Tumgik
#also something I wanted to note but it's speculation so I'm putting it in the tags
meraki-yao · 6 months
Text
Transcription and Translation of Taylor's Little Red Book Livestream (9th December 2023, to the best of my ability)
Q: Question A: Answer
Side Banters:
H: Host T: Taylor Anything in brackets: me or additional elaboration
Q: Asking him to share his experience of city walking in Shanghai earlier today
A: They went to Yu Garden which Taylor said was incredible, and he tried 糖葫蘆 Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese sweet which is candied Chinese Hawthorn
Q: How was the past few days for him and where did he go
A: He's been in China for four nights now (He came by himself btw) First night he stayed at the J Hotel which is the third tallest building in the world and the tallest hotel in the world. After that, he went to 濮院 (the venue for the GQ event) for two nights and it was incredible
Q: How's his jetlag?
A: It's hitting right now 😂 He's been drinking a lot of tea and getting better
Q: What led him to choose to become an actor instead of a competitive swimmer
A: That was an easy choice, he swan for 10 years and then decided he didn't want to swim in college, and then decided he didn't want to be a doctor (his brother's a doctor) and maybe disappointed his parents (H: No way!) It was a hard decision but he decided to move to LA and pursue acting (H: and you made it!)
Q: How is he enjoying being an actor?
A: It's tough, ups and downs. It's kind of like swimming, it's an individual activity, but you also get to collaborate with the community, which is fun.
Q: What are his favourite three movies and why?
A: The Matrix, Fight Club and Interstellar, he likes movie with a twist
Q: What type of music does he like
A: Deep House, Tropical House, Reggaeton
And then the host taught him a couple of Chinese phrases
Q: What sparked his interest in fashion
A: His dad bought him a subscription to GQ when he was younger which started his interest in fashion, and then he started watching fashion-related movies (like Brad Pitt in Allied) which further cultivated that interest. Maybe in the future, he'll try out characters like that
Q: Did he meet any friends in the GQ event?
A: He met Li Xian who he met in Italy earlier, otherwise met a lot of new people.
Q: Why is he passionate about being eco-friendly when it comes to fashion?
A: It was inspired initially by his mom. They lived in the countryside with horses, cows, and fields away from the city, and he has seven siblings (he's the sixth oldest/ third youngest) so there are a lot of hand-me-downs and not a lot of new things, so the family kept on using the same things. He gained a deeper awareness of the issue in recent years.
Q: Talk a bit about fashion sustainability
A: A lot of fast fashion material and clothes are thrown out really soon and disposed of really quickly (despite still being in good shape) but a lot of clothing material, especially synthetic fabric can't be recycled, so it's just like throwing out plastic. Actually, a lot of clothes can keep being reused and styled. He's had the inner shirt he's currently wearing for four years.
Q: Any future plans?
A: He has a film project early next year and there are other things he's excited about but can't talk about yet
Q: Is he going to Shanghai Disneyland?
A: He wants to but he doesn't have time
H: You don't even need to go to Disney you look like a Disney character already! (Damn right!!!)
Q: What food have you had in China so far?
A: Don't get him started on the subject of food 😂 He's had a Shanghainese Lunch today and a Cantonese (YAY) lunch yesterday, and he's looking for some spicy food for tomorrow. Also, he had a really crazy allergic reaction and his lips got giant (???). He needs to be careful with food.
T: I see talk about RWRB, what do you want to know? I'll give some secret intel
(me: YESSSSSSSSSS FINALLY)
RWRB questions speedrun:
Q: sequel?
A: ... He doesn't know. He says he thinks Casey has to write another book for that.
Q: Deleted scenes?
A: They're deleted for a reason (DUDE)
Q: BTS?
A: He says he has some on his phone and he would show us but he doesn't have his phone right now, he might post it later (PLEASE DO)
H: He's leaving after three days
T: (reading off comments) Come visit Hong Kong next time? Yeah! (me, who lives in Hong Kong: AHHHHHHHHHH)
Q: Do you know any Chinese nicknames of yours?
A: 忒樂. (tei le, or "Tay"-le) meaning too happy (I made a list of the boys' Chinese nicknames here)
Annddd... That's it! The live was pretty short, like 20 minutes? He ended it by picking up the phone and showing the audience the Shanghai city view himself (I was too busy typing to get a screenshot)
All transcription or interpretation mistakes are mine
73 notes · View notes
wonder-worker · 7 months
Note
I heard that Edward IV and Elizabeth Widvile were known to be very beautiful. Were there any reports on their appearance at the time?
anon 😂
But yes, contemporaries and post contemporaries in the 16th century were pretty much unanimous in praising their appearance. I'll list some of the ones I could find:
Elizabeth:
'The most beautiful woman in England' ('la plus belle fille d'Engleterre') - Jean de Waurin
'Her very great beauty' ('sa tres grande beaute') - Jean de Waurin
"Her beauty of person and charm of manner" - Dominic Mancini
"None of such constant womanhood, wisdom and beauty" - Hearne's Fragment; its author was one of Edward IV's servants
"A daughter of prodigious beauty' - 1469 Continuator of Monstrelet's Chronicle
"Both faire, of a good favor, moderate of stature, well made and very wise" - Thomas More
Edward IV:
"The beauty of your personage it hath pleased Almighty God to send you" - James Strangways, Speaker of the Commons in Parliament
"The king is a handsome upstanding man" - Gabriel Tretzel, travels of Leo of Rozmital
"A handsome prince and had style" - Oliver De La Marche
"In the flower of his age, tall of stature, elegant of person" - Croyland Chronicle
"One of the handsomest knights of his kingdom" - 1469 Continuator of Monstrelet's Chronicle
"A handsome and worthy prince" - Pietro Alipranto
‘...Tall and strapping as the king’ - John Paston, Paston Letters
"He was young and more handsome than any man then alive" - Philippe de Commynes
"A man so vigorous and handsome that he might have been made for the pleasures of the flesh" - Philippe de Commynes
"The handsomest prince my eyes ever beheld" and "I don't remember ever having seen a man more handsome than he was" - Philippe de Commynes
"A very handsome prince" - Louis XI, from the Memoirs of Commynes
"He being a person of most elegant appearance, and remarkable beyond all others for the attractions of his person" - the Croyland Chronicle, referencing Edward a few months before he died
"He seized any opportunity that the occasion offered of revealing his fine stature more protractedly and more evidently to onlookers" - Dominic Mancini, writing shortly after his death
"He was a goodly personage and very princely to behold...of visage lovely, of body mighty, strong and cleanly made; howbeit in his latter days, with an over liberal diet, somewhat corpulent, but nevertheless noy uncomely" - Thomas More
Etc.
I'm tagging @edwardslovelyelizabeth because I think you got a similar ask?
I hope this answers your question, anon! I don't generally pay a lot of attention to the physical appearance of historical figures (I find it pretty irrelevant), but in this case, it ultimately does play a role in both Edward IV and Elizabeth's historiographies for better and for worse, and seems to have actually been a personal prop of Edward's kingship, so I don't mind discussing it :)
#either anon is making rounds or someone else saw the ask and asked me something similar 🤷🏻‍♀️#edward iv#elizabeth woodville#ask#also (I wanted to make a separate post about this but fuck it I'll just rant in the tags):#Something I find very interesting (read: fucked-up) is how we have multiple independent accounts praising Edward IV as extremely#attractive at the end of his life#Yet for some reason (aka fatphobia) most historians simply assume that he lost his looks over the years because he put on weight#even though his actual contemporaries (sans Commynes who in any case didn't even see him after 1475) certainly didn't seem to think so#as we can see: Croyland Mancini and More all noted the fact that he had put on weight AND emphasized his attractiveness#because the two are not mutually exclusive in the slightest and assuming that they are is not only incorrect it's also deeply problematic#it's similar to how so many historians assume his health was failing towards the end of his life when we KNOW - we are literally TOLD -#that his illness was both unexpected and baffling to contemporaries#(there is a contemporary reference to his supposedly deteriorating health but as Horrox says this is actually an editorial interpolation)#and the thing that's *always* referenced almost synonymously with this alleged non-existent ill-health is his weight#and the thing is - even if both of these were true they still ultimately wouldn't (and SHOULDN'T) matter. But we KNOW they weren't#and so it's incredibly indicative that historians and general histories STILL automatically assume them - and this assumption#is almost always on conjecture with his weight. (I don't think I've framed this coherently but oh well)#I'm still not over Katherine Lewis's deranged and frankly extremely ignorant epilogue in 'Kingship and Masculinity'#she literally framed her entire perspective on him around his weight with some really ridiculous (read: fatphobic) speculations/assumptions#she's even worse than Thomas Penn who is also revolting (and AJ Pollard isn't much better)#though of course they're not the only ones - almost every historian and general history does this
39 notes · View notes
mochinek0 · 4 months
Text
In Sickness and in Health
"Damian, I need you to work with the new student on this project." his history teacher stated.
"What new student?" the young Wayne questioned.
'There's no one new here. Has he finally lost it?'
"Stay after class, please." they replied.
Damian simply nodded.
'At least if the new person is all in his head, I can work by myself.'
"The new student isn't here today as she's sick. They're also a transfer student." The teacher spoke, "Here is her address."
"You want me to go there and become ill?" Damian speculated.
"Not at all, Mr. Wayne. All I am asking is that you, at least, speak to her about the project." the teacher sighed, "She'll know better than anyone how long she'll be absent. Get her to write a note saying, I don't know, she gives you full control on the project or something. I'll deal with it from there."
"I can do that." Damian accepted.
'At least I can still work by myself.'
Damian looked down at the address in his hand an then back at the seamstress shop. Confused, the young Wayne entered the store and looked around for someone his own age.
"Can I help you?" asked an elderly lady.
"I was given this address for a classmate of mine." Damian explained, "I believe they mixed it up. Excuse me."
"Are you looking for Marinette?" they questioned.
'Marinette? Is that her name? Not American; he did mention they were a transfer student.'
"Yes." he answered, still unsure.
"Go through the blue curtain in the far back." the lady smiled, "There's a set of stairs that will take you to the apartment above the store."
Damian nodded and went to the back of the store. There was blue cloth hung up on a shower rod that parted slightly.
'A door would be better suited.'
Damian walked up the stairs to the second story and found single door. He raised his hand and knocked on the door. The door opened and he was shocked. There in the doorway was a girl with blue hair, up to his chest. She was wearing what seemed to be pajamas, had a blanket draped over her shoulders, a face mask, and a cooling cloth attached to her forehead.
'She is obviously seriously ill. How did she open the door? Why didn’t anyone else open it for her?'
"Who are you?" she questioned, hoarsely.
"Damian Wayne." he declared, "I was told to talk to you about a history project for school."
She moved away from the door and went stright to the kitchen.
"Sit anywhere you want. I haven't sat in the living room in three days. I'd offer you a beverage, but I don't want to get you sick and asking you to get it yourself, seems rude." the girl spoke.
'Polite; unexpected.'
"What are you doing?" Damian questioned, as he watched her stir a pot.
"Making soup for the week." Marinette answered.
"So, I should not expect you to return this week." he suggested.
"I usually eat soup when I'm sick and for the following days, to keep my immune system cleansed." she explained, "So, history? Leave me the details and I'll work on it."
"Mr. Hayes suggested you could write a note putting me in charge." Damian spoke.
"I can work, Damian." Mari remarked, "I don't need you coddling me because I'm sick."
'Coddle! I-The last thing I would do is….coddle her!'
Damian snapped, "I am giving you a way out! Get your rest and I will do it completely!"
"I'm on bedrest and as you can see, I'm functional." she growled back.
Marinette began to cough heavidly, enough to make her grip the kitchen counter. Damian watched as her breaths became labored, as if she had trouble inhaling.
'She calls this functional?'
Marinette grabbed a mug and poured hot water from a near by kettle. Damian watched as she spooned a small amount of tea leaves into a container and place it in the mug.
'Peppermint? She should try lemon, ginger, something citrus.'
"When are your parents getting back?" Damian asked, not moving from the doorway.
"I'm emancipated." she smiled.
'She's by herself?'
Damian looked around and noticed a small table with one chair. The living room had enough to seat up to three guests. There was also one door to the left, behind the living room.
"Leave the form and an email or something so I can send you my portion." Marinette called out, "If you don't like it, I can work in my room and you can work from out here."
Damian took out a pen and quickly wrote down his email at the top of the paper.
"I'll be back, tomorrow." he stated, leaving the apartment.
'Why is she so stubborn? She needs to rest. The simplest solution would be for her to rest this week while I work alone. What is she trying to accomplish?'
The moment she opened the door, Damian stared at Marinette annoyed. She had showed recently, but her hair was still wet. At the very least, she was wearing different clothes.
He scowled, "Where is the bathroom?"
"Oh, in my room, on your left." Marinette pointed out.
'Guess he really needed to go.'
Damian came back with a towel and threw it over her head, without notice. He quickly began to rub her head to get the moisture out.
"You're going to get worse with you hair looking like a wet mop." Damian stated, "Dry it completely."
Marinette remained silent and still. Damian stopped his movements.
"Marinette?" he asked, moving to face her.
'Shit!'
Marinette's eyes were wide and she was practially hyperventilating. She was clenching and unclenching her hands.
'She does not handle physical contact well. Is she going to be okay at school?'
Damian kneeled in front of her and showed his hands were raised in front of him.
"My apologies." Damian whispered, "I didn't mean to startle you."
Damian reached out and dragged his bag, next to the couch. He pulled out a small cylinder.
"I brought you some tea leaves. Citrus help you recover from illness." he began, "I don't believe peppermint will work." as he handed her the container.
Marinette took it and looked at it. She opened it and sniffed the tea leaves. There was lemon, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. There was some other stuff she couldn't make out.
"You......made this?" Marinette questioned.
'Why would he give this to me?'
Damian remained silent, but nodded. He didn't think she would noticed he took his time to make her something.
"I make my own teas." he replied.
Mari smiled, "Thank you."
Damian watched as her expression softened. She got up from her seat, letting the towel fall from her head, and quickly began to get things ready to brew the tea. Once it was finished brewing, she took a sip.
"It’s delicious, Damian!" Mari smiled, happily, "Maybe I should go to you for all of my teas."
Before he could respond, Marinette took her tea and went into her room. Damian picked up his things and saw she had gotten comfortable in her bed with her laptop on a tray.
"Were we not working over there?" he questioned.
"I don't want to get you sick." Marinette replied, "Besides, there's only one chair. I'll just email you-"
Damian left the room and returned with the chair from her kitchen table.
"I don't get sick, easily." Damian declared, setting the chair down a few feet from her bed, "h quicker we finish this, the more you can rest."
Marinette worked silently, sipping on the tea Damian had brought her. After an hour, Damian packed up his thing, declaring he'd return the next day.
This time, when Marinette opened the door, he could tell she was moving much more sluggish.
'She got worse! She's pushing herself for me. Damn her stubbornness!'
Damian quickly picked her up in his arms.
"You're-" she began.
"If I get sick, I will blame you later." Damian claimed.
"Sorry." Mari whispered.
Damian placed her back in her bed. He quickly rushed to the bathroom in search of a first aid kit or at least, a thermometer. Once he found it, he brought it back and held it out. Mairnette looked at it, in dissapointment.
"Use it." he demanded.
Marinette shoved it in her mouth and waited. The quick beeping notified them both something was wrong. Mari took it out of her mouth n tried to hide it. Damian was able to grab it with ease.
'102.5'
"I'm fine." Marinette declared.
"You are far from fine." Damian stated.
Damian took the thermometer to the bathroom and washed it, as well as his hands. When he returned, he found Marinette fast asleep. He found a cooling pad near by and placed it on her head. Damian remember a small cloth by the sink and wet it. He quickly cooled off her arms, her neck, and her legs, before covering her up. Damian took out a sticky note and wrote down his number.
Marinette woke up to the room being dark.
"Damian?" she called out.
She grabbed her phone and saw it was close to two in the morning. She set her phone down and felt a paper.
'Sticky note?'
She turned on the flashlight on her phone and looked at the note: Call me if you worsen-Damian.
'Aw. He's really sweet. I feel so bad for falling asleep on him.'
Marinette stood up and made her way to the bathroom. She grabbed the thermometer from the medicine cabinet and took her temperature. It read 99.2; it was the best it had been all week. She washed the thermometer and took some medicine. After, she made more of Damian's tea.
'Gonna need it.'
Damian arrived back from patrol to find an email from Mari.
'I thought I told her to call me if she got worse, not email me!'
He opened it in a panic and found it was her completed work for the assignment. Damian looked at the time. It was now three in the morning and she had sent it thirty minutes ago. He grabbed his phone and opened his contacts. Then, he froze.
'I don’t have her number! Fuck!'
Damian went over the next day and was surprised to see her more active. Marinette had answered the door happily and was dressed in white tank top, pink shorts, and slippers. She wasn't even using a blanket to keep herself warm.
"Damian!" She smiled, "Hey, did you get my email?"
"I did." he answered.
"Is everything okay?" Mari asked, "I didn't think I'd see you today."
"Why did you send it so late or early, I should say." Damain questioned.
"It was when I woke up." Marinette answered, "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you. I decided it was best to work on it, while I had a clear head. I'm feeling a lot better, so I should be able to see you at school tomorrow. I'm sure it was all thanks to your tea."
Damian nodded and held out his phone for her to grab. Marinette looked at it confused, but took it.
"I planned on yelling at you, for being up so late, but I didn't have you number." the young Wayne stated.
Marinette giggled, "And I should give it to you, why?"
Damian remained silent. He didn't think she would refuse to give her number to him.
"In case we are paired up again." he quickly spoke.
Mari added her contact information and handed it back.
"Sick Girl?" he questioned.
"So you know it's me." Mari answered.
He hated how right she was. It was likely that if she had entered her name, he would have forgotten it in a week and deleted it.
"Do you want to come in or was that all?" she asked.
"That was all." he said and quickly left.
Marinette closed the door an giggled.
'He's like a stray cat that came to say hi.'
Damian sat in class and kept his eyes on the door. Marinette hadn't walked in, yet, and it was almost time for the bell to ring.
'Is she still sick? Did her fever come back? I should have called her this morning to make sure she was feeling fine.'
The bell rang breaking him from his thoughts and then, she rushed in.
'Marinette.'
"Late." their teacher declared, "I will forgive you, this time, since you have been sick, Miss Duapin-Cheng."
Marinette nodded her head. It was finally time for history class and it was so different to see her in uniform. Damian could admit he more use to seeing her in pajamas or shorts, with her blanket curled around her. He was even use to her falling asleep, but some how the uniform felt less personal. He hated it. Damian watched carefully over Marinette. He had to make sure she was completely better. Her damn stubbornness left him worried about her pretending to feel better for his sake. Then, he saw it; the tense smile on her face. She was surrounded by their peers. It reminded him of the smiles his brothers' gave at parties. Damian walked over and grabbed her wrist.
"We need to talk about the project since you have been absent." he declared.
"Oh, okay." Marinette answered, as he pulled her away from everyone else.
"He could have been nicer."
"It's Wayne. When is he ever nice?"
"Lucky bitch."
"I can’t believe she was his partner."
"He probably did it himself, already."
"Yeah. He's just gonna give her a copy and put her name on it."
"I can’t believe he touched her."
"True."
"Better than him yelling at us to move or scram, again."
Marinette frowned as she heard what they said about Damian. That wasn't the Damian she knew.
"Thank you." Marinette whispered, once they were far enough.
Damian looked at her questioningly.
"For rescuing me." she answered.
"You appeared uncomfortable." the young Wayne spoke, " I was uncertain how you would react if one of them touched you. I understand if I made you uncomfortable, as well. My apologies for forcing you. Next time, tell them to leave."
"I'm not good at dealing with people; not anymore." Mari declared, "Besides, they should forget about me soon. I'm still 'new' in their eyes. I'm not trying to gain anything by talking to them. I don’t want to get to know them."
"I thought you weren't coming." Damian spoke, changing the subject.
"Huh?" she asked, confused, "I told you I was coming today."
"You were late." he growled.
"Oh." Marinette winced, "Uh….I have a feeling I will be in detention a lot."
Damian stopped and turned to her, waiting for an explanation.
"I have always been late to school, even when it was across from my house." she stated.
Damian sighed, "I'll pick you up in the mornings."
"No!" she cried out.
"Why?" he demanded, "Is that an issue? I have been to your place before, have I not?"
"I'm not a morning person." Mari replied, looking down.
He sighed again, "My brother isn't either, unless he has had coffee. I can bring you some." making a mental note to steal Tim's coffee in the morning from now on.
"Really?" Mari questioned, perking up.
"You better, at least, be dressed." Damian retorted.
"Pajamas count as being dressed, right?" she squeaked.
Damian glared at her, "Why would you still be in pajamas?"
"I'm not a morning person!" Marinette glared back, "I work late and-"
"The shop keeps you that busy?" he questioned.
"Oh." Marinette spoke, "No. I help in the shop sometimes, but that's not my job. I do commissions. She asks me to help some times, but she's going to let me use the sewing machine for free until I can buy one."
"How….long do your commissions take?" he sighed.
"Depends who it's for. If it's for my uncle, I tend to work three weeks straight. It also depends on the pay and timeline. If he called me right now and asked for something in six months, I wouldn't worry unless things began to pile up. It could also be one of my aunties."
'What the fuck is with her family? No wonder why she is emancipated! I can't believe they would work her that hard.'
"You're moving into the manor." Damian declared, "I'll even get you a new sewing machine."
"I am not!" she cried out, "I barely know you! All I know is you name and you make tea!"
"At this rate, I'll have to get you dressed and drag you to school!" Damian cried back.
"Who the fuck made you my babysitter?" Marinette shouted.
"Someone should be." he huffed, "You obviously need someone to take care of you. I don’t see why it shouldn't be me!"
Marinette squeaked and turned red. Realizing what he said, so did Damian.
The teacher watched as Damian took Marinette aside to talk. He was well aware that their assignment had been turned in three days ago. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was the closest he had ever seen Damian be comfortable around anyone. He also was aware of Marinette's past school and being bullied.
'I knew getting them to talk would be a good thing.'
DAMINETTE TAGLIST: @meme991001 @umbreon-worshipper @stainedglassm @jasmine-the-fox @psychicdelusionwerewolf @vixen-uchiha @mysteriouschar @missmadwoman @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl @dissarraymania @tundra1029 @abrx2002 @mrsjacuinde @ledalasombra @animegirlweeb
TAGLIST: @animeweebgirl @a-star-with-a-human-name @alysrose-starchild @fandom-trapped-03 @dood-space @moonlightstar64 @saltymiraculer @marveldcedits20 @09shell-sea09 @icerosecrystal @insane-fangirl-of-everything @blueblossombliss @nickristus-dreamer @megawhitleycalderonpaganus @tigresslily @legodetectivemalsblog
555 notes · View notes
voonroo · 4 months
Text
Hell? [01]
⌐‣Hazbin Hotel + Bat-Like Teen Reader
Want more? Check out the masterlist↩︎
Want to chat? Check out my discord server↩︎
Tumblr media
AUTHOR’S NOTE: YOOOOO SHOUT OUT TO @blueberrymuffin-6 FOR BEING THE FIRST PERSON TO GUESS THAT READER WOULD BE LIKE A BAT!!! I'm so happy someone picked up on my hints. I'm really excited to post this chapter considering how much love the first one got😭 THANK YOU GUYS SM FOR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THE HAZBIN FANDOM HAS SHOWN FOR MY TEEN READER WRITINGS💝
Also I can't guarantee that there won't be triggering subjects in the future chapters!! There's nothing of that here yet and I will put warning when needed but you’ll only find something this chapter if you REALLY look.
I'd love to hear from you guys your speculations as well!! Send them through my inbox or contact me in discord!! I love interacting with you guys!!
Tumblr media
My head hurts…
Am I lying down?
Is it raining?
Opening your eyes, you were met with a dull light to your right, everything else was dark. Rubbing your eyes, you groggily sat up.
You could see, but the light to your right was actually making it hard… You felt a light weight on your head and slight pain in your back. You looked down, you had… fur?
Taking deep breaths, you closed your eyes. You could hear everything so well. From the sound of your heart, to the rain outside.
Where am I?
How did I get here?
Considering that you couldn't remember anything, you felt strangely calm. Like a blanket was over your head and you were blocking out the world around you.
The rain was nice… soft blankets, a plushie? What was it...? It was dark? I had a flashlight, a book? And whatever the plushie was…
A sudden knock interrupted your thoughts. The noise caught you so off guard you physically jumped, you tried to look at the door as you heard the knob turning.
“Oh! You're awake!” You heard a quick patter of footsteps coming in your direction, before a blob entered your vision- or what little vision you had anyway. You couldn't make out the shape in front of you, even with your eyes wide open. There was… red? Or maybe pink? You couldn't tell. Your eyes darted around, and your breathing picked up.
“Hey now- You're all tense! What are you anyways?” The blog had a cheery voice, rather high-pitched. It hurt your ears. You could feel a small hand grab at your arm- rubbing the fur.
“Nifty!” Another sudden noise made you jump. Your body tensing up in a panic. You couldn't hear the rain anymore even if it was so close… You could only hear your heart beating quickly and your uneven breathing.
Then, there were hands cupping your face, a calm, quiet voice accompanying it.
“Hey, calm down.” On instinct, you took a deep breath. Were you holding your breath before? Or were you breathing too rapidly? Where were you again? Sitting up right? Wait- it's raining… that's right… it's raining.
“Are you okay?” The voice to the hands cupping your cheeks spoke again. You could barely focus your eyes enough to see more than just gray. Did the voice have a… wait- the voice asked me a question-
“I-I can't see…” You almost didn't recognize your own voice. It came out so quietly, hardly audible.
You could have sworn you saw the gray blob furrow their eyebrows.
“What's your name?”
“I don't… I don't know?”
The calm the voice was deemed Vaggie.
Vaggie described herself as having long grey hair, grey skin- which you initially found weird- and a pink X over her left eye.
Vaggie told you that the loud, almost squeaky voice that you first heard was Nifty. She also told you where you were and what had happened for you to be here.
You had previously run into one of their friends named… Angel Dust? And apparently, passed out? Then he brought you here, and… here is… I don't remember…
You do remember Vaggie telling you that there were other people here and they were made aware of your existence as well.
Vaggie was also kind enough to explain that you were in hell… she also took the creative liberties in describing to you what you looked like.
“Well… You did take on the appearance of a bat- which is normal, it's normal for people to take on animal-like appearances in hell. For instance, we have someone here who takes on deer antlers and someone who has fur like you but looks like a cat… But you have these ears above your head, small wing protruding from your back, and… foggy eyes-”
The two of you spent time making the connections. The big bat-like ears atop your head gave you really good hearing, and the wings on your back were the cause of your back pain, (and the fact that you had been lying on them) and your foggy eyes contributed to your lack of sight. You took on the appearance of a bat.
The two of you tried to answer Vaggie’s earlier question from before about your name, but to no avail. She had to force you to stop trying to figure it out when you started getting worked up. You did come to the conclusion that you were very young- at least very young to be in hell. Guessing that you were around 15 years of age. Maybe a little younger or maybe a little older, but it felt right enough.
Or maybe you guys had settled on that answer as you dozed back off. The rain hadn't let up and with all this new information to really process, Vaggie let you rest. The clock was growing near to striking morning anyways.
Tumblr media
Word Count: 817
A/N: I've also made the tag #voonroo’s bat-like reader for you guys to use as well if you make any posts on it!!
461 notes · View notes
absolutebl · 6 months
Text
Pit Babe - it's time for a Trash Watch!
I had to. Well, no I didn't, but COME ON. It's like Thailand is negging me. Let's burn rubber, shall we? Burn rubbers...?
Tumblr media
The things I had been told going in about this show:
it's about car racing (this bores me)
it stars Pavel (my BL ult bias, he is my icon for a reason)
it started as an omegaverse y-novel but the A/B/O aspects would be stripped from the BL series
it's high heat
(There some chatter about whether point 3 was a mistranslation of something the author said, but don't bother me with trifles.)
Here's a definition of omegaverse:
Omegaverse, also known as A/B/O (alpha/beta/omega), is a subgenre of speculative erotic fiction, and originally a subgenre of erotic slash fan fiction. Its premise is that a dominance hierarchy exists in humans, which are divided into dominant "alphas", neutral "betas", and submissive "omegas".[1] This hierarchy determines how people interact with one another in romantic, erotic and sexual contexts.[2] (Wikipedia)
Tumblr media
In my experience and opinion, omegaverse archetypes and tropes are often used to strip out female characters (and The Feminine) and as a tool to excuse extreme hyper-masculine behaviors without a critical feminist lens (leading to lazy characterization). Just as heat is an excuse to get nkd quickly, A/O/B is often an excuse for taboo and dubious consent actions and behaviors. Do I get why writers/readers enjoy it? Yes I do. Do I personally like it? Not particularly. (Although there are always exceptions.)
Putting all that aside, the above represents my foundational knowledge before Pit Babe started.
Oh and that the familiar BL faces appearing in this show were follows:
Tumblr media
Pavel Naret (aka Pavel Phoom) from 2 Moons 2 & Coffee Melody - Pavel is a fluent English speaker, a bit of a drama monger, and a motorcycle rider/car-dude, this role suits him
Nut Supanut from Oxygen & Something in My Room - has an amazing voice, his somewhat wooden acting has improved steadily since Oxygen
Pon Thanapon - one of Star Hunter's stable first seen in the Gen Y series (where he stole the appeal of an intended pair), also v good in Make a Wish, I wish he'd get a lead role as he has a likable screen presence
Pop Pataraphol from La Cuisine - he's playing the Alpha rival and I'm not convinced he's suited to this role
Michael Kiettisak from Love Sick, Oxygen, Call it What You Want, Till the World Ends - playing the comic relief this time rather than his usual tortured stoic... huh
All the rest are either fresh faces or older experienced actors. Interesting mix. They must have some money behind this.
And now, get out your marshmallows! The dumpster is on fire! Let's start the roast.
Tumblr media
Episode 1 - Platypus, Pickles, Pavel, & other Smoking Hot Problems
This first segment told with a 4 day retrospect, because I decided to do a trash watch only after @aliceisathome said I should.
My initial reaction:
the sheer audacity of Thailand being like "PitBabe is not omegaverse" and then serving "Alpha" to us on a platter in the first sex scene is
how dare
but also
what the actual fuck is going on? what world are we living in where a/b/o is LIVE ACTION ON OUR SCREENS?
we getting heat, knotting & mpreg next?
apparently this is my reality now
I'm not sure what weird quantum time stream I've jumped into but someone was all,
yes the whole world is hella screwed, but also...
Thailand has decided live action mm fanfic is gonna win it the culture wars
and I'm beginning to think they may be right
BL is now the platypus of the film industry
Tumblr media
4 days later:
Considering how much chatter this caused there's a part of me that wondered if it was all intentional and a marketing ploy (to say it wasn't omegaverse when obviously it is). In which case... brilliant Machiavellian tactics, production.
But Thai studios are rarely this calculated in their promo. So I think it's all accidental. But it certainly caused a raucous few days on Tumblr.
Tumblr media
On a completely different note, Babe's house looks like it started life as a particularly inventive Olive Garden. Or is that just me?
More random thoughts:
Pavel has had work done, why honey? You were the definition of perfect.
The smell thing is great, I love stuff to do with scent and necks. If omegaverse brings this to the table, fine. But...
Being all Alpha perfect butch manly man = I do not like Babe at all, I kinda want him to be brought down a peg. (Woo... pegging!) I never like narratives that glorify the captain of the football team (side eyes Cdrama CEO romances and Love O2O), Babe better have depth and damage (forget the pegging) of some kind or his behavior will get old FAST, faster than he drives (also, forget the pegging idea)
Nut is ideal in the Beta role. I mean, that's Way's character right? We all can see that. If it's not intentional, it's a miscast. I love how soft he is as as screen presence. He's great in this part.
None of the other characters are sticking out to me yet, but I'm prepared to love the side dishes in this, please make them swoon worthy!
I'm glad they didn't hold the Charlie = trickster reveal off, I like knowing he is a double agent up front.
Tumblr media
Finally, with respect to an adequate trash watch, I'm in a pickle.
How am I going to drink for this show when there is so much else airing on Frigay? I can't keep track, if I'm drunk.
I need a strategy for this trash fire if the puns and snark are to spout forth! (HA Fourth!)
Controlled burn?
Anygay, see you all next week.
Episode 2 - Side Dish Addiction + Second Lead Syndrome are both infecting me at once
[FYI I gotta have my backup computer to watch this so that's why Imma sometimes be delayed getting the trash out to the curb.]
3 minutes! 3 minutes in and I needed to pause and wax snarkful. (Ouch, bet that hurts. Is waxing snark similar to a Brazilian but for BL? Is that why they all so hairless in The Sign?... I digress, where was I?)
Tumblr media
Okay so the subber said Daddy but I don't think that word means what they think it means. Because Way said simply nong paa.
Usually they'll use the English word Daddy (pronounced Dah-deee) for, ya know, Actual Daddies (tm).
Wait wait:
Calling Daddy Actual
(My dumb sci-fi loving arse will see myself out the back before I start drawing Battlestar Galactica = Pit Babe connections. TOO FAR ABL. Too far.)
Tumblr media
Look, I like the tension in this show. It's good to set up an unlikeable Alpha dog and then immediately turn him into an underdog, makes him a bit more likable. I still don't like Babe, but now at least I'm on his side.
Charlie = cute but v sus. Fortunately for him, Babe = cute but v thick.
Everyone calls Charlie Babe's dek. Yes sounds a bit like what you think but also means kid/child and SHOULD be translated as boy in this show. Why doesn't the subber get that? They a sub...ber after all. (I'll see myself out.)
Honestly, the script writers might know what they are doing with abo but our eng sub translator sadly does NOT. I'm so glad this is coming now in my BL watching life. When my ear and knowledge of Thai is so much better than it once was. Others much be SO CONFUSED.
Tumblr media
Snicker. They just fucking with us, but it's fun to watch the mpeg speculation abound.
File this one under: Thailand's trouble with ESL plurals and also "you should have Pavel helping with these subs" sweethearts.
Production knows entirely what it's doing with this show and its omegaverse shizz (even if the subber doesn't) and I am very much enjoying the online carnage that results.
This dumpster fire continues off screen into the blogosphere and I continue to roast things over it.
Tumblr media
Meanwhile, hi Pon! You so adorable! When you gonna lead out a BL for us?
Is Idol Factory stealing all of Star Hunter's talent? Are they the Red Racers of the BL world? These are the questions I ask myself as I watch this.
Is that AGE GAP I smell before me?
Is the 20 yr old college kid meant for the pit boss? Cause you all know I am a slut for age gaps.
Moment of a/b/o: Jeff's fear of touch/heightened personal space would be a plot marker for "baby doesn't want Alphas close cause he smells like an omega" but of course this show it not omegaverse. Not omegaverse at all.
nuh-uh
Linguistic corner!
Lung (sounds a bit like loo) is uncle(ish) it means basically a male relation older than phi. So Alan is the oldest in the crew.
Tumblr media
Alan calls Jeff nu (which the subber translated as boy I would have gone with cutie or little one). Nu is a diminutive affectionate term that's technically gender neutral but is most often used by/on cute girls/women. Jeff did NOT like it. Then Alan sort of dodges through pronouns/particles settling on phi for I, ger for you, and ja for a particle. This is interesting because ger & ja kinda lower his age and status into a casual sphere. Not more intimate more equal to jeff... fascinating.
I love the new "Korean" red racer, he drinks my brand of soy milk. He is now my baby snake in the grass.
Get it? Snake.
He and Babe should end up together.
The fight wasn't bad, do both actors have kickbox training in their backgrounds?
Who am I kidding, I care only about Uncle Alan and Nu Jeff now. All others are irrelevant to me.
Also...
Tumblr media
WHERE IS A BOY FOR WAY?!!! Or a Daddy. I do not care. (Methinks nether does he.)
I am now captain of the Way Appreciation Society. Let's all find a way... to get him some dick.
Also the BTS stingers are tons of fun. Looks like the set was a blast.
Tumblr media
Finally, and I mean this kindly. Why isn't Noh Phouluang in this? He should have been cast as Winner. Bah. I'm biased.
But one should be with Noh.
Episode 3 - Side Dishes Delux
Gayest bridge n Thailand has made its obligatory appearance.
Tumblr media
How much do I love uncle & nu? They are SO damn cute. Also nu flustered is the best kind of nu.
I could not care less about Babe and Charlie. Except I do love the smell thing.
Tumblr media
Way will break my heart by getting his broken. He is right tho.
Tra la la. I feel like this is a bit like KP 2.0.
Charlie is a such a princess (and ace manipulator). Good thing Babe clearly likes being buttered up.
Tumblr media
Babe's backstory was more interesting than I expected, I didn't think we would go so far into the paranormal side of a/b/o. I like it and I hope they lean into it quite a bit more. Make it part of the plot.
Unlike the kissing thing which seems to have been gotten over rather quickly.
Tumblr media
I gotta say I'm enjoying the corporate sponsorship jockeying and tension more than I thought I would. I'm curious as to who Jef and Charlie are working for and what their motivation is. The plot itself is keeping me intrigued and that is rare for me with BL.
So no trash talk this ep, I was largely absorbed and entertained. I didn't event need booze. Shocking behavior on my part.
Tumblr media
#giveWayaboy2023
Episode 4 - I (who never ship) am shipping the impossible
Here’s the thing. I just want this to be a better story than it is. Right now it’s kind of like a soap opera. I don’t hate lakorn, I really don't. To Sir With Love is a glorious chewing of the diamanté scenery (completed with death glitter). But...
If this is gonna be a soap opera it needs to lean into the messy side more than the tailored high concept side. Support characters and evil needs more screen time.
Instead, right now, I don’t know where I am with this show because it doesn't know where it wants to be. I’m kind of dangling in the middle of a dirty situation. It’s uncomfortable for me, and the show feels uncomfortable for the performers. 
Also... I have questions.
Tumblr media
Yes, of course I want to know what Charlie & Jeff are up to. Why can Jeff see the future?
But more importantly I NEED to know why Babe has a flying saucer bed?
That kind of lighting makes nobody look good, especially not at that angle. It’s very traumatic and I’m not wild about the shag rug either. I have concerns about Babe's taste. I guess is what I am saying. 
Tumblr media
On a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT note:
There’s absolutely no chemistry to justify this, but I have decided that I am going to personally advocate for, and ship, Way and the interloping not-really-Korean. They are both sort of own-moral-code types. I have tiny crush on Kim, and Nut is the prettiest, and Way is Best Boy so there it is, I would like them to hook up, please & thank you.
#giveWay2Kim2023
Arrow guy is cute, too. Will we get to see him bone?
Is he going to be another one of the adopted alpha super-kid pets?
What the hell, throw Arrow Boy a bone! All hot boys in BLs deserve bones.
Plot thickens.
Hah.
Thickens.
(I am an immature idiot.)
Episode 5 - wait wait way-t, can arrow boy have Way?
Look, BLabies, I didn’t get any screen caps this episode because frankly there wasn’t anything worth capturing.
I guess Charlie really does love Babe? Very dramatic if idiotic saving from the burning car. But Babe has gone to the broken Alpha place of extremely unlikeablability (frankly he was almost there at the start). If I were Charles B Spectacled I would be OUT by now. 
Is that?
NO.
Don't get the plastic bowl.
No white towel sponge bath. Please kill this trope.  
I mean, it's not as bad as singing, but that's because NOTHING is as bad as singing in a Thai BL.
AND the main boys are back together.
I don’t find their relationship or Babe’s lack of senses a particularly interesting aspect of the plot.
Unless, of course, Babe is pregnant and that's why he lost his Alpha sniffer.
BUT I do love the sides.
Jeff = the introvert precog who can’t/wont do people and Alan = the extrovert people person who WANTS but doesn’t understand him. 
Were Jeff and Charlie ALSO raised by Evil Daddy MacEvilPants? 
I liked the way Arrow CEO & Way looked at each other. Way, hon, give up on Babe (he sucks) and get thyself a billionaire bf with great aim and BDE.
On a completely different note, the best thing about this show is the blooper reel. That thing with the green smoothie going down his pants was hilarious!
In conclusion, this was a green smoothie down the pants episode. I was entertained, and it’s probably gonna be good for the plot in retrospect, but it was kind of squishy and unpleasant at the time.
Episode 6 - Are they actually listening to us now? Is Tumblr bugged?
This was a fun ep full of like actual racing and shizz.
Whatever.
Charlie is on the team now. All the teams, apparently.
Tumblr media
Can we talk about Jeff and Alan?
The apology scene! Did you hear that Alan dropped to chan/ger? Eeeee!!! So cute. (He equalized their relationship in a soft way.)
Get it with that language play hottie. Next up: lengua play.
Please & thank you. 
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Meanwhile, as all of the Internet knows, they went fully in for omegaverse - no bars.
I have to say, one of the greatest typos (or whatever) in existence is enigma instead of omega.
That's where I personally would rank in the omegaverse.
Hello, my gender is... enigma.
 Apparently it's a/b/o and sometimes e!  Also sometimes switch-ee 
Oh I'm very proud of myself with that one.
Tumblr media
Funfunfun
Charlie. Babes. When a man asks to be thrown up against the wall. You throw him against that wall.
Tumblr media
OMG is that arrow boy looking at Way in the bar?
3 seconds later.
Noooo.
Wait come back.
Noooooo.
That’s what I actually want to watch! 
Tumblr media
OMG. Who said nu was the first step to teelak?
I flipping love Alan. 
Tumblr media
Ah the boyfriend ep. Thank you, but I still don't trust Charlie.
Poor Way.
But nice crying jag, and I don’t say that often in Thai BL.
Now let him go, Way.
A boy with his arrows is waiting. 
(source)
Note for the future: tumblr has a bug that stops allowing edits after a certain time/number, thus my full trash often occur in 2 segments as a result. Click on the "abl trash watches bl" tag for the full thing if you're reading this and later episodes are missing.
473 notes · View notes
astroismypassion · 9 months
Text
Astrology observations 🟢🟢🟢
Credit goes to @astroismypassion
Tumblr media
🟢I noticed high number of people that like the idea of saving yourself for marriage have Scorpio over the 8th house, but also often Capricorn Vesta, Vesta at 22 degree or Vesta in the 10th house.
🟢People with Pisces Vesta might have rather low libido. They really enjoy things that are more metaphysical and they are often very detached from their own body, not very in tune with it. They might do just well by watching films, TV series and indulging into their favourite movie snack. They are really fine with being on their own.
🟢Aquarius Ceres people had a mother that emphasized that their identity, personality and body are very unique. These are the people that will always tell you you're one of a kind, special and unique. This placement is very much "No one is you and that is your superpower" quote!
🟢Additionally, on Ceres note, your Ceres sign serves like the 2nd Moon sign. Ceres also shows how you perceived your mother's nurturing. So you could have a Virgo Moon, but Aquarius Ceres. And you might actually more relate to Aquarius Ceres when it comes to your relationship with your mother. Similarly, you can have Aries Moon, but your Ceres is in Pisces. But often times Moon and Ceres are compatible and connected.
🟢Scorpio Ceres doesn't want to think about money, although throughout their lifetime their life revolves A LOT around money. Either in form of debt, financial issues, help others with their money etc. Money for them is a veryy emotional topic. When they receive money they might actually tear up a little. When they give or lend money it's often an investment for them and they might have regrets connected with it or hold resentment later on for giving someone their money. Sometimes they make purchases that they not only regret, but might feel a bit ashamed that they even made this purchase in the first place. Also, this is very much the person to mix sex with money. Or they spend money on the person they are physically intimate with (sexually involved).
🟢Having Venus in someone's 10th house in a romantic Synastry is such an interesting overlay I notice. Often times one person really supports other's career and long-term goals to the point they help the other person set up a business. But I noticed that often that also become a weakness later in the partnership. So they continue the successful business, but the partnership dissolves.
🟢Ruler of the 7th house in the 5th house often has a crush on blond/light-haired people or those that have golden highlights.
🟢I'm not saying always, but most often in particular people who have Gemini over the 7th house often assume or very early on when meeting someone assume they the person is interested in them romantically. With Sagittarius over the 1st house (which points to an exaggerated sense of self and ego) they persistently think someone likes them despite clear evidence to the contrary. And Gemini Descendants even more so, they sometimes tend to believe they can "convince" someone if they put enough effort or try hard enough, even when the person verbally expressed that they are not interested in them. Even this Sagittarius Gemini axis can sometimes deal with delusion much like Pisces Virgo axis.
🟢Libra or Taurus over the 10th house: people at your workplace, random co-workers, even your boss will be very interested in your relationship status. Those around you will often speculate whether you have a partner or ask you if you are single. Also, if you have one of these two signs, be mindful with who you are connecting yourself with, because people around you might often make assumptions or jump to fast conclusions to who you are dating, even if the two of you are just friends! They could see you talking with someone and they might already assume you two have something going on.
🟢People with Scorpio Jupiter often go for Capricorn Sun as their spouse or committed partner. If you have Scorpio Jupiter in your Natal chart you are likely to attract a rather controlling partner.
🟢People with Pisces and Aries over the 4th house felt like they had to raise themselves. They are also really late bloomers. They might start raising themselves and working on themselves in late 20s, 30s.
🟢When you have Scorpio over the 7th house or Pluto in the 7th house in your Solar Return chart you will feel like don't receive help from anyone and it will be the year of many rejections, either in your love life, career or you will feel rejected by your loved ones.
🟢Composite Leo Mars in the 7th house make the two of you much more indecisive when together than independently/when you are apart. You often swing from "You choose, I don't mind anything" to "I don't know". When you are together you seem to make a decision much slower and it's harder to even pick to which restaurant you want to go eat. With the sign of Leo, you might have power struggles over making your choice as the final mutual decision. You will both want things to go your own way, not how the other person wants.
🟢Ruler of the 7th house in the 5th house are the biggest flirts that tend to be non-committal, because they value their independence a little too much, but also because they have the enough charming, charismatic confidence that they can get anyone.
Credit goes to @astroismypassion
843 notes · View notes
ptn-imagines · 3 months
Note
I don’t know why but I have been thinking about Shalom and Rahu x fem!paradesis (or however you spell it) reader. Like they’re paired up for missions and stuff 😭😭😭
Here you go, anon! I figure that any Paradeisian that dates Rahu and Shalom is either already doubting Paradeisos or can be radicalized quickly. Also, these headcanons are mostly canon-compliant, but assume two divergences: 1) Rahu has been Shalom's bodyguard for longer than in canon, and 2) Paradeisos suspects something is fucky with Shalom. I spent a lot of time focusing on the pre-relationship, so if you want more, feel free to ask for a continuation!
This is 2.2k words, by the way. So I'm putting it under a cut to respect people's dashes.
Shalom and Rahu x Fem Paradeisos!Reader
When you first get paired with them for missions, they’re both… distant. On their guard.
Shalom is so polite and pleasant with you, it’s eerie. Rahu simply deigns not to talk to you unless you do so first, and when she does speak with you, her responses are short and sharp.
You’re used to the politics of Paradeisos leaving little room for niceties and frivolity, but these two feel like it’s something else. You can’t help but feel that you’re missing something you should really be aware of, but when you look around you, no one else seems to be bothered by it. Not even Shalom’s Schorl. Maybe it’s all in your head?
(You know that it isn’t, but what can you do about it?)
Honestly, you have no idea why your superiors keep assigning you with these two. Doesn’t Shalom have the entire HUSH system at her disposal, not just Rahu? And that’s without even mentioning the incredible power of her Schorl. All of it reeks of Paradeisian politics and you can’t help but feel like you’re just a pawn in a very intense game of chess with countless dimensions. Well, everyone is, but usually you can ignore the fact and get on with your duties. Not this time.
When your superiors have you report in secret at the end of the first month, you’re sure of it. They ask you all sorts of questions, but all of them relate to one topic – Shalom’s loyalty. It was in question? You’re baffled. You’re not privy to the details of her situation, it’s far above your station, but Shalom still never seemed like the type of person who’d betray Paradeisos. Rahu, maybe… but your superiors seemed to care as little for the Hush’s bodyguard as one would care for a slug beneath their boot.
Still, what can you do but answer honestly? You’ve not seen anything strange from either of them that would call their loyalty into question. You have no idea if this is the answer Paradeisos wanted to hear; the official you are speaking to has a completely unreadable expression, as always. He simply takes a few more notes and dismisses you, thanking you for your cooperation.
This continues, and you have to report on Shalom and Rahu’s activities every month. You get the feeling that the pair know why you’re truly here, and that’s why they’re so cautious of you. You don’t really blame them, as while you don’t have any evidence, you’re pretty sure that they must have something to hide. Paradeisos won’t care about mere speculation, though; it’s a blessing in some ways, since the unease you’ve been feeling about this whole situation has only grown stronger.
Paradeisos has really fucked up somehow; it’s the only impression you get of the whole thing. Much as it makes you feel like you’re walking directly into the lion’s den, you quickly come to the conclusion that you’ll never know peace unless you figure out just what is going on behind the scenes.
It’s impossible to catch Shalom without her Schorl, and you don’t want it reporting on your actions to Paradeisos. You’re not as valuable to them as the Hush, you’re expendable; if they so much as suspected your betrayal as they did with her, you’d be executed immediately. That left you with only one choice; speaking to Rahu. It was not a thrilling prospect.
Rahu didn’t like being in your company at the best of times, so interrupting her during a moment of repose did no favors for her mood. Her dark eyes glowered at you, lips twisted into a frown, almost a snarl. Still, it wouldn’t help her temper any more if you just left without saying anything, so you steeled your resolve and forged ahead.
“Rahu, sorry to interrupt you like this. I just want to ask you a few questions,” you began, and it wasn’t exactly Paradeisian to want to wither under somebody’s gaze, but the bodyguard looked for all the world like she was imagining one hundred different ways to kill you here and now. “It’s about you and Shalom… At the end of each of these past few months, Paradeisos has been asking me strange questions, ones that seem to call Shalom’s loyalty into question, and I wanted to know–”
You didn’t get to finish your sentence before Rahu lunged for you; you could hold your own in combat, but you were no match for a powerful Sinner like Rahu. The struggle could barely be called that, and within moments you were pinned helplessly on the ground, Rahu’s blade a hair’s breadth from your neck, bloody fury making her silver eyes seem to glow. Even as it marked your imminent demise, they were as breathtaking as they were terrifying.
“I knew you were a Paradeisian mole,” she growled, her hot breath tickling your face. “Shalom said the best thing to do was keep acting normal, but if you’re getting this nosy, no need to keep you around any longer.”
Her blade pressed into your skin, droplets of blood welling to the surface. You weren’t going to survive this – she wouldn’t listen to anything you had to say – but you resolved to keep your eyes open and at least face your demise with some degree of dignity.
However, that final blow never came. Instead, you heard the door swinging open, and Shalom’s voice sighed. “Did you two get into a fight? Rahu, let her up. I’m sure whatever you were arguing about isn’t worth killing her over.”
Rahu gave you a venomous look, but obeyed her lady’s orders, standing up and withdrawing. You were left on the floor, reeling in shock, unable to process what had just happened and instinctively taking Shalom’s offered hand. It was softer than you thought.
“Please forgive Rahu for her outburst,” Shalom said to you with a smile that almost felt sincere. “She’s been restless lately. I should have paid better attention to her. I’ll talk with her to make sure this doesn’t happen again. May I treat your wound?”
You’re honestly too shocked to do anything but accept her offer, and she guides you to sit down. Her hands are surgeon-steady as she dabs disinfectant into your wound – a shallow cut, really, it didn’t call for this almost-clinical care – and she’s surprisingly tender about it. Your heart flutters even as you press your lips together to silence a hiss of pain.
That month, the stern-faced official who receives your reports asks you a new question. “Schorl reported that you were attacked by the Hush’s bodyguard. Could you report the incident in more detail? We will eliminate the rogue element if it will prove a threat to your work.”
Your work, more like a threat to Paradeisos. You paused, careful to make it look like you were taking a moment to recall the incident. Without a doubt, this was a test from Shalom. Apparently, she had seen something that she was willing to trust in you, despite everything; she had to have known that what provoked Rahu to almost kill you wasn’t just a simple disagreement. Yet, the fact that she dared to issue this test in the first place… Surely she knew that you had the power to have her most trustworthy ally killed, right here, right now. Knowing her reputation, that meant only one thing: she was sure you’d cover for her and Rahu.
She was right. You spun a story about how you’d accidentally provoked a spike in Rahu’s Mania, which, in a Sinner as volatile and powerful as her, had quickly led to violence. You were pretty sure this would get Shalom scolded for not disciplining her dog better (you were certain that’s how Paradeisos viewed Rahu), but that was a mere slap on the wrist compared to the alternative.
When you next returned to Erica Villa, Rahu was waiting for you. You half-expected her to finish the job from last time, seeing as her gaze upon you was still distrustful. At least it wasn’t downright venomous anymore. Instead, she just grabbed you by the arm – firmly, but not roughly – and muttered “we need to talk” before dragging you into a room and locking it behind her.
Inside this locked room, Rahu admits that Shalom’s loyalty is to nobody but herself, and Rahu will faithfully serve her lady alone until her dying breath. She doesn’t know the details, but Shalom’s plan would ultimately undermine both the Underground and Paradeisos. The first thing was undoubtedly a good thing, and you were starting to suspect the second might not be so bad. Apparently, since you hadn’t reported the true nature of Rahu’s attack to your superiors, you were seen as a possible ally, trustworthy enough to be privy to Shalom’s designs – “but if you become a liability, I’ll kill you where you stand,” Rahu added.
You had no intentions of betraying these two, of course, so you accepted the offer so graciously posed to you. Rahu still didn’t look like she was entirely happy with the arrangement, but she was willing to yield to Shalom’s judgment. So it was that you began aiding the two properly; Shalom would give orders to Rahu through their special connection, who would then pass them on to you. Paradeisos didn’t cease their monitoring of the pair, but didn’t seem to be aware that you were no longer serving their interests, which worked out well.
This new arrangement gave you a chance to be closer to Rahu and Shalom, too, and it caused you to notice things you’d never paid attention to before. Rahu was a gruff, scarred soldier, but there was a certain melancholy in her eyes that caused tides of sorrow to swell within your own heart. She protected Shalom, and to an extent, you, so faithfully, but sometimes you couldn’t help but feel as if she was the one who needed a guardian… and every now and again, it seemed as though Shalom filled that role for her, bringing her a much-needed comfort.
Shalom, on the other hand… You started to notice she was not as machine-like as she first appeared. How much of her typical pleasantry was a farce, you didn’t know; that was par for the course with Paradeisians. But what she couldn’t fake was the warm glow in her eyes when her gaze lingered on Rahu, or the way her touches lasted a moment longer than they needed to when she tended to the bodyguard’s cuts and scrapes (and occasionally more serious wounds). Schorl didn’t notice it, perhaps couldn’t notice it, but you did. It almost looked like… love? But that was impossible, wasn’t it? If Rahu and Shalom were in a secret relationship, surely you’d know by now. Surely that was something you could be trusted with? You had to admit, it sounded kind of cute, even if it made your heart twist in an uncomfortable way.
Well, you guessed it wasn’t really any of your business. You tried to put it out of mind…
“Huh?” You were sure you’d misheard Rahu. “You… want me to join your relationship?”
Rahu rolled her eyes, but the effect was largely lost due to the pink flush that ran from her cheeks to her ears. “If you don’t want to, just say so, and we’ll forget this conversation ever happened.”
Of course, you very much did want to join their relationship, and you accepted with a giddy glee that Paradeisos would surely disapprove of. Good thing they’d never know.
Dating Shalom and Rahu was… interesting. Dating Rahu was definitely the easier part, as far as the traditional image of a relationship went – without Schorl’s 24/7 monitoring, you two were able to steal plenty of private moments in locked rooms. Rahu wasn’t much of a talker, so your relationship with her is full of passionate physicality. She kisses you like she’s drowning and you’re her only source of oxygen, and you often have to remind her not to leave marks in places that are hard to hide. You suspect she’s compensating for not being able to touch her other girlfriend, and the marks you do permit her to leave tend to last for days, both silent declarations of devotion and territorial claims to spite Paradeisos, even if they would never know.
Schorl made dating Shalom a whole lot harder than you would’ve liked. You can’t say pretty words of adoration or cuddle and kiss each other without landing you both in scalding water that may very well end with you all three of you killed. So, you have to compensate with more subtle acts of love, such as waking up early to make breakfast in bed for the other instead of one of the maids, or finding excuses to pretty much stay glued to one another for “protection” during missions. It’s not easy, but now that you know how Shalom expresses her love, you are never left in doubt of her feelings.
Despite how difficult the relationship can be at times, you’d never consider breaking up with Shalom and Rahu. You’re overwhelmingly happy, and you hope every day that Shalom’s labor will soon bear its fruits, and you’ll all be free from your yokes – or at the very least, that Paradeisos won’t bring you all crashing back down to earth.
156 notes · View notes
paperclipninja · 6 months
Text
This thought struck me while I was driving and I don't know if it's a) tenuous at best, b) me finding meaning where there is none or c) possibly a thing. So naturally I'm going to throw it out there as a possible maybe-theory/foreshadowing.
As we all know, this handshake moment in the magic shop in s2 has the sword very deliberately positioned right where Aziraphale and Crowley's hands meet and we see the three swords in Aziraphale's back as he moves forward.
Tumblr media
And when Aziraphale walks back to the counter and Crowley turns to watch, we see three swords now towards Crowley's chest - it's nicely and clearly pointed out with pictures in this post by @newfangledfancy
As many have noted, if Good Omens is anything, it is deliberate in its choices, especially when we're looking at something as obvious as this. What exactly it means, we'll no doubt find out later, but it certainly seems somewhat ominous and foreshadowing, with the sword down the middle arguably already in play with the separation of Crowley and Aziraphale at the end of s2.
My take? The sword in the middle is the breaking our two faves apart, the swords in Aziraphale's back are an indication of betrayal by Heaven (he still trusts they are the 'good guys') and the swords to the front of Crowley, to me, is indicative that part of that betrayal will involve trying to harm/destroy/get rid of Crowley.
The 'offer' to reinstate Crowley to angel status was such utter piffle (sorry, couldn't help it) because the Metatron knew he'd never go for it, but it also served another purpose; to lead Aziraphale to think he'd misjudged the Metatron (even if Aziraphale didn't really think that and doesn't have a choice about returning to Heaven, I do think part of him still also believes the system can be changed from within).
That extremely pointed, horrible look that the Metatron shoots Crowley just before he and Aziraphale leave the bookshop to go discuss the promotion (with accompanying danger music and all), you know, this one:
Tumblr media
reveals to us that this performance the Metatron is putting on for Aziraphale really is just that, a performance. He wants Aziraphale to think he's misjudged him, I'm sure he was hoping he could convince Aziraphale to trust him. I think the angel is too clever to fully trust the Metatron, but what it does do is maintain Aziraphale's trust in Heaven and, I believe, the possibility he could make a difference.
So why the offer that Crowley could come to Heaven too? Yes, to entice Aziraphale but also, the offer makes it seem as though the Metatron has no gripe with the demon after all. It may be 'irregular', but he was willing to let Crowley be reinstated, it puts any notion of the Metatron potentially wanting to hurt Crowley off Aziraphale's radar (at least for now).
It's interesting too, in the 1941 magic shop scene, that the swords appear to be going into Crowley only once Aziraphale has moved past him, has his back to him. If I was following the separate, betray, destroy sequence of the sword set up, then I'd take that to suggest that any move against Crowley will happen while Aziraphale has his back turned, so to speak, and can you imagine the kind of fury that would unleash in our no. 1 angel? Coz I can and it is amazing! But I digress...
While speculation is fun (so, so much fun) and all, the point, the POINT of this rambling post was to say that if indeed that 1941 magic shop sequence is foreshadowing Aziraphale being 'stabbed in the back' and Crowley attacked in some way, it's not the first time we've seen a potential nod to that.
Look it may be entirely coincidental but I have to say, there is mighty similar symbolism right back in s1 when Aziraphale and Crowley are hit with the paintballs. Where does the pellet land on Aziraphale? On his back (and how, from where he's standing? Is there someone behind him??). And where does Crowley cop the 'bullet'? Right there in the chest.
Tumblr media
I just wouldn't put it past this show to have planted the seed that early on. And look, if it's nothing of the sort, then they're just fantastic stand alone sequences. That's the greatest thing about Good Omens, if it was a Clue, then it's amazing and if it's not, it was still amazing. We simply cannot lose.
293 notes · View notes
bloodybreakupscene · 11 months
Text
-> 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
hobie brown x reader
-> hobie tries to teach you to play guitar and ur like nuh uh and fall asleep
-> HAII GUYS!! i want to thank everyone who sent in requests and that one person who sent me a bunch of british phrases thanks i love you , the attention i've received on all three of my recent spiderman fics is crazy thanks a bunch :3 also first hobie fic no one make fun of me plz i tried my best
Tumblr media
"that's what i'm saying." hobie explains, wrapping his arm around your waist.
"mhm." you replied, grabbing a drink from the fridge as he clings to your body. "anyways, how's guitar going?"
"good." he answers briefly. "ey' do you ever wanna try?"
"try what?"
"guitar, dummy."
"hmm," you speculate, "never thought of that before." finishing your sentence, walking towards the couch of your shared apartment. not really an apartment, just a scrapped house that no one's ever seen before, or even heard of. you both renovated it enough to where it was functional for two people.
"well," he sat down, grabbing the electric guitar that stood next to his side of the couch. "let's try it."
"what? i don't know anything about playing an instrument." you explained, rolling your eyes as he scoots right next to you, no distance between the both of you.
"c'mon, it'll be fun." he smiles, sitting the electric guitar into your lap, pulling your body even closer to his, he takes your left hand in his and puts it on the neck of the instrument. with your left fingers on the frets, he gives you a pick which you hold with your right.
"i feel stupid." you lean back, head being held with his shoulder.
hobie snickers, “'cause you’re not relaxed. chill, ’s only me.”
“i know, i know, doesn’t help much.”
“what? i make you nervous, that whatcha sayin’?” he teases, soliciting an eye roll from you.
“whatever, just, i don't know, play for me.” you finally sit up, still sitting in his lap as he strums a few notes on the guitar. you lean to the side so that way your legs hang off the couch, you tilt your head back onto his shoulder as he plays with the instrument, it seems like second nature to him, something that didn’t need much thought put into, he just knew how to play.
"stare any harder i think i might disintegrate." hobie jokes, he makes eye contact with you and you look away.
"hard not to." you smile, giving him a little kiss on the cheek. he laughs and wraps both his arms around you. you both fall back onto the couch, cuddling each other.
silence dawns itself upon the both of you as you close your eyes, with only small breaths of contentment escaping. hobie's eyes remain open, he stares as you slowly drift off into slumber. with his arms still containing you in his hold, he rests his head atop yours.
Tumblr media
472 notes · View notes
vincentbriggs · 1 month
Note
Hello! I'm trying to draw something for a friend. Both of our characters live in the late 1720s. They both have regular outfits, but I want to draw them wearing something fancy. My friend has described his character as having a very bad sense of fashion. I can't really picture what a bad outfit back then would look like. Do you?
Hello! Well I haven't got all that much of a feel for what might have been considered a bad outfit back then, but there is one image that immediately comes to mind of someone who's very definitely badly dressed, and it's this guy. From the 4th panel of Hogarth's Marriage A la Mode (1743-45).
Tumblr media
His individual garments look fine to me, but they're horribly mismatched! (And a bit old fashioned for the mid 40's.) You'll note that the coat cuffs are made of a large brocade that contrasts with the main body of the coat, which was very popular in the first half of the century, but that style was meant to be worn with a matching waistcoat in the same brocade. Instead he's got a completely plain waistcoat that doesn't match at all.
And the breeches should match the main coat fabric, but his don't! The black and brown and beige clash awfully. He's also got a lot more rings and a much bigger & sparklier earring than I've seen on any other guy from the era, which I speculate might have been tack and/or un-masculine, but I have no sources so don't quote me on that. I just know that when 18th century guys are wearing rings in a portrait it's usually just one, and I've only ever seen simple little hoop earrings in a very few portraits. But again, emphasis on the "speculate" part of that sentence.
(And I've just noticed that the guy next to him has curling papers in his hair, which I think is probably also meant to make him look silly and not properly dressed. No idea what the opinion would have been about the folding fan dangling from the wrist of the next guy over, but it is intriguing. The very large beauty spot on his lip is probably meant to look bad though.)
That painting is a bit later than what you're asking about, but the style of matching cuffs & waistcoat was popular in the 20's too, so here are some examples of what it's supposed to look like. A lot of them are very elaborate brocades paired with a solid dark coloured velvet, but sometimes it's a contrasting plain fabric with a ton of metal embroidery.
Tumblr media
(1725)
Tumblr media
(1723)
Tumblr media
And an extant c. 1730's example from the NMS collection.
You might also look at 1710's images, because being a decade behind the current fashions would certainly make you badly dressed for the era.
Tumblr media
(c. 1715-20)
So, I guess just put them in clashing parts of 2 or 3 different matched suits? (I am assuming you're asking about suits, since this ask was sent to me and I do not know very many things about dresses. Mostly only what I absorb from other costumers who post about it, and barely anyone does early 18th century.)
Please note that this does not apply to the 1780's-90's, fashion plates from those decades are incredibly full of clashing and mismatched suits. (Though it would probably still be bad to wear those ones on a very formal occasion.)
127 notes · View notes
itsgiovanna · 7 months
Text
proud of you
pairing: fem!f1driver for mercedes x mason mount
type: one-shot
requested: yes
summary: can you please write an imagine where y/n is an f1 driver and she just won her first championship from max for the first time and she drives for mercedes. mason tells how proud he is of her and how much he loves her (...)
notes: f1 and mason, everything i need. i changed some things from the request so it’d match the time of the season when the last race happens. btw: i'm not an expert on f1 strategies so it's probably lame, lol. also, there might be a pt.2, there might not… let me know in the comments! :)
warnings: fluff and more fluff, that’s all.
Tumblr media
As soon as you’ve entered the paddock in Abu Dhabi, journalists gathered around trying to take pictures of you, being the first woman in F1, since 1976, completely changed things. From people wanting to know who you’re dating to the press speculating about the future in the Mercedes-AMG team alongside the Seventh-Time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. He’s been someone you’ve created a friendship with, not to mention the fact that he’s a legend and you’re privileged to be learning from him. Also, he’s the reason you’re dating Mason, after he threw a party at his apartment in London you’ve got to know the Manchester United’s footballer and found out Mason is one of the most kind and gentle guy you’ve ever met, it’s been two years since you’ve met and it’s your 2nd year driving for Mercedes, everything happened fast and now you’re battling for the 1st place in the championship against Max Verstappen.
“Darling.” you’re quickly embraced by your mom’s arms in a tight hug. “We’re so proud of you, Y/N.” she says, looking at your dad.
“Thank you, mom.” you’re smiling, remembering all the things they’ve sacrificed so you’d be in F1. It’s worth it, and it’s all for them.
"It's gonna be alright, kid." your dad says, he knows you're nervous and they're too, anything is possible, in a bad way, when you're driving a car at 372.5 km per hour. "You're the best out there, sweetheart. It's a matter of time until you're winning that throphy, we'll always love you, regardless of what happens, Y/N."
"Shit, this is too much, dad." you're practically crying, but it's true, they've always been here, cheering when you're winning or supporting when you're losing.
"We love you, honey. You've been amazing this season. Have fun. Ok?"
"I love you." after a hug on both of them, you're off to the garage. It's showtime, and you're definitely not missing this one.
(...)
"Hey, you." Lewis greeted as soon as you've entered the garage.
"Hi, Lew." you're trying to be calm, despite the fact that the race is in twenty minutes, but he notices you're not 100% as you're used to be in other days.
"What's wrong?" he says, putting his phone away to properly look at you.
"I had a fight with Mason last night." you admitted, quietly, as if saying it out loud might make it more real. "I can't concentrate, Lewis. I'm terrified of what's going to happen out there today. It's not like the other races, it's the last one and I'm competing for the championship!" you're saying everything at once, taking the weight off your shoulders.
"Hey, it's ok." he hugs you as soon as you're having difficulties to breath. "It's natural to have worries, especially before a big race like this. But you're an incredible driver, and you've got the skill to win this. Whatever's going on with Mason, we'll figure it out later. Right now, focus on the track. Ok?" you've nodded, anxiety beginning to decrease. And, he was right. You couldn't let personal problems overshadow professional commitments, it's something you've always been grateful for: his friendship. While you've been emotional these past two years, Lewis is the balance for it, being rational, but caring. "If you ever need to talk or just take your mind off things, I'm here. We're a team, and that means supporting each other, on and off the track."
"Thank you, Lewis. I appreciate it more than everything, really." you've managed to give him a smile.
(...)
Mark, one of the engineers, tapped his tablet, bringing up the data from the previous races and the specifics of the circuit. "The circuit here in Abu Dhabi is known for it's challenging corners and long straights." he explained, his fingers dancing over the screen. "We've seen that tire management will be crucial, and the pit strategy needs to be timed perfectly."
"I need a car that's agile in the corners but fast on the straights. We need to find the perfect balance." you've said, getting approval from the other engineers.
"We're leaning towards starting on the hard tires to build a gap and switching to the soft, it'll probably give us the edge." Bono's voice echoes in the room. "And we'll need to be flexible with the pit strategy, especially if the weather complicates things. We'll be monitoring it throughout the race, though."
"Remember, you've got an incredible team behind you, but this race comes down to you. Max is going to push hard, and we'll need to be ready for any surprises. We believe in your abilities, and we know you can do this, Y/N." Toto spoke up, his voice unwavering.
You could feel the weight of the championship, but you're ready for the challenge. The teamwork, the strategy, and the unwavering support of your team brought you to this. You know that, together, you're predestined win.
"Let's execute it flawlessly, and let's win this championship." the team cheered, giving the confidence that you've been searching for.
(...)
The season had been a rollercoaster of emotions and challenges, but now it all came down to this race, the championship is at stake and the anticipation in the air is apparent. Everything you've worked for, the sacrifices, the late nights in the simulator, it's all worth it now.
You've glanced over at the other side of the grid, Verstappen is already in his car. He's a tough competitor, known for his aggressive driving style and determination, the battle between the two of you've become legendary, with fans around the world excited to see who's gonna win.
Then, as the lights went out and the race beggins, the thrill of the acceleration and the deafening noise of the engines filled your senses. The first few laps are difficult but you've managed to get a good position, overtaking competitors and focusing on Max, who's in front of you, not too far. The race progresses, and the championship battle intensifies. He's a relentless opponent, matching every move you've made. At any moment, the fight for the trophy could've been over. But you won't let pressure take over. With each turn, you're more confident. You've found rhythm and the car is responding to the commands, and is at it's limit.
As the final laps of the race approached, you've made the move. There it is, the opening. A shot to pass Max, and you've took it. The crowd erupted in cheers as you've surged, the two cars racing side by side, inches apart. It's the battle of the century, a test of skill and determination. With the checkered flag in sight, you've gave it all. Powering past the Three-Time World Champion, and crossing the finish line, the sound of the crowd erupting in Abu Dhabi. You've done it. You're the first woman to win an F1 championship, in the most amazing way, it's history for the books.
Tears of joy filled your eyes as you've slowed the car and got out, putting the arms in the air as the people cheered, Lewis is right behind, conquering the 3rd place on the race, and as soon as he looks at you, you're practically jumping on him with a hug.
"You've done it, Y/N!" he holds your helmet. "And, it's fucking amazing!"
"Thank you, Lew. I couldn't win the championship without you." you're crying, looking at him through the helmet's visor.
Then, you've rushed to the team, the ones who had worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality. The mechanics, the engineers, the strategists, they're all waiting with smiles, giving a tight hug, celebrations filling the air. Next, you've looked out for Toto, who believed in you from the beginning. He embraced you warmly, his eyes filled with pride. "You're a champion, Y/N!" he said, his voice choked with emotion.
In the end, on the the podium, the British National Anthem played, and the championship trophy was given to you, under the watchful eyes of the world, you've finally raised it, jumping on the stand, screaming to the top of your lungs, you're a champion now and someone who's gonna be the inspiration for future generations of women in racing, seeing the team, your mom and dad, the crowd... it's the most happy you've ever been.
Then your eyes've found something way too important to shrug off. Mason. He's got a smile on his face, probably tears in his eyes and you couldn't be happier to look at him. As you've met at the edge of the track, you've took off the helmet and gloves along the way, then jumped on him, hugging him tight and totally unconcerned about the fact that you've kissed while there's hundreds of photographers looking at both of you.
"I'm so proud of you, love." he says as he's wiping the tears from your face. "I'm sorry, I didn't think straight last night, Y/N. You're too important to me and I..."
"Mason, it's ok. You're here, and this is my greatest victory, you." his heart swelled with emotion as he's gazing back at you.
"I've loved you from the moment we met, and that love has only grown with time. But today, seeing you out there, I realized that my love for you isn't just about being with you. It's about believing in you, admiring your strength and determination, and celebrating your victories as if they were my own." tears welled up in your eyes as you've felt the depth of his affection and the sincerity in his words.
“I love you, you’re everything to me.” you kissed him with passion, Mason’s hands on your waist and photographers flashing what was about to be the photo on your phone’s screen.
“I won’t let go of you, ever.” he says, breaking the kiss.
“Don’t, I’ll pretty much enjoy that.” you're laughing, feeling him closer.
In that quiet, heartfelt moment amidst the noises of the track, you've affirmed both of the love you've got, a love that is as powerful as any victory on the track. You're celebrating the championship, not only with the world, but with the love of your life, Mason.
(...)
200 notes · View notes
caligvlasaqvarivm · 2 months
Note
Has anyone asked you about erisol?
If no, then what's your opinion on them! :-)
I feel like people will be upset at me for this, but a completely platonic and completely lukewarm mutual dislike... they don't really like each other, but take no great issue with each other either. The boys are not fightingggg
So like. A common thing in fandoms is taking things at face value and not really reading any deeper into them. You see this a shitton with Eridan in general - lots of people take it 100% at face value that he's a casteist genocide liker, when it's pretty clear upon further examination that he's pretty much lying about being casteist and doesn't actually want to murder his friends. So, at face value, Eridan hates Sollux, and either wants to do spadesies with him, or go ashen with him. And so this has become a really popular ship, but the thing is... at basically every turn, the story kind of goes out of its way to point out that there's actually nothing between them. At least romantically.
See, Eridan does not actually hate Sollux, at least not to the level of pitch/ashen. TWICE before Sollux and Feferi start hanging out all the time, we see Eridan commenting on Sollux in a fairly neutral-negative way - the first time calling him "a drama machine" and noting that "it is fuckin pathetic," and the second time as "the dead guy who saved [Feferi]". And let's be clear about the former, Eridan is just kind of Like That, he's rude as fuck even about people he LIKES (calling his BFF Karkat an "assblood" and sarcastically referring to Feferi by her royal titles), so that's actually one of the less nasty things he's said about someone.
Meanwhile, on Sollux's end, he LITERALLY says "not interested" to what he perceives as pitch/ashen advances from Eridan. Like, actually just says those words out loud. Not even in a pesterlog, he actually just says those words with his mouth.
So it seems to me that there's a pretty clear case to be made here that Eridan and Sollux kind of just... don't really give a shit about each other, and probably wouldn't have interacted in any substantial way if not for Feferi's involvement. Especially because Eridan's chosen method of hitting on Sollux is with casteism, something he's already faking in the first place.
If we really want to dig into this, though, it's kind of - in my eyes - a lukewarm case of the hedgehog dilemma. They're a bit too similar, and it winds up causing them both mild pain to get too close.
They're both nihilists that kind of hate themselves. Sollux's mutated brain causes him a not-insignificant amount of discomfort, his visions of the future and of the "imminently doomed" have made him lose a lot of hope, and he blames himself for killing Aradia, something so painful that he didn't tell anyone else she died, to the point where most of the team - including Terezi and Tavros - had to find out after entering the game. Meanwhile, Eridan struggles with the perceived inevitability of a lifestyle that causes him nothing but distress, and his constant, overwhelming anxiety about it leads to constant stressing over whether or not he's "good enough"; whenever he's in severe emotional distress, he starts beating up on himself.
They also both front at being more okay with their problems than they actually are. Sollux has his 1337 hacker, two cool for you persona that he puts on, and Eridan is always trying to be the big bad sea dweller. For example, Sollux goes "I'm not trolling the humans, it's beneath me," but he's in Jade's trollslum, so the implication there is that he totally did try trolling, it went badly for him, and now he's pretending that he was always better than that. And I don't think I need to tell you how hard Eridan works to try and present himself as badass and scary and totally not deep in the throes of emotional anguish at all times.
And these are the similarities that ultimately make Erisolsprite so stable. Erisolsprite speculates that maybe the reason he hasn't exploded yet is that deep down, he loves to suffer. The truth is, there's nothing between the two that's really so objectionable that they would ACTUALLY hate each other; Eridan isn't actually casteist, and Eridan never really hated Sollux in the first place.
Neither would they bring each other any comfort or joy - Eridan doesn't have any sympathy for Sollux's baggage, since, like, what, he only killed ONE person, and was even under mind control, so it's not like it was really his fault. He's a drama machine. And Sollux wouldn't have sympathy for Eridan's problems, partially because they manifest in such cringeworthy, embarrassing ways (and Sollux is highly sensitive to not being cringe, seeing as he's always commenting on other people being embarrassing or overly earnest), and partially because - I mean, fuck it, he's a rich-ass sea dweller who doesn't need to worry about being harvested to be a battery for a living ship. And also he's an idiot.
That's kind of what their relationship is to me, you know? A tepid and lukewarm dislike. They're just similar enough to each other to understand the other, and just different enough to be like "ugh, but that guy suuuuuuuucks". It's very funny, but not really a ship, hahaha.
So what you really get from that is two guys that just kind of dislike each other. Not vehemently or diametrically enough for pitch or ashen, and not a trace of the requisite pity for flushed or pale. When you throw the two together into one sprite, it won't shut up about how much it hates itself, how each part of itself is flabberghasted by the other, and how much practically the only reason it doesn't explode is a resounding "meh."
Eridan likes to validate his despair; ironically, since it's all he's ever known, it's where he feels comfortable - and nobody would provide better doomscrolling material than the doom player. Similarly, Sollux likes to torment himself, suffering his guilt in silence, and Eridan has SO MUCH to feel guilty over. Combine them into one entity, and you have a guy who can reach SUCH levels of revelling in his own misery, you don't even KNOW.
Not that it's healthy or positive for either of them... just that it would be incredibly stable. It's their worst tendencies being satisfied by each other. Maybe that's a form of leprechaun romance, but it's certainly not a quadrant.
110 notes · View notes
skemford · 7 months
Text
Wanted to collect some thoughts i have about the ink demon as a character and what made him the way he is
So here we go, another personal character analysis
Tumblr media
1. Backstory/Background
As we all know, the ink demon is an attempt to create real life toon Bendy with using the ink machine
He's the only one known instance of cartoon character being recreated without someone dying (for example, Buddy Boris) or without them being based on real people (Tom and Allison)
GENT and Joey saw him as a failed experiment and they've tried to find reasons for "why" it didn't worked the way it was intended.
It's really important for story's development and becomes one of main forces that move it:
Joey believes that you need human souls to create a perfect cartoon character (explored through batim)
GENT tries to figure out if there's something wrong with the ink machine and decides to start experiments on humans later (batdr/fade to black)
1.1 Isolation
The ink demon was closed off and isolated from everyone while they've tried to find the ways to "fix" him
Joey said that he started this project to create "alive attractions" and BendyLand in batim's cycle has a spot where Bendy (presumably) could've been placed if he was perfect:
Tumblr media
which, obviously, didn't happen
It's worth to note that this place can be found at the haunted house which is a part of "Dark Land", location that was later confirmed to be toon Bendy's personalized attraction.
We don't know for how long the ink demon was closed at JDS but it was long enough for some employees like Norman to notice that something is off:
"...Every night, just as I'm pickin' up my coat, there's a deep groan rising up from the floor. One of these days, I'm gonna get my light and see what's causin' all the fuss below me" (Norman Polk, Boris and the dark survival tape)
After JDS went down, he was transported to New Jersey and was closed off again.
Similar thing repeats one more time in 1953 when Joey has started to work on "Joey Drew Studios show" at Kismet Productions.
We have no idea when exactly Joey has decided to 'permanently' put him in the cycle,we can only speculate that it happened somewhere in 1950s.
2. Thomas Connor/GENT
Thomas is GENT representative at JDS and he was directly involved in the ink machine's creation:
"One weird note, the first figure ever created was a failed attempt in the likeness of the character called Bendy" (Thomas Connor, batim ch 5)
In batim ch 5 Joey claims that he saw the ink demon at Tom's office which confirms that he was completely harmless at the beginning:
"...Whatever that grinning thing was I saw wandering around your office,you better keep it locked up tight!" (Joey Drew, chapter 5 tape)
He doesn't say anything about him being violent or damaging their property.
It looks like the way he acts is a consequence of abuse and isolation from GENT and Joey; it's not the reason he was isolated in the first place.
3. Joey Drew
Joey saw toon Bendy as his child that he loved and cherished but the ink demon is seen as "a weird abomination" and "a grinning thing" by him:
Tumblr media
("... I'm paying for living attractions,not weird abominations!...")
Outside of wanting to make profit without spending more money than he intended to,Joey is also known to be obsessed with toon Bendy and his design; he sees the little devil as the most perfect work of art the world has ever saw:
"Picture me standing side by side with my greatest creation, Bendy." (TIOL, page 11)
He also notes in TIOL that toon Bendy's creation process was supposed to perfect and he nitpicks every minor detail as important
Joey calls himself a perfectionist on multiple occasions which further explains his disgust toward the ink demon, someone who came out "imperfection".
"...They were swell, I’m sure you’ve seen them and enjoyed them yourself, but they weren’t what I, ever the perfectionist, wanted them to be. Something was off." (TIOL, page 159)
"It wasn’t Bendy. But it was a cartoon character. It triggered something inside me. That deep-down place that held the solution to Bendy’s appearance had finally stirred" (TIOL,page 153)
Shawn Flynn mentions that Joey reacts deeply negatively to bendy dolls having crooked smiles:
"...So what if i went and painted some of these bendy dolls with a crooked smile? That's sure no reason for Mr. Drew to be flyin' off the handle at me..." (Shawn Flynn, batim ch 3 tape)
In Joey's eyes, Bendy was supposed to be 1 in 1 recreation for him to be perfect and lovable; the idea of him coming out off-model was something deeply unacceptable.
He separates bendy from the ink demon and calls the ink demon monster or beast:
“I think you woke the beast.” (FtB, page 247)
We know the ink demon's perspective on Joey only through his minor interaction with Memory Joey in Batdr's ending. After he decided to speak about his love toward Audrey with ignoring second person in the room, the ink demon calls him a "poor excuse of Joey Drew" and crushes to death.
He was never loved after being recreated by the ink machine and this scene can be easily interpreted as jealousy.
Even with Audrey and the ink demon temporarily sharing one body, she was still separated and put above him.
4. Henry Stein
Henry is Bendy's second creator (or "real" one, depends on how you interpret this) but he wasn't present in the ink demon's life when he was 'born' from the ink machine.
Does the ink demon know that Cycle! Henry is not the real deal? Likely he does, it was stated a couple of times that he can differentiate humans from ink creatures (and he senses ink creatures through the ink)
Latest source of this information is FtB, where he easily knew where Archie Carter, person who was experimented on, was located.
“He’s connected to me. I can’t hide and I’m leading him right for you both..." (page 215, FTB)
We don't know the ink demon's perspective on Henry (sadly,they don't have interactions in BATDR) but it can be said that he likely has complicated feelings about him.
The tombstone picnic cartoon (1929) features toon Bendy looking at someone and smiling after seeing them:
Tumblr media
TimetheHobo (previous cartoon animator) has confirmed that this shadow was intended to be Henry:
Tumblr media
It explains why this is the only one cartoon with a lost ending; after Henry has left the studio, Joey didn't wanted him to be associated with Bendy in any way. But especially when Bendy was happy to see Henry in cartoon's context.
Possibly the ink demon remembers Henry from cartoons? It may be the case but it's based on thin speculations; i won't claim that it's confirmed to be canon. Only time will tell.
5. The keepers/Wilson Arch
After Wilson has decided to enter the cycle and "tame" it, the ink demon becomes one of things he wants to deal with first and foremost.
The keepers, being Wilson's servants of sort, were tasked with capturing him. We don't get context on how exactly they've succeeded but we do have a couple of tapes from them:
" ...Be advised that sedation will not last long. Termination must commence immediately upon reception. Wilson will expect a detailed report of the creature's demise." (Keeper Log 13, Batdr)
Some time passes and they figure out that it's impossible to destroy him, so plans start to change. They decide to include tortures and surgical invasions to try to make him weaker:
"Keepers have administered quarter hourly sessions of physical tortures and surgical invasions to wear down his powers. All of these efforts have been ultimately unsuccessful. A new method of control must be devised" (Keeper Log 26, Batdr)
Which, obviously, fails to work. On their 44th experiments they were able to press him into toon bendy form, which has worked as a 'jail' of sorts:
"...He is smaller in size and harmless in this more timid state. His powers are also greatly reduced." (Keepers Log 44, batdr)
They also state that it was painful for him and under this pressure he has started to express emotions,like crying:
"...Using lengths of steel wire to cut into the side of his body, he now registers emotional responses. There were tears of ink documented. Screams of pain..." (Keepers Log 44, batdr)
Through the game the lost ones did wanted to believe that the ink demon has "died" but they knew that it's not true:
" He said that the ink demon is dead but i saw him. I really did"
Putting the ink demon into a smaller form and placing signal towers around is not equal to destroying him
It doesn't seems like this effect was permanent anyway; Betty says that the ink demon was at the North Wing some time ago, which seems to happen way before Audrey has entered the cycle
Wilson's plan didn't worked from the beginning, he simply delayed the issue that he had.
6. Audrey Drew
The ink demon knows who Audrey is (even before she or the player does), he says himself that ink speaks to him and has revealed everything that it knows about her:
"...The ink speaks to me. It whispers your secrets..."
"... This realm.. is mine. You were born from it... you belong to it."
They have strong narrative parallels through the whole game:
The ink demon was abandoned and forgotten. He's a cartoon mascot who's supposed to be profitable and if he isn't, he doesn't serve his purpose.
Audrey in contradictory was loved. She's human passing and wasn't put under the pressure that the ink demon has experienced.
6.1 The ink demon projects his feelings onto Audrey
The ink demon does understand that their situation is a bit similar, at the end of BATDR he projects on Audrey on purpose. She's the only one person who can (at least try to) understand the way he feels.
Based on that, they do have a lot of things in common:
One creator;
Audrey's relation to Joey is obvious, he created a daughter for himself and refers to her this way.
With the Ink demon it's Joey's presence after his creation, comments and intentions which makes them 'related'. The ink demon=Bendy and Joey saw toon Bendy as his child/"firstborn".
Failed daughters/Audreys were replaced until the perfect one, in similar way with the ink demon being replaced because he's imperfect;
Even if girls demises is not Joey's fault (we genuinely lack context), it's still interesting that it has happened.
It does makes Audrey's existence "a terrible lie" (as the ink demon says) because she doesn't know that it has happened
Their situation may make them feel lonely among others;
One of them is a tall demon among dead employees/more cartoonish characters and another is an artificial human among regular humans. Again, the ink demon's attempts to project on her make a lot of sense.
Other residents of the cycle were manipulated by higher-ups (or created to only exists in the cycle) but before that,they had normal life (or fake memories about it)
With these two, it never was "normal" for either of them, even if their experiences are highly different.
6.2 He's trying to be honest
I've brought it up in my post with Joey analysis but I'll mention it here too:
The ink demon doesn't lie
Him being an antagonist doesn't mean that he has to lie or that you can't trust him. Antagonists aren't always plain evil characters,they can be complex! In contradictory to Joey who's a huge liar,his creation isn't one.
Nothing he says is misleading, neither he intends it to be. He either tells truth directly or projects onto people.
At the moment Audrey is the only one character he has a couple of completely honest moments with:
"He's lying, Audrey..." (about Wilson)
"They promised us peace,but they bring us only more pain" (about Wilson and the Keepers)
He drops the act of sounding threating here and says it as calm as he can. He stops it only after she says "be quiet".
He was shut down when he wanted to do a genuinely good thing in a long time; after that,he won't say anything similar anymore.
7. DR Beast Bendy
The ink demon doesn't need someone's soul (whatever this concept means in canon) to transform, which is backed up by Batim; him wanting to become one with Audrey is not related to this.
The ink demon wants to feel perfect and loved, using Audrey for this (who had almost everything he didn't) is the closest thing to perfection he can do.
He became one with "Joey's greatest creation" only to feel perfect. He wants to "give her purpose" only because he feels like he doesn't has one.
It goes from a really sentimental place which has made this scene look cheesy or weird to some people; but we're talking about 'unlovable' character who was completely abandoned by people
I also doubt that he couldn't fight for control in his own body, resetting the cycle is something that he has accepted at the end of the day (even without wanting it to happen)
8. DR Toon Bendy
Personally I interpret him as one person, there's nothing in canon right now that says that it's Jekyll & Hyde situation.
He's still the ink demon but smaller and weaker,as thekeepers say in their logs. This form is designated as "toon bendy" but it was never said that they were able to create another personality.
After signal towers forced the ink demon into the 'toon' form,he simply walks away from Audrey. He knows that she wouldn't want to see him after that.
If they indeed were different personalities, toon Bendy would have no reason to do so; we know from Buddy Boris that two personalities in one body have different values and don't blame themselves for something another one did.
I don't think that his behaviour was "manipulative" or "pretendious",it feels as it misses the point of his character.
He acts the way people would expect toon Bendy to act, the way Joey expected him to be. He has the looks for it and he can get positive attention he never had before.
People loved Bendy in cartoons. Audrey was happy to see Bendy and wanted to spend time with him/protect him.
I see this as him playing the role that he could never fullfil before. As I've mentioned earlier, even when looking as himself he still has small moments of honesty/vulnerability.
9. The cycle
(based on personal speculations from BATDR)
"...Here, you'll find the meaning in your pain.
This voice line is one of my favourites, i also can see it as him projecting. Possibly he has tried to find the meaning for himself or for why everything has went the way it is.
The cycle is the only one thing that belongs to him, he takes control over it and has no one who'd command him (especially after Joey's death)
He's the most important entity in it and everyone are either scared or worship him.
I can see the cycle as something that also gives him sense of stability/"privileges" which would explain why he was against resetting it even after Wilson's influence.
Outside of this,he had no idea what Audrey would do to him after she'll leave the cycle; she doesn't communicate anything and he was left in the dark.
10. "The end"
"...You see, there's only one thing Bendy has never known: He was there for his beginning, but he's never seen... The End." (Joey Drew, batim ch 5)
I always liked that "the end" reel is his only one weakness. It makes perfect sense because Bendy's a cartoon character and JDS has closed without release of any "goodbye" episode.
But it also makes a lot of sense for ink demon's origins. He saw his beginning but he never got a happy ending.
Every loop ends with the ink demon looking at Henry's face and reaching to him before the reset; it continues in BATDR in similar way.
I've mentioned "The tombstone picnic" (1929) cartoon earlier and it feels like batim's ending was written by Joey this way on purpose.
One huge difference is that in cartoon Bendy was happy to see Henry but in the loop it's written off as a negative thing.
Henry is the one who brought "the end" to Bendy
Studio has started it's slow downfall right after Henry has left. He was way more important than Joey wanted to admit.
Joey has blamed Henry for almost everything,he likely blamed him for this too,so it makes sense why the cycle ends this way; it reflects what has happened in reality
TL;DR:
The ink demon didn't came out the way that was expected but he's still (obviously) is Bendy. After Joey has figured out that it's impossible to 'fix' him, he closes him in the cycle and puts into the role of the main antagonist.
The ink demon embraced this role and doesn't see himself more than a mistake and a monster (which he projects onto Audrey in DR)
~~~~~~~~
I'm always open to discussion if you've noticed that i missed or misinterpret something!
Thank you if you've read it to the end! I really appreciate that you've decided to spare some time for me
Also TY @cr33ping-cr34tv3r for inspiring me to finish it! :)
185 notes · View notes
yesimwriting · 4 months
Note
How do you think Felix would react to bestfriend!reader coming out as bi/pan or nonbinary/genderfluid?
Do you think he would view women as much of a threat as men or…? And what do you think he would say if reader went: “OMG FELIX that girl is so hot” or something like that.
Sorry this was kinda long— 😭
i wanted to answer this fully bc it's a good question, and that got a little long so it's below the cut!!
also i analyze felix's sexuality a little just to give some background on my perspective,, but i try not to put my own speculations on felix's sexuality in fics (unless asked to) bc i want the person reading to be able to decide how they see felix
oh!! also! side note! i've mainly written bestfriend! reader with female pronouns,, and some plot stuff in the main fic i'm writing does rely on reader being female, but if anyone ever wants a specific blurb to have reader be gender neutral,, just specify in the ask and i'll make sure to write it that way :)
okay,, i think felix is extremely bi/pan leaning
and by that i mean i don't think he'd label his sexuality,, and not even in a 'too cool' way, he just wouldn't put that much thought into it,, like he probably sees himself eventually settling down/marrying a girl bc that's kind of the default (a tiny bit of comphet lol),, but i think he likes who he likes, he's attracted to who he's attracted to and doesn't pay much mind to their gender
i feel like this applies to most of felix's family/inner circle as well lol,, like attraction is attraction, why get caught up on the details if that makes sense
also no one can convince me felix didn't feel anything for ollie,, they are that romantic coded best friendship that ends dramatically and traumatically for all involved <3 but in bestfriend!felix verse reader will always be his #1, trust
but if we are reading felix as straight,, i still think he'd be super supportive (bi wife energy)
so considering that (and the fact that felix loves reader too much to ever make them feel bad about anything,, especially something like that) he'd be extremely supportive of reader's sexual orientation and/or gender identity,, and if anyone even implies something rude oh!! he's fighting!
depending on how bad it is, felix might just exclude that person socially, and bc of felix's influence, that means everyone starts to shun that person,, if someone was really homophobic towards reader,, felix would cuss them out fr,, might even instinctually get physical depending on how bad it is
as far as reader being like "felix! that girl is so hot" his initial reaction would be to agree/hype you up bc it's instinct to support reader,, but then it'd hit him and he'd be like oh. wait.. :(
true equality and acceptance of reader's sexuality/gender identity is wanting everyone of all genders to realize how wonderful reader is,, but from a distance <3 like yes i have the cutest, most perfect, lovely,, intelligent best friend, i'm glad you noticed,, unfortunately that's all you get to do
i do think that if it was just you two talking while out partying or hanging out and it didn't go further than some comments, felix would be supportive, but he'd be a little extra touchy to prove to himself that reader will let him
i think he'd be more bothered if reader called a guy hot, not bc he's more intimidated, but bc at least when reader finds a girl attractive it's much less of a direct comparison (bc female presenting and masculine presenting are generally hot in different ways) if that makes sense
if it goes any further than that,, felix is equally pouty no matter the person's gender
also we know felix's friends have a habit of hooking up with venetia,, so i could see this making felix more wary of venetia and reader getting along a little too well over the summer lol,, like he wouldn't assume the worst if they started liking each other a little, but he'd be wary
honestly, though,, at the end of the day, as long as it's clear that felix is reader's absolute favorite person of any gender, he'd be chill and even when he's jealous he's supportive
87 notes · View notes
magnifythesun · 16 days
Note
Hiii so mexican salsa YES this post is a prompt! Feel free to change it to whatever you like, but I'd love a lil' story like this:
Ian and anthony are both very obviously in love and the whole smoffice knows it, but them lmao! I'd love this fic to be just text messages or slack posts or sth, where the cast and crew report of sightings of Ian and anthony doing very ianthony stuff and not realize it themselves. Maybe they come up w a way to show or nudge them in the right direction? But Ian and Anthony will still make it a bro moment (broment) bc they think the other one just wants to be bros LMAO ~ Japhan2024 💖
@japhan2024 FANTASTIC IDEA I have to believe that the Smosh cast legit has a secret group chat for stuff like this hahaha the looks on their faces whenever Ian and Anthony do something shippy is priceless
im going to wrack my brain for my favorite moments lolol I hope you enjoy!
(mid writing note: i first wrote basically all texts but it wasn't quite flowing the way i wanted it to so now there's a little more prose lol. this also taught me i do NOT know enough crew members' names)
It took Erin less than ten minutes to create The Group Chat following the slapping video caress incident.
Erin: "okay so what the fuck"
Tommy: "i'm beside myself."
Angela: "SO WE'RE FINALLY TALKING ABOUT IT"
It began, and all hell broke loose from there.
Most of the cast and crew didn't know Anthony too well when he first returned, but everyone could tell Ian began to positively glow once he came back. It had started mostly with little under-the-breath comments about how big Ian had smiled at something Anthony did, or shared glances after they looked lost in each other's worlds. It's not that everyone wanted to speculate about their bosses, but rather that their bosses were practically giving them no choice.
The real watershed moment was the birth of The Group Chat, which finally provided an outlet for all ianthony incidents witnessed by the cast and crew.
---
Shayne: "Please tell me how Anthony managed to turn his smosh cast interview into an hour of us complimenting Ian."
Tommy: "i swear he practices in his car on the way to work"
---
Erin: "not them discussing deepthroating injuries for like three whole minutes..."
Erin: "while Anthony sucks on his rainbow lollipop......"
Chanse: "they are not beating the allegations"
---
Josh: "So this is I think the fourth video I've edited where Anthony has called Ian daddy??"
Josh: "WHAT is the thought process. I just can't put it together. is Anthony just like yeah I'm going to call my bro daddy about seventeen separate times with varying levels of seriousness and that's good and het and normal."
Erin: "Josh, istg you don't see the half of it. Come watch them film and pay special attention when the cameras are OFF."
---
Erin: "im losing it"
Arasha: "oh god. what happened"
Erin: "i am not fucking kidding right now anthony just called him submissive and breedable."
Keith: "WHAT"
Erin: "he said what he said."
Angela: "BREEDABLE????????????"
Erin: "in front of god and everyone."
Angela: "BREEDABLE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
---
Tommy: "catching up on the main channel sketches and i just have to ask"
Tommy: "How many men can Ian date in his sketches until he realizes he'd like to date one in real life?"
Chanse: "don't SPEAK to me about it"
---
Tommy: "bicurious, hmm? Ian would you like to share something with the class???"
Chanse: "hes so deep in the mental closet his art is trying to scream it at him through his subconscious."
Chanse: "ive been there 😞"
Josh: "I've never been more prepared to edit a video in my whole life"
---
Angela: "Erinnnn not u directing them to stand closer together 😭😭"
Erin: "look I'm at my wits end. I'm thinking forced proximity might do it"
Keith: "if that could work they would have gotten it during kissing currency 😙💸"
Shayne: "@courtney is this your thought process behind wanting a kissing video"
Courtney: "HA"
Courtney: "yes."
---
Courtney: "okay so if our plan at this point is just to make them read so many fanfics about themselves out loud that they spontaneously realize they're in love, we've got to find some fics that don't contain the word 'cummies'"
Angela: "what are cummies?? 😇"
Shayne: "ANGELA I SWEAR TO GOD"
---
As the incidents kept piling up, a plot began to form. Maybe Anthony and Ian were just so oblivious that they all needed to adopt a certain 'push-comes-to-shove' mentality, and do what had to be done. Everyone agreed, they had to find a way to put them in such a charged situation that this would all finally boil over, and the astounding tension that had plagued the office would be resolved. The ultimate achievement of this long-weary Group Chat.
Erin: "okay so one more time. everyone has talked with HR, yes? and everyone slated for the vid is comfortable with the concept of spin the bottle"
Angela: "what's spin the bottle? 😇"
Tommy: "STOP"
Shayne "1) Yes for the thousandth time, we promise. 2) What the FUCK are we going to do if this bottle never lands on Anthony and Ian"
Erin: "I will keep this shoot going as long as necessary."
Shayne: "That sounds like a threat?"
Chanse: "I'm suddenly regretting my decision. May I take my week's vacation right now?"
---
Erin: "how..."
Courtney: "did you see the look in their eyes????? :O"
Angela: "FATE WAS ON OUR SIDE. IT LANDED ON THEM THREE WHOLE TIMES"
Erin: "yes but,,,,,"
Tommy: "don't speak to me I'm still reeling"
Keith: "oh please don't tell me it didn't work."
Chanse: "i just have one question. how did they kiss THREE TIMES and still not realize."
Courtney: "they were both practically levitating from giddiness"
Arasha: "they just kept looking away from each other and laughing it off... they didn't see each other's expressions 😭😭"
Angela: "guys. guys"
Erin: "what"
Angela: "do u know what this means"
Angela: "now that we've pushed them over this hurdle... They're going to start bro kissing in their sketches"
Chanse: "oh my god"
Josh: "oh fuck you're right"
Erin: "that's it."
Erin: "im quitting smosh"
Amanda: "Oh hey guys! We have a group chat?"
Shayne:
Tumblr media
61 notes · View notes
lalal-99 · 3 months
Text
of the big city {h.j.} | track 2
©March 2023, February 2024 by lalal-99
Tumblr media
Han Jisung x afab!reader | trope: slice of life, coming of age | word count: 6.9k
Synopsis: The one where uni starts and you meet some interesting people.
Check Chapter Overview for complete list of warnings
Note: The next chapters are gonna be much shorter, I promise. The overwork is going smoothly so far, I have the next chapter ready and will probably post beginning of next week. I also wrote two whole new chapters this week which I'm very proud of. I really hope I can finish this story this time around :)
Tumblr works on a reblog system. Please consider reblogging this post so that it can reach more people. Thank you :)
Please don't flag as mature or repost this story - Thank You!
Tumblr media
“Baby? Do you have some paper for me?”
With an annoyed eye roll you ripped a page from your new notebook, smoothing over the edges of the torn binder. You pushed the single page over towards him with reluctance.
“You forgot your notebook on the first day already?”
And to think notebooks and pens were the main reason you had gone to the store yesterday.
“Don’t blame me. You know I’m not a morning person. And you didn’t want to wake me up with sex, so...” The smugness in his voice made you wonder if he actually thought he had won this discussion. You raised your eyebrows at him, hinting at the thinness the metaphorical ice on which he was walking.
You usually didn’t get annoyed that easy. If you had, your relationship sure as hell wouldn’t have lasted this long. The reason: Jisung and his lack of understanding social cues. To take the hint and not bother you any further when you were already frustrated, all it took was a look.
Although he wasn’t the reason for your irritation today. Or at least not the sole one.
It was the first day of university, so naturally, you were a little on edge. Whatever happened from this day on would decide over the paths your life took in the future. It was a step you had waited so long to take but dreaded all the same. Jisung, as your loving boyfriend, should have known how much this meant to you.
Sometimes, you speculated if he did it on purpose. Rile you up when you were anxious to give you something to put your focus on instead. His intentions might have been sweet, but this wasn’t taking any tension off your shoulders. Jisung forgetting his notebook and blaming you for it, even as a joke, could have likely been the last straw.
“Baby?” As you looked back at him, you noticed his cute pout. It was almost cute enough to make you forget what you had been so annoyed about a minute earlier. “Do you also have a spare pen? And some highlighters would be nice, too.”
Shaking your head at Jisung, you let out a snort. So he hadn’t forgotten just his notebook, but his pen and highlighter too? Got it. Very unwillingly, you handed him the items. You thankfully always had a spear set in case of emergency. Or, in this case, your boyfriend’s scatterbrain you had been dealing with for many years already.
“You have got to be kidding me.” He blew you a playful kiss, thanking you for your service. “Don’t let this become a habit. I’m not piggybacking you through university as I did in High School. Understood?”
As much as you loved him, Jisung had his fair share of annoyances. Like his living-in-the-moment type of attitude. A contrast to your thoroughly organised persona, you usually appreciated your differences. Without his Yin, your Yang wouldn’t shine as bright and vice versa.
That still didn’t change that you wouldn’t be his personal secretary this time around.
Jisung was old enough to care for himself and not rely on his girlfriend for every one of his needs. Whether it was some paper and pens, your skillfully crafted cue cards, or an all-nighter before one of his final exams. How ever you had talked him into studying for that one anyways.
“I love you, too.”
If he only weren’t so damn cute.
Out of pure principle you ignored his comment with an unintentional snicker. You continued your draft outline on your first notebook page—your attempt of getting a head start on future lecture notes—thus almost missing the voice chatting up Jisung.
“I’m taking you won’t be sleeping in the dorm a lot, will you?”
The depth of the second voice made you look up from your notebook. As the light shone into the room from behind the boy, it almost blinded you. Once your eyes got used to the brightness, you could finally make out a lean figure. He set a reusable coffee cup on the desk next to Jisung before sliding onto the wooden chair.
The boy was clad in comfortable attire, loose hanging jeans paired with a simple t-shirt. His long, blonde hair messily framed his face, a green beanie rounding off his skater-boy look. Something told you he had more to himself than what his cover showed. The several silver rings on his fingers could have been the reason for your suspicion. Or it was how he carried himself—a perfect line leading from his soles to the tip of his head. In exact contradiction to your boyfriend’s slouching posture.
“Morning to you too, sunshine.” The smirk in Jisung’s tone indicated his playfulness and a sense of closeness. “Why do you care? You’re not in love with me, are you?”
“No,” the boy scoffed, his bag placed neatly under the table. “I just wondered if I can stop waiting up for you or if I will have to identify your corpse at some point.”
Looking past Jisung, the boy noticed your presence, sending you a heart-warming smile. The freckles all over his nose and cheeks juxtaposed the darkness of his voice and over-all looks. Something about his aura relaxed you, his company drenching his atmosphere in happiness.
“Hi, I’m Felix!”
“I’m Y/N. I’m Jisung’s-”
“Girlfriend. Yeah, I know. He talks about you a lot.”
Jisung leaned in closer to you, though he kept his voice at the same volume, “Be careful, baby. He’s very much in love with me already. I might leave you for him.”
“You can have him.” You leaned past your boyfriend, directly addressing Felix. “But make sure to always have a spare pen and paper. And also a spare pair of pants.” The scene from earlier this morning came back to mind, a teasing look creeping onto your face. “He might say he can care for himself, but he will wear your leggings and pink baby-girl crop top when there’s no alternative.”
“Good to know,” Felix replied with a deep chuckle, amused by the picture you had painted. He ran his hands through his blonde hair, showing off his ears and all the piercings. Okay, so, definitely not a skater-boy-type.
“You might be joking now.” Jisung threw a know-all look in your direction. “But you won’t be laughing when I wear your fishnets to your grandpa’s next birthday.”
“Don’t you dare put on my fishnets! They were expensive.”
“That’s alright. We’re about the same size, so he can wear mine.” Felix’s words came unexpected and not even Jisung couldn’t conceal his amusement.
“Great, there’s two of you now. Is it too late to drop out?”
In all the years you had known him, Jisung rarely ever made friends this easy. Not even a week on campus, and he had gotten close enough to Felix to joke in his usual manner. How they had even gotten this close when Jisung had spent most of the day at your place was a mystery to you. Still, the little time they had spent together was enough to have discovered a mutual hobby—catching Pokémon. As they argued over who had found the rarest creature, you picked up your previous task. Though that didn’t stop your joy in finding that Jisung had made a friend. And a nice one at that.
You felt guilty for even thinking it, but Jisung had never been particularly good at making friends. Not before meeting you and not afterwards either.
Most of all, you blamed the lack of a ‘do not say’-filter in his conversational skills. His openness posed an obstacle to making new acquaintances—or at least it had many times before. After years of getting side-eyed or complained about, he had stopped talking to new people all together. Like he already expected the sole attempt to make connection to backfire. The few relationships he had formed despite his shyness had been pure luck. And your very own relationship only existed due to your perseverance.
That Jisung had already befriended Felix, at least as much as possible in three days, put you in a bright mood. One of your biggest fears about moving was your boyfriend rooming with someone he didn’t get along with. With someone as talkative and easily compatible as Felix, Jisung would likely not be clinging to you as much. Which wouldn’t have been the worst scenario, but still.
With every passing minute the lecture hall filled more. When something sharp scratched your shin, your head finally snapped towards one of the new-comers. A blonde girl had sat down next to you, and you found the culprit when you noticed her pink heels.
“Oh my God. Did I hit you? I’m so sorry.” Her hand came to her mouth in shock as she apologised a couple of times. You rubbed over the sensitive skin which was already bruising from when you had hit that crate of boxes yesterday. Talk about unfortunate accidents. You pushed the urge to groan at the pain down, forcing a smile onto your face instead. “It’s those dang heels. I knew I should have worn the sneakers today.”
“It’s fine. Surprised me, that’s all.” Embarrassment reached over her cheeks to her ears, a frown painting her face. “No worries.”
For a few seconds she hesitated but finally accepted your willingness to let it go. Out of the corner of your eye, you followed her as she unloaded the contents of her purse. She pulled out a torn notepad and a vintage-leather pencil case, which must have seen better days. She reached back into her designer bag, face distraught as her search came up empty.
She tried grabbing the attention of two boys on her right side, tied deep into their conversation. When she eventually realised she had no other option, her gaze tiptoed towards you. “Sorry to bother you again.” Teeth nibbling at her lip, she forced herself to get over her embarrassing mistake seconds earlier. “Do you have a pen I can borrow?”
Even if your shin had hurt worse, you would have still helped her out. With a genuine smile, you nodded, searching your pencil case and then your bag.
“I wanted to grab one before leaving my room, but I noticed a stain on my shirt and needed to change it. So, I forgot about the pen,” the girl recounted her morning ventures. “I’m so sorry for bothering you.”
“You’re not bothering me,” you assured her. Your smile turned to an apologetic scowl once you realised you couldn’t help her out after all. “I’m sorry. I always carry at least one extra pen, but scatterbrain next to me left his head in bed this morning.”
“You talking ‘bout me?”
Jisung, who you hadn’t expected to react to the mention of his unflattering nickname, turned to you.
“Hey, Felix,” you called the boy two seats from yours, ignoring your boyfriend. “Do you happen to have a spare pen?”
“Sure. I always carry an extra one in case.”
“Interesting. So, some people do use their heads before leaving the house.” It was a reproachful remark addressed to Jisung and his forgetfulness, and he caught the meaning.
“Some people do use their heads before leaving the house,” he scrunched his nose, teasing you by mimicking your voice and repeating your previous words as you snickered. Your perfect boyfriend, everyone.
Felix handed the pen from his jacket past you, the girl accepting it with a thankful smile.
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“I usually go by Felix. But lifesaver is good, too.”
The girl giggled, before introducing herself, “I’m Yuqi. I live in the student housing off campus. You know, the ones next to that coffee shop with the green doors. It’s open 24/7. Genius marketing move, right?” Biting her lip after that info dump, you noticed her nose doing a little scrunch. “Sorry. I talk a lot.”
“I haven’t noticed,” Jisung joked, your elbow gracing his rib at his sarcasm. You wondered if there would ever come a day you didn’t have to act as his personalised filter.
“Don’t listen to the idiot next to me,” you declared, “I find it charming.”
“Me, too,” Felix agreed, and Yuqi relaxed. It told you that she usually didn’t get that reaction when spraying words like a waterfall.
“I live in the same building.”
Excitement took over her features. “What? No way! Which room?”
“B4.”
Yuqi shrieked, her hand touching your arm, “I’m B12! That makes us floormates.”
“I guess it does.” Yuqi was the first person you met who lived in the same building that wasn’t your roommate or her girlfriend. “I’m Y/N. And this,” you thumbed back at your boyfriend, “this is Jisung.”
“Hi,” he greeted her with an awkward wave.
“Nice to meet you all.”
With that, Yuqi picked up her purse, pulling out an old folder. Well, it appeared to be rather new, but the edges were already torn, some of the plastic cover coming off the corners. The latter especially gave you an ick, and you forcefully pushed down the urge to smooth over them. You could handle some chaos, even if this was a lot.
Good thing, Yuqi spoke up again, giving something different to concentrate on.
“What’s your major?”
“I’m doing Business Admin.” Before you could return the question, Yuqi already reacted, hand touching your biceps in excitement.
“No freakin’ way! I’m in Marketing.” The delight in her voice was addictive as you couldn’t help a grin pulling on your lips. “See, I even wore the perfect outfit for our first lecture later today.”
Yuqi leaned back, giving you a better look at her clothing.
She was in a pair of white jeans, a rosé-coloured blouse adorning the upper half of her lean figure. A single, thin gold necklace decorated her neckline, fitting the two golden earrings. The one thing that stood out in that well-rounded outfit was her other earrings. About a dozen of them decorated both ears from the dainty top to the slim bottom. To round the fit off, she wore a pair of light-pink high heels. The very same that had already made acquaintance with your shin.
“Pretty, right?”
“Very girlboss,” you agreed in earnest. Your own clothes contrasted her colourful optics, made up of mostly black items.
“I’m so glad I’m not the only girl in the classes.” There was a hint of playful disgust in her statement, making you chuckle. “All the other people I met who are in Business were boys. Not that boys are bad or anything. I love boys. But they can be—a lot.”
“I get it. I lived with three boys back home. Well, technically, my dad is a man,” you air-quoted, “but where’s the difference, right?” Yuqi chuckled. “It’s nice to have a girl around every once in a while.”
Yuqi reached for her coffee cup as her gaze wandered to the grey haired middle-aged man who entered the room. He walked up to the desk at the end of the hall, his briefcase landing on the table with a loud thud.
With that, you straightened up, pen in hand and ready to take notes the second your prof opened his mouth.
Tumblr media
05:23 PM: Hey, are you studying in the dorm tonight?—Y/N 05:25 PM: No. The place is all yours :)—Hwasa 05:25 PM: Is lover boy coming over again ;)—Hwasa 05:26 PM: He’s hanging out with his roommate tonight... Bonding. I’m thinking about inviting a friend over. I met her at orientation earlier this week—Y/N 05:27 PM: Sounds fun—Hwasa 05:27 PM: Anything special planned?—Hwasa 05:27 PM: Not yet. Maybe eat something and a movie? Explore the city?—Y/N 05:28 PM: You wanna explore this bar Joey’s? I’m meeting some friends there later. Happy Hour starts at 8—Hwasa 05:29 PM: You sure? I wouldn’t want to intrude—Y/N 05:29 PM: I told you I’d be taking you out one of these days—Hwasa 05:30 PM: Texting you the address right now!—Hwasa
Stepping through the dark wooden doors, a wall of warmth hit you like a thick blanket.
It had gotten colder the past few days, fall beginning to hit the city. You took off your scarf, looking around the place in search of the familiar, pretty face.
This place seemed to be the city’s hotspot, every table packed to full capacity. Red velveteen clad the round tables right by the entrance, the seating options becoming wider once you reached the back. Couches fanned out in random patterns all over the dark oak floor. The furniture’s vintage finish further accented the brown parquet.
You felt like you had stepped straight into a movie scene.
The wave of a dainty hand over the crowd’s heads caught your attention as you spotted your roommate in the back. You grabbed Yuqi by the hem of her sleeve, dragging her behind you as you made your way to the group of girls with a smile.
“Hello,” you greeted the table once you had gotten close enough for them to see you.
Hwasa hugged you in bliss, almost tipping over the drink in front of her, “Hi! I’m so glad you could make it.” As she noticed Yuqi, she pulled her in for another warm embrace, “Nice to meet you! I’m Hwasa.”
“Yuqi,” your friend replied, joy written on her face at the enthusiastic welcome.
Knowing Hwasa and her usual calm persona, you knew she must have already taken full advantage of Happy Hour.
“Nice to meet you.” You introduced yourself to the two unfamiliar faces, sending Wheein a quick nod as she met it with a smile.
The two girls with your roommate and her girlfriend couldn’t have been much older than them. The first had straight black hair reaching the bottom of her back, at least from what you could tell. The other sported a short grey bob. It highlighted her sharp jaw in what you could only describe as a tomboy-ish look. Like Wheein and Hwasa, they were beautiful and made you somewhat self-conscious. You shouldn’t have come here unprepared, or put on mascara, at least.
First to introduce herself was the black-haired girl, her smile almost blinding you. “Hi, I’m Solar.”
An extraordinary name for an extraordinary beautiful person. Fitting. In your mind, there was no doubt she made people of any gender fall in love with her the moment she stepped into a room. Her calm, almost carefree aura was truly something else.
“And I’m Byul.” She was just as pretty, though in a less traditional sense. A boyish charm surrounded her, though her blazer hinted at a seriousness to her person. She looked—important.
You introduced yourself and Yuqi, pulling out the two remaining chairs. They must have fought off several people to reserve these. “Are you students, too?”
“We used to be,” Solar explained as she emptied her tulip-coloured drink.
The girls seemed to have stocked up on various drinks; more glasses than people were at the table. If the drinks were half as good as they looked, you’d be in for a long night.
“We graduated last year,” the black-haired beauty continued, bumping shoulders with Hwasa. “I used to be Hwasa’s roommate, actually.”
“I didn’t even notice!” Hwasa giggled, thus proving your assumption about the amount of alcohol consumed before your arrival. “She’s my ex, and you’re my next.”
You chuckled in amusement, reaching for the menu at the edge of the table. The faux leather was soft beneath your fingertips as you skimmed over the Happy Hour options. When your eyes landed on your favourite drink, a smile spread on your lips as you handed the menu over to Yuqi.
“They have Long Island Ice Tea in three different flavours?” Yuqi exclaimed, the scenic buzz of this place rubbing off on her. Not that she wasn’t this emotional about almost anything. “Would it be very immature to try them all tonight?”
“Not at all. I am browsing through the new offers myself. We can get drunk together.”
Not a fair fight. Hwasa had already gotten a head start.
You called over the waiter by raising your hand, and he headed for your table not a minute later. He raised an unintentional eyebrow at the consumption level—One Mojito, three Long Island Ice Teas and another Piña Colada and Gin Tonic. Even so, the boy sent you a smile, spinning around and wandering back to the bar.
Once he was gone, Hwasa swiftly emptied her previous drink. All it took was one strong sip through her straw, and the Tonic and ice was gone. The coldness reached her brain soon after, prompting her eyes to grow wider—like those of a comic-book figure.
“Babe, you should slow down,” Wheein suggested with a chuckle. But her girlfriend waved her off.
“I’m fine. Also, I don’t have any courses tomorrow, so I have the whole day to sleep off that hangover I’ll be having.”
“Great. I’ll remind you when you’re hugging the toilet seat later.”
“I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Mhm.” Wheein didn’t seem uber-convinced Hwasa would keep her promise but let it go anyways.
As the girls went back to their previous conversation, you tried your best to follow them.
You understood that Solar was passed over for a big promotion at her job and that she was convinced, her boss was sleeping with her opponent.
“What do you do for work?” Yuqi’s question took the words right out of your mouth.
“I am an assistant buyer at a small fashion label,” Solar explained, making you look at Hwasa in surprise.
“Don’t you also study fashion?” Taking a sip from her already empty glass, she nodded in silence. You frowned when you noticed her uncomfortable look at Wheein following your words. There must have been some form of backstory, and the last thing you wanted was to make things awkward. Instead you attempted correcting your mistake. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”
Passing a few glances around the table, Byul finally spoke up. “Our cutie Hwasa here used to study Chemistry full-time. She developed a small crush on Solar in her second year, so, she changed majors to spend more time with her.”
It took a moment to dawn on you why Wheein and Hwasa had reacted the way they did.
“Yes, but I hadn’t met my love then.” Hwasa bobbed her girlfriend’s nose, pouting to cheer her up. After a few seconds, Wheein couldn’t stop her frown from turning into a giggle. They were just the cutest.
“You’re a little drunk, aren’t you?”
“Drunk of love!”
“I stand corrected. You’re absolutely hammered.”
Playfully nudging her girlfriend, Wheein relaxed, emptying her own drink. Non-alcoholic, from what you had gathered.
“Anyways, since Solar is into boys only—”
“Men,” Solar interrupted her friend with a sigh. “I stopped dating boys a long time ago. They never know where to put things.”
“Sorry, since Solar is into men only,” Byul corrected, her eyes meeting yours again, “that didn’t work out. Now Hwasa is stuck with fashion. She met Wheein not too long after.”
“That’s right!”
The enthusiasm in her reaction made Hwasa finally tip over her glass. The melted ice cubes went all over the table, the cool liquid running down the sides. Some of it landed on your jeans, so while Hwasa apologised profusely, you called over the waiter a second time in five minutes.
A moment later, the young man rushed over with your drinks, handing you a towel to dry yourself. It didn’t go by you that his gaze focused on you for a few extra beats, but you ignored it. Your returned the now moist towel with kindness and he left with a light blush.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice that.” Solar’s caught your attention by the touch of her hand as she nodded towards the waiter.
“Notice what?”
“That the waiter was flirting with you,” she explained, looking around the table. “You noticed too, didn’t you?”
Byul agreed, “Sure did.”
“You’re not one of those girls who are, like, super slow on cues, right?” You chuckled at her question, shaking your head.
“No, I noticed, too.”
The confusion on the beauty’s face made you chuckle a little. “So what, then? He’s cute. Get his number.”
“Nah, I’m good.” You waived her off, taking a sip from your fresh drink. The rum burned down your throat, the lime juice and sugar adding a bittersweet taste to it. “Also, I don’t think my boyfriend would be particularly happy with me asking other men for their number.”
If everyone’s focus hadn’t been on you already, it sure was now.
“You have a boyfriend?”
“Very much so, yes.”
Solar seemed surprised by the information.
“Is it serious? I mean, you obviously shouldn’t cheat on him. But you are at university. If you don’t explore and get to know yourself now, when will you get another chance?”
You took another sip to ease the discomfort from being the center of attention. Not exactly where you usually were. “We’ve been together for five years. I’d say that’s pretty serious.” That did the trick, her mouth now agape in shock. She leaned in closer to you, cradling her chin in her palm.
“Five years? So, you’re High School Sweet Hearts?”
“Middle School, actually.”
“Is he any hot?” Yuqi interrupted, also leaning in further. How your relationship had become the talk of the whole table had gone right by you.
“What do you mean? You met him at orientation. He sat right next to me.”
“No way! That’s your boyfriend?” You hummed, agreeing. “But you called him dumbass like 5 times in one hour.”
“I did, but it’s more a term of endearment. I call Jisung dumbass; he calls me stupid. It’s a whole thing.”
As soon as you had cleared that up, Solar was back at it, hitting you with question after question.
“Wait, but like, for real. You’ve never been with anyone else since Middle School?”
You shook your head, correcting her statement. “I’ve never been with anyone else ever.”
Usually, you never talked about yourself and your relationship this much. You were rather private in that sense, though, you also understood their curiosity. It wasn’t every day that you met someone who had been with the same person since they were 14. You understood the length of your relationship was uncommon for someone your age.
“So, he’s your first boyfriend?”
“Yup.”
“So, you never kissed anyone else? Had sex with anyone else?” Byul further interrogated, now also fully invested in your love life. That you had only met the girls maybe 20 minutes ago seemed irrelevant. Not like you hadn’t seen that question coming sooner or later.
You agreed with a nod. “I never wanted anyone else.”
“How do you even maintain a relationship for that long?” Yuqi budded in again, her focus different from the older women’s. “My longest relationship lasted 4 months, and then I got tired of him.” For some reason, her statement made so much sense to you. Yuqi definitely needed constant excitement to fill her heart. “What’s your secret.”
You thought about it before answering shortly, “Shared trauma, maybe?” When no one laughed at your words, you backtracked. Your honesty might have been too much for them after all. “That was a joke. Obviously. We have a lot in common and went through similar stuff in life.”
It became quiet for a few seconds, though you sensed that Solar was holding back. Whatever she might have had dancing on the tip of her tongue, she took her sweet time wording it in her pretty head.
“Please, don’t take this the wrong way.” Always a great way to start a sentence. “If the shoe fits, tie that bitch up. But you’re in college now. This is your time to explore your interests—your options. No one comes out of college the way they go in. It’s a life-changing experience.”
“So, I should cheat on my boyfriend, is what you’re saying?” You started getting a little defensive now that your love life appeared to be under attack. All the attention got uncomfortable as much as you understood where it was coming from.
“That’s not what I was saying at all.” Some of the tension fell from your shoulders. “I’m saying people change. So, don’t be surprised if your boyfriend and you don’t work out.” Still not the direction you wanted this conversation to go. But Solar continued anyway. “Take Byul, for example.”
Solar leaned back, her hand coming to her friend’s shoulder.
“Byul started college, wanting to become a lawyer.” Byul nodded, agreeing. Her blazer somehow made more sense now. “She finished her degree and opened her own music production studio not two months later. And Hwasa—” With that, Solar went on to your roommate, who threw her a playful wink. “The first year of college, she cycled between so many partners, we were certain, she’d end up pregnant or with an STD. And look at her now.”
From how lovingly Hwasa was gazing at Wheein, there was no doubt in your mind that she had happily moved on from those days.
“And when Wheein started college,” Solar continued her list, “she was straight as a ruler. Do you see what I’m saying?”
“I do.”
And it was the truth. You understood that most people used college to find their path in life. The women around you were the best example for it. All four of them had found their place in the world, who they wanted to be, through university. You didn’t doubt that whatever had happened to them was necessary for them to grow into the women they were today.
At the same time, you knew your life better than anyone else at this table. You remembered every little thing you had gone through together, with Jisung. You understood how his mind worked. What he struggled with and how to get him through it emotionally—you had witnessed most of it with your own eyes.
And there was nothing one-sided about it either. There was no doubt in your mind that the same went for Jisung. He knew you like the palm of his hand—and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m still very sure we are not gonna break up.”
“I hope you don’t.” Yuqi finally came to your rescue, cutting the tensive atmosphere. “He’s adorable.”
Thankfully, Solar accepted it as the end of story. She sat back as Yuqi diverted the conversation from you to Byul, asking her about her work at the studio. You calmed down as the centre of attention drew from you and towards the ins and outs of the music industry. When Hwasa playfully bumped her shoulder into yours, you looked up at her. A teasing wink showcased her support and affection. And probably her drunkenness.
“Sorry about her. Solar can be very straightforward, but she has a good soul. She’s a realist, and very openly so.”
“It’s alright,” you told her, taking your glass and a huge sip of your Mojito. “I know most relationships at our age don’t last. But we’re solid as a rock. It’d need a tsunami to separate us.”
You hoped the rest of the night would go a little less awkward than this. Though, as the alcohol ultimately entered your system, you soon forgot about the whole conversation.
Tumblr media
“I’m gonna be sick.”
A second later Hwasa bent over the nearest bush.
“What happened?”
“She got sick,” you explained the situation as you used your hair tie to fixate Hwasa’s long locks behind her neck. “You good?”
Hwasa wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and nodded as she stumbled towards the housing entrance. Wheein supported her other side, the two of you exchanging concerned looks.
“Is she gonna be alright?”
“I think so. It usually takes a glass of water and an aspirin, and she’ll be back to her old self.” You didn’t doubt Wheein knew how her girlfriend usually handled alcohol. “I’m gonna take her to my room to make sure. It’s closer to the bathroom, and I don’t have a roommate she could disturb.”
“You have a single room?” Yuqi questioned in surprise. Her enthusiasm after midnight was still higher than yours had been all evening. “Man, I should become dorm supervisor next year.”
“It has its perks.”
Yuqi took over once you had reached your room, holding up Hwasa so they could lead her to her girlfriend’s room.
“Good night. Call me if you need help,” you told Wheein, who nodded thankfully.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” After Yuqi had bidden her goodbye, you turned to your door, entering the four-digit code to unlock it.
Once inside, you rid yourself of your shoes, turning the lights on as you set your bag down by your dresser.
A groan came from your bed, making you jump and stumble back against the wooden cupboard. Your blanket moved at the disturbance, a bulge the size of a grown person appearing underneath it. It took a mop of familiar brown hair to calm you as you realise that not an intruder had overtaken your bed.
“Dang it! Jisung, you creep! You almost gave me a heart attack.”
Noticing the tired haze in his eyes, you strolled over to him. You slid next to his torso as your hand reached for his chubby cheek, grazing his skin. It woke him up, your action met with a sigh and his head leaning comfortably against your palm.
Under the blanket, you noticed his shirt, which didn’t even begin to cover his bulging biceps. It took you a moment to recognise why it didn’t fit him like his other clothes usually did.
“Are you wearing my crop top again?” Amusement laced your tone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You almost didn’t understand him, his vague mumbling blurrier than typical. He must have been asleep for a while.
“What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to hang out with Felix tonight.” You took out your earrings, neatly placing them on the small nightstand by your bed. “What happened to bonding with your roomie?”
“We hung out for four hours,” he explained with a yawn. “Then I came over because I missed you.”
Running your hand down the side of his face, he grabbed it as soon as he could reach it. He brought it to his lips to give your skin a quick peck.
“Now, come to bed, so we can sleep.”
“I need to get changed and brush my teeth first.”
“I can help you get out of your clothes. And I don’t care if your breath stinks.”
“I care.” You got off your bed to rush through your evening routine so you could fall into your love’s arms already. Yet, your intentions were rudely interrupted. “What the heck!”
Before you could take a step, Jisung’s arm snapped out from beneath your blanket, pulling you back. You couldn’t react fast enough as he dragged you into a lying position next to him, still fully clothed.
“See? I don’t care.”
“What about the light?”
Lifting his head off your pillow, he grabbed the tissue box from your nightstand and tossed it at the light switch. You didn’t know when he had suddenly learned to aim, but it hit smack-bang in the middle, shutting off all the light in your room.
“I gotta admit, that was impressive.”
“Now, let’s get you out of those clothes.”
You giggled as he effortlessly opened the button and zipper of your pants and dragged them down your legs. He tossed them towards the end of the bed, to be dealt with tomorrow. Next was your top, which he swiftly brought over your head, throwing it to join the rest of your clothes.
“If you only cleaned as quick as you undress me.”
“Everybody has their own forté.” You snickered at his words, closing the gap between you. “I could also be way quicker than that. We haven’t had sex in a week. Right now, your clothes are my nemesis.”
The heat of his body caught you in a warm hug, “A week already, huh?”
“8 days and 7 hours, to be exact. But who’s counting?” His arm came around you, scooting you closer so your back pressed flat against his chest.
“You wanna reset that clock?”
“Nah,” he brushed your suggestion off. “I’m way too tired to have sex right now.”
“Tomorrow then?”
“About that.” His hot breath fanned over your neck. “I know it’s date night, but there’s this party I was invited to. I thought we could go to that instead.”
“A party?” It was the first week of university. How had your introverted boyfriend already been invited to a party? You should have probably seen the answer coming. “Whose?”
“I think you know.”
Of course, you knew. How could you not when his parties had been legendary even back in the day? Though, until now, you had suppressed his present at this campus all together. His being the one who shalln’t be named.
You thought about Jisung’s suggestion for a second.
Sure, a party would intervene with your bi-weekly date night. And, on top of that, it was organised by someone, you didn’t know how to approach after everything that had gone down. But this was university, after all. And, as Solar had said before: University is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, why the heck shouldn’t you go to a party?
“So? What do you say?”
“Fine.” Jisung’s previously unbothered expression turned into a smile as he grazed his lips to your neck. “Just... Don’t tell your sister we’re going. I’m not sure she would appreciate us hanging out with her ex.”
“Lying to my sister? Who are you, and what did you do to my girlfriend?” A yawn hit your ear, your face scrunching at the unwanted ASMR session. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
As Jisung slipped into a deep slumber, your mind raced through the events of your day. It usually did at the end of the day, your mind too tired to do anything productive but too awake to rest. The silence around you allowed you to remember an earlier text message you never got to answer.
Pulling your arm out of your boyfriend’s iron hold on your body, you reached for your phone on the nightstand.
Your dad had sent you a voice message about three hours earlier when you had still been at the bar. You pushed the play button and brought the phone to your ear to not disturb Jisung’s beauty sleep. By all means, he needed it. Or so he said.
“Hi, honey. It’s dad. I hope you had a lovely day and aren’t studying too hard already.” You smiled at his words, knowing it was one of his biggest hopes for you to get some time to yourself. “Remember what I told you when you left? Live a little!” A pause as he was seemingly picking up something from the ground. “I just wanted to ask when you were coming home Friday. I’m planning brunch with you two and Jia, so if you could be here by noon, that’d be great.”
Friday was the day after tomorrow. You hadn’t forgotten you’d be going back home for the weekend, but you sure hoped the party tomorrow wouldn’t keep you up all night. If you had to be home by noon, you’d have to leave campus by ten. And after a party, like you expected this one to be, you prayed you and a certain someone wouldn’t be too hungover.
“Anyways, sleep tight, and have a lovely night. We miss you!”
A second voice appeared in the background, not too far from your father’s, and your heart skipped a happy beat. The words were harder to make out as he was munching on an apple, cereal, or something else crunchy.
Still, there wouldn’t come a day you wouldn’t understand his babbling.
“Come home soon, please! Mhpf—I miss you, mommy.”
With a loving smile plastered on your face, you replied with a heart emoji. After such a perfect goodnight-messaged, you’d be sleeping like a stone tonight.
Tumblr media
Next Chapter >>> Let me know if you want to be tagged. Make sure you have an age indicator in your profile.
Masterlist Let me know your thoughts!
71 notes · View notes