#and this is why filler stuff is great for stuff like this

[exaltedfuzz]

Someone already pointed out that you always tend to draw Lana tired and I agree, it feels just right!

Because Lana takes care of Ema and the household since she was a She cooks healthy because of Ema, listens to Ema‘s school day, plays with her, helps her when she has a question because of her school work.

All of that while remaining the top of her class in law school. She has so much responsibility and Lana doesn‘t even seem like the person that complained at least once because of it. And also remember that a lot of colleagues, like Angel Starr, used to look up to her. She endures the responsibility and she‘s honestly such a great role model for me!

Not to put Mia Fey down, but consider this: in contrast to Mia, who had at least her aunt Fey to teach her all of this stuff, Lana probably had no one. In contrast to Mia, who actually left Maya live alone, Lana took care of Ema.

Lana Skye is underrated, so f* underrated.

Thanks for liking the way I draw Lana! I think, yeah... She'd be exhausted. Full-time everything. I don't know that I'd call her a role model, considering how RFTA goes, though... Admirable, sure! But, you know... The whole evidence forgery and desecration of a corpse deal might lose her a couple points in the role model department.

It is super nice to imagine what it was like for Ema growing up! I really wish we got to see them interacting outside of RFTA. Maybe in AA7, though I'm not sure I'd trust the AA5-6 team to pull it off. More hopefully, maybe in the anime! I can't believe RFTA just didn't get an adaptation. I guess it is a bit of a sidestep from the trilogy narrative. Hopefully when (if?) AJ gets adapted, they'll do RFTA as a primer to introduce Ema. Maybe we'd get treated to some filler fluff, to make how Lana is in RFTA really punch you in the gut.

I don't know that Lana was as profoundly alone the whole time as she could have been, either. It says in RFTA that Jake was very close to her and that Neil was like her own brother (and that Jake was nice to Ema), so I figure they would have been some help. And Lana has that coroner friend in Germany who Ema lived with between RFTA and AJ (really wish we got to meet her! All we know is that she's a top coroner, a woman, and in Europe, from Lana's end credits of RFTA dialogue), so it seems like she had a bit of a support circle, which is nice to think about.

It's interesting what you say about Mia. I have some thoughts on that, actually. I wouldn't say what she went through would have been much easier. I think that while Lana's approach is to grin and bear it, and take the path of least resistance, which involves just getting on with it and looking after Ema without searching for any help in that, Mia's is very confrontational of her circumstances. The reason she leaves Maya is to find Misty, to clear her name and to try to reclaim that family she's lost. I imagine Maya would have lived with Morgan too.

A thing I've been thinking, actually, is that Morgan would probably have been delighted to see Mia go off to become a hotshot lawyer, in some ways. Gets the number one heir to the Kurain channelling school out of her hair if she ends up acclimatising to city life and settling down. This would probably be why Morgan never tried to kill Maya until 2-2, since there was the chance Maya would go off and join her sister, just leaving Pearl to take up the mantle.

I guess after Mia dies, it'd be reasonable to assume Maya would get scared off from leaving the village, so Morgan would have to take things into her own hands. So I think Maya probably, though lonely, didn't get off too badly. Morgan wouldn't hurt her if Mia was alive, either, because we see that Mia does get crazy intense at times. There's that little comic (not sure where from) where she snaps the (kendo?) sword over Nick, for one, and there's also her (IIRC) punching Grossberg in T&T... Or, at least, that piece of official art where she's dragging Nick around by his scarf. If anything happened to Maya, Mia would probably strangle Morgan. Then, as well, Pearl says she met Mia. So Mia must have been visiting a bit.

It's a very different context that both Lana and Mia operate in... At the end of the day, the most important thing for both characters is their family, and what they see as the best thing to do for them. Don't pit two GOATs against each other...

Anyway, whoops. Most of this was about Mia. Super glad you like my Lana stuff! I think she's a wonderful character, and definitely underrated.

[tathrin]

Elves, as Gimli had learned early in the Fellowship's travels when Legolas had devoured a cluster of baneberries to the horror of everyone except for the curious Hobbits, who had barely been stopped in time from following his example (after which everyone had been treated to a lecture on the benefits and perils of wild plants by Aragorn, the bulk of which was still burned into Gimli's brain even now) could safely eat almost anything that nature grew. Legolas had spent the next three days of their journey quizzing Aragorn on the limitations of non-elven digestion, and now considered himself something of an expert on mortal-safe foraging habits.

Bit from the next chapter of my current WIP. I need somebody who’s better at comedy than me to actually write the story behind this, because I want to read it but I don’t want to write it. Please, LotR fandom, I offer it to you freely. Someone who isn’t me write this fic, I implore you.

[thefandomexpert]

alright i’ll say it. i don’t hate the new netflix atla

[emo-batboy]

i'd like the chart thanks!

Also, there's another person who wants to rp Leo, can they?

Okay a few people are asking for the chart so here’s the current chart!! (I took out some characters that are still not as fleshed out. That includes Nathan, Ria, Nina, Ashley, Zoe, Ray, Maggie, and the hater and Metropolis characters, but they’re all filler characters rn)

A Wild Battinson Character Lore Continuity

- Felicity

- Oldest of the bunch, right between Millennial and Gen Z

- Works at an office, besties with everyone there. Corporate girlie (does use the term girlboss)

- Like if a Gothamite/Bruce Wayne fan was swiftie-coded?

- She has a pet pitbull, you know that kind of white girl

- Tatum

- Goth U, Comp Sci major

- Keeps everyone he knows online at arms length so we don’t know much, has a small close knit friend group irl but he’s also mutuals with everybody on twitter because he’s that kinda guy yk?

- But they’re slowly convincing him. He’s getting there

- Marzia

- Oh god poor Marzia

- Italian, born in Northern Italy, English is her second language but you wouldn’t be able to tell if it weren’t for her slight accent

- Biggest Bruce Wayne stan, will go feral, but only gets replies from him at the worst moments possible

- *snorts like cocaine* “Please don’t do cocaine” is my personal favorite

- Goth U, she gives art major vibes but tacked on a double major in psychology last minute so now she’s staying a fifth year

- Reads smut, writes smut, part of the poetry club, def on booktok, you know the type

- Alejandro

- Runs an ice cream stand in the park on the weekends when it’s warm enough

- Bi, Dating Leo (pfp is them holding hands because he’s a whipped son of a bitch)

- He’s like if that normal-looking kind of athletic guy who always wore sweatshirts and basketball shorts to class just suddenly mentioned he had a boyfriend one day.

- He’s straight-coded but more specifically “the straight guy that gay guys have crushes on against their better judgement”-coded

- Knew the whole time he was bi but never REALLY liked a guy until Leo 🥺. whenever he looks at Leo, he’s got those madly in love eyes

- Thinks Batman is hot and suffers constant torment from Leo (who has a crush on Bruce) because of it

- Ale just wants to be bench pressed is that too much to ask? But It’s his fault he’s a twunk dating a twink so—

- Goth U, Really interested in tech stuff but he’s actually a sports medicine major. He wants to be a physical therapist for athletes

- Cannot hold his liquor

- Smile Watch

- Who knows

- It’s a mystery

- Lela

- Goth Girl

- BFF’s with Nico (goth girl, e-boy solidarity)

- Also good friends with Natalie, they lined up all their gen Ed’s together

- Chill in a Morticia Addams kinda way. She is Morticia Addams actually

- Mom owns a convenience store, she helps out after classes a lot

- Studied for the MCAT, did pretty well, she wants to be a doctor (probably neurosurgeon but it depends on what internship she gets)

- Currently completing the undergrad to grad program at Goth University with a masters in public health

- Natalie

- Former intern, now ASSISTANT at Wayne Press

- Got the job because she impressed Bruce with her good reporting skills, now works mostly on organizing press releases and maintaining Bruce’s public image

- Great at her job because she knows social media and Bruce Wayne Stans the best (she is one obv)

- (Babysits Bruce when Alfred is busy, how did this happen, why is this her job now? She’s tired of his shit lol)

- Still technically working part-time because she hasn’t gotten her degree yet, but she’s set to work full time after she graduates Goth U in May

- Sometimes while sitting at her desk she just gets that perspective shift where she’s like “how did I get here” Bruce Wayne Stans’ dreams do come true

- Caleb 🤡

- Literally 18/19 but aging faster than humanly possible with the stress he’s under

- Used to work at Bat Burger, left because the babysitting gig required more time

- Lives with his aunt who’s already retired (used to live alone, she never had kids or a husband so she’s loaded) He’s staying cuz his parents are super busy and travel for work :) and guess what crime-filled alley their window overlooks? I’ll give you one guess

- Babysits Tim, used to be a less serious gig but his parents have been out of town a lot lately (just vacationing without their child 🙄) and thankfully Caleb lives right across from their swanky apartment so he’s practically a nanny now (read: older sibling/third parent)

- Took a ton of childcare courses for this job and now he’s kind of interested in working at a daycare maybe? If Tim doesn’t kill him in his sleep first

- Recently graduated Goth High, now takes online classes at Goth Community College while deciding what to do with his life

- Jarod

- Recently graduated Goth High, now taking a gap year before starting GothU in the fall. Him and Caleb were always in the same classes so they’re super close (they’re the youngest)

- Future Comp Sci/English major (he wants to be a video game writer)

- Has a younger sister, and technically the oldest child but spiritually he’s the middle child.

- His parents and Priyanka’s parents are close friends so he kind of grew up seeing Priyanka as an older sister. That’s why they’re Like That.

- Literally so fed up with Priyanka, it’s not even funny (yes it is) but the second you’re rude to Priyanka, he will deck you, watch yourself

- Katie (Sweater Thief)

- ER Nurse at Gotham General Hospital, mostly does night shifts

- Gives chronically online energy when she’s online, but everyone in real life wouldn’t suspect a thing because she’s so good at having her life together (the code switch will give you whiplash)

- Surprisingly older than most of the others despite being Like That.

- Literally graduated with a 4.2 GPA how tf?

- BFF’s with Leo then became BFF’s with Ale too after they started dating (she is slowly corrupting Ale and I think that’s beautiful)

- Creator of the Babygirl Bruce Wayne Agenda and PROUD

- Priyanka

- Works at coffee shop owned by her mom called Caffe Mood. She plans to run it one day. Currently a barista

- Goth U, business major (accounting)

- Bilingual, knows Hindi

- LESBIAN QUEEN

- Despite being gay, She is allowed to think Bruce Wayne is hot, that is her Right

- Mad fucking crush on Georgia, calls her Georgie. Intends to never tell a soul. Will fail miserably

- Dead fucking set on the idea that Batman’s a vampire

- But she thinks everyone’s a vampire so—

- Her parents and Jarod’s parents are close friends so she kind of grew up seeing Jarod as a younger brother. That’s why they’re Like That

- Jarod is constantly on her nerves, wtf Jarod (but be mean to him and she’ll kill you)

- Leo

- Works at bookstore called Gotham City Bookstore

- Gay, Dating Alejandro

- Twink (derogatory)

- Swears his gaydar is the most accurate there is (always wrong)

- Made being gay his entire personality because he had an identity crisis in middle school and proceeded to have a massive crush on some straight guy all of high school (that guy was Ale, Leo’s gaydar is so off)

- BFF’s with Katie despite being a few years younger. They were in a high school production of Sweeney Todd together and the rest was history

- Calls every single celebrity gay as a joke, Ale reigns him in if he’s getting too out of hand

- Used to have a mad celebrity crush on Bruce, still kinda (definitely) does

- Attends GothU, undecided for a while but ultimately settled on mathematics because it’s ironically his best subject

- One of those mf’s that needs to be held back at all costs, god help Ale

- Rose 🌹

- Works a tailoring job full time

- Good friends with Felicity, she’s like the black cat to Felicity’s golden retriever

- 70% super nice and chill, 30% wild card party girl

- Gets drinks with friends a lot, tweets when drunk but no one can tell the difference. It’s amazing

- Does not seem horny, is horny. But like normal about it? If that’s a thing

- Nico

- Kinda plays the straight man of the group if the straight man was emo

- BFF’s with Lela (e-boy, goth girl solidarity)

- KING of twitter roasts. He makes memes to end lives.

- Pansexual, single, and probably writing bad poetry in his diary about it but don’t tell anyone

- Goth U, actually dunno the major. Probs public health with Lela but doesn’t want to be a doctor. More like research parallel to social sciences

- Has a 8/9yo sister named Madelaine whom he would die for despite not expecting to be an older brother so late in the game (what were his parents thinking)

- Has tea parties with her and all that jazz. She steals his eyeliner and chain accessories all the time, also she’s friends with Dick and Barbie (yes, Barbara Gordon) so sometimes he watches over their play dates

- He’s a “tough emo boy” so he totally doesn’t laugh at Madelaine’s puns. He’s a bitch ass liar

- Kellyanne

- GothU, marine biology. Transferred from GCCC with an associates degree to save money but now she’s got a full ride cuz of the WE higher education fund

- More recent Bruce Stan

- Pretty poor upbringing, that’s how she met Bruce Wayne. He bought her whole family groceries one night after her card declined at the convenience store trying to buy dinner

- Now she’s in it for the long haul :)

- Lia

- GothU, fashion merchandising

- A GIRL’S GIRL

- Older sister also attends Goth U, but she’s in med school

- More recent Bruce Wayne stan, still not particularly in with the culture and jokes but getting there

- Friends with Georgia and Elizabeth irl. Elizabeth was in the same sorority before graduating first. Got to know Georgia after Lia found her dog with Bruce at the park outside GothU. They party together now

- Elizabeth

- Graduated GothU last May and worked an internship at LexCorp, immediately regretted it but snagged a job at WE (thank god)

- Now works as a research assistant at Wayne Tech in the R&D department for commercial products

- Didn’t really get the whole Bruce Wayne Stan thing until Bruce Wayne personally wished her a happy birthday?? The man is so sweet?

- Absolutely loves her job but still screams at rubber ducks over faulty code in her little cubicle, but that’s the industry she chose so it’s a give and take

- Met Natalie through Stan twitter and now they DM each other about working at Wayne Enterprises

- Doesn’t post much on twitter but follows the main Bruce Stan accounts, irl friends with Lia and Georgia

- Georgia

- Has a dog named Bean

- GothU, majoring in like three languages, polyglot (including Hindi 😏)

- Works at a retail home decor kinda store (home goods?)

- So lesbian-coded, but does not know it yet. Priyanka is her gay awakening. She is now a regular at Caffe Mood (She thinks she just likes the coffee (yeah right))

- Works at Goth U’s admissions department over the summer too

- Once got drunk and locked herself onto a roof by accident, ended up hanging out with Batman (he offered to break into her apartment for her but she said “nah”)

- Jane

- Works at Wayne Enterprises

- Runs bring your kid to work day (idk what her actual job is but she’s an Essential Worker, okay?)

- Very sweet, 10/10, looks on the bright side but never in a toxic positivity way

- Super social too, became work friends with Bruce because she’s nice but not draining to his social battery? They have lunch on occasion

- Watched the Graysons die with Bruce, call that trauma bonding

- Watched her toxic ex’s car burn to a crisp after a joker spree and took a selfie with it (she can have a little revenge, as a treat)

[satzumosupremacy]

Elite Bodyguard Series: Pt. 9.5

Side Story 2

Male reader x Twice

Tags: Short filler angst story of oc, Unedited, No smut

A/N: Continuation of p.9

“Jihyo, when did you wake up?” You said walking out the bathroom, drying your hair and seeing Jihyo sort her luggage.

“Like….at ten I think. I made you breakfast, Oppa. Eat before you go.”

You became puzzled by her nice gesture. “Did you make enough for yourself also?”

“I did. Let’s eat together,” she smiles brightly and gets up to wait for you to put on a shirt.

“You didn’t need to cook something. Why are you doing this?” Considering how she’s free the next few days, you wanted her to rest instead of going out her own way for you. “Don’t do it for me. Just relax, Jihyo.”

“Just shut up and go eat,” she laughs. “Tzu doesn’t do stuff like this to you?”

“Well. Not like this. She waits for me and then we cook something together.”

“That’s cute.”

“It is. Let’s go eat, Jihyo.”

She walks out with you and into the kitchen to sit at the dining table. Opening the cover from the plate, she cooked a simple chicken stew. Steam rises out from the trapped bowl, and plenty of protein she put in the bowl.

“Enjoy, Oppa.” And she looks at you spooning for a piece of tender chicken into your mouth. “How is it? Good?”

“It’s good, Jihyo. Thanks for making it for me.”

“My pleasure. Does it need more salt? Any spices?”

“No, it’s perfect enough.” You said, taking another bite of meat with the warm stew. Jihyo didn’t pick up her spoon at all, but kept looking you eat what she made. “Eat, Jihyo. What are you waiting for?” You laughed.

“Just appreciating you eating what I made, Oppa.”

“Weirdo,” you said, chuckling as she laughs comfortably to hear you name calling her playfully.

“If Tzu waits for you, what does Sana do?” Jihyo picks up the spoon and takes a sip of the stew.

“Sana? Hmm, she does both. Sometimes wait for me, sometimes wake up early to cook.”

“Isn’t it surprising how Sana didn’t burn your house down?”

“Now that’s something I have to consider, Jihyo.”

“Oppa, remember when you first met us in the practice room?”

“What about it?” And you chew quietly on the piece of chicken listening to her.

“What did you think of us?”

“Mhm..I’d say you girls looked pretty close together even if I didn’t know at all at the start.”

“You fell for Tzu, don’t you? Don’t lie to me.” Jihyo chuckles and continued to eat.

“I did, but I tried to be professional about it.”

“I’m pretty sure Tzu told you how she fell for you after seeing you smile more,” Jihyo added.

“She did,” you said and grabbed a cup of water for you and Jihyo, “what did you girls think of me when I walked in the practice room?”

“Oppa, you were like a secretive person. Not until we got a hold of your information. Sana, Momo, Mina, Tzu, me, even Nayeon said you’re hot. But the thing that stood out on the description said was that you were in the military.”

“It stands out somehow, even the companies that hire me are surprised.”

“How much does our company pay you, Oppa?”

Her sudden question made you flustered, “let’s just say enough.”

“Oppa,” Jihyo gently grabs your hand across the table, “I’m glad we have you around.”

“I can clearly see that, Jihyo. I’m glad I work for you girls.”

The air suddenly gets tense with Jihyo hesitating to ask you something. “Oppa.”

“Hmm?” You said chewing on your food quietly.

“May I ask you about your time in the Navy?”

As you judge how innocent she can be when it comes to life, you also hesitate about telling her how it really is. “Jihyo. How much can I say? I also couldn’t tell Tzu. When it comes to taking a life, I don’t want to feed you about the dark side of war. It’s fucked up.”

“Just tell me about yourself, Oppa. No worries.”

“I’d say that I’m great at it. I wasn’t the biggest or the smallest. Not the most strongest or weakest. But I can tell you that my other teammates knew me as a dangerous person when I want to execute a mission successfully.”

“Oppa, I can tell you’re a great person by seeing all your metals in the room upstairs. Especially the silver one. It’s so shiny.”

“The silver one?” You said, nonchalantly losing your smile.

Instantly, Jihyo assume that silver metal wasn’t something to be happy about and decided to change the topic. “Finish up the food, I don’t want you being late.”

——

After finishing the breakfast, you get ready to leave as Jihyo sits on the couch and uses her phone.

“Jihyo. I’m leaving. Mind coming here and decide something?”

She gets up and walks over to you by the garage door. “Yes?”

“Porsche or Genesis?”

“Porsche. You’re a CEO now, Oppa.”

“Good decision,” you smiled and she loved the way you smile at her.

Jihyo faintly smiles at you, not wanting you to leave but couldn’t do anything about it. “See you later. We can have fun later at night together.”

By fun, and what you didn’t know was that Twice was coming over to hangout when Jihyo texted their group chat.

Her arms open wide for a hug before you go, and you hug her warmly, rubbing her back. “I’ll be home in time.”

“Okay, bye, Oppa. Drive safe.”

“Make sure to call me if you need anything, Jihyo.”

“Okay!” Jihyo said proudly and watches you leave out the gate, then closes the door, locking it shut as she runs to lay on the couch.

——

You’re sitting on your desk with the computer turned on to a spreadsheet to manage every client that needed a bodyguard. Contracts with prices vary from different companies reach out to your email address. You read all of them, word by word to see any complications that may occur on your employee’s behalf.

The door knocks one time, and your receptionist enters the room. “Boss, you have company.”

A familiar face shows up as your receptionist leaves the room. “Hey kid.”

“Master Chief,” you said, flustered by him showing up unannounced and salute to him, legs together and standing up tall silently. He was your platoon leader during your Navy Seal days. He sits on the leather couch in front of you.

“Command Master Chief now, kid. How are your wounds?”

“It’s not like it was last week when it was years ago,” you said, lowering your hand and chuckling to brighten up the mood from not seeing each other in a long time. “Did the Pentagon sent you here for a reason?”

“Decided to pay a visit while I’m here in Korea. It’s been years since your friend….” and he couldn’t finish his words when he was also present at the time of a teammate killed in action. “I’m happy that you took over his dad’s company in his place.”

“It was my fault either way. Would have been avoidable if I didn’t have a price on my head,” you paused. “I wouldn’t be here if that bullet did hit me.”

The friend who you called was the one who often jokes and made everyone laugh during the standout was like a happy pill during the tough times of battle. Until the day he died right in front of your eyes, without you knowing if he took the bullet as a friend, or unintentionally at. After that incident, you lost your smile, a cold hearted person to everyone you greeted with a gun pointed at their chest. Your teammates also changed from laughing and smiling to being more lethal.

“You did the right thing. Even I would have shot back if my arm wasn’t bleeding from that ambush. Everyone in the squad blamed themselves, it wasn’t just you, Chief Petty Officer.” He said to you and it’s been awhile hearing your rank.

“Remember the silver star that I got from that? I don’t think I deserve it. Even when the President put it around my neck.”

“Well you did fucking kick ass. How many tangos did you eliminate? Like ten to fifteen gunmen after going rogue? We’re always taught to not fear, but somehow, I feared you the moment your eyes changed. It’s like you wanted vengeance and would die a warrior with the consequences. You did deserve the recognition and honor. I mean it, as once your Master Chief, now Command Master Chief.”

You stay quiet for moments as he can feel the guilt radiating off your body. “How’s everyone?Anything from the Pentagon?” You said, changing the topic.

“Negative. The only easy day was yesterday, kid. If you never left, you would have been recruited to Devgru or even Delta force. Wasn’t that what you wanted?”

“Life changes you in many ways, Command Master. I want to start a family one day.”

“At least you stayed for another year after that incident. Remember the operation we did in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? That one extraction mission before you decided to retire?”

“The one mission where we flew out the plane and into the dark ocean? I don’t know about you, but that mission still doesn’t sit right til this day.”

“Yea. We got tipped off that it’s connected to another group. A trafficking organization. And yes, what I’m saying is top secret right now.”

“I’m no Seal anymore. I’ll act like I didn’t hear anything about what you said. At the end of the day, we are bad guys in another man’s world, Command Master. We could of have had the same hobbies, but politics drew all of us into greeting each other with guns.”

And he closes his eyes with a nod, agreeing to the hard truth. “I’m glad I had you that I can count on.” He pats your back hard, proudly reminiscing the times you were by his side in the frontlines.

“Glad we were in a team, Command Master.”

“Your name is still engraved as a hero. Pictures of you, me, and our squad will remain in the hallways of the Department of Defense. Even without you anymore, we still talk about you every now and then.”

“What are you really here for?” You started trying to read his eyes and posture. “Wanting me back? What else does the Navy need me for?”

He takes a breath, “I’m here to look for someone highly intelligent who can take retired soldiers from any branch and give them a new start to life if they need it. Someone who can branch an organization into American borders or allies. Bodyguard, security guards, you name it.”

You knew from the way he looks at you, and he was talking about you. “I don’t have enough funds yet to branch this agency out to America. Maybe in a year, we can talk about it.”

“Don’t worry. This isn’t my idea but the higher ups that you’re still in contact with.”

“I don’t know, Command Master. I can’t be flying back and forth. I’m a CEO here, but I also take clients.”

Then he starts being straightforward, “I’m retiring from the military in a few months. I need a co-CEO to help run the agency that was created from all the branches of military. You can stay here in Korea, I’ll handle the rest back in American soil. When celebrities travel and ask for bodyguards, it will be easy to deal with between us.”

You thought it’s a good idea after all to have a joint company with someone you respectfully know, “where is it located?”

“One in California, New York, and Chicago. All thanks to the branches coming to together. A quarter of the profit will be given to charity and non profit organizations until the end.”

The location of the agencies were simply matched to where idols would perform for concerts whether he knew it or not. It’s a smart decision to take the offer.

“Deal,” you said without hesitation. “But you’re running it while I’m over here in Korea.”

“When Korean celebrities travel to America, you can respectfully take control on your end.”

You chuckle at him without an answer. As you and your platoon leader talk about the old days of being teammates, it became hours talking back to back about the happy and sad memories that both of you went through.

“Doing anything after this?” He said.

“Don’t know. Probably just sit on the computer since I’m free today.”

“Want to go to base? Have a friendly shooting competition? Maybe even a combat practice drill with the UDT?”

“I went there few weeks ago. Since you want it, we can have a friendly competition. “Show me what a Command Master Chief can do.”

“Did you forget how notorious you were, kid? I’m going to get my pride hurt.”

“Negative, but that was the good old days.” You said, changing your speech and getting competitive, smirking right after.

“Yea, sure. I know how you are. Don’t deceive me. Anyways, how’s being a bodyguard?”

“Fairly easy, yet tiring.”

“Found a lover yet?”

“I did. She’s such a beauty. I want to grow old with her. Have kids. Live a calm life. She’s all I would ever need.”

Your Command Master couldn’t help but smile to you as you boast about Tzuyu. “Sounds like your life gotten brighter ever since you met her, didn’t you? When’s the wedding? Well, who is she?”

“It’s better if you see her in the future.” And you stopped yourself before you start bragging about everything Tzuyu is to you.

He nods quietly. “Any celebrity know what you were before? Or are you keeping it secret?”

“Our line of work is much of a secret after all. I don’t tell much but only if we’re close enough.”

“You’re not wrong,” then there was a slight pause in there air as he takes a deep breath, “how’s your sleep? No nightmares? Trauma?”

“It’s getting better. Better and faster than I thought,” you laugh.

“I can’t believe you’re smiling more after retiring. It’s been so long.”

“A woman by your side changes you, Command Chief. For the better.”

“I can tell. Let’s go to base?”

You nod, smirking to beat him at the shooting range.

——

After the rendezvous with your Command Master, you come home in the late evening and see the lights all off, which made you worry enough to run inside quickly to find Jihyo.

“Jihyo!” You yelled after opening the front door.

“Suprise!” And you see every Twice member inside your house.

“Oppa, we wanted to hangout with you today,” Jihyo said with her arms crossed.

“Assuming this was a surprise for me,” you replied and Jihyo nodded.

“Babe!” Tzuyu said and runs to hug you that made you smile.

As you give your attention to Tzuyu, Sana felt some jealousy when she never seen you smile so brightly at her unlike Tzuyu. It made Sana annoyed, hating herself to why she’s feeling so jealous for.

“Oppa,” Dahyun said. “Mind if we bring out some drinks?”

“Help yourself. I don’t mind at all.” You said while hugging Tzuyu tightly and feeling her warmth.

You scan the room and see Sana walking away to the kitchen to help with the groceries Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Tzuyu got earlier. The jealousy Sana had never crossed your mind at all.

“Oppa, you know how to handle a live lobster right?” Jeongyeon looks at you and waits for an answer while you’re glued to Tzuyu.

“Why did you buy a live one? But I can, yes.”

“Can you do us a favor and maybe..you know.”

“Be there in a second, Jeongyeon.”

“Babe,” Tzuyu said cutely, “how was your day?”

“I had fun, Tzu. But since you’re here, I’m happier with you.”

Tzuyu mashes her cheeks onto your chest, rubbing slowly to coat her smell all over you. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Tzu. So damn much.”

“Oppa!” Nayeon yells from across the room. “Come take a shot with me and Dahyun.”

Tzuyu lets go of you by how hectic your house has become after you came back home. “Babe. Have fun tonight.”

“I will, Tzu.”

Walking to Nayeon and Dahyun, they greeted you with a shot of whiskey and look at Sana curiously, trying to read her expression, “Oppa, look at Sana. Doesn’t she look jealous?” Dahyun pointed out to you.

“Is she?”

“See what I told you?” And Dahyun laughs to see how complicated the relationship gotten after you spent countless days with Sana. “Good luck, Oppa. I can’t help you.”

Nayeon puts her hand out with her shot of alcohol. You, Dahyun, and Nayeon clink the shot glass together to take a gulp.

“Think I can handle it, Dahyun. Where is Mina, Momo, and Chae anyways?”

“Upstairs somewhere. Probably taking pictures or something. Or maybe checking out your photos back in the military again.” Nayeon replied to your curiosity.

“Ah, okay. I’m going to head over to Jeongyeon and help her out. Have fun drinking.”

Nayeon and Dahyun nodded as you walk to the kitchen while Sana exchange glances at you for some sort of attention, which you didn’t give in at all, but help Jeongyeon with the lobster.

“Look away, Tzu, Jihyo, Sana, Jeongyeon.” The four girls look away, hearing the cracking that made them tense their shoulders.

“Oppa,” Sana said, tugging your shirt in a cute way, “how was your day?”

Tzuyu, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon could tell Sana was jealous in a way, and didn’t say anything as Jeongyeon puts the lobster in the boiling pot.

“It was fun, Sana,” you rub her shoulders.

“I’ll come over on Tuesday. Just us two. Alone.”

“I’m busy, but I’ll make time for you, Sana. Should I pick you up?”

“No, my manager will drop me off.”

“Oppa!” Momo yelled across the room with Mina and Chaeyoung walking with her.

[elliotash2012]

Dude why tf wasn’t Holts artistic side explored more?? Like man got commissioned to do a whole ass mural and I’m pretty sure it’s hinted in his diary as well that he does arty stuff and it’s just like never explored again?? It was only ever in I Know What You Did Last Fright.

I think it just sucks cause like Holt only ever gets boiled down to being a loud ass DJ character and that’s it. But he’s rlly artistic as well AND LOOK HOW HAPPY HE IS WITH HIMSELF. Also we never rlly got to see his anger issues explored in the online media when I thought that was such a cool and kinda realistic representation, especially of a teenage boy.

This all can be said for Jackson as well. He gets boiled down to the nerdy human and is just like a vessel for Holt. Also a great background filler ig. But he was so cool in the dairies. He was like sarcastic and kinda cynical and just so much more than he was in the media. He was stripped of his edginess fr.

Honestly I would’ve loved to see parts of their characters developed further. And I want their diary versions!!!

It’s probably unlikely that they’ll come back for gen 3,with the introduction of Komos in the live action,but I’m cautiously hopeful of a return

Sorry bout the random little rant Whoopsies

(This song is so then coded icl)

[lonepantheress]

♡ txt binge-watching shows w/ their s/o

pairing: ot5!txt x reader

genre: LOL CRACK? fluff i guess

warnings: unserious-ness

a/n: my first try at headcanons......

Yeonjun

like Gossip Girl or PLL or something.

he seems like the kind of person to be really pissed at moments with shitty writing and you’d have to remind him that he eats it up every time.

omg, and he’d start arguments with you about hypotheticals HE MADE based on the show.

like, “y/n, what if me and you met again after 15 years and had kids but we were both single and eligible and hot. what would you do?” “yeonjun, i have no idea. it depends.” “oh, okay. you hate me then?”

he’d be so flip-floppy too. just agreeing with you to agree with you.

“omg.. she’s such a bitch. I hate her.” “I actually really like her character.” “no, yeah, me too. she’s so cool, i love her.”

then when you guys are having real-life drama, he’d get all frustrated about whatever's going on and be like, “this is just like when serena and blair had to fight with georgina.” and you’re like “yes, exactly!”

he’s sweet though, he’d side with whoever YOU’RE siding with just so you guys could have a bonding moment LOL. your faves are his faves (as far as you know..)

Soobin

ok so it is established that he is a weeb

I feel like he would turn on those animes that are like 700 eps and mostly filler and be like, “this is one of my faves!”

and then you can’t complain because he just said it’s one of his faves…

he would try to meet in the middle though and find some that you might also be into

keyword: try

he’d pull out the most obscure show on the most sketchy website with the most incorrect subtitles and be like, “no, y/n, i swear it’s super good.”

and then you give it a chance, and you ask him to explain it.

and he explains it pretty well, but when you ask again he’s getting all emotional about SOMETHING that’s going on and you’re like “???? why…”

you guys will find your fave though and it’s so sweet bc it’s something you guys really look forward to.

you won’t look at spoilers or watch ahead or anything like that. HE TAKES IT LIKE SUPER SERIOUSLY.

and then you guys will get all emotion together and it’s super cute. 

Beomgyu

RuPaul's Drag Race

or like Love Island or the Bachelor or something.

would get super invested in the drama and take sides and everything.

I feel like if you liked someone he didn’t, he would take it personally and be like “BUT WHY???”

he’d fancy himself a prediction god and try to make bets on who will win and who will end up with who.

his real talent is consistently being wrong.

like “WATCH - this time i’m right!”

and then they’re out by, like, the third episode.

or when someone has a really funny or flirty conversation, he’d point to the screen and be like, “Us,” “Omg, that’s so us…” “Why is this lowkey us?”

he’d be DEVASTATED when his faves do not succeed. 

it was clear they’d lose their challenge or whatever but he’s like “WTF????”

but would laugh in your FACE if your faves got eliminated

Taehyun

a show that really takes dedication to watch.

like Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead or Breaking Bad, or something

he would lowkey be pissed off if you watched an episode or two without him, or read spoilers online. 

but then he would accidentally spoil stuff for you and watch episodes without you so…

I could sort of see this going two different ways

he’s like super invested in it and is dead silent throughout the episode, barely looking away from the screen

or he’s watching and he’s like, “oh, she’s for sure gonna die.” and you’re like, “what? no!” and then she dies five mins later.

then he treats the end of the episode like a podcast and talks to you for like an hour about why the characters did what they did, and what you guys think is gonna happen next. 

kind of sweet cuz he would act uninterested at first and then become the most invested.

Kai

those cooking shows, but the ones where they’re really nice to each other.

like the Great British Baking Show, that show is so low pressure….

the contestants would be casually describing some incredibly complex dessert they’re making and he would go, “babe, we could definitely do that.”

no, you definitely could not!

you guys would confidently suck at making predictions, but you suck together! how cute!

“omg those are the cutest cakes ever! She has to come on top this episode!” “no, for sure. she’s been so consistently good!”

and then judging time comes and the cakes are bland, falling apart, undercooked, and burned at the same time. 

and you two are like, “oh…”

he would also suddenly turn into a baking expert, like when someone is doing their thing he would yell at the screen.

“oh my god. too much salt! NOOOO, TOO MUCH SALT!” and you need to tell him to calm tf down.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

My memory is terrible so I wanted to do a breakdown of my stuff every once in a while. Might be monthly, might be whenever I feel like it.

QL - Currently Watching

🇹🇭23.5 [11/12] - This show is not working for me anymore. Of course I'll finish because there's only one more episode but honestly I don't really care if any of them are together and that's a problem.

🇯🇵25 Ji, Akasaka de [5/10] - I'm so normal about this show. The way this show is using the show within the show is really smart and the editing is very good. I'm actually looking forward to see how the 'rival' will shake things up, which is odd for me.

🇰🇷Boys Be Brave [2/8] - So far so good. Gi Seop is obvisouly not the best boy but there's something about his energy on screen that is compelling to me. I really liked that Jin Woo was honest about his feelings and I like the 'I love you but I don't like you' dynamic a lot. The second couple gave me some ODS vibes so I'm bracing for some angst. [Finished will write it up at the next round up]

🇯🇵Living with him [6/8] - Filler episode with not a lot of new information, but I did enjoy the supermarket scene. I continue to delight in Kasuhito's expressions.

🇰🇷Love Is Like a Cat [2/12] - I'm waiting to binge this one. Didn't like how this started and the rhythm just isn't working for me. [Finished]

🇹🇭My Stand-In [1/12] - Pretty is pretty. But I don't trust Thailand with high concept so I have reservations. I hope I'm wrong. I liked the first episode so we'll see.

🇹🇭Only Boo! [7/12] - Well the Shone thing was what I feared and I don't think it really fit with this show at all but now it's over and I'm ready to forget it ever happened. Moo continues to be an absolute delight to watch and I'm looking forward to seeing a more relaxed Kang. The sides are pure torture. Payos sweetie, you need to confess or let it go cause I can't take it anymore.

🇹🇭We Are [8/16] - I'm enjoying the friendships in this a lot, it all feels very natural when they are together. I'm not super invested in any of the couples, although they're all doing a good job. I'm having a good time with Tan/Fang (Aou is so fun to watch) and hopefully I will have a good time whenever the show decides to give me Chain/Pun. I also think some of the actors have really improved, I was really impressed with Satang specially.

QL - Finished

🇹🇭1000 Years Old - I wrote before that this one wasn't really my thing and obviously the finale didn't really change that. The different lifetimes I think could've been explored earlier and would probably make this a bit more interesting to me. It's not like there was too much going on to use the time for that but it is what it is. Also the whole thing with the vampire girl/wife, it was so unexplored that I didn't really get why all of a sudden I should care about her at all. All in all, it started fun but halfway through it lost me a bit and now it's over. Bring on the next vamps.

🇹🇭Deep Night - This one surprised me a bit. There was a refreshing amount of good communication and they gave the people what they wanted, poly and older lesbians. I wish there were more acrobatics and the editing was weird in places but overall it's an entertaining show.

🇰🇷Gray Shelter - This is weird one. Because I feel like I have to fill in the gaps myself and that just shouldn't be the case. I enjoyed the actors a lot, and Lee Jae Bin presence on screen kept me engaged for most of it. There is definitely potential here if they had the time to explore all the different elements. But this runtime it's just not enough to fully flesh out these characters and the complex issues it wants to tackle.

🇯🇵Love is Better The Second Time Around - Started great but lost itself by the end. I don't think it needed that external conflict by the end with the brother and the mother because they weren't on firm ground to begin with. If I were to make a list like this one by @lurkingshan I don't think Myiata and Iwanaga would make it there. Iwanaga was amazing to watch though. He pretty.

🇯🇵My Strawberry Film - One pining gay boy does not a bl make. With that said, even as a drama there's nothing interesting here.

🇹🇭To Be Continued - Meh. It was fine. I wish I had more of the side couple because Gumbie is adorable. Midway this was getting into The Promise territory, and while it's not that bad, and I guess the reason for the separation is a valid one, I don't think Achi being the 'bad guy' for most of the show actually makes sense.

🇹🇼Unknown - The last two episodes were a bit of a letdown if I'm honest. I have nothing to say about the first 10 episodes. Incredible. The character growth is so well done, and the family scenes feel very grounded. Just all around outstanding work from the whole cast, but specially Kurt and Chris. I think Kurt showed Yuan growth so well and I'm in awe of Chris' acting all the way through. Even with the little stumble at the end this show and these characters will stay with me for a while.

Rose Watches OJBL

Junjou (2010) - Second chance romance. I liked it. It's a nice watch, nothing particularly outstanding or new about this one, although that's not really fair considering it's more than a decade old, but alas I've seen other versions of this particular type of bl. Nevertheless I liked the characters, specially Tozaki,

Athlete (2019) - The visuals were the best part for me. There are several things I like in this, the main actor does a really good job imo and I truly enjoyed the bar scenes. But it doesn't all come together for me. I don't have a problem with the ending as much as how we got there.

Other - Watched

This was a slow month for me. I started a new job and some other stuff happened so I haven't really been in the mood to watch new stuff. Mostly comfort watches and rewatches. Oh I did watch Heartbreak High S2. It was good.

That's it for right now. My ask box is always open. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday tomorrow💜

[catapparently]

~The Glass Ballerina's Reputation~

-CHAPTER 2 - Gorgeous

CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 3

Notes: Very bad (in comparison to my usual works) filler chapter but it's necessary

Summary of Ch1: Flashback for poor Avery. She'd always play games with her mom. One day, when her mom was in the hospital, she gave Avery one last game and sent her on a treasure hunt. In the end, Avery only found Libby's phone number. By the time she made it back, her mother had died. Libby moved in with Avery in her little apartment above her mom's old antique shop and helps her co-manage the store. Nash comes in one day to buy a dagger and hits (nicely) on Libby. Avery angwy.

~~~

Nash had been stopping by the antique shop more and more often lately. It was painfully obvious that he was here to see Libby. Avery didn’t like him in the slightest; to her, it seemed like he pitied their situation. Every time he stopped by, he bought one of the pricier items with his fancy card. She wasn’t a fool; she knew exactly what he was trying to do. He didn’t need to step in. They were doing just fine. After Avery had contacted her two years ago, Libby moved into the apartment above the little shop with her. She fell in love with all the antiques, and so,  she decided to help her out and co-manage while Avery went to school.

The dainty bell on the door rang. It had been her mother’s pride and joy when it was first installed. The shop had always been her biggest dream ever since she’d been a teenager. Having a bell that rang everytime a customer came in made her mother feel like it was ‘a real shop’. Avery looked up from her history textbook to silently judge whoever had entered the shop this time.  

Nash. Again. Of course, but this time he had company. Two boys followed him closely, both taller than him. All three were carrying cardboard boxes. One of them was about an inch shorter than the other one and had pale blonde hair. If her poker face weren’t perfect, she might have laughed at the sight of him in a fancy, stiff suit in the unbearable Texas weather.

She would have if she wasn’t so focused on whatever he was palming in his pocket. The outline of it faintly resembled that of a gun. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter.  

She wasn’t used to feeling fear, completely unfamiliar to that sinking feeling in her chest: the way her heart sped up, her thoughts jumbling and all of her senses hyper aware of everything around her.  

She wasn’t stupid. They clearly had money, and she didn’t even need to have seen Nash’s debit card to know it. It was apparent in the way that the three of them dressed and held themselves, looking at everything like they could own it and control it with a snap of their fingers. The gun could only mean one thing; they were criminals of some sort. Gangsters? No, gangsters didn’t have that much money or elegance.  

Her throat went dry as she recalled the headlines in the newspaper the other day: ‘Mafia territory wars in Texas’. She knew her gut had been right about this Nash guy. Not good for Libby.  

Nash grinned at her and set his box on the counter. 

“Hey, kid. We brought you some old, unique stuff that you could definitely sell for a lot.”  

“Libby’s not here,” she said, trying to calm herself down. If Nash- or whoever he reported to- wanted her or her sister dead, he would have killed her earlier.  

Mafia. Not good. But, if not good, why handsome? His brothers looked like younger versions of those Greek mythology figures in movies.  

She shifted uncomfortably. The blonde one was scrutinizing her face intently. She knew she wasn’t model pretty, just average with her ashy brown hair, but did he really need to look at her like something was wrong with her face? His pale grey eyes were honestly breathtaking, but he sure looked scary like this, stoic and unmoving. 

The other brother, brown-haired, elbowed him. “Cut it out, Gray.” 

Great. One evil-gun-brother identified. ‘Gray’.  

Nash cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah, introductions. Sorry, kid. These are my younger brothers, Grayson and Jameson.” 

They set their boxes on the counter too, and Nash started pulling out objects he brought and showing them to her. “ This is a really old typewriter, a limited edition. A Hammond 1, 1885. You could sell it for a lot. Then there’s-” 

He stopped short, and both he and Grayson turned to look at the other brother who had pulled out a glass princess ballerina from his box.  

“Why are you looking at me like that? We don’t have a use for it anymore, and it would cost a lot.” 

Avery felt her blood boil in her veins. Damn Nash and his obvious savior complex. She and Libby did not need saving. They were fine just the way they were. So what if they lived in a shitty little apartment and could barely afford the heating? They were alive and weren’t starving. He didn’t need to pity them and play charity.  

Jameson flashed a wide smile at her, meeting her eyes with his own striking green ones as he handed her the intricate glasswork. “How about you keep it? I think it suits you rather well.” 

Despite her reservations towards them and their intentions, Avery couldn’t help the slight warmth that rose to her cheeks as she took the piece of glass from him. “They’re dangerous, Avery,” she thought. “Bad guys. One of them has a gun.”  

Grayson stepped forward; leaning over the counter to stare right into her soul, as though ready to call her out on any dishonesty. 

“Say, Miss Grambs, have you ever heard of the name Kaylie Rooney, Morticia Rooney, or Hannah Rooney? Anybody with that last name?” He stared at her, and, even with his emotionless, controlled facade, she could tell that he was suspicious of something, that he definitely had an ulterior motive to ask her that.

Jameson glared at him. “That was my line to ask.” 

Avery ignored him. “How did you know my last name?” She frowned, crossing her arms.  

“I have my sources. Now answer the question.” Grayson retorted.  

“No, I don’t.” 

“No secret inheritances? Maybe your mother or grandmother? Relatives?” 

She wasn’t going to let this conceited stranger with a gun in his pocket boss her around like this. “My family is hardly any of your concern, and, for the record, my mother- Sarah Grambs- is dead, and I’ve never met any relatives.” 

Nash cleared his throat once more, the sound echoing in the silent room. Avery was considering giving him cough syrup as a fuck-off-and-leave-my-sister-alone gift.  

“Sorry about him, kid. There’s someone very important to us who’s missing, and we thought you might have seen something in this shadier part of the neighborhood. Grayson is, um, particularly emotional about it.” 

Lie. She thought that he’d be a better liar than this. She’d watched so many murdery mystery movies, and the handsome mafia guys always lied flawlessly. 

She felt even more insulted now. Not only was he trying to give her and Libby- though mostly Libby- more money by buying random stuff from the store, but now he was insulting their neighborhood, and, by extension, the fact that they couldn’t afford a place in a nicer one. Or Avery was too sensitive. Who knows? She’d become a lot of things in the two years after her mom’s death.  

Taking the lead, he ushered his brothers towards the door, a hand placed on each of their shoulders. Just as he was leaving, he spun around, remembering something.  

“Oh, but if you ever find out something about someone with the last name Rooney, just ask Libby to give ya my phone number, ‘lright? See ya.” 

With that, he walked out, joining his brothers in a sleek black car. Avery stared at them suspiciously through the windows, trying to ignore the fact that Libby was texting Nash, and that Drake would be furious if he ever found out. Jameson slid his hand into his pocket, feeling around for an object. She couldn’t see much from this far, but her eyes caught a metallic glint. A gun? Another weapon? Whatever it was, she was wary of them.  

Once they were gone, she closed up the shop for lunch. She went to the room behind the counter and sat on the worn-out couch, pulling out her old phone and typing “Hawthorne Texas” into the search bar. Nothing on Wikipedia or anything else. Finally, she found an article that read “Son of the head of Hawthorne Mafia, Tobias Hawthorne II, dead in fire on Hawthorne Island”. So her suspicions had been right. They were mafia. She scrolled through the article, and a picture of said Tobias II came up. She stared at it, an unsettling feeling churning in her heart. He looked painfully familiar, like an itch in the depths of your brain when you forget something, but you can’t remember what. She was very sure she’d never seen him before. Had she?

[bloodyshadow1]

so x-men 97 ended a month or so ago, I just finished last week and wanted to compose my thoughts.

the Bad

the soap opera level nature of the show is back and I get why it's there, but damn I was sick of the relationship drama when I was a kid, now that I'm 30 and don't care about any of the pairings in the show it's even more annoying. Except Romy, I love them, but could have done without a second love triangle.

Roberto's character felt weird and should have either been cut or been more involved with the X-Men as the new guy. He only really interacts with Jubilee because they intended to make them a couple from the start. There were better ways without just making them a couple or projecting it so hard.

I think 2 episodes were bad, ep 4 and ep 6. I personally don't care for the Shia'r or Prof X. The Jubilee stuff was fine but felt like filler which isn't really needed for a 10 ep show. And I don't think Storm's story was done justice.

Storm was underused. She's my favorite character and had a story about being depowered and getting them back that I thought started strong but didn't live up to the hype. Then despite coming back she doesn't have much plot significance and is just a powerful member of the team. Maybe season 2 will change that and I'm jumping the gun, but it felt like a waste. '

Morph was cool and I'm happy they are nonbinary in this show despite the writers keeping it in the 90's timezone. Not a huge fan of their character still though, I thought they were more cool with their powers than interesting as a character. Hopefully that will change in season 2

Magneto's plan by the end made no sense to me by the end. I know he was angry and pushed too far once more, but killing 7 billion people, mutants included. Yeah he made an offer to the x-men, but there are still hundreds of mutants that survived Genosha and he's putting a target on their back and they will also die without power. and he has 3 people in an asteroid above earth, what is the plan for things to continue

Also Bastion's plan was good, but I don't agree with the whole, people's response to tragedy that they don't care about is apathy. it's a hard world, but people care far more than you might think. It felt poorly written, like the show wanted to make all humans monsters so that's what happened. If the plan was to destroy Genosha and then let Magneto do his thing to get people to hate mutants because of what he would do afterwards I would understand, but it wasn't.

The Good

Overall, the whole series is a good adaption of the 90's series, warts and all. The love triangle stuff is annoying, but part of the show so I accept it and even the dumb puns made me smile. But the fact that they aged it up worked amazing, they blended seamlessly to me.

The action and animation were perfect to me, crisp and clear and dynamic. It let the characters show off what they could do in ways the 90's show and their restrictions wouldn't allow them to.

I liked most of the characters, Storm is my favorite character, Scott is my second, and Kurt is in my top 5. I mention that Storm kind of shafted, but Scott and Kurt were allowed to shine.

Kurt and Rogue's relationship was great, I'm glad that the writers remembered they were adopted siblings, I wondered after ep 5 if they did, but I also think calling each other sister or brother in the ep would have been awkward. The way they interact in later eps was perfect to me.

I like that people kept tell Xavier to shut up because I don't like him as a character. He has done so much shit and is still considered a hero in the comics, it makes him at best a naive fool and at worse the real villain of X-Men.

I like that Cyclops was so much more than the block of wood a lot of the fandom and even some writers make him out to be. He's a complex character and it's good to see that not only a deep character like he's supposed to be, but a good hero and leader.

I also like how the Cable stuff was done. like it's rocky and quick because they only have 10 eps but it was nice to see since Cable never revealed himself as Scott's son in the original show.

I love that the show wasn't just another version of the wolverine show. I like the character, but he's been over used and makes his appearances over saturated. He still had a presence in the show, but it doesn't make him the main character while shutting down other characters.

I will always love the family aspect of x-men, angry and fighting but loving all the same.

8 episodes of the show were great and I loved them, I would recommend it to anyone.

Ep 5 was the standout, and amazing. I loved how Gambit was portrayed as sympathetic and a good person with his relationship with Rogue and accepted that she wanted to be with Magneto. It was great to see him being allowed to be a badass as a swansong, even if I think he'll be death in season 2

[saltydkdan]

Salty, may I ask which you recommend more: the one piece manga or anime. I wanna get into it but I also want a recommendation on which one may be better to start with depending on the pros and cons. Anyways I apologies if this is a dumb thing to ask.

Sure! One Piece is a really interesting beast when it comes to the difference between it's anime and manga, and at the end of the day it depends on your preferences- However yes, there are Pros and Cons to each! For this ask, I'll be trying my best to stick to the Official options available to you.

Also, this post specifically will be about how to best GET INTO the series, not necessarily a critique on the content of it! (I'll gladly do a separate write up on that eventually if anyone is interested in my thoughts on the Pros and Cons of the series itself)

Anyway, here are my personal thoughts:

MANGA

(This is my preferred way to experience the story)

PROS

-I'm not a manga purist by any means HOWEVER, the One Piece Manga is really good

-The pacing is really great (especially initially). In the first half, arcs are very quick and snappy! And even as they got progressively longer in length I didn't mind because by that point the story already gripped me.

-The art is wonderful in both black and white, and the official colored scans (which you can find online)

-This isn't really a "pro" per say, but it's something I enjoy doing. When I read, I like to put on some of the soundtrack from the anime. I usually find stuff like "Tense One Piece Music" or "Emotional One Piece Music" and listen to it as I read. It really enhances the experience for me personally. I also like to look up clips of arcs from the anime that I'm reading or already finished to see what they look like, and also see them in a fun new way. I feel like this sort of mixed approach is optimal for me.

CONS

-You have to read 😔

-There are many ways to read One Piece and in many different languages. There's black and white and colored manga- however just be careful. The best one TRANSLATION wise is the official release, and while you may find other options, some older "unofficial" translations are VERY outdated (I once saw one where Zoro casually dropped slurs)

-That also being said: Even though the official translation is the best, it is stuck in black and white. Many official colored scans were never officially licensed in English, and because of that aren't as accessible.

-Collecting it physically is fun, but can get VERY pricey. Like... hoo boy. Thankfully they sell compendiums that collect a metric shit ton of chapters, however the paper/print quality is noticeably cheaper. So if you want to collect them, the smaller volume releases are the way to go. That being said, I would just suggest using the Shonen Jump App by Viz Media. It's the best official way to support the series officially, as well as the cheapest for the average consumer! $3 a month for the entire library as well as other series + getting new chapters updated every week is great. I'm not sponsored or anything either, I just really like the model. So if you find yourself really enjoying the series, THEN you can go about collecting it physically if you want!

ANIME

PROS

-It's animated (obviously)

-You have a choice of either the Japanese Sub or English Dub. This also boils down to preference but from my experience they're both great options!!

-I'll get into it in the "Cons" section, but the One Piece anime is VERY long, like... kind of in a not so good way at certain points. However, I've heard that even though some parts are a bit too long, it's one of those things that if you really get into it, you'll love the fact that it feels like a never ending adventure! Not my experience, but it's what others have told me!

-This is gonna sound crazy, but Filler Arcs. A lot of people don't like these, and I get why, but they are very easily skippable if you want to look up a guide, and some of them can actually be really short and fun (as well as add a bit of extra flavor to the story). One of the best examples is an arc called "G-8". Even Manga readers recommend it, so you know it's good and gives each of the characters some fun moments!

CONS

-You may be aware already, but the One Piece anime has a very bad reputation of having HORRIBLE pacing. Now, to be fair, many people say that the pacing only gets truly horrible AFTER a very specific arc about halfway through the series (which is where a lot of anime watchers jump ship to the manga)

However, I'll be honest... I wasn't a super huge fan of the pacing from the beginning. To clarify, I STARTED with the anime. I don't have a super great attention span, so having to wait around 38 or so episodes for "Arlong Park", the arc that people suggest you get to before deciding whether to keep going or quit, was very difficult for me at first. I got through it, and I'm glad I did, but as soon as I did, I decided to switch over to the manga and had a much easier time.

-I find the show's music very repetitive at times. That's not to say the music is necessarily bad, I love the One Piece OST! It's just... over the years they have barely updated the soundtrack. Every arc you might here one or two new tracks, however a lot of the time you'll hear the same tracks replayed in the same sort of situations. ("OVERTAKEN" is an AMAZING track, but if I hear it one more time I'm gonna snap)

-This is a bit of a nitpick but I need to say it. One Piece's sound effects, while iconic, are also extremely outdated. When you start the series and hear the older-styled Toei Animation sound design, it is super charming because it fits with the older visuals. However in more modern One Piece, which visually looks incredible, THEY STILL USE THE OLD SOUND EFFECTS AND THEY JUST DON'T FIT.

TOEI, UPDATE YOUR SOUND LIBRARY!!!

ANYWAY...

Anyway, I hope my funny little list here helps!! Sorry it's so long, went a bit off the handle. But I think this is a fine enough starter guide and may help you get started!

[physalian]

Incorporating weather elements into your narrative

*Picture me in shock over 11 new followers in 6 days after a 3 week dry spell: Thanks everybody!

Short this time! Weather and climate as worldbuilding are kind of like adverbs. Adverbs, as a concept, are not book kryptonite (despite what all the people screaming about how using better verbs is always the answer want you to believe). Adverbs should just be used with intent and not be redundant, which I’ve said before.

Basically, why use an adverb that doesn’t actually tell us any helpful information about the verb that the reader can’t already presume? “She smiled happily,” well, yeah, as you do. “She smiled sorrowfully,” okay, now that’s an expression I can work with. Why is she smiling sorrowfully? Why does she think she must smile through her sadness? Clearly it’s failing, otherwise the narrator wouldn’t note that the smile is sorrowful at all.

There’s a reason “talking about the weather” is the butt of the joke. It’s generally seen as boring and inconsequential to either party and used to just fill otherwise awkward silence. A quick sentence for sensory details is great. Repeat details that don’t dig into those sensory elements are not.

Your weather is no different. Why are you describing it if it serves no purpose to the scene? Everyone’s default unobtrusive day is different, but unless stated otherwise, people are going to assume it’s either day or night with mildly clear skies and tolerable heat and humidity. Talking at length about average weather that doesn’t impact your character’s emotions or choices, or the tone of the narrative, is a waste of effort in my opinion.

As in, describing the perfect day while a charcater is stuck in an office and unable to enjoy it? Yes. A character getting groceries and it's 72 and sunny and look at all the boring shapes of the clouds and planes flying over head while I get zero input on how the character feels about any of it or why this detail matters? Fluff and filler.

If your book is chock full of poetic fluff, go ham, everybody's ideal narrative is different. I like mine lean, otherwise I get bored by all the fluff while I wait for the book to remember it has a plot.

Weather fits into one of those little buzzword bingo cards where, if the author is taking an aside to describe it, you know it’s going to be important later (or at least it should be important later if the author didn’t just forget about it). Weather tends to be used as foreshadowing and is used as metaphorical shorthand everywhere.

If I write about a character going off on a quest and I tell the reader that clouds are growing in the distance, there’s a 70/30 chance I’m not just talking about actual clouds, but the threat of the enemy, some sinister plot our plucky heroes are ignorant of. Stuff like:

A red sunrise

Black/grey stormclouds

The ambiguous “rain/storm” that’s coming

A chilly wind picks up

An oppressive heat wave settles over the land

Fictional weather is so entrenched in metaphor and allegory that no matter how cliché it gets, watching or reading a funeral scene where it’s not grey and rainy feels insincere and not somber enough for the tragedy unfolding. You can avoid this by having your characters hate that it’s not raining for their funeral, as if even God doesn’t mourn their dead friend and the rest of the world moves on uncaring.

Same vibe as Halloween decorations in broad daylight. Or Christmas decorations in the Florida 80 degree December. Fall without the changing colors of the leaves. The mood is completely wrong.

“It was a dark and stormy night” sets the reader up for something serious, perhaps mysterious and dramatic, not a cheesy Hallmark romance. Weather as tone is extremely helpful. Not describing it is better than picking the wrong weather for your scene, unless you're trying to be ironic. Weather is practically its own character, depending on how much it matters to your story.

Fantasy and abnormal weather should be treated like any other scene descriptor element. It’s not enough to just drop in a detail about how there’s a 20% chance of blood rain at noon. If this is meant to be metaphorical or foreshadowing, despite being “blood rain” maybe it’s not an ill omen. Maybe it’s a magical fertilizer and a farming boon that graces the land, you gotta clarify.

Personally I’d fixate on the blood rain and want to know much more about it, just as much as I’d want to know about the rest of the town. I don’t need you to explain why it exists, it can exist just for funsies without serving any plot purposes, but I definitely want some more detail about the blood rain, it sounds cool.

—

TLDR; Weather cannot be untethered from its metaphorical and tonal implications, it’s just too entrenched in fictional associations. With that said, if weather in your book isn’t important at all to the story, randomly describing the sunny day at length is like describing the grass of a random lawn—we all know what random grass looks like. Unless the state of the lawn matters, it’s fluff. If it doesn’t service the character’s arc, the themes of the story, the tone of the scene, or the plot in any way, it can be skipped beyond relaying to your readers on the time of day and some sensory details like if it’s hot or windy or humid.

[grutadodaibo]

Lily Orchard's criteria for fictional works and how to write with her as part of your audience

I watched a lot of 2010's critics when I was younger and out of them I think Lily Orchard was probably one of the worse ones, in the sense that even for 12yo me the arguments on her videos were weak, flawed and untrustworthy, which is a lot that's coming from someone who thought that Nostalgia Critic's reviews were masterpieces around the same time. I took notes from what I understood from her videos and made a criteria list for what can be considered good writing based on her own opinions

- Characters need to be as vague and shallow as possible so actual characterization can be dismissed in favor of headcanons and other assumptions of what they are like, there's no better version of a character that isn't the one you see in your head.

- Your characters' morality need to be gray and complex but also it needs to be extremely black and white so discutions about a character's actions can't be made or questioned.

- Redemption archs only work if the character you are writing can't me considered a villain in the great scheme of things, sanitize as much as you can, don't engage with what the character is going for and if possible kill everyone with no remorse

- The plot should be in your face and straightforward and as possible, so everything considered "filler" can and should be thrown out because engaging with fiction takes time and being patient is a sin, so make sure you don't waste your audience's time with whatever you want to do that isn't the main goal of your story. The journey doesn't matter as long as you take your audience from Point A to Point B.

- Everything needs to be taken literally, nothing is allowed to have a symbolic, allegoric or metaphorical meaning, surface level is the only way, trusting your audience to interpretate your stuff is a categoric error

- At the same time, surface level things that are just there to be cool are horrible things to have because it makes people question why is it there in the first place and why should we care about it

- Fanmade material is more important than the official thing and it's related works, not because you like the thing and want more of it but because you can use it as a substitute for the actual thing

- Serialized stories are inherently bad and episodic stories are the superior form of storytelling, if an episodic series transitions to a serialized one, or even bounces between the two, that's bad because you aren't able to recognize that piece of fiction the same way you did when it was episodic due to a sudden tonal shift and that's for all fiction... don't try to analyse case by case or how and why it happens in the first place, that's an objective fact.

[seat-safety-switch]

Great civilizations made their houses out of the things they had lying around. Clay for bricks. Snow for igloos. Glass for nudist colonies. With all the microplastics floating throughout the ether, why can't I make a house out of Bondo®?

Bondo has a lot of benefits: for one, it's easy to sculpt. It provides some decent insulative qualities. Animals can't peck holes in it and live inside, unlike my friend Sylvester Raccoon, who it turns out is actually a kind of wood-pecking bird. You can paint over it in any colour you like. Tools are widely available to sculpt it And, unlike the cars we use it on, it won't rust. In fact, there's really no reason we shouldn't be using it for all of our homes. I'm sort of a futurist, in my rad kind of bluey-white polyester resin home.

Of course, there is the cost issue. Buying just a little can of the stuff will now set you back approximately the GDP of New Mexico (Old Mexico is still somewhat more profitable.) I didn't let this stop me, though, and I knew that the local auto body shop would chuck it into the dumpster out back only a few weeks after its expiry date had passed. I also knew that zapping said Bondo in the microwave for a few minutes would make it pliable again. Sure, doing so also totals the microwave, but that's why Best Buy has a return policy.

Ultimately, the only real downside to the whole thing is the smell. Even when top-coated with the finest Rustoleum Shitbox Gray that I could find at the hardware store, a really hot day will make it smell like I just repaired some rust. And that makes me feel guilty about not having used all this body filler on any number of my sad, hole-filled cars. They can wait until I'm living in them, I figure, which might be any day now, if Sylvester finds his way to shorting out the breaker panel again.

[misc-obeyme]

I have so many thoughts. SO MANY THOUGHTS.

Spoilers for Lesson 20 under the cut.

From a storytelling standpoint, Lesson 20 was kind of underwhelming for me. It was kinda boring.

Everything is totally resolved and then we have a party? And MC is given the completely pointless title of Devilsitter? And the Celestial Realm is just like yeah okay see ya.

Seriously, Diavolo? Everybody knows you just made that up. Also why did they have to give him that goofy hat? I think this would've been a little more impactful if he'd been in demon form, you know? Anyway...

It felt like we went through all of that for a whole lot of nothing.

It also feels like they want to tell a more complicated story and that's why this whole separate app situation began. But then they were like well we wanna keep some of the overall vibe, so it still has to have seasons and the first one still has to be twenty lessons. Like they should've just scrapped that and let the story play out how needs to. Because I felt like they were just putting filler in there so that they could extend the Nightbringer part of the story into the next season.

All that aside, though, there were things I did enjoy about the lesson, mostly involving the usual character shenanigans.

Sometimes it really feels like Simeon is just always on the outside, longing to be part of this family. He loves them so much he's willing to sacrifice his own standing to help them, but he also knows he's not part of them. We already knew this of course, considering he does exactly that in the OG to make sure MC gets to stay with them. I just feel like Simeon is so selfless. And it's kind of heartbreaking? I just want to hug him.

And oh, my sweet precious Barbatos... if you choose him to escort you, he says some amazing things.

YES. TAKE ME. I'M READY.

Is this the fancy butler way of saying I love you? Don't misunderstand, I am so soft for sweet kisses to the back of someone's hand, but if you think that's gonna cut it, sir, I really need you to try harder.

What can I say, I just want Barbatos to profess his undying love. I want him to break his butler persona and spill his heart out. I want him to actually tell us exactly how he feels and what he's been through and how hard it must have been to live the way he has for so long with the power of time and space at his fingertips. Ugh. Okay, sorry I'm getting off track here. We already know I could probably write another couple of essays about Barbatos aside from the one I've already written lol.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about Solomon in this lesson, too...

I thought this was an interesting reaction from him when MC asks him to be the brothers' ally. Like yeah, obviously not against the human world, but this was about keeping the brothers in the Devildom? I'm trying not to read too much into it since it could just be that they wanted to make it seem like MC was the one who convinced everybody and stuff. Like okay whatever!

But truly the best Solomon moment was if MC chooses him to give them the "special emblem."

SOLOMON. My stupid wizard loving heart can't take it when you say stuff like this!

And then the forehead kiss, I was just like this is so soft and sweet I'm losing my miiiiind.

What can I say about it other than it was great? Of course I went back and chose all the options. Having Diavolo or Lucifer give you the emblem is pretty sweet, too. But there is just something next level about it being Solomon because of the whole master/apprentice thing, but also because he's the only one who knows what you're really going through. I just really love him, okay?

Lastly, I have to say I was a bit surprised with Mephisto in this lesson... he's starting to grow on me.

Mephisto! I'm pretty sure that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!

For once, I agreed with him. Also, if it was actually me, I'd be like your arguments are pointless because my last dance is going to be with Thirteen.

I was expecting a little more after the end credits, but it was just a repeat of those weird Nightbringer lines from one of the earlier lessons... I can't remember which one it was. I was really expecting Nightbringer to make a final appearance, but nope.

The hard lesson completely blew my mind, though. I have to make a separate post just for that.

In the end, this lesson had some good parts, but it definitely just felt like filler because they needed to end the season. We're not getting any real answers until next season, apparently. I swear if I have to wait for a season three for some decent answers, I will be flipping tables.

Of course, I'm really just here for the hot anime characters so... I'll just go back to simping as soon as I'm done table flipping lol.

[oreharuuu]

éta ritual (6)

Summary: Your apartment's finally cleaned, thanks to Yunho and Mingi. But the stress of university, work, Jieun, and being away from your family took a bit of a toll on you.

Warnings: a lil bit of angst, description of being burnt out, woo and san being a perv, watching without consent

A/N: I lied :) I felt bad ignoring this series so i made a new chapter lol, it's more of a filler with fluff and angst. A lil bit of plot here and there. Anyways, happy reading! P.S. chat me if you'd like to be put in my PERMANENT tag list for every work I've done!

Taglist: @starillusion13

You sighed as you stepped out of the shower, drying your hair as you walked towards the fridge to grab one of the manh drinks Yunho decided to buy for you.

After cleaning everything up, you all decided to order in food since you're all tired. You're surprised when Yunho, who went to kitchen to grab water, stormed in with a clap before smiling. "Let's go grocery shopping!"

"Why, hyung?"

"She has nothing but bottled water, butter, and an opened can of cola inside her fridge," Yunho deadpanned, eyes moving to you as you looked away sheepishly.

"(Name)! How did you even survive?" Mingi asked astonished, which made you glare at him. "Hey! I'm a university student, does it ring a bell that I might have to not spend my money too much?"

Their gaze turned into pity, Mingi dragging you outside of your apartment as you squeaked in surprise. "Hey! What are you—"

"We're gonna buy you food, duh."

"What?! No way, I'm not letting you—"

"Hey," Yunho said as he closed the door, gently grabbing your shoulders. "Think of it as a treat, yeah? Me and Mingi also need a few stuff, maybe we'll buy food and eat."

You continued to glare at the tall man, swatting Mingi as he quietly chuckles at how you have to crane your head to meet his gaze.

"I just feel bad spending your money—"

"Don't worry," Mingi answered. "He's like, rich rich rich, old money basically. So it's not gonna put a dent in his wallet."

"It's about the morality—"

"Oh shush," Yunho cups his hand on your mouth. "Mingi's right. It's my treat, it's rude to decline a helpful offer, no?"

You pursed your lips, crossing your arms before nodding. "Fine, but! I usually have a budget for shopping, so it's still being used."

Yunho shrugged, "Fine by me."

In the end, you did go over budget, no thanks to Mingi and Yunho sneakily adding more items to your cart. Then while paying, Mingi discreetly asked you to help him pick out a new shirt that fits him, making Yunho paid for everything.

You sighed, popping open a new cola before turning on your laptop for background noise. You took a sip, laid down on your bed, and just stared blankly at the wall for you don't know how long.

Work was normal, Mark was also acting normal since you've last met him. University was still shit, Hyein was also busy but she's an angel of course; texting you every now and then with new gossip or just ranting about her project.

San, Mingi and Yunho were all great friends. Mingi and Yunho chatted you everyday to ask for updates or to talk about random things. San, although busy with work, still made time for you to eat dinner together or just binge watch shitty movies.

But with all of that...you still felt alone.

Maybe it's your mind playing tricks, but you felt only emptiness after Mingi and Yunho came by to help you. Going to university only filled the emptiness for a while, you realized that it's only because it took your mind away to actually think about assignments and group projects.

You sighed, glancing at your phone before grabbing it. Scrolling through contact numbers before stopping at one. You grabbed your blanket, quickly covering yourself from head to toe, the sounds from your laptop a bit muffled as you pressed call.

You bit your lips hard enough as the call ring, holding your breath as the person answers after a few seconds of silence.

"Hello? (Name)?"

"Hi, mom."

"Oh, my baby! How are you doing?" Your mom cooed happily at you, realizing that you called her whilst she's washing the dishes.

"It's...fine," You lied. "Just realized I haven't called you in a long time."

"Aww, well I know you're working very hard so I'm fine with you not calling if it means you can graduate with good scores."

You laugh, wiping away some of the tears building up in your eyes as you sighed. "How are you, mom? Anything new there?"

"Same old, same old," She answers. "Your dad met a new friend he could talk about golf, which is making me so happy because I don't understand any if it."

You hum, drawing invisible shapes on your sheets as you continued. "How's Taemin? And Jongin?"

Your mom groaned, making you giggle slightly. "Those boys will be the death of me. They've joined a new dance class since the last class they caused such a ruckus that they got kicked out."

Your eyes widen at the new information. "Wow, what did they do?"

"Let's just say they ruined a teacher's hair with dye because said teacher was being an asshole," Your mother hums.

"Sound about like them," You smiled.

You and your mom talked more, her updating you on the newest gossips around the neighborhood, making you miss your home more than ever. You sniffed a bit too loudly, making your mom pause.

"Honey? Are you crying?"

Seems like those words were your final straw before a loud sob came out of you. "Mom. I'm tired."

"Oh, (name)," Your mom sighed. "Is that why you called? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you. I just miss home and I feel burnt out."

"Because of everything?"

You hum, wiping away the tears on your sheets as you didn't notice the shadow looming over you.

"Aish, it happens to everyone. Why are you worried?"

"I don't know," You answered. "I feel tired. I feel empty and alone when I met some of the most wonderful people here. It's eating me up at how little I think about them, I feel bad because it sounds like I'm being selfish here."

Your mom hums, the sound of water stopping from her end. "You know, you're a bit like your dad."

"Ugh, mom. Don't say that," You groaned, making your mom giggle. She always say that you're like your dad, but there's nothing that made you feel like your dad. From looks, personality, or even attitude.

"I'm not lying. You both are such worry warts about a lot of things. And it's okay to feel like that, honey."

"What do you mean?"

"Gosh, he's gonna hate me for spilling this. But you need to know that your dad really is always worried about you being away from home. Sure, he may only send you stupid pictures of our cat—"

You can't help but snort at her words.

"—but he's alway telling me about how worried he is for your wellbeing. I thought my ears are about to be blown away at how much he talks about you. But he realize that you're a strong girl. His strong daughter."

"Mom!" You wailed loudly. "You're making me cry more!"

"Well, you need to hear this, young lady. It will pass," Your mother chided you. "I know how you're always working so hard for your future, but it's not wrong to put yourself first in certain situations. In this one, maybe you need to spare some time to have some alone time. Or maybe with your friends."

"Don't worry about the problems going on right now, you have loads of time to do that. Right now, you need to calm down, take some time off, and do whatever you want. The feelings you have right now will be gone when you have the right people besides you. Or maybe you like to be alone, just like back then in high school when—"

"Mom!" You whined. "Don't remind me of the dark days."

You can't stand your high school days, although it's not necessarily bad, there's a few things you could list from the top of your head on why senior year of high school was chaotic.

"Well, I can't help it," She laughs. "You were such an emotional human for how—"

"Mom!"

"Alright, alright. Please take care of yourself, honey?"

"I will."

"Are you? Because you usually—"

"Mom, I will do it."

She sighs loudly, a whine in her tone as she teases you. "Look at what you've done to me! Now I'm the worry wart worrying about you, that's supposed to be your dad's job."

"Sure, mom," You rolled your eyes with a smile. "I don't know when I can visit you guys, but I'll tell you when I have time."

"Oh, please come home when you can. Being the only girl here is turning my hair faster to white then before."

You laugh, coughing when feel your throat a bit dry from crying. "I will, I will."

"Say hello to Hyein and Jieun for me, will you?"

You tensed up, hearing something shift inside your room but hummed in acknowledgment and ignored the sound. "Yeah, sure. They're...a bit busy though."

"Sounds like them," Your mom commented. "Anyway, I need to pick up the boys from dance class. They'll be all pouty if I'm late for more than two minutes."

"Okay. Have a safe trip, mom."

"Bye, love you."

"Love you too, mom," You whispered, ending the call with a big sigh as you closed your eyes. The weight inside your heart was lifted, feeling like you could breath fully now after talking with your mom. She's always have been able to do that, while your dad tried a lot of times but it never fully worked. You still appreciated his efforts though.

Sitting up with the blanket still covering you, you blindly grabbed at the tissue box on your table, grabbing it before moving the blanket away when you felt something warm.

"Holy fu—"

"Hi, babe," The demon who licked you smirked, standing besides your bed as you groaned, flopping back to the bed as you looked away from him.

"Go away, I don't need you to lick me again."

"Aww, where's the fun in that?" He whined before spooning you from behind, his nose touching the back of your neck. You felt annoyed when his touch was easily welcomed by you, his presence actually soothes you as you realized how tired you are.

"I never formally introduced myself," The demon smiled against your neck, which made you huff in amusement. "Yeah, no thanks. Don't need to know that information."

"Rude. But if you must know, my name is Wooyoung. You can call me anything you want though."

"Bitch? Loser? Piece of shit?"

"I was hoping for something romantic," He huffs, sitting up as he flicked your forehead, yelping in pain as you pushed him out of your bed.

"No way! I'd rather eat with Jieun than call you pet names," You outright shivered, noting how Wooyoung's eyes seemed to darken at the mere mention of Jieun.

"Speaking of Jieun...were you crying because of her?"

"Huh?"

"Your eyes are swollen and red. Were you crying because of her?"

You rolled your eyes, checking in the mirror to see your eyes swollen, making you huff at how messy you looked. "Yeah, sure. You could say that."

"Don't worry, (name), I'm sure karma will get her back."

"Ugh, I don't even want to know how you know my name," You glared at him, making Wooyoung giggle lightly.

"Let's just say I've been told many things about you through an informant."

"Informant my ass," You mumbled, grabbing through tissues before blowing your nose away, looking away from Wooyoung to save yourself from the embarrassment. He huffs loudly, whining as he slumps to your back as you protest and trying to move away from him. "Yah! What are you doing?"

"You weren't paying attention to me," He pouted, nuzzling his face to your neck making you yell loudly. In a matter of seconds, numerous banging sounds could be heard from your front door.

"(Name)?! Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, for fuck sake. Can't this day get any worse," You whine, balling up the tissue before throwing it away, groaning when it missed the trash can.

"Party pooper," Wooyoung grumbles, before pecking your cheek as he moved to stand. "Well, I guess that's it for today! See you later, (name). Oh! And don't forget—"

You hold your breath as Wooyoung leaned closer to you, eyes shutting in reflex as he chuckles lowly. "—We're always with you. We're not gonna let anyone hurt our dearest."

"What do you even mean—"

"Shush!" He playfully covers your mouth, proceeding to kiss his hand like he's kissing you. You slapped the back of his head, making him wince and whine loudly. "Meanie!"

"Go away!"

"Later, babe," He smirks before disappearing instantly, making you breath a sigh of relief.

"Hey! I heard someone inside! You better open the door or so help me I'll—"

"San! Shut up!" You yelled, making your way to the front door before opening it, San already rushing in to check every corner of the apartment. "What is going on with you?"

"I heard you yell, I got worried," He frowns before his eyes widen and quickly dashing to your bedroom, you following silently as he looks around the room with annoyance. He looks like a rabid dog just by looking everywhere around the room, nostrils flaring as he growls under his breath.

"It smells like him."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"I said it—" He paused, eyes squinting at your direction before slowly walking towards you, cornering you against the door.

"What? Is something wrong?"

You screech in surprise when San sniffs your neck like a rabid dog, pinching his ear hard enough to make him yell in pain. "What the fuck, San! Why are you sniffing me?"

"You smell like—Wait, why is your eyes red? It looks swollen! Have you been crying?!" He growls, cupping your face between his hands as you gently brushed his fingers against your eyes.

"It's fine, I just called my mom and my emotions just came out," You whined.

San looks at you with disbelief before he nods, glancing to his left before bringing you into a hug as he basically smothers you with his face like a cat. "I told you if you're having problems, you should come to me!"

"Sannie, I thought you were working. What am I supposed to do?"

He seemingly froze, moving his head as he hugs you tighter. "What did you call me?"

You blushed when you realized the nickname you just gave him, shaking your head rapidly. "Wait! Sorry, I didn't realize—"

"Call me that every time, please?"

"Huh?"

He purrs and moved his head back to your neck, before slowly walking backwards to your bed, lying down with him on top of you. Your jaw dropped drastically when you realize the position was far from friendly, stuttering away as you tried to comprehend what's happening right now.

"Woah, woah! What are you doing?"

"Cuddling," San smiles against your skin, humming happily to himself as you slowly relaxed, albeit your hands are stiff when you placed them against his back. "Uh huh, and why are we cuddling?"

"Because I felt like it."

You rolled your eyes, shifting slightly to a more comfortable position before settling. From the corner of your eyes you saw his eyes open slightly, a blank gaze in his eyes before he sighs loudly. "(Name), you know I care for you, right?"

"Of course, you're always helping me."

"Not just me, Yunho and Mingi are also worried for you."

You frown, subconsciously playing with San's hair as you gaze at the blank white wall of the apartment, not realizing how San seemingly tensed before relaxing with a happy sigh, slowly hugging you tighter. "What do you mean?"

"Is there something you're not telling us about Jieun?"

You stopped breathing for a moment, biting your lips as you tried to think about what to say. You haven't told him the reason for Jieun's bizarre behavior. And when you went to file a police report, you declined San's offer on accompanying you, not wanting to tell him the reason why.

"I don't want to seem pushy or anything," He starts. "I just want to help you, that's all."

"I know, Sannie," You whispered. "I'm sorry for not telling you anything. I just—the reason for all of this happening is so weird and unbelievable that I thought you might think of me as crazy."

"I'll never do that to you," San looks up, a crease forming between his eyebrows, making you smooth them with your fingers. He then proceeds to grab your hand, holding it tightly before kissing it, making you involuntarily gasp. "Please, tell me. I want to help you. I don't want you to deal with your problems alone anymore."

You laugh slightly, nodding as you agreed. After the call with your mom, you felt a little better asking someone for help. Maybe it was a bad idea to hide it and try to solve it yourself.

"Alright, I guess I'll tell you everything from the start." And you told San everything without missing any details, letting him comment here and there when he needed too.

"I saw Jieun here and there in university, but she never really stayed long enough for me to confront her. Maybe it's for the best," You tried to shrug, seeing as San made himself comfortable in your neck. "I don't really feel like acknowledging her presence after what she did.

"True," San sniffs. "But...thank you for telling me all of this."

"I needed a little push from you but I actually feel a lot better."

San smiles up to you, hugging you tighter. "Really?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Sannie."

San hums happily, nodding his head before sighing. "Your welcome."

A comfortable silence wrapped you and San, your eyes blinking slowly, trying to stay awake before gasping loudly. "Shit!"

"What? What?!"

"I forgot today's garbage day!" You hissed, standing up before running to the kitchen to grab your trash bag before slipping on some slippers. "Sorry, San! I'm going to be back in a minute!"

"You scared me," San whined loud enough for you to hear, but you only giggle at him before slipping outside, not noticing a figure exiting San's apartment, following you with slow steps before observing you from a distance.

San's smile turned from soft to an annoyed one as he threw a pillow to one of the corner in the rooms, making a yelp rang out throughout the room. "You're such a perv for watching, Woo."

"At least I didn't growl when I smelt someone else's scent in here," Wooyoung grumbled as he shows himself, walking to your closet as he hums to himself.

"And what are you doing?"

"Getting a small gift for myself," He replied. "I missed her so much, you know? Can't believe Jjong and Hwa made me go away and flirt with Jieun," Wooyoung shivered as he huffs in disgust.

"That's what you get for breaking our agreement," San smirks as he teased him. Wooyoung only rolled his eyes. "Like you all weren't foaming at the mouth to meet her alone."

He makes a triumphant sound, holding a pair of white silk panties before clutching them close. "Well, hello there."

"Don't get that one, she likes to wear them," San reminded him as he makes himself comfortable on your bed, rubbing his face and groaning at your smell.

"And you call me a perv," Wooyoung teased back before throwing the panties back, searching again before holding up a black lace panties. "How about this one?"

"It's new. I heard her calling her friend saying how uncomfortable it was after wearing it two times, so take it."

"Hmm, I'll tell Jjong about it. Maybe he'll buy new ones for her."

"Buy a cute pair of lingerie for her too," San added. "I don't think she has one. She'll look really good in any color."

"I'll tell Ssangie," Wooyoung hums happily as he stuffs them into his pockets. "Him and Jongho are annoyed that they couldn't participate as much as we can."

"Patience is key. We'll soon move to our next step of the plan anyways," San smirks as he grabbed one of your hair clips from the night stand. "How's it going with that Mark guy?"

"Not a threat so far from what Hwa said," Wooyoung replied. "Just a bit of a pussy to actually tell her how he feels. So he's not really a priority to us."

"He looks weak anyway," San chuckles at the thought of Mark protecting you from any of them, one snap of a finger from them he's dead in a second anyways.

At the sound of the front door opening, Wooyoung playfully salutes him before disappearing, San not feeling his presence in the room so he must be back to the temporary house they call home.

"Hey," You smile brightly at San, making his heart squeeze at hoe beautiful and radiant you looked. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, nothing that you need to know," He smiles innocently.