes to you, Kimial.

Kimial Diehl : Right, I usually have a real name that I used have from my ancestor, I was part of the Kasugatani Family Tree, even though I thought she was lame and I realize she just died. What's the point of being a witch anyway and become a hero.

Eruka : Hey, woah. Inca Kasugatani may have been a cool ancestor, but she's not that lame and you know it! Just because she died about 1000 years ago, doesn't mean that you could be just careless or--

Maba : Enough! (Bangs Gavel)

Eruka : Sumimasen, Maba-san. I beg your pardon.

Ashely : All do favor.

Kimial Diehl : So, Maba. You're our town's...Huh? City official.

Maba : Indeed. Now then, Eruka and you two have finally got my attention, her training skills as a Majo Detective were highly incredible, I've shown good progress on your training.

Eruka : (Nods) I've did! I worked my way out into being a skilled Majo Detective, I'm finally in the force and ready to do some justice!

Maba : Well, very quaintful. Well, the Family of Kaoru Enma is making some huge changes going around the city. Hopefully, Lynn, Lynn, City of Sin isn't too much about the awareness levels outside of Boston. Well, not necessarily in order. But I do know is that I've reported you to Town Hall to give you this important detail. It's about the humans that created the World of Soul Eater 1000 years have mysteriously returned after the Ohkuboverse's annihilation from the Time Eater.

[Mistery - Seirou Okamoto]

Kimial Diehl : Yeah, it's the same entity that wiped out Shinra and his people before he everyone knew that was gonna resurrect himself through reincarnation.

Maba : Well, technially, It is a commonly known sense that the first witch that gave them life in the Ohkuboverse like us, was executed after Shinra and his beloved's death. Penny Crygor was taking pictures of a mysterious lab where and discovered naked women that acclaims to be the humans of the Ohkuboverse and the witch who gave life to us and as you a part of her family tree.

Kimial Diehl : Me, a part of her family tree? Who is this "her" that is a part of the family tree?

Maba : It's simple, she is the witch gave life to the Majo order during her execution in the Ohkuboverse, everyone thinks that Shinra's man-made son calls us the "sworn enemies" to the DWMA it's because of the Spreading influence that led to the heartless' attention making us as their personal scapegoats.

Kimial Diehl : Wait a sec, so the witches are scapegoats to the heartless? But Shinigami said that our magic has wrecked havoc on the earth.

Maba : False, that's not what his son said. He said that the true enemies to us were the heartless their selves and same goes to the humans that had their hearts swallowed and conjured by the darkness itself. And we would've opened our eyes to the truth when the so-called DWMA trying to make an attempt on destroying the Kasugatani Family Tree, that's what got the Heartless' Attention on destroying the Kusakabe Legacy!

Kimial Diehl : Say what? Why would Shinigami wanted to say that?

[DOOR BANG!]

Fox Witch : Lord Maba! Please excuse us! We got some terrible news coming from Nevada! Estimated over 9000 heartless.

Maba : What 9000? That's Dragon Ball.

Fox Witch : I meant over thousands of Heartless have came from the outskirts.

Maba : What's this excursion from Shinigami?

Fox Witch : We just discovered that the true creator of the Majo Order has returned after being executed in the Ohkuboverse. A criminal mastermind from the Paper Mario universe is gathering the eight vessels that he brought back to life from Shinra's newly world. First Vessel is Amaterasu, the spectral woman and mother of Iblis, second was the mastermind that destroyed Shinra's childhood, Haumea...

Kimial Diehl : And let me guess...the third one is definitely the ancestor of mine, not lame it is. I know why.

Ashley : I can think of one person who were one of the eight vessels that were connected to the Eight Pure hearts. Or should I say that the eight vessels of the eight Pure hearts are Eight Pillars, the keys to opening darkness, the adolla realm was apparently nothing more than nothingness.

[Aniexty - Yasuhiro Inoue]

Ashley : We all just discovered that the so-called "Anoter Era" or Adolla is was made for nothingness. Needless to say, The Ohkuboverse was nothing more than a cursed universe, there was never a god, nor it was evil itself, it was made from deception from Demon Vibe, the reason that authors like him were so arrogant, the crazy story of Soul Eater is all just a baloney. But how did Shinra not know it was Demon Vibe or Sephiroth that was manipulating everything from the very start, and in turned--[to Kimial and Eruka] manipulated you.

Kimial Diehl: What? Me? Manipulated by Demon Vibe?

Eruka : How on earth did you know, smarty pants?

Ashley : Easy. The Time Eater had to kill everyone because it was going to stop Demon Vibe from ever reaching the Door to Darkness, the same door that it's astral creation, the evangelist, was attempting to put the planet in omnicide with the usage of Firaga and darkness itself. Your ancestor, Inca Kasugatani, was used as a puppet for the entity's will, she went insane after she realized that wickedness was not the right answer. However, Shinra and his people didn't show Demon Vibe's true potential after he was banished to the Shadow Realm. So the Time Eater annihilated everyone and then executed Inca Kasugatani in resulting of destroying the Ohkuboverse. That's the real reason Soul World existed within Real World AU.

Kimial Diehl : I see then. Right now, we gotta stop those heartlesses. But if I'm worried about protecting our people, then I will break free from Shinra Kusakabe's will. Reclaim the name Kasugatani and my position. That's why I ran away from Tokyo to join the force.

"Meanwhile in Boston..."

[A Spirit of Bushi - Konami Kukeiha Club]

[people being terorrized and screaming]

*DBZ SFX : LOUD EXPLOSIONS*

Boston Citizen : Help! Help! There's a Monster on the loose!

Fracktail : WHERE ARE THE EIGHT VESSELS OF THE EIGHT PURE HEARTS!? THE VESSELS OF THE EIGHT PURE HEARTS HAD BEEN MISSING SINCE MY LAST CONTACT WITH THE SECOND FORMER PILLAR, THE SECOND WHO TRIED TO DESTROY THE WORLD FROM THE WILL OF DEMON VIBE!

*DBZ SFX : Scouter Scanning+Beeping*

Fracktail : Just as I expected. There are 5 of the eight vessels of the Eight Pure hearts, but only three of them is mississing. Where is the 5th vessel.

Sarissa: That's no monster on the loose! Some idiot awakened a dragon by accident! I'm sorry for my gratitude, but what are you supposed to be just as clever as some dragon from the Paper Mario. You're Fracktail from the Paper Mario Universe, Aren't ya?

Fracktail : Correct, it only took you 10 seconds to figure it out that it was me that is searching for the lost vessels that disappeared since the Ohkuboverse was destroyed. In any case, I will make you try to beat me in a battle test to see if you have what it takes to reclaim the Pure Heart as your own prize! See if you like it for yourself!

"FRACKTAIL : GUARDIAN OF THE PURE HEART"

Sariss : Well, I'm sh*t out of luck! No way point of defeating this guy. Guess it's just my lucky day! (Uses her magic to attack Fracktail's antenna) Yes! Direct hit! This is just too easy! (uses her magic rapidly) Ha! How's this to taste your own data!? Not quite the possible movements about a dragon fighting against a magician that is here to stop troublemakers to search the vessels of the Eight Pure Hearts.

Fracktail : Hmmm...Your skills are quite intriguing, but I seem some minor damage due to your battle experience. You have the will of a warrior that is far superior to the others. I shall get a good reading on your performance of battle techniques. Commencing Data Scanning Operation.

*DBZ SFX : SCOUTER SCANNING+BEEP*

Sarissa : Hmm? What's it doing now? Is it scanning my data just because I am a warrior? What was it going to scan me anyway?

Fracktail : SARISSA, MAGICIAN OF THE WOODS INCIDENT. LEGENDARY HERO IDENTIFIED, NOT SHINRA KUSAKABE. MUST PROTECT PURE HEARTS FROM LAWLESS INTRUDERS! COMMENCING ATTACK MODE OPERATION. *DBZ SFX : ENERGY BALL IMPACT*

Sarissa : Woah! (evades the attack) You're not going to take me down that easily! (uses Thunder magic to attack Fracktail, electrocuting) I hope this will wear you down!

Fracktail : ERROR! ERROR! DOES NOT COMPUTE! DOES NOT COMPUTE! SHINRA KUSAKABE, MUST BE DESTROYED! ATTACK! ATTACK!

Sarissa : Did this dragon say "Shinra Kusakabe"? Isn't it that the guy who created...the world that we lived in? What the hell is dragon talking about. He was talking about the Eight vessels of the Eight Pure Hearts.

Fracktail : PREPARE FOR ENEMY ELIMINATION!

*ADOLLA LINK*

Sarissa : Eh? That link! It sounded like nothingness coming from somewhere! But where?

Inca Kasugatani : Leave this one to me. I know how to take this sucker down. Hey, Dragon with an antenna! I'm the one you were looking for! If you know where Shinra Kusakabe, then I suggest that you look at me, the young woman or youth who happens to be the witch that gave birth to Majo in Soul World 1000 years ago.

Sarissa : Huh? Who are you? You look like the one that is similar to Kimial Diehl before, have I seen you before or did I even first meet...you?

Inca Kasugatani : You finally remember my future relative, of course she is the descendant to me that I was the one who started the Majo Order a 1000 years ago. The order was given to protect my family tree from being destroyed by the face of true evil, but after the Time Eater came on that day, everyone was annihilated and I was the only one left that is executed by it. Two mustache men from past and future made an execution about my death sentence for serving the will of Demon Vibe itself. But luckily, I was resurrected by my own soul from Shinra's creation. Giving the perfect body and not to mention the perfect platonic love that I given to the man that died at the hands of the Time Eater along with his beloved Iris.

Sarissa : Say what!?

*DBZ SFX : SCOUTER SCANNING+BEEPING*

Fracktail : INCA KASUGATANI, MOTHER OF WITCHKIND. VESSEL IDENTIFIED! DATA MATCH. RETURNING TO BASE IMMEDIATELY. (flies off)

Sarissa : Hey, It got away!

Inca Kasugatani : Not for long! Hey, Fracky! (Fracktail stops and turns) I know where Shinra Kusakabe is and I have heart that is connected to him.

Fracktail : Wise word, Mother of Witchkind. I will search for the legendary hero that is one of the eight vessels of the Eight Pure hearts. I shall find the one who have resurrected the 1000 years of death in resulting of 50% of the Ohkuboverse. The legenday Hero, Shinra Kusakabe, has finally returned after his demise by the Time Eater. Now that the Eight Vessels of the Eight Pure Hearts are beginning to make a return in the exchange of exisiting to Real World AU, I shall find the rest of the Eight vessels on my search for the eight pure hearts. But first, I shall give this to you what is left from the former of the eight pillars. (gives the orange pure heart to Sarissa) Now...Returning to base. Beginning new search of the missing right vessels. Farewell. (flies away)

[Doom's Eye - Jun Senoue]

Sarissa : Hey, Thanks so much anyway! Oh well, it flew away back to base. Don't know what's gonna happen next if he finds the other eight vessels of the Eight pure hearts. Very impressive for me that he gave this to me in order to find the missing vessels that were the eight sacrifices used to open the Door to Darkness. I wonder what does that even mean? So tell me, Pink-hair lady that kinda looks like Kimial, I'm her caretaker Sarissa and you must be the lady who was executed 1000 years ago from the Time Eater. Inca Kasugatani, the young lady who sold her heart and soul to the darkness. Just why on earth have you came back for so long after Shinra's death. Why are you here anyway? Here in Real World AU?

Inca Kasugatani : You're quite a noble caretaker is that it? I humbled my gratitude that you would believe that I created a line of witches who would easily find about Shinra returning to his ordinary self in the next years. I would guarantee you that I have a platonic love for him, to think that I'm wickedly insane because of me, I was chosen as a puppet by the will of Demon Vibe. It's will used me as a puppet to destroy his world. I just wanted to reunite with him and feel that I would needed to have forgiveness. I wanted to play with him again.

Sarissa : Reunite with Shinra Kusakabe? No way.

~ Stage 2 : Return of the Witch ~

[sonia-kate]

Racules Did Nothing Wrong (up to 38th ep) Part 1

Alright, let's do this one last time

Episode 1

Grudge with Yanma

Given Racules' shocked reaction to Gira awakening God Kuwagata, we can assume he wasn't aware that Gira has Kuwagon's soul within him (it's been heavily hinted at, so we can safely assume it to be the case here until stated otherwise on the show), so it was a valid assumption that God Kuwagata would awaken when the 5 kings join forces, just like in the Legend of King-Ohger

Now we know that Yanma managed to fill Shugods and OhgerCaliburs with electronics, managing to establish connection between them which resulted in the latter serving a purpose of remote controlers for the former. He failed to establish such connection with God Kabuto and failed to have the God Kuwagata running. Given that no one by then knew that the reason for God Kuwagata's slumber is lack of his power source (the soul), the reason remained a mistery

Now, thanks to Yanma, all the other Shugods were running and other kings could transform and he didn't take part in a procedure that bore a possibility of awakening God Kuwagata. It's pretty easy to see how Racules could have perceived it as Yanma being the reason why he and his country left weaker against the threat of Bugnarok compared to other countries

On top of that we have glipses of their relationship that gives me salty ex-boyfriends vibes, where they used to work closely together but now they hold major grudge against each other (I wonder what happened between them? Hopefully we'll learn more about that)

Not joining the battle to defend Shugoddom

As mentioned in the paragraph above, Racules couldn't have transformed into KuwagataOhger nor could he use God Kuwagata to help, because Kuwagon was still unable to move and only Gira (as he is the one who possesses Kuwagon's soul) could have awakened Kuwagon. As we know from Racules' special which took place between episodes 2 and 3, King-Ohger ZERO also wasn't operational by the time of episode 1

Despite that (and despite what Rita's manga wants us to think), he still dispatched Shugoddom's army to help fight the Sanagim. Without the powers, he would be no better than a random soldier and as a king, he is needed to remain safe to be able to fullfill duties that, unlike fighting, can't be fullfilled by anyone else

Racules' death would result in a vaccum of power on the possition of Shugoddom's king, which would most likely result in in-fighting for this possition or be taken by someone from the close surroundings of the late king, like Douga or Boshimar (friendly reminder that this is Kamejim, though no one, including Racules, knew that back then, so we can't count it into his reasoning at the time). Sure, they may be aware of king's duties and be able to fullfill them, but they still lack the experience and the presence of Racules, who's been doing it for years. After all, it's part of king's duty to maintain people's morale with their charisma and as we know, Racules is an expert with PR, which may not be necessarily true for Douga or Boshimar. Plus, death of Racules would definitely diminish the morale of the whole population. Also, seeing how all the other kings can transform while yours cannot, would be another major blow to morale of people of Shugoddom

During a time of Bugnarok invasion, we can't allow ourselves for creating more turmoils within the nation. But that's not all. Racules is the only one that would be able to operate King-Ohger ZERO once its development would have completed, as well as he is the only one aware of the threat from the space, looming over the whole planet. Since by then we aren't aware of Gira and his powers, summoning of God Kuwagata or God Kuwagata ZERO to form King-Ohger as well as preparing for inevitable advent of Dugded, it all lies on Racules' shoulders and thus he can't die, not yet. He's still needed and has so much responsibilities to get hold of

"People are tools, I am the country"

To do their job, soldiers need their weapons to fight and protect. Builders need hammers, measures and so on. Farmers need plows, hoes, scythes etc. Each occupation has different set of tasks and they have specific sets of tools that allow them to do their job. King's job is to rule the country, to organise, make decisions and ensure that people have everything they need to live. Of course, he can't do everything in the country by himself - that's what the people themselves are for. Only reason why rulers have the power is because the people under them give it to them. King without his subjects is no one and he can't do anything, or rather not much and not very effectively, much like a soldier, a builder or a farmer who try to do their job bare-handed

Also, when a king it killed, his country falls into shambles, just look what happened when Kaguragi stripped Racules of his power in episode 18. Shugoddom fell into hands of Bugnarok, just like that. Also, since it's the king who makes decisions for the country both in terms of internal as well as external politics, every weakness can be exploited against the country they're ruling. A ruler coordinates what people should do so their joined efforts result in benefit for this country

He can't just do things because it would feel good at the very speciffic moment for those few people, he needs to think on the macro scale of things, taking into consideration all the potential consequences that his decisions will have on the whole nation and on the future. That's why the ruler can't just do what he likes, he needs to do what is necessary for the country even if he personally doesn't like it much (Here, look at episode 28, where kings swap bodies and they rule each other's countries the way they like it, without putting much thought into potential consequences of their actions)

King can't let his personally feelings get in the way of the wellbeing of the whole country he's ruling. He can't show his weaknesses or they may become weaknesses of the whole country. The whole country relies on him and thus he can feel the responsibility of all his decisions on his shoulders. A single human shouldn't be tasked with ruling so much all by himself, thus a king needs to transcend the human limitations. King is merely a vessel through which the will of the whole nation is expressed. King himself is merely a tool serving something bigger than himself or anyone else - his nation

And so, during Bugnarok invasion, Racules dispatched his soldiers to help defend the country and its people, while he himself remained in the castle, awaiting a moment where he'll be more useful (ZERO's activation, arrival of Dugded) (compare with episode 23, where Gira sits through the battle in the castle, because he's the only one who'll be able to activate it once it's finally fixed)

[translationandbetrayals]

How the beginning of a manga broke me

a few weeks ago, just before the beginning of the exam period, i was exploring apps like tachiyomi and websites like TMO in order to find something entertaining to read in order to ease the anxiety that the thoyght of the exams provoked, to my surprise, i found a manga from the autor of kaguya-sama love is war, wichalthough i liked the first time i saw the anime, didnt stick with me and just saw it as an ocasional watch when i really dont have anything else to do.

but the opinion i had about aka akasaka completely changed after i read the first few chapters of today´s subject, oshi no ko.( i just started it, im not up to date on the current things in the manga but i think the story starts so well it is worth talking about).

at the start of our story we are met with a doctor called Amemiya Gorou, who took a liking to a particular group of idols called b-komashi, and to its main idol Ai Hoshino, thanks to a cancer patient he onded with, she was called sarina and sadly passed away before the events of the series, as we keep reading the first chapter gorou sees a news article about Ai taking a break from her career, as he reads the news article, he is interrupted by the arrival of a new patient, a pregnant 16 year old girl with an older guy who acts as her guardian, while readieng the patient´s history it seems oddly familiar to him, as the girl takes of the cap she was wearing it is revealed that the girl is in fact Ai Hoshino, after monitoring the pregnancy and noticing they were twins and everything seeming all right, our soon to be protagonist (trust me you will get in a few moments why i say this) Gorou and Ai have a talk on the roof of the hospital, being the main theme of this conversation the future of ai´s career and how idols lie and shine even withouth hope, gorou even referring to himself as a hopeless slave.

after a while, on the date the twins were set to be born, everything seems fine, gorou goes for a brief night walk, when a misterious gay with a hoodie asks him if he is the doctor in charge of Hoshino Ai, goru, surprised as this is supposed to be a secret, after a brief talk and a getaway of the man, pursues him in order to ask him where did he get this information, only to be hit by the man on the back of his head and day in an instant, but surprisingly, he was not in heaven or hel, nor in any kind of afterlife, after having a brief flashback about sarina, and a conversation they had about being born as the son of an idol, with the contacts and appearence to be a star, he is reborn as one of the twins that ai gave birth, the other twin being a female, now revorn as aquamarine hoshino alongside ruby hoshinom who he discovers also is a reincarnated person who kept all her memories,(us, the reader find out almost immediately that ruby is the reincarnation of sarina but aquamarine/gorou does not) lives a happy life alongside his new family, or thats what it seems until years later, one fateful day, a similar figure to the one that killed gorou appears in the secret apartment where ai and her kids are liveng and stabs  in the stomach, witouth no one who could help her the killer make sa escapeas the twins cry holding their dying mother, it is revealed that although, the killer is just a random guy who got the information from the twins dad, it is the twins dad the one behind gorou´s and ai´s murders and aquamarine swears he is going to make him pay.

i just read until here but with this beginnign i spent several days thinking about it and just wondering if life really is that easy to lose, and how even hopeless people can help to make shine the world of others, also i have heard wonderful things about this manga´s depiction of the idol industry and how the twins plqan to rise in it, im planing to continue reading this now that the semester is over and i really hope it keeps up to the expectatives

Samuel Farías

[viky2318]

Hey! It's my first time here and I have no idea of what I'm doing, but I'm having fun so I'll keep doing it!

Hotland, Underground

Muffet was waiting at her bakersale. A misterious letter told her to wait for a "fabulous person" to talk about a certain buisness. The letter was kinda fancy, and the person seemed to have a huge ego. But they talked also about money, and that's what she needed right now. She needed to buy a little van to bring the spiders in the Ruins outside of it. But she didn't have enough money to buy it, and she also had the bakery and her clan to keep safe. She took a cup of tea and quietly took a sip, thinking about the last months. None of the other clans wanted to help her cause, and the other monsters weren't willing to help. And if her calculations were correct (and they always were), she would have needed at least two years of selling at least five donuts and five croissants at day. Sometimes a good soul made a tiny donation in the Ruins, buying a donut or a cider, but she couldn't count on unregular entrances for this kind of prevision. A sweet voice interrupted her thoughts. "Good afternoon, darling". She turned around to see a tall figure in a coat that let only the head uncovered. It had short black hairs that covered the right eye. The other eye was black and looking at her with superiority. The voice was familiar, yet she couldn't recognize it. "Good afternoon mister. Who are you?" Muffet asked politely. The man smiled and answered: "oh, you don't need to know little lady. All you need to know is that I need you to do something for me". The fact that she couldn't know the name of the man was a little annoying, but she appreciated the fact that the guy went right to the point. "What is it, and what will I have in exchange?" the spider asked. He sat on her table and simply answered: "I need you to capture the human that recently fell in the underground and take away their soul, then give it to me. You will have 150000 G". Oh. This wasn't expected. But a human soul? Is kind of risky... But from what she heard this human was just a kid... And all those money... She thought about it for a little bit, then slowly shook her head and sweetly smiled. She wasn't going to kill a kid. "You really want me to kill a child? Even if they do are a human, they never hurted us". The man huffed, then tilted his head on one side and said: "well, that's not completely true. I heard humans hate unconditionally spiders. They love to stomp them, to kill them. To tear away their legs, one by one". What?!? Who in earth could only think about doing such horrid things to an innocent spider?! The man kept speaking. "This human in specific is pretty violent, and have a certain amount of fun by doing it". Ok, this changed everything. "Well if this is the case, then you'll have their soul for sure" Muffet declared. The man's smile widened, and he took a little bag from under the coat. He put the bag in her hands and said:"Here, an anticipation. Do your best darling". With that said, he got up and walked away. Muffet looked at him going away, and after a while it seemed... Changing? Huh, nevermind. Too distant to see clearly. She looked in the bag at the shining coins. "Yes" she mumbled. "This is going to help our cause".

Hope you liked this tiny scenario! I think I'll keep doing those things, maybe with other games even?

[uhlatcha]

BEGINNING OF END - ATEEZ DREAM CATCHER AU - CHAPTER SIX: THE WAREHOUSE

AO3 | WATTPAD | MASTERLIST | VIDEO TEASER PLAYLIST |

STORY SUMMARY: A group of teenager boys found confort in each other and in the dreams they share, but what they don't know is that a group of girls in a boarding school not far from their city, who hide a powerful secret can change completely their lives, puting not only their dreams in danger, but also the destiny of the world.

FANDOMS: DREAMCATCHER AND ATEEZ

WORD COUNT: 2545 

GENRE: FANFIC, SCIFI, FANTASY, MISTERY.

DISCLAIMER:

This is a work of fiction influenced by Ateez and Dreamcatcher respective lores. I used a lot of references and canon stuff, but also made some changes so both worlds can work together.

NOTES: ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE, ANY FEEDBACKAS ARE WELCOME.

Seonghwa and Yunho were at the school gates waiting for Hongjoong so they could head to the warehouse when Seonghwa's phone started hanging.

I am on detention.

Don't want to light the rage of all powerful Eden, or he will lock me inside the campus like a prisoner.

You can go without me.

"Hongjoong is not coming." Seonghwa announced, frowning. "He is on detention."

"Guess it's going to be just the two of us then, since Woo has some club stuff and Jongho has basketball practice."

"I am here too." they heard a voice coming from the bushes beside the school, then they saw Mingi coming out with a mischievous smile.

"You are impossible." Yunho commented, shocked once again with his friend's boldness. Mingi just shrugged, and the three of them walked together to the warehouse.

"Me? Look who's talking?! I bet you parents don't know you came to school today." Mingi said, shouldering Yunho playfully.

"You are not wrong about that." Yunho admits, shrugging as they walked side by side, entering the old path to the warehouse

"I was going crazy at home, dude. I couldn't stand that for any longer."

"You did right." Seonghwa, who looked a bit down, said. "Coming back and keeping busy with school stuff helps to get you out of your mind."

"That's a shitty advice. He needs to have fun, not dive into school work." Mingi commented.

"I think balance is important." Yunho said, laughing as they reached the corner shop.

It was Yunho's first time being around that place after what happened to his brother. The three boys stopped at the store sidewalk, Yunho's eyes, following to the interstate road ahead. For a second, it was night, and he saw the flashing lights of the ambulance and the commotion, the sirens, the blood. He shook his head, swapping the memories away.

"I'll grab us some coke. You should get going." Mingi announced, holding Yunho by his shoulders, trying to hide the worried look on his face. "Do you want any other snacks?"

"Just a coke is good." Yunho said, still looking at the road.

"Park Seonghwa?" Mingi asked, looking at the other.

"I am good." Seonghwa said, touching Yunho's shoulders and pulling him away. "Let's go?"

Yunho nodded, staring at Seonghwa, trying not to look so affected, then followed his friend towards the opposite direction, where the tall trees by the dist road led the way to their refuge.

Wooyoung was the one who found out about the warehouse. He was at dinner in the house of his father's boss, and heard one of his father's coworkers talking about the place. It was an old mirror factory, now abandoned. The company was trying to get rid of the ware house, selling it, but no one seemed interested in their location, so it had been a bit more than a year since the boys were using the spot as it were their own.

It was bitter to Yunho be back there, since it was the place he was at when his brother accident happened, but it was also comforting. That old ware house held a lot of memories, and he was shocked to realize that place felt more like home than his actual house did.

"Want to start home work while Mingi is not here?" Seonghwa suggested and Yunho nodded. Yunho knew Mingi would distract him from it the minute he arrived at the ware house, so he agreed.

They were working on their papers when Yunho noticed Seonghwa fidgeting.

"Hey, are you good?" he asked."You seem nervous."

"I am okay, I just the finals are coming and I feel like I am a bit too much behind my study schedules. I don't want to... I can't have bad grades, Is our last year... I need perfect grades to get in a good college. "

"Come on, Hwa, you have perfect grades." Yunho said. "From all of us, you are the most likely to get in the best college. Well... you and Jongho, but he still have a whole school year to think about it. You need to relax a bit."

"I know, Joong told me the same last night when we stayed up late studying here. I got him out so late that now he is on detention because of me."

"He's not on detation because of you, he's on detention because of Eden." You pointed, his voice a bit harsh as he said the principal's name.

Everyone knew Eden wasn't fond of Hongjoong, at nether of them to be honest.

"I wish he had someone who cared for him... a family" Seonghwa said, talking about Hongjoong.

"He has" Yunho said. "Us."

***

"The infirmary is on the first floor of the administrative building." Wooyoung explained, leading San through the school campus. "If you turn that corner, you'll find the library. The sports center is on the other side of campus, the school teams are practicing now, that's why I didn't take you there. But it is just like any other sports center in the country, the field, the court, and everything. I can show it to you another day before classes begin."

Wooyoung had met San at the courtyard by the end of the classes so he could show him around the school since he couldn't do it because he was late that morning.

San was surprised by Wooyoung's enthusiasm. He was talking with San the whole way about how some bathrooms were better than others and how some teachers were kinder than others. He also talked about the sports and the clubs.He even offered to help him with the school work.

"I guess I showed you everything." Wooyoung said, and San believed him, given the fact that they have walked for so long in so many different directions. "Do you have any questions?"

"No, thanks for everything." San said.

"Oh, I almost forgot, give me your cellphone." Wooyoung said, standing his hand to San.

"Are you trying to rob me or something?" San asked, after staring in confusion at Wooyoung for a few seconds.

Wooyoung laughed.

"No, silly, I just want to put my number on it." He said.

San grabbed his phone on his backpack and handed it to Wooyoung, who typed his number and handed the phone back to Wooyoung.

"Text me if you need anything, or if you just want to hang out." Wooyoung said, winking at San. "I have to go now, sign language club meeting."

"Oh, okay. Thank you again. See you around."

Wooyoung left, running towards one of the school buildings. San was really surprised by how welcome Wooyoung made him feel. He had that energy that made him feel comfortable and at home. It was like they had known each other before, for a long time. San brushed the though away. He couldn't get so relaxed and used to people there. He was probably going to move again very soon, making friends was a stupid idea.

He started walking towards the school gates, and outside, he saw a familiar face. It was the boy who helped him with the books earlier that morning. What was his name again?

It looked like he was waiting for someone. San was approaching him when a fancy car parked, and the boy walked towards it. He didn't look happy at all as he entered the car. He looked back and saw San staring at him. He waved at the boy who gave him a goodbye look.

***

Hongjoong trew his things on his bed at the dorm with a tired sigh. He had just came back after detention. He cleaned the boys' locker room and the bleachers all by himself after the basket team had finished their practice. He was so tired, but he still had to write a dissertation on how irresponsible he was.

At his point, he should already be used to Eden's strictness and his constant attempts to make Hongjoong's life harder.

The principal Eden was legally Hongjoong's tutor until he finishes school. And w wn thought everyone ways said Hongjoong that the man cared about him, Hongjoong had his doubts.

He really believed Eden barely tolerated him because he had to, only until his graduation, when he was no longer to be his problem.

But still Hongjoong didn't understand what Eden disliked so much about him. He had some predisposition to be a rebel, that he couldn't deny, he had this longing for freedom inside of him. But he was also a good student, his grades were amazing and he was in a lot of school clubs, mainly related to arts. He was also dedicated to all his activities, and friendly to everyone who approaches him. He was a good boy, and he just wanted Eden to see that.

***

The boys were all there when Woonyoung got to the warehouse, except for Hongjoong and Jongho, but he knew already whn Jongho would be.

"He really did stand us up because of that girl." Wooyoung said with a sly grim.

"Who?" Mingi, who was playing basketball with Yunho, asked.

"Jongho." Wooyoung explained, walking on Seonghwa's direction. "He's all lovey dovey with the first girl in class."

"Who could have imagined that our younger would be the first of us to get a girl? They grow up so fast." said Seonghwa, who was sitting at a table in the middle of the ware house trying to fix an old drone they bought to film their dance practices, the drone Hongjoong had already broken, sounding like a mother.

"I would.' Yunho said, back at playing with Mingi. "He's a total flirt, and he is in the basketball team, girls love jocks."

"This is useless." Woo said to Seonghwa. "It's gone for good."

"I will keep trying other time." Seonghwa said, sighing.

"Let's practice." Woo said. "The inter school event is getting closer. Now we have Mr Jeon Choreographer Yunho back. We might have a chance to win the contest."

Yunho smiled at Woo and hugged him, encouraging his friend. Wooyoung was really excited about the inter school event. It was going to be their first try at dancing by the eyes of an audience, what made him equally excited and terrified.

He had a huge case of stage fright, and all the times he tried to overcome it, he failed. But things were different now. Having his friends with him gave him the confidence he needed to overcome his fear.

At least, that was what he wanted to believe in.

***

It was starting to get dark when the boys left the ware house, Yunho had to get home before his parents got home from work. Mingi walked alone to the opposite way his friends were heading. He loved at the other side of the city, at the same neighborhood Jongho lived, but since his friend didn't showed up, he was going home alone.

He couldn't stop thinking about what was Jongho doing. He was with that girl from earlier, the short one who had the audacity to hand him a form so he could ask for academic help.

Mingi took the form from his back pocket and looked at it. The girls phone number scrambled at the top of the form in a neat calligraphy and pink ink. He stared at the form for a few seconds.

"She was sure brave for approaching me." Mingi said to himself, a small smile on his lips as he entered his neighborhood and shoved the form back at his pocket.

He got closer to Jongho's house and sneak at the side of the house as he heard voices approaching the front porch.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?" Jongho asked.

"No it's fine." the girl said. "My mom will pick me up on the hill. She's probably already there waiting for me."

"Okay then." Jongho said, approaching the girl and holding her hand. Whit his other hand he gently touched her cheek. "Today was nice." he said and she smiled, nodding.

"See you at school tomorrow, text me when you got home."

She nodded again and waved him goodbye, then headed up the hill at the end of the street.

"You really stood Yunho up because of a girl?" Mingi said, looking disgusted at Jongho.

"I had already committed to meeting her before I found out that Yunho was going to show up at school today. So it's not like I stood him up." Jongho defended himself.

"Still." Mingi said. "He is your friend and is in need of some... distraction. You should be more loyal to him than to some random girl."

"Look, I am sorry, okay. I want to help Yunho, but you guys are overreacting. He seems okay, to be honest."

"You know how he is." Mingi commented. "He is just hiding how he is really feeling because he doesn't want to worry us."

"I guess you are the master of hiding feeling, so you are the one who should know this." Jongho teased him.

"Oh, you are so funny, I bet that girl laughed at all your lame jokes, and now you think you are a comedian." Mingi said, pinching his cheeks aggressively. "You are so cute."

Jongho pushed him away, his face red like a tomato.

"Stop it, you are unbearable, you know?!"

"That's my talent." Mingi said, smiling with irony."

"Have you eaten?" Jongho asked, turning his back to get in the house.

"I had a coke at the warehouse." Mingi said, shrugging.

"Come in, I am making dinner for when my mom gets home, we can stay and eat us."

Mingi smirked but didn't protest and followed his friend inside. It was not like he had a better place to go.

***

"Hi dear, why don't you go wash up so we can have dinner together in a few minutes?" Yeosang's mother asked by his door.

He was sat at his desk, working on a project from his robotics club, his face a bit dirt of lube oil.

"I'll head to shower. Give me just a minute." He said, still messing with the circuits.

"Don't take too long, okay? Your father will be home soon." She said, touching his shoulder and looking at him with affection.

He nodded, and she left the room. Yeosang was really thankful for his mother. She was caring and kind. And she always supported him in his interests. Different from his father, who was always trying to make him to be who he wasn't.

He opened a drawer on his desk and put the circuits cautiously inside of it, then headed to the bathroom.

The hot water wasn't helping. He should have taken a cold shower to clear his mind. But he didn't, so when he left for dinner, now clean and dressed, he was still thinking about the recital to come.

He wasn't practicing enough. He was the first thing he thought when he saw his father already sitting at the table.

Yeosang kept quiet, sitting beside his mother, eating in silence, praying that his father was too tired to try and start a conversation.

"How was practice today?" The man asked.

"It was good." Yeosang lied. He hadn't practiced at all.

"I want to see you playing after dinner." The man said. "The recital is near, I want to make sure you are ready."

Yeosang nodded, even though he wasn't ready. He didn't even want to be part of that. The inter school fair. His father was the main sponsor, so he wanted to show Yeosang off.

When diner was over, Yeosang tried to sneak out of the table with the excuse he was tired and had to go to school early, but of course his father wouldn't let him scape so easily. So he headed to the living room violin in hand, ready to face his doom.

[ithinktoomuch-05]

heya, Amy

I know you'll probably see this at some point, so I guess I shouldn't worry whether I'm writing this in vain or not, and though I treat this as a lost letter sent long ago, from a very different time, to a very different person, I can't help but acknowledge that I'm writing this in the present, late at night, over the calming rain, alongside some mellow traffic in the distance, for a friend-now-stranger that's possibly disgusted at the very thought of me, at best.

Yet many long hours spent stressing over our dismantled friendship still keep me from trying to disappear completely from your life. I'll never be able to fully grasp who I was or what I was to you, friend or not, but it's crystal clear I wasn't a healthy person at all, which led to me being an absolute fucking idiot almost, if not, all of that time. I'll never, in the remainder of my life, be able to fix or change anything I've done in the past, but I'm better for it. I'm sorry for my behaviour, I'm sorry for who I was, I'm sorry for how I acted. It's not poetic, it's not artistic, it's just guilt, that I've felt for the longest time now. Now, that time has passed, I realized that my actions were ill guided. And that leaving me behind, in the past, was the correct call for both of us, I guess.

I intended to do the honourable thing and get to the point, but I just couldn't bring myself to message you again this time of year, only to remain mute for the rest of it, without the slightest clue to myself as to why. My memories of you were, are, and always will be simply too precious in my mind, for me to not send this message into the void with a small yellow "I'm sorry" note attached to it.I thank you for the time you spent with me, for the conversations, jokes, late night replies we had, for everything you were for me, when you helped, listened, laughed and talked to me, when you were my closest friend. I can't find the right words for it, but that time is for me... genuinely irreplaceable.

You'll always be a mistery to me. A seemingly open book filled with unknown language. Sophisticated inner workings and a delicate beautiful hard cover, with a strange nihilistic aura to you. I was (and honestly still am) so jealous of how good you were at everything, from interacting with people and witty instant replies, to how organised and disciplined you were, to how good you spoke in French, to how free you acted and thought and to how you always wrote better poetry than I could ever have written. I always admired your display. I never knew you; I never knew what to expect from you. And I suppose I never will be able to.

All of that being said, I wish you a happy birthday 🎉🎉🎉!!!! I hope everything you desire finds you well, I hope your every wish comes true, I hope you have fun and enjoy everything you can enjoy, and last but not least I hope you continue being you, the you I never fully understood, the strong, adventurous, funny, self sustaining, drop dead gorgeous, emotional, creative, passionate you. ❤️🪨

[proudpokemonmama]

Kelly's Ultra Beasts

All Kelly's ultra beasts thats she helped catch but wanted to stay by her side.

Flare, the Blacephalon (gender unknow)

Move set: Calm Mind, Will-o-wisp, Fire Blast, Shadow ball, Hidden power, Uproar, Psychic, Smack Down, Sunny Day, Magic coat.

Ability: Beast Boost

Kelly's encounter with these three Ultra Beasts took place around the time she found out about her now-ex-boyfriend having an affair;

Kelly had earned a month off from her responsibilities and commitments as a pop idol because the label she was contracted with knew that she was mentally unable to fulfill her schedule and needed to soften any damage to her image and career after the scandal;

Fortunately, thanks to Arceus for her, there was nothing negative that would harm her in her professional life;

(The same couldn't be said for Kelly's ex, mainly because Nessa wrecked what little was left of his image and career);

And the Blacephalon that came to be known as Flare was the first Ultra Beast she encountered during her short stay in Alola;

She was taking a stroll in the night along the beach being away from the crowd that attended a festival on Melemele Island and without the company of any of her pokémon because she wanted to have some time alone;

Around the time of the fireworks display she sat on the shore close enough that the small waves that broke against the shore touched her feet;

Before she knew it she was trying to hold back her tears, she was still in denial about all happened;

No one could blame her, unfortunately she had fallen in love with that scoundrel and was angry and frustrated with everything that happened;

It was just so sudden, the guy she had been dating for nearly a year had never loved her and was just using her;

The man who made her heart flutter and skip some beats and said pledges of love and words of appreciation, it was all just a lie and making her feel like a complete idiot for believing someone like him;

And what made it worse was the fact that he cheated on her with her sister who she never had a good relationship with;

Trying to busy herseft to not think about that idiot she started humming, inevitably she started singing sad emotional songs;

She just hugged her knees as she hid her face, let the tears and her suffocated cries take over only to be silenced by the fireworks exploding in the sky in a beautiful light show;

Kelly was having a mental breakdown from all the stress she had been trying to hide and deny, but finally letting all her emotions wash over her;

As she cried she hadn't realized how her empathic powers were out of control and attracted a very peculiar creature that was apparently a pokémon that gently wiped the tears from her eyes;

The creature had a humanoid body, and its yellow, pink, blue, and white appearance and color scheme reminded it of a Pierrot Clown or something similar to a trapeze artist's fantasies;

Getting out of her dazed state, she wiped away the rest of her tears and thanked it for its kindness, but also apologized for bothering it with something so trivial;

Not knowing that creature was an ultra beast that is said to be a dangerous being, but feeling how hurt the human in front of it through her empathy was creating an unpleasant feeling inside the ultra beast;

Then taking pity on her the ultra beast began to do odd and funny dances or juggles with its head which every now and then made bursts of light like fireworks;

This cheered the young pop idol who started to sing some improvised melodies to accompany the small show of that mysterious pokémon and was even being dragged by the misterious pokémon itself to join the fun;

The two spent some time dancing with the mysterious pokémon still juggling its head or making light explosions and Kelly just played in the water while dancing and singing letting a few laughs escape;

After a few minutes she was tired, but still laughing, sat by the sea and watched the night sky a little before looking at the pokémon thanking him for the kind gesture in consoling her, courtesy of a bow that artists do in gratitude to the public;

Kelly kept talking to the Ultra beast until she realized how late it was and needed to go back and knowing that her pokémon would give her a good scolding (well, Seiji would);

Saying goodbye she headed straight for the beach house in a remote area where she had been living for the time being in her sudden stay in Alola and as expected Seiji was waiting on the porch of the beach house ready to lecture his trainer when he felt a presence of a powerful being who alarmed him;

Some of her other pokémon like Arthur the haxorus, Hortensy the alolan ninetales, Diane the [midnight form] lycanroc and Lancelot the toxicroak broke out of their Poké Balls going into a fighting stance while placing themselves between Kelly and the possible threat;

Only for the supposed threat to be the Blacephalon that had followed Kelly since when they were at the beach they had a lot of fun and didn't want to say goodbye to her;

Even having just met her, the ultra beast felt that they were longtime buddies and wanted to stay by her side and even with her other pokémon being afraid they let the newest companion join them;

Just in case Kelly visited Kukui who had a heart attack seeing Kelly casually walking in the company of an Ultra Beast;

Kukui explained about the Ultra beast and Kelly was amazed that such a creature exists, she just found it hard to believe that they were threats after all the blacephalon she named Flare was quite friendly;

Not long after Faba, one of the Aether Foundation researchers arrived and to say that he was astonished to see the ultra beast with her was not enough to describe how amazed he was;

The most impressive thing for them is to see how the supposed creature labeled as dangerous in the region was being so docile and friendly;

After a long discussion Kelly was allowed to keep the Ultra beast in her possession, since just at the mention of trying to return it where it belongs made the creature fuss and throw a tantrum like a child;

Flare is powerful and after training under Kelly's tutelage it has become even more formidable gaining a spot between the main team and backup team as its trainer needs to modify strategies;

Once back in Galar, Flare is a tough pokémon to deal with in battle (words from the gym leaders themselves and the champion himself) and a sweetheart with Kelly (and Isabel, the idol's grandparents and some other Kelly's relatives) while it is a little impidimp pulling pranks or scaring her friends (Raihan hates it with all his might);

(Not to mention that the first time Flare ran into Kelly's scoundrel ex-boyfriend trying to come up with excuses to try to get her to take him back resulted in him being blown to the other side of Galar and gaining approval from all Kelly's Pokemon).

Lokine AKA Loki, the Buzzwole (gender unknow)

Move set: Dual chop, Hammer Arm, Toxic, Roost, Earthquake, Taunt, Ice Punch, Fell Stinger, Thunder Punch, Smack Down.

Ability: Beast Boost

Lokine also known as Loki for short was the second Ultra Beast captured by Kelly and again allowed to be kept in her possession as she is an extremely strong trainer and could be of great help in the future;

(Kelly even received some Beast Balls, but she insisted on paying for them);

In the last two weeks of the month off that the label that Kelly is signed to gave her, the pop idol was trying to resume her routine in order to overcome everything that happened between her and her now ex;

She sheduled her day between training her pokémon, composing new songs to vent her emotions and frustrations, rehearsing songs with her PokéBand, creating and practicing new choreographies and working out;

She had previously been advised that a mini-tour in Alola was organized in order to re-establish her image and get back on track with commitments as a pop idol;

Her first appointment would be to be a special speaker at the pokémon school for a week and there would be live broadcasts on social media in order to alleviate the concern of fans that Kelly had been inactive for the last month and not giving any news publicly;

Having been raised in Unova she told about pokémon found only there and about the gym challenge;

She obviously favored Nimbasa admitting to being suspicious about it as she also commented on how much she loves Subway Battle;

(Only resulting in Emmet spamming the chat like a big brother figure proud of his little sister);

She even battled Kukui's students by sharing with them knowledge gained during her journey and giving them advice;

That's when Seiji, the samurott felt a strange presence and alarmed everyone;

Not long after Flare, the Blacephalon broke out of its Poké Ball upon sensing an Ultra Wormhole opening up and an earthquake soon ensuing;

Soon they heard the school bell resound and Kukui explained to Kelly about Ultra beasts and that his class was part of a newly created task force with their duty to help capture and return ultra beasts to ultra space;

She promptly volunteered to join them in the search as she had pokémon that would be of great help to cover larger areas and still be discreet;

And yes, she was also referring to some of the legendaries in her possession like Starry the Deoxys and or Dorothy the banette of her main team since the safity of civillians was more important;

Kelly ended the live stream as she would not risk the safety of the filming and production staff and joined the search while riding Katherine, her charizard and taking with her Seiji the samurott back to the pokéball in addition to Dorothy the banette used her ghost-type atributes and psychic-type moves to fly while Flare the Blacephalon was riding with her;

Despite the clear traces left by the Ultra Beast, it took some time to actually find him and they saw it fighting a group of Machamps and some officers who were trying to contain the Ultra Beast that was wreaking havoc in the city;

During the search she sent Starry and Dorothy in another directions from then the one she went to enlarge the search area not before giving orders to avoid direct confrontation and prioritizing the safety of civilians and lure the ultra beast out of the city;

It was already night, but they could not end the searches for the sake of the civilians;

Kelly already had suspicions because the Pokémon left a “profile” of its actions and usually destroyed or trow large and extremely heavy objects around or challenged bulky Pokémon to show off its strength;

They finally managed to spot the said ultra beast with the appearance of a humanoid insect with ridiculously swollen muscles fighting against a group of Machamps trying to contain the creature while police evacuated the area;

What was a small clue that emphasized the train of thought was when the ultra beast started doing poses to show off its muscles after defeating the now knocked out Machamp;

What was confirmed when Flare commented that it knew that ultra beast, or rather that specific buzzwole since it was looking for strong opponents to challenge them and display its strength being somewhat arrogant about;

They have had clashes a few times as that buzzwole created a one-sided rivalry with Flare who had zero interest in said rivalry and always defeated buzzwole;

Not to mention that before meeting Kelly, Flare had virtually zero interest in battling and the pop idol's unique battling style was what sparked her will to battling while putting on a show;

The authorities had evacuated the area so Kelly commanded Katherine and Flare to use fire-type moves towards the sky causing a non damaging explosion to get the ultra beast's attention;

She immediately challenged the ultra beast to lure it away from the city and into the forest;

While trying to lure the buzzwole away from the city, they were surprised by the ultra beast that knocked Katherine down with a powerful Hammer arm and everyone went to the ground;

Fortunately Katherine managed to shield Kelly from most of the impact as they crashed near a high coastal area;

Kelly was ready to Mega Evolve Katherine who was still in battle condition when Flare took the lead in battle;

Kelly was taken aback by Flare's initiative and questioned whether it really wanted to fight as it would be the first real battle the fire and ghost-type ultra beast would face;

Receiving confirmation from Flare, Kelly just smiled ready to start the battle not knowing that the film crew had followed her and continued the stream having the chance to witness and stream the moment of Kelly singing a new song to coordinate Flare during the battle;

Battle that was almost relatively difficult even though Flare had some advantage against Buzzwole and at a time when the blacephalon was cornered Kelly took a risk to save Flare from danger;

This buzzwole was the strongest among its kind and when it started to act arrogant about it it was isolated from the colony and seeing Kelly risking herself for others is something that ultra beast hadn't experienced in a long time;

The bug and fighting type ultra beast could only think about its past actions, buzzwole was powerful but had no one to share it with or have someone tobe the reason to become stronger;

That's when Kelly surprised it by saying that it really was painful to feel alone and not have anyone to share all the good times or someone to share the burden in the hard times;

She also said that no matter how strong the ultra beast is, it's still very small compared to the rest of the world or universe and that's why having someone who can share and be there for each other in those moments is what makes them even stronger;

Kelly offered to be that person along with all her pokémon and invited it to join her;

Buzzwole said nothing, just stared at her before knelt to show respect with a bow and allowed itself to be cautgh with a beast ball;

Once again, the Aether Paradise Foundation could do nothing about sending the buzzwole now named Lokine back to Ultra Space and implying it was kept in Kelly's possession;

Training with Kelly made the ultra beast now known as Lokine or just Loki saw it the way she talked about how the world is vast and there are always new powerful opponents and challenges which would result in Loki becoming more modest and humble with its strength beyond have great respect for its treiner;

But it's obvious Lokine still loves showing off its muscles, mostly to show off Kelly's hard work training it so diligently;

Also, Lokine's very gentle and polite sweetheart unless heres a treat that wants harm Kelly or her family;

(By the way still back in Alola Kelly got a good scolding not only from her mother and grandparents but also from Ingo and Kabu a few hours later of the battle against Lokine.)

Shun, the Kartana (Gender unknow)

Move set: Swords Dance, Leaf Blade, Sacred Sword, Giga Impact, Smart strike, Knock off, Defog, Synthesis, Air Cutter, X-Scissor

Ability: Beast Boost

Shun was the third and last ultra beast that Kelly met and was placed under her care;

Kelly was in a new commitment to her schedule of resuming her routine as a pop idol and was making a special appearance as a commentator in a Pokémon battle championship at a festival;

But she wasn't alone, as being out of the Galar championship challenge season, Raihan was invited to have a special participation representing the region;

In the middle of one of the matches one of the screens in the arena was suddenly cut in half and was about to fall into the stands, but Kelly had been faster and sent Dorothy to use psychic picking up the debris;

That's while Raihan commanded his flygon to use Dragon claw and destroy the debris;

She received a notification from Kukui warning of a new Ultra Beast and warning her to be careful which she confirmed as she sent other of her pokémon to help evacuate the arena;

Once all the spectators and the staff were safe, she coordinated her pokémon and ultra beast to help in the search for the new ultra beast, but always prioritizing the safety of civilians;

Raihan did the same and both took different directions to cover more areas during the search;

But luck was not on their side as a storm was taking over and making the search difficult;

It was when Kelly was alerted by Dorothy that she felt a presence and when they went to investigate they were some grunts of an evil organization that she knew from her journey days in Kanto: Team Rocket;

They were attacking a small creature that looked like an origami samurai doll that was an ultra beast known as Kartana, Grass and Steel type;

And even for an ultra beast, Team Rocket's henchmen were very well-prepared and certainly had spies infiltrated in the region to gather information;

But as expected Kelly intervened by commanding her pokémon in a fervent battle and got the ultra beast by placing the respective beast ball safely in her backpack;

During the fight one of the attacks of one of the Rocket team's pokémon hit a dam that was destroyed and because of the storm it resulted in a flood that swept the area where Kelly was;

She immediately called her Pokémon back to their Poké Balls before grabbing a rock to avoid being carried away by the current while Team Rocket managed to flee, luckily unable to take the ultra beast;

She wasn't with her partner Seiji, Dorothy or Starry who she had left along with some of Kukui's students to deal with a fire caused by Kartana who had cut down poles at a power plant;

As for her band pokémon were at home rehearsing new songs and her ultra beasts were helping to rescue civilians and pokémon where Kartana caused havoc so she didn't have any pokémon that could fly or use psychic to get her out of there;

She was still struggling to keep her grip on the rock that was her only salvation and ended up being hit by a branch knocking her out and being dragged by the current, but was saved by Raihan riding Kelly's gyarados;

Kelly was already unconscious when Ryo took them to a safe place and Raihan needed to do CPR on her before urgently taking her to the hospital with the help of Amaya, Kelly's Rayquaza who sensed the danger in which Kelly would be, the said pokémon came from Galar to Alola to protect its trainer;

Kelly woke up in the hospital three days later and all the time Kartana was watching over her rest, as she ended up being exposed to danger trying to protect that Kartana who now recognized her as its master;

The Aether Paradise Foundation tried to ask for Raihan's help to send Kartana back to ultra space, but knowing knowing how attached the said creature was to Kelly he didn't bother to try;

After all, Kartana proved to be irreducible and when it interpreted any way of aproaching as some kind of threat against Kelly, the ultra beast became hostile without causing real damage, much like when they tried to convince Dorothy to leave the hospital when the ghost-type puppet pokémon was reunited with the pop idol;

The said ghost-type pokémon didn't even listen to the GALAR CHAMPION back then;

Kartana was placed in Kelly's possession and given the name "Shun" after a warrior from Johto's folklore;

And once back in Galar, Kelly got a good scolding from her mother and not even Shun could save her from that;

To celebrate Kelly's resumption in her pop idol career along side with singer and elite trainer, the label had prepared a big show where she presented all her new compositions and in the middle of the show her ex invaded the stage trying to ask for a new chance;

Only to be humiliated by her singing a new song making it clear that she doesn't want him back in her life ever again and getting a new look mid-show thanks to Shun;

She had asked Shun to cut her hair very short and her ex knew he had no more chances with her since Kelly had commented on a common habit in her family that when someone wants to get over a relationship, especially a love relationship that didn't work out, it's normal cutting their hair and abandoning their old self and adopting a new one;

Some of Kelly's fans went crazy and couldn't stop gushing how beautiful and sexy she looked with short hair;

Her fanbase created many memes about how she evolved just like a pokémon or creating "cult" memes about Kelly having short hair is equal to a goddess or upgrade memes;

(Well, not that certain trainers who have a crush on her could disagree whit her fanbase).