#as polar opposite in terms of tones and yet they have these moments

[demodraws0606]

WxS is about the darkness in the light and 25ji is about the light in the darkness...

...

What you expect me to expand on that ? Nah bro, I think it's pretty straightforward

[certified-sloth]

Lesson 13 gave me brain damage

Spoilers below~

So like- has it been established that this person was either Lilith or Raphael?

Because back then, when this person appeared was when we got the ring of light- (other than the lesson 15-16 where Lilith had also helped us at least once, but the tone of the dialogue doesn't seem like her-) so I assumed that it was Michael

NOW that these dialogues dropped like a nuke, gave me slight discouragement with the "Michael is nightbringer" theory even though there were some hints that pointed at him.

But why does Michael have the ability to speak to the MC at this very moment and yet talk as if him and Nightbringer aren't one in the same?

Unfortunately for little ol' me, my little brain needs more time to process the new lesson </3 because sometimes, Barbatos is pointed to be nightbringer (with how he was sus during the song opening, with the dimension/timeline chaos with him being capable of it, and then the opening that Solomon narrated)

Sometimes it was pointed at Michael, (bc of the vague hint that Nightbringer is pretending to be a demon, and Solomon has mentioned Michael almost sounding like one. Add to note that he and Lucifer were considered polar opposites where Lucifer was called the Lightbringer, and it was just common sense for Michael to be called Nightbringer. Or where he wished the MC happiness, and this may be his way of carving the path for them.)

Sometimes Solomon (the mf is shady with how he narrated about the demon that helped Adam, he benefits with the current circumstance, Nightbringer wants to reach the goal of making the MC get their pacts with the brothers back, similar to how Solomon instructs them to gain back their trust and remake their pacts, and some of Nightbringer's dialogues seem similar to Solomon's way of talking. Let's not forget that he could bring night or most probably another term for chaos/war to ensue. Thirteen mentioned his soul changed, and it could be another hint.)

But the thing is- Barbatos is loyal to a fault and swore to himself never to mess up again, which contradicts him messing up the timeline for the MC's 'happiness'.

Solomon contradicts at times, he wouldn't want to bring harm to the MC so if it were him that caused all of it to begin with, it's like a huge gamble even for a sorcerer like him. So why would he bring the MC into such an unstable world of the devildom if he thinks this is where their happiness is? Wouldn't it be natural, that as a human, he would be selfish to try and believe that the MC's faith lies with humanity?

And Michael, recently talked to the MC like he and Nightbringer are two different entities. So it also contradicts what we know of Nightbringer TT

But what we could assume:

1. Nightbringer may not be a demon

2. Nightbringer is still strong enough to turn back time/create a world altered to their liking like some sort of stage for the MC to play in

3. Nightbringer could be BarbatosxMichaelxSolomon's lovechild /J

[dumb-fictionkin-sideblog]

This is meant to be informational, all of this is /info

I'm not sure if you know this but hyper-empathic people with autism aren't ableist for not liking people with narcissistic personality disorder. Yet, a lot of people who do have that type of autism (which is rare yet more common in the biologically female genome side of it), can spot people with narcissistic personality disorder very easily. This is because of common phrases which in turn make them feel unsafe. This may impact the autistic person negatively, and MAY cause long-term PTSD (C-PTSD for Complex PTSD), but that does NOT make the person with NPD an abuser. Its common for those with hyper-empathy to feel unsafe around people with NPD because they are two polar opposites of intentions on the spectrum and often get mistaken for each other by strangers. Like its common for you to immediately tell if someone is homophobic or not, its also common for people with NPD and people with HE autism to recognize each other even if those without it can't tell them apart easily. Its a common fear response and nothing more. The best thing you can do if someone seems to think that Narcissistic abuse is real and has HE autism is to tell them to talk or see a therapist, or at the very least to look up information online from credible sources. (Of course, its also good to deliver this gently as they will be defensive.) TLDR; HE autism and NPD recognize each other and don't get along well but that doesn't make it abuse or ableism. /info

This is ! a lot of great info that... does not contradict any of what I have ever said, so I'm not sure why you felt like you needed to say it (or even less why you felt like you needed to put big ol' info tone tags all around it as if it was going to be offensive)

(Guessing you're referring to that post where I said "narcissistic abuse isn't a thing and not every single person with autism is hyper-empathic")

It does sound, uh, strange to me that someone just existing would cause PTSD in another person, but I've never claimed to be an expert. Also seeing the points you're making I do think ASPD could be grouped with NPD in this as well (yknow, because of the low empathy and all) — but when I say "narcissistic abuse" doesn't exist I'm strictly talking about the term. Of course people with NPD can be abusers. People with ASD can also be abusers, but we don't call that "autistic abuse" because it'd be stupid.

I get the point with the fact that they can recognize each other more easily, but uh, no, I can't identify whether someone's homophobic or not without asking them. People have been wrong. Like, it happens a lot. You can't... say that it's a reliable way to identify someone with NPD/HE autism. Literally yesterday I had a friend at my house who has HE autism and we ended up talking about this exact topic because they called themselves a "victim of narcissistic abuse" and I nearly had a fucking stroke. When I told them I had low empathy, which happened years ago to be fair, they were surprised.

I'm very easily triggered by what you call "common NPD phrases" (if I understood that right, and if did then I'm assuming you mean something that sounds manipulative, which.... moving on) to the point that it's something I have to discuss with pretty much everyone I know because it always comes up at some point and I get triggered by something completely innocent. It's a really big problem for me. But I am far from being uncomfortable around people with NPD (or people who just have low empathy for that matter), usually because they tend to be very honest with me the moment I open up about having low empathy (usually in a "oh thank God I don't have to keep masking around you" way). I tend to feel more unsafe around hyper-empathic people, not because of "common phrases" or anything, but because I've heard them say so much shit about people like me that it's become automatic to feel wary of them (see: my best IRL friend telling me they're a "victim of narcissistic abuse" after I've already opened up to them about my own empathy issues; trying to listen to a podcast my friend is in and getting hit with a "yeah I'm a decent human being, I've got fucking empathy"; trying to explain to someone that people with ASPD aren't all serial killers and being met with "some things deserve to be demonized ❤"; etc etc.).

For these reasons I do not believe that HE autistic people feeling unsafe around people with low empathy or NPD isn't at least partially for ableist reasons, whether conscious or not. Feel free to prove me wrong, it'd be great.

[nanaminokanojo]

Allies | Gojo Satoru X You

CHAPTER COUNT: 1/1

WORD COUNT: 1,446

GENRE: angst | slice of life | oneshot | drabble

TRIGGER WARNING: profanity

SPOILERS: n/a

collection masterlist

“Marry me.”

It took a lot to throw you off of your established equanimity. Even greater to move you in any way. And yet, those two words, uttered so fucking plainly to you as if it was a matter of conversation about the weather, was enough to elicit a profound reaction from you. It wasn’t really the words. No. It wasn’t even the manner in which it was said. To people like you, marriage proposals come as early as parents see it fit being members of the top three clans in the country. It was an economic proposition with no room for emotional sentimentality.

However, it had everything to do with the person saying it, and he always manages to throw you off.

You could have sworn the world tilted from its axis momentarily when he uttered the words. Your hand tightened on the rail surrounding the terrace as if to brace yourself from the sudden imbalance in the universe. The moment the final syllable left his lips, you expected a cataclysmic event to unfold before your eyes beginning with a massive explosion or perhaps the earth beneath your feet suddenly splitting in half. None of those things happened apart from the sudden rushing of the warm, summer breeze that punctuated the silence which followed.

“Didn’t you hear me?” he asked. You were sure he had a disapproving look on his face. After all, he always criticized your apathy and overall obliviousness. It was evident in his tone, too.

“I did.” Finally, you spoke.

“Then –”

You faced him, letting go of the balustrade to fold your arms over your chest, finally meeting his blue gaze. “The question is, out of the army of girls coming after you, why did you choose to say those words to me and pose an affront to the general nature of our relationship?”

He staggered literally and figuratively at your words. “A-affront?”

“Violation, defilement, desecration…”

He rolled his eyes at you. “I know what the goddamn word means.”

“That may be the case, but should I reiterate what we are to one another, Gojo Satoru?”

You didn’t exactly know where you would start with Gojo and what he was exactly to you. If you had a version of a person you grew up with, that they were practically family but the similarities stopped there as you were the polar opposites of one another, it was him. And by god, how you detested one another. It was as if the two of you were born to oppose the other regardless of circumstance.

As children, you often bickered, and at the end of every single day you were with one another, one of you would always end up in tears. It was to the point that you both had childhood marks from injuries you’ve inflicted on one another – his being a scar on his left arm after he sustained stitches when you knocked him off the treehouse and yours being the same kind of injury, just on your left knee when he pushed you into a ditch.

Your animosity for one another did not fade in the least as you were growing up, and it did not help that you seemed to have become rivals being compared all the time. He’s better than you as cliché as that was. It’s a puzzle how your parents never thought of separating the two of you as far as they could, knowing just what the two of you were capable of doing to one another at the worst of your tempers.

However, eventually, there seemed to be a truce between the two of you which remained at present as you grew into adults. That was on account of the fact that you had common, close long-term friends and a bigger part of it was because he was a reflection of who you are. That turned into general indifference and mutual tolerance. He was a constant presence in your life, and you were the same in his.

You had every reason to believe he had forgotten about your existence, but you were wrong.

“We’re friends,” he offered.

“No, we’re not.”

Hurt crossed his features. “We should be, Y/N. I can imagine myself seeing you as more than just that.”

“And is that supposed to be the basis of our union as man and wife? I don’t know if the pressure has finally managed to break you, but you’re regrettably disenchanting.”

“Far from it.”

“Don’t fucking kid yourself.” You shook your head, disappointed. You expected a better response. “We’re just people forced to be in the same sphere by social dicta.”

Be that as it may, you understood where he was coming from. You’ve heard the elders talking, and, as the next generation heir to the most powerful family and its all-encompassing influence, he was always the content of conversations. Gojo Satoru this. Gojo Satoru that. You almost felt sorry for him when the news that his parents were looking for a bride candidate for him reached you. Everyone commented, congratulated him even. You didn’t say a thing. He may be your enemy but none of them understood what it was like belonging to the circles you moved in. All financial and material freedom but ironically caged in.

“It is exactly for that reason that I am asking you, Y/N. You get me. You know what it’s like.” He sighed, his usually energetic self nowhere in sight. He looked older for some reason, and maybe you did, too. It was somewhat scary seeing him being so intently serious. “You are right. There are other choices, but I can’t just drag another person into our prison. You understand that better than anyone.”

Your pupils constricted at that thought of his basis for claiming you knew better than anyone. You turned away from him again. “So, your solution is to reinforce that prison by merging our families together?” You laughed humorlessly. “You’re barking mad!”

He joined you by the balustrade, standing a few inches away from you. He smiled at you, the action almost genuine if it weren’t for the irritatingly unpleasant glint in his eyes whenever he was plotting something. “Or we can team up to break everything down and build it from the ground up. We’re both heirs to the two most powerful seats in this whole system. In time, we can change everything, but we need to help each other.”

“I’m barely on my legs trying to keep up with all the bullshit in my life since I gave up on Kento, and you want to add into it, too? You’re cruel, Satoru.” Your words were at odds to your lack of enmity towards him. None of what happened to you was his fault. If anything, he was the only one who understood you, too, the only one who had been there when you were dragged away into a plane to keep you away from the boy your parents didn’t see fit for you. You never spoke about it, but the silence between the two of you that time conveyed more camaraderie than the two of you can ever manage in action and words.

Gojo nodded. “Yes, Y/N. Allow me this last act of cruelty towards you. Because I need you and you need me, no matter how much you hate that. Allow me to use you, and I’ll let you use me. What I know, you will know. We’ll be equals and partners.”

Well shit, you thought to yourself. To others, you were bigger than life, people to envy and emulate. To each other, you’ve both been reduced to nothing but tools, as he had put it. But he was right and you found yourself nodding. You were in hell anyway. Why not make a bigger hell out of both of your lives?

Taking your eyes away from the view before you, you met his gaze, believing in all the possibilities that shone in them. You may dislike him because you saw so much of yourself, so much of the futile power you possessed in him. You abhor him because you two were individuals cut out from the same fabric no matter how much you opposed one another, and with that, you two weren’t made for happy lives. But you trusted and respected him to a greater extent than you were wont to admit.

“Come on, Y/N. Can you think of a stronger tandem?” he asked teasingly, seeing how your resolve was crumbling. “So, what do you say?” He extended a hand towards you, finally showing that shit-eating grin he sports more often than not to conceal his unhappiness, the counterpart of which was your outward hostility.

You shrugged, clapping his hand instead of shaking it. “I’m in.”

-END-

Thank you so much for reading. Likes, comments and reblogs are deeply appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it.

© ORIGINAL WORK BY nanaminokanojo. CHARACTERS ARE INSPIRED BY GEGE AKUTAMI'S JUJUTSU KAISEN. [20210520]

PHOTO/IMAGE/GIF/FANART CREDITS TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

[tinyboxxtink]

Build Me Up Buttercup *Part 5*

WARNING: This chapter contains mention of sexual assault, please read at your own discretion. Also, I’m sorry these last two chapters have been kind of dark but next chapter will be super fluff I promise!

If you need to catch up:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 6

Tag List: @wanniiieeee

....And you just ran out?”

Your roommate’s judgement came through loud and clear, even through the phone.

“Yes! What the hell was I supposed to do?!” You tried defending your actions. You called them to feel better, not worse.

“Well, first of all you shouldn’t have LIED,” They kept their snarky tone.

“I didn’t LIE….per say,” You paced back and forth, twirling your hair in your fingers nervously. The silence after your statement was like you could SEE their faces just giving you “that” look.

“Oh okay what was I supposed to say? ‘Oh hey yeah you’re right Fin, I was an absolute party wreck until I couldn’t be anymore’?”

“I mean I don’t--” You heard footsteps coming up behind you, so you swung your phone to your side, cutting off their sentence.

You turned to see Rafael standing there, that permanent concerned look for you pasted on his face.

“Hey...are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just needed some air,” You tried your best to stay calm and nonchalant.

“Are you sure? Because you--” He started to say something but you quickly interjected.

“Actually you know what Barba I’m kind of on the phone right now, can I meet you back inside?” You motioned with your phone, kicking yourself for being cold to him right now but you couldn’t deal with anything else at the moment.

“I...uh...yeah, sure,” He shook his head with an awkward smile, and walked back inside. Relieved, you put the phone back up to your ear.

“Aww, how cute. Barba cares!” your BFF’s voice cooed through the speaker.

“Yeah, in like a ‘dad caring’ kind of way,” you rolled your eyes.

“Oooof, I wouldn’t start throwing that term around, we might have to start talking about ‘daddy issues’, Y/N,” they giggled.

“SERIOUSLY?” You practically screeched into the phone, thanking every god you could think of that Rafael had gone inside before that comment.

“I’m just sayin! I’m ALSO saying that you need to go back in there and tell your squad the truth,” they returned to a very serious tone.

“Yeah I guess…” You sighed, knowing they were right.

“And I’m sorry I can’t be there with you holding your hand while you do it babe. But…”

“But what?”

“But maybe Rafael can?”

“Jesus, can you please be serious right now?”

“I am being serious! You just told me he helped you calm down earlier, and that wasn’t even half traumatic as this is gonna be,” They insisted.

“I don’t….how…?” Your face scrunched up trying to think of NON creepy ways you'd ask for someone's hand.

“Whatever, do what you want; But I do suggest telling them. Clearly you're not going to be able to keep this under wraps, and I doubt you want to keep freaking out on your co-workers. Trust them, trust RAFAEL,”

You sighed again, you knew they were right. Olivia said it herself, it was important to have a squad you trusted.

“Alright I’ll call you later,”

“You better!”

You took a deep breath and walked back into the bar, your hands shaking as you reached your booth. The group all started to speak, but you put your hand up.

“No just-- Let me talk. Fin, I am so sorry,” You addressed Fin, who shook his head in a “don't worry about it” manner.

“No, I really am. I’m sorry I freaked out on you and I’m sorry...I lied. Kind of,” the squad again looked at you in total confusion.

“God….okay, how do I….? Um….”

You started trying to form sentences in your head, words jumbled around in your brain. You started to panic again, when you felt a hand grip yours under the table. You snapped your eyes open and looked next to you where Rafael had taken your hand. He gave a small, supportive smile making you suddenly feel at ease.

“Okay. So, like I said I was pretty much a ‘caged’ child. I was homeschooled, I didn’t have any friends, just academics. Being born a ‘prodigy’ sounds good on paper, but I just always felt like a show pony. Or an alien experiment. People were always coming by to check out the ‘genius 5 year old’ play Mozart, or ‘the brilliant 10 year old finish calculus problems in under 30 seconds’.”

You took a deep breath, watching their listening faces. Too much detail hon, get there faster.

“Um, anyway. I graduated ‘high school’ at fifteen years old. I had barely made it through puberty, and I was already done with my academic childhood. Obviously, I wanted to immediately enroll in college, if for no other reason than to get away from my insanely controlling parents. But big surprise, they had a problem with it. It took me a minute to convince them that it was the right next step, full ride scholarships to literally any school in the country helped. And I mean, ANY school. All the Ivy leagues sent out their top recruiters to speak with my parents about having the ‘prodigy’ attending their establishment.

So with that, I was able to convince my parents that I knew what was best for me. I told them I was smarter than them, so clearly I could parent myself better. And God help them, they believed me,” You had to pause again, tears catching your throat. Rafael gently started rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb.

“So, I started at NYU that fall, just after my sixteenth birthday. Sixteen years old, the only child in a university full of adults,”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Sonny whispered to Amanda who nodded in agreement.

“So I got paired with this room mate Layla, who was the polar opposite of myself. She was gorgeous, totally socially gifted, but dumb as a rock. Her daddy had paid her way into the school,” you rolled your eyes just thinking about her.

“And truth be told I loved her at first, because she was the sweetest girl. My first ever real friend. She took me under her wing and gave me a complete makeover; socially and physically. I had NEVER had guys look at me the way they did after she helped me. It was....intoxicating.” You paused in shame, picking at your jacket.

“So, naturally, I wanted to hang out with my friend. My ONLY friend. And hanging out with her meant going to all the coolest parties, frats and sororities. I was SIXTEEN, I didn’t….I didn’t think,”  You bit your lip and stared at the floor for a moment before continuing.

“I lost my virginity at those parties,” you muttered quietly, and to your surprise the team started reacting.

“Wha-- Wait wait wait, guys that’s….that’s not even the bad part yet,” you gulped. Jesus the judgement was quickly getting real.

“Anyway I...was pretty much a huge party girl slut,” you shrugged. “I’d go and party, and hook up with random guys, and never thought twice about it because I thought ‘that’s what college girls do’,” You scoffed at your younger self for even having that notion. How could you be that smart and that stupid at the same time? It was baffling.

“And one night, it bit me in the ass,” You sighed, here comes the hard part.

“I don’t...I usually got so wasted that I didn’t CARE who I was having sex with and most of the time never remembered WHO it was anyway but-- but I’m pretty sure that night I didn’t want to,” You breathed out and looked up, willing the tears on the rims of your eyes to go back in where they came from. Rafael’s hand gripped yours tighter, making you feel safe.

“But it is what it is, this guy did what he did and left me on the floor in a frat house,” You scoffed again, this time tears dripping down your face. You couldn’t believe there was a time that you had been that pathetic, to just be left laying on the floor like a blow up doll.

“I guess Layla found me and took me home, because I woke up in my own bed. But I had bruises and hickeys ALL over my body, and just….brutal stuff,” You trailed off while you picked at your food, not wanting to go into any more detail.

Suddenly, as if turning on a light switch, your entire demeanor snapped back into ‘normal mode’, you wiped the stray tears away and cleared your throat. You were

“AHEM So...anyway, after….that, I told Layla that I couldn’t hang out with her anymore if that’s all we were going to do, and she understood. She didn’t like it, but she understood. The next semester I got a new roommate who was pretty much like myself, boring and socially inept, so I went back to the thing I knew best-- academics. I changed my major from biochemical engineering to law, because I didn’t want anyone else to go through what I went through without a voice. And after that, and a WHOLE lotta therapy, I just pushed that whole semester I lost deep, DEEP down, you know like a totally healthy person,” You tried playing it off with a laugh, but they weren’t amused.

“But...just thinking about Mary Fahey,” you sighed. “That girl had everything going for her, she was probably really smart and had a whole life ahead of her. She made the bad decision ONCE, to go to a frat party and she’s DEAD. Meanwhile, I was a stupid slut for a whole semester and the worst I got was bruised up and a pregnancy scare.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re saying what I think you’re saying,” Amanda gave you a look.

“What? That I should have been killed? Well why not? Why HER?” You protested, sipping your hurricane. It was unsettling to the squad how little you seemed to care about yourself.

“....I knew there was more to it in the bathroom,” you heard Rafael’s soft voice beside you.

“I’m sorry...I didn’t know how to tell you,” You looked at him with apologetic eyes. “I didn’t want you to think I was...trashy,”

“Ok now hold up” Fin interrupted.

“First of all, you need to stop throwing words like ‘slut’ and ‘trash’ around, especially about yourself, Y/N,” he took your hand.

“You said it yourself, people make mistakes. Hell if I worried about the amount of dumb shit I did when I was a kid I wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning,”

You had to break into a small sad smile after he said that, nodding your head in an understanding manner.

“And whether or not it was a one time thing or a ‘phase’, no one ever deserves to be assaulted for overdoing it at a party, or anywhere else,” Olivia chimed in. “EVER.”

“Exactly what the Sarge said. Assault is NEVER ok, in ANY circumstance. Even when you think you were ‘slutty’ by sleeping around, those guys are accountable too.” Sonny added. “Taking advantage of an inebriated woman is not okay,”

“AND it was statutory!” Rafael finally spoke up, his fists clenched. It was as if it had taken this entire time for him to fully process your story, and now that he did he was PISSED.

“Okay, Rafa, calm down,” Olivia placed a hand over his.

“No Liv, these guys should all be in prison for having sex with an incapacitated SIXTEEN YEAR OLD”

“Will you knock it off, counselor?” You hit his arm. “I didn’t tell you that story so you would go after a bunch of random idiots for something that happened over 10 years ago!”

“Well they should pay!” Rafael yelled again, but after you softly stroked his shoulder, he seemed to calm down.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Rafa,” you warily threw out the pet name, happy when he responded with a small smile. “But I’m over it. Mostly. On days that aren’t like this,” you added with a joking laugh, trying to ease the tension.

“Well, I really appreciate you telling us the truth, N/A,” Olivia nodded at you, the others followed suit. 

You gave the first genuine smile since you came back in, looking at Rafael. He took your hand once again under the table, giving it three small squeezes. Before you knew what you were doing, your head was dropping onto his shoulder and you were scooting closer into him.

“Get a squad you can trust, right?”

[commonwealthoccurences]

HCs: How The Companions Confess/Date A Tsundere Sole

Note: Did my best to capture the tsundere personality! Please let me know if this is totally off base and thank you again for the request.

CW: The mildest of suggestive warnings

The Set Up:

Sole wasn’t the easiest to befriend. Sure, they had their personable side where they could calm any settler, convince any negotiator, haggle at every vendor, etc. Once things got past that, got personal, though? It seemed they shut down. They brushed off affection, went silent at compliments and reassurances, and struggled to be open with their emotions. There was no question it wasn’t a lack of affection, but a lack of expression. They defended their friends fiercely. 

Once the companions began thinking of Sole as more than a friend and started looking more closely at their behavior, though, they saw how flustered they became when shown affection. It wasn’t simply a dismissive personality; they felt something and immediately short circuited. Maybe it was a reluctance to show a sign of weakness, who knows? Regardless, the companions had their work cut out for them when it came to confessing and developing a relationship.

Cait:

The Confession:

The tsundere meets the next most emotionally blocked person of the Commonwealth

Cait didn’t have her own feelings under control, that’s for sure

She cursed loudly when she realized how she felt and how that would affect things

The worst part is, Sole was the only person who struggled with things like that more than she did

The urge to scream nearly overcame her self restraint

However, she steeled herself, and began dropping hints

She watched as Sole’s cheeks lit up red whenever she threw her arm around them playfully before they shrugged the weight off and moved away

The hardest part was reminding herself that she was right; they felt the same way about her

They hesitated to sit down when she announced she needed to talk to them

Never making eye contact, they listened to her as she stumbled through her feelings, searching blindly in the dark for the confidence she once had. The confidence before she was willing to let them break her heart

The first time they spoke, it was barely a mumble, and she leaned forward to hear better

They repeated themself, hardly any louder with a “Feel the same way.” before they abruptly stood up and walked towards the window, looking out as they chewed on their nails

Cait had to laugh to herself; they may be an emotionally constipated mess, but now they were her emotionally constipated mess

The Relationship:

The longer the relationship lasted, the more confident Cait became in seeking out affection even if they didn’t enthusiastically reciprocate every time

She would hug them from behind and they would bow their head, cheeks red for the nth time, and simply continue what they were doing before

When they did reciprocate she made sure to give obvious cues that she was happy about it; she’d grin even wider, hug them tighter, and press a kiss to their cheek

Once they got truly comfortable in their relationship, Sole began seeking out affection themself

They were fond of quickly side hugging Cait and taking off immediately, but the first time they did, it made Cait’s day

The day they crawled into bed beside her and curled up into her side without hiding their face she knew they were making progress

Curie:

The Confession:

Curie isn’t sure what to do or think at first

From what she knows of human body language, ever cue they give should indicate they don’t care for her, but then when someone tries to insult or hurt her, they don’t hesitate to put themself in the line of fire

At first she takes studying their behavior as a chance to become more knowledgeable

Then, she begins to notice their smaller, less noticeable behaviors

They get flustered when she touches them, brush off her affection, but with red cheeks and shaking hands

That’s when she realizes there’s more to their habits than she’d realized at first, and comes to the conclusion that they’re simply overwhelmed when they’re faced with caring for someone

Somehow this makes her feel even more fond for them; she came to terms with her own feelings long ago

She’s learned to be quite responsible with her emotions and sits them down to talk almost right after she realizes they feel the same way

She doesn’t expect a grand response

When Sole fumbles their words, messing with their own hands as they stare into their lap, she’s patient

Eventually they get out that they feel the same and she relaxes into her seat with a sweet smile

The Relationship:

Curie’s extremely open about affection, so she and Sole are polar opposites

She presses kisses to their cheeks whenever she passes them, pulls them in for tight hugs every time they return from a job, etc

They greet her with the same embarrassed, red face and mild response

They’re not big on PTA and by not big I mean they get completely flustered and struggle to respond in any way

However, they give her shy hugs and quick kisses when they’re alone, disappearing as fast as they appeared afterwards

She’s secure enough she doesn’t question whether or not they care, she just knows they have a different way of showing it

Danse:

The Confession:

An unstoppable force meets an immovable object

The world will stop spinning before something goes on between these two

All jokes aside, Sole will actually have to say something first

The two struggle to even look at each other; at one point Haylen threw her hands up and said “Jesus Christ, I think the only people here who don’t know you guys are into each other are you two”

Safe to say there was no longer anyone on the Prydwen who didn’t know about their feelings

After that it was a miracle if the two were within the same room

Maxson had had enough of the two best soldiers dancing around each other and sent them on a mission together. Only them.

They moved in complete silence almost the entire time- they knew each other well enough that they didn’t need to communicate verbally to have each others backs luckily- until a specific night

They were camped out, eating beans out of a can on the cold ground, and Sole suddenly said, “So.” looking extremely uncomfortable

Danse’s head shot up before he even knew it

They looked at each other for a moment before Danse nodded and just went “Yeah, I feel the same.” quietly

“Cool”

It felt more like a business transaction

The Relationship:

Afterwards, they returned to their normal short, business faces in the field

They were on the same page about physical affection and it took a long while before they were completely comfortable with showing affection

The upside to this arrangement was that they would often break into flustered, quiet laughter together whenever they were cuddling

It’s easy to be comfortable with your embarrassment and hesitancy when the other person’s just as embarrassed as you

Deacon:

The Confession:

Total opposite dynamic of Danse and Sole

Deacon loves teasing them, to the point where even Des had her head in her hands at some points

It’s a miracle Sole’s left standing after spending time with Deacon. He’s constantly flirting with them, teasingly leaning down to look them in the eye when they bow their head

When they have a stony expression in response to his affection, he just amps it up

Wants them flustered by the end of the of the interaction

Honestly, if they keep up their cold appearance, it makes them the perfect duo

Deacon loves messing with them and they never really break

He’s great at denying his own feelings; he convinces himself he only thinks he’s interested in them because he’s so in the habit of flirting with them

One day, Deacon’s been bugging them nonstop and they finally break, but not in a way that they show they’re flustered

Instead, they step into his personal space and kiss him to shut him up

(It works)

When they pull away their expression hasn’t changed even a little bit

They look him up and down for a moment and then turn and keep walking

That’s the first time they short circuit Deacon

The Relationship:

Not much changes between him messing with them and them being in a relationship

Sometimes Sole catches him off guard by getting brave all of a sudden but they always disappear right after

He’s often left calling after them, asking why they abandoned him so fast

It takes the rest of the Railroad months to realize anythings changed between the two

It’s when Sole has to leave for an extremely dangerous recon mission and they abruptly kiss Deacon so hard even he’s surprised that they realize they’re together

Gage:

The Confession:

Between Gage outright having aggressive undertones and Sole’s flat tones in response to everything Gage says, it’s hard for the raiders to believe they even get along

The pair know better though

They just struggle to make a move

Gage is terrified of letting someone in again, Sole doesn’t think they’re good enough, and together they make the world’s most anticlimactic mix

Gage has a little jealousy issue

When Mason makes some flirtatious comments, he gets angry

As soon as he and Sole get back to the Overboss quarters he faces them, “So are we coming to terms with this shit yet?”

“Excuse me?”

He moves slow enough that they can stop him, but grabs their face in his hands and kisses them

When they pull away they pause for a moment before replying, “Yeah. I can deal with that.”

They turn and return to business right away. “So what are we doing with the kiddie kingdom territory?”

They infuriate him in the best way possible

The Relationship:

Sole doesn’t particularly react to affection; they basically ignore it

Gage takes this as permission and often keeps an arm around their waist when they’re discussing something

Sometimes slaps their ass as he walks by just to get a reaction

They often turn and glare, or give him a flat expression

He knows they’ll tell him directly if he’s crossing a line, so he knows they don’t actually care

They show affection in the most nonchalant way

Often they’ll be talking about the plans for the raiders and just drop into his lap while talking to him, not reacting at all to their own movement

Hancock:

The Confession:

Quite similar to Deacon

Loves jokingly flirting with them but honestly can’t tell if they care for him in return or not

He comes to terms with his feelings quite easily; he knew there was something that was gonna draw them in about them when they walked through the gates to Goodneighbor and simply flicked their cigarette at Flynn’s threats, not changing their calm expression

They react to his flirtations the same way; they simply don’t

Eventually, he has to tell them; life’s short after all

When they listen to him, expressionless, but respond with a “Yeah, same.” he takes it as a win

The Relationship:

The only thing that changes is that Hancock knows they’re happy with the flirting he does with them

Their pushing him away eases and eventually they find themself relaxing into his embraces

They don’t particularly think about it. It just happened automatically over time

Still doesn’t approve of blatant PDA but they’re fine with him keeping a hand in their back pocket

MacCready:

The Confession:

Poor Mac

He has no idea what to think of the way they react to affection

On one hand they seem to hate it; on the other hand, they still stand closer to him than necessary and quirk their eyebrow, displeased, whenever someone hits on him

Eventually he realizes that’s just how they are, but it doesn’t particularly please him

He definitely wishes they had a better handle on their emotions

He’s one of the most notorious companions for getting flustered but Sole’s mannerisms get him so frustrated he ends up just blurting out how he feels, arms crossed, seeming annoyed

They nod. “Me too.”

The Relationship:

It sure as hell is a tricky relationship to navigate at first

Mac finds him frustrated a lot and eventually sits them down and has a serious discussion with them about expressing their emotions

They work on it after that to make things easier

It definitely helps

They still struggle when they’re around other people but they get a lot better about being more affectionate in private

Nick:

The Confession:

There’s… no confession moment

They kind of just ease into a relationship without discussion

They’re so casual about it and there’s so little discussion that they’re genuinely surprised when people as if they and Nick are together

Nick understood from the get go that they wouldn’t be obviously reciprocating his affection so when they didn’t react to them holding their waist, he didn’t think anything of it

Eventually this evolved and they were dating without realizing it

The Relationship:

At some point after everyone else in Diamond City starts asking questions, they do talk a little and decide, yeah, they’re in a relationship, just forgot to talk about it

Almost nothing changes when they do, though

Nick is in the habit of showing nonchalant affection without expecting anything back

When Sole does initiate it’s rare and quick, but he appreciates it all the same

They ease a little more into the affectionate side of things easily after they have the discussion about their relationship

Piper:

The Confession:

She gets flustered easily and Sole has a mask of stone when it comes to flirting

Overall, just a mess

She struggles to make a move on them and when she does they don’t even react which confuses her even more

She’s the type of person to try and hide her feelings and then it all comes rushing out one day, so that’s exactly what happens

“I have feelings for you, but I can’t even tell if you want to be friends still!”

“Oh. I have feelings for you too.”

Piper’s never wanted to fight someone and kiss someone so badly at the same time

The Relationship:

She definitely has a talk with them about expressing their emotions and not pushing her away

It can get upsetting to be brushed off when showing affection

Sole puts in effort and openly accepts affection in private, but struggles to initiate it for a while

Once they start initiating affection Piper relaxes and is much more reassured in the relationship

Preston:

The Confession:

Honestly doesn’t pick up any cues that they’re into him

He barely even thinks they’re friends a lot of times; sure, they defend him fiercely, but he assumes that’s just part of them defending the Minutemen/settlers in Sanctuary

They’re so straight faced all the time it’s difficult for him to believe there’s anything more than a work relationship to them

It’s when a settler comments that they’ve never seen Sole care for someone more than they do Preston that he starts questioning his previous views

Then he notices the little things they do to help him out; they pick up shifts as soon as he mentions there’s a watch slot that needs to be filled. They bring him coffee without a word when it’s freezing out. He wakes up and finds his gun cleaned and ammo restocked.

This is what gives him the confidence to come forward about his feelings

He gives a speech about how he hopes this doesn’t change how they work together and if it’s disrespectful to cross this line he apologizes

Sole just replies with a nod and says “Surprised it took you this long.”

The Relationship:

They remain completely professional in the field/in front of settlers

In fact, very few people suspect a thing

Preston gets a little confused by the lack of affection after their talk but he realizes he never should’ve expected things to 180

He simply adapts and starts showing affection the same way they do; he wants to make sure they know he cares for them by reciprocating in a way he knows they understand

So, considering he wakes up before them, he leaves hot coffee or tea by their bed every morning right before he leaves for patrol

When they get home from a tough run across the Commonwealth they wake up to the clothes they were wearing cleaned and folded on top of their dresser

Eventually they start showing traditional affection on their own

X6-88:

The Confession:

Obviously X6 is the king of a tsundere attitude, especially if he stays with the Institute

Affection??? Who’s that

They keep track of each other well and have each other’s backs and that’s how they show affection

There’s no super-forward gestures of affection

They both know about their feelings for each other; they have the same way of showing emotion, it’s hard not to know

If X6 stays with the Institute there isn’t a relationship; there’s certainly a lot of straight-faced pining, but no relationship

The Relationship:

If X6 eventually leaves, and so does Sole, then they slowly ease into a relationship after X6 gets settled in the Commonwealth

It’s a hesitant process, but happens nonetheless, and they also get more comfortable with showing each other affection (though only in private)

Overall way more understanding of Sole’s mannerisms than the rest of the companions

[bbmyungho]

wager- joshua

member/group: joshua/seventeen

genre: fluff, hogwarts!au, hufflepuff!reader, slytherin!joshua, other members of svt thrown in for good measure :))

a/n: i saw @luvshuas posting about wanting to read hogwarts aus and i thought i’d write them one 🥺 i hope you like it, i love your blog!! (also, super sorry it took me so long to write and post 👉👈)

“Come on, we’re almost there!” Seungkwan ushered me through the halls, panting as I tried to fasten my tie properly around my neck while we rushed to get to potions in time. We practically drifted around the final corner, right in time to stumble into Snape on his way to close the classroom door.

“Oh, how nice of you to join us, Mr. Boo. You too, l/n.” He sneered at us as we entered the class, shuffling down under his outreached arm and seeing all of the seats next to each other filled. I looked at my friend like I’d just been issued a death sentence, his sympathetic gaze already meeting mine. “Oh, what a pity; you two decided to muck about while the rest of us actually bothered to show up on time so there are no seats left next to each other. Hmm.” Snape hummed in bemusement at our misfortune, beady eyes peering around the room before settling back on us.

“Seungkwan, you can join Mr. Yoon in the back, and y/n... you can join Mr. Hong over to your left there.”

I shuffled meekly over to my seat, barely able to look at the admittedly extremely attractive Slytherin boy smiling at me as I approached.

“Hi, I’m Josh.”

“y/n.” I smiled shyly, picking out my potions supplies and waiting for Snape to give us the go ahead to begin our brewing.

“Nice to meet you, y/n. Do you play quidditch?” Josh was laying his head down on his arms now, staring up at me with big doe eyes while I fought the urge to run away back to my comfortable Seungkwan.

“Uh, no. Do- you?”

“Yes, I’m the keeper.” He smiled up at me. “What do you do? Anything outside of classes?” He asked.

“I volunteer in the library sometimes. Keeping track of records and whatnot.” He nodded, presumably satisfied with my answer at last as he turned his attention to the professor now droning on about procedure. I took solace in these few moments of comfortable silence, exchanging a look with Seungkwan at the end of the mini lecture before Josh recalled my attention to him.

“I’ll go get the ingredients we need from the cabinet if you’ll start up with what we have here.” He suggested, reaching over to take the beakers from my side of the table. I caught a whiff of his cologne, fresh and sweet, like honeysuckle, making my cheeks heat up involuntarily at the close proximity to a boy I barely even knew.

“Yeah, sure.” I nodded, watching his back retreat before getting to work.

~

“Y/n!” I was pulled harshly back into reality from whatever daydream I’d been indulged in upon hearing my name, my heart clenching at the sight of some of the first year Hufflepuffs cornered by a Gryffindor boy: Marcus... something. I’d heard he was a bit of a troublemaker.

“Hey, what’s going on, guys?” I approached the group cautiously, the Gryffindor looking rather annoyed at my intrusion on his fun with my house’s first years. They looked like they were having anything but, one of the girls named Hannah bent over with her hands on her knees catching her breath. She looked like she’d just run a marathon, pretty much all of them did.

“We’re just playing a game.” He smiled, an unusual sneer more than anything; either way, it quickly disappeared as his eyes followed the Hufflepuff students away from the two of us. “Reckon you want in?”

Before I could react at all, he turned his wand on me, rushing something out before a loud pop sounded below me and I felt a sting in my leg. I hopped up on one foot, trying to dodge the firecrackers he’d manifested around my feet as I debated whether or not it was worth it to whip out my own wand and maybe turn him into a toad.

I didn’t have a chance before I heard a loud “D’Angelo!” shouted behind me, both of our heads whipping around to see Joshua and the Gryffindor prefect, Seungcheol, approaching; Seungcheol, usually quite smiley and known for being pretty “chill,” actually looked cross. “What exactly do you think you’re doing here?” He scolded. Marcus shoved his wand back into his robes, giving me a death glare before marching off with Seungcheol scolding him the whole way out of sight.

“Hey, you okay? What happened?” Josh’s gaze and tone were both gentle now, his bangs blowing close to his pretty brown eyes in the breeze.

“Yeah, I’m fine. He was picking on some of our first years, but I didn’t want to draw my wand on him or anything so... Uh, thanks for bringing Seungcheol over.” I said, dusting the embers of Marcus’s enchantment off of my legs.

“Oh no problem, we were just walking to the Great Hall. How are your kids?” He asked.

“They’re fine, I’m sure. I don’t know how long he’d been picking on them like that, but they probably just ran back to the common room or something.” I smiled at him, running a hand through my hair as I straightened. “I’m sorry I interrupted your trip to the Great Hall.”

“Don’t worry about it, we can always reconvene later,” he hesitated before adding, “would you maybe like to join me since I lost Cheol?”

I flushed scarlet at his words, quite caught off guard: sure, he was nice and all, but we weren’t really friends. The most I’d heard out of him until potions the other day was a little bit of conversation here and there between him and his friends in passing.

“Uh, actually, I think I’ll go check on the first years, make sure they’re okay. Thank you though.”

“Oh, isn’t the Hufflepuff common room in the kitchens? How about we just walk together til then; we’d be going the same direction, right?” He cocked his head and god if I didn’t think he was pretty before, now I thought he was adorable.

“Oh yeah. Right. Uh, in that case, sure.” I blushed deeper if possible, Josh holding out his hand to beckon me forward ahead of him.

~

“Who was that?” My friend, Momo, didn’t miss a beat in questioning me once the door to the common room closed behind us; we’d arrived at around the same time, and Joshua had bid us a quick farewell when he was sure I was back safe.

“Oh, his name’s Josh. We were paired up in potions the other day and I guess we’re sort of friends now?” I said, greeting Seungkwan with a simple pat to the head before making my way up to my dorm.

“Friends? That’s it? What was he doing here then?!”

“Relax, he just walked me back.” I began to fiddle with my hands as I tried to brush off Momo’s (loud) words, which were earning us a fair amount of attention from the quieter patrons of the common room. Although, I couldn’t quite settle the flutter of butterflies in my stomach or the comfortable heat rushing to my cheeks. 

“Aww, you’re blushing! You’re definitely in to him!” She squealed, wrapping her arms around my torso and jumping happily. 

“No I’m not! I- we barely know each other! We’ve talked like twice, and he’s a Slytherin! We’d never work!” 

“He’s sweet, though, right?” She teased, poking my cheek as I flushed further. “He’s obviously cute! Come on, what’s holding you back?”

“I- just- ugh, can you just leave it alone?” I whined, covering my now very red cheeks with my hands as she smiled. She just shrugged and finally walked off, leaving me to walk into my dorm alone and flop down onto the bed with a frustrated sigh. 

I didn’t like Joshua. Sure, he was handsome and charming and helpful and just about everything I’d find attractive in just about anyone, but we barely knew each other, and we were from polar opposite houses! I was burdened by Momo’s words for the rest of the night, not speaking much at dinner as my eyes searched the dining hall for a certain dark haired Slytherin. 

~

“Alright everyone! For this project, I’ll need you to form groups of two; choose wisely! I’ll give you all a moment to form your groups and find a spot to settle in.” Professor Sprout smiled brightly over the sea of students currently present in our joint herbology class with the Slytherins, everyone now scampering to find their friends and pair up as quickly as possible. 

I turned excitedly to see Seungkwan already giving me a knowing look, smiling and patting the space next to him as I strode over happily. My heart dropped, however, when none other than Momo sat herself down in the seat previously meant for me, whispering something to Seungkwan before they both looked at me, their eyes flitting over teasingly to a group of boys that had yet to settle in. God no, please no-

“Hey y/n, do you have a partner yet?” I turned to see Josh smiling at me expectantly, my heart fluttering as I took in his hair and his lips and damn it maybe I was starting to come to terms with my crush on Joshua- “Uh, y/n?”

I realized I hadn’t replied to him yet in all of this time I’d been ogling him, his eyebrows furrowed in a hint of concern as my mouth fell open and closed quickly. “Oh, uh, yeah- I mean, no, no I don’t have a partner yet.” I smiled sheepishly, Josh’s own smile widening. “Would you, maybe, wanna work together?”

“I was gonna ask you, actually.” He said, motioning me towards the first open station we saw. I smiled and nodded, tossing a glare over my shoulder at Momo and Seungkwan silently cheering me on in the background before we sat down and Joshua’s presence fully stole my attention.

~ 

“y/n!” I startled at the sudden calling of my name in the previously perfect silence of the library, looking up from my records work to see Joshua emerging from the shelves.

“Hi, Josh. Do you need anything?” I asked, taking note of the books he had stacked in his arms.

“Just wanted to check these two out, please.” He said, placing them gently next to the records book in front of me. I smiled and took down the serial numbers and his name quickly, handing the books back to him as quickly as possible so I could finish up my work for the day. It hit me like a lightning bolt when his hand brushed mine as he accepted each of the books back, a glimmer in his eye when I looked at him inquisitively. “Have you read them?”

“Oh, no, not those. Uh, interesting choice of books.” I squirmed awkwardly under the weight of the mundane conversation, mentally facepalming at my inability to think of literally anything else to say.

“They’re for a charms report,” he smiled, “are you coming to the Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin match on Saturday by any chance?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I might just stay in and do some homework, maybe take care of some of my chores that I’ve been putting off-“

“Oh, come on, live a little. Or have you already come to terms with your house’s loss?” He taunted. I rolled my eyes.

“Badgers eat snakes, dear, I think we’ll be just fine.” I teased back. He laughed, a sound I wouldn’t have minded hearing more often, of course, and leaned forward onto the desk.

“How about we make a wager: if Slytherin wins, I get to take you on a date.” My breath hitched in my throat, causing me to choke and my chest to explode into a quiet coughing fit that probably only fanned the flame under Joshua.

“Where did that come from?” I asked frantically.

“Where did your confidence go?” He asked. “What do you say?”

“What if we win?”

“Hmmm, unlikely, but... I’ll wear Hufflepuff robes the whole day Monday. I’ll even see if I can talk the whole team into it.” He said. I mulled over his words quietly, scanning over the pages of records I was taking down while I thought. 

“Okay, then. It’s a deal. I’ll see you Saturday.” I said, offering a shy glance up at him as I tried to keep the raging blush on my cheeks to a minimum. 

“Can’t wait. We’ll set a time and place after the match.” He said, strutting off happily with his books in hand. I bit my lip, fighting to repress the smile that threatened to turn up my lips when I heard a quiet “yes!” echo through the halls outside of the doors before they closed. 

~

“I’m glad you came with us, y/n! It’s been a while since we got you to come to a game!” Jihyo smiled brightly, Momo bouncing along next to her happily as she nodded along.

“Yeah, well, I just thought I’d get out instead of spending my weekend in the dorms. Honestly, it’s nice, getting all excited about watching a match again.” I said, rubbing the back of my neck and looking away towards the towering hoops.

“Yeah, they’ve picked up a new appreciation for the game just recently, actually.” Momo teased, nudging Jihyo and, subsequently, me. I glared at her while Jihyo just looked at us in confusion, leading us to a few empty seats where we’d get a good view of the game.

We sat down right in time to watch the players fly out in procession, Jihyo cheering as her boyfriend Daniel, one of the chasers for the Slytherin team, flew by. I couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought of me getting to cheer Joshua on when he flew out for a game. I did, actually, my breath catching a little in my chest when I saw him fly by with his dark green robes flapping around him, his hair blowing beautifully in the wind and skin gleaming in the sun. I felt my heart quicken when I observed him, now floating in front of the hoop, scanning the crowd for confirmation of my attendance.

It really was nice getting excited for a game, participating in the festivities... having a player searching for you in the crowd, listening specifically for your cheers over the rest. I waved at Josh when his eyes fell in my general direction, his lips quirking up into a lopsided grin when (I’m assuming) he saw me before his attention returned to the match just about to start.

I didn’t know much about the rules anymore, but I did remember enough to know that Joshua was very good and he was trying very hard to win. Whenever he made a good play, he’d look down at me and smile, once even mouthing something to me that I assumed was about taking me out. I felt bad, but I couldn’t help but feel a little downtrodden when my own house made a good play. Was that blasphemous?

Whatever it was, it was what I felt, and I could tell that Joshua was feeling it, too, whenever he’d look down on me with a little pout on his face and make me laugh. As the match got more intense, I leaned forward, the sounds of cheering fans and Momo’s occasional teasing drowning out as I zoned in fully, hoping and praying that Joshua could keep it up, that Jeonghan would catch the snitch.

The buzzer sounded. It was announced that Slytherin had just obtained the snitch. I was completely deaf to the crowd as I sprang from my seat, whooping and cheering while Momo gazed on happily and Jihyo clapped half heartedly along with me in confusion. Joshua’s smile in that moment could’ve made flowers grow, his eyes falling upon my smiling face as he joined the rest of the team for a victory lap around the arena.

[ithinkilikeit-reactions]

Corrupt (St.Van/Smut)

A/N: Apparently I write the best when it’s not a request and when I get an idea I should just do it so here we are. 

Tags: Tattoo artist au (barely but it gets mentioned), roommates au, smutty smut smut with side of smut and a little side of corruption kink, begging, dirty talk

Word count: 4222

You seemed to be polar opposites, to the people on the outside. Geumhyuk was dark visually, tattoos covering his skin and piercings in his ears and eyebrow. You were soft, almost always wearing something pink and soft makeup to match. 

Some would question how you and Geumhyuk even came to be roommates, but it was quite simple. You were a college student needing a place to stay that wasn’t too expensive and Geumhyuk was a tattoo apprentice who needed to split the rent with someone, otherwise he’d have to move. 

You’d have to be honest, you were kind of thrown off when you went to the interview. Geumhyuk was a well built, tattooed man with an intimidating appearance. But it almost all deteriorated when you started talking. You immediately could tell how warm he was in comparison to his appearance.You two clicked right away, not in a romantic sense or with any sexual tension at all. You two just kind of worked.  

When you had moved in with him he had warned you that he came 6 extra’s. Cheunghyeop, Wooyoung, Yoonho, Jacob, Hosung and Ziu were all equally covered in tattoos and almost all equally as intimidating. It was quite funny to them, when they met you. You were the last thing they were expecting when Geumhyuk said he had gotten a new roommate. You were so soft and sweet, everything they knew Geumhyuk liked. You just didn’t know.

Geumhyuk made a pact with himself, that he wouldn’t end up falling for you. But he found it very difficult, especially with how sweet you were. Sometimes you were so sweet, you didn’t realise how it made him feel. When you would run your fingers over his arm after a long day or when you would curl into him while watching a movie, or when you have time inbetween classes you would bring him lunch to the tattoo shop. When you would leave his lunch at the shop, his co-workers would tease him, knowing that the smile on his face through out the rest of his day was because of you. 

It frustrated him sometimes too, how painfully oblivious you could be sometimes. When you walk around the apartment in an oversized sleep shirt and some shorts, makes him wonder what you would look like in his clothes. When you walk down the street in a short skirt and guys stare at your bare legs, you don’t notice. When the guys are over and there are no more seats left and you would playfully sit down in his lap and it was just one more thing that drove him insane. 

There was one moment that killed him the most. He should have seen this coming, considering you were a college student and it wasn’t like you were a hermit. You enjoyed going out and visiting a party or two. But he really wasn’t anticipating you bringing someone home with you. It killed him as you stumbled into the apartment, a little tipsy and lips locked with a stranger. 

Geumhyuk didn’t know what to do, so he watched through the crack of his bedroom door as you both stumbled through the apartment. He watched you get pressed into the wall by a man that wasn’t him. It was hard to hear your noises through your walls and walking out to see the man the next morning, leaving your bedroom. But it was even worse facing you the next morning, after you escorted your one night stand out the front door. 

“God I have a headache.” You mumbled, reaching for the aspirin on the top shelf of the cabinet. Geumhyuk’s hand came from behind you and grabbed it swiftly, noticing your struggle. “So do I.” He mumbled and you looked at him with confusion. “Did you go out last night?” You asked, leaning back to take the aspirin and downing a glass of water. That was when he noticed the light marks on your neck and his blood slowly started to boil. He hated feeling jealous. 

“No, I was home the whole time.” He said curtly, leaning against the counter. You couldn’t help but blush, feeling a sudden rush of embarassment knowing that he heard you last night. “I’m sorry. I’ll let you know the next time something like this happens. It didn’t even cross my mind last night.” You said and looked down at your feet. 

You did feel bad, not only because you kept Geumhyuk up with your sounds, but also because you wouldn’t have had to resort to this if you just had a boyfriend. Your one night stand wasn’t even that good, your noises being fake for a majority of the night. You had needs too and they weren’t being satisfied. 

“No it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting it. Sounded like you were having a good time.” Geumhyuk said with a shrug, trying to play things off cool. As if things didn’t bother him.  “How come you have never brought anyone home?” You asked and he nearly choked in his water. “Sorry?” He stuttered and you laughed. “I’ve been living here for a few months now and you don’t have a girlfriend, but you haven’t had anyone really around either. I mean you must have needs.” You said, crossing your arms over your chest. If only you knew how badly he wanted you, how badly he wanted to be the one to ruin you or how badly he wanted to be the one leaving marks down your neck. 

“I do have needs. But believe me, I fulfill them.” He said and you blushed at the thought, not being able to help your mind from wandering. “Ah, okay...” You said in response, your voice trailing off. Geumhyuk chuckled to himself before leaning forward and tipping your chin up to look at him. “Don’t ask questions you’re not prepared to hear the answer too.” He said and tapped the tip of your nose and walking away to his room. He left you in the kitchen, a pout on your face because of his actions. 

You never really let a one night stand happen again, your first experience not being as enjoyable as you thought it would be. Not only was the sex mediocre at best, you felt bad about Geumhyuk being there. Though you had to admit, the thought of him hearing you and feeling jealous turned you on. 

It wasn’t like Geumhyuk wasn’t attractive, no the exact opposite. You would be lying if said otherwise. You would also be lying if you said that the thought of him “Fulfilling his needs” didn’t make you feel some kind of way either. Though for your own sake, you didn’t want to let your thoughts go there too much. Geumhyuk only thought of you as an annoying roommate, or so you thought. 

Geumhyuk managed to put his feelings to the side enough, though you made things difficult. The end of term projects for your courses were all due and you were in stress, needing a lot of physical and mental comfort and not really having anyone to do it, aside from Geumhyuk. It broke his heart seeing you in the same position in the morning that he left you in the night before. Hunched over your laptop, in your pj’s with bags under your eyes, you have looked better. But you still looked good to him, just stressed.

One night, after coming home from the tattoo shop he found you on the couch with your head in your hands and sobbing softly. He felt his heart shatter into a million pieces seeing you so run down, but he couldn’t help himself to hold you. Knowing you needed comfort, he pulled you into his chest and pet your hair softly. The way he felt to you was more than just lust. He wanted to take care of you, in multiple ways. 

“Thank you.” You mumbled against his chest between sobs. “It’s no problem.” He said, still petting your hair. “Go to bed though, it’s already late and you’ve barely had any sleep.” He told you, sounding like a true care taker. He was being incredibly sweet and it made your heart flutter. “Okay.” You said pushed off of him, wiping your eyes. Geumhyuk looked at you with concern, still holding you slightly. He moved a hand to your cheek, wiping the reminents of your tears away. The action was quite endearing and your cheeks turned a little more red than they already were. You leaned forward and kissed his cheek, catching him off guard. 

He himself turned red slightly as you simply got up and went to bed. Geumhyuk felt flustered and tired himself. He was mad at himself for falling for you but he was also mad at himself for not making any moves. 

The next morning, Gemuhyuk was surprised to hear you up and and about. The sound of the coffee machine being present as he left his room, clad in only sweatpants. He didn’t have to be at the shop for another 2 hours, so it would be a slow morning. 

When he entered the kitchen, it surprised him even more seeing you dressed in real clothes. A soft pink hoodie dress covered your body, swallowing you up in the cutest way, yet stopping mid thigh. Geumhyuk sighed at the sight of you, louder than he meant to causing you to turn around. 

It wasn’t the first time you saw him shirtless, but you didn’t mind the sight whatsoever. His tattoos stretching over his torso and toned stomach, your eyes slowly dipping down to the v-lines before quickly moving back to his face. His hair was messy and he looked kind of confused due to having just woke up. He was oblivious to the fact that you were checking him out, he was more confused about the fact that you were already up. 

“You’re up early.” He mumbled, sleep still very apparent in his voice. “I have an early class today.” You said and poured him a cup of coffee, passing it to him. He nodded in thanks and moved to sit down, his abs tensing quite nicely but you again averted your gaze. You joined him on the couch and sipped your own coffee, a comfortable silence between you two as he was slowly starting to wake up a little. 

“Thanks again for comforting me last night.” You said and looked at him with wide eyes. Your thanks to him caught him off guard and he locked eyes with you, nodding. “It’s fine, I mean I like to think we’re more than roommates. it’s my job to take care of you when you’re upset.” He said, meaning every word and you hugged him tightly. “I try to take care of you too, I’m just not as good at it.” You said to yourself, feeling bad. It seemed like he was always looking out for you. 

Geumhyuk’s hand moved to your thigh, resting on the fabric of your dress. You didn’t realise it but you had subconsciously moved more towards him. “Believe me, you take care of me.” He said, squeezing your thigh lightly. The feeling made you bite your tongue to hold back a whimper. You pushed off of the couch, feeling wanting to hide the fact that you were dripping inbetween your legs at this point. “I think I’m going to be late to my class. I should get going.” You said and grabbed your bag, leaving the apartment in a hurry. 

Geumhyuk sat on the couch, confused as to what just happened before just pushing himself up to get ready for work. 

He couldn’t keep his mind off of you all day, the tattoo gun in his hand being the only thing to distract him from you. Still needing to focus on his work, especially considering it was permanent. 

“You seem distracted today.” Wooyoung said as Geumhyuk cleaned up his work station. “I am, it’s pissing me off.” He said in response and Wooyoung laughed at him. “What’s up?” He asked and leaned over the counter of the shop. It was closing time and there were no more clients, allowing the artists to relax a little. “It’s Y/N.” Geumhyuk started only to pause. Wooyoung started laughing, already knowing the direction this was going in. 

“I’m so frustrated. In a lot of ways.” Geumhyuk said looking down at the floor. “Why haven’t you just asked her out yet? You’re both single, not seeing anyone at all and you not getting laid is making you angry.” Wooyoung said, cutting Geumhyuk off before he could finish saying anything. He knew his friend was right, but still you were roommates. It would complicate things. 

So Geumhyuk left the shop, equally as frustrated as before if not more. But the last thing he expected to see when he got back home was you dancing around the apartment with your headphones on and sweeping the floor. Your hoodie dress had rode up a little, exposing more of your thighs. Something in Geumhyuk snapped. 

“Oh, you’re home.” You said, realising he was standing in the door way. He had an expression on his face you hadn’t really seen before. It was intimidating, it was sexy as fuck. 

You pulled your headphones off and put the on the table and rested the broom against the table as well. Looking at Geumhyuk, you could tell he was thinking about something. His eyes were a little darker and his jaw was tensed. 

Before you knew it, Geumhyuk was standing in front of you and with a deep breath full of confidence he pressed his lips into yours harshly. The action caught you completely off guard, your eyes going wide before melting into his touch. His hands coming up to your cheeks to hold you still. His lips were incredibly soft, but his hair was softer as your fingers threaded through it. But you pulled away, needing to take a breath. 

“You’ve been on my mind all day, all week, the last few months and I’ve had enough.” Geumhyuk said between breaths. Your fingers were still in his hair and his hands were still on your cheeks. “Everyday you tease me, without knowing it. You’re so oblivious to the things you do.”  He sounded almost mad, the way he said it making heat pool between your legs. You had no idea that he felt that way. “You’re always so sweet and soft.” He added and you looked up, wanting to kiss him again. 

Geumhyuk reconnected your lips, this time his hands moving from your cheeks to your waist. He bit down on your lip causing a whimper to escape you. The noice made him chuckle. “God, I want to ruin you.” Geumhyuk mumbled against your lips and moved you both to the nearest wall. His words were making you weak in the knees so you were glad for the extra support. 

“Please, please ruin me.” You whimpered, feeling his thigh inbetween your legs. You suddenly felt small, tiny and needy, you needed him. You wanted him to ruin you as much as he wanted too. Your words made him as hard as a rock, he had dreamt of you like this as much as he hated to admit. 

Your arms were wrapped around his neck as he rolled his hip into yours. You pulled your lips away from his, needing to let your sounds to let him know the way you felt and these sounds were real. Geumhyuk’s hands dipped down to your thighs, using them as leverage to pick you up. His lips were now pressed to your neck with the intent of leaving marks. You had given him permission to ruin you and he was going to. 

You let out a surprised squeal as he moved you both away from the wall and walked down to his bedroom, the extra support now being gone and your weight being all in his hands. Your dress had ridden up all the way, bunching at your hips and exposing your panties, Geumhyuk couldn’t help but notice them. The fact their were lacy, pink and fit your personality oh so well, it fueled him even more. 

Dropping you onto his bed gently, you propped yourself up on your elbows to watch as he rid himself of his t-shirt. His tattoos once more, were on full display and you squeezed your legs shut. You needed some friction and you needed it now. 

You sat up all the way, your hand reaching out to the waist band of his jeans to pull him to you. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how needy you looked. You cheeks tinted in the same pale pink that clad your body and your lips were slightly swollen. He would take a picture of you, but wouldn’t want to ruin the moment. 

“Are you needy for me?” Geumhyuk looked down at you, his hand holding your chin as he spoke. “Yes...” Your voice trailed off, you felt shy. He leaned down, kissing you softly before starting to tug your hoodie off of you. Your bra matched your panties, fitting the image he had had in his head many times. Your skin was soft and unmarked, no tattoos or anything else really marking you. You were perfect to him. 

He got down on his knees, pulling you more towards the edge of his mattress in the progress. His lips ghosted over your thighs as his fingers danced over your hips, toying with the waistband of your panties. Your legs spread slightly in reaction, making him smile before pulling the lacy fabric off of you. You moved back to your position, propped up onto your elbows. You wanted to see what he was doing inbetween your legs. 

Geumhyuk wanted to tease, he wanted to see you frustrated. So he kissed the inside of your thighs. Getting insanely close to where you needed him, only to swap sides. He got a bit rougher, sucking on the skin harsh enough to leave marks. You locked eyes with him and your cheeks turned even more pink. He bit down on you, not hard, but hard enough to make you gasp in surprise. 

“Geumhyuk~” You sighed and covered your face in embarrassment as to how whiny you sounded. Your hands were pulled away from your face gently. “I want to hear it all.” His voice rumbled before dipping his tongue between your folds. “Oh~” Your voice got higher as you finally felt friction. His tongue started off slow, teasingly licking stripes over you before fully delving in. His arms wrapping around your thighs, making sure you had no place to go 

He was loving every second of this, the way you squirmed under his tongue, the way tasted and the way you sounded. It was all out of need for him. He wanted you to need him. 

Feeling you clench against him, he pulled away from you and kissed down your thighs again. You felt frustrated and worked up, it made you wonder how he had so much patience. “Please, please don’t stop.” You choked out, needing some form of release. Geumhyuk sat up and moved back up your body. “I’m sorry, what was that?” He asked with a teasing little smile. “Please, I want to cum. Please let me cum.” You pouted at him. “I only just started, princess.”  He said and you felt his fingers dip down to your core. 

Capturing your lips, he slipped two fingers inside of you. A loud moan tore out of you and you pulled away from him again. He pressed his forehead to yours, wanting you to let out all of your sounds as he curled his fingers into you. He set a rough pace and moved his face into your neck to suck more marks as he finger fucked you roughly. 

You watched, his tattooed hand and arm providing an intense visual for you. “Fuck.” He growled, feeling you tighten around his fingers. You moved your hands to his wrist, not to stop him but to feel like you had some control over the situation. But the control was long gone, especially when your orgasm washed over you and he just kept going. Your grip on his wrist tightened and a small scream came out of your mouth. But he still didn’t stop, just wanting to see how far he could get you. 

“Oh my God.” You sighed, throwing your head back and gripped the sheets with your other hand. Another orgasm was fast approaching due to his pace, but he abruptly stopped. He needed the situation in his pants to be resolved, all you sounds and the way looked and felt being nearly too much for him. 

You looked up at him, quickly moving your hands to his jeans again and undoing the zipper and button. Geumhyuk didn’t want to waste any more time, pulling his jeans and briefs down and discarding them. He was so much bigger than you expected, making you almost whimper at the sight. 

He turned you over, placing kisses over your shoulders as he did so before propping you onto your hands and knees. Leaning over you, his lips were by your ear and his tattooed arm came around and he put his hand on your neck. “Tell me how bad you need me.” He told you and you swallowed thickly at the hand by your neck. You could feel his cock at your entrance, waiting for you to listen to him.

“I need you so bad, Geumhyuk. I need you to ruin me.” You choked out, needing him badly. “I need you to fuck me, please.” 

That was all it took. The grip on your neck tightened and he sheethed himself all the way into you, bottoming out. It took him a second to gain composure, as badly as he wanted to fuck you into the mattress. He didn’t want to hurt you either. 

He pulled you back, causing you to arch your back as you whimpered. “Please.” You were sobbing at this point, not in pain or anything. But out of need, you felt fucked out and you just wanted more. You wanted him to fuck you. 

“Fuck, you feel what you do to me?” He moaned in your ear, starting to snap his hips into you. You nodded your head, not being able to come up with words anymore. Your brain being mush at this point, all you wanted was release. Geumhyuk was reaching a point inside you, hitting that sweet spot that had you seeing stars. 

Your body was shaking and Geumhyuk noticed the way you had become totally submissive to him and his movements. He was corrupting you in the best way and it fueled him even more. He let go of your neck, his hand moving down to your clit and rubbing it harshly. He wanted you to cum again, before he did. 

He felt it before your sounds let him know, the way you clamped down around him. He couldn’t help but wonder why your one night stand didn’t sound anything like this. 

Your orgasm washed over you intensly, your whole body shaking in Geumhyuk’s hands as you tried to keep yourself together. But you felt yourself falling apart in his hands, sobbing slightly at how intense everything was. 

The way you clamped down on him was enough and he was done for. Pulling out of and cumming over your lower back with a deep groan. He needed a breather himself before doing anything else, but noticed your shaking, sobbing form. The dominant, intimidating Geumhyuk disappearing in the blink of an eye. 

He reached over and grabbed tissues off of his nightstand and wiped you clean before helping you lay down. “Are you okay?” He asked, petting your hair. He himself was still breathing heavily and he felt his heart drop at the thought that he might have hurt you. “I’m fine.” You choked out, curling into his pillows. Your hand reached out, grabbing Geumhyuk’s. You needed him to hold you for a moment, you felt emotionally and physically dependant on him. 

He understood and pulled you into him. “Where did that all come from?” You asked as you pressed your face into his chest. He let out a hearty chuckle and you could feel the vibrations, making you smile to yourself. “I want to take care of you, I’ve always wanted to take care of you. I think I’ve liked you since the start.” Geumhyuk said, his hand petting your hair. 

“I have to ask. That one night stand of yours, you were faking it weren’t you?”  He asked, curiousity getting the better of him. You let out a weak laugh, feeling incredibly worn out. “Yeah I was.” You mumbled and he smiled to himself. He had to admit, that made him feel good. 

“Geumhyuk?” You asked weakly and made yourself look at him. “Hmm?” He looked amazing, the way his hair clung to his forehead and the way his own cheeks were a little flushed. “I want to take care of you too.” You said and he smiled at you. Geumhyuk kissed you again softly, the energy being completely different than your first kiss. 

“How about we take care of each other?” 

A/N: Look, I feel a lot of things and now I finally got this out. I think it sucks. But that’s because I have bee staring at it for too long. Also I have been writing this all day and it is now 2 a.m as I post this. 

[punchdrunkdoc]

Updated K-Drama list (8)

After almost a year of watching KDramas, I’ve finally found a show that has knocked CLOY off the top spot!

The GREAT:

1. Its Ok To Not Be Okay - NEW ENTRY

A children’s author with antisocial personality disorder becomes obsessed with a handsome (but closed-off) carer in a mental health hospital. 

I could (and already have) written loads about this show - it became my all-encompassing obsession for the 8 weeks it was on telly. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! I had a feeling only 1 episode in that it might become my all-time favourite K-drama, and I was right. The quality never dropped for a moment, and it absolutely nailed the ending. 

I pretty much love everything about it - the whimsical, fairytale-esque tone, the music, the costumes, the supporting characters, the side plots exploring different mental health issues, the humour, the set design, even the opening credits!

The two leads are so beautiful with SO MUCH chemistry that you could watch them read a phone book and it would be hot. But it became a real three-hander of a show, with the male lead’s autistic brother forming an integral part of the relationship dynamic. 

Honestly, I can’t do this show justice with such a short review - just WATCH IT!!

Male lead: Soooo handsome, quiet and compassionate but with a steel core; it’s so fun watching him come out of his shell. Actor also seen in (AASI): My Love from a Star (honestly, he didn’t make much of an impression in that show, but he was amazing in this - he conveys so much emotion with the most subtle facial movements)

Female lead: Absolutely fascinating; so wounded and vulnerable, but projecting this awesome, no-fucks-given, blunt-as-hell exterior. Actress also seen in (AASI): Lawless Lawyer, Hwarang (minor character)

2. Crash Landing on You

He’s from North Korea. She’s from South Korea. They never should have met, but they’ll change each other’s lives.

This was my first K-drama, and although it’s been knocked off the top spot, it’s still fantastic. Its the full package - the entire cast of characters is great, the lead romance is ANGSTALICIOUS and its genuinely, laugh out loud funny (when its not making you cry or swoon). I’ve since discovered that they had a North Korean defector as a consultant working on the show, so apparently the NK scenes are fairly accurate which is SUPER interesting.

Male lead: Officially the best boyfriend ever - absolutely nails the small, romantic gestures. AASI: Hyde, Jekyll & Me.

Female lead: Smart, sassy, and funny. I love her.

3. Healer

The lives, and pasts, of a hot shot reporter, a spunky young tabloid journalist and a mysterious thief-for-hire intersect.

I ADORE this show and its so rewatchable. The plot was tight and engaging, and this is one of the few shows I’ve watched where there didn’t seem to be a lot of filler. The central 3 characters are great, and the romance was amazing. I especially loved that the male lead started off such a brooding loner, but he became super-affectionate as soon as he admitted his feelings. So many good hugs and lots of face-cradling in this one. There’s also a great riff on the Superman/Clark Kent dynamic which was fun!

Male lead: Effortlessly beats up 2 henchmen while comforting his girl over the phone. What more do you need? AASI: The K2, Suspicious Partner, Melting me softly, Backstreet Rookie

Female lead: She doesn’t let her vulnerabilities stop her from getting the story or being with the man she loves. AASI: What’s wrong with secretary Kim, I’ll go to you when the weather is nice, Her private life

4. Itaewon Class

A young man’s life is forever altered when he runs afoul of a powerful family.

This felt like a big step up in quality from everything else in this list, in terms of the production, soundtrack (which was brilliant), the lack of annoying sound effects, and just the overall ‘real world’ feel of the show. All of the characters were fleshed out and 3-dimensional, and they all had their ‘moment’ to shine. The story itself was gripping and so well done - some of the twists and reveals had me gasping! And what can I say about the 2 leads? I love them, both separately, and together. He is so wise beyond his years, and his journey will break your heart and inspire you. She is borderline sociopathic, but I adore her.

Male lead: Tenacious, principled, kind, innocent, caring, driven, loyal…and he can cook! AASI: What’s wrong with secretary Kim, Fight for my way, Hwarang

Female lead: One of the most original Kdrama female characters I’ve seen. Plus she retains her agency all the way through, which is (unfortunately) not always the case with these shows. 

5. W - Two worlds

A surgeon gets sucked into the world of her father’s webtoon when the main character’s life is threatened.

This was a WILD ride! The first 4 episodes barrelled through plot at an amazing rate and certain events happen in episode 5 that had me wondering how the show could even continue! But it did…and the plot just got more insane! I loved this show SO much. It kept me guessing, had me on the edge of my seat, and even had room for some of my favourite romance tropes. The central relationship was great, and (because of the insane plot) you basically get 2 love stories for the price of 1. I’ve already watched this whole show again, which is why I’ve bumped it up the ratings a bit!

Male lead: Just a really, really cool guy. Can’t think of how else to describe him! Always in control, calm, unflappable, analysing the situation….but he can break out the cocky charm when needed. AASI: While you were sleeping, Doctor Stranger

Female lead: I really liked her - she had more agency than a lot of other female heroines and I really related to her freaked-out panic in the beginning when she didn’t feel like she was a capable enough doctor to save a life.

6. While you were sleeping

Not to be confused with the Sandra Bullock rom-com from the 90s. Instead, this is about a young woman who can dream the future who has her fate changed by a young prosecutor who suddenly develops the same ability

I was thoroughly and utterly charmed by this show. Everything was so beautifully done - from the cinematography, to the music (OMG the music!), even the title cards were interesting and quirky. The characters were all great - the main leads are so sweet and relatable, the second lead is cute-as-a-button, the villain is properly hissable, and none of the supporting characters/extras annoyed me! The storyline itself was brilliant, with so many great set-ups, pay-offs and twists, and the romance was lovely.

Male lead: A bit of a hot mess of a human being (basically, the polar opposite of his character in W!)…but all the more loveable for it. AASI: W: 2 worlds, Doctor stranger.

Female lead: Smart, sweet, loyal (I really loved her relationship with her mum) and quietly brave.

7. Descendants of the Sun

A special forces Captain meets a capable and beautiful trauma surgeon. They feel an instant bond, but their jobs and philosophy on life get in the way, threatening to tear them apart.

I absolutely LOVE the male lead character, and the romance in this was beautiful. Plus its chock-full of CompetencePorn, with lots of scenes of people being really, really good at their jobs (this is one of my favourite things!). However, it didn’t quite nail the angst, and the last minute was a bit twee which dropped it down the rankings a bit.

Male lead: A cocky, charming, absolute BADASS with the most adorable, cheeky smile.

Female lead: Sweet and a bit out of her depth in the dangerous situations…but put her in charge of a patient and watch her go!

8. Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds

A young woman poses as a eunuch in the Royal Palace and falls in love with the Crown Prince

This was the first period piece I watched and it’s still my favourite - almost entirely because of the male lead and his beautiful face! The start had a really light, comedic tone (and a lot of modern anachronisms - high fives everywhere!) and I loved all the identity-concealing hi-jinks. But then the romance kicked into gear and the DELICIOUS angst started flowing, and I became obsessed with it. It’s like loads of bits of my favourite regency historical romances were mashed up and transported to the Joseon Dynasty. I loved it so much!

Male lead: Manages to look amazingly handsome despite all the period headgear, kicks ass with a sword, and doesn’t allow himself to be manipulated by the corrupt officials surrounding him. Also acts like an adorable goofball when he’s in love.

Female lead: Loved her at the start - she’s scrappy and independent and capable. Unfortunately, becomes too much of a plot device by the end. AASI: Backstreet Rookie

9. I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice / I’ll Find You on a Beautiful Day

A cellist disillusioned with life in Seoul returns to her small home town for the winter.

This was achingly sweet and wonderful. The slow unfolding of the story, the beautiful scenery, and the simple yet moving score all combine to make this feel like the type of small town contemporary romance novel I love to read on a rainy day in front of a fire. Whilst long-held, painful secrets are eventually revealed, there is no massive conflict involved, with no antagonist or over-wrought external drama. Its just the tale of two sad, lonely people who have withdrawn from the world forming a connection with each other and trying to overcome their issues (she has a fear of abandonment; he’s a loner who has a tendency to disappear). As a bonus, there’s a bookclub with a wonderful cast of secondary characters - I wanted to spend more time with all of them.

Male Lead: Precious Cinnamon Roll, to be protected at all costs. AASI: Are you human too

Female lead: Wears her heart on her sleeve. Refreshingly, she’s the instigator of the relationship and isn’t the usual passive, coy female. AASI: What’s wrong with secretary Kim, Healer, Her private life

10. Goblin

A 900yr old immortal guardian finally meets the ‘bride’ who will end his existence

Once I got over the slight ick-factor of the age difference between the two characters at the beginning, I really fell for this show and it’s world. It had me in floods of tears at some points, and it was laugh out loud funny at others. I especially loved the secondary character of the Grim Reaper and his reluctant bromance with the Goblin.

Male lead: Surprising innocent and funny for a 900 year old

Female lead: Also innocent, but in some ways wise beyond her years. Her tears will make you cry (the actress is very good at sobbing her heart out!). AASI: The King, eternal monarch

11. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim

An personal assistant decides to quits her job in order to get a life. Her boss has other ideas.

This was my first Park Seo Joon drama, and he’s great in it. He somehow turns a self-centred, entitled and vain boss into an endearing character! The central romance is amazing - I can rewatch their scenes again and again - and its a bit more mature than some of the others on this list (be sure to check out the extended scene!!). It has some of the best kisses in Kdrama.

Male lead: Like I said, somehow makes vanity and narcissism endearing. Also not afraid to get his shirt off and flash his 6-pack. Bonus. AASI: Itaewon Class, Fight for my way, Hwarang

Female lead: I’m a sucker for uber-competent people so I loved this character. Park Min Young has become one of my favourites, and she is STUNNING in this. AASI: I’ll go to you when the weather is nice, Healer, Her private life

12. Legend of the Blue Sea

A mermaid comes onto land to find the man she loves

The (literal) fish-out-of-water scenes in the first half of this show were hilarious - the actress is a comic genius! The romance was nicely done, and there wasn’t a lot of extraneous plot or too many characters. It also nicely incorporates scenes from the Joseon era, so you get a partial historical romance thrown in for free!

I couldn’t stop watching this one and I’ve since rewatched it too! Definitely one to check out.

Male lead: Cocky, arrogant conman with a soft mushy centre. AASI: The King, Eternal monarch, Heirs.

Female lead: Steals the show - funny, smart and beautiful. AASI: My love from the Star.

13. Into the Ring/The Ballot - NEW ENTRY

An out-of-work young woman decides to run for office and faces all sorts of challenges in her quest to right some wrongs and earn a living.

This show has one of my favourite ever female characters - she’s headstrong, hard working, and quick to violence but so cute and charming with the most adorable laugh! She tries to act all cynical (that she’s only in it for the money) but she is actually really caring and kind. I sooo wanted her to succeed against the establishment of corrupt assholes that she worked with. Seeing her become disillusioned with politics and her colleagues was heartbreaking, and watching her fight back was great.

Her dynamic with the male lead was also great - he’s quietly in awe of her even when he’s exasperated and borderline scared of her.  And he’s super supportive. It was so much fun watching her drag him out of his monotonous, dull life. They also weren’t stingy with the PDA which was so refreshing.

On a superficial level, the show was also visually interesting, with loads of cool angles and blue lens flare. And the overall light, funny tone made it so watchable. 

Male lead: Adorkable

Female lead: The literal embodiment of sunshine and determination. I have a bit of a crush on her!

14. The King: Eternal Monarch

The reigning King of the Kingdom of Corea discovers a gateway to a parallel world - the Republic of Korea

This is the first drama I’ve watched in ‘real time’ but I think it would work better as a binge - there are a LOT of characters, and many have dopplegangers (because of the parallel world thing) so it became hard to keep track of who was who. I also think the progression of the romance is better appreciated in a binge (I wrote about it here - ignore the speculation; i got it so wrong LOL!). Unfortunately, the plot also had major holes in it (the ‘rules’ for the gateway/magical flute didn’t make sense) and It was difficult at times to differentiate Corea from Korea - a major failing of the editing.  

Buuuuuut, it still made my ‘Great’ list because all of those issues were outweighed by the sheer epicness of this show. The gorgeous sets, the dramatic scenery, the ANGST-filled, beautiful romance…at one point the King rides a majestic white horse into battle with a sword on a neon-lit highway to save the woman he loves. I mean, come on! Plus, its really funny - the ‘fish out of water’ scenes when the King first arrives in Korea, the chalk and cheese dopplegangers Yeong and Eun-Seob, the King’s constant threats of beheading…I loved those elements so much!

Male lead:  Gives Ri Jeong-Hyeok from CHOY a run for his money in the ‘Best Boyfriend’ competition.  AASI: Legend of the blue sea, Heirs.

Female lead: A bad-ass cop. Takes a while to believe Lee Gon’s story, but once she decides to go all in…she goes all in, and loves unreservedly with her whole heart. AASI: Goblin

15. Tomorrow with you 

A time-traveller struggling to live in the present meets a woman trying to let go of her past.

This reminded me a bit of ‘I’ll go to you when the weather is nice’ in terms of the melancholic tone, the simple but effective music, and the beautiful lighting etc. There were also some really interesting, innovative shots which I appreciated.

It took a few episodes to get into and it was a bit frustrating in the middle - so much could have been solved if people just TALKED to each other!! Plus the rules for this version of time travel weren’t really clear…But the last few episodes were brilliant; the way the story came together, and all the little bits of set up were paid off was really well done. These episodes alone were enough to bump this up to the ‘Great’ category (especially, given there was a bit of a Lake House vive at one point - I’m a sucker for that movie. The romance was also beautifully portrayed; I could endlessly watch their domestic scenes - they had such good chemistry and banter.

Male lead: Absolutely, but endearingly, terrible at relationships. He ends up falling in love against his will and largely without realising it.

Female lead: A bit of a mess and a borderline alcoholic, but so cute and innocent. I love the way she talks to herself, she’s so funny! AASI: Oh My Venus

16. Fight for my Way

Two life-long friends decide to go after their dreams

I fast-forwarded large chunks of this (I wasn’t interested in the secondary couple at all), but it still made my ‘Great’ list because this is one of the best friends-to-lovers stories I’ve seen. You truly buy that these 2 have known each other their entire lives (their  bickering and teasing feels so natural). And then when they take the next step, they’re so affectionate and refreshingly open with their feelings. Speaking of which, this also has some great kissing scenes (Park Seo Joon is the master!)

Male lead: I love his contradictions. He’s goofy and childish…but can really turn on the sexy charm; he’s a badass MMA fighter…who loves when his girlfriend sticks up for him and protects him. AASI: What’s wrong with secretary Kim, Itaewon class, Hwarang

Female lead: Takes no shit from anyone and will fight for her man! AASI: Descendants of the sun (secondary character)

17. Suspicious Partner

A young, hardworking lawyer has her life turned upside down when she is put on trial for murder.

This was officially bumped up the list a while ago, and I stand by the decision. Its still overly long, but the serial killer plot had some nice twists and it was central to the story, so it didn’t feel extraneous like some of these types of plots do. Mainly, I just loved the central romance - the 2 characters sparked off each other so well and I loved their evolution from sort-of enemies to lovers. This is another show where I can endlessly rewatch their scenes together.

Male lead: Its Ji Chang Wook! He’s so good at playing serious guys who are secretly big dorks. AASI: Healer, The K2, Melting me softly, Backstreet Rookie

Female lead: Fate deals her a shitty hand, but she perseveres with grace and determination. She’s great. AASI: Shopaholic Louis, 100 days my prince.

The GOOD:

1. I Am Not a Robot

A man who is allergic to human contact finds companionship with a robot…or does he?

I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it passed a couple of episodes of this - the concept was just too ridiculous. But I’m glad I persevered, because it developed some real depth and some proper good angst towards the end and I LOVED the central relationship. I’ve rewatched loads of this one.

Actress ASI: Piece of Your Mind;  Love in the moonlight (secondary character)

2. I Remember You - NEW ENTRY

A famous criminal profiler gatecrashes the investigation of a serial killer, hoping it will restore the missing memories of his childhood trauma

I really liked the set up of this - the lead character is introduced like a young Sherlock Holmes (the music even reminded me of the score for the BBC Sherlock series). The super-observant, socially awkward thing kind of dropped off as the series progressed, but I still enjoyed how the plot developed, especially with Park Bo-Gum’s character; I’ve only ever seen him play innocent cutie-pies, so this role was a bit of a surprise!

The female lead was like an anime character come to life (she was petite and cute with enormous eyes), but I also loved her personality; she was tenacious, and dogged and took no shit from anyone. She had a cute, antagonistic relationship with the profiler at the start (which I loved) which eventually led to some really sweet, touching moments. 

Actor ASI: Shopping King Louis

3. Hotel del Luna 

A hotel for wandering spirits gets a new human manager - and he forms a surprising connection to the enigmatic 1300 year old owner

If I had to describe this show in one word it would be ’lavish’. It’s a feast for the eyes - from the set design, to the costumes, to the CGI views of the hotel towering over the moon-lit Seoul cityscape, its stunning. It also plays with aspect ratios in a cool way (watch for the shots where the action spills over into the black bars top and bottom of the screen).

In terms of the characters, I really liked IU in this; her character may be uncaring, world-weary, and money-hungry, but she’s also immensely charming. I admit I got more platonic vibes with her and the male lead, but I still liked their relationship. I also really liked the stories of the ghosts passing through (some reduced me to tears with very little screen time) and there were a couple of GREAT cameos. Especially the one at the very end - I want more of him, please!!

Actress ASI: Scarlet heart

4. My Holo Love

A lonely woman falls for a holographic AI and then meets his creator…

I love the concept of this show (I’m a big sci-fi nerd), and I think this stayed in my ‘favourite’ list for so long because it was the first Kdrama of this genre that I saw. I still love it - especially because of how beautifully it’s shot, and how well the story comes together - but I’m not dying to rewatch any of it, unlike all the others shows that are now on the ‘great’ list.

5. Extraordinary You

A high school student discovers she’s a supporting character in a comic book

The plot of this was so cool, and the way the comic story played out interspersed with the characters ‘real lives’ was really well done. Plus the central couple were so adorable. It dragged in the middle section (several versions of the same conversations were had, and the same exposition was spelled out multiple ways for no apparent reason) which kept it out of my favourite list, but it redeemed itself with some good angst at the end, and it had a really lovely ‘epilogue’.

AASI: A couple of the secondary male leads have a mini-reunion in ‘I’ll go to you when the weather is nice’!

6. Just Between Lovers - NEW ENTRY

Three people impacted by a tragic shopping mall collapse start working on a building project together, unaware of their shared past.

I absolutely adore the male lead in this - he is the archetypal tortured hero (I constantly wanted to give him a hug and a warm meal). He’s also wonderfully romantic in his own, straightfoward, no-nonsense way. The female lead was really likeable - l love capable women and she is the definition of that (she even drives a lorry at one point!). There’s a lot of pain and angst in this show, with very little levity, but it strangely never felt heavy. I really liked it. 

Actress ASI: Melting me Softly

7. Strong Girl Bong-Soon

A woman with inherited super-strength gets a job as a bodyguard for an eccentric young CEO

The lead couple in this are AD-OR-ABLE and I loved their relationship. But there was a weird tone issue in this show. The romance is super cute…but there’s a whole dark sub plot involving multiple women being held captive by a psychopath, and a really grating cast of ‘bad guy’ extras. I ended up fast forwarding most of that, and just concentrated on the romance - If someone could do a supercut of all their scenes, I would watch it on a loop.

Actor ASI: Hwarang, Heirs (minor character)

8. 30 but 17/Still 17 - NEW ENTRY

A 17 year old girl gets into an accident and wakes from a coma 13 years later.

I was worried going into this that the romance (between a 30 year old man and (essentially) a 17 year old girl) would feel icky and uncomfortable. But the writers made the wise choice of creating a 30 year old man with the emotional maturity of a 17 year old. He is so awkward and unworldly, that they actually work really well together. In fact, I loved their relationship. The secrets in this show took faaaar too long to be revealed, which made me worried that the eding would be too rushed, but there was actually time for a nice ‘epilogue’. Plus, all the supporting characters were great (including the wonderfully weird housekeeper Jennifer) and the cutest dog in the world was in this. So I definitely recommend it.  

9. Mystic Pop-up Bar - NEW ENTRY

As punishment for past sins, a woman must solve the grudges of 100,000 people by entering their dreams

This was an unexpected delight. I started watching it after spotting a cute gifset on tumblr (which I didn’t realise contained huge spoilers!). The story and tone is (mostly) light and quirky, and I particularly enjoyed the worldbuilding - the banal bureaucracy of the afterlife in this even reminds me a bit of The Good Place. I’m a sucker for a ‘found family’ theme and this one was done really nicely. It also had 2 main ships - one really cute and innocent, the other took me by surprise with how moving it was. Similarly, some of the episode-specific stories and characters (i.e. the individual grudges) made me tear up.  

10. 100 days my prince

A Prince loses his memory during an assassination attempt and ends up living as a peasant for 100 days.

Another period piece; the plots of these seem a little repetitive (Crown prince’s life is threatened by scheming Minister) but the  central cast and the romance usually makes up for it. Same for this show - I really enjoyed watching the spoiled, grumpy puppy of a Prince try to cope with manual labour, and the female lead was capable, and endearing.

Actress ASI: Suspicious partner, Shopaholic Louis

11. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo

A young talented weightlifter experiences first love

Honestly, I wasn’t sold on this at first; the female lead was a bit much (lot of gurning and over-acting) and there was a weird disconnect between how she was described (big, overweight, manly, unfeminine) and how she actually looked (thin and beautiful!). But the back half of this show saved it; her relationship with Joon-Hyung was sooooo cute. He is adorable, and they were both so supportive of each other’s dreams. I finished this with a big smile on my face.

Actor ASI: Bride of the Water God, Scarlet heart (tertiary character)

12. Are You Human Too

A mother separated from her son builds a robotic replacement. Decades later, he has to take the place of the ‘real’ son.

I loved the evolution of the robot in this - it never went the way of a full Pinnochio story, but it was fun to see him learning about the real world and how humans interact. It also posed some interesting questions - what does it mean to be human? And how would you react if you were ‘replaced’ by an artificial version?  

The actor in this was fantastic. The way he could change from the real Nam Shin to Nam Shin III with the most subtle shifts in posture and facial expression was really impressive. It took me longer to warm to the female lead, and by the end she was given very little to do…but her unflinching support and unconditional love for Nam Shin III won me over.  Some of the supporting characters didn’t work for me, and it was far too long…but worth a watch for the lead actor’s performance. Plus, Nam Shin III is an absolute cutie-pie.

Actor ASI: I’ll go to you when the weather is nice

13. Shopaholic Louis/ Shopping King Louis

The young, shopaholic heir to a large department store empire loses his memory and has to live as a poor man 

The male lead in this is an absolute puppy dog and I ADORE him. He squeals when he sees bugs, he can’t run to save his life, and he’s the type of guy who will punch someone and immediately apologise and ask if they’re ok. He’s spoilt, entitled, demanding and has no concept of the value of money…but thanks to the actor portraying him, he just comes across as innocent, sweet and lonely (he spends all his time shopping and accumulating stuff because they fills up his empty life). The female lead is just a really nice, kind person; at first Louis seems like he’ll be just one more burden she needs to take care of, but he makes it clear from the start that she can count on him to help her too - something she’s never had before. Their relationship develops so naturally and thoroughly that you cant help but feel they are perfect for each other. I watched this with a big smile on my face.

Actor ASI: I Remember You

Actress ASI: Suspicious partner, 100 days my prince

14. Oh My Venus 

The previously much-lusted after ‘Venus of Daegu’ fulfilled her dream of becoming a lawyer - but she gained weight and lost her self esteem in the process. 

I adored the female lead - she was so relentlessly bright and optimistic that you couldn’t help but love her and root for her. I was a bit worried going in that there was going to be a lot of fat-shaming, but the male lead made it clear that he was more interested in her internal health than her external appearance (and you could tell he started to fall for her when she was chubby, so it wasn’t superficial in that way). I wasn’t expecting for him to become so much of the focus in the second half of the show (I thought he was just going to be a hunky trainer;  I should have known better - in a Kdrama there is always a Tragic Backstory looming!). Their relationship was so natural and cute - the bit with the dimples never got old - and overall, this was a fun, easy watch.

Actress ASI: Tomorrow with you. 

Actor ASI: My secret Terrius, Master’s sun.

15. A Piece of your Mind - NEW ENTRY

A classical music recording engineer meets an AI designer.

I struggled to sum-up the concept of this in one sentence, because the ‘plot’ is so arbitrary (and the AI stuff makes no sense whatsoever!). It’s really more of a mood piece - the lighting, the music and the performance combine to make this a strangely ethereal show, dealing with unrequited love, grief and the importance of human connection. It’s slow and contemplative and a little odd in its structure (there’s very little set-up, so you feel like you’ve been dropped into episode 3 of an established show). This may put some people off, but I really liked it. 

I started watching it because of the leads (who I’ve loved in other shows) and they didn’t disappoint. She is so kind and lovely; he’s a little odd - like a robot learning about life. But their relationship is so beautiful (it even included one of my favourite niche tropes: insomniacs who can only sleep around each other). 

Apparently the episode run was cut down from 16 to 12 because of poor ratings, which is a real shame because i think a bit more time was needed to really sell the female lead’s emotional arc. It all felt a little rushed at the end, but I still enjoyed it, and admired that it tried something a little unconventional. 

Actor ASI: While you were sleeping (secondary lead).

Actress ASI: I am Not a Robot; Love in the moonlight (secondary character)

16. Rookie Historian - NEW ENTRY

An independent, educated woman choses to become one of the first female court historians, rather than get married.

This show had a really interesting premise and I enjoyed watching the rookie female historians navigate court-life (battling workplace harassment, misogyny and patriarchal values) and developing a real friendship with each other. 

The female lead was fantastic - she was headstrong, pragmatic, unapologetically intelligent, a lover of books and a hater of injustice. She shared that love of books with the male lead, who was sensitive, soft-spoken, and innocent. The ultimate beta hero, who’s romantic fantasies involved him feeding her cookies and fanning her while she sleeps! 

Their romance took a backseat for a lot of the show, but I didn’t mind as the plot was exploring interesting topics such as intruders from the West, catholicism, and censorship, etc.

Actor ASI: My ID is Gangnam Beauty

Actress ASI: Bride of Habaek

17. Tempted/The Great Seducer - NEW ENTRY

In an act of revenge, a wealthy heir makes a bet with his friends to seduce a hardworking female college student 

10 minutes into this I started to get major Cruel Intentions vibes…which made sense when I found out it was also an adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons! It doesn’t have the dark edge or overt sexuality of Cruel Intentions (which is one of my favs) but its still good - mainly due to the male lead. I ADORED him in TKEM and he’s really good here. I’m a sucker for the ‘bad boy falls in love for the first time’ trope and he played it so well. The female lead was also good - she was self-aware, strong, intelligent and took no shit. I was less interested by the love affairs of the adults around them, but overall it was a good show. 

Actor ASI: TKEM (secondary character)

18. My Love from the Star

Alien stranded on earth meets an actress soon before he’s due to be rescued.

It took a couple of goes to get into this one, but I’m glad I finally watched the  whole thing (the female lead was initially very irritating, but she improved a lot).  I enjoyed the present-day romance and all the flashes back to the past. However, the ending was really abrupt and disappointing (which kept it out of my favourite list). There should have been 1 less filler episode in the middle, and a decent, fleshed out finale instead.

Actor ASI: Its ok to not be ok. 

Actress ASI: Legend of the blue sea

19. Because this is my First Life

A rational-to-a-fault software designer and an aspiring screenwriter come up with an unconventional way to solve their housing problem

When I started this, I thought it was going to be all light and fluffy (the main character’s job in the beginning was to insert the product placement in Korean dramas - hello, Red Ginseng! - which I found hilarious and meta) but it had a surprisingly melancholic tone throughout and touched on issues of workplace harassment and gender roles. I didn’t warm to the male lead until right at the end (which was probably partly intentional - he’s very remote and closed off) but overall I found the story quite lovely. Plus it had a really great central female friendship and their conversations actually passed the Bechdel test!

20. My shy boss / Introverted boss

An extroverted actress takes a job at a PR company working for a man with crippling shyness

This was another deceptive show; I thought from the title and the synopsis that it would just be a light opposites attract comedy about an introverted man and an extroverted woman. But I was almost in tears by the second episode when the Tragic Backstory came to light, and we saw the full extent of the Boss’ struggles to communicate with other human beings. He has such a rich, funny, and smart inner monologue, and the way he overthinks every interaction is really endearing…which makes the contrast with his silent and withdrawn external persona all the more stark and heartbreaking. You really root for him to find happiness. This was overly long (a common pitfall with these shows) and there was some distracting shaky camera work in some of the close ups. There were also implications early on about workplace sexual harassment and possibly dubious consent in a one night stand which were dropped, leaving a bit of a sour note.  Despite that, it was overall fairly enjoyable and has one of the cutest confession scenes!

The OK

1. The K2

An ex-mercenary takes a job as a bodyguard protecting the illegitimate daughter of a politician. A sort-of Snow White retelling.

This started off really well; there are some amazing fight sequences (hello, shower room scene!) and JCW has never been hotter - its worth watching for him alone. However, the back half became really bogged down in double crosses and manipulations, and it focussed too much on the politicians. The writers did well to give these characters some layers, but they were all essentially doing bad things for the wrong reasons, and I just didn’t care about them. The show was much better when it was following K2’s journey. The romance also started off well, but was a bit underdeveloped (mainly because they barely interacted).

Actor ASI: Healer, suspicious partner, Backstreet rookie, Melting me softly

2.Bride of Habaek / Bride of the Water God

A God of the Land of Water visits the human realm to fulfil a task before ascending to his throne. He enlists the help of a ‘divine servant’, a down-on-her-luck psychiatrist.

I started this because I liked the lead actor. His baby-face can’t quite pull off the intensity needed for this role, but he was still cute as the arrogant, imperious God brought low by his circumstances - no money, house, powers or (most importantly to him) driving license. I also liked the female lead - she so desperately wanted to hide her kind, compassionate heart from a world that had battered and bruised her. There were some good individual scenes (especially the 'confession’ moment, which was just lovely), but the show ran out of steam towards the end, and ultimately felt like a waste of potential.

Actor ASI: Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo

Actress ASI: Rookie Historian

3. Her Private Life

A talented art curator tries to keep her professional persona separate from her fangirl obsession with a pop idol.

This was cute and I loved the central relationship - he was so supportive of her, and their interactions were refreshingly mature and their banter felt really natural. Ultimately, it was a bit forgettable (I’m not dying to rewatch any of it), and the last minute tacked-on childhood trauma subplot was really unnecessary.

Actress ASI: Healer, Whats wrong with secretary kim, I’ll go to you when the weather is nice.

4. Touch Your Heart

Star actress rocked by scandal works at a law firm to prepare for her comeback role

This starred the secondary couple from Goblin and I really like them, even though they are playing very different characters in this (more opposites attract, than doomed lovers). It’s a bit too ‘cutesy’ and I had to fast forward a lot of the secondary romances which I wasn’t invested in.

5. My Secret Terrius

A secret agent on the run gets embroiled in the life of his next door neighbour - a mum of young twins.

The romance in this was underwhelming; the two characters ended in a really cute place, but it felt like set up for a story I probably would have liked more than this one. In saying that, this was still a relatively enjoyable watch; the female lead was great - she was constantly underestimated as ‘just a housewife’ but she was smarter, and more determined and resourceful than the spies around her. The male lead’s interactions with the twins were adorable, and there was a good cast of supporting characters. However, I’ve already pretty much forgotten the main espionage plot!

Actor ASI: Oh My Venus

6. Lawless Lawyer

A gangster-turned-lawyer moves to Gisung to take on corruption with the help of a suspended female attorney

I liked this more at the beginning; it reminded me a bit of Itaewon Class, with a charismatic lead, an intricately plotted revenge scheme that the audience only becomes aware of as the series progresses, and a take-no-shit female lead who was introduced hitting an authority figure! However, it never really gripped me (it took me weeks to finish) and a couple of the villains were overacting and hamming it up all over the place.  But I loved the two leads, and their relationship was good, despite feeling a bit rushed. 

Actor ASI: Scarlet Heart

Actress ASI: Its ok to not be ok, Hwarang (tertiary character)

7. 1% of Something - NEW ENTRY

To gain his inheritance, an arrogant, aloof CEO has to enter into a marriage contract with a sweet primary school teacher.

I liked how streamlined this was: it was just a show about two people who fall in love despite their best intentions. There was no overly complicated plot, and even the conflict that keeps them apart towards the end felt very organic and unforced. 

She is a delightful ball of sunshine. He is a little overbearing but has his own charm. And bear with the bad haircut and appalling fashion sense - he improves at the end!

8. Melting Me Softly

Two people are accidentally cryogenically frozen for 20 years. They have to navigate the modern world and their new lives together.

Another good concept, but it ultimately descended into little more than a light work-place romance. Had a couple of good kissing scenes, but it was overall a bit forgettable.

Actor ASI: The K2, healer, suspicious partner, backstreet rookie

Actress ASI: Just Between Lovers

9. My Sassy Girl

A 'sassy’ princess meets an ambitious scholar in less than ideal circumstances…

I enjoyed the fact that this Joseon period drama focused on a Princess for a change, and not a prince. She came across as more 'obnoxious and immature’ than 'sassy’ in the beginning, but once it was made clear that she was actually a decent, kind person underneath, I soon warmed to her. I also liked the relationship with the male lead, which amounted to a pretty good enemies-to-lovers story. It took a bit of an unexpected turn right at the end, but my independent, feminine self was good with it. Overall, this was a pretty easy watch, but nothing special.

10. Hwarang

Follows a peasant who joins the newly-created Hwarang (Poet Warrior Youths in ancient Korea) to enact revenge for the death of his best friend

I enjoyed the scenes of the Hwarang hanging out and bonding - so many cute bromances in this! But I couldn’t really connect with the central story and romance, due to a major case of SLS (Second Lead Syndrome) - as much as I’m a fan of Park Seo-joon, I adore Park Hyung-sik, and I found his character, journey and relationship with the female lead much more compelling. The ending still managed to feel somewhat satisfying, but I won’t be rewatching any of it.

Actor ASI: Itaewon class, What’s wrong with secretary kim, Fight for my way

The BAD 

1. Hyde, Jekyll and Me

A woman becomes involved in the lives of 2 men, who share one body

Hyun Bin is sooo watchable in this, especially as the slick-haired, glasses-wearing, uptight Seo-Jin. And the show started well…but quickly went off the rails into a convoluted, dragged-out revenge plot. It was a bit of a slog to get through, to be honest.

Actor ASI: CLOY

2. Queen: Love and War

The long lost twin of a recently assassinated Queen assumes her identity to enter the Bridal selection to wed the resurrected King and seek revenge.

This was a bit of a mess (as you can tell from that synopsis!); it felt like the first few episodes were rushed through as a sort of ‘prologue’ before the main thrust of the story…but that prologue contained A LOT of plot with some major character revelations that were rapidly skimmed over (e.g. the female lead was introduced as having complete amnesia; but almost out of nowhere she casually mentions that she got all her memories back and now knows who she is). Because of this, it took me a while to get a sense of who the characters really were. A lot of the usual Joseon plot points played out (scheming ministers and untrustworthy queens) but it had some unique features - I especially enjoyed the bridal selection scenes and seeing the lead female outwitting her rivals in the various challenges. But ultimately, I fast forwarded a lot of this and it was pretty forgettable.

Actress ASI: Doctor Stranger. 

Actor ASI: Backstreet Rookie (secondary character)

3. Backstreet Rookie

A struggling young woman takes a part-time job at the convenience store run by her high school crush. 

I was really not a fan of this show, and probably would have stopped watching if it wasn’t for Kim Yoo-jung. Her character was really likeable - kickass, but vulnerable, and so loving and kind. You were really rooting for her throughout.  The show also had some interesting things to say about inequality (there was a lovely scene between the male leads’s parents in episode 10 touching on this theme)…but that’s about it for the positives. 

Overall, it was just too OTT and manic and most of the characters were barely more than cartoonish caricatures. One character was actually repulsive, and the fact that he got his own romantic subplot was just gross. I’m a big fan of Ji Chang-wook, but I didn’t like some of his acting choices in this, and his character spent far too long in a relationship with another woman, which meant the main romance felt underdeveloped. 

And…it ended without a kiss. I was so pissed off! I put up with 16 episodes of crap, expecting a decent pay-off at the end…but no. I wouldn’t recommend this one. 

Actress ASI: Love in the Moonlight

Actor ASI: Suspicious Partner, Healer, K2, Melting me Softly

The UNCLASSIFIABLE

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

A modern girl is transported 1000 years into the past where she becomes embroiled in the lives of the Royal Princes.

I honestly don’t know where I stand with this one! Did I love it? Did I hate it? I seriously don’t know!

I was reluctant to start this (I knew it didn’t have a happy ending) but I was told its a rite of passage for KDrama newbies to watch this show. And there were some great things about it - the male lead was amazing! So intense and tragic, with the most arresting face. The music was also GORGEOUS, as was the scenery - the whole production felt very sumptuous. The palace intrigue stuff was also more compelling than most of the other historic dramas I’ve seen. I recognised several of the Princes from other shows, and I became really invested in 3 of them…which made the constant threat of them betraying each other/killing each other AGONISING. This show was heavy on the Emotional Torture Porn, and some of it felt gratuitous, because I just didn’t understand the motivations behind some of the plot points/character’s actions.

I also wasn’t a big fan of the female lead; partly because the actress only seemed to have 2 facial expressions to work with, but partly because and any hints that she was a modern girl with modern sensibilities quickly disappeared. It was this independence and spunk that made all the princes fall for her (to varying degrees) but she lost all of that and it left me wondering why they bothered with the time travel aspect at all.

I finished the show feeling wrung out and with the overwhelming sense of “Why? What was the point of that?”

Buuuuuut…it has lingered with me - as @talenevertold said when we were discussing the show, “Nobody enjoys it in the process… but it leaves this unique bittersweet aftertaste…” and that’s absolutely true; and it probably true that this show IS a rite of passage that everyone should watch. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!

and...The MEH (i.e. DNF):

This list is getting long! I have a bit less patience with shows than I did in the beginning - there are so many to get through, so I’m not willing to waste my time on anything that either doesn’t grip me from a story perspective, is far too slow, has mediocre acting and/or is too soapy.

Master’s sun

Tale of Nokdu

The Heirs

Meow, the Secret Boy

Love Alarm

One Spring Night

Suits

Chocolate 

Doctor Stranger 

The scholar who walks the night 

If I’ve made a heinous mistake by dropping any of these - get in touch and plead the case for why i should give them another chance!

[autumnblogs]

Day 46: Failure to Launch

https://homestuck.com/story/5512

Eridan is the Other Hero of Hope. Since we’re opening on a new leg of the story, and Jake is directly being confronted by Eridan in this way, we should expect to draw some parallels between Jake and Eridan, just like we have between Equius and Dave for examples.

Sollux is there too, but I’m not entirely clear how he relates to Jake. Maybe I’ll have an idea. More after the break.

https://homestuck.com/story/5514

Immediately struck by the similarity between the way that Dirk and Vriska have the same sort of desperate, rambling, conciliatory style in their attempts to remediate perceived division between themselves and people who they want to court; whether it’s Vriska attempting to repair her “friendship” with Aradia, or Dirk trying to navigate his floundering relationship with Jake.

Maybe I’m just projecting.

https://homestuck.com/story/5516

Jake’s perverse enjoyment of Erisolsprite’s suffering, if it can be called perverse and not just empty-headed, recalls John’s similar attitude toward’s Karkat’s trolling, so I wonder if they can’t be compared? Maybe Erisol here is acting as a foil for Jake by externalizing his own thought processes.

Jake in particular seems to attract these kinds of mirrors, a magnet for prophetic insight and knowledge he shouldn’t have access to, so his reaction is probably more of his pageish willful ignorance - trying not to internalize information that he doesn’t want to acknowledge just yet.

If anybody is qualified to recognize emotional theatrics, it’s probably Eridan.

Sollux really helps to mediate Eridan’s unmitigated narcissism with his resigned apathy, so if nothing else, that’s probably why he’s in the mix.

https://homestuck.com/story/5523

We can compare Jane to two different characters here in terms of her weariness with Jake. Just as we can compare Jake to Rufioh AND to Eridan, we can compare Jane to Damara AND Feferi.

Comparing these kids’ long session of Sburb both to the long session of the Dancestors, and to their exhausting echo chamber of afterlife, we should expect that they have already had basically all the conversations they are capable of having; without introducing any new information to this session, all the combinations have more or less been tried - like exhausting all of the dialogue options in a video game.

They’ve already tried every compatible configuration they can at this time. The atoms no longer come together to form them.

The way Jane listens to Jake is like a gamer who accidentally initiated unskippable tutorial dialogue and is mashing the A button to skip to the end of the conversation.

Her exhaustion with Jake is the same as Feferi’s exhaustion with Eridan; trying to moderate the emotional theatrics of a desperate self-destructive romantic. Her exhaustion with Jake is the same as Damara’s exhaustion with Damara; affection ultimately colored by ennui and exasperation with a friend whose betrayal has permanently harmed their ability to trust each other.

Again, Jane is not entitled to Jake; but he is also plainly willfully ignorant about her feelings if we are to believe his encounter with Brain Ghost Dirk to be representative of his general ability to intuit but not acknowledge the truth.

https://homestuck.com/story/5533

The presence of Fefeta ties the comparison between Jane -> Jake and Eridan -> Feferi together nicely.

https://homestuck.com/story/5535

The unbearable Ennui of just waiting and waiting around for the conditions of life to be right so that you can move on from a place that is depressing and unbearable are very Aradia-esque, too, and generally feel like the set the tone for this whole half of the adventure actually. Or at least this quarter.

Everyone is forced by the narrative to wait, and reflect, and gazing into your reflection can be an intensely uncomfortable experience for those with unresolved suffering.

https://homestuck.com/story/5553

Caliborn opens his attempts at Friendship with Jane by mixing praise and insult in a way that makes me think of a really shitty pickup artist.

He still only really views other people as vehicles for his personal gratification, and for women in particular.

https://homestuck.com/story/5554

Caliborn’s language associates Reason and Logic with masculinity, drawing a parallel between him and Dirk.

https://homestuck.com/story/5568

Ready for an extraordinarily weird take? According to the context clues you can pick up from the epistles, while he was a prisoner in Rome awaiting trial, the Apostle Paul (the main guy after Jesus responsible for the spread of Christianity) became extraordinarily popular, and convinced a lot of the courtiers of the Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, including his own jailors.

I recalled this at this moment for serendipitous reasons. Dad’s civil manner endears him to the Dersites. His fatherly charm is irresisitible to them. Could this guy kick all their asses? Absolutely he could. But he is just too civil.

Although the Draconian Dignitary still only really performs Dad’s particularly brand of Fatherly Amicability in his particular... Draconian Way.

https://homestuck.com/story/5571

Some of the rare insight we get into the inner life of the Condesce.

She is just as much of a child as her pre-scratch self, even in adulthood - emotionally stunted in a manner not unlike her boss.

https://homestuck.com/story/5579

Roxy’s fanfiction, aside from being a delightful bit of commonality connection between her and her mutual mother/daughter, seems to foreshadow Caliborn’s eventual shitty parody of Homestuck, Homosuck, with the Horse Accident in particular being the obvious point, but the nature of it as a story about wizards trapped in a story about more fictional wizards alludes to the layered narrative world of Homestuck.

Characters who are fictional from one frame of reference are quite real from another frame of reference. Wizardy Herbert is mostly a sign-post, like a lot of the metafictional stuff, to help allude to the idea that the narrative has an author, the author has an agenda, and we should be suspicious of it.

https://homestuck.com/story/5616

Surprisingly, I don’t have a lot to say about Calliope! I have a bit more to say about her brother, but I hardly need to say it in response to any one thing that he does.

Calliope is really the polar opposite of her brother, but I think she is still suspect, particularly the alternate version of her, but even this version of her. Cherubs are more different from humans and trolls than they are from each other by far, and while Calliope sounds wise because of the way she speaks, her apparent wisdom often hides more than a little foolishness.

Cherubs are born to power. It is their literal Birthright to travel the stars and govern civilizations. Calliope’s interests may be aligned with the kids’ interests, but I am not sure they can ever be the same.

https://homestuck.com/story/5626

We’ll begin here tomorrow.

For now, Cam signing off, Alive, but somewhat dried up. This winter low humidity is really fuckin’ me up.

[tskshmk]

Visions of the Heart || Blind!Tsukishima AU [Fanfiction] (Female!reader)

Synopsis: Everyone knows the fives senses: hearing, touch, smell, taste, and sight. The ability to see is not a privilege that Tsukishima gets to experience, but there is one thing that makes up for his visual impairment — you. Along the way, he might even find a sixth sense. 

Chapter Index

Chapter 1: Best Friends

Tsukishima has dealt with seeing darkness his whole life. In other words, he was born without the ability to see. He has never seen his mother's face, or his father's, or even his older brother's face. He knows the smell of his house and the feel of his bed. He knows the clicking sound of a keyboard and the taste of the strawberry shortcake from his favorite local café. He knew everything about anything he could sense without his sight. Y/n, his best friend, was one of those things; He would never admit to it, but Tsukishima could name everything about her–from her favorite color to her deepest secrets. He didn't need to see her face to know her words were honest and raw, nor did he need his sight to know that she was beautiful.

And dear God, she was so beautiful.

The contagiousness of her laugh, the way her arm linked with his wherever they went, and the smell of the vanilla perfume he bought her once for her birthday; all of these made Y/n seem so incredible to Tsukishima. And now, the feeling of her hands playing with his hair felt so blissful that he prayed she would never stop. 

"The stars look so lovely tonight," she whispered to him, continuing to caress his hair.

"They sure do."

"Do you want me to describe them to you?"

"Why? I can see them perfectly fine."

A chuckle escaped her throat. His sarcastic and aloof demeanor were some of Y/n's favorite things about her best friend. It's one of the countless things about him that made her heart feel like it was fluttering out of her ribcage and into his hands. Just like Tsukishima, Y/n knew her best friend so well that she could write a book on his biography without his help.

As she describes the stars in a way she hoped Tsukishima could understand, her thought subconsciously drift to the first time they met. It was a dull first meeting, but it was a moment that they never thought would have blossomed into a friendship neither one could live without.

Y/n's toddler feet rushed to the swing set, her favorite part of the playground. Her mother trailed shortly behind her, taking notice of the mother and son that also occupied the swing set. It was the first time that Y/n had ever seen someone with blond hair, and it was also the first time she had seen someone who was blind. She didn't know that yet, though.

Her mother watched her hop onto the swing next to the blond boy, her tiny 6-year-old body hanging above the ground. Her mother began to push her, sending her higher and higher into the vibrant blue sky. As she giggled with joy, her mother and the boy's mother began to converse about their children and how different they were. Y/n, who was excitable and easily entertained, contrasted entirely from Tsukishima, a calm and indifferent personality. He swung at a less intense velocity compared to the girl next to him and listened to her laugh, his curiosity of the girl growing more and more. 

Tsukishima and Y/n hadn't spoken the day they met, but they were to be met with each other constantly after that day in the park. Soon after their first meeting, Y/n learned that he was unable to see, confusing the child at such a young age. Eventually, she grew used to his disability, even doing her own research as she grew older to learn how to best accommodate the boy she grew so fond of. 

Their friendship was not an easy one to form. Throughout most of their elementary school lives, they remained acquaintances and only hung out when their mothers found the time to see each other. The blond boy kept himself close off from others to avoid being asked trivial questions that he didn't have real answers to, such as "Why can't you see?" and, "If you're blind, why do you still go to school here?" He found himself only answering these questions when she asked them, knowing that Y/n wasn't the type to judge his incapability. In fact, Y/n was the only one that Tsukishima didn't completely ignore. She was nice to him no matter how cold and brooding his attitude was, plus he was essentially obligated to speak to her because of their mothers' friendship. 

It wasn't until middle school when they decided to hang around each other a little longer, making conversations that lasted more than half an hour or so. Y/n started walking home with him after their club activities, and Tsukishima shockingly began asking her to come over or go to stores with him. It was nice for each of them to have a polar opposite best friend, seeing as there was a balance that they brought each other. The level-headed, sarcastic introvert found himself making jokes at the expense of Y/n's ears, earning a booming laugh and grin he wished he could see. The expressive and loud character that was Y/n developed a level of patience that was only active when Tsukishima was present. In a way, it was like she was a light as bright as the Sun, slowly but surely melting away the thick, icy walls Tsukishima sheltered himself in. Conversely, he was the rain that trickled onto the flames of her wildfire, extinguishing not her beloved warmth, but rather the smoke that was to be endured after the flames. 

A comfortable silence fell over them after Y/n finished her attempt at describing the white lights above them, her eyes trailing down to look at Tsukishima's angelic facial features. It's a shame that he'll never see how handsome he really is, Y/n thought. His skin was so incredibly clear that she was almost jealous. The messy tousle of his hair was soft to the touch, and his lips— God, his lips— looked so sweet against his moonlight-colored skin. At times like this when she admired him, She was thankful he couldn't see the blood rushing to her cheeks, painting them a deep shade of pink. 

She tried to shake away the thoughts of adoration, but Y/n couldn't help herself. Her best friend was extremely gorgeous, quick-witted, and hilarious, but he was just that: Her best friend. Whatever it was that she felt for him, she didn't want it to ruin the memories they had, the secrets they shared, or the nights they spent, such as this one. Their friendship meant the entire world to this teenage girl, and the last thing she needed was to be rejected by her favorite confidant. A tap was felt on her hand.

"What are you thinking about?"

After thinking for a moment, Y/n replies.

"You."

The flirtatious tone in Y/n voice earned a scoff and a light smack on her hand in reply. "Be serious. What's your tiny brain thinking of?" Tsukishima asked yet again.

"Rude!"

"Well?"

"Well right now, I'm thinking about how cold this place is. How is it that we've come to this spot nearly every week for the past year and I always forget to bring a blanket?"

He let out a breathy laugh, a sound Y/n wouldn't mind listening to for the rest of her life. "I told you, it's because of your tiny brain."

"You never remind me!"

"I don't remember saying I would do such a thing!"

"That what best friends do, dumbass."

"Hm. Right."

Tension filled their bodies as sound of the term reached each of their ears. Best friends. That was all they were. Best friends that spent every moment they could in each other's presence. Best friends that dreamed about what each other’s lips tasted like. Best friends that felt the incessant flutter of butterflies at the mere thought of one another. Best friends that let their touches linger for much longer than truly necessary. 

If that's what best friends were, then they were the absolute best of friends.

[capricornus-rex]

Hi! I just watched isi & ossi (rich girl and poor boxer boy AH) on netflix and now i cant stop thinking about cal and fake dating. Do with that what you will😂

I actually watched it the moment I got this ask! First 20mins in and I already know how it’s gonna go hahaha 😅😆 Confession: I didn’t finish the film. I stopped at the part where Isi walked out on her parents in that museum scene. Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy the coming chapters of this fic! 💕🥰

“Playing Pretend”

Cal Kestis x Reader

Next: Part 2 | Masterlist

1 of ?

One would assume that everything in Alderaan were peaceful and perfect, however, another would beg to differ. Every lavish party, every sophisticated conference, or every single resident dressed with all the glamour in every thread of their clothing is proof of a luxurious, prosperous life.

Except for you. The young, free-spirited only child of Governor Sohan Torvel and Yasina Elvas. Despite giving simply anything and everything that you would ever want, you’re not satisfied with the things that have made you the cause of envy among your peers.

Indeed, you may move with a regal, youthful grace—thanks to the private tutors that groomed you according to your mother’s bidding (and payment)—but this princess façade was only Yasina’s fantasy. You have a different calling.

You took your lessons seriously and diligently, excelling in some areas that further impressed the tutors and parents; your best advantage being the vast knowledge of politics—both clean and dirty—thanks to your family background.

But you’d rather spend the day hiking, rock-climbing, and even roaming the city without an escort—at the command of your father. In your teenage years, you’ve grown familiar with the city after traversing rooftop to rooftop with an acrobatic fluidity. You’ve turned yourself invisible from the eyes of your father’s hired bodyguards—whom you familiarized yourself with—perhaps your only lacking skill is combat, since you stayed away from trouble more than you should find it.

You’ve heard talks about your father, Sohan, was eyeing political bonds that would prove to be advantageous to him, but of course, no such exchange exists with only one party giving out. The family was discussing this over dinner.

“So, [y/n],” Sohan cleared his throat in their wide dining hall that it echoed. “How are your lessons coming along?”

“Swimmingly,” you replied with a dry smile.

“Well, darling, I’m sure you would love to share the news with everyone,” Yasina subtly initiated.

Immediately, you realized that there is something your parents are either planning to do or have done already and are just announcing it now.

Your gut feeling was heavy, as if an anchor inside your stomach had suddenly dropped—something isn’t right. There’s something that your parents aren’t telling you prior to tonight. You hate it when they do that.

You alternately looked at your parents left and right.

“What? What is it?”

“I’ve decided to apply as Senator. If I emerge victorious, we can either stay in our estate in Coruscant or here but I will be in the Senate Palace most of the time,”

You exhaled through your nostrils, managed a smile. “That’s great, Dad,”

“Thank you, sweetie. I’m glad I have your support,”

The joy was immediately cut off with your sharp wit. A knack that your mother disliked because it usually kills the mood and subsequently uncovers a nasty truth.

“With an expensive move like this, I assumed you searched for sponsors to aid your campaign. And obviously, whomever sponsor that is, it’s only natural they require something in exchange, don’t they?”

The couple’s collective smiles melted as soon as their daughter pointed out a very tiny loophole in the agenda. In terms of deals such as these, you weren’t dumb to not notice the pattern.

“Actually, in four days’ time we’ll be having a banquet—as a way of thanks and gratitude to my sponsor,”

“I don’t think a banquet is enough of a repayment of their generosity and willingness to help you, Dad,”

Yasina somehow sensed what you were trying to squeeze out of your father. For some reason, Sohan was also dodging your questions—or answering them with a statement that is out of the intended context.

You gave up in pressing your father further on giving you a name, or at least a hint on who it might be.

I guess I’m finding out for myself at the party then. You thought to yourself, picking away the rest of your dinner with the prong of your fork.

“[y/n], honey, please don’t play with your food,” your mother lightly scolds.

You shot a look at her—a signature downward-tilting angle of the head with your indifferent sneer. However, she had her counterattack: her jaw stiffened and her fingers curled inward, slowly clenching into a fist. That didn’t seem to scare you—at least now at your age.

“Eat your food. That is not how young noblewomen touch their food,”

“I’m not hungry anymore,” you mumbled, wiping your mouth. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Dinner ended with an awkward note. After your mother lightly scolding you which nearly became a war of words, you left the table and marched to the hallway to your bedroom.

As soon as you found refuge in your room, you inner sanctum, the holotable was the first thing you approached and then touched. It took a few seconds before the projection of Tazha—your childhood friend, the only true friend that you ever had all these years as a matter of fact—fizzled and crackled into clarity.

“Tazha,”

“Oh hey, [y/n],”

Tazha was your polar opposite. She was the preppy—kind of ditzy yet endearing—girl. Meanwhile, you were the adventurous one who didn’t mind getting her hands dirty or her nails chipped after hiking a hill or climbing a waterfall’s rock wall. Nevertheless, she was your friend—the one who stayed by your side while everybody else envied you, talked behind your back, and scorned you for being the child of the elite.

“Ohh, I know that tone of voice, [y/n],”

Silence from your end.

“Another party?”

“Another party.”

She squealed in excitement. Tazha’s family and yours have been working collaboratively—that was a bonus in your friendship, another bonus is that for every public function or gathering that either family held, the other family is written into the guestlist by default.

You let Tazha in on the details regarding your father’s campaign and the party that will be held to commemorate the generosity and new partnership he’s celebrating with his sponsor.

“You have any idea on who the sponsor is?”

“I was hoping I’d get that answer from you, Tazha,”

“Well,” she sighed pensively. “You know how I do. I still have to time it right for Papa to get the invitation or bring up the party.”

You sighed so deeply that Tazha cracked a joke about it.

“Jeez. Sigh any louder and we don’t need this holotable to converse,”

“Ha-ha. Very funny, Taz,”

“Oh alright,” she whined. “Another thing about the party is bothering you, huh?”

“He didn’t mention who the sponsor was,”

“Ever heard about the element of surprise?”

Tazha was understanding to lend a listening ear for you to rant away. She had quite strong counterarguments, albeit being simple one-liners. As your good friend, she tried to calm you down; talking you out of it so that you could get your mind off of it.

“Just lie down and relax. Get some sleep, stay hydrated, and don’t think about it too much—if you can, okay?”

“Okay,” you muttered in defeat, knowing that Tazha was right one way or another.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, hun,”

“Yeah, see you,”

She blew a kiss before her holoprojection faded into thin air. You retreated to your bed. You couldn’t sleep, but you know one thing that might cheer you up and ease your nerves.

[kokorowoutsu-a]

-- Drabble: Mother & Daughter

‘Ashelia.’ Looking up from where she was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, Ashe found herself looking to see Morgan watching her. “You never use my full name unless i’m in big trouble in that exact tone.” She was rigid, and so was Logan who was laying beside her.

‘Did you do something to land yourself in trouble?’ Morgan questioned in amusement. “Uh... Besides ‘pstpstpst’ing Dad and getting a smack to the back of the head?... No.” Coughing, she goes back to typing on her laptop. “What’s up?”

Morgan moves then to sit beside her daughter, pulling the remainder of the blanket that was being used over her legs and dress, summoning her cup of tea with Teleport and sipping at it. That had Ashe anxious and tense, but she continued to type out a report on the new baby pokemon for files at the Absol Sanctuary.

‘... Around this time of year, you get a bit melancholy is all. I was... concerned.’ There were multiple reasons Ashe always acted hyperactive, pushing away the sadness with what energy she would save up and then release all at once, but she never said why. Not even straightforward to her own father, nor N, nor Juno -- only Logan and Morgan knew.

“I’ll have my moment on Yuletide Day to go and visit the graves that Spectrier has. I... I hope he won’t mind if I spend a little time just contemplating about her.” The legendary pokemon just wanted to be left alone -- Ashe knew this, but this happened every year like clockwork for the last ten years. She would disappear for several hours on Yuletide Day when no one was looking and go and just sit somewhere where ghost pokemon gathered -- a place where the veil of this world met the next and take a special photo album with her, as well as several person affects and just... talk to them.

It gave her hope and it gave her peace of mind. It also was the one time of the year where she allowed herself to cry and mourn the loss of that special person even after ten years of her being gone.

‘I am sure Spectrier will understand.’ Morgan reassured. ‘He, too, mourns like every other being.’ She reassures her daughter. ‘... And I am sure Miss Victoria is looking forward to you telling her about your growth this year. Everything you’ve accomplished, and will accomplish in the following year.’ Just hearing her Grandmother’s name was hard, but with a swift movement of Morgan’s hand, she brought some of her hair down to cover around her eyes. ‘Cry if you must. No one is around right now.’

A shake of her head was given. “I’ll be fine.” With that said, her voice was shaky, and Logan was watching her with mixed emotions. “... Can we change the subject?”

‘Yes.’ Morgan pauses as she watches her daughter close her laptop and set it aside, moving to pet Logan’s head and around his ears. “I got a bone to pick about this year too.” She admits with a sigh. ‘Oh?’ A sip of the tea. “How is it the edgiest of my brothers lands a boyfriend and while i’m aware that someone is looking my way... I’m not ready for that relationship -- that finality just yet. I want my first romance to be super awesome.” Ashe is pouting now. “Someone who wants to go on adventures and who’s the polar opposite of me... and yet can deal with someone like me. Also... y’know... fangs and pretty eyes are a must.”

Morgan can only sigh, but there’s amusement there. Eventually, it would be likely that out of a necessity to keep themselves grounded, Ashe would choose N to be by her side -- but not yet. Both still had a long way to go. ‘You could take Spirit Adney’s offer up on that date with that gym leader.’ Ashe huffs at that. “I don’t want it to be because he’s owed. I want it to be earned on my own terms!” 

Oh too be young.

Reaching up to rest a hand on her daughter’s head, she pulls her over and touches her forehead to Ashe’s. Their eyes close, and an exchange of breath is given. ‘I know Yuletide Eve is a romantic day for most couples, as is the coming lighting of Wyndon... but you’ll have your friends.’ She pulls back, looking her daughter in the eye now. ‘Be patient, and let that be enough. Someday you’ll find that person.’ And gentle petting ensues of Ashe’s hair. Ashe knew that would be the answer -- it always was, but sometimes... “I’m tired of waiting around. What if my prince charming is in a gods be damned tree? I need to go save his ass!”

Laughter broke out from Morgan unexpectedly. ‘Well, if that is the case, then... I do wonder why he would be stuck in a tree unless a Mightyena chased him up there or the like.’

“Puh.” Ashe laughs to herself. “... Or maybe Dad brought out his Mace.”

‘Or your Grandfather brought out the electricity.’

“Aunt Aestas with the ice.”

‘Your Uncle Desire with his machinations if he’s truly a dragon-type user.’

“Aw man... Guess i’m not dating a dragon-type user then, huh?” She sighs, defeated at this point.

‘Hmm... Well, I can only hope that whomever wins your hand for your first true romance treats you right, because gods have mercy on his soul if he breaks your heart.’ Her aura flared up a bit at that point.

“Mom... Mom, seriously. It’ll be fine.” She reassures. “I mean if a Human can charm a God and you, a Fae Queen, can charm a Winged Prince of literal Hell... then... I guess I can charm anyone I want if I try hard enough?”

‘Hmm... Not exactly.’ With a look over at Morgan, a smile formed. ‘Be yourself. That’s the most important thing to remember when pursuing love.’ A timer went off in the kitchen then, resulting in Morgan making a soft sigh and getting to her feet. ‘Well, i’ll leave you to your baby boom paperwork. Try not to stay up too late.’

“Aye. Night, Mom.” With that, both went back to as they had been, but not before sharing a look and a smile and Ashe stretching, “Yoooosh! Let’s get this done, Log’!”

“Nyaaro!”

[saikostories]

MHA - Aesthetic (T)

They stood on the beach. A smile stretched wide on their faces. Freckles contorted, a pale rose like blush covering his cheeks. The ash-blond stared longingly at the greenette. It was a casual relationship, non-committal. A date every so often, a makeout session and occasional sex. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more. Yet the pair of rivals had fallen for the other’s polar opposite attitude. Pride got in the way of the aggressive boy’s confession and worry came in the way of the timid boy’s confession. Dagobah municipal beach, Midoriya’s happiest memories were made here. Training for a quality he yearned for, a solution to an abusive issue. Where he finally got to feel the love of a proud father. They stopped at the midpoint of the beach, crimson eyes met emerald green.

That’s when the words slipped from his lips “Be mine, be my boyfriend.” Another happy memory on the sand, the grainy flooring he had come to love.

Coarse, grainy sand smothered between his toes. The itching of the dry and trodden grains that stuck in his shorts, no matter how hard he tried to dust it off. Tears cascaded down his cheeks. His once happy and contagious smile replaced with a repressed expression that he had forgotten since he had joined the prestigious school. He felt like that small, meek, useless boy again. He felt like a true Deku. The overwhelming feeling of impending danger fell on him as if his lungs were about to collapse. Short and shallow breaths followed. Green haired and heartbroken, that oppressed feeling of darkness, a place he had forgotten had overcome him. His melancholy thoughts were overridden by rage. He was angry. Angry at the world. Angry at the betrayal of one of his friends. Inraged at his cheating asshole of an ex-boyfriend.

Weeks passed by. Midoriya and Bakugou’s relationship had become nothing more than a six-month-long fling. The class dismissed the fact that the arrogant ash-blond had an affair with his best friend no less. Kirishima’s grin hadn’t faltered since the beginning of his newfound relationship. I̶z̶u̶k̶u̶'̶s̶  Deku’s stomach tumbled and his eyes burned, vision blurred as he caught sight of K̶a̶c̶c̶h̶a̶n̶'̶s̶  Bakugou’s hand in Kirishima’s. That stewing and bubbling of white-hot rage that boiled in the pit of his stomach, a new yet comforting emotion. They had never done that. Even when they were “official”. The crimson eyed boy detested hand holding yet here he was with his new love, hand in hand, soft smiles that made Midoriya sick.

Midoriya’s weekend schedule was no longer busy. The dates that used to fill his calendar with pink hearts that were coloured in with cheap highlighter were nowhere to be seen on his All Might calendar. Sleep was no longer a necessity as the nighttime seemed to be the voices turn to lash him with hurtful words and intrusive thoughts. No one batted an eye at the freckled boy’s deteriorating health. The nights he’d skipped dinner to avoid seeing them, he steered clear of the cafeteria for the same reason. He couldn’t stomach the sight of those two together. 3:00 am was flashing in red on the All Might themed alarm clock. A bout of insomnia had hit him like a freit train, his head screamed at him. Useless. Quirkless. Defenceless. A real Deku. Not Dekiru. No longer a positive “you can do it!” from his best friend but, a quirkless nobody who was nothing but a waste of space. Lifting the clock off the desk, a silver blade shimmered in the moonlight. Removing the tape off his masked razor, he drew the silver against his pale, freckled arms. Beads of red seeped out of his already scarred arms. Marks and scars marred his delicate skin. Reminders of his past and present teenage hurt.

Long sleeve in the summer became a common occurrence. His class didn’t bother to question it. It was as if he didn’t exist anymore. Did he swap quirks with Hagakure? Was he the invisible one? A reward was given to 1-A, a beach day. To congratulate them for surviving from one too many villain attacks throughout the year. Worry and judgement clouded his thoughts. A beach meant swimming, which inevitably ended in a revealing swimsuit. Fear that his scars would be revealed to the world, to his class. He let his anxious thoughts crawl under his skin like an unwanted ant infestation. Beach day arrived sooner than he thought. Aizawa-sensei was there along with Mic-sensei and Midnight-sensei. His unbridled anxiety soared through the roof as he removed his long sleeve top. ‘Ignored, invisible’ he thought, his class didn’t seem to notice his evergrowing collection of self-made scars on his arms. Forgetting the existence of his teachers and their horrified expressions as they witnessed his gallery of burn marks and self-inflicted wounds that wrapped around his arms and torso. Quickly lathering sunscreen on his arms and body, he hopped into the ocean and attempted to enjoy the trip.

That feeling had returned. A taste of bile filled his mouth, a pit grew in his stomach akin an intense wave of never-ending sadness. He couldn’t bear to hear their cheerful laughs, they had forgotten about him. He was nothing. He was no one. Despite that wave of sudden intense emotions, it felt right. It felt right to not exist. It felt right to just disappear. His want of a sudden disappearance had intensified as Bakugou and Kirishima had decided to have a full-blown makeout session in front of his eyes. Rays of sun hit his back, he looked down at the ocean blue, so deep and loving. He wanted to leave. He wanted to disappear. He wanted death to open her arms and give a welcoming hug because that was the one place he would fit in. By death’s side. The depth of the water was ever intriguing. He wanted to reach the bottom and never surface. So he complied with the urge. Diving deep into the cool and attentive arms of the ocean. He forgets about the surface. Black spots arriving in his vision as death was about to take him back home.

Moments had passed yet he never once saw the reaper, he felt his eyes peel open as he violently coughed out water. He had failed. Pushing himself upright, he sees that his teachers and classmates had surrounded him. Seething rage took over. After ignoring him, acting as if he didn’t exist, as if he disappeared, they finally cared when he tried to do the one thing they wanted out of the emerald-eyed boy.

Aizawa spoke up, asking him in a stern and commanding tone. “Midoriya, why did you do that?” Why had he tried to disappear? Why he couldn’t have one thing he wanted in his life? He trembled, everyone, expected the boy to burst out in tears like he usually would at any form of adversity. Anger that once settled in his stomach flew up to his vocal cords.

A malicious chuckle left his mouth, widened eyes around him. “Why?” it stared off meek and timid. “ WHY? ” His tone and volume intensified into something hair-raising. “ Everywhere I look, no matter where I am, I can never get the one thing I ever wanted. ” Classmates looked at him with dismissive eyes and the teachers with unidentified worry. That day, his former friends berated him for his selfishness and jealousy. Past their hurtful words and heartfelt insults stood three worried and clueless teachers alongside a certain half-and-half boy who feared for the reckless boy’s mental and physical health.

Scars only grew faster after the incident. He took the liberty of crossing out his bucket list early. His heart soared when he sky-dived for the first and last time. A real smile came to his face when he fulfilled his dream of getting a provisional hero license. He had taken a scuba diving class to see the wonders of the ocean. The thrill of bungee jumping. He felt less useless when he donated blood. His once dull and bleak weekends that were filled with intrusive and borderline suicidal thoughts were filled with joy in his last few weeks on this earth. His last wish on his bucket list was more illegal than the rest. A previous pipe-dream that could be possible with the help of a student in the gen-ed course. To drink and to get a tattoo on a drunken night out with his most trusted friend.

To say the least, Shinsou was shocked to see Midoriya at his dorm room holding a tattoo gun. Despite his confusion, Shinsou noticed the dark bags under his eyes and the red puffiness that comes after a hell of a lot of crying. He knew he could use some of the liquor he kept to ease him to sleep some nights when sleep never came to him. After two cups of god knows what was in his cup, the green-haired boy was drunk enough to have told the indigo boy of all of his problems. The cheating, the overwhelming need to disappear and completing his bucket list so he could end his life on his terms. Hitoshi sat there, sober and shocked. Before he could say anything, the freckled boy pulled out the tattoo gun and asked the insomniac to tattoo whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted. He decides to put it on his right collarbone, “PEACH PIT, WHERE’D THE HOURS GO?” in bold cursive letters. They both laughed the night away, it was the first time in a long time that Midoriya didn’t feel like Deku, he felt like Dekiru when he was around the indigo boy. His ironic lavender smelling body that lulled them both to sleep. Never once did what the emerald-eyed boy said left the insomniac’s mind, he held the smaller boy close and snuggled into the smell of his vanilla shampoo.

Laughing at last week’s memories was what he did whilst writing all his Letters. He had so many to write. One for his whole class to explain why he had done what he was planning to do. One to 1-A’s favourite power-couple telling them what he was put through at the hands of their hedonistic affair. One to Iida and Uraraka, thanking them for being his first friends after a decade of isolation and questioning why they acted like he didn’t exist.  One to Mei, thanking her for her countless upgrades to a costume he had come to love, with an additional apology that he won’t be using it anymore. One to Aizawa, reassuring him that his death was not his fault and that he wanted this and thanking him for actually being a great teacher in comparison to his middle school teachers. One for All Might with nothing but a bundle of his hair and a small note. One to Todoroki, thanking him for being one of his guiding lights in his darkest days, telling him not to abandon his fire and to nurture it as his own, to proclaim that he had loved the boy and for him to go to Shinsou after his death. Of course one for Shinsou, thanking him for everything, for the late-night drinks and the funny tattoo that he loved, confessing that he would never be a villain and that the unbridled love that he harboured for both him and the dual-quirk wielder. That night, he managed to get a good night sleep as to soothe his cramped hand.

He wishes he was taller so the view from the roof of heights alliance looked less daunting. In nothing but his pyjama bottoms, torso exposed for the world to see. He nervously traces the tattoo on his collar bone. He was excited for the drop. To finally be free, to be home. Cold tiles on his bare feet, he brought his body to the edge. He could finally be free. Finally, fit in. Be one with the stars.

Dry-eyed and tired, the man sat at the desk grading papers. The back of his mind raced as he remembered the beach incident from a few weeks ago. He felt a migraine coming on whilst marking Ashido's then Kaminari’s quiz and giving both of them a D. They both barely passed. Short-lived relief washed over him as the next paper he was grading was Iida’s. Checking the newly installed cameras, the greasy teacher noticed a figure standing dangerously close to the edge. A short boy with wild, curly hair and broad shoulders. Midoriya.

Opening the roof door gently as not to startle the boy who stood on the ledge. A soft call of his name, followed by a softer hum, his back still turned to the teacher. The ravenette took out his phone, opened the staff chat. A cryptic message was sent, “Come to the roof. Check cameras. No all might.” Aizawa worried for the resident problem child, he couldn’t stomach the thought of a student of his taking their own life in front of his eyes. The student spoke softly 

“Aizawa-sensei, please let me do this. I left you a letter explaining everything. Please let me jump.” Never before in his 31 years of life had the man heard something so heartbreaking. The freckled boy had come to terms with death, he voice never wavered with fear nor did it break with sadness. It was just soft and subtly reassuring.

The boy danced on the edge as if life and death was an intricate yet careless ballet routine. Soft, happy chuckles left his body. He couldn’t help but to be happy. Confusion clouded the homeroom teacher’s mind. His student twirling on the fine line between the living and the dead. Two other teachers had joined his side, a cockatoo-like teacher who was abnormally quiet and the sadistic teacher wearing sweatpants paired with an oversized tee, very different from her usual style. “Little listener, can you come away from the edge?” the blond spoke gently, hand sweating nervously. It was so strange for the green-haired boy to hear his teacher acting so differently.

Midnight wind swept through the air, moonlight shone down on the four, when the greenette spoke, “I’m sorry. Please take the letters from my room, hand them out. Don’t be sad. Smile for me, okay? ”

Closer to the edge. Shouts from the teachers fell on deaf ears. Arms spread out, hands to the air and a real smile on his face. A real laugh left his lips, loud and cheerful. “Don’t miss me too much.” He leaned back and let the wind take him.

The wind flew through his hair, eyes closed he saw a woman with a motherly smile and a mole under her bottom lip, “Don’t worry Ninth, you did so well. We’re all so proud of you.” There stood six other people, welcoming their ninth user with nothing but love.

That was where he belonged, with them. With their love. He couldn’t wait to join them.

The trio of teachers looked over the edge. It seemed so surreal like time was slowing down. They saw his warm smile. Their dams broke as tears rushed down their cheeks. The rest of the staff were too far to reach him. His body falling through the air. As if he belonged there, to fly and be free. Nezu never really understood human emotions until now, his ears flopped down as he and the rest of the staff cried together. The erasure hero threw his capture weapon over the edge, to catch his beloved problem child.

Finally, Midoriya “Deku” Izuku was free.

-

A quiet day had come. Birds chirped in the cold morning breeze, trees gently swayed to the soft rhythm of the wind. It was a normal day for 1-A, the class president took the liberty to run around the dorm to wake everyone up for breakfast. He skipped past a certain freckled boy’s door as if it was a vacant room waiting for someone to move in. They lived without his existence. Like every other day. Loud shouts from the kitchen, Bakugou and Kaminari arguing whether the milk or the cereal goes first, the ash-blond’s boyfriend holding him back to avoid any unnecessary casualties. They were oblivious to last night's events, all except for one.

Bags under their sensei’s eyes were heavier than anything they had ever seen. Red and puffy, the class presumed it was quirk usage, a drawback. Just another long night of grading papers or maybe a long patrol, he was just tired . Aizawa was distraught. Every time he blinked or dared to close his eyes, there was his student, his problem child, sprawled out on the pavement. Arms and legs contorted unnaturally, crimson red juxtapose to the stark grey pavement, a soft yet haunting smile that ghosted the boy’s face. Empty, dull emerald orbs tormented him, telling him of his failure as a hero. How could he save his problem child from villains but couldn't protect the freckled boy from his inner demons. Midoriya’s penmanship, a rushed, scraggly form of cursive, the letter plagued the ravenette’s mind. A pointed gaze directed at his students, something ugly building up inside, he felt nauseous at the sight of them.

A hand shot up from a desk at the back of the class, the heterochromatic boy’s usual calm and emotionless tone was long forgotten, the voice filled with concern and worry “Aizawa-sensei, where is Izuku?” Silence was a weighted blanket that lay upon the class until whispers of “where’s Midoriya?” and “I haven’t seen him in weeks!” erupted. The pro hero’s heart squeezed, not here, he couldn’t fall apart right here. Voice strong with a slightly distressed undertone and a high held head, he spoke: “I can’t answer that, sorry.” The once quiet class had gone back to their loud and obnoxious conversations, the distaste for his students growing stronger by the second. Next period comes faster than expected, their English teacher shared the same shattered expression. His bubbly personality was nowhere to be seen. Before the class starts, Aizawa takes the dual-quirk wielder to another class.

Incessant foot-tapping, rapid pen clicking. Ectoplasm’s explanation on quadratic equations fell on deaf ears. No notifications. Not a single message. Not even a good morning. The indigo boy chewed on his nails, a nervous habit that he’d dropped years ago. Hands clammy, ears ringing with silent noise. The need, no, the want for a single reply to his thousands of messages. The short boy’s words came back to him “Toshi, I’m going to disappear one day? Don’t feel sad for me, I love you more than you know. You and Sho, okay?” . Such cryptic words yet they made so much sense. He didn’t seem to notice the gen-ed classroom door was wide open. There stood the 1-A homeroom teacher and one of their star pupils. His stomach dropped in trepidation. He couldn’t be.

One sentence, two words. “I’m sorry.” That’s all it took for the teens to understand what had happened. Soft murmurs of repetitive denial were heard from the two boys. The conference room felt so empty, so cold, so out of place. Hands met the wooden desk with a loud bang. The class next door heard the loud cry of their peers. It was so out of character, so out of place . Shouts of incoherent swears and “no”s from the two first years turned into heart-wrenching sobs. A rollercoaster of emotions when their teacher spoke up and a small slither of hope instilled in their minds. Their Izuku wasn’t to be buried 6ft under as he lay in the infirmary under the influence of a coma. To take their minds off of the bad news, they spoke about the happy times they had with the boy who had thrown their “No Friends” rule in the trash and turned their lives upside down with a single smile. They would wait. For him .

A whole school assembly was called. The auditorium piled with talented students from every course. Ranging from the first to the third year. Whispers and murmurs of the mystery topic of the sudden assembly filled the empty space. Shoto and Hitoshi sat next to each other, hand in hand, both trembling with silent rage at the sight of a certain aggressive pomeranian being overly affectionate with his boyfriend. Anger was one of the less pretty Todoroki emotions, after all, look what it did to Endeavour. Students took their seats as questionable stares were thrown at the brainwasher to ask why he was sitting with the hero course. Said looks that went unanswered as the principal cleared his throat to gather everyone’s attention. The dishevelled principal walked on stage, perched on top of Aizawa’s shoulders. He looked manic, the rat-cat chimaera’s fur stuck out in all directions, all the staff held the same heavy bags under their eyes as if it was a fashion statement. A chilling breeze passed them all, this assembly wasn’t going to be fun at all.

“Today’s assembly was called for as last night, a student in the hero course tried to take his own life.” Composure was one thing that Nezu wished to hold on to. Gasps and turned heads to see if any of their peers were missing. All except for one class. Clenching his fist, he realises that to 1-A it was like Midoriya didn’t exist. Like he just disappeared.

Bottled up in their bodies, a volcano of boiling hot rage simmered. “This student was Midoriya Izuku of Class 1-A.” Like a tidal wave, it all came crashing down. Overwhelming silence . Deafening silence . Teachers up on the stage struggled to stop their own tears. All Might stood in the corner, attempting to stay strong for the kids as the tears freed themselves and flowed down his boney cheeks.

Class 1-A sat there, stunned. Midoriya was gone. Midoriya Izuku was gone and it was their fault . They had ignored him, neglected his needs, neglected him when he needed someone. All actions have consequences and this is what happened in return for their childish behaviour. The light of their class, the class sweetheart, their reckless friend that had risked his life repeatedly for them had attempted to take his life because of their selfishness and baseless assumptions. Guilt was an emotion well deserved for the first-year class.

The heroes-in-training cried. Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. All except for one. He sat with a scrunched nose and ugly scowl. Muttering profanities under his breath, his emotions going haywire. He was angry, confused and ever so slightly distraught. Yet he was never guilty .

“Stupid fucking Deku, always fucking things up for everybody. Useless shit.” Words muttered so lowly, swept under the sound of soft sniffles and loud cries. Words that wished to never be heard. Unlucky for the ash-blond, those words were received loud and clear from a certain half-and-half teen.

A small murmur left Todoroki’s mouth, one that despite sitting next to him, Shinsou couldn't hear all too clearly. The indigo boy leaned over to ask if Shoto was okay. The dual-quirk user shot up from his seat and spoke with so much venom it made Hitoshi flinch. “Say that again, Bakugou .” Todoroki’s face was devoid of any emotion except for unbridled rage. The ash-blond scoffs, as if he’s going to answer to the icy-hot bastard. Eyes were on the two strongest members of the freshman class as they stared each other down. Raw emotions out in the open, a cocky and arrogant smirk contrast to the aloof and enraged glare.

Minutes had passed and the staring had yet to cease. Eyebrows furrowed and lips upturned, Shinsou’s irate aura became stronger by the minute. His muscle tensed as he watched the scene. His questions of “who said what?” was blocked out by both parties. Patience running thin, the lavender haired boy snarls and bares his teeth. The teachers watched their students as if it were an episode straight out of a soap opera. He had enough, flipping the switch to his quirk, he directed his question towards the arrogant blond. “ Tell me what you said. ”

The words left his mouth, monotone as his narcissistic personality had been put on hold at the hands of the Gen-ed student’s brainwashing power. The indigo boy paled. That bastard. Their Izuku had tried to end his life because of the atrocious behaviour and treatment of his “friends”. Not for the fucking spotlight. Hitoshi gripped the leash to his anger as the beast on the other end was howling and barking, lunging at the opportunity to grab the smug asshole just to beat the living shit out of him. Todoroki didn’t have the idea .

Arms stretched over the chair in front of him, he grabs a hold of the blond by the back of his shirt and throws him into the empty center aisle. Before Bakugou could get up, the half-and-half boy took his chance to gain the advantage. Straddling the explosive teen, he reels his fist back and strikes his nose. Music to his ears as a loud and wet crack was heard. He heeded no mercy. He held no punches. Everything was fair game .

Time had frozen still as all the attendees of UA watched. The repeated grunts that came from the middle of the auditorium. The feral boy struggled against the hero’s son. He wasn’t going to give him the chance. As his fist made contact with the crimson-eyed boy’s face, his nose oozed blood that decorated the aggressor’s split knuckles like a well earned trophy. The mere sight of the ash-blond’s sharp features tempted his mind into pounding his face in a little more. Strike after strike, satisfaction brought him to the present as he admired his work as if it were the Mona Lisa.

Heavy grunts and laboured breathing were the only thing the two boys had in common. Every pupil at the edge of their seats at the sight of the 1-A powerhouse duel. Eyes dazed, the students saw the damage done to the megalomaniac’s face. The once straight and sharp nose had been replaced with a mangled mass of cartilage and blood. Like a waterfall, gore gushed without hesitation. Bruises were starting to form, a faint purple ring slowly developed around his eye. As soon as the teachers split up the freshmen fighter’s, the crimson-eyed boy lunged at the dual-user’s direction and delivered his famous right hook. The boy barely made a noise when the fist collided with his nose, he grew up with an abusive father, to him this was just his average Sunday morning .

Hairs stood up on the back of the blond’s neck. Todoroki’s facial expressions were extremely out of character. An arrogant smirk graced his face in substitute for his aloof straight face. That same smirk broke out in bone-chilling laughter, eyes were on him, they were all full with genuine concern. His once bright, pearly whites were stained red as he showed them off with a grin. Saliva and blood mixed, he takes the liberty of spitting in blond’s face. Bakugou had messed with someone he loved and this time he won’t get away with it .

A dark chuckle left Shinsou “You guys messed with the wrong people” To carry on, the heterochromatic boy had opened his mouth to speak, “I don’t give a shit if you’re my classmates, I’m going to make your lives a living hell. ” The indigo haired teen wrapped an arm around the bloodied boy’s waist to turn heel and adventure to Recovery Girl’s office.

That day, a declaration of war had been sounded. 1-A were prey and the hunt had only just begun .

[volganic]

A Power Struggle

I HAVE NO REASON FOR WRITING THIS OTHER THAN ........ i kinda like the ship for no specific reason  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

They were so alike, yet so different in many ways.

Impa had the entire Hyrulean army wrapped around her finger -- save for the princess who was tasked with keeping the peace between the kingdoms and to serve as the political agent -- and she ruled with an iron fist. The soldiers might seem utterly useless when in the heat of battle, but among the closed castle walls, they operated flawlessly. They knew when she said "jump", the only question they were allowed to ask was "how high?" Even the legendary hero who rose among the ranks to join them at their tactical meetings knew there was a certain boundary with her that should never be crossed. The Sheikah was an imposing threat to anyone who dared to oppose the Hyrulean forces.

Still, she was human. Her empathy showed when the morale of her soldiers dropped to its lowest point and sought to spare them the inevitable deaths that would come to them by retreating when circumstances became dire, even if it meant losing a crucial battle. She led for the sake of her kingdom led by someone above her.

Volga was the polar opposite.

He ruled as a king, a servant to no one other than the caves he resided himself in. He dared not to ally himself with forces of good or evil; he had no interest in the wars that humans started between themselves for the sake of money, power, or territory. That sort of approach was beneath his kind. He prospered from whatever resources the caves had to offer, and shared it among his people who served him with an undying loyalty. 

They recognized him as the alpha and relied on him to survive, even in the rare cases that some pitiful army stumbled across their turf. There were no words to describe the pride he felt when the Lizalfos and Dinolfos could decimate an unsuspecting brigade with little to no guidance from him; there was no need to inspire his troops. They understood as predators their only purpose in life: kill or be killed. It was as simple as that. He ruled for the sake of his people who served him.

When Volga begrudgingly allied himself with the Hyrulean forces, it was clear that their standpoints on how to lead their mixed troops was going to be a bigger issue than fighting the King of Darkness. That, in itself, was another war beginning to brew.

"As long as you are standing and breathing within the castle walls, you are to follow my orders," she frowned, drawing her naginata to strike.

The dragon knight drew his own spear with poise. "Then I'll make sure that you aren't fit to lead."

The two had settled on an agreement of sorts: a battle of true strength would determine which approach was best to rule their combined armies. Of course, there were limits: 1) No magic. 2) No cheating. 3) No killing each other.

The rumored spar quickly spread among the soldiers and soon, Volga and Impa had drawn together a crowd of captains, knights, trainees, reptilian chieftains -- even the hero and the princess were in attendance, watching from overhead. They had agreed that this test was nothing more than just a show, but their opinions would fall on deaf ears with Impa and Volga's combined stubbornness. Better to let them tire themselves out.

Tension hung heavily in the air as neither Volga or Impa made the first move. With the restriction on magic, the Sheikah kept her naginata close to her body -- she couldn't afford to yield by losing her blade. They circled each other as the apex predators they were, silence broken by the steel of the dragon knight's spear scratching against the stone beneath their feet. It was clear their fighting styles were also similar: wait for the weak to make the first strike.

Impa threw her pride out the window and took the first lunge at him, steel meeting steel. It pierced the air with a sharp screech to showcase their brute strength. They separated to strike again, neither of them relenting to leave an opening. The troops watched in awe as their leaders moved with precise strikes, deadly enough to kill in an instant. Impa was quick and cunning; Volga moved leisurely to defend, lightning-fast to attack. 

Minutes felt like hours as they became nothing but a blur swirling in on itself. Soon, by some luck of the goddesses, Impa finally saw an opening. She took her chance to disarm the taller man, swiping at the top of his spear to dislodge it from his clawed grip. It flew across their arena with a sharp clang. In a rush of impulse, she slammed him to the ground and straddled his chest, poised to bring the curved blade down on his neck. She panted heavily with a condescending smirk on her lips.

"You've grown sloppy."

Volga inhaled sharply at the comment and took his chance with her guard down to grab the blade in his claws, ignoring the steel cutting into his flesh, pulling the blade out from her hands and push her off. She rolled back into a defensive stance, coming to a stop with the end of her own naginata underneath her chin. She was quick -- but Volga was quicker. Her head tilted up to acknowledge her loss with a scowl, piercing red eyes still holding her pride despite the shame she felt. 

"And you've grown careless."

The dragon knight withdrew her blade and tossed it aside without a care. Link and Zelda spoke between themselves in hushed tones. Volga turned to look at them as he picked his discarded weapon, and soon acknowledged the other stiff soldiers.

"I'm amicable to call it a draw." He announced flatly. He didn't spare her a passing glance.

The Sheikah stood slowly and bore daggers into the retreating knight's back as he returned to the safety of the castle.

--

The corridors of the castle were long enough that there was hardly a chance that they would pass each other. By some divine prank, the Sheikah spotted the red-clad armor belonging to that of Volga out of the corner of her eye. She stalked him down with the grace of her ancestors, silently and quickly. With no prying eyes to follow her, she hastily cut off Volga from turning down the next hall. He scowled with his patrol -- pure draconian instinct keeping him from allowing him to rest -- interrupted by the sore loser.

"Sheikah, please spare me the lectu--" he was cut off by her lips mashing against his. Surprise broke his expression for only a moment before he kissed her back just as fiercely. It was heated, full of teeth and passionate hate, but their kiss ended as quickly as it happened. She placed distance between them and straightened her posture, scrubbing the lipstick left on her mouth off. He glowered at the rude gesture.

"Disgusting."

"Vile," he agreed.

They parted ways without another word in opposite directions. In terms of sheer strength without any of the use of magic, they were an even match. They were reluctant to praise each other for their techniques as allies -- too chummy, too friendly. 

As rivals? It was the perfect cover-up.

[whereisthecd]

Magnolia Riders: SuperM/Saddle Club AU✨

Meet the Magnolia Riders, a high caliber Equestrian Club showcasing some of the best, albeit chaotic, talent in the region. As the winter rest is coming to a close, the high intensity training at Sunset Magnolia Equestrian Center resumes in preparation for the first hunter jumper show of the season. While the team of hardworking goofballs is hoping to get their first group win of the season, their competition seems to be internal with the It Rider™️ on their team creating one storm after another. And then there’s the new guy with a not-so-superstar horse, or so it seems. How will the Magnolia Riders do this season? Will the barn aisle drama subside enough for a win? What’s with this new guy and will he find his way as a Magnolia?

Chapter One: First Bloom

Key Terms This Chapter

Gaits: The different paces in which a horse moves, for example (in order of speed) walk, trot, canter, and gallop. Riders usually jump horses at a trot or canter. Each gait has a different rhythm and movement. 

Mounting Block: A fancy word for a step stool that riders use to step on which helps them get onto their horses, usually to help riders who have horses much taller than them

Line (for jumps): A set of two or more jumps that a rider jumps their horse consecutively. The spacing between the jumps may be different, but the point is that the rider will jump them one after another before moving on in the course

Taeyong stood outside the crimson barn doors, the arch of his back pressed against the metal hinge, grey crumbs of alfalfa dust rubbing onto his bomber jacket. He looked out onto the pastures, stars reflecting down onto shaved meadows. The soft echo of crickets singing their evening hymn drowned out the uneasy rhythm of Taeyong’s heartbeat. His eyes panned down the dirt path that serpentined past the crease of the horizon. 

This is it. Our new home, our last chance. Don’t blow it.

A soft sigh escaped his tiny frame, the gust of his own breath shook his windpipe. Before he had time to inhale, a soft voice sang from behind him.

“Ah, Taeyong!” a small silhouette appeared. A thin man with a slightly bigger build jogged towards him, nearly floating down the barn aisle. His dark eyes lightened through the blonde locks of hair falling over his brow. Now arm’s length apart, Taemin gripped onto Taeyong’s shoulder. 

“Thank you for being here. I know things have been rough, but we - I, want you on this team. If you need anything ever, come to me, okay? This is your barn family now, I promise.” Taemin squeezed Taeyong’s shoulder in a quick beat before bringing his arm back. Taeyong’s soft eyes glanced up at Taemin. A few moments passed before he spoke up.

“Um, of course...I mean, absolutely. Thank you, I really mean it. I don’t want anything to clout your -” 

“Don’t - don’t worry. Just show up, and again, come to me for anything. You’re going to be a great team member. I know it. Now get some rest before tomorrow.” Taemin smiled, trying to reassure Taeyong after interrupting. Taeyong let out a soft smile, slightly creasing his dimples. Taemin nodded and walked towards a gravel path leading to a quaint cottage-like manor. He turned and waved back before marching forward.

Taeyong let out a breath of relief. He had been holding it the entire conversation, making his cheeks transform into cherry blossom petals. He turned back into the barn, walking slowly down the aisle, soaking in the names of each horse as he stepped forward. They were all too distracted by dinner hay to pay any attention to him, except for one, a gentle mare at the beginning of the second stretch of stalls. At the sound of footsteps, a white head covered in smokey grey blotches popped out the stall window, letting a few stray pieces of alfalfa fall from her mouth. Her eyes widened and ears perked forward at the sight of the thin boy before letting out a soft knicker. Taeyong giggled and picked up the bits of hay on the ground.

“Well, this is it, Flower. Here we are,” he said, laying his hand flat under Flower’s mouth as she nuzzled the hay out of his palm. He ran his hand along the side of her neck, tangling his fingers into her salt and peppered mane. 

“I promise I won’t move you again, just back me through this, babe,” he rested his head onto hers for a second before looking back at her. Taeyong stuck his hand into his jacket pocket, fishing around enough to make the wrapper he was digging for crackle. Flower rocked her head back and forth at the noise, suddenly becoming impatient. 

“I know, I know. I’m trying to get it….there!” Taeyong fished out a green tea candy from his pocket and popped it into Flower’s mouth. He patted her one last time before slowly walking back to the barn doors. As he pulled it shut, he paused to look back at his girl down the aisle.

“Tomorrow is a new beginning, let’s make it a good one, goodnight,” he said quietly. Taeyong turned off the barn light and closed the door.

___________

Ten pushed off the mounting block and threw his leg around the saddle, his left hand gripping into Frida’s cropped black mane. Sitting upright in the seat, he always looked like a natural extension of his partner. Their slim yet built frames connected into one, both growing more focused as Ten guided Frida into the arena. It was time for work. Mark followed his brother close behind, Annabelle walking at twice the pace Frida was, her little white legs trying to keep up with her taller counterpart.

Taemin stood in the center of the arena. Though he was petite and only a few years older than the lesson boys, his presence radiated discipline and maturity. Next to him sat the barn dalmation, Moon, equally as disciplined. He had been working all day, yet Taemin’s breeches looked unscathed, and the red vest he wore over his long sleeve shirt only tightened his thin frame. Even though his serious tone radiated through the arena, his soft smile always made the brothers feel at ease.

Ten lined up across from Taemin, with Mark following suit. Next to Taemin stood an unknown paint horse, a calico surprise for the boys in the high-caliber jumper world. Atop sat a thin, quiet  boy seemingly a bit uneasy standing across from the brothers. Meanwhile, Taemin looked down at his watch before flashing his eyes back at the barn. Someone was missing, and while Taemin never wanted a rider to miss out on learning, he had a strict rule about arriving on time. He peered up at Ten and Mark, expecting them to have an answer. Ten snapped quickly hoping to ensure his innocence.

“I don’t know! Things seemed fine when he got here!” Ten pleaded. Taemin let out a chuckle and shook his head before looking back at his clock. Ten breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Mark with rosy cheeks, thankful that his name was cleared under Taemin’s standards. 

“I’m sure he’ll be here! Let’s just get started, I can feel Annabelle getting anxious and it’s making me nervous,” Mark nervously chuckled before gripping his reins tighter. 

“Jesus Mark just breathe, she’s fine,” Ten jabbed before looking back at Taemin. Ten prided himself in being the teacher’s pet, nearly gloating it in front of the stranger in the arena.

“Alright let’s just get started. Y’all this is Taeyong, he’s going to be a new addition to the Magnolia Riders. Please welcome him and Flower to our team, I know they will make us all proud,” Taemin gestured for Taeyong to join the boys in line. Mark shot Taeyong an uneasy yet comforting smile from the other end of the line, but before Ten could add any sort of snarky remark, a commotion exited the barn. 

“Come on! God dammit, Gus!” cried a tall muscular figure desperately trying to jog into the arena, using all his weight to pull the giant grey horse behind him. Out of all the Magnolia Riders, he looked the most unorthodox. His football player-like frame seemed to explode in the tight elastic of his breeches and his 20 year old energy, while determined, radiated comedy over equestrian. However, he was still an avid rider, and more than qualified for the Riders a couple years back. The boy pushed his helmet into the proper position on his head before throwing his body over the horse and desperately kicking him forward. Tail swishing, the horse stubbornly trotted into the arena. Ten and Taemin both let out sighs.

“Lucas what could have possibly happened?” Ten asked, his voice slightly raised over Mark’s loud giggles.

“He wouldn’t come out of his stall!” Lucas whined, forcing his horse into line with the rest of them. Taemin noticed one of Gus’s protective boots slightly hanging off his hoof. He leaned down and adjusted it before patting the horse’s neck.

“Well I am glad you and Augustus made it. Next time, text me for assistance. I’d rather you ask for help than be late,” Taemin smiled at Lucas before being introduced to Taeyong. The two boys waved at each other across the line before returning their stares back at Taemin, now walking to the line of jumps in the center of the arena. Moon followed close behind.  Taeyong noticed the militant attention given to their instructor, which seemed polar opposite to the energy Taemin expressed to his students. Taeyong sat calmly, relaxing his shoulders to soak in as much as he could. 

“Today, we are practicing lines. Our spring show is less than two months away, and we know this was something that made us stumble last season,” Taemin began, now walking towards the boys. 

“I want each of you to warm up, put your horses through the gaits each way, trot and canter. Then we will practice some exercises before doing the line one at a time. I want to see heals down, a firm leg, give your teammate their head as they get over the jump. Mark and Lucas, I need you to count your strides out loud. And lastly, let’s have some fun. Happy training season!” Taemin motioned towards the center of the arena before sitting on the mounting block. As Taeyong went to urge Flower forward, Ten briskly moved Frida by.

“You better learn to keep up, I’m not letting anyone ruin our chances this year, especially new people,” Ten snarked. Taeyong could sense the concern and insecurity in Ten’s voice, but he couldn’t help but let the words sting. Taeyong took a deep breath and continued forward, hoping to just keep to himself the rest of the lesson.

Taemin sat admiring his students riding around the perimeter. He was always quick to teach, whether that was encouraging Mark to soften his hands on the reins, or reminding Ten that relaxing his shoulders will make him a show champion. Even though his students were only a bit younger than him, his near-Olympic history gave him the responsibility to bring these riders to greatness. 

Taeyong rode comfortably along the perimeter, matching Flower’s stride along Gus’s. He tried not to make too much fuss as to not disturb Lucas, but what he didn’t know was that Lucas was dying to have another buddy in the arena with him.

“Hey man, I heard what Ten said to you. Don’t mind him, he’s easily the best rider here, it’s just...complicated. But wow, I’ve never seen a paint horse in the ring, she seems super cool! Also uh, I’m sorry for delaying the lesson. Gus here is a good boy he just likes to pick on me.” Taeyong laughed at Lucas’s candor, the boys nearly in sync as their horses trotted through the back end of the arena. 

“Thanks, Flower’s a great girl, she’s just misunderstood. It’s what drew me to her in the first place,” Taeyong nodded at Lucas before extending Flower into a canter. Ahead of him was Ten managing Frida. He sat so quietly as his mare began to let out little bucks.

“That’s alright, Ten. Just hold your seat and let her figure it out,” Taemin coached from the middle. Meanwhile, Mark flew around the ring with Annabelle, seemingly letting her take the lead. She wasn’t an old lesson pony, but she was seasoned. Mark’s naivety was easy for her to take advantage of, and Mark didn’t seem to mind one bit. At times, Mark could easily be mistaken for a younger rider, even at the age of 20. His abilities were strong, but his confidence got the best of him at times. However, he and Annabelle had the longest history in the group. Luckily for him, his height never outgrew the large pony. After a few minutes of warm up and random tasks from Taemin, it was time to put in the real work. 

“Alright one by one, remember what I asked of you. I believe in you all.”

Mark, being first in line, urged Annabelle forward. He gripped onto the reins tighter. Riding wasn’t his profession, but it was a great way to make friends and build confidence, or so he hoped. After a quick circle of cantering to get Annabelle ready, Mark began counting his strides, eyeing the jumps. 

“Yes, Mark! One! Two! Three! Four! One! Two! Wait, alright slow her down! Mark, slow her down! Okay pull her in! Mark!” Taemin anxiously urged him, staying calm as he watched Annabelle blow through the jumps and take off down the other end of the arena. Mark bounced back and forth like a toddler careening off course in a PF flyer. Taeyong watched in horror, assuming the worst with nothing but fence in Annabelle’s way. Ten on the other hand, shook his head in disappointment, while Lucas let out giant bellows of laughter as they watched Annabelle skid to a stop at the distant wood fence. Mark hunched over in relief, walking his wild pony back into line.

“Whoa, guys. I wasn’t ready for that,” he said nervously before laughing. Even as an apprehensive rider, he still trusted Annabelle beyond her antics. Taemin smiled and shook his head, relieved his rider was alright. He then looked up at Lucas, signaling his turn to urge Gus forward. This pair may have been a walking circus act, but Taemin knew deep down they both wanted to please. He sat back and watched the two move forward, keeping quiet this time. Lucas squeezed Gus, proving he knew what to do. Gus obliged and set his focus on the jumps ahead. 

Taeyong’s impression of Lucas in the first few minutes of the lesson was no match for what he was seeing now. The duality of the athlete on the grey horse nearly gave him whiplash. Lucas was now in perfect form, counting his strides and eyeing the end of the line. Gus’s stride widened, and Taeyong knew when these two were on, they were the smartest duo in the ring. With minimal effort, Lucas and Gus flew over the first jump, nailing the stride coming onto jump two. Taemin was equally as impressed.

“Yes, nice! Lucas that is - oh shit” Taemin’s praise was too good to be true. In an instant Gus’s laser focus was lost as he tripped coming into jump three. Instead of careening over the final jump, the giant grey lug crashed into the poles nearly catapulting Lucas out of his seat, his upper body collapsing on Gus’s neck. His own mistake caught Gus by surprise, causing him to let out a buck before halting immediately, throwing Lucas back into the saddle. All Lucas could do was turn back and look at his instructor with blank eyes and a nervous smile.

“Well, the first two were beautiful,” Taemin uneasily reassured him. Lucas walked his trusty steed back into line. All he could do at this point was give his boy a few reassuring pets and thank Christ that he didn’t fall off. 

Before his name was even called, Ten was moving Frida forward. He knew he was the top student in this lesson, and it was known by everyone else. Riding had been his dream since he was four years old. Now, at 23, he was feeling like his dream was overdue. He had been Taemin’s student for a few years now, but unbeknownst to him, Taemin had been Ten’s idol since he was a teen. All he wanted to do was please Taemin, but he also wanted to prove himself to the rest of the horse world. If anything, today was the day to prove to his instructor, and the new kid, that he was the rider to beat. Ten urged Frida faster, her stride nearly floating over the floor of the arena. Ten floated on top of her as well, his legs as strong as a linebacker, but his body poised like a ballerina’s. 

“Yes good, keep your shoulders relaxed, eye’s forward. Keep your leg on her,” Taemin shouted. He knew these two were a show-winning match, as long as Ten didn’t let his confidence get the best of him. With nearly no effort, Frida cleared all three jumps. Ten loosened his rein’s in preparation for Frida to throw her head in excitement, he knew his partner too well, and she knew she did a good job.

“Yes, Ten! That is the standard I want to see every time. Nice work!” Taemin came up and patted Ten’s leg, sending him into giddiness only Mark and Lucas could notice. “Alright, Taeyong. Last but certainly not least, show us what you got.” 

Taemin’s soft eyes reassured Taeyong. He knew everyone would be watching, whether it was Lucas and Mark hoping for a solid teammate, or Ten looking for mistakes. Taking an extra loop around the arena, Taeyong tried to calm his nerves. Flower seemed unbothered by the new arena and her rider’s uneasiness, competition was fun for her. She picked up her pace hoping to provide some confidence for Taeyong, which he allowed. As they rounded the corner to the line of jumps set diagonally through the arena, Taeyong focused between Flower’s ears at the crimson fence peering past the last jump. Eyes focused, his small legs gripped to the sides of the saddle, they took off. 

Flower sailed over each jump with ease, even lengthening her strides into the final jump. What was normally supposed to be three strides, Flower did in two. While not necessary, Taeyong patted her neck with acceptance. He knew his girl could do it. 

“Wow! Even shortening the strides! Next time, try to keep her at three, but what an impressive first run. Y’all we have a competitor on our hands!” Taemin cheered. Ten let out a small huff, knowing he wasn’t the top dog of today’s lesson, while the other boys shot thumbs up in Taeyong’s direction. He didn’t want to be the star of the show, but he could at least fit in with his teammates enough to stick around. The boys ran through the line a few more times before cooling down for the day.

“Nice work everyone! We have some things to improve on but I am continuously impressed with you all. I’ll see you for our lesson tomorrow, and we can talk more about the annual bake sale,” Taemin said before sending his riders to the barn. The boys all walked in a group of four back to the stables, taking turns railing Lucas for his stunt with Gus, and talking about the upcoming season. As they entered the barn, they noticed a beautiful blonde boy hovering in the arm of the muscular stable hand, Kai. Kai was the eyes and ears of the barn, and a nice view to admire, but desperately quiet. However he was quite chatty with the polished boy in high-end breeches and a black turtleneck. Before long, the boy noticed the Riders coming into the barn and left Kai’s side.

“Well look who it is, ahh if it isn’t my esteemed teammates. Oh look what we have here. My, it’s a circus pony, never seen one of those in Taemin’s ring before, isn’t that cute,” he sneered in Taeyong’s direction. Taeyong had no idea who this boy was, but he was already turned off by his candor. Before Taeyong could respond, the boy waltzed by, slamming his shoulder into Taeyong’s. As he glided past the boys and out the barn, he turned back and glared at Ten.

“Hello number two, glad to see you’re enjoying your title,” he said before turning towards the pastures out of view. Ten huffed and clenched his fists into a ball. Taeyong looked back at him.

“Who the fuck is that guy?” he asked, seeing no need to filter his words after the rage that came from the blonde boy’s insults. Ten’s face now flushed, he took a pause before responding. 

“That’s Baekhyun, our fucking teammate.”