#and this one was actually a love triangle god bless

[dollietes]

໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა mimi’s fic recs !

in summary these are my fav fics that i’ve read recently and are living within the depths of my brain. this is just a way for my to show appreciation for the writers who had written them <3 please support their blogs and check out their other works as well!

please minors dni with the smut works. respect writers and their boundaries!!

f :: fluff / a :: angst / s :: smut

pretty girls make graves by @ijtaimes f

OBSESSED with this series!! the blend of the summer camp setting, the love triangle story, and the clever incorporation of horror elements?@)2)2) and the interactive storytelling it has with the outfit choices and other general choices?? ivy, cousin i love you and your sexy brain. i can’t get enough of it actually!

two peculiar swans by @astralnymphh f / s

WHEN I TELL YOU ALL I RAN LIKE THREE LAPS AND SAT IMMEDIATELY WHEN I SAW IT WAS POSTED. the writinggg!! so top tier! the dialogue, inner monologue how the story just flows so seamlessly?? i’m so excited for the rest of this series bro like aestra ate😋 HYPE IT UP YALL!!

loser!abby by @abbyscherry s

when i tell you all i profusely **** and ***** while reading both of the loser!abby works. like if i speak I would be deemed as insane, a mad woman it’s crazy. read them like bedtime stories before bed😭

cowboy!ellie + this by @catfern s

SAVE A HORSE RIDE A COWGIRL! COWBOY!ELLIE NATION RISEEEEE. these hcs had me foaming t the mouth like i need someone to hold me back before I ramble about how much I love these hcs and eat them up and will continue to eat up anything cowboy!ellie 😋

in for it by @brackishkittie s

ONE WORD. DIVINE. DELICIOUS. SCRUMPTIOUS. i could not stop smiling like a school girl while reading this it’s embarrassing actually. also vivian’s smau’s >>>> got me into the fandom actually

rockstar!ellie + this by @phantombriide s

i could write a thesis about how much i love this and rockstar!ellie works. like this is what i breathe, i eat, i consume everyday. it is the mantra i read to start my days. my daily reading to begin the day. god bless.

academic rival!abby by @beforeimdeceased f / s

ACADEMIC RIVALS CLENCHES FISTS. RAHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE ITTTTT. every bit of this series had me craving for more oml. like i need academic!rival abby in my bed immediately!

being pregnant with wife!abby by @bayasdulce f

baby fever has hit me once again what can i say?😞 I need wife!abby to take care of me so bad it’s getting sad at this point. I just this broke me down and worsened my baby fever (had me making a pinterest board and everything goodbye😞😞)

neighbour!ellie + this by @loaksky s / f

NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE MY FAV FAV FAV! i remember the influx of them on my dash and trust i was eating good 🍽️ both parts had me folding, giggling, smiling, swinging my feet everything and everything.

try it on by @moncherellie s

another work that got me into the fandom!! I remember reading this for the first time and hiding my face and giggling into my pillow and the audios lord i felt so giddy that night lmao😭

doctor!abby texts by @eightstarr f

doctor!abby has me in a chokehold like that’s my wife and mother of our three children everyone can leave pls and thanks😁 and i mean that with my whole chest. those texts are actual REAL evidence of what our convos look like you all can move (im joking pls don’t take what I’m saying seriously😭) I just am in love with everything zoe puts out because it’s so good and so dear and special to me

cutty love by @totheblood f

anything star puts out tbh >>>>> absolutely in love with cutty love actually! I am a whore for any fluff and PINNING (GIVE IT TEW ME). this is just so soft and sweet and it’s everything I need like uggggh. the audios too just chefs kiss love everything about it!

streamer!ellie hcs by @inf3ct3dd f

SIERRA’S HCS 🔛🔝 SO GOOD EATS EVERYTIME YALL like gen they all have made their home in my brain and I can’t go to bed without at least reading one of them before i hit the hay.

knight!ellie by @heavenbloom f

FIRSTLY written so beautifully?&* i love everything about this and i tend to go back to this work when I’m in need of a fluff fix! I absolutely adore how everything is written yes I’m reiterating my point because ‘green eyes thirsty for the well that was your beauty.’ LIKE WORLD STOP. ARE YOU SEEING THIS?? ‘she was utterly dedicated to you, body and soul, and she would be by your side until her very last breath. it was a fierceness, this love that consumed her, and it was all yours.’ LIKE WTF

partition by @whore4abby s

reserving my *clears throat* thoughts for now but just know * **** **** *** *** ***** **** * **** ***** *********!!! 😁😁😁 everyone should read this ASAP!

sun don’t set by @hier--soir f

another heavenly piece omg!! so in love with the writing in here oh my god. it’s so soft and sweet and it just felt like a warm hug on a cold winters day i just. please read this!!

you love it when i play with you by @ourautumn86 s

i think i like passed out and had three nosebleeds because of this. i think about this more than i should. I think about in the morning, throughout the day and night. my daily read at this point like it’s just sooooo😋😋😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

my love mine all mine by @doepretty f

this one is special to me too like. for one the writing is so beautiful and it made me shed a tear and secondly I melted into a puddle like i want Abby so bad I’m going to be sick.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

La Dolce Vita - John Shelby/Cosima Changretta (OFC).

Part two is here, besties! :) I hope you all enjoy it, as I am loving writing these two together. You'll notice too that I gave John a few less kids than we see in canon, just to make it a little easier on myself as the writer, lol!

Words - 4,218

Warnings - Each part will be adult only content, from swearing to eventual smut and violence. Minors DNI.

Part II - Purgatorio

Countryside living was something John had become accustomed to during his marriage to Esme, his beautiful country pile and vast grounds a much more desirable location than the smoggy suburbs of Small Heath. After her death, he had sold it, returning to the latter until he was married again.  

As predicted, Cosima detested living in a back-to-back. Her continued complaining as well as his desire for what he had come to enjoy was what led him to purchase another countryside property, choosing the small village of Wythall in Bromsgrove, buying a beautiful, spacious cottage for her to spruce up. It was far enough from Birmingham to leave his troubles within the swirling smog and looming viaducts, but near enough that he could be back on Watery Lane for his business endeavours in just over forty minutes by car.  

Married life was not ideal, being a person wed to someone he didn’t like, whose tempestuous nature often put him directly in her firing line. However, he could not discount her qualities. A spoiled princess with expensive tastes (the cottage renovation had cost him a fortune) she might have been, but god, she worked her fingers to the bone. 

“Oliver, Mary, Katie, Freddie, Seamus, come along! We’ll be late, get your skates on!” she called, hurrying back to the kitchen were five sandwiches lay on the chopping board, freshly baked bread with liberal fillings of egg and ham, Cosima cutting them into their required shapes. Squares for Oliver and Seamus, triangles for Katie and oblongs for Mary and Freddie. She knew well the likes and dislikes of her stepchildren.  

Wrapping each in baking parchment, she placed them into individual brown paper bags, an apple and a couple of custard creams put in too, five lunches folded neatly and handed to each child as they filed into the kitchen, smartly dressed in their immaculately pressed uniforms. “Give your father a kiss and let’s get moving, come on. We’ll miss the bell! Blinking hell, Seamus, look at your mouth. Toothpaste all over, come here!” 

His son’s mouth was wiped with her handkerchief, the boy squirming, Cosima bopping his little nose with her finger once done before she herded them through the kitchen. “Quickly, quickly, come on!” 

John couldn’t believe she was the same woman who had originally thrown a puce faced fit upon finding out she was to be stepmother to five children, with how well she’d taken to mothering his brood. For Cosima, she’d eventually seen the little ones as a blessing, something to take her mind off the fact that she detested being married to their father.  

Picking up her wicker basket, she followed them out the door without looking at John once, leaving him to sigh and return to the sitting room, drinking tea while reading the morning paper. With the addition of the wicker basket, this meant she would be stopping at the local village shop on her way back from the school, meaning he had roughly an hour before she would be through the door and ready to scrub the house from top to bottom.  

That was something else he couldn’t fault her for; she kept a beautiful home. John just preferred to be nowhere near her while she was going about it. She’d always find something to pick at him about, and he was tiring of it. He did try, to have something more resembling of an actual marriage rather than a setup of convenience with his beautiful young bride, but she shot him down at every step. Her contempt did nothing but continually fester, it seemed. She still couldn’t forgive him for the demise of her father and brother.  

Keeping an eye on the grandfather clock, he waited until fifty minutes had passed before whistling for Dot and Bo, his two faithful springer spaniel bitches. “Yeah, that’s right. We’re off to get a couple of grouse, maybe a pigeon or pheasant an’ all.”  

The dogs began to circle and yap excitedly as he pulled his shotgun from the cabinet, packing ammunition and draping the gun over his arm, heading into the kitchen and wrapping himself some cheese scones in a clean tea towel, placing those in his bag, too. If there was another thing his wife excelled at, it was all things culinary. He’d come directly in her vexed crosshairs upon eating his first meal prepared by her three months before, stating that he did not “eat wop food” as he’d coined her lasagne, without actually even trying it.  

As soon as he’d put a forkful into his mouth, he’d been a very, very rapid convert. It had been perhaps the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted, Cosima standing with her arms folded, smirking at his swift change of heart over her food. He now looked forward to every meal she prepared for him with gusto, although couldn’t bear to sit in her company while eating it. He’d try and make conversation, and she’d sulk and pout. It was irksome to say the least.  

His leaving the house was timed impeccably, seeing Cosima walking back down the lane as he was heading out of the garden and into the few acres of lush, green fields that came with the cottage. She even got the money out of that, too, allowing local people to graze their horses upon it when resting their own pastures. While John and the dogs headed for the woods, Cosima let herself into the cottage, putting her apron on and beginning her housework.  

Once her beautiful home was sparkling – not that she allowed it to be any other way – she took the rugs out to beat the dust from them and then returned to the kitchen, making preparations for the children’s dinner. A local lady from the village was coming by to that evening to keep an eye on them while she and John headed back into Birmingham, the family gathering for Polly’s birthday meal at a restaurant upon Broad Street.  

Although she held her husband in a more or less permanent state of contempt, she did actually like Polly. She found her to be strong, intelligent, and once you got to know her, very loving towards her family. It had taken a while for her to thaw, but now the women did get along well. Certainly, Cosima had much more time for her than she did John or Tommy.  

Stirring the pasta sauce in a large pot upon the cast iron range, an original Victorian fixture of the cottage, Cosima sighed. She should be happy. She had literally everything she’d ever wanted, a beautiful home, huge garden, a couple of lovely dogs, a brood of children – and although not her own, they adored her as much as she did them – as well as a handsome, successful husband; whom she couldn’t stand.  

Well, that wasn’t strictly true. John was a nice man, he had a wicked sense of humour, he was a staunch provider, and he was so handsome she caught herself swooning over him all the time. She could see him trying hard to at least have some semblance of a meaningful connection with her, but she couldn’t help herself in shooting him down each and every time. Why?  

Guilt. 

He and his family were why two fifths of her immediate one no longer breathed, and she was to simply forget that and be content, happy in her new life with John? Her father would turn in his grave to know she had now acquired the surname of Shelby. He would be utterly livid. 

“But he isn’t here.” Her statement fell from her lips along with the little splashes of tears from her pretty eyes, eyes so blue that her beloved father had often joked that she couldn’t be his. “She’s the milkman’s, isn’t she?” he’d say in jest to her mother. Of course, she was his, though. A tear landed in the sauce she stirred, Cosima pulling her handkerchief from her dress sleeve and drying her eyes.  

The sound of barking became audible, the kitchen door opening, Dot and Bo being told to sit. “You got that towel, Cosima? I don’t want their muddy feet ruining your clean floor.” That was another thing about John, he was always appreciative of how immaculately she kept their home. Some men merely waved it away as a woman’s work and had no respect for such, but not him.  

“Hold on.” Moving to the cupboard under the sink, she pulled out one of the more raggedy tea towels she kept for the purpose of paw cleaning, handing it to him. 

He took it, a small frown creasing his handsome features. “You been crying?”  

Immediately, she straightened, sniffing as she held herself with her usual dignity. “Garlic, in the pasta sauce. It made my eyes water.” 

“Ah, right.” Moving back outside, he made sure each paw was clean and dry before letting the dogs in, removing his muddy boots and leaving them at the back door. Making his way in, he sniffed the air, half wishing that they were staying at home to eat whatever it was his wife had crafted, it smelled so good. “Let’s have a little try of that, give us a spoon.” 

“No, it isn’t ready yet,” she bustled, returning to the pot.  

He bit his tongue. “I got two pheasants, a grouse and a couple of pigeons. They’re in the outhouse hanging up. Just let me know when you wanna use ‘em and I’ll go pluck ‘em. I know you don’t like doing that.” 

“Okay. Oh, John? That floorboard by the front door has come up again. Can you go and fix it down? I left nails and a hammer on the phone table.” 

“Yeah, in a bit. Wanna have a tea and warm up a bit first.” 

She sighed, chewing her cheek. “No, now please. Before the kids come home. I don’t want them tripping on it while they’re playing.” 

“They ain’t coming home until gone three. Just give us half an hour, eh?” 

“Bloody get it done now, John! Before you forget!”  

Ahh, it had almost been quite civil for a moment. “Oi, watch your fucking tone, woman. I told you I’d get it done and I will. Fucking bad tempered mare.”  

“Stop calling me a mare!” 

“Well stop behaving like one in season then, and I might, eh?” he shook his head, chewing on his toothpick aggressively. “Always fucking blowing up at me for no fucking reason. Sort yourself out, for fucks sake!” 

“Fine!” she raged, flinging her arms in the air with her usual dramatic flair, “I’ll go and do it!” 

“You do that.” He moved to the kettle, filling it with water, intent on having his tea before he went and helped her with the task. He wouldn’t have forgotten either, but she couldn’t just let him be for five minutes while he had a drink and thawed out from the February chill, oh no. She had to pick at him.  

A few minutes passed, John letting the tea steep in the pot as he snacked on a slice of bread slathered in butter and Cosima’s homemade blackberry jam, the sounds of her swearing in Italian drifting through the house until suddenly, a yelp.  

“What the bloody hell’s she done,” he muttered, placing the bread down and moving to the hallway, finding her kneeling down, holding her thumb in a tight grasp. “You alright?” 

“No, I’m blinking not!” she cried through her tears, “I’ve hit my fucking thumb with the cursed, wretched hammer!” 

“Here, let me see.” Pulling her hand from her grasp, he examined it, the knuckle bright red. “At least you ain’t split the skin. Come on, let’s get it under the cold tap.” 

“No, I’m fine,” she snipped, pulling her hand away and attempting to grasp the hammer again. 

“Leave this, I’ll get it done. Come on.” 

“Fuck off, I’m alright!”  

Again, he bit his tongue. “It’s gonna swell unless you get it under the cold water.” 

“I said I’m fine!” 

Rolling his eyes, he pulled her up, her screaming protests falling on deaf ears as he lifted her with ease into his arms, carrying her through to the kitchen. She struggled, swore at him, batted at him with her hands, John tiring of it. “Oh, stop all this malarkey and just let me help ya!”  

He forced her hand beneath the tap, turning it on, holding it there while she winced and continued to cry. All he was trying to do was help her, and she couldn’t even let him do that. Finally, she relaxed a little, sniffing and wiping her tears, her thumb throbbing angrily. “Have I broken it?”  

“Give it a wiggle.” She did. “Did it feel like someone pushing a hot pin into it?” 

“No. It smarts, but it isn’t as bad as that.”  

“Then nah, ain’t broken, bab.” She went to move her hand, John gently directing it back under the stream of cold water. “Few more minutes, or it’ll blow up like a bloody golf ball.” 

“Then I’d look a right state, all teary with my golf ball thumb.”  

He chuckled, putting an arm around her on instinct. What was even more surprising? She leaned into his hug, allowing herself to be comforted by her husband. It was a first, a little thread of connection woven between the warring spouses, John turning the tap off after a few moments and reaching for the soft, white hand towel. “Come sit down and have a cuppa. I’ll go and finish the floorboard.”  

“No, it’s okay,” she protested, shaking her head. “I should think about getting ready, I have to do my hair and it takes forever.” 

“Sure? I’ll drop a nip of brandy in it for ya?” 

She pulled from him, whatever it was that had opened up closing again rapidly. “No, I’m fine.”  

For the sake of a quiet life, he left it, recognising that there had been a little progress there between them, if only very small. He went and finished fixing the floorboard, done within minutes and returning to drink his tea, his little brood coming crashing through the door half an hour later, the house once again full of noise.  

A few hours later and they were ready to leave, the children happily eating their spaghetti al Forno while Mrs. Baxter sat knitting, keeping a watchful eye upon them. Cosima was quiet all the way to town, John giving up in the end and letting the car be filled with nothing but the sound of their strained silence, glad to see his brothers and other family and friends once they arrived at the restaurant.  

His wife continued to be sullen throughout the meal, only really talking to Polly and Lizzie and even then, the women had to work hard to keep the conversation going with her. In the end, the former took it upon herself to pull the newest Shelby aside a little later that night, steering her over to the long, oak bar after she had returned from the ladies. 

“You’ve a face as long as Livery Street, madam,” Polly observed, passing her a gin cocktail. “What’s the matter? You can’t still hate our John, not after how good he’s been to you regardless of that contempt.” Her words were delivered with care, but they did not lack their usual bite. Polly would be protective of her nephews until she drew her last breath, no matter how much she genuinely did like Cosima.  

The young woman took a sip of her drink, placing the dainty glass down, accepting one of Polly’s clove cigarettes with thanks. They were a rare treat from her usual preferred brand of Park Drive, Cosima loving the warm, spicy scent of the burning clove, yet unable to smoke more than a couple at a time on account of how much they made her cough when she did. “I want to be happy with him, Pol. I honestly do, but I can’t get past it all.” 

She didn’t need to elaborate. “It’s been and gone, love. You feel guilty though, I see that.” This woman, god. She was so remarkably perceptive. “You have to move on with your life. If your brother and mother could, then there’s fuck all stopping you, is there?” 

“But my papa...”  

“Cosima, your father is gone, and you are still here,” Polly cut her up with, reaching to lightly grip her forearm. “We women, we suffer the collateral damage in the wars fought by our men, and your father was not blameless in his part. He was a gangster too, just as my boys are, just as your brother is. You know this world we live in, and living is what you have to do, sweetheart. If you keep on holding that burning contempt for John, I’ll tell you now, you’ll be the one who ends up scalded.”  

Her eyes were fixed upon her, unblinking, drawing on her cigarette before lifting her glass to her mouth. “Let it go. Set yourself free, for god’s sake. You have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, you hear me?” 

She nodded. “I do. Easier said than done, though, it seems.” 

“Horse shit.” She slapped a gloved hand off the bar, shaking her head as she tutted. “Life is as hard as you make it for yourself, my girl. Stop punishing yourself because you think that’s what your father would do, should he still be alive.”  

Again, Cosima was startled by Polly’s intuitive assessment of the situation, straightening and knocking back the rest of her drink. “Thanks for the chat, Pol. I know you’re right, but...” 

“But you’re a typical hardheaded, fire blooded Italian. Listening to others don’t come easy to you, I know. Just know that if you made it easy on yourself, that man over there? He’d soon treasure you like you were the rarest jewel on earth.”  

Cosima got up, heading past the table and outside, finishing the cigarette and reaching into her little sequined bag to pull out her own gold case, lighting up one of her own. She felt agitated by Polly’s words, pacing up and down as the discomfort of being told what to do rolled through her ceaselessly. She knew why it annoyed her the most, though. Polly was right.  

Still, it was in Cosima’s nature to fight it at any given opportunity.  

“How’s ya thumb feeling now?” 

Turning, she looked into the radiant, cloudy blue eyes of her husband. All she wanted was to be alone with her thoughts for a little while, but no. “Stings a little, but it’s okay.” 

He nodded, taking a pull on his cigar. “And you? Thought we were actually starting to talk to each other kinda civilly earlier, then you went quiet on me.” 

Her stare was through narrowed eyes, the magma in her blood rising in heat. “Always my fault, isn’t it?” 

“That’s not what I said, Cosima.” 

“No, but you meant it, didn’t you?” 

For fucks sake. How much harder was this tempestuous madam going to make his life? “You need to stop putting words in me mouth, love. Getting right tired of it, I am.” 

Her beautiful lips were held in pout a little longer, drawing angrily upon her cigarette, not able to escape the intensity of her husband's stare as finally, she pushed her pride down. “I’m sorry.”  

“Well, look at that. Twice since we were married, you’ve said you were sorry. Some fellas make it to their diamond wedding anniversaries without hearing it once from the missus. Ain’t I lucky, eh?” His attempt of a joke fell flat, her face unmoving. God, she was whittling him down to his last nerve, and rapidly. “Ain't you ever heard of smiling, Cosima?" He charged her with, eyeing her defiantly. 

She pulled the white fox fur warming her pale curves tighter around herself, taking one last drag upon her cigarette before flicking it away. “If you give me something to smile about, I might.” 

Oh, he had his work cut out for him, John scratching his jaw. “I’ll stick my fucking face between your legs for about half an hour, then you’ll be grinning like a loon, you miserable cow.” he muttered, but not nearly quietly enough 

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” 

“Nothing, bab,” he grinned, gritting his teeth behind that forced smile. “Nothing at-fucking-all.” Give her something to smile about? She had a nerve. He’d bought her a beautiful cottage, gave her fifty pounds a week to buy whatever she wanted for herself completely aside from the housekeeping money, and was working his arse off in an effort to be a good husband. He felt like telling Tommy where he could stick his Changretta truce. Nothing, it seemed, would make her warm to him.  

He headed back inside, leaving her standing there alone, lighting herself another cigarette as she pouted, but mainly at herself. She knew it had to stop, she had to cease being – as he had quite rightly coined her – a miserable cow. The guilt of it, though. Oh, the guilt.  

“Oi, love,” an approaching man called to her, flanked by two others, “how much for a bit of how’s your father, eh?” 

“I beg your fucking pardon?” she spat, her mouth dropping open.  

Looking her up and down, he smirked. “You’re a bird standing on a street corner with a low-cut dress on. Ain’t hard to see you’re touting for business, so how much?”  

“Wait there,” she gritted, lifting her chin defiantly. “Let me go and fetch my pimp.”  

Marching back into the restaurant, John thought she was coming to have a go at him all over again, taking in her thunderous expression. “John! There’s a man out there who just accused me of being a fucking prostitute!”  

Arriving with him at the bar, she drew stares from all around, the less coarse clientele tutting and muttering, Tommy touching a hand to her elbow. “Keep your voice down, love.” 

“I will bloody not!” 

John cut in, nodding to his brother. “Take us out to him.” Her heart all but stopped dead at seeing the look in his eyes, the immediate, highly angered state her words had caused to rise within him like a leviathan. He might’ve been annoyed with her, but still, one mention of her being spoken to disrespectfully and he fired into action. Taking her hand, he walked her from the restaurant, Tommy at her other side.  

“This your pimp, is it? Oh, two fellas, eh?” 

“Ar, lad. She must be good!” one of the other jokers with the man who had disrespected her offered, the three laughing.  

“Gonna be laughing on the other side of your face in a minute, mush. Now, which fucking one of you called my wife a whore?”  

“Me,” the central man spoke, stepping forward, “Cos’ she looks like a whore, don’t she?”  

John eyed him with cool defiance, lifting his chin while stepping closer, their noses almost touching. “Wanna know what you look like, mate?” 

“What?” 

“A man with a really fucking nice smile. A Small Heath smile, as I like to call ‘em.” Removing his cap, he swiftly headbutted the man before him, shattering his nose across his face before grabbing him, gripping his throat in a formidably tight grasp. Using the razorblades upon the peak of the trademark flat cap, he slashed open his face at the corners of his mouth, the skin tearing. “You’ll never fucking speak of my bloody wife like that again, you fucking hear me?” 

While he took care of him, Tommy laid punches upon the second and third, one of them breaking free and beginning to beat John across the back with his fists, Cosima setting her bag down in one of the flowerpots that flanked the restaurant entrance, removing a shoe.  

Charging with a wobbly gait, she hitched up her dress and jumped onto the man’s back, beating him in the face and head with the heel of her shoe, until he was bloody, the heel hitting his eyeball as she snarled. “Don’t you dare touch my fucking husband! Don’t you dare!” 

The men got out of there quickly once Cosima had neatly dismounted her target, John calling after them. “Next time, you lose your fucking tongue, ya cunt!” Breathless, he turned to his wife, raising an eyebrow. “Well, at least I managed to put a smile on someone’s face tonight, eh? Nice work with the shoe an’ all, by the way. Didn’t know you cared.” 

He turned to head back inside with Tommy, straightening themselves after the ruck, Cosima reaching for his shoulder, turning him. He was about to speak again, his words of further sarcastic retort blocked by her lips landing upon his, her arms tightening around his neck. 

Her kisses were blooms of roses growing through wildfire, soft yet burning, John clasping her dainty body to his as he felt his insides cinder upon her heat. He’d fantasised for months about how it would feel to kiss those plump, pink lips, desire running rampant through him. Pulling away, her cheeks flushed, pupils inking, John leaning in for more she happily gave.  

When they parted again, she smiled. Finally. All it took was a smidgen of violence.  

[pensat-i-fet]

Wrong player, right time: Part 1 (Pablo Gavi, Pedri x Reader)

Part 2

**Hi! 😊 So...I was asked to write some sort of love triangle and while I liked the idea, I thought I could do something a bit different. Hopefully you like it. And because this ended up being so long, it’s divided in two. The next part will be posted tomorrow so not a lot of waiting 😉 Enjoy!! ❤️**

Word count: 5177

Masterlist

Wattpad

“I got a present for you”.

Your mum’s words made you look up. “Why?”

“For passing your exam. And it kind of is related to that”.

You frowned slightly, smiling at the same time. Last year, you decided to retake a few classes to get a higher grade and study the major you really wanted to study in university. It had been a crazy decision to many but you were sure of it and it paid off. You got the grade you needed and were accepted at the university in Barcelona.

“Ok, tell me!”

“You are going to Barcelona this weekend. I want you to be able to know the city better and to see the area where you’ll be living”.

“Mum! Oh my God!”

Getting up, you ran to hug your mum.

“And…I might have gotten a ticket for the football match too”.

“Stop! You’re the best! Thank you!”

“You’ve worked hard and deserve it. Once you start the uni year, there won’t be time for much fun”.

There was no time to waste. It was Wednesday and your flight was on Friday, so you needed to pack everything and start planning. You had been to Barcelona before but never for too long, so this was a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the beautiful city.

The weather was supposed to be good, so you packed a lot of cute summery outfits. The sun didn’t bless you with its presence as often in your home city of Santander, so it was also something else you could enjoy during the weekend.

You barely got any sleep the night before your trip and after checking you had your boarding pass and your ID about seventy times, you made your way to the small airport.

The flight was quick and soon you found yourself on your way to the hotel you would stay at the next couple of days. You pretty much threw the suitcase on the floor and went out again to see the city.

And that was how you spent the Friday and Saturday in Barcelona, trying to see as much as you could and visiting the student residence where you were going to live once you moved there.

Sunday was going to be your last full day there but it was also the most exciting. Finally, you were going to visit the Camp Nou. Actually, you visited it as a kid but couldn’t remember being there. But now it was time to fully enjoy the experience.

The atmosphere was incredible. You usually went to watch matches when Racing de Santander played at home but your main team was Barça. And, funnily enough, a former Racing player was now playing for Barça. You had met him a few times but doubted he would remember you. Players met so many people every day.

“First time?”

“Pardon?”, you asked, turning to look at the man on the seat next to yours.

“You look like it’s your first time here. And like a kid in a toy store”.

“Yes”, you laughed. “I’ve been wanting to watch a match here my entire life”.

“Well, let’s hope it’s a good one”.

While it wasn’t the match of the century, it was quite entertaining. Barça went 2-0 up early and got to play a bit more relaxed after a couple of not-so-great results.

The second half meant a few players you didn’t get to see up close before were now playing near the area where you were sitting. One of those players was the famous Gavi. You couldn’t lie and pretend you weren’t one of those girls who thought he was really cute. But the one you liked the most, Pedri, was injured. So it was a bummer you didn’t get to see him play. Oh well, Gavi was a good substitute.

“Gavi! Look at all the space those defenders are leaving near the box. Use it!”

You didn’t even realise you were yelling. You never did. And it’s not as if the rest of the fans were quiet but Gavi was very close to your seat and heard your words.

“Ok, coach!”, he said, looking at you and smiling at your surprised face.

“I…”.

“You’re blushing”, laughed the man that had introduced himself as José. You had been chatting a bit during the match.

“I feel so silly. I never realise they can hear me. I’m too used to screaming at the tv”.

That only made him laugh more.

A couple of minutes later, the ball fell on Gavi’s feet again and the defenders left the same space you had warned him about before. And he took the chance to run to the box and give a pass to Lewandowski that gave Barça their third goal.

Everyone got up to cheer and when you finally sat down, you saw Gavi walking towards you, a big smile on his face.

“Thanks for the heads up!”

“Eh…you’re welcome?”

José’s laugh could probably be heard back at your parent’s house. God, you were so embarrassed.

The match ended with a 3-0 win for Barça and you couldn’t be happier with that result. It was the perfect ending to your weekend. But…there was more that was going to happen before you went back home.

“Someone wants to talk to you”, said José.

“Who?”

You looked at where he was pointing and saw Gavi walking towards you while taking his shirt off. He gestured for you to get closer so he could give you the shirt and you walked almost not believing what was happening.

“For me?”

“Yes. We wouldn’t have scored that third goal without your advice. I’ll tell Xavi that if he needs some help, I know the right person”.

You giggled, blushing. “I’m free for the next match if he needs me”.

“I would love to see you on the bench. You wouldn’t be as far from me then”.

Not knowing what to say, you extended your arm to get the shirt. And once you had it, Gavi left to join his teammates.

“He was flirting with you”, said Jóse, making you blush even more.

You put the shirt on your face, trying to hide. But it was too late. The cameras had seen it all.

                                   **

Gavi expected you to post something about getting his shirt on Instagram, so he kept checking the photos he was tagged in on social media…but nothing. You were nowhere to be found.

He was used to hearing things yelled at him at the matches. Often insults and usually it was men who did it. So when he heard your voice, it caught his attention a bit more. And what you said actually made sense. He had noticed what you pointed out and was thinking about telling his teammates to try and take advantage of that defensive weakness from the other team. But it was hearing you say it that made him do it before he even told the others. He wanted to impress you.

What he didn’t want was for the entire country to know about the interaction but he should have known better. All eyes were on him at matches and, of course, the cameras had picked up everything that happened.

“El día después”, a football programme that had been created before he was even born was very famous for their section “Lo que el ojo no ve” (What the eye doesn’t see). They usually caught funny moments of the matches and put them together in a video. People loved that. And this time, they found the best clips for it at the Barça match. They filmed all of your interactions with him and subtitled them.

Gavi was rewatching the video in the training ground with some of his teammates, and they all teased him when the guy who was next to you told you that Gavi had been flirting with you and you blushed and hid your face. He hadn’t seen that when it happened and it made him smile knowing you seemed to like him too. But still, no post on social media.

“She’s gorgeous”, said Pedri.

“I know”.

Gavi couldn’t stop smirking and daydreaming about you showing up at the next match.

“What are you all doing?”, asked the other Pablo, Torre, when he got to the dressing room.

“Watching a video of Gavi’s girlfriend”, said Ferrán.

“You have one? I didn’t know”.

“She’s not my girlfriend, Pablo. Don’t listen to them. But come watch the video”.

Gavi played the video again and when the camera showed you, Torre asked him to pause.

“I know her”.

“You do?”, Gavi couldn’t believe that. He might be able to find you after all.

“She’s from Santander, like me. I saw her at all the Racing matches”.

“Do you know her name?”

“No, but….”, he took his phone out and went on Instagram, “I took a lot of photos with her and she tagged me on Instagram when she posted them, so we should be able to find her”.

“I love you, Pablito”, said Gavi, kissing his teammate’s head.

“Save the kisses for her, bro”.

It took longer than they expected but there it was, a post you made on Torre’s final match for Racing. Gavi took a screenshot of it so he could send you a message later. But if you were from Santander…well, that complicated things a bit but it didn’t make anything impossible.

He spent some time looking at your posts and then had to go to training. There was time to keep stalking later. But when he finally got home and went to check your profile, it was private. That was odd.

                                  **

The last thing you expected after your trip to Barcelona was for a video of you to go viral. When you were sent the youtube clip, you couldn’t believe it. And the comments…they made you want to never check your social media again.

But then you noticed a lot of notifications on your Instagram. How on earth had Gavi’s fans found your profile? It was too much. So you privated your profile and removed all the new followers you got. You were just a normal girl and didn’t want to be involved in any drama.

Your mum found out what had happened and invited you to go out with her to stop overthinking. You turned the wifi and data off and forgot about all of it.

But then you got home and the wifi connected to your phone and one of the notifications caught your eye immediately. Why was Gavi sending you DM’s on Instagram?

[Pablogavi]: Hi! Sorry about all the drama that the video has caused. You ok?

How did he find your Instagram? But it was really nice to see he actually cared.

[You]: Hi! I’m alright, don’t worry. Thanks for asking.

[Pablogavi]: Let me know if you need me to say something on social media or whatever.

[You]: I will, thanks.

[You]: How did you find my Instagram?

[Pablogavi]: Torre recognised you on the video and helped me find you.

[Pablogavi]: Does it sound stalkerish? 😶

[You]: A bit 😂

[You]: But I’m glad you contacted me.

How had your life become so surreal so quickly? All because of a silly comment you couldn’t help but scream.

[Pablogavi]: Feel free to be the one who contacts me if you ever come back to Barcelona.

[You]: I’m moving there soon. For uni.

[Pablogavi]: Best news you could give me 😀

“Who are you talking to?”

Your mum’s voice startled you and made you almost drop the phone. “Nobody”.

“Right. Why were you blushing and smiling then?”

“Just watching some funny videos”.

You didn’t normally keep secrets from your parents but what were they going to think if, after what they saw on that video, you told them Gavi was flirting with you on Instagram?

So you didn’t tell them but kept on speaking with him. And you kept thinking about going to Barcelona before you had to move there…so you could see him. You had seen some comments online about how you had made your account private right before he started to follow you and that worried you. As exciting as talking to a cute football player was, you didn’t want people harassing you because of it. And now it seemed like so many people had already decided you were his girlfriend.

“Will it be ok for me to go to Barcelona this weekend?”, you asked in the middle of dinner three weeks after your previous trip.

“What for?”, asked your dad. “Do you need to do any uni stuff there? I thought you could do it all online”.

“Yes, it’s not uni related. I just wanted to go again and…meet some friends and stuff”.

“You have friends in Barcelona? Since when?”

Your mum was suspicious and for a reason. The way your face got all red while you were lying to them didn’t help.

“Honey, we might not use social media but we aren’t dumb. And when people talk about your daughter, you listen. Is it Gavi that’s invited you to go see him?”

“Yes, but it’s not what you think”, you rushed to say.

“We weren’t born yesterday. Of course it is what we think it is. But…you aren’t a kid anymore. We can’t forbid you from going and you’ll move there soon anyway. But please be careful”.

“I always am”.

“We know”, said your mum, holding your hand. “You are smart and we trust you. Do we trust a football player’s intentions?”

“We don’t”, answered your dad.

“Keep trusting me, then”.

                                    **

“Someone’s happy…and in a hurry”, said Pedri, sitting down next to an already dressed Gavi. “I’ve never seen you get ready so fast”.

“I’ve got plans”, smiled his friend.

“I can guess which type of plans”.

“My Santander girl is coming to Barcelona again”.

“I still think she’s too pretty for you”.

“Don’t be jealous, Pepi. She’s an only child but we might find a pretty cousin for you or something”.

“Is she staying with you?”

“No, she’s staying at a hotel but we have a couple of dates planned. And she might change her mind about where she stays after that”.

“Or she might run back to Santander after talking to you for more than 10 minutes”.

Gavi laughed and left the training centre to go find you. The taxi was waiting for him already.

Once at the train station, he tried not to be recognized but it was always a lost battle. It was while taking some photos with a kid that he saw you.

“Sorry guys, I have to go”.

You were looking around and smiled when you finally saw him.

“Hi”, you said, hugging him. “So good to finally see you in person”.

“Yeah, same. Should I take you to the hotel so you can leave your suitcase? Then we can go grab some food”.

“Sounds good”.

You did just that and soon found yourself walking around Barcelona, on your way to a restaurant that was great, according to Gavi. Well, at least you were learning about where to eat for when you moved there.

The food was great. The rest of the date…it wasn’t his fault. Or yours. But there was no spark. The excitement you had felt while you texted was gone. And he was feeling the same way. Well, that was disappointing.

Gavi had planned on trying to ask you to go to his place after dinner but what was the point? He wouldn’t be surprised if you actually ran away home like Pedri had said.

And when you got to the hotel, you buried your head in the pillow, feeling so stupid about how wrong it all went.

                                  **

“Someone isn’t looking so happy today”.

“Stop”, said Gavi, putting his hands on his face.

“What happened?”

“The date was a disaster, Pedri. A disaster!”

“What did you do?”

“Why does it have to be me?”

“You’re more likely to mess up”, he shrugged.

“It’s just…there was no connection. And it’s not as if she isn’t an interesting person”.

"Or gorgeous”.

“Yeah, that too. But we just felt so uncomfortable in each other’s company. It was so weird”.

“Are you seeing her today? Maybe things change”.

“Well, I have to see her. She is here because of me, I can’t just leave her alone. But…could you maybe come with us?”

“I don’t want to third wheel”.

“It wouldn’t be that. Just, I don’t know, maybe having someone else there helps”.

Pedri didn’t want to tell his friend but the only reason why he accepted was a very selfish one. He wanted to meet you. Every time Gavi mentioned you or showed the boys a photo of you, he cursed his back luck. Maybe if he hadn’t been injured, it would have been him who talked to you at the match.

You were waiting for your “date” to arrive, checking your phone nervously. Maybe the second date would be better than the first. There was some hope.

But then you saw he wasn’t alone and that confirmed he had a terrible time with you too. You tried to see who it was he was with and then realised it was Pedri. The player you actually had a crush on.

“Hi. Do you mind if Pedri comes with us today?”

“No, not all. Hi!”

You tried not to be too obvious but could tell Gavi was looking at you funny. And when Pedri smiled at you, you just knew you were blushing.

“Nice to finally meet you”.

“Nice to meet you too”.

Soon, it was Gavi that felt like he was third wheeling but he didn’t really mind. It wasn’t as if his friend was trying to steal a girl he had a chance with from him. It was clear you two were not meant for each other, but maybe Pedri could be a bit luckier.

“Sometimes I feel like I just signed for Barça because of the beach. I wouldn’t be able to live in Madrid or somewhere without a beach”.

“Same”, you laughed. “I can’t wait to visit all the beaches here. It’s going to make me feel less homesick”.

“Pedri can show you his favourite one”, said Gavi, making you both look at him. Had you forgotten he was there? Kinda.

“That’d be nice”, you said.

“The one near his house is really pretty. Why don’t you go today? The weather is great”.

Pedri looked at his friend, a bit confused. But when he saw the way he raised his eyebrows, he got it.

You quickly finished your dinner and made your way to Pedri’s house, where he parked his car so you could then walk to the beach.

“Sorry about today”.

“What are you apologizing for?”

“Well, Gavi sent you to babysit me and you probably had other plans. It’s just…I guess he could tell it wasn’t working between us or whatever. You didn’t have to look after me. It’s fine”.

“I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do”.

You looked down, biting your lip. And feeling all the butterflies you expected to feel with Gavi but that never showed up.

The silence that accompanied you while you walked on the beach wasn’t a bad one. It was nice.

“I like to sit there and just look around. It sounds a bit boring, I know”.

“We could do that”, you said quickly, not finding the idea boring at all.

“Come, I’ll let you sit on the comfiest stone”.

That made you laugh.

“It’s a shame you and Gavi didn’t work. He was very excited about seeing you”.

“Yeah. I guess it happens”.

“You could still be friends when you move here, though. He’s a good guy, he’ll be happy to help you with whatever you need”.

“Can I ask for your help too?”

“Of course”.

Sitting there with him was making you feel a bit more bold. Having a crush on someone you didn’t know personally could lead to disappointment when you got to spend some time with that person. But with Pedri…it was the complete opposite.

“You know. I had a crush on a Barça player but it wasn’t Gavi”.

Pedri looked at you after that comment, frowning.

“Torre?”

“What? No, why would you…”.

“Well, he’s the one who recognized you. And he mentioned you asked him for photos a lot. I just guessed”.

“Do you want to guess again?”

“Can I get a little hint? Blonde or brunette? Spaniard or from another country?”

“I’ll give you the best hint. No way you don’t guess right after that”.

He turned to look at you when you didn’t continue talking and you leaned to kiss him. You could tell he was surprised at first, but he responded to the kiss quickly.

“Can you guess now?”

“I might need another one of those hints…”.

You laughed, moving to kiss him again. Yeah, he didn’t disappoint.

"Does this count as stealing my friend's girl?"

"I don't think so".

"Good".

                                  **

Your final day in Barcelona was spent with Pedri and it was perfect. You kept making promises to each other but you weren’t stupid. The summer holidays were coming and you wouldn’t be with him. So you decided to not try and date until you moved to Barcelona in August. Mostly to save yourself the heartbreak if you opened Instagram one day to see him with another girl while on holiday.

Your parents didn’t buy that nothing had happened with Gavi when they saw the way you looked when you got back home. And after some pestering, you told them what really happened.

The holidays were pretty uneventful for you. And by the time they were almost over, you just spent your days packing your things and getting ready for the big move.

[Pedri ❤️]: will you be in Santander next week?

What an odd message. You had been texting non-stop but you didn’t expect that question now.

[You]: yes, why?

[Pedri ❤️]: I’m coming to see you 😉

He what?

[You]: you don’t have to. We’ll see each other in Barcelona soon.

[Pedri ❤️]: I want to see you. Is that ok?

[You]: of course. I just didn’t expect you to come to see me here.

[Pedri ❤️]: I’ve been dying to see you since the day you left.

And you had been dying to see him since that very same day too. So you planned his little trip, still not believing this was happening.

“Hey!”, you waved at him at the airport, feeling overwhelmed by his presence.

“Don’t go all shy on me now, mi amor”, he said, hugging you and not caring about the looks you were getting from people. “Missed me?”

“Maybe a little”.

“Liar”.

More people started to look at you, recognising Pedri. So you took him to your car to drive him to his hotel.

"My parents want to meet you", you blurted out, afraid of scaring him.

"Ok".

"You're ok with it? I mean, we aren't even dating officially but…you know, they just want to take the opportunity of having you here to talk".

"Yes, it makes sense. And you keep saying we are not dating but that's not how I see it".

You looked at him quickly before looking at the road again. "How do you see it?"

"To me, we started dating the day we met. We are just waiting until we live in the same city to see each other often and I guess do more couple stuff".

"So should I introduce you to my parents as my boyfriend?"

"It'll probably be nicer for them to hear that than calling me the guy you hooked up with once because you actually didn't like my friend".

The laugh that came out of you scared you and you gripped the steering wheel tighter while trying not to laugh more.

But on that first day, you didn't see your parents. You spent the whole day with your boyfriend and if that was an indication of how life was going to be in Barcelona, you couldn't move there fast enough.

Pedri charmed your parents too when he met them and you could tell they were a bit less worried about letting their daughter hang out with a football player.

"I'll see you in…10 days", you told Pedri when you took him to the airport. He started preseason the next day.

"10 loooong days. I might not survive".

"You'll be fine", you hugged him tightly, not ready to let go. "I'm the one who will struggle".

"We facetime every day, ok? I need to see your pretty face".

You nodded, kissing him before walking to the security area with him.

"See you soon".

                                  **

Your dad was helping you take the last box from the car to your room when you heard screaming in the hallway. Was this going to be a daily occurrence?

"It's Pedri! And Gavi!"

"Oh no…".

You got out of the room and saw your boyfriend walking towards your room. He had promised to help with the moving but ended up having to stay longer for training. But there he was, and Gavi was there too, making every girl in the building go insane.

"What are you doing here?"

Your dad told them to get inside the room and closed the door, so people wouldn't see you.

"No kiss?", he asked and then looked at your dad. "Sorry?"

But your dad just shook his head and Pedri gave you a quick kiss and hugged you.

"Did you bring Gavi here to see if I had changed my mind about who I liked?"

"So funny".

"I was brought here for my muscles", said Gavi, flexing said muscles.

"You are here because I have to drive you around and I didn't want to waste more time going all the way to your house".

"I can help anyway".

When everything was in place, you decided to leave. Your dad wanted to take you to dinner before leaving. And now both Pedri and Gavi were invited to that dinner.

On the way out, you tried to keep your distance from your boyfriend, not wanting to create rumours on your first day there. But the problem was that it was Gavi who walked by your side and that didn't create a rumour. It only made the one that already existed bigger.

Some of the girls took photos of you two walking together and laughing and posted them on Instagram.

"Ok then. You can't visit me if this is what's going to happen".

"You ok?"

You nodded, not feeling sure about being ok. You were dating one person while everyone seemed to think you were dating his best friend. It was…weird.

And it wasn't the last time something like that happened. You started to go to every Barça match at home, wearing your Barça shirt but not showing the back. So, of course, everyone assumed you were wearing Gavi's.

It got to the point where you didn't want to post about the matches. Your account was private but someone was clearly posting your photos with other accounts and you didn't know who it could be. So no posting was the solution. Every time you posted with Pedri, it was stories for your close friends. And those were never leaked, thankfully.

                                  **

"What happened?", you asked one of the girls that lived with you when you got there and saw all the people on your floor.

"A pipe burst and we have no water. And the water messed something up and half of us have no electricity".

"Huh…we can't stay here, then".

"Where are we supposed to go?", she asked. "Not all of us can go to our rich boyfriend's mansion like you will".

"Whatever", you rolled your eyes and went to your room to pick up some clothes and your books.

"Say hi to Gavi from me!"

You were still shaking your head when you closed your door.

"Hi! You're on speaker. I'm driving to the stadium".

"Sorry. I've got no water or electricity at my place. Can I stay with you until it's back?"

"Of course", said Pedri, not doubting his answer for a second, which made you smile. "And for the record, it wasn't me who did whatever it's that happened just so you stay with me".

"Don't believe him".

"Hi, Pablito! And don't worry, I don't believe him. I'll see you after the match, ok?"

"Looking forward to it".

"Good luck boys!"

                                    **

After the match, you waited for the boys near Pedri's car. They didn't take long to get there and you hugged both of them to congratulate them for the win. But your boyfriend got a longer hug.

"Sit behind him", said Pedri when you walked to sit behind the driver's seat, his seat.

"Why?"

"So I can see you while I drive".

"Oh my God", Gavi was rolling his eyes and Pedri glared at him.

But you did as he said and he started to drive. You could also see him better like this so you weren't going to complain.

When you were getting out of the stadium, you saw all the fans waiting. You put your hood on and tried to hide from all of them but they were surrounding the car.

Looking up from your phone for two seconds, you saw all the people trying to get a good look at you.

"It's her", you heard them say, "the girl Gavi is dating".

"See? I told you they were together".

You saw Pedri's jaw clenching and Gavi told him to drive so they wouldn't make you uncomfortable. He turned to see if you were ok and dozens of phones were out to film the interaction.

"Oh my God, he's so sweet looking after her", was the last thing you heard before Pedri drove past all the fans.

"Sorry about that", said Gavi.

"It's ok".

But you knew it wasn't ok. Because your boyfriend didn't say a word the whole drive to Gavi's and barely acknowledged him when he said goodbye.

You quickly moved to the passenger's seat and tried to get his attention but he wasn't in the mood.

"Are you ok?", you asked him when you got home.

"No, I'm really tired. Tired of everyone thinking my girlfriend is dating my friend".

"Who cares what they think? It's just because of that video. But you know the truth. We know the truth".

"What truth?", he said, raiding his voice. You had never heard him speak like that.

"What do you mean?"

"The truth about how you two spent weeks flirting and then you came here to be with him?"

"Are you for real?", you couldn't believe him. "You know how that ended. Why are you bringing that up now? I'm here with you, am l not?"

"Maybe you should just go with him. Everyone seems to think that".

"I don't think that".

But no matter what you said, he wouldn't look at you. It was breaking your heart. So you left…and there was only one place you could go to.

[hikari-writes]

╰┈➤ ❝ [ᶠᵉᵉˡᵉʳˢ] ❞

Summary ❥ Kuroo had been dating the team's manager, aka you, for quite some time now...or so what Kenma, Yaku, and the whole volleyball club members, thought. With the truth of your relationship status out, will Yaku finally be able to act on his feelings? Or will Kuroo finally decide to break it to you that what he's been telling you were no jokes?

Pairing ❥ Yaku Morisuke x F!Reader x Kuroo Tetsurou

Genre ❥ SMAU, Fluff, Nekoma Manager! reader, tinsy bit of angst, best friends to lovers, love triangle, divided routes

Warning ❥ Swearing, keyboard smashing, questioning your feelings, more specified content warning will be given at the start of certain chapters, maybe a bit ooc at some parts-, flirting platonically between friends

Status ❥ Completed

Updates ❥ Completed

Yayyayayyay first actual smau (not counting the yams mini series smau) for hq!! And its a love triangle <33 (too ambitious? Too ambitious.) I love yaku sm but i thought itd be fun to add kuroo for a love triangle too so i did 🥺 maybe ill make another one in the future that features just him 😔😔 anyways i had some fun with this 👉👈 also its the first time im making a smau where the og group friends actually includes the suitor so wojskjeje 😳😳 i was very much inspired by @/come-on-shitty-boys smau bro-ke up so highly recommend u go check that one out!!! anyways nekoma!!! <333 hope u have a fun time reading this and rmmbr to stay hydrated love u <3333 (constructive criticism and feedbacks are greatly appreciated!!!)

Part 1 ❥ dumb but not stupid

Part 2 ❥ cryptid shits

Part 3 ❥ That was weird

Part 4 ❥ feelings was caught!

Part 5 ❥ too bitter

Part 6 ❥ worst breakup

Part 7 ❥ Enjoy your day God bless you

Part 8 ❥ Repaired Friendship and Newfound Emotions [Written Part feat. Yaku]

Part 9 ❥ No Balls?

Part 10 ❥ i hate it here

Part 11 ❥ denying lev rights

Part 12 ❥ Answered Questions and Study Session [Written Part feat. Kuroo]

Part 13 ❥ Nervous and Sincerity

Part 14 ❥ Like homo erectus beautiful

Part 15 ❥ concerning tl

[Yaku Morisuke]'s Route;

Yaku One || Part 16 ❥ my hand slipped

Yaku Two || Part 17 ❥ best dad award

Yaku Three || Part 18 ❥ not mad just disappointed

Yaku Four || Part 19 ❥ mr boyfriend & mrs girlfriend

Yaku Five || Part 20 ❥ No Balls to No Bitches

[Kuroo Tetsurou]'s Route;

Kuroo One || Part 16 ❥ Baby its cold outside

Kuroo Two || Part 17 ❥ y/n apologist

Kuroo Three || Part 18 ❥ its me, im bitches.

Kuroo Four || Part 19 ❥ wedding bells

Kuroo Five || Part 20 ❥ comfort friends

Secret Route;

Secret One || Part 16 ❥ our expertise

Secret Two || Part 17 ❥ the kissy thing

Secret Three || Part 18 ❥ it got worse

Secret Four || Part 19 ❥ feelers: lovergirl and loverboy

[hey-hamlet]

Since you mentioned that we can at least ask about MHA legend of zelda crossovers, how about this idea? The Triforce is passed down once a generation. And Pchako, Bakugo and Izuku are all candidates to receive a piece. And thanks to the last holder of Power having been AFO, Power has a bad rep. Duo to his attitude, Bakugo has been called that he'll get Power for sure. He's even bought into that idea. Then when the day comes, Bakugo Courage, Ochako Wisdom and Izuku gets Power.

OOOOOO ok ok ok I adore any content that addresses just how feral and unhinged Izuku is so Yes. I'm actually going to switch Ochako and Bakugo, I think. Bakugo's not actually as brave as her, in my opinion - he's just not scared. He's also wise in both battle sense and academically, so I think it'd suit him. He'd also be kind of mad about it, which is funny.

Ochako's parents were rich merchants with noble blood before she was born but they fell out of favor with the wealthy and have been just scraping by. When she was born with a softly glowing golden birthmark behind her ear her parents should have been excited. It was their path back into nobility - a child marked with the triforce was a blessing! One that solidified their place in nobility. But, a child of the triforce is Hyrule's child, not theirs. Not their baby girl, their only child - but a god's newest form. They keep quiet until she's 12, as long as they can wait, only a week after the second boy is found. They play up their ignorance, pretend they didn't know what the mark meant. All they can hope is that shes not marked for power

The Bakugo's were powerful nobles, ecstatic to see their son born with the golden mark on the palm of his hand. Due to their social clout their son wasn't taken from them, but he was given a prince's education. Due to his future power, he was paired with the young son of a kitchen maid, only a few days his junior, to act as a playmate and attendant. He grew up proud and brash and angry - his confidence and skill with a blade meant people assumed he must be Power, and his loud anger at the whispers meant he must be cruel. He was never nice to his playmate - the stupid boy wanted to fight along side him (but without the triforce, without the power of a god the rising tide of monsters would kill him - kill the only person really loyal to him and not the idea of what he could be) so Katsuki had to show him who the powerful one really was.

Izuku was born the night his father died, the night the great evil All for One was slain, the night his mother ran from their richly appointed manor to a stable at the foot of Hyrule castle. The golden triangle over his heart was a death knoll that all but ripped Inko's heart out of her chest the second she saw it. Just like his father's - the triforce ran in the royal family, only those with noble blood, those who had the blood of god in them, could be blessed like that. Bless, she thought spitefully, like the demon king? Or like Hisashi, a man she had loved, a man she'd seen grow greedier and greedier with his attentions, with his need for power, until he couldn't hide that Hisashi was a polite fiction told by the kingdom's doom. Izuku was raised alongside another boy with the triforce, Katsuki. Inko hoped that the brash boy's goodness would rub off on her son, so she turned a blind eye to the bruises and scrapes he left.

The day Ochako, the oldest by a few days, turned 16, their aspect of the triforce claimed them. Ochako, her broad shoulders and bright smile showing her courage. Bakugo, for all he was a brash bully, he couldn't hide his wisdom. And little Izuku, smallest, youngest and thinnest of the lot, with his big doe eyes and watery smile, for his power.

[minisugakoobies]

Paradise | JJK - Ten

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: smut, neighbors to lovers (not quite friends but not quite strangers), slow burn, love triangle, Stripper!AU

Rating: M (18+)

Warnings: swearing, drinking, kissing, Jin in another suit, a little ass grabbing, accidental voyeurism, masturbation (m + f), use of sex toys, nipple pinching, dirty talk, Jungkook's filthy mouth goes from 0 to 100 real quick, god bless technology

Word Count: 8.3k

Disclaimers: NSFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary: That sexy man on stage - the one currently giving your friend the lap dance of her LIFE - is your super shy neighbor, Jeon Jungkook?!

A/N: Thank you to @minttangerines and @miscelunaaa for helping me with this one when I got a little stuck! And @bangtanintotheroom for providing some much-needed musical inspiration. I might need to start a Paradise playlist, huh? 🤔

Unbeta’d as usual. Please let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Taglist is open. 💕

Previous Chapter ♦️ Paradise Masterlist ♦️ Next Chapter

You need a new job. 

The thought has been plaguing you for weeks. It hits you again for the 875th time on Monday afternoon, working on yet another project dumped into your lap mere days from deadline thanks to an incompetent coworker. These last minute assignments just keep popping up like whack-a-moles lately, and you’re getting really tired of always being the only one who can smack them into submission. Stretching, you close your laptop and decide to take a walk downtown to grab some lunch and try to clear your head a little. 

Lost in a reverie picturing taking an actual whack-a-mole mallet to your waiting work assignments, you don’t realize that someone sat down next to you at the counter until a tattooed hand gently taps the top of your menu. 

“If you’re looking for a recommendation, jjajangmyeon’s always a solid choice. Can’t go wrong with a classic.” 

The corners of your lips automatically tug upwards at the sound of his voice. Lowering your menu, you smile. “Hey, Jungkook.” 

“Hey.” He’s wearing a white tee and grey sweats, a black beanie shoved on his head, the tips of his long dark hair sticking out as he grins back at you. If you didn’t already know his alarm clock so well, the yawn he fails to stifle and the slight puffiness to his eyes would’ve let you know he just rolled out of his bed.

Was it really just yesterday you’d woken up in that same bed?

A server approaches and orders are taken. You do go for the jjajangmyeon. So does Jungkook, along with several other meals. After the server drifts away, you drum your fingers on the counter, still slightly vexed about work, though your anger ebbs away the longer you glance at Jungkook. 

“I’m going to meet up with Taehyung and Jimin,” he announces suddenly. “I’m not eating all that food myself.” 

“I wasn’t judging.” You grin. Far be it from you to shame anyone with a big appetite. 

“So… how was your breakfast yesterday? The one you practically ran out of my apartment to get to?” he teases. You twist on your stool to face him, and he does the same, his thighs bracketing yours. 

You purse your lips in a mock pout. “I didn’t run!” You had, in fact, basically had to drag yourself out of his place in order to meet your friends on time. But he doesn’t need to know that. “But it was good.” He doesn’t need to know that he was pretty much the sole topic of discussion, either. “My friends really liked the photo we took. Of the antlers?”

He nods coolly at this information, but his cheeks flush. “I thought they might.” One of his hands rests lightly on your knee, thumb skimming over your jeans. Whatever annoyance was left boiling in your blood dissipates at his touch. “I’m glad I didn’t hold you up. As much as I wanted to.” 

Your neck heats at the look in his eye, but before you can come up with a reply, the server reappears with your drinks, breaking the moment. You let your own hand fall on his knee, fingertips tapping out a random rhythm as you change the subject. “So… what did you do yesterday afternoon? I got back from brunch and you were gone.”

Jungkook cocks his head. “Oh yeah? You come looking for me?”

“No.” Yes. “I just didn’t hear any music all day, figured you were out.” It’s true that you realized he was out, once you knocked on his door to no reply. You hadn’t planned on going back over to his place, but when you saw his latest note, you might have wandered down the hallway just to let him know that yes, you’d had a wonderful time on your date. 

Just to reassure him. No other reason. 

“Mmm.” The hand on your knee moves just a fraction of an inch higher. The warmth of his palm bleeds through your clothes, drawing goosebumps as he rubs slightly. “Went to the gym. Grabbed some food. Came home and painted for a while.”

“Speaking of art…” What a smooth segue, you think wryly, “thank you for that sketch yesterday.” That heat is back, crawling up your face as you recall the portrait on his note. “I really don’t know how you make me look so good.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not me. What you see is you.” You drop your head shyly, but can’t help but roll your eyes at his proclamation, and he laughs. “Actually, I -” He breaks off.

“You what?” 

He pauses for a second, wide eyes sweeping over your face, before he laughs again and clicks his tongue. “Nah. Nevermind.” 

Once again, before you can pursue that topic of conversation any further, the server returns, bearing your food on a tray and Jungkook’s in several bags. Jungkook rises to his feet as you stir your noodles. 

“I better get going. Taehyung gets cranky when he’s hungry.” His eyes crinkle as he smiles down at you. “Enjoy your lunch.” 

“Thanks. You too, Kookie.” 

If he’s going to blush every time you use that nickname, you’re never going to stop calling him that. 

He starts to back away towards the door. “Don’t forget to text me.” 

You won’t. Though you are going to give it a day or so, so you don’t seem too eager.

Even though you are.

“I won’t,” you promise as he nods and slips out into the midday sun. And then it’s just you, and your noodles, and the slight fluttering of your heart.

TUESDAY:

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:34): Hey you

(2:35): Hey yourself 

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:36): How’s your week going?

(2:36): I’ve had better but I’ve also had worse, so… 🤷

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:37): Decidedly average, then? Perfect.

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:37): Let me try to swing that pendulum towards great.

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:38): Are you free Thursday night?

(2:39): No, I have a very busy night planned

(2:39): Face mask, maybe paint my nails, catch up on some shows

(2:40): I have no life, Jin. Of course I’m free. Would love to hang out

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:40): Not exactly playing hard to get, huh?

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:40): I like that.

(2:41): I aim to please

(2:41): What did you have in mind?

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:43): Well, I’ve been invited to a reception for Flavor - you know, the magazine?

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:44): It’s one of those “30 under 30” types of parties where it’s half celebration, half networking event.

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:44): It will likely be a stuffy room full of old men in ill-fitting suits trying to snap up new and burgeoning talent in an attempt to infuse some youthfulness back into their restaurants and other culinary ventures.

(2:45): Wow

(2:45): How could I say no to that?

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:46): But there will be an open bar. And me, also in a suit. That fits. 

(2:47): Okay, now I’m sold

(2:47): Is this like a fancy reception? Formalwear required?

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:48): Wear whatever you’re comfortable in. 

(2:48): Hoodie and pajama shorts. Got it.

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:49): As much as I would LOVE to see that…

(2:49): Fine. I’ll try to class it up a little. 

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:50): I didn’t say it had to be classy. 

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:50): Just perhaps not pajama shorts.

(2:51): Noted ✍

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:53): I’ll pick you up around 7? 

(2:54): I’ll be here

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:54): Then it’s a date.

Seokjin 👨‍🍳 (2:55): Now, tell me more about these shorts. Exactly how short are we talking? 👀

By Wednesday, you’re about ready to throw your laptop out the window, if only doing so would stop the projects from piling up. It wouldn’t be so bad if your bosses bothered to give you a little kudos or even just a thank you for the extra work you’ve been putting in to get these reports done on time. Everything would still be terrible, but a little acknowledgement would go a long way to keeping you sane.

After a quick dinner, you decide to tackle a different problem weighing on your mind. What should you wear on your date tomorrow night? You’ve never attended something like this before. Should you pick out something dressy? Something professional? A bit of both?

Staring at your closet yields no answers. So you grab your phone. 

(6:35): Question

(6:35): What does one wear to a reception slash networking event?

Bestie 😇 (6:36): You’re going to a networking event?

(6:36): Not for me

(6:37): Going with Jin 

(6:37): He’s being recognized by Flavor magazine. I’m just arm candy

Bestie 😇 (6:38): Yeah you are

Bestie 😇 (6:38): Ummm what sort of vibe are you going for?

(6:39): Would “delicious” be too on the nose? Or “eat me”?

Bestie 😇 (6:40): I mean, Jin does love a pun. But if it’s a networking event, he might not appreciate being distracted if you walk in looking like a whole meal?

(6:41): I don’t know. From what he was saying, you might be surprised

Bestie 😇 (6:41): Oh god don’t tell me

Bestie 😇 (6:42): I’m covering my eyes right now

(6:42): Dork

(6:42): Help me pick out an outfit!

Bestie 😇 (6:44): Something simple, like that black dress of yours? 

(6:44): I already wore that on our first date. 

Bestie 😇 (6:45): Okayyyy

Bestie 😇 (6:45): That blue dress you wore to our engagement party?

(6:46): The one I spilled red wine on? Ended up in the trash

(6:46): Ughhhh 

(6:46): Clothing is hard, dating is hard, I give up

Bestie 😇 (6:47): Oh my god, you’re falling apart over this? 

Bestie 😇 (6:47): Do I need to come over and help you get it together?

(6:48): 🥺🥺🥺

Bestie 😇 (6:49): I’m on my way 💃

An hour later, there’s a knock on your door before Jennie lets herself in. She finds you lying on your bed, scrolling through for images of “classy cocktail reception outfits” in frustration. 

“All right, the cavalry's arrived, let’s see what we’re working with.” She starts rummaging through your closet. The two of you go back and forth for a few minutes, pulling items out and pairing them together, offering them up for the other’s opinion, only to be met with a shaking head.

“You have an alarming number of hoodies,” she declares as she flips through your clothes. “Why do you need so many?” 

“I don’t know. They’re just comfortable.” You tug self-consciously on the drawstrings of the hoodie you’re currently wearing. Jungkook’s hoodie. You’ve been wearing it for two days now. You fully intended on washing it yesterday with your laundry, so you could return it to him, but then you got chilly. And it’s so comfy. And smells like him.

You’ll give it back eventually. 

“Okay, come on, there has to be something here,” Jennie mutters, reaching back as far as she can. She reemerges from the corner of your closet with a garment in hand. “What’s this?” 

“Oh damn, I forgot I owned this.” It’s a white jumpsuit, with a simple sweetheart bodice and a gold belt cinching over the natural waist. Jisoo had convinced you to buy it a while ago, on a shopping trip fueled by a brunch involving way too much soju for so early in the day. There’s a reason it’s been hanging in the very back of your closet - it’s most emphatically not your style. 

But then again, you’re not the type of person who usually attends events like this, so… maybe you should dress like someone other than yourself? Play pretend.

“Let me see how it looks on you!” Jennie chucks the jumpsuit at you and you change. She tips her head to the side as she makes you spin a few times. “I think this is it!”

“I think you might be right.” Studying your reflection in your floor-length mirror, you have to agree with her. The woman staring back at you looks polished. Perfectly put together. Like she belongs at a fancy cocktail hour. Plus, the high waist makes your legs look way longer than they actually are.

Your mirror self looks like she knows exactly what she’s doing. Suddenly, you wish it wasn’t pretend.

“Perfect! Then my work here is done.” Jennie pauses when she sees the look on your face. “Or maybe not?” She drops onto your bed. “What’s up, babe?” 

“Nothing. I just…” You take off the jumpsuit, putting it back on its hanger and draping it over your mirror. “Work’s just been really frustrating lately. I mean, more so than usual. The last few weeks have been super stressful and I’m just about ready to pop.”

“Mmm. Sit and tell me all about it.” She makes herself comfy on your pillows and pats the space next to her. Lying down, you place your head in her lap, and proceed to vent everything that’s been building up over. The constant eleventh hour assignments. The lack of any recognition from your superiors for your efforts. The way your career seems to have stalled, or stopped completely. 

“Are you thinking it’s time for a change?” Jennie asks when you’ve taken a breather. “You’ve always made it sound like you enjoy what you do, but do you think you want to try something else?”

You shrug. “I don’t think so. I do like my job, but I’m not sure if I want to keep working where I am.”

“Then it sounds like it’s time to look for an employer who will recognize all the hard work you put in. And actually reward you for it.” 

“Yeah. I guess. I just…”

“Hate change? Love your routines? Want to burrow into a little hole at the thought of having to start over, and never come back out?”

You blink up at her. “Okay, it’s fucking creepy how well you read my mind sometimes.” 

Jennie grins, booping your nose. “That’s what best friends do.” You scowl, and she laughs, pulling you into a hug. “Look, job hunting sucks, but so does working for a company where you feel trapped! If you’ve reached a dead end there, then it’s time to move on.”

“Ughhhh, I guess.” You lean your head on your shoulder. “Must you be so wise all the time?” 

“Truly, it’s my burden to bear. Come on, cheer up, babe! You’ll figure this out! And you know I’ll help you as much as I can.”

“Eh, you’ve got enough to worry about right now.” 

“Oh god, don’t remind me.” Jennie and Yoongi’s wedding is less than two weeks away. It feels like they’ve been planning it forever. Well, Jennie basically has been, pretty much since she informed you in college, mere days after meeting Yoongi, that he was The One. 

Her obsession with romantic movies means that Jennie’s wedding plans borrow heavily from western-style ceremonies - like having bridesmaids, for example. As an only child, Jennie is rather spoiled by her doting parents, so they’re more than happy to do something a little less than traditional if it’s what she wants. And of course Yoongi goes along with anything Jennie dreams up. She’s got him wrapped around her stylishly manicured finger, which he’d be the first to admit.

But since you’ve been unusually busy with your own stuff lately, you haven’t really been paying attention to her wedding plans as closely as you were. You feel a pang of guilt, echoing the pain you felt the other day when you realized that you and Jisoo hadn’t hung out much lately. The last thing you want to be is that friend who is so wrapped up in herself that she doesn’t know what’s going on with everyone else. 

“Well, maid of honor, reporting for duty.” With a mock salute, you grin. “What do you need from me right now?” 

“Ask me again on Saturday. At the moment, we’re kind of in the calm before the storm? But it’ll be a different story this weekend.” She nudges you. “What you can do right now is distract me by telling me about this date with Jin!” 

“I’ll be sure to text you as soon as I get home and give you all the sordid details.” 

“Oh god, please feel free to save some of the details for yourself.” Jennie shudders. “I don’t want to be standing at the altar next week and glance at Jin and forget my vows because I’m suddenly thinking about his filthy mouth. Or other parts.”

“Suit yourself,” you grin. “But I guess this means I need to rewrite my maid of honor toast.” 

“Is it too late to ask Jisoo to be my maid of honor?”

“You really think her toast would be any less dirty?!”

The two of you dissolve into giggles, and you fall back onto your pillows, feeling lighter than you have all week. Jennie’s right - you’ll figure out what to do about work. At least you know that if you need help, you won’t have to do it alone.

Upon stepping into the reception on Thursday night, it dawns on you that Jin might have undersold it just a little. First of all, he neglected to mention that it’s being held at Blue Side, one of the swankiest restaurants downtown. A place that’s way too rich for your blood, which is why you’ve never been there before. Secondly, it’s true that there are plenty of old men amongst the attendees, but the average age is definitely closer to your own, and the energy in the banquet room is absolutely buzzing - a far cry from the “stuffy” atmosphere he predicted.

Nervously, you smooth the bodice of your jumpsuit with one hand, clutching Jin’s arm with the other as he makes a beeline for the bar. It seems silly for you to feel anxious here, since you know that none of the people in this room are remotely interested in you. And yet, you are anyway. Jennie’s advice about looking for a new job has you wondering if maybe tonight could be practice for some networking of your own. The only drawback is, you’ve never been much for talking to strangers, so you’re glad Jin’s first stop is to grab some of that free booze he promised you.

Jin flags down the bartender and orders you both a drink. He leans against the bar as he smiles at you. “Did I mention how gorgeous you look tonight?”

“You did, but please do keep saying it.” 

His amused honking spurs laughter of your own. “Fair enough. What about me?” He angles his face away from you, striking an exaggerated pose. You laugh again, but can’t deny how ridiculously handsome he looks tonight. When he’d shown up at your door, dressed in a raven black suit with matching silk shirt underneath, hair artfully tousled, wire-rimmed glasses on again, you first thought was, holy hell, he’s gorgeous.

Your second thought was to hope he tips his tailor well. And your third thought was highly Not Suitable For Work, or anywhere else for that matter. 

After pretending to study him carefully, you give him an, “Ehhh,” and flap your hand back and forth. His eyes widen as you giggle. “Oh, relax, you know you look fantastic.” 

“Hmmph. Never hurts to hear it.” He pouts, but you see the glimmer in his deep brown eyes, and can’t suppress another grin. 

“Also fair.” Stepping closer, you press a kiss to his cheek without a second thought. The tips of his ears darken a little. “I just didn’t want you to get a big head about it. Need to keep you grounded, before everyone else here starts kissing up to you.” 

He wraps an arm around your waist as the bartender slides your drinks to you. “Ah, I see. Are you worried you’ll have to fight for my affections tonight? Don’t be.” He pauses to take a sip of his wine. “The only one I want kissing me tonight is you.” 

“Just kissing?” 

He winks, and your teeth bite into your lower lip as he licks his. “I guess we’ll see how the night goes.” You stir your cocktail as he dips his head, brushing his mouth by your ear. “Especially if you’re a good girl.” 

His breath tickles your ear, words sending a shiver down your spine. Memories of your last date play in your mind. You’d very much enjoy the chance to show him just how good you can be.

Drinks in hand, Jin leads you over to where some very appetizing-looking food has been laid out, and you quickly assemble yourself a plate of snacks. By the time you’ve started on a second plate, you’ve already been introduced to a dozen other guests, all of whom politely repeat your name and then immediately ignore you, dominating the conversation completely. 

Jin, for what it’s worth, keeps trying to pull you back in, but the others aren’t interested and always end up steering things back to business. And as the night wears on, you stop trying to engage Jin in any conversations of your own, since you’re constantly interrupted by others. You can’t really blame them - who wouldn’t want to talk to this handsome, funny, incredibly talented man by your side? At least he’s sticking close to you, always with a hand on your back or an arm looped around your waist. Every little touch makes your skin buzz.

By your third plate, you’ve nearly given up on the idea of practicing your social skills, when you spot a familiar face standing at the bar. As several executives from cooking network Nosh corner Jin, you excuse yourself and make your way over to her.

“Wendy?”

The woman turns around, a radiant smile lighting up her face. She exclaims your name. “I thought that was you! How are you?” 

It’s been several years, but your former coworker is still as bubbly and kind as you remember. Wendy had been one of the first friends you’d made when you’d started, but she left the company not long after that. She’s just as gorgeous as ever tonight, lithe frame draped in a chic black dress, accented perfectly with gold earrings and a matching bracelet. If you in your outfit look like you belong at this reception, she looks like she’s running it. 

The bartender brings you another cocktail as you two catch up. Before long, you find yourself bending Wendy’s ear about your frustrations with work.

“Believe me, I understand!” she consoles you, patting your arm. “Why do you think I left? Chan and Associates is a great training ground, but once you reach a certain level, there’s really nowhere left to go! And you can only do other people’s work for so long before you’re ready to run out the door.” 

You nod. “Yes! Exactly!” Taking a swig of your drink, you gaze over at where Jin is still deep in discussion with the network execs. “So you said you’re working in entertainment these days? That must be such a wildly different environment to work in.”

“Yes! My firm has several clients that include television networks and a couple streaming platforms. It’s great. I’m here with some execs from one of the streamers tonight, technically on the clock in case anyone wants to discuss possible investment strategies, but between you and me? I just could not resist the lure of free drinks.” 

“I get it.” You clink your glasses together. 

“But listen, there are so many unexpected perks with this job! Like travel. Especially right now, this platform’s taking a big swing towards shows that explore local cuisines, and I’ve gotten to go on several trips already. A few were even international.” She rattles off a list of countries you’ve never been to, and your envy grows. The only travel you’ve ever done for your job was to attend several dull conferences, all within the confines of your city.

“Wow, that sounds amazing.” 

“Oh yeah!” Wendy nods. “It’s been incredible. And also, the actual benefits themselves are fabulous, too.” As she continues to extol, rattling off a list of impressive benefits your company does not offer, your jealousy grows, until you can’t help but ask a very important question.

“So, um, would you know if your firm is hiring right now, or…”

Wendy digs through her clutch and pulls out a business card. “I don’t think we are at the moment, but send me your resume anyway! I’ll keep you in mind if I hear anything, and I can also pass along some names of some people who helped me get this job - a few industry headhunters whom you should definitely get to know!” 

“Wendy, you’re the best. Thank you so much!” You turn her card over in your hands, fingers running over the embossed letters. Fancy. “I will absolutely email you first thing tomorrow.”

Wendy glances at her watch. “I think I might bounce. The longer these things go on, and the drunker people get, the less I’m usually needed. Listen - keep your head up at Chan, okay? Hopefully you won’t have to mark time for much longer!”

“From your lips to the universe’s ears, Wendy.” With a hug, she leaves. 

You stare at her card again, lost in thought. Running into Wendy definitely feels like a rather serendipitous moment. It seems like the universe might have just dropped an opportunity directly into your lap. Could it really be this easy to escape your current situation? 

Jin materializes beside you, placing his empty glass on the counter. “Did I just see you take someone’s card?” 

“Yes! Former coworker. Possible new job lead.” You slip the card into your clutch before you accidentally leave it on the bar. It could be your ticket out. Better not lose it. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize you were looking for another job.”

“Yeah, that’s probably because I am just kinda realizing now that I want one.” Tapping the clutch, you grin. “And this might be the start.”

“Well, congratulations. I’m glad that something good came out of this evening for you. ” He gives you a soft smile, and the butterflies in your stomach take flight. “Thank you for coming with me. I know this has probably been pretty boring for you, and to be honest, there were a few conversations earlier that nearly put me to sleep, too, but… having you here made my night so much better.”

With a shy smile, you nod. The sincerity in his gaze has those butterflies all riled up again. And his tone reminds you of what he said at dinner the other night, about wanting to share his life with someone. 

You take a slow sip of your drink, giving the butterflies time to calm down. “I’m really glad I came, too. But what about you? Has anything good come out of all that elbow rubbing tonight? Those execs from Nosh sure seemed to have a lot to say.” 

Jin beams. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but…” He jerks his chin, indicating for you to lean closer. “Nosh might be interested in producing my show! They said something about adding it to the network lineup in the fall. That is, if my agent and I can put together a strong pitch for their upfronts in the next few weeks.”

You smack him lightly on his solid chest. “Jin! That’s fantastic!” 

He laughs, grabbing your hand. “I know! I don’t want to get my hopes up too much, since it was just one conversation, but a network budget would really improve everything - I could do so much more!” He slings an arm around your waist, tucking you into his side. “I think maybe we should celebrate, no?” 

“Hmmm.” You pretend to consider. “What do you have in mind?”

He glances around covertly before pulling you flush against him, dipping his head to brush your lips with his. “Maybe we go back to my place? I have some champagne in the fridge. We could have some dessert.” One of his hands ghosts down your ass, giving a light squeeze that makes you squeak into his mouth. “If you’re still hungry.” 

Oh yes, you’re suddenly very hungry. “We should absolutely do that.” 

“So you’re ready to get out of here?”

You definitely are, especially with the way his long fingers are stroking over your hips. However, you are also full of several cocktails and about ready to burst. “Yes! I just need to run to the ladies room first. Be right back.” 

At the sink in the restroom, you take a moment to collect yourself. Although your head is spinning a little from Jin’s touch, your reflection still looks so put together. Maybe, after your run-in with Wendy tonight, it won’t be long before you feel just as confident as your mirror self looks.

As you cross through the club, trying to figure out the least awkward way to ask Jin if you’ve been a good girl tonight, you discover that he’s no longer alone at the bar. The Nosh execs are back.

“Hey,” Jin greets you warmly when you reach his side, “you remember Hongjoong-ssi and San-ssi from earlier, right?”

You nod politely. “Of course.” 

“They just invited us to join them for a nightcap,” Jin informs you.

“We’d like to discuss our idea in further detail,” the exec named San adds. “We’d love to treat you as well, if you’d care to join us?”

You smile as brightly as you can, but your heart sinks. As excited as you are for Jin and this potential deal, you very much want to leave this reception and all this talk of careers behind. But it would be selfish of you to insist that he take you home. You can’t do that to him, knowing how much this could affect his career. 

You also have zero interest in sitting at another bar in silence while a conversation carries on around you. It’s already getting late, especially for a homebody like you, and you’re tired, the alcohol in your veins slowly completing its alchemy, transforming into drowsiness. If you’re not going to do anything, uh, stimulating with Jin right now, you’re at danger of falling asleep.

So with a gentle smile, you shake your head. “Actually, I think I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow morning is going to come way sooner than I’d like.” You nod at both of the execs again. “But thank you for the offer.” Turning to Jin, you tug him away from the other men slightly. “Raincheck on the celebration?”

“Of course,” he replies. “We’ll celebrate some other night. You know my door’s always open.” He pauses. “Do you want me to wait with you for a ride? 

“No, you go ahead! I’ll be fine.” Jin pulls you in for a kiss, but it’s too quick, lips barely meeting yours, and your heart sinks a little further as he and the others depart. 

The butterflies go still again while you wait for your ride to arrive. 

On the ride back to your apartment, whatever elation you felt after seeing Wendy quickly dissolves. Staring out the window as the city lights zoom by, you start to feel your frustration rising again. But it’s nothing to do with work anymore.

No, the more you think about it, the more you’re bummed that Jin didn’t come home with you. Tonight didn’t feel like much of a date. By the end of the night, all you wanted was some alone time with Jin. A chance to actually talk to him. Among other things. His teasing comments and lingering touches all evening worked all too well on you. You wanted that dessert he mentioned, even if you didn’t know exactly what he had in mind. You were pretty sure it would involve at least one orgasm. 

Your phone rests on the seat beside you. Picking it up, you open your messages, and scroll until you see the last text from Jungkook. 

All week long, you’ve done this. Open your phone, pull up your messages, find his name. And then close the app without typing a word. Each time afraid that you’re being too impatient, too eager. The opposite of light and casual. But it’s been several days now, so why not text him?

Yet as your thumbs tap the screen, you pause. Would it be weird to see if Jungkook’s around when you get back? The two of you could hang out… but would you just hang out? Can you control yourself around him, especially when you’re feeling a little pent up and dissatisfied? 

Sure you can. 

Maybe. 

Okay, probably not. So maybe it’s not a good idea. Because how would Jungkook feel knowing you’re trying to hook up with him after Jin got you worked up? 

Your night at Dionysus was as close to blurring the lines between the two of them as you’d like to get. 

With a sigh, you tuck your phone into your clutch. Out of sight, out of mind. 

Ha. Right. 

Turns out it doesn’t matter what you decided, because when you get back to your place, Jungkook’s apartment is quiet. His schedule seems to vary during the week, with only the sound of music thumping through the wall ever letting you know if he’s around or not. 

Changing into a soft oversized t-shirt, you go through your nightly routine, getting ready for bed. By all rights, you should be exhausted. It’s nearly midnight. On a typical Thursday, you’d be asleep by now. And all that socializing combined with the alcohol should have run you right down. But once you actually crawl into your sheets, sleep is nowhere to be found. Turns out you’re still wound up. Still frustrated. 

Time for a release. 

Reaching into your nightstand, you pull out your favorite toy. It’s been a while since you’ve needed Lil Jackson Wang’s help, thanks to your suddenly jam-packed dating life, but the longer you lie here, unable to sleep, still electrified from Jin’s words, his touch, the more your desperation builds. With a click, Lil Jackson whirs to life. 

Gently, you run the vibrator along your slit, letting the soft hum clear your mind. It doesn’t take long for your arousal to build, and you slip the thick curve of the toy between your wet folds, pretending it’s Jin’s long fingers finding their way inside of you. 

Or Jungkook’s. Or maybe both?

Oh fuck, Lil Jackson slides so easily inside you as you suddenly imagine both Jin and Jungkook are here with you. Lying on either side, mouths sucking at your breasts, their hands diving between your legs. Good thing Jungkook’s at work, so you don’t have to stifle yourself worrying about the thin walls, because you don’t want to. You let yourself moan loudly, feeling all that anxiety and irritation that was welling up inside you disappear as that familiar knot in your gut begins to tighten. 

“Fuck,” you groan after a minute, grabbing your phone and opening an app. One of your favorite things about this toy is the way it pairs to music, syncing the vibrations to the beat. But before you can decide on which track you want Lil Jackson to dance to tonight, your phone suddenly buzzes in your hand, startling you.

Jungkook 🦌 (11:49): need a hand?

This time your “Fuck!” is a yelp. Apparently Jungkook is home. Switching your toy off, you freeze, not sure how to respond, heart still pounding from the shock of the text alert. 

(11:50): I didn’t know you were home

Jungkook 🦌 (11:50): yeah. strained a muscle at dance practice today

Jungkook 🦌 (11:51): was just sleeping it off

Well, that explains why his place was so quiet. 

(11:51): Oh shit, I’m sorry. Does it hurt?

Jungkook 🦌 (11:51): only when i move

Jungkook 🦌 (11:52): heh

Jungkook 🦌 (11:52): i’ll be fine, just gotta stay off it for a day or so

(11:52): Oh good

Jungkook 🦌 (11:53): yeah

Jungkook 🦌 (11:53): so

Jungkook 🦌 (11:53): anyway, don’t let me interrupt you

He’s a little too late for that. Lil Jackson currently sleeps on your thigh, though you’re still pretty wet, and still needing that release. 

Jungkook 🦌 (11:54): i’m not making you uncomfortable am i?

Jungkook 🦌 (11:54): i’ll give you your privacy

Jungkook 🦌 (11:55): i can put on some music if it helps

That gives you an idea. You press the Call button. 

“Hey,” he breathes softly when he answers.

“Hi. Sorry if I woke you.”

“‘Don’t be.” Jungkook sighs. “Didn’t mean to stop you. I’m sorry if I made this weird.” 

“You didn’t.” Not really. The thought of him lying there, listening to you is kind of hot. Now that you’ve recovered from your initial shock, anyway. “I just got back from a date with Jin. And couldn’t sleep, so…”

“Ah.” There’s a long pause, and you wonder what’s going through his head, before his raspy voice comes on the line again. “Well, I hate the idea that I’m keeping you up… or keeping you from getting what you need…” 

He’s setting you up perfectly. “Jungkook. Listen. Do you, uh, still want to give me a hand?” 

A quick inhale. “I’d love to. But I’m not sure if I can walk over there right now, so-” He trails off as you quickly send him two more texts. “What’s this?” 

“Um, you should download that app. And that’s the login info.” 

“Login for wh…. Oh.” 

You gaze at the ceiling, waiting for him, a flutter of excitement coursing through you.  Pleased with yourself for this brilliant notion. Earlier, you were worried about blurring the lines between the two men, seeing one after the other. But this? This is not that. 

This is an electronic loophole. 

(Or so you tell yourself.)

Lil Jackson buzzes to life. 

“Is it working?” 

“Oh, yes!” you answer effusively as the toy in your hand pulsates. 

“Any requests?”

“For songs to pair it to?”

“This thing pairs to music?” His voice is a little faint, so you assume he’s scrolling through the app. After a minute, “Nice & Slow” starts playing through your phone. The vibrations shift, matching the beat of the music.

“Ooh, Usher. Good choice.” 

“I thought you’d like that one. But what I meant was, is there a certain speed or rhythm I should use, or…”

You grin, teasing him, “Uh-uh. I’m not telling you anything. You have to figure it out for yourself.”

Somehow you can hear a matching smile in his reply. “And how am I supposed to know if I’ve found the magic setting?” 

“By how loud I get.” Might as well put the thin walls to good use. 

“Fuck, this is gonna be fun,” Jungkook groans. “One last question. Do you want me to keep talking?” 

“God yes. Please. Keep talking to me, Kookie.”

“Whatever you want, jagiya.” 

The butterflies stir again. But Lil Jackson stills.

“Aw, why?!”

He laughs. “Hold on, you gotta set the stage for me. Tell me what I’d see if I were over there right now.”

“You mean like, what am I wearing?” You glance down at your stretched out t-shirt. “Um… I guarantee that whatever you’re imagining is way sexier than what I have on.” 

“I promise you that’s not true. I remember how you looked in my hoodie. You make anything look sexy.” 

If anyone else said that, you’d assume they were just feeding you a line. But for some reason, when he says it, you believe it, and your face warms.

“Hold on a sec.” You quickly yank your shirt off before lying back down. “Okay, so… if you were here, you would just see me on my bed. No clothes, only me, lying here on my sheets.” You pause, wondering if that’s enough. Deciding it’s not. “Thighs spread. Like I’m waiting for you.” 

There’s a light hiss. “Fuck, jagi, you say you’re not an artist, but you paint a pretty picture.” The toy starts to vibrate again, and you grip it before it shakes off your leg. “What else?” 

“Ummm… I have my phone in one hand and Li - the toy in the other.” 

“Huh. So if I told you that I wanted you to drag your fingertips down that pretty little pussy of yours, and tell me how wet you are, you couldn’t do that?”  

Jesus, the mouth on this man. From zero to one hundred real quick. Your clit throbs. “Fuck. No.”

“That’s not gonna work, then. Can you put me on speaker?” 

You do as instructed.

“All right. Now. Take your free hand, jagi. And tell me what I want to know.”

Lil Jackson is still pulsing in your left hand as you take your right and draw a line down your folds. You’re so slick, arousal gathering on your fingertips as you speak into the phone on the pillow by your head. “Mmm, I’m already so wet, Kookie.”

“Got yourself worked up earlier?” 

“A little bit.” You close your eyes, remembering your fantasy. “I - I was thinking about you.” 

Another sharp inhale. “Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah. Imagining you were here. Touching me.” With your eyes closed, it’s so easy to tell him these things. And even easier to imagine he’s right here next to you, murmuring in your ear. 

“Jagi. Take the toy and press it against yourself.” His voice gets lower as he commands you, a husky timbre that has you clenching around nothing as you listen. “Just brush it against your lips.” 

The pattern changes to a steady thrumming as you swirl the toy through your slick folds. 

“How does that feel?”

“Feels good,” you sigh, hips rocking slightly as you roll the vibrator up and down. 

“Good,” he hums. “Can I tell you something?” 

“You can tell me anything you want, Kookie, just don’t turn off the toy again.” 

He chuckles, but it’s not his usual high giggle, it’s a dark rumble that sends a rash of goosebumps rippling down your neck. You haven’t even touched your breasts, but your nipples are pebbling as you begin to pant. “I’m pretending I’m there, too. And that’s my tongue, licking that delicious pussy of yours. I can practically taste you right now. Can you feel me, baby?” 

“Jungkook,” you moan, hips still canting forward as you press the toy harder against your core, seeking more friction. 

“I want you to rub that little clit of yours now. Because I want to wrap my lips around it. Let me suck on it a little, just the way you like.” Moving Lil Jackson as he demands, your breath catches in your throat as the vibrator shifts again, the beat changing as “All the Time” by Jeremih starts. A personal favorite. “Fuck, I wanna taste you so bad, jagi. I wanna bury my tongue inside you. Can you feel me slipping inside?” 

The curve of the toy plunges between your folds and you whine as it brushes against your walls. “God, yes, I feel you!” 

“Mmm, keep going. Wanna fuck you with it. Go on, baby. Help me fuck you.” 

You thrust the toy into your tight cunt, wailing helplessly, fucking yourself just the way you like. Just the way you imagine he’d fuck you, that thick cock of his filling you up, stretching you out, making you his. 

“Fuck, Jungkook!”

“That’s right, jagi, let everyone know who’s making you feel like this. I can’t get enough of your moans, let me hear them.”

At this point, your wanton mewling is probably going to wake your other neighbors, but you don’t care. All you can picture is Jungkook above you, dark eyes holding yours as he strokes into you again and again. 

“I know I’m making you feel good because I can feel your thighs squeezing around me. Fuck, jagi, I wanna feel those soft thighs under my hands, wanna pin them down so you can’t move. Want you to lie there and take it. Do you want that?” 

You want everything he has to give. “Yes, please!”

He laughs. “So polite. Let me give you more, jagi. Put the toy inside you and leave it there.” 

You know exactly what he wants you to do. Lil Jackson is designed for hands-free use, the two curved ends fitting perfectly over your clit and against your g-spot. You nestle the toy securely and gasp as the buzzing increases. 

“All right, baby. Now take those hands and play with your tits for me. Since I’m not there to do it myself, I need you to do it for me.” 

It’s getting harder to think straight, the constant stimulation on those sensitive spots distracting you, but you still manage to follow Jungkook’s instructions, running your hands up your stomach to fondle your breasts, imagining his strong hands caressing you. 

“Let me roll my fingers over those gorgeous tits while I suck on that clit some more. I’m not stopping until you’re cumming on my face.”

The knot in your gut grows as you rub your hands over your breasts, kneading, pinching your nipples hard enough to make your back arch off the mattress. You’re no stranger to your own touch, but it’s overwhelming tonight, especially with Jungkook’s filthy mouth running nonstop lewd commentary in your ear. You can feel your peak approaching and you want it so bad. 

So you beg. 

“God, Kookie, I wanna cum! Please, please make me cum!” 

There’s a hitch in his breath. Tipping your head as close to the phone as you can, you think you detect something in the background.

“Are y-you,” you stutter, “fuck, are you touching yourself?”

“Yeah. You think I can lie here and listen to you touching yourself the way I want to and not be hard as a fucking rock?” He hisses, and the sound shoots straight to your tight core. 

“Fuck, Kookie!” This time, when you say his name, Jungkook lets out a needy whimper. You remember all the sweet little noises he made the other night. You want to be the one to make him sound like that. 

He switches up the pattern, and you twist a nipple between your finger and thumb, other hand flexing in your sheets. The cadence no longer matches the tempo of the music. Jungkook’s taken back control. 

“Do you remember that night when you came to Paradise?”

Do you remember it?? How could you possibly forget? 

He takes your moan for the affirmative it is. 

“When you ran into me in the hallway, earlier in the night?” Jungkook asks. “Do you know why I had to run back into my apartment like that?”

Not thinking, you shake your head, too wrapped up in the quivering beat between your legs to remember that he can’t see you. But he doesn’t seem to need your answer, as he continues on. 

“Because of what you did to me.” 

“What… what did I do?” 

“The same thing you’re doing right now. Turning me on.” Another groan hits your ear, before his voice rumbles again. “I couldn’t leave for work like that. I was late because I had to stop and jerk off. You in that tight little dress…  fuck, jagiya,” he growls. “You drive me fucking insane.”

“Kookie!” you gasp, keening at the intensity as it climbs again, getting stronger. “Oh fuck, please don’t stop, I’m so close!” 

His breathing is ragged now, strangled grunts coming through the phone to match your unrestrained moans, and somehow you know he’s just as close as you are. “Ah, fuck, jagi, if I were there right now, I’d fuck you so good, baby, ah, I wanna feel you, I want you so bad!” The last word is an unrestrained whine, a deeply frustrated sound that cracks something wide open inside you, and you sob desperately in reply. 

“God, yes, fuck me, Kookie, please, I want you I want you I -” Head tossing back, your mouth falls open in an impassioned cry as you reach the peak and tumble over the edge into euphoria. The vibrations don’t cease, even as your walls clench and your clit shudders beneath the toy’s continued quaking, but you can’t form the words to ask Jungkook to turn it off, surrendering to the feeling reverberating through you. 

There’s a choked sob on the other end of the line, a stuttering cry that resonates through the wall, and then he pulls you from your high, bringing you back to the moment. 

The vibrations finally stop. 

Neither of you speak for a few minutes. Your breathing begins to even out as you cradle your phone, listening to the soothing rhythm of his soft exhalations. No thoughts. Just in, out.

Your eyelids droop.

Jungkook finally speaks. “Are you falling asleep on me again?” 

“...yes.” 

He laughs, a tiny giggle that makes your lips lift. “I guess I can’t get upset since that was the goal here, right? To help you sleep?”

“Yeah,” you sigh, rolling onto your side. “And it worked like a fucking charm. I owe you one.” 

“Gonna remember that.” 

“You better.” 

“Go to sleep, jagiya.”

You hum, eyes already closing. “Night, Kookie.” 

When your alarm goes off a few hours later, there are messages waiting for you. 

Jungkook 🦌 (1:03): i’m keeping that app. and i work tonight. 

Jungkook 🦌 (1:03): want to test its range? 

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

© 2021-22-23 by sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

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[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 37 – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

I picked this up for my still-somewhat-theoretical bookclub with some friends, and honestly probably wouldn’t have looked at it otherwise. (The only previous work of Schwab I’d read was Vicious which I was, honestly, not particularly impress by.) So chalk one up for book clubs I suppose, because I’m incredibly happy I gave this a try.

The book follows the eponymous Adeline “Addie” LaRue, a peasant girl in late 17th century southern France who, desperately trying to escape marriage and a life limited to one tiny farming village, and just generally being a peasant, makes a deal with the devil. (Or primordial darkness. Or some ancient pagan god she learned about from the old witch living in the woods that comes standard with every peasant village – it’s somewhat vague, and doesn’t really matter regardless. He goes by Luc.) The deal is for her freedom – she will get to live life untethered and according to her own desires, until she is sick of it, and when she is, her soul will be his.

What this means is that she is a) immortal, and eternally 23 years old, and any change to her body reverts in a matter of moments, but also b) incapable of leaving a mark on the world. People literally forget her the moment she is out of their sight, any letters she writes fade before she finishes a word, she is quite literally incapable of saying her own name out loud and has to pick a pseudonym out of the air with each new interaction, and so on. Reality also conspires against her having more than she can carry on her person – stashes are discovered or accidentally destroyed by what seems like random chance.

The book’s divided more or less in half, with a singular narrative in 2014 New York where Addie has a meet cute with Henry – a 28 year old bohemian bookstore clerk whose made his own (much, much worse) deal with the devil, and as a happy unintended consequence is actually able to remember her – being intercut with flashback chapters telling the wider story of Addie’s three-hundred-year life, how she adapted to her blessing/curse and figured out how to have a life of something other than endlessly freezing and starving in Parisian gutters, and her relationships with Luc.

To lay my cards on the table – Henry is charming, and the book’s New York is fun and appealing, but the historical vignettes really do make the book and elevate it a bit beyond pleasant but forgettable fluff. Partially just because the nature of Addie’s anonymous immortality is so specific, the book has a lot of fun with how she learned to navigate and make the most of it. The utter misery she’d been stuck with and endured also grounds (..maybe not the right word, given the immortality, but you know what I mean) the generally pretty fluffy New York narrative a bit.

Also, given how much I loathe the whole ‘death is what makes life meaningful!’ cliche, I really do appreciate that even after spending however long buried in a snowbank in a Parisian slum perpetually one second away from freezing to death, Addie’s reaction to ‘would you make the same deal again?’ is ‘fuck you, I’m immortal!”.

The plot of the present day New York chapters...exists. If mostly as connective tissue for cute dates and descriptions of bars and art shows; this is really overwhelmingly a character piece, and after that the focus is still more on making specific scenes and vignettes vivid more than any sort of overarching drama. Which isn’t any sort of complaint, to be clear – adding action or high stakes politics or a cosmic battle between good and evil or anything else would have ruined this. The fact that the book keeps its stakes limited to a few specific souls is a huge point in its favour.

The novel’s organized around a romance (I mean, a love triangle, technically), though given the ending I’m not sure it technically qualifies for the weirdly specific criteria for a Romance Novel I’ve been yelled out about in the past. It’s not exactly the sort of love story that’s going to set the world on fire, anyway; though Henry was charming and sympathetic and inoffensive enough to effortlessly vault into my top tier of least annoying romance male love interests.

Luc I think I would have absolutely despised if either Addie had ended up buying into his bullshit or if the narration ever really tried to make you sympathize with him. As is, it’s incredibly to read him as actually sincerely falling sincerely in love with Addie at a certain point, and she basically never stops hating him to the point of going all unreliable narrator and always framing his actions as more Machiavellian and monstrous than they are. It’s great.

It’s not exactly surprising how studiously apolitical the book is, but it did still kind of strike me? Given the span of history involved, I mean – the French Revolution and World War One both intrude on the narrative exclusively as ‘bad news Addie gets out of Paris/Europe to evade’. The only active political stance she’s shown as taking in the entire modern era is returning to France during WW2 to be an anti-nazi spy out of a vague sort of patriotism.

On the one hand oh my god a version of this book that went ‘she’s queer and was alive at the time, so obviously Addie would have been at Stonewall’ would have just been, so so bad lol. But the part of me that loves drama and books that get internet hate campaigns dedicated to them does kind of wish the book had done a bit more with what she (immortal 23-year-old early modern bohemian aesthete runaway peasant girl) actually believes or thinks of the world.

Though the book’s restraint on involving historical events vanishes entirely in the cultural sphere – Beethoven makes an appearance, having sold his soul for artistic genius. I don’t mind this too much, honestly; Addie learning that even if she can’t leave a direct mark she can still inspire people and indirectly shape the world that way is a pretty central theme to the whole book, so it more or less fits. When she justifies why she considers her life worth living, the central element is beauty, she lives for songs and fine meals and paintings and books and films. The occasional intrusion of names I recognize just feels like it fits.

Speaking of: quite possibly my favourite bit of the book is how, at the beginning of each part, there’s a page with a sketch and an auctioneer’s description of a different piece of fine art that Addie had inspired over the course of her long life. Nothing much intelligent to say about them specifically, just that I adored the little touches it added.

Unfortunately, the ending of this was the weakest part of it by leaps and bounds. Just – it would have been damn near perfect, if it just ended two chapters before it did! As is, re contextualizing the entire book as an artifact that exists in universe just makes the entire thing make no sense at all (also, my god, can you imagine being Robbie or Henry’s family and reading how you’re portrayed in his ‘novel’?) But even beyond that, it felt like the book had reached a natural, nicely bittersweet ending, and then spent the last ten pages furiously trying to backtrack and make it as unambiguous and upbeat as possible. A damn shame.

Anyway, not a revelatory read or anything, but with that exception very fun and well-put together.

[callmearcturus]

curious about your on-the-go fic-writing keeb and how it's set up. also the whole switches post gave me the incredible desire for some sort of "what's in my bag" sitch. thank you i liked reading about your switch opinions.

Oh hell yeah sure.

So my mobile keyboard is amazing.

This is an EPOMAKER NT68. It's a 65% bluetooth keyboard that I have used to, at this point, write about 80% of the PT Benji AU. It's a fucking joy to use.

I got it on sale from Bezo's Store for about 70 bucks (it's 95 right now). At the time, it came with Gateron Blacks installed but literally like seven of the fucking switches had bent pins and had to be replaced. It came with five spare switches so I was p pissed.

Which, I was fine obvsly because I keep buying switches on the cheap.

Okay but about this specific keyboard:

EPOMAKER NT68

Haimu Whisper Silent Tactile switches (which I LOVE, very good feedback without a ton of sound, great of typing at work)

Cannoncaps CXA Superplum (which is to to date the only caps I have ever paid full price for which I should not have done except they might be my Actual Favorite Profile. this is unfortunate bc they fucking never going on sale, but that special spacebar shape is incredible)

my lil vinyl record player artisan was a gift 8) the maker is 2Tcraft on Etsy

What I love about this keyboard is that

It allows for three BT connections at a time, so i can swap from my phone to my home PC to anything else with two buttons

the sound of it on a deskmat is actually one of my favorite noise profiles of any keeb I've used

it is the most portable keeb without going into weird Nuphy keebs (which I did consider a lot) or going Ortho (which I ALSO considered but this was before Akko put out an affordable Ortho option, god bless Akko)

it has a felt magnetic sleeve that can be folded around the keeb to protect it or into a lil triangle to prop your phone on, which I use all the time. when this thing starts wearing out, I will be very sad.

it fits into my cheapass Vera Bradley crossbody bag so i bring it with me everywhere and I have genuinely used it a fucking lot, like a LOT.

it is a major conversation starter, everyone at work wants to know more about it which is fun.

obviously I had switch issues with the stock keeb and had to swap out some non-working switches, BUT the stock is honestly very good otherwise and the caps it comes with feel perfectly fine. you can use them for a while without issue.

some caveats:

this thing is an investment. i told myself that basically this is what my patreon is for and I saved up for a few months to justify it to myself. i'm glad I did it but also Oof That Pricetag.

the software for this thing is fuckign incomprehensible. i have tried many many times to add some hotkeys to it and fucking forget it. I managed to turn off the lights and that's all I'm doing with it. if you want this for coding and need something very easy to add layers to, FUCKING FORGET IT. go get one of Drop's Orthos instead.

sometimes i type too fast for this thing lmao. it doesn't happen often but like if i'm REALLY going max speed, it will every once in a while (like once in a paragraph) miss a key. I'm fine with this because it doens't happen with casual use.

it is portable but you are gonna need to find a bag for it to fit into. It fits perfectly into a Vera Bradley Sling Backpack, which I picked up on clearance from my local Hallmark store oddly enough.

[bluebear-d]

God i love this scene so much:

Everybody's talked about it already, a lot to love here, but what gets to me is that it took Mike all season to touch Will like he does in this scene.

They began s4 with that super awkward meeting at the airport. Will went for a hug, but was denied; Mike only patted his shoulder half-heartedly and acted like Will was radioactive. There's a careful distance between them all season, so unlike how they behaved in s2 or even s3, and although it gets better after they make up in 4x04 it doesn't disappear until vol.2.

Sure, they touch during s4, but it's not really purposeful. It's just taking action together, being in dangerous situations or simply occupying the same space (the van).

But in vol. 2? They search for physical proximity. They don't need to stand close together, but they do. They can easily avoid bumping elbows but they don't.

So here, in this sunlit scene, they take a minute to sit on the couch and have one of their talks (they seach for emotional connection too!). Their friendship seems completely restored, and there's a sense of comfort with each other, even though they're worried, like everyone else, about the situation they find themselves in.

They're sitting cross-legged, mirroring, feet pointing to each other. But Will is clasping his hands nervously, and Mike's are placed carefully on his knees. His leg is also up; he's mindful not to cross into Will's space or even into the light between them.

Still, his eyes are on Will, he's facing the same direction, and the arrow above his heart is still pointing like a compass, like Will is his True north.

(I wonder if we can attribute this compass metaphor to Will/Mike/El triangle. Both in s1 and s4 Dustin discovers that the compass isn't pointing where it's supposed to, cause there's a massive source of electro-magnetic field that disturbs the magnet inside the compass. Can El metaphorically be this anomaly that caught Mike's attention when his True north is actually elsewhere?)

It's like Mike's whole being is tuned to Will again. Like Will is pulling him in, pulling him close despite himself, despite both of them.

So when Will confindes in Mike about Vecna and we see how worried and scared he actually is, Mike can't keep his hands to himself anymore.

He reaches out to hold Will's shoulder - very much deliberately this time, with purpose and meaning and feeling.

It also mirrors Will's gesture at the pizza place, when he grabs Mike's shoulder to remind him that "you're the heart" and punctuates his words by little taps on Mike's back.

So here, on the couch, putting a hand on Will's shoulder and keeping it there even when they're interrupted (by a car pulling up) - it's like a reply Mike's giving him, and a silent thank you, and also a promise. It's amazing how much is communicated here without having to say it out loud.

And i love it. I love it so much. I just love it.

It's like their whole journey this season has peaked with this one gesture.

Especially Mike's journey. It really took him this whole-ass double-time season, bless his heart.

[aceinejghafa]

just finished a binge watch of shadow & bone season 2... have some thoughts!

(many many spoilers for every single episode, so I'm putting this under the cut)

generally: absolutely amazing. The incorporation of the crows & the relationships within the crows (cough WESPER WESPER WESPER cough) are especially well done.

however. I gotta say I'm mad about what happens to Alina. So much of the books is about how Alina doesn't want to be the one to fix Ravka—she doesn't want to be queen, she's only doing it because it needs to be done. look at this quote:

“They wanted a Grisha queen. Mal wanted a commoner queen. And what did I want? Peace for Ravka. A chance to sleep easy in my bed without fear. An end to the guilt and dread that I woke to every morning. There were old wants too, to be loved for who I was, not what I could do, to lie in a meadow with a boy’s arms around me and watch the wind move the clouds.”

She wants peace for Ravka, she doesn't want to spend her life ruling the country. That is so much of the point of Shadow and Bone — the happy ending isn't marrying a king and fixing the country; it's an ordinary life, full of ordinary things—if love can ever be called that. (interesting that nikolai was brought into that quote in the show. love that he's a hardcore malina shipper. actually I think I might like nikolai more in the show than in the books, which is saying something).

but ANYWAY the show just. destroyed alina's whole arc there. throughout the show, she's all "I need to fix Ravka" and she seems to want that responsibility, rather than just wanting it to actually get done.

and then the ending. using merzost to resurrect Mal. not losing her Sun Summoner powers (unless you count possibly trading them for Darkling powers, which I don't). MARRYING NIKOLAI. Mal becoming Sturmhond 2.0 is fun & all, and the show did lead up to it pretty well, but it's just not what book!Mal would have wanted. STOP HAVING A CRISIS OF PURPOSE AND LIVE AN ORDINARY LIFE FULL OF ORDINARY THINGS—

so yeah I might be mildly irritated by some parts of the show there

that being said—Nikolai is SO well done

I think I might've mentioned this earlier, but show Nikolai might just be better than book Nikolai (Nikolai in TGT, at least)

like... the whole love triangle situation was significantly better? Nikolai and Mal didn't hate each other—they actually had a pretty great friendship (and I'm guessing people are going to start shipping Nikolai/Mal/Alina a lot more sometime soon)? Nikolai didn't basically assault Alina? I'm actually really impressed since usually a show would Up The Drama, and this one didn't <3

Nikolai giving Alina the compass, which is associated with Mal's whole true north thing... and then Mal getting the compass in the end... actually pretty cool

the quote about hope being the wind in the sails! "when people say impossible, they usually mean improbable"! yes yes YES !!!

zoyalai hints <3 tbh I was hoping for more than that but I am obsessed with what I got <3

also! dominik being alive at the start! so we get to meet him! and get bits of backstory!

and then he died which. I was expecting. but also :(((((((((

speaking of dying.

DAVID AND GENYA OH MY GODS

kinda disappointed that they skipped the "I'm not ruined. I'm ruination" quote

but on the other hand! the I know metal speech! that was AMAZING <333333333 they are so soft

and then they. kill david off. and i CRY

THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN UNTIL ROW

so yeah upset about that but not really mad... denya is definitely one of the best ships in the show...

and then!!! the crows!!! the crows!!! the crows!!!

SO MUCH WESPER CONTENT. we are BLESSED guys. Jesper & Wylan having a one-night stand pre-canon??? then getting to know each other??? and having a more serious relationship??? amazing showstopping top-tier content

a bit worried about whatever happens in the soc spinoff when jesper finds out that wylan is a van eck—could be kinda painful

also I'm hoping they entirely skip jesper kissing kuwei, never really liked that bit in the books

"I kinda like your face" <<<< "maybe I liked your stupid face" but admittedly it's hard to do the book quote when you don't have the Kuwei tailoring plot

Wylan saving the day by knowing cool botanical facts <3 I love him so much guys

actually the whole thing with Sankta Neyar is fantastic? like WOW I was expecting to dislike any non-books content but I did NOT that thing was GREAT (and showed that there's a future for superpowerful Grisha that is not becoming the Darkling, which is excellent because it's TRUE).

Inej & Mal & Tolya & Tamar going off to hunt slavers together—some mixed feelings about that. I have faith that Inej & Kaz will meet up again in future seasons, but idk?

kinda weird how all those CK plot elements showed up... Kaz beats Pekka and makes him beg, but then Pekka just starts running Hellgate from inside? no real consequences? unsuccessful revenge? and all the plot from CK (fake plague, Alby) is used up already

so yeah that was annoying

but also the scene where Inej asks Kaz what he wants... and you can SEE the words You, Inej. You running through his head... and then he says "to die buried under a mountain of my own gold"... every time they quote the books I go FERAL and this is no exception

so basically I'm worried about what they'll do with the crows in possible later spinoffs/seasons but also I absolutely adore all the content they gave us <3

fun fact: I watched the whole show on 1.5x speed because I only had 5 and a half hours. I used subtitles so I could always understand what they were saying, the only weird thing was any shot of anyone walking ever. still worth it so that I could watch everything, though <3

[theendofuno]

the jester and his marionette

real infodump hours (tm)

all this text was sent on a few messages so i just did a rough translation on it, it may not be 100% accurate lore-wise bcs of that lol

i like to imagine Lass being Uno's guide on living, on how to "be" human, how to get rid of the strings from the past, he breaks Uno's strings and give him new ones

tho, Lass does not want to control Uno, he wants Uno to control himself, he wants him to create and change his own destiny, he wants Uno to be himself

Lass was a marionette his whole life, so he dedicated himself into helping getting another marionette on finally feeling human, he got rid of his own strings and he will guide Uno into doing the same, even if Uno isn't on a literal, actual circus, he's stuck in a mental circus

(i think you can assume why I choose a jester instead of any circus character for Lass amirite)

now for the clothing choices! for context these were my references: fearless clown & lifelike

Uno

i changed all the roses for forget-me-nots for obvious reasons, and i added eyes that look everywhere on his skirt as a representation to paranoia

i added tears into Uno's sleeves, and if you pay attention they're the most common places to cut yourself while self harming (i'll never be tired of talking about uno self harming but i wont get into details for today SDAUGDSGDS)

i added vines with spikes on a few clothing parts as a representating of being stuck, along with the actual strings

i changed the checker board pattern by asanoha, which is a meaning about growing stronger and without much help, and are commonly seeing in children kimono as a way to hope they grow strong and healthy, i also read it's supposed to protect you from harm and evil spirits :)

i kept all the strings white except for the neck one, who is red, and since his transformation form is all black/white except for the marking on his face and chest, neck is the mid-way between them, and is also the only string who is thigh and suffocating him, while the white ones can be easily taken off

the triangle pattern on Uno's bow is supposed to represent a few flowers petals growing

now for Lass

his clothing has a few Uno "motifs", such as the growing petals and his hat (im absolutely clueless on the actual english translation mb) has X and "loose strings" as a way to represent strings being taken off, being freed

i added his arm tattoo on his hat thingy :D it was originally stars but i thought it would look cute

(artistic fun fact hours: i shaded the blue part with red and the red part with blue)

i thought a lot about doing the clothing only blue or perhaps blue with yellow, but keeping the red seems to make him closer to Lupus, who is an important person on his life and is an important on his growth, and is someone Lass loves (even if he refuses to admit)

+ the lyrics translation (in order)

guess thats all god bless the wilde sibilings (salute emoji)

[iantimony]

tuesdaypost evening

if i have to do any more homework i'm for real going to super mario throw myself into the sun

listening: more borodin...some breaking benjamin...FINALLY FINISHED FRIENDS AT THE TABLE PARTIZAN HOLIDAY EPISODES......what a fucking episode dude. i was doing dishes while i listened to that and fully stopped and stood there for like 10 minutes while The Scene with clem and gur sevraq played...the music in that scene.....just wow. incredible. i did not know that jack and keith played different characters for the rest of the season so i'm looking forward to meeting them, first arc after the holiday special is thisbe valence and si so i haven't seen either of them yet...very excited for that though.

reading: Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid In the Omelas Hole" by Isabel J. Kim - very neat short story. commentary on the way we live these days. ough.

watching: managed to tune into some of the fatt stream tonight haha...very fun...more dunmesh and kill la kill...

playing: i keep forgetting to put ttrpg stuff here. unfortunately it is all dnd at the moment. every other week i do dnd 3 days in a row which might kill me actually! two of them are online, one of which i run, and the one i do in person i'm just a player, so it's like ... not THAT bad ..... this past weekend one of the three got moved so it was just the one i run and the one in-person. the one i run is. well. first of all i'm stealing at least my initial story stuff from mdzs. second of all wow these are some guys of all time. tl;dr, we are talking some romance subplots that are frankly none of my business, god bless 'em, they can go do their love triangle (quadrangle??) in the out-of-game rp channel on the discord, and also there is the biggest tittied bird lady you could possibly imagine.

making: english paper piecing!!! gonna do a border in a solid teal fabric and then do the lining! this is going to be a dice bag probably? :)

oh! and pottery from last week! technically these came out of the kiln before the new year but i didn't get back to the studio til last wednesday.

first: what i'm affectionately calling my Mold Bowl because it looks like. this.

then eye bowl number one, which needs to go back in the kiln actually because a little bit of ? kiln medium ??? got flung into it and it's not smooth so i need to dremel it down and re-glaze the little spot

and finally, eye bowl number two, more of a cup really! i really really love how the inside glaze came out. i'm gonna make a little set of teacups like this but with all that glaze.

eating: roommate made a braised eggplant, pork, and mushroom thing that i've been eating for like three days. sooo good. i also got some chocolates from a local candy shop, including hot pepper dark chocolate stars (they are quite spicy!) and 'chocolate covered honeycomb candy' which i never had before but am now obsessed with. the texture...

misc: the amount of busy work i have to do this semester to finish the masters degree requirements? terrible. agony. i miss free time.

[tuiyla]

What’s your favorite seasons for Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Rachel, Tina and Mercedes?

Ohh this is such a fun question! Thank you Anon xx There's such an urge to choose a different one for each because six seasons six girlies but I shan't. At least not with that intention.

Brittany - Season 6

Starting with her because it's sooooo easy to choose. Gosh, how I wish we could have had season 6 Brittany for longer. If only she could have always been here, blessing us with her confidence. I cannot overstate how much this is my favourite version of Brittany. I also think it's a good albeit brief season for her plot-wise, and though I hear the criticism that she set Santana up for failure by pulling that Alma shit, she meant well and goddam did she do it in a fun way. Don't tell me the Brittany who tells Santana's homophobic grandma that sex with her granddaughter is great isn't the best version of herself.

Tina - Season 5

It was that or season 4. Listen, listen, I know a lot of people prefer her in the earlier seasons but they're wrong because diva Tina who has stuff to do is superior. It felt like season 5 finally allowed her to not only be part of the club but honestly be the de facto female lead. And it's a bummer that she's but a guest star in season 5B but season 5A has some of her very best vocal moments and is generally when I think she gets her dues. There's Tina in the Sky With Diamonds, of course, but even beyond that. Frenemies, Trio! The girl is actually getting plot! So yeah I guess you could argue for season 4 but iirc she sings the most this season and is still sort of the butt of the joke but it feels less disrespectful because she is actually being featured. She's beloved.

Santana - Season 4

I swear I'm not doing the season countdown thing on purpose. Obviously I love Santana in every season and I'm a firm believer that if you don't love her at her season 3A you don't deserve her at her season 4. And I reject the notion that she peaked in season 4 in that she didn't continue to be beautiful breathtaking brilliant never been done before afterward. But with all that you don't love my fave like I do talk aside, yeah season 4 is probably my favourite for Santana. Ironic because she actually misses a lot of episodes but she just has such an Arc and goes through such a journey. I love how lost she feels and how vulnerable she is after the breakup and how hard she tries to be a good friend but how much she sucks at acting like a normal person. The writers should have gotten her to New York sooner and my god do I have other notes for improvement in terms of writing but Santana herself? Beautiful perfect baby girl. She goes through your bags and drawers and hugs and holds you while you cry. Season 2 is also a contender.

Mercedes - Season 3

Oh poor Mercedes gets such a chaotic season. Unfortunately I don't think she has a standout season because she never gets enough of a story but season 3 feels the closest to having an arc. There's a bit there in season 1 but it's lowkey and in B plots, and season 2 similarly feels like they mostly forget she's there. Now I very much do not appreciate the way season 3A frames her because season 3A SUCKS but she gets to take a stand and shine. She gets shit done, stands by her principles and herself, gets The Troubletones going, demands the respect she deserves. And then season 3B sees the love triangle thing with Sam which I'm not a huge fan of but it does give Mercedes character drama and even then she stays so principled. She ultimately gets many happy moments and her stardom gets kicked off. So yeah I just love to see her stand up for herself and work towards her goals while also not being left out of the romance drama, which on Glee equals screentime.

Quinn - Season 2 I guess

I simply refuse to consider season 1 her best. I think people who only like Quinn in that season must not like Quinn very much at all because she's constantly decentered during her own pregnancy and has so little agency in it all. It also feels, just, sadistic to say all that horrible shit happening to her was the best. Then again horrible things always do be happening when she's around. And I think my latest Quinn ask was exactly about the messiness of season 2 so clearly this season isn't perfect, either. But she has stuff to do, you know? It's fascinating to see her completely reject the pregnancy. She refuses to be the teen mom people want to perceive her as. She clings desperately to a sense of normalcy, nay, superiority, and it leads to tensions with Santana and a messy dating life and Quinn ultimately crumbling at the end of the season. So, you know, still sad shit, but my god at least it's not You're Having My Baby. My other choice would be season 4 but she's in the grand total of two and a half episodes and I just happen to project a lot into it.

Damn it's really hard to choose for Rachel. I'm going to sound like such a hypocrite because I explicitly said I won't just do the girl-a-season thing but here goes:

Rachel - Season 1

Like with Santana, I would once again like to note that if you don't love Rachel at her season 5 maybe you don't deserve her at her season 1. And I do really like season 6 for her, for example, but it's been so long since I've seen that season that it wouldn't feel right to say it's my fav for her. Season 1 Rachel is just such a delight. Again, I think there's good in her (and for her) in every season and it feels too mainstream to say season 1 but goddam. It's the popular answer for a reason. Rachel is so earnest and so over the top and so hilarious. But then she has these come-down-to-earth moments and especially when Shelby the devil comes around we see how she's just a lonely girl desperate for love. She's so so precious I just wanna wrap her in a blanket. And I hugely dislike the Finchel stuff but unfortunately, that is what it is. Lots of other great moments.

Again great question, hopefully good answers too.

[a-mere-dream]

hey, I loved your response to my martial god yqy ideas... I've been thinking about this poor loser a lot, happy to talk to a fellow yqy stan!!! I have a theory, narratively speaking, (& mb we can talk abt this elsewhere? email? idek, just tumblr asks are a bit weird & I don't log in here a lot), LBH, YQY and Airplane-bro are like some kinda triangle - when LBH pulls the blankie onto himself, the other two are usually helpless. when LBH gets 'healthy', YQY usually gets to be the idiot ex 1/2

2/2 or worse, a creep. SO imagine YQY touches Shen Yuan for the first time and System is like DING, a failed protagonist halo detected! would you like to switch to an alt power source??? by touch I mean the first scene! not sexual touch! so A-Yuan is stuck looking for the lost original goods soul w a budding protag yqy which makes white lotus binghe's halo power off as the story goes on. also turns out YQY and SJ were supposed to be in a whole OTHER story anyway (like Spicy Chicken and co in Magister, who got cut out and inserted later) I hope this is making sense

(When I tell you I scrambled to get this down as soon as possible --)

Shen Yuan doesn't remember a lot from High School. This is, in his humble opinion, a goddamn blessing. Being a teenager is horrible already, but high school? There has never been a more embarrassing time in his life, even while counting that one time his mom came to visit out of nowhere and saw the drying cover of his Luo Binghe body pillow hanging on his laundry line.

So he has repressed most memories, and is perfectly fine with that. Most knowledge wasn't useful anyway.

Looking at the blue screen of the System flickering in and out of view, Shen Yuan wished he had paid a little more in Chinese class.

“What do you mean Yue Qingyuan is a Protagonist?” Shen Yuan hissed under his breath, fighting the urge to slap the System with his fan. “He can't be a Protagonist! There's Binghe already!” And it couldn't be that Binghe didn't have his Halo, why else would the System break that ceiling beam one time with the Skinner Demon?

[Actually, having multiple Protagonists is a time-honoured choice.] The System tries to inform him. [A Dual Protagonist Narrative is when two characters with different goals have their own unique transformation. The characters might not be in direct conflict with one another --]

“I don't care!” Shen Yuan said. “Look at me, not caring in the least.” He was silent for a moment. “Why Yue Qingyuan? He dies in, like, chapter six hundred.”

[Character: 'Yue Qingyuan' dies in chapter 603 of Book: 'Proud Immortal Demon Way.'] The System says. [Character: 'Yue Qingyuan' dies in chapter 3904 of Book: 'The Last Hope of The Mud-Stained Phoenix'.]

At Shen Yuan's disbelieving silence, it adds, almost reticently, [You're the protagonist of your own life. His story doesn't start and end with Character: 'Luo Binghe'.]

“No, it just ends with him,” Shen Yuan says reflexively. “And don't you quote Mob Psycho 100 at me.”

He fidgets with his fan. “Is this — Is this bad? It doesn't hurt him, does it? Not having enough energy? He looked healthy.”

[In Universe-subsets, in lack of a character designated 'Villain' or 'Antagonist', creators latch on to Character: 'Yue Qingyuan'. It is…] A thin balk blinks in and out, like the words are being typed before his eyes, [… Convenient.]

“And the only endings for those are either one of death, physical pain, or of being so pathetic that everyone is content with their current suffering,” Shen Yuan fills in. He tilts his head and frowns. “That sucks.”

He likes Yue Qingyuan. This bleeding heart of a character; Shen Yuan has always taken him to be no-one to be afraid of. How could Shen Yuan not grow fond of him, when he suffered so much and had done so little to deserve it? Tricked by his awful shidi into protecting him, even dying for him while none of that care was recruited…

“What do you expect me to do about it, though?”

[User 002's actions could result in more of the Protagonist Halo being diverted to Character: 'Yue Qingyuan'.]

“Only by being stolen from Binghe.” That didn't sit right with Shen Yuan.

[… If User 002 diverts enough strength from Character: 'Luo Binghe', there might not be enough weight on the narrative to require him to enter Location: 'The Abyss'.]

Shen Yuan lets out a deep breath. “Well, why didn't you say that sooner,” he scolds. Now he had to do it, if only to save Binghe from ever going through that! As long as he made sure Binghe kept enough power to survive any attempts on his life, then surely there would be no harm in this?

* * *

And then he goes on a whole quest to give Yue Qingyuan a satisfying ending, making his story more enjoyable to read so he can attract more fans and through that, more weight on his position as Protagonist. He doesn't know why that has to involve resurrecting Shen Jiu (maybe the story needs a villain? Did Yue Qingyuan secretly resent him? Is that it??) but whoops, now there's necromancy.

I didn't even manage to get into Airplane during all this, sheesh. But holy shit, what a great concept. Luo Binghe hogging the Magical Blanket Of Protagonism.

(And yeah, sure! DM me for my email or Discord, we can take turns screaming over Yue Qingyuan :D)

[purplehoodiesimon]

Ep1 reactions (in one post cause individual ones would spam everyone to hell)

BRO THE LOGO FOR THE FIRST EPISODE THE TITLE CARD THE WHATEVER YOU CALL IT I LOVED IT GO S2 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

WHY ARE THEY PARALLELING SIMON AND WILLE AND SIMON AND MARCUS WITH THE SINGING OH NY GID

Nooooooooooooo he's a Marieberg student oh no the love triangle theorists were right

Sara Felice roommies oh my god!!!!!!!

Oh no the initiaion test thing gives me worries I sense bad things will happen

SHE BURNT THE FUCKING FLAG OH MY GOD

and Simon oh my god. Oh okay so this is how things happen. God the fucking parallels. Oh no.

Oh no I ship them.

Wilmon is endgame but god my multi shipping heart is just like "oh parallels? Okay, love it"

"YOIRE SUPPOSED TO SAY CROWN PRINCE" OU MYG FOD HAHFJFJDJDJFJFJJFJFJF HOLY SHIT

"CHALLENGE ME" ??????? I'm in

love

Their eyes meeting out my god Jajfnfjdjdkdoekjwfd they're so in love

NILS GAY????? GAY NILS????? BI????? IH MU GID????? BI NILS?????? VINCENT AND NILS???? WILL THE SHIP ACTUALLY SAIL????

Nils don't be a bastard

Wille's social anxiety oh my god I want to wrap him up and take him away from the public eye

God all the parallels this first episode oh my god it's painful

YASMINA???? GAY ROSH TOO????? OH NY GOD????? WE'VE BEEN BLESSED THIS SEASON HOLY FUCK

Oh my Alexander is back

Oh no they're keeping it from Simon. Dear lord.

Erik fucked an OnlyFans girl???? I love the background lore we're getting right off the bat about everyone's love lives

THEYRE SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER

ALERT ALERT THEYRE SITING NECT TO EACH OTHER

THEIR HANDS TOCUHRD OH MY GOD THEIR HANDS TOUCHED

Wilhelm. Oh. My. God. Oh. My. God. He's so fucking with August. It's so. Oh my. God. I love him.

"break tradition" OH MY GODDDDDDD

Sara and August in the same frame oh my. Does she actually like him???

God I want August to go to therapy so bad. I so hope Sara helps him be better this season.

Lmao Sara touches one (1) man's chest and is turned on I feel it

"kan vi snacka" I'm going to drive a stake through my heart

ITS ALL ABOUT THE HANDS UTS ALL AHOUT THE TOUCHES

Marcus is there oh my god

"So which one will you pick?" I'm going to have an aneurysm. Slamming my head into the wall I'm dying.

They're singing togher. Send help.

Wilmon is the endgame the end all the be all buuuuuuut my multi shipper brain is like "awww Simon's smiling at him"

And now he's watching the Insta story. Yikes.

If I hear a single, a SINGLE note of Sun After Rain at ANY point I sweAr—

THE AUTISM OF HIM PERCHING ON THE DESK WHEN HES UPSET I DO THAT

he just wants to be independent and normal and oh my god and he doesn't want to be the crown prince and kh my godddddd

[chaos0pikachu]

your oroborous gmmtv metaphor is etched into my brain so much

obv it's not just them (all media houses that do bl in thailand) but the frustrating way that they fail to cpaitalise on the amazing actors because of prioritising their commodified (rl) ships over the work is such a lost opportunity

most of their 2024 stuff is so stale, and it shows that its written around the ship and not actors casted for a script

I love that that metaphor has proven so apt yees my chaos is rising bless

Also, agree tbh on what you're saying.

I'd say gmmtv is the worse when it comes to this I'm not as familiar with other studios, but I feel like BOC a least would be potentially willing to like, let Apo do a series or film without Mile. From the spoilers I've been told about Man Saung, Apo's char even has a lot of sexual tension with a completely different char not played by Mile. Which is awesome! It shows the narrative takes more importance over this falsified capitalistic idea of "branded couples".

Tinhats will tinhat no matter what, but from the press I've seen while there's some tongue-in-cheek regarding Mile and Apo they mostly talk about their profession as actors, Apo and Bible did interviews together too, the marketing of Apo and Mile can also be separate they aren't depicted as a "branded couple" in the same way ForceBook are from what I've seen. I know Mandee has a series coming out with Nat and Max where Nat has another love interest and it seems like it'll be an actual love triangle not this limp shit Only Friends gave us.

Like gmmtv are out here selling sticker sheets of their branded couples. Not of like the characters they play but the actors. To me, that's the difference. It encourages fans to stop seeing the characters first and see the actors first making it hard to differentiate the two. It turns the actors less into actors and more into dolls that just play dress up in a new fanfic AU.

There were two shows from their 2024 line up that look fun - that big dick boxer one and Golden Blood - but I lack faith in gmmtv's ability to 1) fund their god damn shows and 2) fulfil the premise they advertise in my experiences they always falter hard after the first 4/5 episodes and the rest of the series becomes boring padding to a limp finish. I have no interest in EarthMix's new show and idk who FourthGemini are I didn't watch My School President nor will I b/c I don't care about high schoolers