#break the bias bubble

[breezypsyche]

Do you remember how last week I discussed how homophily encourages us as humans to branch out to those who think, act, and feel similarly to us? Do you also remember how I mentioned that this tendency can be seen in a positive light through the use of the algorithm? How about how the algorithm can help populate content geared toward our areas of interest, such as that one series of movies you watch in guilty pleasure even though they are not seen as "cool" or "entertaining"?

We will flip that script and see how homophily and algorithms can be used for not-so-good things. Are you as intrigued and excited as I am? (If you would like to play catch-up from last week, or if you would like a quick refresher, click here to read about the birds!)

But what is a bias bubble, anyway?

I know you have heard people refer to "living in a bubble" before, but it may not be so far off from reality with how social media can be. Kaiser and Rauchfleisch (2020) mentioned that a "bubble" can be formed around individuals by how the algorithm is designed to work (Kaiser & Rauchfleisch, 2020). What does that mean, exactly?

Look at how algorithms are designed - they keep spoon-feeding content similar to what the user has previously viewed, sometimes in a continuous loop. That continuous content loop can keep a user "trapped within a bubble," so to speak. While within a bubble, nothing comes in, and nothing goes out - this is also similar to content that can be viewed on social media.

Content bubbles ensure we view the same content repeatedly, forever in a loop. For some, this could mean something as insignificant as makeup tutorial videos, gaming strategy videos, or even how-to videos. However, that continuous content stream can create the perfect storm for "us versus them" thinking for many others through the means of cognitive bias.

A perfect example of allowing cognitive bias to flood the mind negatively through social media is conspiracy theory content. We all have encountered that person who continually posts about various conspiracies. Let us say you were bored one day and decided to click a video about cryptids. Once that link is clicked, you have encouraged the algorithm to feed you more information about cryptids, which can bleed into other conspiracy theories. After so many hundreds of hours of viewing cryptid-related content, it would be difficult to not believe.

Oh.... now I get it. I don't want it anymore.

As an American, I see this played out in real-time through the political environment on social media. Family members and friends of mine lean in opposite directions concerning political views and constantly post such aligned content to their walls, making my feed a weird amalgamation of "red" versus "blue" (not the old YouTube show about Halo, sadly).

When you're stuck in the bias bubble, it is incredibly easy to continually find the same type of content being regurgitated, which can morph into something more hateful and sinister the longer you allow yourself to be stuck inside that bubble. Lee, Karimi, Wagner, Jo, Strohmaier, and Galesic (2019) found how one thinks or views their personal social media groups influences their own behaviors, thoughts, and beliefs, thereby creating a bias based on the very influence of their social media groups. (Lee et al., 2019).

How can I break free of the bubble of bias?

It is physically accessible, but may not be mentally easy to break free from the bias bubble. To put it simply: use that beautiful brain of yours! Critical thinking is a delightful tool any human on the planet can use to be open-minded about any topic. Meegan (n.d.) shared the depth of critical thinking to be artful, analytical, and evaluative (Meegan, n.d.).

Critical thinking is artful because it takes consistent practice over one's lifetime - in fact, most do not ever truly "master" the art! Critical thinking is analytical because it takes breaking down each thought, feeling, or opinion bit by bit until you get to the core of the rationality behind it. Critical thinking is evaluative because it is up to each of us to find the standard behind each thought, feeling, or opinion we come across.

Great - what does Critical Thinking have to do with breaking the bias bubble?

It is really so simple: find someone who does not think like you! In social media, this can easily be done by utilizing the search bar to type in a topic you know nothing about and read away! If you do not know what certain words or phrases mean within that community, ask away or consult a dictionary - which is at our fingertips thanks to our mobile devices!

Try flexing that beautiful brain of yours today!

References Kaiser, J., & Rauchfleisch, A. (2020). Birds of a feather get recommended together: Algorithmic homophily in YouTube’s channel recommendations in the United States and Germany. Social Media + Society, 6(4). Lee, E., Karimi, F., Wagner, C., Jo, H., Strohmaier, M., & Galesic, M. (2019). Homophily and minority-group size explain perception biases in social networks. Nature Human Behaviour, 3(10), 1078-1087. Meegan, G. (n.d.). What is critical thinking? [Blog post]. Links to an external site. https://theelementsofthought.org/what-is-critical-thinking/

[leikeliscomet]

(Reposting from twitter)

My POV as a Black fan that thinks Dot and Bubble's racism commentary is trash

Rewatched Dot and Bubble and I'm gonna break down from my POV as a Black fan why this episode didn't work for me & why it's an awful racism commentary. Long arse post incoming:

The whole "You should've noticed the cast was all white except for fifteen ha your bias is showing" doesn't work for a show that's been predominantly white for 60+ years. D&B casting has been the default for most of the show so its not abnormal enough to be a racial litmus test. An example is the Matt Smith era The only reoccurring character of colour in s5 (2+ appearances) is Liz 10. Artie n Angie in s7. 0 in s6. RTD's own era isn't fully safe either. For many eps Martha or Mickey are the *only* Black characters. Most POC are side characters or extras.

White fans should be aware of the predominantly white casting of the show but this late in the game feels cheap. Most of the show has gone through 100% white episodes including fan faves and it was never an issue back then bc it was beneficial. This is so hollow. Representing racists as cartoon caricatures SEVERLY underestimates the danger of white supremacy irl. White supremacy is system designed and constructed and rebranded over centuries. It is not accidental. People aren't racist bc they don't know they're racist because they *do* They know the system that oppresses POC, Black people especially, benefits them socially and financially and that is why they participate. Its not stupidity it's intention. That should've been the Finetime core not Lindy goofing around bc the arrows are gone or some shit.

Human Nature showed us racist young people that exercised this power bc they knew this. They may be children but they are still dangerous bc of their views. Martha knew this. The silly tech obsessed gen z angle erases this danger and that of actual gen z white supremacy

Instead of the camp goofy tone we could've gotten a serious focused episode. The slugs and millenial/gen z social media silly distracts from what could've been the main theme of colonisation instead of saving it for 10 mins of exposition at the end & scattering microaggressions. Saving Fifteen's racism scene for a goofy episode was a horrid idea. Spending 30 mins on representing racism as silliness then giving a dramatic dangerous score is the definition of tonal whiplash. Representing his oppressor as a blonde bimbo again does not take this seriously. Fifteen went to 1960s BRITAIN & got through it unscathed. Finetime is a fictional futuristic land but the racism of 1960s Britain was real. If anytime was right it could've been Devil's Chord. Distancing yourself from a panto villain is easy but addressing your history is hard.

The scene itself is incredibly performed so I'll give Ncuti his flowers but what he used this skill for could've been so much more. Having his FIRST SCENE begging to save a racist is disgusting. It isn't Black people's responsibility to show compassion to people that want us dead. Yes the Doctor helps the baddies bc they care. But they're aren't ignorant to prejudice. The liberal anti racism of who is so jarring and why I still think Thin Ice is performative. When white people are angry at injustice it's radical. When it's Black people we're aggressive.

Respectability politics is a tool of white supremacy. That if one pleads and is nice enough they can earn liberation. What would white fans think of Fifteen if he DIDN'T beg Lindy? If your allyship with Black people depends on showing kindness to racists you are NOT an ally.

Next up is Ricky. It was established ALL Finetime citizens have white supremacist views yet Ricky September stans refuse to see him in any negative light. Just like Joan Redfern white dw fans refuse to see racism if a character is likeable. If nice guy Ricky's a racist, then anyone no matter the niceness can be racist too and that's a pill white fans aren't ready to swallow. If racism is systemic and not about individual character, then what's keeping them safe? What happens when YOU are under the microscope.

THIS is why we NEED Black writers in Doctor Who. The nuances, depth and complexity of the Black experience can only be told at it's best by Black creatives and not guessed, assumed or spoken over by white fans and white writers. It's okay to put ego aside and say you don't get it.

"Im white but I loved the Doctor's reaction" "I'm white and i thought the racism commentary was great" "I'm white but i-" Yet again, we have to sit through another round of white and non Black fans of colour dictating Black representation for us. I'm so fucking tired man. AGAIN IM YELLING FROM MY HILLTOP TO WATCH SHOWS BY BLACK WRITERS. Almost EVERY single theme in Dot and Bubble and frankly most of the show has been done WAY better in other media. RTD is not the authority on Black stories. We are. Always have been and always will.

Tl;dr Dot and Bubble is an unserious and tacky racism commentary. It's core message is drowned by more RTD Who camp. Don't tell me this episode was good at representating my own experience. It wasn't. S15 having Black writers isn't a need it's a must. Goodbye.

Reblog this version pls

[joonsmagicshop]

Stress Relief Series Part 7- JHS

Summary: A couple months ago Taehyung asked a favor. For you to have sex with his bandmates to relieve some tension and stress. How can you say no to that.

Paring: Hoseok/Reader (all members are mentioned)

Rating: M/18+

Word Count: 5k

Tags: smut, FWB, jerking off, eating pussy, dry humping, hobi's hands (cause come on that mans hands...oof) fingering, anxious hobi, dancer teacher hobi, taetae and hobi sweet moment, penetrative sex

Authors Note: Hobi!!!!! I had so much fun writing this one but the fact that the next chapter will be the last chapter is very bittersweet. This series will always hold a special place in my heart and even though I am excited to finish it off with my bias....I also don't want it to end

In case you missed it

Intro Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

“Taehyung you were supposed to move on five not six.”

“Namjoon you need to move in a wider circle so you don’t bump into Jungkook”

“Jimin can you please help me explain these steps.”

“No Yoongi we aren’t taking a break until we get this right so stop scrolling through your phone.”

Jung Hoseok was at his wits end and it was only Tuesday. He watched as the other members started arguing amongst themselves, not bothering to pay him any mind or the dance cues he had been trying to give them for the last ten minutes

It was only two weeks out from the opening night of their tour and everything had to be perfect. Hoseok knew very well that his bandmates were perfectionists like he was but they all seemed to be a little burnt out from all the prep for the tour and therefore a lot more wasting time was happening.

“Okay okay!” Jimin shouted as Taehyung carried him in his arms around the dance studio, giggling while the others watched fondly.

“We should get back to work before Hobi Hyung has steam coming out of his ears!” Jimin shouts between giggles as Taehyung finally puts him down and they start elbowing each other and laughing behind their hands.

Meanwhile, Jungkook was sitting on the floor with Namjoon pulling out his phone and showing him a video that had Namjoon smiling fondly at the youngest member.

Hoseok looked around to see that Yoongi and Jin had completely disappeared and right as he was about to ask where the hell they went the door burst open and Jin announced very loudly that they had ordered food and it was going to arrive in ten minutes.

Which had everyone cheering loudly and Taehyung scooping Jimin up once more to twirl him around as they both laughed.

Hoseok didn’t know when this impromptu break happened but he was going to put a stop to it. They had to get this dance right and only had two weeks to do it, and while ninety percent of the time they did get it perfect there was still a small chance they could mess it up, like today.

Hoseok clapped his hands to get everyone's attention but it seemed only Yoongi heard and he quickly paled when he saw the look on Hoseok’s face.

Pure frustration

And no one liked a frustrated dance teacher

Yoongi nudged Jin and with just one single look the room seemed to quiet down as they all stared at Hoseok.

“Good now can we go over this again and can you actually listen to me this time? We have to get this right and we only have two weeks to do so.” He said with his hands on his hips as they all stared at him.

“Hoseok relax we have this. Today was just a small accident. I had a misstep and Namjoon didn’t go wide enough. We are okay. You don’t have to do the scary dance teacher face.” Taehyung explained as Jimin giggled from behind his hands.

“Well, Taehyung it seems someone has to. You all are goofing off or texting and I’m the only one caring about this routine. I’m so tired of you guys messing up all the time!” He nearly shouts feeling his frustration bubble over.

Hoseok is hardly ever a yeller so when he raises his voice everyone knows something is very wrong

Namjoon stands up first and holds out a hand to Taehyung who is about to open his mouth and retort.

“No Taehyung no arguing. We all had a nice dinner last night and all got along and we are not starting this again. We are a team and Hoseok is right. After we eat we are going to perfect this dance. I know we just want this tour to start and to get to the fun parts but we have to do this first. We all know the prep is the worst part so please no more fighting.” Namjoon says as the room grows quiet and the only sound is the ticking clock above the wall of mirrors.

“Foods here,” Yoongi mumbled checking his phone as they all stood up and slowly began to filter out of the room.

Yoongi patted Hoseok’s arm and muttered an apology as he left, the others hung their heads and avoided his piercing gaze as they walked past him to get to the delicious food that was waiting.

Jungkook was second last to leave and he stared up at Hoseok with his big dark eyes and apologized before dropping his gaze and leaving.

That alone made Hoseok feel worse.

Taehyung finally walked up to Hoseok and stood in front of him, fluffy hair all messed up, teeth biting into his lip.

Hoseok crossed his arms.

“I’m sorry about the dance mess up, I’m also sorry I was goofing off with Jimin so much Hoseok. You know how is it. Things get too much and I just wanted to make everyone smile. I didn’t mean to make you upset. Honest.” He says shyly a Hoseok pulls him in for a hug.

He can feel Taehyung smiling against his shoulder when they embrace and when he finally releases Tae he has a silly grin on his face.

“I don’t mean to be a hard ass it’s just. You know how it is.” Hoseok says, knowing his apology isn’t the greatest but he’s starting to feel the weight of all the other things they have to perfect and get done before the tour and his whole body just felt tired and heavy.

“I know how it is. That’s why I have Y/N. Honestly, she keeps me sane.” Taehyung explains heading over to the table that was set up in the corner to retrieve his sweater.

“Don’t you just have sex with her? How can that take away all this…ya know.” Hoseok asks waving his arm around as if showing Tae all the other stress he has.

Taehyung just laughs and pulls the sweater over his head messing up his hair even more.

“Well yes but also. You know. She’s a companion. We have dinner, we talk, we hang out. I just don’t fuck her and leave. I mean. I used to but now I’d say she’s a friend. I trust her. The other guys do too. I know Namjoon doesn’t like it and he doesn’t have to. He’s going to crack soon enough I can feel it. Nothing is as stressful as being our leader.” He explains as he looks in the mirror to fix his hair and Hoseok stays frozen in place watching him.

“The position we are in, the life we chose. It’s not easy. Y/N is like a vacation after a very long work week. It’s someone I can be myself around. And not just me. Jungkook and I have talked about it too. She’s just…that person you know.” Taehyung says finally getting his hair the way he wants it and staring at Hoseok through the mirror.

“Namjoon’s going to kill you if he hears you talking about her. I’m not sitting through another one of his lectures.” Hoseok says rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, I know. I’m not trying to convince you or anything. She already said she’s there if we need it and if not…” He let his voice trail off and he shrugged as the door burst open and Namjoon stood there.

“Okay, you didn’t kill each other? Good. Now please come eat before Jungkook takes it all. I already had to swat his hand twice because he was grabbing too much and not saving any for you This kid I swear. He’s going to give me wrinkles.” Namjoon explains as he leaves down the hall and Taehyung shoots Hoseok a knowing smile.

“Told ya. Namjoon is stressed.”

The next day Hoseok had off from work.

He woke up later than usual and spent a long time in bed just scrolling through his phone. He let the sunlight fall over his naked torso as he lay there, not bothering to get up and close the curtains as the beams of sunlight crept up his body and eventually rose to illuminate the walls above him.

Once he got out of bed and went to the bathroom he made his way to the kitchen to have some food. His house was very spacious and very quiet at this time of day and Hoseok drank in the calmness as he ate his food.

The day dragged on and around dinner time he found himself restless.

He wasn’t sure what was wrong but he knew something was wrong.

He paced room to room trying to look for something that would entertain him. He grabbed a book and then put it down. He tried to cook dinner instead of ordering but gave up. He paced back and forth from the front foyer to the bedroom.

He turned on some music but couldn’t find something that he liked.

Eventually, he flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

The sun was starting to set casting everything in a vibrant orange glow and Hoseok took out his phone to take some pictures of the way the sun hit everything just right.

He also took some selfies smiling as the sun highlighted his beauty

He sent the shots to Namjoon, minus his selfies, locked his phone, and threw it on the bed beside him.

Namjoon would love those pictures because nature always calmed him down.

And Namjoons stress was reaching an all-time high lately with all the pressure he had as their leader.

Hoseok thought back to what Taehyung had said yesterday about how Namjoon would crack soon and he felt terrible. He didn’t need to add to the stress by yelling at them yesterday. Even though he did apologize at lunch he still felt guilty.

Hoseok’s long fingers aimlessly ran across his collarbones as he let his thoughts spiral. He knew he had been too hard on everyone yesterday but the whole thing was just so frustrating.

His hands continued to wander as he tried to memorize the dance steps in his mind. Usually that helped with his spiraling thoughts and he let his hands wander up and down his sides, caressing himself as he did so.

Hoseok was so lost in his thoughts and in trying not to let them spiral he hardly noticed just his touches alone were making him hard in his shorts.

His cock was starting to stiffen as he lay spread out on his bed, hair a mess on his pillow as he tried to calm down the storm going on in his brain.

There was still so much to do before the tour and what if they messed up on tour and what if something bad happened like someone got sick? Army would be so disappointed and what if he messed up? He would be so embarrassed.

Hoseok felt the anxiety bubbling up and he quickly wrapped his arms around himself to give himself a much-needed hug.

He buried his face in his elbow and rolled over on his stomach to cover his face with his pillow when he felt it.

The hardness between his legs.

“Oh,” Hoseok whispered as he rolled onto his back again and stared at the impressive tent his dick was making in his pants.

He wasted no time cupping himself and a soft groan left his lips at the contact. His thoughts seemed to silence as he took his time stroking himself over his shorts. Squeezing his length when he needed to and teasing the head just right to have his hips jolting off the bed.

Hoseok quickly sat up and discarded his shirt. Letting the late day rays of sun hit his bare skin as he trailed his fingertips lightly down his chest, teasing the skin and making his hard cock throb.

When was the last time he took care of himself?

He wasn’t sure so he decided to take his time and enjoy this.

His hands ran up and down his body as he closed his eyes and let his last hookup replay in his mind. The memories were foggy as it had been so long but he was already hard so it took no time at all for his deft fingers to undo the button on his shorts and peel them off his legs.

He rubbed his bulge over his boxers and hisses at the contact. The girl he hooked up with was some brunette, right? Or was she blonde? It didn’t really matter to him as he pictured a naked sexy body on top of him.

Hoseok let out a moan as he palmed himself and added more pressure. He couldn’t picture her clearly but he could imagine her hot wet pussy sitting on his cock as she kissed down his skin.

How good it would feel to have lips on his body again

How amazing it would feel to be buried in a hot wet pussy.

Hoseok had enough of his teasing and he slipped his hand into his boxers to grip at the base of his cock. His eyes fluttered open for a moment as he pulled his boxers down, only to close his eyes again when he got comfortable.

His hand lazily stroked his cock, the precum making the whole thing glide so much easier as he let out a shaky breath and tried to imagine his last hookup.

It had been so long however that the details were fuzzy, the whole thing was fuzzy and hard to imagine and his cock was still angry and throbbing but he couldn’t come up with a good image to jerk off to.

Hoseok could try porn but he didn’t feel like spending an hour finding a good enough video for that.

He let go of his aching cock and smacked his hand on the bed in frustration. He couldn’t even jerk off properly anymore. And this was adding to the stress he already had.

Hoseok rolled over and grabbed his phone. Namjoon had responded to the pictures but Hoseok ignored those. Instead, he texted a phone number he was given two months ago, a number he told himself he would never…ever use.

The drive over was torture. Hoseok was still hard and trying to fight the guilt that was starting to burn up inside of him.

He could hear Namjoon’s lecture as clear as day as the car navigated the busy streets. Hoseok tries to block that out. Instead focusing on the fact that he was about to be with a real person and not just his hand.

The driver pulled up and Hoseok smiled at him before exiting. He purposely wore baggy pants to hide his raging hard-on that still had not gone down and throughout the drive, he kept palming himself to alleviate the ache.

You opened the door to find Hoseok standing there looking equally excited as he was terrified and you welcomed him in.

His brown hair was a mess atop his head and his heart-shaped lips were drawn into a thin worried line as he looked around, slowly placing his designer bag by his shoes at the front door.

“Hi Hoseok.” You say softly as you stand there and give him time to adjust. He looked so out of place and so nervous to be around you.

“You can call me Hobi. I mean. If you want.” He stammers and you smile as you sit on the couch and invite him over.

He sits down and plays with his long fingers not meeting your gaze.

“Hobi you seem…. stressed. Or extremely nervous. Want to talk about it?” You ask placing a hand on his knee and you smile when he seems to relax even if it’s only a small amount.

“I…I don’t know why I’m here. I’m sorry.” He says in a small voice as you rub your thumb along his knee going slow as if not to startle him.

“Okay let’s start from the beginning. Are you okay?” You ask giving him the time and space to answer

“I…I’m horny.” Hobi says finally looking at you and you smile softly at him.

“Okay…”

“I got mad at everyone yesterday because they were goofing off and not doing the dance correctly and then today I didn’t work and I think I was left alone with my thoughts for too long because now I’m all anxious and I got horny so I wanted to jerk off but I don’t even know what to jerk off too because it had been so long since I hooked up with someone and I know I shouldn’t be here but I am and I’m so hard. And now I’m dumping all my problems on a stranger oh my god.” He says running his hands through his hair and looking at you with wide eyes.

You slowly sit up on your knees on the couch and put your hands on his shoulders.

“Hobi It’s okay. It’s all okay. We can just hang out if you want a friend. Or we can do more if you are up to it. I don’t want to push you or pressure you.

“I… I don’t know what I want.” He breathes out.

“Actually, I do. I want this tour to start already. I want everyone to get along. I want all the stress and the pressure to go away and I just want to be on stage and perform. I just want this whole thing to begin. We are always happier when we see our fans” He says with a small smile on his face.

“You guys really love your fans huh.” You answer as you inch towards him and throw yourself over his lap.

His hands come up to grab at your hips and you stay far enough back that you are not directly over his cock.

“This okay?” You ask softly as Hobi nods.

“Yeah, our fans are the best in the world. And that’s why this whole thing is frustrating. I want to put on a good show for them and no one else seems to be taking it seriously!” Hobi complains as you nod and bring your hands up to his hair.

He freezes again as you tangle your hands in the hair at the back of his head and softly play with it. His eyes start to soften and he blushes.

“That feels…really good.” He breathes out.

“Good. I want to relax you. Keep talking Hobi.” You say as he smiles up at you.

“And Taehyung and Jimin kept goofing off and the whole thing was a disaster. If Namjoon just went wider with his step and Tae didn’t mess up we would have nailed it.” Hobi complains as you continue to play with the hair at the nape of his neck and hum as he speaks.

Hobi continues to pour out his frustration to you and you let him, softly stroking his hair.

Soon enough the room is dark and Hobi is quiet, resting his head on your shoulder as you move your hands to the top of his head to comb the hair back, lightly grazing his scalp with your nails.

“Thank you. Also, I’m sorry you're kind of a stranger and I just dumped a bunch of stuff out on you.” He mutters, voice muffled by the fabric of your shirt.

“Happy to help Hobi. That’s why this whole thing started. I just wanted to help. It doesn’t have to be just about sex. I’m also a friend.” You say as he lifts his head to stare into your eyes.

“That’s what Taehyung said. He said you keep him sane.”

You laugh.

“And he drives you insane. What a combination huh?”

Hobi laughs at that one and he softly stares up at you through the darkness.

“I want to kiss you is that okay?” He asks as you nod.

He sits up straighter and captures your lips with his.

His lips are oh so soft and warm against yours and you sigh into his mouth as you press your body into his chest, desperate to get him closer to you.

His hands wrap around your middle to hold you steady as he takes his time with you. His kisses are soft but also heated as you feel your core start to throb when his hands leave your middle to run up and down your thighs, getting higher with each pass and making you squirm against him.

You whine out his name when his fingers dip a little too close to your center and he smirks against your lips.

“You said you were having some trouble jerking off?” You ask voice slightly shaky as you pull back and he grins wickedly at you as if he knows just how much he is affecting you.

“Yeah, I may have said that.” He teases as his hands dip between your legs and you whine when he rubs his long index finger along the seam of your pants.

“Should I help you with that?” You ask jerking against him as he runs his finger once again along the seam of your pants. Applying more pressure this time as your wetness pools.

“How about we help each other hmm? You listened to me babble for too long I think my pretty girl should be rewarded.” He coos as you bury your face in his shoulder and grind your pussy against his finger.

“You’re going to soak your pants, baby.” He pants as you deliver sloppy kisses to his neck and collarbones.

“Gotta b-be careful you can’t mark me up right before tour.” He grits out as you push your hips forward so you are now resting comfortably on his cock which is hard once again in his pants.

“And why not?” You tease as you pull away from his neck to stare at his flushed face.

“You vixen.”

With that, he kisses you again but with so much passion it steals the very breath from your lungs. His hands tangle in your hair as he kisses you which gives your hands freedom to roam up and down the hard plane of his chest.

He moans in your mouth and you buck against him, slowly grinding against his cock giving you both the delicious friction you crave.

“God you are too good at that.” He whines out against your lips as he carefully pushes you down on the couch and throws his shirt over his head.

You are met with miles of gorgeous skin and your mouth waters when he reaches for your top to pull it off.

Your bra goes next and in an instant, he is on top of you palming and sucking your breasts as your head is thrown back against the pillow with pleasure.

“Couch or my room?” You ask breathless as he harshly sucks on your right nipple which has your hips shoving against his hard cock.

“Your room. Please god, get me to your bed.” He whines as you push him off of you and stand up on shaky legs.

You grab his hand and take him to your room and the second you are over the threshold he picks you up and throws you down on the bed.

You gasp and he wastes no time crawling up and positioning himself between your legs.

He holds one of your legs up in the air and grabs your ankle, you watch in awe as his heart-shaped lips kiss your skin slowly working their way toward your heated core.

It’s too hot, or maybe he is too hot as you fumble with your pants to rip them off your body. Hobi gets the hint and helps you take them off.

“No underwear. Fuck Y/N.” He growls as he takes in the sight of your soaked pussy.

“I wanna bury my face in there and never come back out.” He admits as you groan at his words.

He lets your leg fall as he gets off the bed to undo his pants and rip his boxers down.

You take your time staring at his naked form. He is exquisite, his body is art that you’d like to admire for a very long time.

You open your legs instinctively as he crawls between them and settles on his stomach. He stares at you with a tilt of his head and a question on the tip of his tongue.

He doesn’t even need to ask before you are pleading with him to kiss you, to touch you, to do anything to you before you lose your mind.

His hands rest on your thighs holding them down before he dips his head low to lick at your pussy. You cry out at the contact fisting the sheets below to hold yourself steady.

His tongue licks a bold stripe up your slit and you thrash against him as he flicks his tongue over your clit in such a way that you feel it throb.

Your body is on fire as he licks and sucks at your clit, his dark eyes meeting yours and you whine and cry out his name as he continues to make out with your pussy alternating between soft licks and harsh sucking which brings you close to orgasm a lot faster than you thought.

As affected as you were he was equally affected by the act. His hunger for your pussy made his cock throb and he hastily humped the bed as he buried his face deeper into your core and drank in the moans you were emitting from above him.

“Gonna-” You cried out though Hobi knew you were close.

He removed his mouth for just a moment to insert his finger into your wet heat and you cried out and arched off the bed as he rubbed your front wall just right to have you orgasm around his digit,

He quickly latched his mouth back to your pussy to drink in everything you gave him as you rode out your high and ground down on his finger.

Once you came down from your high you opened your eyes to see Hobi looked as fucked out as you felt and you giggled when you looked down to see him shamelessly humping the bed, desperate for relief.

“Fuck you are so hot. Why did I wait so long? What the fuck?” He whispers as he gets up to grab a condom.

You giggle to yourself as it seems to take a while for him to find his pants, in his haste he threw them on your dresser. Eventually, he gets out the condom and rolls it down his hard cock, and climbs back onto the bed with you.

“How do you want it?” He asks voice low as his agile fingers stroke his cock.

You can’t tear your eyes away and Hobi chuckles darkly.

He takes charge and grabs your hips as he kneels on the bed. He slowly spreads your legs and positions your pussy right in front of his cock.

“Wanna see you when I fuck you. Is this okay?” He asks softly as he takes his cock in hand and runs it through your soaked folds.

You nod and he smirks as he inserts himself inside of you slowly and carefully.

You let him take his time and bottom out. You fist at the pillow by your head to anchor you because Hobi just feels so good inside of you.

Once he bottoms out you both stare at each other breathing hard. Strands of hair are falling in front of his eyes and he looks beautiful, so incredibly beautiful.

“Hobi move.” You beg as he leans down to capture your lips in a soft kiss.

He begins to thrust in and out of you slowly and carefully, he angles his hips in such a way it has him hitting your g-spot with ease.

You feel how he moves inside of you and it makes you wetter around him. He swivels his hips and grinds down into you before pulling out and snapping back in with such force it pushes you up the bed.

Hobi fucks into you with force and passion, his hips always hitting their mark his moans mixing with yours as you both use each other to get to the high you both crave. Your hands are tangled in the pillow at your head and he licks two fingers to bring them down to play with your clit.

“H-Hobi if you want me to last you can’t. I’m serious you can’t.” You cry out when he circles your clit and flicks it in time with a harsh thrust.

“It’s okay I’m cl-close.” He whines as he thrusts up and you push your hips down trying to meet him in the middle.

Your orgasm is fast approaching and you cling to your pillow for dear life as Hobi fucks into you harder. Sweat drips off his brow and his face glistens but even through it all he still looks beautiful.

He flicks your clit again and you throw your head back and cry out his name as your orgasm hits you hard. Your pussy clamps down around his length as you ride out your high. Hobi still fucks into you and is grunting above you, his hips are moving with such speed and force you cry and squirm on the bed as he finally reaches his high and cums into the condom.

The air is thick with the smell of sex as he pulls out and gets himself cleaned up. He brings you a towel and cleans you up as well, taking his time as you try to come down from your high which seems to take a longer time than normal.

“Holy shit.” You breathe out as he flops down next to you and stares at you with a boyish grin, so different from the man that just fucked into you wildly.

“Yeah.” He agrees as he laces his fingers through yours.

You slowly get up from the bed and head to the washroom to get cleaned up. Your body feels tired but well fucked as you make your way back to the room to see Hobi already dressed and sitting on the bed.

“Want to order food? I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.” You tease as he stares at you.

“I…uh? You don’t want me to go?” He asks as you shake your head and stand between his open legs.

“Only if you want to. But I wouldn’t mind sharing a meal with you.” You tease as you peck him on the lips and grab his hands to lead him to the kitchen.

You both flip through his phone to figure out what to order and he stares at you with a small smile.

“Can I… you know text you sometime if I’m feeling stressed or worried?” He asks in a small voice as you intertwine your fingers with his and bring his hand to your mouth.

You deliver a soft kiss to the back of his hand and he blushes.

“Anytime Hobi. Call me, text me, fuck me…anytime.”

TAG LIST

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[enhastolemyheart]

𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 — PARK SUNGHOON

pairing | bf!sunghoon x reader (fem implied)

genre | est. relationship, shopping au

synopsis | wanting to revamp your closet, your boyfriend takes you out for a shopping date.

word count | 0.5k

warnings | idk uh cursing? suggestive(?) so read at ur own discretion (i swear it wasnt my intention to do so), proofread but lmk if any mistakes.

a/n | hihi!! I'm here with another hoon fic! this is rather on the shorter side sorry abt that. it shouldn't be surprising considering the amount of bias wrecking he did lately, like im scared when it's promotions szn or even the mv release ahhh but anyways hope you guys like this work! requests are open and so is the taglist!! reblogs and feedback is highly appreciated!! enjoy reading!!

"Hey is this good?"

Your boyfriend looks up at you from his phone, scanning the dress you choose to try on. he breaks into a little smile when you sees a cute lavender sundress hugging your body in all the right places, flowing into a cute A-line skirt by your thighs.

"Woah..." He dazed off before bringing himself together with a smirk evident. "it looks so pretty on you baby." your face burned and you went back inside to change and show him another one of your picks. this one is definitely a yes.

Sunghoon finally got a break from his schedule, and you needed to revamp your closet. killing two birds with one stone, Sunghoon decided to take you shopping, donating all the clothing that doesn't fit you anymore.

You come back after changing into a bodycon dress this time, you wouldn't necessarily wear dresses, but the weather has been hot recently and you wanted to try being confident in dresses more. plus, Sunghoon loves to see you in dresses. The dress was hugging your curves in all the right places, looking very flattering on you, you blush on the thought his reaction.

You walk out and face him, shyly biting your lip, softly calling out his name, "Hoon?"

When he looks up, his eyes widened as they rake your body. your ears redden before him. he walks up to you, taking your hand in his and twirls you, doing a three-sixty. he bites his lips before looking into your eyes, "beautiful my love, take this." you giggle before nodding. he pouts his lips slightly as if to ask for a kiss, and so you lean in, kissing his lips. he holds your face in his hands, "why don't you try on the dress that I chose my love?" You nod as you turn and walk away, excitement bubbling inside your chest.

You feel sexy when you put the dress on, it was a tight and rather scandalous dress. there is a mini slit on the left side of the fabric that really add to the beauty of the dress. it was backless and it was pink in color too, you knew that you were going to try this on as soon as your boyfriend layed his eyes on it, smirking as he picks the right size and requests you to try it on. you save this piece for the last and hope that there won't be people watching when you see his reaction 'cause honestly, Sunghoon won't be able to control himself.

and that's exactly what played out and you find yourself pinned against the mirror wall, inside the dressing room, his hands roaming all over your body and yours tangled in his hair. as soon as he saw you, he immediately took a hold of your hips, pushing you backwards into your dressing room as he latches his lips onto yours into a hungry kiss. You were glad that no one else was outside to see the commotion happening.

"You look so fucking beautiful, my love. " You can hear the sincerity in his voice.

"Thank you, Hoon."

He takes your hand in his before looking into your eyes, "let's go home? I have planned something." You giggle at his words, fingers running through his hair to smooth it out.

"Yeah, let's go home."

a/n | thank you all sm for reading! I wasn't even intending to make this suggestive but it just happend 😭😭but anyways, feedback and likes are highly appreciated! and I'll see you in the next one!

PEACE AND LOVE <;33

perm taglist: @jak-ey ; @snoowhore ; @hsgwrld ; @seungiesluv ; @1-800shutthefuckup (send an ask to be added; bold can't be tagged)

© ENHASTOLEMYHEART ON TUMBLR, 2023 — do not translate, copy, modify, or repost any of my works as your own in any platform or form of use.

[httpseungmxn]

Popping Gum

Choi San x Reader(afab)

🍰🍬 - suggestive and fluffy

Authors note: Hiiiiiiii, I know I bet we’re all surprised I’m publishing a fic so soon after the last one. I’ve been working on this a few days though and wanted to get it out to you all as soon as I could. San is my bias wrecker so it was a lot of fun making this! I am going to play him the best I can and we’ll see how it goes, but I have a really good feeling about this one!

Warnings: Suggestive, spit swapping, gum sharing, reader is called “kitten” once , lingering touches from both parties

Triggers: N/A

You felt absolutely ridiculous for your current emotions. You were jealous. And over what? A mere piece of gum. A piece of gum that San had been chewing on for less than five minutes now. Your eyes watching his mouth from a distance as he blew a bubble with the gum. Watching his tongue pull the gum back into his mouth completely.

You wanted that to be your tongue in his mouth. Your wet muscle exploring his spit filled cavern. You felt so dirty thinking about that. Even shame had begun to cloud your mind as your darkest fantasies began to play out in your head right during the middle of the group's choreo practice. They were taking an hour long break now after practicing four hours before.

Hongjoong questioned if you were okay, his voice full of concern, mentioning the red blush that had begun to cross your face. Nodding and blaming it on the rooms temperature with a reassuring smile which would’ve been believable if it hadn’t been for your fingers digging into the fabric of your shorts. He brushed it off and went back to talking with Seonghwa, to which you secretly turned your attention back to san’s lips.

Relief rushing through you when the group decided to head out and get some lunch for everybody. Leaving you alone with San and the youngest of the group. Jongho didn’t seem to mind that he had been voted to stay behind. As soon as the group was gone, he was excusing himself to go to the bathroom. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity for you to take a risk with San.

You, however, lacked the confidence to even give San a high five or a hug. He always had to initiate it and even when he did, you seemed so awkward with it. It was hard to act so chill and nonchalant when one of the hottest men in the world was in the same room as you. It pained you every time you made a fool of yourself in front of him. Always worried that he would just see you as the weird and awkward choreo teacher.

It was always weird when someone called you that. You were much younger than some of these men, being only 21, yet you were their choreography teacher. Sometimes you blessed whoever had given you this amazing opportunity because being around the group always made you so happy. They were all so devoted to being their best and also being carefree at the same time. It just fit right like two puzzle pieces.

Eyes slowly trailing back over towards where San had been and taking in a sharp inhale when you come eye to eye with the most beautiful cat-like pair of eyes ever. He was so close that you could smell the mint on his breath from the gum he was chewing. The blush from before traveled back to your cheeks as you tried to conjure up the right words, but only managing to let out a somewhat squeaky mutter of his name.

“ You were staring at me, kitten. “, a sly and charming smile on his lips as he spoke the words. “ Specifically my lips. There something you like about them? “. There it was. That damn piece of gum that had  gotten you into this position. San must’ve noticed your interest in the piece of gum because all of a sudden his lips were smashing against yours and the gum was being slotted into your mouth.

The internal freakout began as you realized that San’s lips were on yours, he was kissing you, and kissing you very good at that. Eyes shutting as you let him deepen the kiss and cup your cheeks. They didn’t stay there though, the left slid down to cup your ass and pull you against him before the right joined in. Bodies pressed together, and hands wandering where they really shouldn't be in such a public place. That was the last thing on your mind though.

All you could think about was his tongue in your mouth and your hand grabbing his hair. He felt so good pressed against you like this. If only you could maybe get just a little closer to him. You’d have to wait for that though. The group could return at any moment and a scandal was the last thing they needed with their new comeback just around the corner. This thing you had with San would need to be a secret until you both agreed the time was right. Even then though, you’d have to ask the companies permission and could run the risk of being fired.

That could be a discussion later on when San’s hands weren’t sliding down to your thighs to pull your shorts up further so he could feel more of your skin. You both pulled from the kiss slowly when you heard wooyoung’s voice nearing with the rest of the group. Wiping your lips and sitting back where you had been before. A wink was sent your way from San as he moved back to his own spot.

Greeting the group with him when they finally entered the room with the food. Jongho had finally exited the bathroom where he had been making a phone call to his family. Nobody seemed to notice the blush on your cheeks and the slight swolleness of San’s lips. Well you assumed they hadn’t noticed but you caught someones attention when you began to chew the piece of gum San had slipped into your mouth with his tongue.

Wooyoung’s voice echoed through the room as he pointed a finger at you, “ San you said you didn’t have anymore gum!”. San shrugged at wooyoung and spoke up after swallowing a bite of the strawberry and cream sandwich he had been given. “ I just didn’t want to share with you. “.  Feeling relieved that wooyoung seemed to believe it and the rest of the group couldn’t care less about it.

Looking to San and blushing when he shoots you one last wink. Who knew your interest in san’s popping gum could get you the biggest, steamiest secret of your life.

Authors ending note; Sooooooo, what did we think? I liked this one a lot 🤭 It was long and had a lot of steaminess to it! Can you guys tell I like making wooyoung a little menace in my fics? I feel like it just fits him so well! I hope you guys liked this one though! Tell me what you think in the comments section! 

[starillusion13]

MINE TO KILL (Teaser)

Pairing: Royal! Yunho x f! reader (ft. Wooyoung)

Genre: Royal, Mature, Enemies to (?), Smut, Angst

W.C: ??? [1.5k (this is only for teaser)]

Warnings: mention of - to kill someone and threats (all the rest warnings will be in the main plot.

Network: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity

Note: Thanks for reading and reblogging. I appreciate all of your reviews and feel free to text me if you want. Spread love to others, not hate. I love Yunho when he is angry and guys finally I have identified my bias in Ateez I think it’s Yunho😃 dw it will change in my next fic lol

"And you thought I won't notice?"

You flinched to the sudden dark voice from the stairs. The ceiling lights and the lamps had a warm radiant but those lights were still piercing on your skin. As if the hatred inside you was adding to the heat of the lights.

Your piercing eyes reflected the shining light of the light chain decorated on the railings. You gripped the glass tighter in your hand, feeling the anger rising in you to watch him descending the stairs.

He should slip a step and fall from the stairs in front of you. You scoffed mentally.

The boots hit to the marbled stairs slowly, the walk was slow, too slow to let you hear each sound of his boot precisely and clearly.

Your glares directed towards him made his corner of the lip to tug upwards slightly. He watched you intently and noticed your slight fear which you were trying to hide it but still couldn't.

At this point, the grip on the glass could have broke it easily but somehow it didn't break.

Maybe like the hatred inside you was enough to burn him but the slight fear was more powerful to hold it back.

"Why are you here?" You hissed.

He eyed the glass in your grip and walked forward to stand a bit too close to your liking. you were glued to the ground where you were standing. you wanted to run away but still something inside you was forcing you to face it, face him like the royal you are. are you strong enough? maybe not. he is more powerful than you. both in morals and money.

"If I say...for you?" he said and leaned forward to inhale the perfume. he hummed near your ear, "same sweet smell. It always remind me of the night. don't you miss that night of us?"

"Never. why can't you just forget about it?"

he chuckled and stood straight, "oh it's too perfect and interesting to remember. how can I just let that sweet moment slip through my mind. I am carving it on a campus to make it remember even if I have amnesia one day."

you gritted your teeth and raised the glass to throw the wine at him but he was quick to get a hold of your hand and took away the glass from you. you glared at him but he just smirked at you and brought the glass to his lips, maintaining an eye contact with you. you could hear some people passing by the passage through, outside the main door of the hall in the backyard of the palace. you glanced to the direction of the door and hoped someone to enter so that you could escape his grip because your strength was nothing to his.

the voices became distant and the hope inside you died down with the rising of the bubble of the little fear.

"I hope you soon have the amnesia and so that I can kill you by myself." you wiggled your hand under his grip.

he ignored you and asked, "did you drink this yet? did your lips touched the glass?" He swirled the wine in the glass.

"why? will you drink from it now?"

he poked his inner cheek and smirked widely, "oh! I am craving for the lips from that night and if you don't give me the honor to devour them again then I have to do it in this way."

"Yunho, mind your words." you threatened him only to get a loud laugh from him. he threw his head back and amusedly watched his grip on your wrist. the image from that night flashed in front of his eyes. the same way you were whimpering under this hold and begging to him. He could feel something inside him stinging, might be the hatred for you.

"But you loved every words from me when I was choking you." He cocked an eyebrow and smirked.

"Please stop it."

"And if I don't?" He loosened his grip on your wrist and as soon as you stepped backward, he harshly grabbed your arm and pulled you towards him. "Does Wooyoung know about this?"

"About what?" You hissed at him because the grip was leaving red marks on your arm and the rings in his fingers were pressing on your skin.

The touch was filled with hatred or love?

It's visible that it's all about the hate for you.

"About us? The love we shared that night. The way I made you feel good." He leaned to your level to whisper into your ears, his breath hitting your nape and you shivered, "the way I marked you mine. When in the first place you were always his."

"There is nothing called us. That night was a mistake. Don't talk about it again. I don't want Wooyoung to know about it. And I am never yours."

He sipped the wine from your glass and closed his eyes, humming in the taste of the liquid. You watched him in disgust. Gulping down the glass, he noticed your glare.

He paused to stare at the door and when the voice of the person on the other side became distant and he noticed that you were distracted.

He threw the glass across the room and glared at you. You flinched to his sudden action and his grip tightened.

"y/n...y/n...y/n..."

He sang your name and his voice and the name coming out from his mouth sent a shiver down your spine. He noticed your little gulp and harshly turned you around and flushed your back against his chest.

"Y/n and Yunho...isn't our name fit nicely together?" He darkly chuckled in your ears. His one hand grabbing your arm tightly and the other placed on your throat. The hand was caressing the skin around when he suddenly squeezed it.

Your choking sound made him smile widely and in satisfaction he whispered, "it will be so fun to kill you, y/n."

You scoffed, "is that a threat?" and gritted your teeth.

He chuckled amusedly, "why? Does that sound like a compliment?"

He loosened his grip around your throat, you coughed out and took deep breaths but he held you against his body.

"Leave me, Yunho."

"I will only leave you when I will kill you."

He gripped your jaw and made you face him. His glares were strong, his muscles tight against the jaw and neck and the gritted teeth hissing at you.

"Then kill me."

"Y/n. Y/n, where are you?" Wooyoung's voice echoed around the place and you both could hear it. You broke the stare with him and looked towards the door when the door was pushed open.

Yunho changed your position quickly and placed his hand on your cheek and other still holding your arm. Smiling at you and you stared at him in confused silence.

Why is he suddenly acting like this?

Wooyoung entered the hall and found you with Yunho, he smiled at your form who was held by his brother. You both were facing side to him. Yet to notice his approaching steps towards you.

“There you are my love. What are you doing here, y/n? That even with Yunho?” He was smiling all the way and when he reached near you, you pushed Yunho’s hand and hugged Wooyoung, burying your face into his chest.

Wooyoung smiled and patted your head in his embrace and with confusion, he looked at his brother.

“What happened to her?”

Yunho chuckled, “she lost her balance in this dress and her glass fell from her grasp so I was just helping her out.”

Wooyoung nodded and felt your hug tightened around him. You clutched his coat tighter and closed your eyes in anger.

These brothers were always different from each other. Even this day, Wooyoung was in red attire representing his love and passion for you. Whereas Yunho in black attire radiating luxury and power in elegance shooting towards you.

“Are you okay, y/n?”

You nodded to his question and he urged you to stand straight. He told his brother that he would like to leave the place with you to spend some time and his brother nodded. He guided you towards the door and you followed him with your hand entangled with his and looking down. You could feel a stare burning hole on your back but you didn’t look back.

Yunho’s eyes followed till you both exited the door and took a turn. As soon as you were out of his sight, he grabbed his hairs and harshly brushed it back in annoyance.

“I will kill you, y/n.”

He clenched his jaw and glared at the way from where you left with his brother.

“Always remember that you are mine.”

He exhaled heavily and clenched his fist where his knuckled turned white and the palm was almost flushed red with slight edges of the nails digging into his skin.

“Mine to kill.”

T.B.C.

[READ HERE]

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[orrianreaper]

GW2 people - Pitch me YOUR idea for an Expansion!

What's the theme, where are we going, what lore threads are we picking up on, what's the story premise, what mechanics do you think it could have.

I love spitballing ideas when I'm talking with friends so I'm posing the question To Everyone because I know everyone has some pet concepts floating around. As self-indulgent as you'd like, as unrealistic as you like, just throw ideas around, I wanna hear them!

The One I think I have the most rounded ideas for would be an Underwater Expansion. Picking up on the threat of whatever is terrorising the deep oceans, having some exploration of the Largos and bringing back in the Quaggan and the Krait maybe!

I love the sort of depths we get in maps like Frostgorge sound, and underwater combat has badly needed a rework and a tune up - there's loads of skills which straight up don't work and break entire builds underwater, and this would be a perfect excuse to try bring it up to speed. Maybe even make the underwater weapon sets function on land, to satisfy those who're after more weapons. You could make the maps a mix of true underwater and perhaps giant air bubble caves so you still had some land exploration even in maps otherwise set deep under the ocean. A map meta split with land phases and water phases. Additionally as personal bias wish, I'd love map event/meta design more like HoT. A map-wide Story with a few chains with specifically Build into the actual true Meta. I also simply love the idea of having a bunch of enemy designs based of the ocean and the abyss, there's so much incredible inspiration and interesting marine life. and biomes too! Give me a hydrothermal vent section in one of the maps, hell underwater 'water' in the form of brine pool 'quicksand'.

The Turtle might get some more use out of it's underwater, and skimmer would absolutely get spotlight as a skyscale isn't going to get you too far here - hell maybe even some speedy new underwater mount could be a fun addition to the roster.

I can see a plot being around trying to work with the Largos, The 'Terror of the Deep' being a danger and learning from them about how to survive the hostile environment and also convince them work with you to Hunt the 'Terror'. Maybe you come to the area of the ocean with the Quaggans and it's convincing the Largos to take them seriously as allies against whatever you're fighting? A quaggan companion character would be really fun, and you could easily bring back Sayeh al' Rajihd from the personal story given Largos involvement. I think not only would it be something very different in terms of the maps, which granted quite a few people might not like (thalassophobia reasons, or general Dislike of Water Gameplay reasons), but I think a rework of the underwater mechanics would benefit a bunch of places and it's something that really doesn't get touched outside of base game and maybe like, the Leviathans in EoD. There's so much neat creature design inspiriation swimming around out there, and I know so many people love the largos and even if not playable getting to see more of them could be neat! Also - it'd finally make all those legendary full people happy. A Legendary Aquabreather :P.

And a new suite of legendary underwater weapons since the G1 set. (and not themed pretty please make them all Unique.)

[inkblackorchid]

What the hell happened with Crow: an autopsy (Part 3)

Trying my absolute damnedest to finish this one and part four sooner now that I've finally covered the Pearson backstory. *Ehem* Hello again! I hope you're ready for more yelling about a certain spiky-haired Blackbird aficionado, because I sure am.

To get some things out of the way first, though, here come the usual disclaimers:

This is part three of a series of posts about hpw Crow's character was handled during 5Ds' whole run. You can find part one here and part two here. Reading them technically isn't required, but things sure will make a whole lot more sense if you do. (Bring snacks, they're long.)

This post isn't meant as a Crow hate post, nor is it meant to convince people who didn't vibe with his character to change their mind. This is my very long winded-attempt to analyse the writing decisions surrounding his character as best I can, without too much bias. That said, full disclosure, I do personally like Crow, so there's a good chance that will shine through whether I want it to or not. But also, I'm trying to have fun here, so please cut me some slack.

In case you haven't read my previous Crow posts (no shade there) and/or still believe the many, many production rumours that have been haunting the 5Ds fandom since the show's original run, please let me burst your bubble(s) with some insanely comprehensive research by someone over on Reddit (thanks again to @mbg159, who's also here on tumblr): No, Crow was not meant to be a dark signer, or the final boss of season 1, and his spike in screentime has nothing to do with his cards. And also, No, Aki didn't get less presence in the narrative because her VA got pregnant. What if you don't have the time to read either of those long posts? In that case, please take away this simple, very easy rebuttal of why the above theories are bullshit: Their would-be "key points" don't line up with the 5Ds production timeline. At all. Not even vaguely. So please, ditch them, let them die, seeing them still talked about makes me feel like I'm gonna break out in hives. And for the love of god, don't use this post or in fact anything else I post to pit Aki and Crow against each other. Both characters have their strengths and their reasons to love them. I am not the least bit interested in starting any character discourse. So please, spare my sanity. Ok? Thank you.

And now, we can get to the good part at last. In my previous post in this series, I stopped my analysis at episode 95, a.k.a. part two of the Pearson backstory. In this post, I will thus be picking up right after, at the very start of the WRGP—with the Team Unicorn match. The goal for this post is to analyse Crow's part in this particular arc, then provide some food for thought/ideas on how things that rubbed some people the wrong way could have been improved.

More below the readmore, and I give you not just my usual warning, but an extra warning, too: The universe will not let me write short things, so tread with caution, stay hydrated, and expect a veritable dissertation below, because this post feels long even to me, who has long since lost her sense of length when it comes to text. (But I'm well aware this is the result of me refusing to split the WRGP part into two separate posts, so I take full responsibility for that.)

Since we left off right after I chewed through all the issues with Crow's rather belated backstory and especially Black-Winged Dragon last time, we jump right into the thick of things now, with episodes 96 and 97, which serve as the preamble to Team 5Ds' first WRGP duel against Team Unicorn. Crow only gets two major things to do during this short stretch of episodes, the first being that he's Team Unicorn's gateway into roping Yusei into a duel during practice, which helps them set up a ruse that baits the 5Ds gang into sending Jack as their first wheeler because they think Jack's deck is best suited to countering Andre's—which, as it later turns out, it is not.

(Arguably the screenshot where Crow gives off the strongest Youngest Sibling Vibes during the entire show. Look at him, all chastised.)

Crow's second role is an odd one that I argue only he out of the main three guys could fulfill at this point: He's the one to get injured right before the Team Unicorn match, rendering him unable to compete, which leads to Aki offering to take his place for that particular match.

(Pictured: Bird Boy regretting all his life choices up until that point simultaneously.)

Here's the first moment I have to talk about in greater detail. See, the thing is, I don't know what the fandom consensus on Crow getting injured here is, but I argue that this moment was a (rare) strategic decision made by the writers at this point. Crow's injury accomplished several things: 1. It sets up the mystery of why his back wheel locked up out of nowhere, which is later paid off through Team Catastrophe's shenanigans. 2. It organically allows Aki to take his spot without introducing any argument about which of them is "worthier" of having that third spot. 3. Through this, it also allows him to actually bounce off Aki for once (a point I will come back to below, during the Team Catastrophe section). And 4. It allows the show to (TECHNICALLY) pay off the setup they did in letting Aki get her turbo duelling license and train with the boys. (Generally, Crow's and Aki's character writing intersects a bit during the pre-Diablo incident WRGP section, something I'll touch on below.)

Moreover, I think this is also the only match where they could have done something like this, and the reason for it is very simple: Team Unicorn are one-off opponents whose presence in the narrative is only relevant as far as it concerns the WRGP, and they are also one of the first teams the 5Ds gang faces. If we think about the opponents Team 5Ds has after this, it becomes very obvious why Crow could only be injured during this duel: If they had tried pulling this stunt later, it would have forced the writers to pull Aki centre stage during a much more plot-relevant duel than this one (which they were apparently allergic to, but let's not go there), not to speak of the fact that it would have forced them to sideline someone they were definitely trying to sell as the third portion of their protagonist trifecta, which would have probably been awkward. (If not for the fact that they literally did this to Crow later in the show, but I'll get there. Yes, I know there's a lot already that I'll still be "getting to".)

The thing is, whether or not it feels like an awkward writing choice to make so early in the big tournament of this arc (you be the judge of that), Crow's injury finally allows him to have a few interesting character moments for once. For one, there is his immediate disappointment about being forced to stay on the sidelines. Aside from the fact that this is a human and relatable reaction to his injury, it stings even more for the character than it does for us as the audience, because Crow got a moment where the Satellite orphans he previously took care of cheer him on for the tournament literally within the same two Team Unicorn preamble episodes.

(Say what you will, this is just stupid cute.)

So when Aki eventually offers to take his place during the match, he's understandably apprehensive—and again, this is human. It may seem mean in the moment, but from a character writing standpoint, it's a natural response. Plus, it's certainly more interesting to watch the group have a bit of conflict among themselves, rather than everyone immediately jumping straight to acceptance. It introduces tension, and, for however brief a moment, raises the question of whether Crow might refuse to let Aki take his spot. This is also the point where Aki and Crow's character writing officially intertwines, at least for the stretch of episodes between the Team Unicorn duel and the Team Catastrophe duel. And you know what? Say what you will, but I think it does a world of good for both of them. The 5Ds cast, as lovely as it is, doesn't get a lot of room to bounce off one another where it concerns personal matters anymore, once the WRGP starts. Arguably, they get little time to bounce off one another outside of plot-related discussions at all once this portion of the show comes around. The characters are treated as "fully developed", and thus, the writing largely doesn't take the time to show us how the group naturally interacts with one another anymore, especially not with how many side characters (chiefly Bruno and Sherry), antagonists, and duels the show now has to juggle. So Aki and Crow getting even a smidgen of personal conflict here is honestly a breath of fresh air. The interaction kicked off by Crow's injury isn't completely plot-irrelevant, like most character interactions during the pre-WRGP were, but it's not something that feels like it's only there to explain the machinations of the antagonists to the audience, either.

Let me go through this in a little more detail to illustrate my point.

So, episode 97. Crow storms off after Aki offers to take his spot, while Aki heads out to prepare her runner, intent on helping her team. The personal motivations here are already very nice and reflective of these characters as we've gotten to know them up until this point: Crow's angry and disappointed (mostly at himself, which is noteworthy!) because he can't compete. And specifically, he's angry because not being able to compete in the first match means he can't show the kids his duelling like he wanted to. Then there's Aki, whose offer to take Crow's place is every bit as much of a strategic suggestion as it is a bid for acceptance from her. Acceptance, which is the thing she's been all about ever since she was introduced, basically. So she pleads with her friends to accept her, see her as an equal, and allow her to duel for the team, which they do. And Crow initially throws a fit, but then...

(Listen. You have no idea how much Crow and Aki getting to actually be friends means to me.)

He comes around to the idea and not only gives Aki his express permission to take his spot, he even coaches her a bit right before the match. Moreover, as his text states above, he literally entrusts her with the kids' hopes, as well as his own. This quickly brings both of them full circle: Crow, who already has a theme of legacy attached to him, passes the torch to Aki for this match, and in so doing, offers her the acceptance she asked her teammates for. (Frankly, stuff like this makes me wonder why on earth people were so eager to pit these two against each other, when their shared moments are actually some of the best-written during the often rocky WRGP arc.) So, though this injury pulls Crow out of the duel, it, funnily enough, ties him better into the story and to the other characters.

From there, we then dive into the Team Unicorn match proper. And well, being injured as he is, Crow doesn't exactly get a whole lot to do there. However, since we're in the portion where his and Aki's writing overlaps a bit, I do need to go on a quick tangent about what Aki's portion of this duel means for Crow.

(Sigh. Okay, buckle up for a quick and rough detour.)

First, something I need to get out of the way and off my chest: I have made no secret out of the fact that I hate Aki's portion of this duel, save for the moment where she summons Stardust. Hell, this duel segment is pretty much universally hated by anone who has even a smidgen of sympathy for Aki. It's regarded by many as the very moment the writers axed Aki's character, and for good reason: After all the buildup surrounding her getting her turbo duelling license, the supposed "payoff" of it all is that she gets to duel against Andre for a depressing four turns before being defeated immediately, which leads into Yusei's frustrating portion of this duel, which, to my knowledge, isn't regarded any more kindly by fans than Aki's segment. It's a massive let-down, simply put. But the thing is, it's not just a let-down for Aki. After all, the brief character conflict she had with Crow about taking his spot here can and should be regarded as part of the setup for this moment, and as such, it can also be considered to be wasted the second Aki leaves the track after barely making an impact whatsoever.

However, I do need to mention that I have a theory on why this segment was handled the way it was, mostly because I feel like Crow's later interaction with Aki, shortly after she's out of the duel, underlines it (mind that this is just my personal theory, though, after having watched the show perhaps more times than can be considered sane): I think there is a cultural aspect to this duel. See, the word ganbaru, which anime subtitles often like to translate with "do your best" or something along the lines, has a greater significance than the translation implies. Though it's not inaccurate per se, there's more than just the idea of doing your best behind ganbaru, because it's something like an umbrella term not just for doing your best and succeeding, it's also the idea that you have to keep trying, even if you don't succeed. It's related to tenacity, to persistence, even in the face of terrible odds. And make no mistake, I don't mean the Japanese equivalent of "if at first you don't succeed, try again" here. I genuinely do mean "you have to keep trying, even if you fail". There is no guarantee of success here. And for that reason, the idea behind ganbaru is also that it's not simply the success that has value, but the effort made in the attempt to attain it, regardless of the result. (Side note: I tried to scrounge up a resource I could link to that nicely explains this concept, but unfortunately, all the promising articles were paywalled and the ones I learned it from require institutional access to lecture materials.) And this is where I will posit the tentative theory that this is exactly what the 5Ds writers were going for with Aki's segment of the duel—it was very much meant to be the payoff for her turbo duelling license setup and her plea to take Crow's place, but it wasn't so much her success that was meant to be valued, as the effort she (and by extension, Crow) made for and during this duel. And this is where Crow's little pep-talk with Aki after she's out of the duel comes in, because it feels like it supports exactly this interpretation:

(This is essentially the whole sequence. Note how Crow, despite so fervently entrusting Aki with his and his kids' hopes prior, doesn't admonish her for making a bad showing in the slightest.)

I don't think it gets any clearer than it is here. During this sequence, Aki is painfully aware of how poor her performance was against Andre, especially after she was so insistent on duelling at first, and despite having been entrusted with Stardust by Yusei, to boot. Yet, Crow doesn't have a single word of criticism to offer her. Instead, he even tells her she did well and that nobody's perfect. It very much reads as valuing Aki's effort over the result she achieved to me, and thus seems perfectly in line with the idea behind ganbaru.

However, if we assume I'm correct about the intentions behind this writing choice, we come back to why Aki's segment of the duel is so hotly debated and why it may have arguably been a disservice not just to her, but to Crow, too, character-wise. Because the majority of non-Japanese watchers of the show culturally don't have a 1:1 applicable concept like ganbaru, this writing choice was more likely to fall flat for them, because to someone who wasn't raised to understand the idea behind it, Aki's portion of the duel doesn't register as a payoff; it registers as a massive disappointment, because it feels like the writers, who had so much setup already done for her, let her fail on purpose, just to later let Yusei attain his arguably dumbest victory of the entire show. Thus, they also essentially waste the conflict she had with Crow about whether she would be allowed to take his spot in the first place, because with how little she achieved during the duel, she may as well not have gotten on the track. (Figuratively speaking. Please Do Not take this to mean I would prefer a version where Aki hadn't duelled at all. That would be worse. It would be infinitely worse.)

(Also, side note: If this post reaches anyone who's actually Japanese and still remembers this duel, I would genuinely love your input on whether my interpretation is feasible or just wishful thinking. Did you interpret Aki's part of the duel the way I did here? Or did it fall flat for you, too? If what I'm saying here feels like an absolute reach, please tell me. I'm honestly just trying my best to make things make sense here and remembered this concept from some classes I took in Japanese studies at uni.)

With all that in mind, it doesn't come as a surprise that some people were just as frustrated with the way Crow was barred from duelling here as they were with Aki's segment or Yusei's later victory. But it is what it is—the Unicorn duel concludes the way we all know it to, and with that, the show begins setting up the following duel with Team Catastrophe.

The only other, non duel-related, noteworthy thing that happens between the Unicorn and the Catastrophe match is a brief appearance at the Poppo Time by Sherry, who admonishes the signers for celebrating their victory early and warns them about Iliaster. Why do I bring this up? Because it's one of less than five times that Crow is in the same room with Sherry. Remember, Sherry. The girl he later, during the finale, talks out of working for the big bad evil guy because he suddenly seems to have such a deep understanding of her motivations and character that he can accurately deduce what argument will make her understand that working with Z-ONE won't give her what she's looking for. So, does Crow get a meaningful interaction with her during this scene, then? Nope. Not even in the slightest. Crow says exactly one sentence that is aimed at Sherry during her appearance, and that sentence is this:

(What a meaningful conversation!)

And yes, I will come back to Crow and Sherry's dynamic in particular. But we'll save that for the Ark Cradle arc post. For now, just keep it in mind as we move along to the other WRGP duels.

So. Team Catasrophe.

During the duel against this team, which was previously only hinted at ominously, the writing for Crow and Aki overlaps again, and this starts with the writers essentially doing a complete switcheroo of what came before: Instead of Crow getting injured and being unable to compete, it's Aki who crashes, ends up in the hospital, and is thus forced to give up her spot during the duel. (This also goes hand in hand with her suddenly losing her powers, which we are given absolutely zero explanation for, but let's not talk about that clusterfuck here. If you're interested in my opinions about that particular trainwreck, I have a rant for you.) Additionally, it's during this stretch of episodes (103-105, which is a whopping four episodes less than Team Unicorn got) that we find out that not only Aki's crash, but Crow's previous one, too, were both sabotage, caused by the rather unscrupulous Team Catastrophe by way of a special card that can cause real damage even when there is no psychic duellist present. (A card we also find out was given to them by Placido/Primo, but this is irrelevant for both Aki and Crow.) Crow's reaction to this piece of information, particularly once Aki gets injured due to the same thing, is where things get interesting for him again, because he gets pissed, to say the least.

(A moment I imagine firebirdshippers must have been positively delighted about.)

Here, I have to reiterate an earlier point: Think what you will of Team Catastrophe, of Aki's crash, and of the sequence where her powers suddenly don't work, but this moment here, where Crow gets angry on her behalf and swears to duel Team Catastrophe into submission—not because he wants his kids to cheer for him, or because he wants to prove himself, but as revenge for his friend—is one of sadly only a handful of moments the writers use to show the strengthened relationships between the individual members of Team 5Ds after the dark signers arc. It's one of the precious few scenes that actually shows, rather than tells us or lets us search for scraps in the subtext, that the signers, and the members of Team 5Ds as a whole, care for each other outside of revolving around Yusei like planets around the sun. Even if it's laughably small, it's at least a hint that there are individual friendships between the other signers, too, that they all stick around one another for reasons beyond gravitating towards Yusei for one reason or another. And for that alone, I'm grateful that they put this here, even if Team Catastrophe was otherwise so ridiculous and made such a bad showing at their actual match that they could barely be taken seriously as antagonists at all.

Speaking of which. The actual meat of the matter. The Team Catastrophe match. What does Crow do here? Well, he duels! Even though he wasn't supposed to, for injury-related reasons. What both his participation as well as the actual duel accomplish, though, are that they not only showcase previously established character traits of Crow's again, but they also make a (possibly unintended) callback to a previous, major duel Crow took part in: His dark signer duel against Bommer/Greiger. Where and how? Let's see.

Firstly, Crow's participation. The reactions of the other characters to this make it very evident that Team 5Ds did not plan for this, with Yusei and Jack even going as far as to say they "had no choice" but to let Crow duel, because he insisted. This is perfectly in line with the stubbornness we already know from him at this point—a stubbornness that was also a major reason for why he took Bommer on and later continued his duel with said man, despite Yusei showing up and telling him he shouldn't be duelling a dark signer.

Secondly, there's the manoeuvring thing, and here's where I can call attention to a fun tidbit: The WRGP isn't what introduces the concept of manual mode during turbo duels to the audience. It's Crow. During his duel with Bommer. Being crafty and a bit shrewd as he is, Crow, during said duel in the DS arc, purposefully switches to manual mode when he duels Bommer, because he figures that attacks that can deal real damage can probably be evaded if you actually have control over your runner and aren't stuck in autopilot.

(Don't believe me? Here it is. And frankly, it is somewhat hilarious, yet also very fitting that Crow is the only one who thinks to do this during a duel with a dark signer.)

The reason this particular bit is relevant during the Team Catastrophe duel is because Crow essentially repeats this trick here. Of course, it's a bit less impactful now, given that manual mode is standard for WRGP duels, but still: Due to Hook, the Hidden Knight, Crow is forced to pay attention to the track and manually evade the monster's attempts to make his back wheel lock up during the duel, mirroring how he thought to manually evade Bommer's attacks during the DS arc.

Thirdly, there's the revenge angle, and this one is a particularly juicy callback. Remember, Crow's major reason for taking on Team Catastrophe, despite being injured, is that he wants to get revenge for Aki. This directly parallels how his major reason for duelling Bommer during the DS arc was that he wanted revenge for his kids, whom he believed to be dead at that point in time. (It also, interestingly, establishes a bit of a connection to his deck, which boasts a fair amount of revenge effects, but I'll not get into that here, seeing as I've talked about Crow's cards a bit before.)

Keep in mind, despite all the things listed above that this duel accomplishes, it's also by far the shortest WRGP duel. It lasts a whole six turns, total, which is ludicrous compared to the likes of 27-turn Team Unicorn, 26-turn Team Taiyou, or 25-turn Team Ragnarok. And I don't think it's controversial to say that the Catastrophe guys are probably the most forgettable WRGP Team, too. Yet, somehow, despite all its shortcomings in terms of memorable antagonists and plot relevance, this is one of the best duels of the WRGP where Crow's character writing is concerned. Now, I'll be perfectly candid: Coming into this post, I did not expect the Team Catastrophe duel, of all things, to end up being as good at actually showcasing Crow's character and his ties to other characters (who aren't Yusei) as it was, but here we are. And we had better hold on to the good the Team Unicorn - Catastrophe segment did for Crow, because the next thing that's coming up is a harsh break from the WRGP, starting with the sudden appearance of Placido's home-engineered army of killer duel robots. And what does Crow get to do during this part?

Uh. Well.

(Pictured: Bird Boy being demoted to benchwarmer while the city's being ransacked by murder duel robots.)

Nothing. A whole lot of nothing, is what.

During the duel robot invasion, we only ever flash back to Crow to ascertain that he is, in fact, useless during this part of the show, something he shares in common with Ruka, Rua, and Aki here, because all of them get pretty much nothing to do while Yusei finally gets the hang of accel synchro. Granted, Aki gets to save a little girl at the hospital, but in comparison to Yusei's lengthy, plot-heavy duel with Placido, this feels like a consolation prize. And for once, Jack is only marginally better off, too, because sure, he gets to beat up a couple of robots, but that's it, really.

Where Crow is concerned, his plot relevance doesn't actually resume once the Placido duel finishes, though. (And neither does Rua's, Ruka's, or Aki's, while we're at it.) Because wouldn't you know it, the next big thing directly after the duel robot invasion are the Red Nova episodes, where three out of five signers (Crow, Aki, and Ruka, unsurprisingly) are removed from the screen almost in their entirety again while Jack gets his much-needed dragon upgrade so he can keep up with Yusei, in order to uphold his status as a classic, almost-evenly-matched yugioh rival.

Speaking of upgrades and dragons, let's make a quick detour while our protag and rival duo take their express vacation to the Nazca plains. It is, of course, no secret that no signer outside of Yusei and Jack ever got a dragon upgrade within the anime. (No, I'm not forgetting about Life Stream Dragon. But that one, unlike Shooting Star Dragon and Red Nova Dragon, was a.) teased all the way back in the DS arc and b.) didn't have a unique summoning method or some other gimmick that made it an "elevated" synchro. So I'm discounting Life Stream as a "proper" dragon upgrade on purpose.) Is this the point where I start arguing that Crow should have gotten one, then? Well, not quite. Not with the writing the show canonically gave us, at least—after all, with how late Black-Winged Dragon was introduced, it would have been bonkers to upgrade him here already, if even at all. However, I do argue that the way the show hands only Yusei and Jack upgrades seems a bit... off. Now, I know why only those two get upgrades, or at least I think I do. After all, they're the central protag/rival duo, and within the framework of the character archetypes the larger yugioh canon has created for itself, this would have always made them the first, if not the only candidates for dragon upgrades. What feels a bit off to me, though, is that specifically the 5Ds cast feels like it... chafes a bit against those character archetypes, for lack of a better word. The problem is this: The signers, as far as the first two arcs are concerned, are sold to us as equals who all have very powerful ace monsters. Yes, Jack and Yusei are still undoubtedly the best duellists among them, but not on account of having uber-powerful extra special monsters that were acquired through supernatural means that are categorically inaccessible to the other signers. However, with the appearance of Shooting Star and Red Nova, this changes. While Yusei and Jack were previously and would have always been the two guys who had a Special dynamic with a capital "S" on account of their character archetypes, their acquisition of the dragon upgrades—and even more so, the lack of upgrades their fellow signers receive—now decidedly puts them in a different power bracket and skews the balance between previous, supposedly "equal" characters. (Which, unfortunately, is yet another thing that makes everyone else easier to sideline.)

Why do I bring all this up in a post dedicated to Crow? Because this new power imbalance arguably impacts him more than the other signers—because he's Team 5Ds' second wheeler and doesn't miss another WRGP match from here on out. Thus, that power imbalance is felt in the upcoming duels, where Yusei and Jack bust out Shooting Star and Red Nova like it's nothing, while Crow is left manoeuvring with the somewhat underpowered Black-Winged Dragon and whatever else he can come up with. This is also why I claimed that the show did sideline Crow in some aspects further above. Because while some parts of his writing go to great pains to establish him as part of a protagonist trifecta that is now supposed to take centre stage before the other characters, he also permanently lives in Jack and Yusei's shadow, ultimately barred not just from reaching equal status as a signer (due to his late and rocky introduction and dragon acquisition), but also barred from becoming the equal of his foster brothers as a duellist. Frankly, I'm surprised the show didn't make this a plot point, because the first thing my mind jumps to when I think about this is whether Crow felt left behind after his brothers acquired such immensely powerful, special cards. But more on my personal writing ideas later. For now, let's just put a pin in the power-imbalance thing.

So, when is Crow back on screen in any meaningful role, then? (Note that I mean this as literally as possible. As per my discussion about "screentime" and my gripes about it in part two, I gloss over the parts where Crow is on screen, but could be traded for any other signer or even a lamppost without affecting the scene at all.)

Well, the next thing Crow gets to do isn't exactly glorious, but it sure is funny.

(I want you all to remember that he has to wear this costume and play this part in Team 5Ds' absurd plan to capture Yaeger/Lazar because he lost at rock-paper-scissors. This will never not be funny to me.)

Ignoring the hilarious outfit and Crow playing the bait at a fabricated cup ramen promo event meant to lure Yaeger in, bird boy does actually get something that's not just for funsies to do during the two episodes where Team 5Ds is trying to get more information about Iliaster: He gets to have a duel revanche against Yaeger, who, if we remember the DS arc, ditched him the last time they squared off. Much like the Team Catastrophe duel, this one, too, calls back to previous duels Crow has had: For one, it's the obvious conclusion to his unfinished, first duel with Yaeger. And for two, Crow repeats a "trick" (for lack of a better term) here that is also unique to him: losing on purpose, which we remember from his duel with Lyndon.

(Identical-looking clown family jumpscare be upon ye.)

And again, much like getting injured for the Team Unicorn duel, I argue that this story beat here is something that could also only have been accomplished with Crow. Because he's the only one who has previously duelled Yaeger, firstly, because not wanting to make a child cry by beating their dad in a duel makes sense for him as a character due to him being a family-oriented person who loves children, secondly, and because losing on purpose in this scenario is a tactic that would seem out of character from anyone else, thirdly. (We recall, the only times Jack and Yusei, respectively, ever consider/offer to lose on purpose is when the lives of people close to them are on the line, in the shape of Carly/Rally. As for the others, aside from not being present, Aki, Rua, and Ruka are so heavily sidelined at this point that they would have never been an option for this. And if his writing is anything to go by, Bruno is mostly purposefully forbidden from accomplishing Plot Things, especially through duels, while he's Bruno.) But hey, due to the way this episode is set up, losing on purpose works out for Crow, because it convinces Yaeger to stop hiding and actually share his knowledge about Iliaster. This, by the way, is the second scene where Crow gets to be in a room with Sherry for a longer stretch of time. And look, him joking that Sherry might kill Yaeger if he doesn't spill the beans about Iliaster soon is fun and all, but in light of the Ark Cradle duel later, I have to point out that he, again, doesn't get to have so much as a shred of a meaningful conversation with Sherry here. Again. But moving on. The scene with Yaeger at the Poppo Time then leads us first to the small sequence in the arcade where the gang has to win a simulated duel to get Yaeger's encoded intel, then to episode 116—the Moment Express episode, where, due to this being a Yusei, Sherry, and Bruno-focussed episode, Crow gets nothing to do again. (And also doesn't get to interact with Sherry again.)

Congrats! We've survived the WRGP break. This leaves us with three more WRGP duels before shit hits the fan and the Ark Cradle arc commences. And full disclosure, I'll be doing a bit of a quick-fire round of those three duels. Why? Because despite them all having their merits in their own rights (they're the better liked duels of the WRGP for a reason), there honestly isn't that much focus on Crow during them. He duels, yes, and I've seen people point this out over and over again as the supposed smoking gun that shows how Crow had so much more relevance and screentime than Aki and yadda, yadda. We've been there. And it's not that I can't see where this argument is coming from—I'll be the first to tell you that it's a travesty that Aki never got to duel in the WRGP again outside of the Unicorn match. But I want to use the final three matches to dig into how the way these matches—and especially the opponents to go with them—were set up made it nearly impossible for Aki to replace Crow again during any point of the WRGP finals.

First, episode 118. This is the only preamble episode we get for the first two WRGP finals teams, and here, our group is split in two: Yusei, Bruno, and Rua introduce us to Team Taiyou, while Jack, Aki, and Crow introduce us to Team Ragnarok. There isn't much to say here, because the only thing this episode does for Crow is a shallow repeat of what the Team Catastrophe duel did: By putting him in a group with Aki and Jack, and letting them decide among themselves, independently, to check out the exhibition match, it implies that he voluntarily spends time with signers who aren't Yusei. Thumbs up. Gold star. You made an effort (I guess). Then, the real fun starts.

Round one. Team Taiyou.

(Pictured: The sweetest country bumpkins to ever grace this earth. Yes, I'm biased.)

So here's the deal with Team Taiyou, from a narrative standpoint, as best as I can grasp it: They are a callback to Team 5Ds' roots. Specifically, to the boys' Satellite roots. The Taiyou boys come from humble origins, have only one, mostly home-engineered duel runner, and play using old cards that are widely considered shitty, as 5Ds canon tells us. They are essentially the non-signer, countryside version of what Jack, Crow, and Yusei once were, which is why this is the first duel where the duellist constellation on Team 5Ds' end couldn't possibly have been altered. Team Taiyou is there to remind us where our boys started, so it has to be our boys duelling them. This also goes for Crow, even though this duel otherwise doesn't accomplish much for him, character-wise. Instead, it's more of a narrative wink at the audience, as well as providing a breather between otherwise extremely tense, plot-focussed duels. But yeah, Crow's part in this match isn't much to write home about; he doesn't get any verbal interactions that are very meaningful to his character, can't get so much as a scratch in on Zushin, even with Black-Winged Dragon, and is defeated so Yusei can take out the legendary giant.

Round two. Team Ragnarok.

(Behold the pizzazz of at least two contenders for Haircuts With The Most Spikes in the show.)

Though this duel is framed as being even more so aimed towards bolstering Jack's character writing than Crow's, given the inclusion of Dragan's personal history with Jack, Team Ragnarok gets significantly more interesting for Crow again than Team Taiyou did. This is, of course, mainly because of Brave/Broder. Where Team Taiyou were a callback to the 5Ds boys' roots, Team Ragnarok are their narrative foils. Dragan is the duellist who lost his pride to contrast Jack, who's brimming with pride at all times, and Harald/Halldor is essentially the rich, "destiny isn't bullshit, actually" version of Yusei. Meanwhile, unlike the first two, who highlight our 5Ds boys' characteristics by contrasting them, Brave acts as Crow's mirror. Through Team Ragnarok's flashbacks, we see that he gets almost exactly the same, lovable-rogue-type backstory that Crow did during the DS arc, just in a different setting. The only, major difference between them is that while Crow is more down-to-earth, Brave likes to be pretty flashy.

(Keep in mind that he's doing this on a runner. Is there such a thing as courses on how to do acrobatics on your runner? Like there are courses for vaulting on horseback irl? I'm overthinking this again.)

Unsurprisingly, the duel thus ends up addressing the similarities between Crow and Brave, mostly through two things: One, the duel essentially becomes a contest of who can out-trickster who, culminating in the famous, ridiculous-in-the-good-way sequence where Crow activates a trap from his graveyard, to the shock of pretty much everyone present. And two, despite being on opposite sides, the two bond over their concern for the children they took care of and their concern for children in general, which is expressed most clearly in the scene where Crow's kids, in an attempt to hold the poster they made for him higher, very nearly fall over the barricade in the WRGP stands. Despite the hefty length of the full duel, these are pretty much the only things actually related to Crow's character that come up, though. They're good, don't get me wrong, but in a duel that is otherwise this dense with plot, Aesir shenanigans, and Iliaster foreshadowing, it's no surprise that the duel doesn't add that much to Crow's character, outside of giving him someone he can bounce off very well and relate to. Again, though, we are faced with the same situation as with Team Taiyou: Due to the way the members of Team Ragnarok are written, meant to contrast/parallel one male duellist each from Team 5Ds, nobody other than Crow could have taken the third spot here, either. It would have felt awkward from a narrative standpoint (as much as I would have loved to see Aki duel more).

Now, finally. Round three. Team New World.

(Welp. Here come the robots.)

I had to check to make sure I wasn't misremembering this, but due to the way this duel was set up so José/Jakob could bust out Meklord Emperor Granel with a ridiculous amount of attack points, Crow gets a resounding four turns total in this duel. (Gee, I wonder which other character got this treatment during a WRGP duel.) During those four turns, there are only two things he accomplishes: One, leaving behind two combo pieces Yusei later uses, and two, showcasing the shrewd tactics that earned him the label of "trickster" during the Ragnarok duel by bringing out a non-synchro monster that can take advantage of a synchro monster's attack points and effects—Aurora the Northern Lights. And arguably, this is a very smart play, moreover, it's the only time anyone in the show has the bright idea to not use synchro monsters against the known and feared synchro-killer Meklords. Unfortunately, as smart as it is, the narrative doesn't reward Crow for this play—José all but shrugs what could have been a turning point in the duel off, then proceeds to steamroll Crow the next turn, leaving Yusei to score the win, as usual. To get back to the "Crow got so much more screentime than Aki during the WRGP" thing for a second, of all the duels in the WRGP finals, this is arguably the one where Aki could still most easily have taken Crow's spot again, because here, it doesn't matter whether it's him or someone else, as this duel isn't tied to his character in any way. Unfortunately, due to the Granel-steamroller-strategy, this is also the duel where letting Aki take his spot again would have been the biggest shot in the foot, because unless they had changed Team New World's strategy, Aki would have gotten brutally guillotined here, same as Crow—something I can't imagine anyone, not even people who hate Crow, being happy about.

With that, though, we've finally made it through the WRGP. So, what's the bottom line here? Frankly, speaking from my own interpretation, Crow occupies an... odd spot during this tournament, to say the least. Though he does get to duel the majority of the time, few of the duels actually cater to his character in any way. Moreover, he only gets to be the star of the show in a WRGP duel once, during the by far most forgettable match against Team Catastrophe. And mind that I use the term "star of the show" very loosely here, because the problem the WRGP arc as a whole has, in my opinion, is that the rather lame Team Catastrophe duel is the only one in the whole tournament that isn't won by Yusei, which categorically means that any of the other character's big moments are usually undermined by the fact that they ultimately still need him to save the day. Thus, moments like Aki summoning Stardust Dragon and Crow using an anti-synchro-killer strategy that for once actually forgoes synchros are somewhat cheapened by the fact that they're not actually the turning-point moments they're initially painted as, because ultimately, Yusei always has to be the one to save the day. What's worse is that this almost feels like a bit of a non-issue that could have easily been fixed—given that the show tells us that teams can shuffle around their line-up for a match any time. But unfortunately, the writing never interacts with this as a possible strategic element, nor does it ever seem to consider letting Yusei lose, or forcing him to give up his spot for a match. I feel the need to say that I don't put the blame at Yusei's feet here, though: This strongly feels like an oversight by the writers, and perhaps a disproportionate need to have a nigh-infallible protagonist (on the duelling side of things) that their audience would never run the risk of calling "lame". For Crow, though, this chiefly means one thing: In any duel other than the Catastrophe one, it was always clear that even if he partook, he would never finish the match. And yes, this is technically an issue Jack has, too. But this is where the character writing outside of the duels comes into play, too.

Unlike Jack, who actually gets to do something during the Diablo invasion (albeit very little), who gets his very own dragon upgrade and who gets a very personal, pre-duel plot with Dragan, the show's writing doesn't bother giving Crow a lot of plot- or character-relevant things to do, once the WRGP starts. This is also why I was so surprised at how much the Unicorn and Catastrophe duels embrace his interactions with Aki—compared to the later duels in the finals, this portion still makes Crow feel genuinely relevant and interwoven with the other characters. Meanwhile, out of the three final duels, only the Ragnarok one actually tries to establish a connection to his characterisation, through Brave. The Taiyou duel only sets itself up in such a way that Aki partaking instead of him would have been awkward. Meanwhile, the New World duel just has him being treated like a floormat in a sad parallel to Aki during the Unicorn duel, seeing as they both get a nice moment where it looks like they might turn the duel around (Aki summoning Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon onto the field at the same time; Crow summoning Aurora the Northern Lights, which couldn't be absorbed by the Meklords), only to have their hopes dashed as they're mercilessly cleared off the track. Outside of the duels, many scenes sadly give the impression that they may as well not have included Crow, though—he often gets so little to contribute to a moment or even to say at all that substituting him with a cardboard box seems like it would not have impacted the scene in any way. And that's without addressing his non-existent connection to Sherry, which feels extra glaring, given his later interactions with her on the Ark Cradle.

All in all, the WRGP feels like a very mixed bag, where Crow's character writing is concerned. His belated backstory, which I talked about in part two, is front-loaded and asks as many questions as it answers. Then the tournament commences, gives him some actually decent character interplay with Aki for once (at the cost of letting her succeed in the tournament, it seems), only for him to be basically irrelevant during the WRGP pause again. And once the whole thing resumes, it becomes this hot-and-cold thing where some duel aspects seem tailored to him, while others treat him as completely expendable. The end result is an arc where I'm left wondering why exactly the writers felt the need to make it seem like Crow made up one portion of a protagonist trifecta, if they never actually bothered treating him as equal to the other two. (The answer, I believe, lies somewhere between the fumbled setup they did for him during the Fortune Cup and DS arc, and the way yugioh in general treats its character archetypes. But that's just speculation on my part.) The one, saving grace the WRGP (outside of the Pearson backstory) has for Crow is that it at least doesn't introduce any new character- and/or timeline inconsistencies. In fact, his character stays remarkably true to form once the tournament begins.

Okay, onto the final bit, then. As I've done in both previous posts, let me delve into completely subjective territory and offer some ideas on how this arc could have been handled to make it seem a little less all over the place with Crow. And since his writing here canonically intersects with Aki's several times, let me try to do it while offering the best of both worlds to both characters, if I can.

As far as Crow's backstory is concerned, I've already offered my solutions to that in part two. Now, to stay consistent with my own suggestions, I'll try to branch off what I wrote in the last post. This means that, as per my previous two analyses, we're dealing with two scenarios again: One, Crow stays a signer and we try to touch canon as little as possible. Two, Crow isn't a signer and we adjust canon in whatever way we need to to make him feel interesting and necessary despite/because of that.

First, though, let's get two adjustments I personally would have made in both versions out of the way:

The way the WRGP is structured puts every character that isn't Yusei at a massive disadvantage, where character moments in duels are concerned. Thus, I propose an overhaul. Among the changes I think could have benefitted the characters (yes, all of them) are: One - Aki actually getting to accomplish something during the Unicorn duel (she can and should still have her moments with Crow, but maybe let her portion of the duel end in her thanking him for coaching her, creating a more upbeat scene that strengthens their friendship, which could double as good setup for their later double-duel against Sherry). Two - letting the Team Catastrophe duel actually play out properly (as in, they become more meaningful as opponents by having a better strategy, for example, and Crow could stick it out longer against them, in order to make this more so his win than Jack's. Also, why not let Aki actually see him get back at Team Catastrophe for her?). Three - giving Crow an actual character moment during the Taiyou duel (what if one of the country boys had played a card or two of the ones he learned to read from? It could have helped drive the parallel between the two teams home.) Four - letting Crow's anti-Meklord strategy get at least a little payoff, if only for two turns (show us at least proof of concept, damn it!). Yes, the Ragnarok duel is the only one I wouldn't rewrite (unless special circumstances are introduced, see below). Additionally, let Team 5Ds alter their line-up more than once, damn it. Let them actually strategise about the duels, let them take into consideration who should go first when and whose deck might be better suited to which scenario. Also, remove Yusei from at least one duel. Doesn't matter how, just let him not partake once. Perfect setup to let Aki duel again, and would also allow for spicy character interactions. (Arguably the best duels where this could have been done would have been any of the final duels, though it would have also required rewriting the antagonists somewhat in any case.)

For the love of god, give Sherry and Crow some setup. Let them actually interact, let them introduce their philosophies to one another, just do something, anything to make Crow understanding and talking sense into her during the finale seem earned. A few chance meetings, or maybe even a tiny side-plot could have done so much here. And if you can't let them interact outright, at least let Aki and Crow talk about Sherry! Double whammy! The two characters who end up duelling against her are made to seem even more like a team, and Crow actually gets to find out what Sherry's deal is on-screen. Just. Set. it. up. I beg you.

There we go. Now, onto the two branches.

Option A: Crow stays a signer and obtained Black-Winged Dragon.

Seeing as Crow's signer status, funnily enough, isn't all that relevant during the tournament itself (save for two notable exceptions), there aren't that many fixes to be made here. Crow can still get injured, miss out on the Unicorn duel and be the star of the Catastrophe duel. But giving him something to do during the duel robot invasion that isn't standing around and hoping Yusei will fix everything would also be nice. It's fine if he can't drive out there and duel, but why not let him do something else? He's a crafty guy, why not let him find, say, a way to fry the Diablos' runners, taking a few of them out even from a semi-stationary position without duelling them? He could at least get as much of a consolation prize scene as Aki got with her saving that child. Then there's Team Taiyou, which, save for what I proposed above, is a duel that doesn't feel like it needs changes. Crow does his thing here. That's it. The same goes for Team Ragnarok, especially given that they're specifically written to oppose an all-signers Team 5Ds. Finally, there's Team New World, which, if I'm being completely candid, I would personally overhaul to change the cyborgs' strategy entirely in order to actually let all three members of Team 5Ds shine. But this is the version where I touch canon as little as possible, so... Aside from what I wrote above, no changes needed. Just make Crow seem a little more relevant, make his strategy have at least a little payoff, even if Granel's back out and menacing literally two turns later.

Option B: Crow, as per my previous posts, isn't a signer and doesn't have Black-Winged Dragon.

This is the version that would categorically require heavier changes, though they honestly don't arrive until the break in the tournament. Unicorn and Catastrophe stay the same, I would still propose that Crow gets to be a little more useful during the Diablo invasion. But! In this version, seeing as he never acquired BWD, the break in the WRGP would be an excellent spot to let Crow acquire an upgrade for his beefy Blackwing ace monster of choice. Give him a little side-plot, too, something to do, something where he proves himself. Maybe let him run into Iliaster here, or maybe call back to Pearson again and introduce the new Blackwing upgrade as a treasure Pearson stashed away before he died (maybe this could have even been the card Bolger was actually after; the world is our oyster here). Then he's beefed up, too, and actually feels a little more on the same level as Jack and Yusei. The tournament recommences and again, the Taiyou duel could stay mostly the same, I think. Ragnarok and New World are where it gets really interesting, though. The way I see it, Ragnarok could go two ways with Crow not being a signer: Either he partakes as he did in canon and his non-signer status is called out as a peculiarity by our Swedish boys who happen to be obsessed with fate (which would make his performance against Brave seem all the more impressive), or, due to this being a duel all about destiny and celestial pissing contests, Crow's spot is given to Aki again for this duel due to her signer status (this would, obviously, require rewriting Brave, perhaps even switching him out for a Ragnarok lady instead). As for Team New World, this duel would honestly be a lot more juicy with a non-signer Crow, because much like he was for the dark signers, a non-signer Crow would essentially be an unknown in their plan for the cyborgs. He would be the guy who's Not Supposed To Be Here. Granted, he would still be beaten, but he could still get an excellent moment where his out-of-left-field anti-Meklord strategy genuinely seems to turn the tables for a bit, angering José and providing even stronger setup for Yusei to win later.

Aaaaand that's that. Somehow, I get the feeling the WRGP had the least things that needed fixing because it also had the least actual character writing. But that might just be me. It's late and I have been writing for A While. But hey, I got out part three faster than part two! I consider that an achievement.

Now, while I get my talking points in order for part four, I hope you'll have fun chewing on this one. See you in the grand finale to my Bird Boy dissertation.

[solarwynd]

Seeing how HYBE continues to move for JK honestly makes me sad. I thought they'd just give up on their vision after seeing how he failed to blow up, but they are clearly determined to keep at it until they succeed, and how long do you think it's gonna take?

They are already winning with the mediaplay, convincing people that JK is the most talented and successful member and people just don't seem to care how he got that success. And his solos and Armys who bias him are truly the most insufferable; talking about how he's untouchable. When pjms complained about that recent BB chart placing Jimin at #21, they got so smug about it saying pjms thought they touched heaven with LC's #1 on BB but Jungkook went on to achieve way more than Jimin and now they're lashing out because reality doesn't match with their hopes and dreams.

They say the BB #1 is the only thing JM has going for him and his fans are clinging to it for dear life to make ourselves feel better about the fact that he'll always be inferior to JK.

It just makes me sad because it's clear that JM's success can't be compared to JK's because JK had all the privileges while JM received the bear minimum combined with sabotage from all fronts and numerous articles from his own label downplaying him to make JK shine. Armys are even bragging about that BB article about JK having proved himself to be the "golden" one of BTS.

Is this really how it's going to be? JK is gonna go on to become successful, well-known and BTS' breakout star just like that? No consequences for him the fraud Scooter Braun and BPD have been committing for him? And Jimin is forever gonna be restricted to the kpop bubble without ever breaking out? JK is gonna be more successful than him?

During Seven - GOLDEN era when all the fandom's hypocrisy was exposed about them dragging JM for the bare minimum vs. supporting JK's blatant payola, and more people spoke about him "cheating" with endless remixes and the charts being manipulated for him all while they are making sure to suppress JM and keeping JM from rivaling him on the charts, I thought that the world was finally waking up, that more people outside the kpop bubble would speak out against the disgusting injustice done to JM and that the investors behind HYBE wouldn't let something like this be done to their most valuable asset.

But I guess I was naïve, and I'm ignorant about how the music industry/powerful companies actually work..

It just hurts so much. I even have tears in my eyes as I'm typing this, and I can't express to you just how much resentment I hold towards JK because of this. Sometimes I wish he'd just dye. And I know that's a terrible thing to wish upon someone, but I can't help it

I want to believe you guys who say Jimin will always be successful no matter what, that he'll commercially break out eventually as a soloist and that Scooter and Bang PD's plans for JK will fail, but I don't see any of those things happening. Instead it's the opposite. JK is slowly becoming known outside the Kpop bubble, while Jimin seems to be fading into obscurity. And JK clearly has new things coming up and probably a few more collaborations with well known American artists, or will eventually once he's out of MS. It feels like it's only a matter of time before he does a collaboration with artists like Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Zayn or Shawn Mendes. And what do you think will happen then? His career will most definitely skyrocket.

This whole thing has just made me so pessimistic about life. Does karma not exist? Do people who do bad things always just get away with it just like that? Probably two decades since Scooter Braun has been working as a music producer and probably for more than a decade people have seen just what an evil human being he is and what he's done to others, and none of these people have tried to come together and get rid of him?

I wish I never discovered BTS and Jimin.

“Instead it's the opposite. JK is slowly becoming known outside the Kpop bubble, while Jimin seems to be fading into obscurity.”

“It feels like it's only a matter of time before he does a collaboration with artists like Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Zayn or Shawn Mendes. And what do you think will happen then? His career will most definitely skyrocket”

I need you to be so serious right now because the incessant pessimism some of y’all have is truly preventing y’all from seeing what’s real.

JK got “featuring” popping up next to his first name more times than his last and his biggest claim to his current relevancy/success is his inability to not latch onto western artists. If that’s what he has to continue to do for his supposed “solo” career to skyrocket why would I stress over that when jimin’s the only one out the two of them that’s proven he can stand on his own? Jk being a serial collaborator means little to me in general but especially when everything that you mentioned is due to the connections that jk has gotten through Scooter. Not off his own ability or initiative.

Referencing that random top kpop list is even more of a joke when you remember jimin (not jk) is still the only k-idol to hit #1 on artists 100. The real one. Not the one made up one by that rent for hire white kpop aficionado Jeff Benjamin. Like Crazy, a korean track has spent more or just as much days on usa spotify than multiple songs that were taylor made for the states, dropped by jk have. SNTY, a song released just this past November, is doing almost the same amount of streams as Like Crazy is and LC is almost a year old. And so what if we praise Jimin for getting that #1 on hot 100? That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Him getting that #1 is the main reason jk got dragged out that apartment to record seven so scooter could pay to get him his 😭. Plus armys are always gonna be full of it when it comes to recognizing the truth about jk’s career so you taking whatever they say or do to heart is a waste of your time.

Claiming Jimin’s fading into obscurity is objectively a ridiculous statement. Music wise after Angel dropped, Jimin went MIA and people still had his name constantly in their mouths the months following. All it took for him to go viral were 3 dance covers he did on a whim. Probably better promo for him than his own solo debut ever got and he didn’t need Scooter or Bang spending millions to do that. For his ambassadorships, he had people lining up in the streets just to see him walk in and out of a building for just for 5 seconds. It’s been 11 years since he debuted and 8 since BTS really blew up and he’s still the most relevant name in kpop out of hundreds of other idols.

I’ll always get the frustration of jk having it so easy in his solo career over jimin. I’m not blind to the disadvantages he’s facing, but some of y’all really need to stop acting like jimin’s solo career is a lost cause or doomed because of it. It’s getting aggravating now.

[glitterp0prhaps0dy]

'Regret'

THIS IS NOT PROOFREAD, why? because im lazy and tired, I spent a a while writing this, and if you notice it has more words and details then the john dory au? that's because this is an au that iv been working on for longer, and is the one I enjoy more(although I enjoy both but I have bias for this one)

WARNING:/ Blood, gore, near-death experience, Thalassophobia

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Five days. It might as well have been a lifetime since Brozone fell apart, scattering its members like leaves in a storm. Five whole days since Floyd had seen the faces of his brothers, their laughter now just an echo in his memory. But what really gnawed at him, deep in the pit of his stomach, was that it had been exactly five days since he had last seen Branch.

The forest floor beneath Floyd's feet crunched loudly, breaking the tranquil silence that enveloped the forest, His path was a winding trail through an explosion of colors, under a canopy of trees that seemed to stretch up to touch the night sky. Around him, the forest was alive with the chatter of critters and the rustle of leaves, painting a vivid picture of an ecosystem thriving in its magical bubble.

Bioluminescent flora cast an eerie, beautiful glow across the path, lighting up the darkness with hues of blues, pinks, and greens. The air was filled with the rich aroma of blooming flowers and the sweet, almost intoxicating scent of magical sap that seemed to seep from every nook and cranny of this enchanted world. Yet, despite the overwhelming beauty and the vibrant life all around him, Floyd couldn't shake off the cloak of loneliness that draped over his shoulders.

With each step he took, the weight of absence pressed down on him, a constant reminder of the void that Brozone's breakup had left in his heart. But even more so, Branch's absence cast the longest shadow on his soul, maybe he shouldn't have left, maybe he should go back.

As the teenage troll wrestled with his thoughts, a fierce battle between the urge to push forward and the longing to return, he concluded. The solitude was unbearable, an aching void that no amount of pride could fill. He yearned for the familiar warmth of home, the comforting presence of his grandmother, and the camaraderie with his brothers, but above all, he ached to see baby Branch. With a heavy heart but a spark of resolve, Floyd turned around, ready to retrace his steps back to the troll tree, back to the place he belonged.

However, the moment his feet pivoted, a sudden stillness enveloped the forest. The vibrant life that had buzzed and hummed around him just seconds ago seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving behind an oppressive silence. The only sound that dared to break the quiet was the gentle murmur of the river nearby, its flow now sounding ominously loud in the absence of the forest's chorus.

This eerie quietude sent a shiver down Floyd's spine, igniting a flicker of concern for his safety. The forest, once a kaleidoscope of sounds and colors, now felt like a different realm altogether, one where every shadow could hide a threat and every whisper of the wind seemed like a warning. Floyd's heart began to race, not just with the fear of the unknown, but with the realization that this sudden silence could mean something was amiss.

Torn between the desire to rush back to the safety of home and the instinct to tread carefully in this changed environment, Floyd took a cautious step forward. His eyes darted from one shadow to the next, trying to pierce the suddenly thickening gloom, while his ears strained for any sound that might signal danger. The forest, with its sudden mood swing, had transformed from a friend into a foe, and Floyd knew he had to be vigilant if he was to navigate his way back home safely.

As Floyd cautiously navigated the forest path, a palpable tension hung in the air, thickening with every step he took. The usually vibrant and luminous plants seemed to retreat into shadows, their glows dimming as if to hide from an unseen menace, plunging the night into an even deeper darkness. The magic that once painted the forest in ethereal light now appeared to be snuffed out, replaced by a suffocating gloom that seemed to swallow everything in its path.

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a sound so chilling, it froze Floyd in his tracks. A distorted cry, eerily reminiscent of a woman's scream, pierced the night, its source unclear yet unmistakably close. Floyd's heart hammered against his ribcage as he turned toward the sound, his eyes scanning the darkened foliage until they landed on a sight that would haunt his dreams for years to come.

Perched atop a giant mushroom, was a creature so ghastly, it seemed as though it had crawled straight out of a nightmare. Its body was a grotesque patchwork of shadows and twisted limbs, with skin that shimmered like oil on water, reflecting the faint moonlight in unsettling patterns. Its eyes, if they could be called that, were hollow voids that seemed to suck in the very light around them, radiating malice and hunger. Long, spindly fingers ended in claws that resembled the thorns of a rose bush, sharp and gleaming in the dim light. The creature's mouth was a jagged tear across its face, from which the distorted cry seemed to emanate, a sound that mimicked human anguish yet was devoid of any true emotion.

At that moment, every instinct in Floyd's body screamed at him to flee. The forest, with its sudden transformation into a realm of terror, and the appearance of this nightmarish entity, ignited a primal fear within him. His fight or flight reflexes didn't just suggest, but vehemently urged him to run, to escape this horror and never look back.

Without a second thought, Floyd turned on his heels, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm as he bolted down the path. The forest, once familiar and welcoming, now felt like a labyrinth designed to trap him in this nightmare. Branches seemed to reach out to snag at his clothes, and the ground beneath his feet felt treacherous as if it too was in league with the horrors that lurked in the shadows. But Floyd didn't dare slow down; the terrifying creature and the oppressive darkness of the forest propelled him forward, driven by the singular desire to escape, to survive, to see the safety of home once more.

Floyd's legs pumped furiously beneath him, propelling him through the darkened forest with a speed born of sheer terror. The creature, with its nightmarish form, was alarmingly fast, its twisted limbs carrying it over the ground with a grace that belied its grotesque appearance. Floyd could hear it gaining on him, the sound of its pursuit a constant, horrifying reminder of the danger at his heels. But just as despair began to claw at his mind, fate intervened.

A deer-like creature, innocent and unaware, crossed paths with the monstrous entity. For a moment, the forest held its breath, and then the creature's attention snapped to the new, closer prey. The diversion was brief, but it was all Floyd needed. He didn't look back, not even as the sounds of a terrible struggle reached his ears, a mix of the predator's ferocity and the prey's agony cutting through the night.

Pushing his body to its limits, Floyd darted farther into the forest, driven by a primal urge to survive. When he finally dared to stop, he found himself beside a large boulder, surrounded by tall, thick bushes that offered a semblance of hiding. His chest heaved with the effort of his flight, each breath a loud, ragged sound in the silence that followed the creature's distraction.

Fearing that any noise might draw the creature's attention back to him, Floyd pressed a hand firmly over his mouth, trying to muffle the sound of his breathing. The distant cries of the deer-like creature, caught in the throes of agony, sent shivers down his spine, a grim reminder of the fate he'd narrowly escaped. The forest around him seemed to echo with the sounds of the hunt, a haunting symphony that kept Floyd frozen in place, too terrified to move, too scared to make a sound.

As the minutes stretched into what felt like hours, Floyd remained hidden behind the boulder, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind racing with thoughts of escape, survival, and the hope that he would never again encounter the terrifying creature that hunted the shadows of the forest.

The silence that had reclaimed the forest was as ominous as the stillness that had heralded the creature's arrival. Floyd could hear its heavy footsteps, a sound akin to sludge or mud squelching under a great weight, each step accompanied by the foul stench of decay. For a moment, the sounds ceased, and the quiet returned, so profound that Floyd dared to hope the nightmare was over, that the creature had abandoned its hunt.

But survival instincts urged caution. Grasping for any semblance of protection, Floyd reached for the guitar strapped to his back, its familiar weight offering a shred of comfort. Yet, as he drew it forward, the end of the guitar brushed against the bushes with a soft rustle, a noise seemingly inconsequential in the vastness of the forest. However, it was all the invitation the creature needed.

With terrifying swiftness, it burst over the bushes, its maw clamping down on Floyd's leg. The sharp pain was immediate, Floyd's white pants soaking up the blood that flowed freely from the wound. The creature reared onto its hind legs, dwarfing Floyd in size, and shook him violently, exacerbating the bite with its ferocity.

In the midst of this chaos, Floyd's grip on his guitar never wavered. With a burst of adrenaline-fueled strength, he swung the instrument with all his might, connecting with the creature's inky, shifting face. The impact shattered the guitar, sending splinters scattering through the air, while a significant portion lodged into the creature's face. Its scream, a harrowing blend of pain and rage, echoed through the forest like a distorted woman's shriek.

With one final, forceful shake, the creature released Floyd, sending him hurtling through the air. He crashed against the stem of a mushroom, the collision spraining his ankle and sending waves of pain through his already battered body. Lying there, dazed and injured, Floyd knew escaping would now be an even greater challenge. His adversary, momentarily deterred by the assault, might not be down for long. Pain throbbing through him, Floyd realized he had to move, hide, or do anything to survive the night. But with a sprained ankle and the forest shrouded in danger, every option seemed fraught with peril.

With desperation fueling his movements, Floyd's gaze locked onto the neck of the guitar, miraculously almost intact despite its violent separation from the rest of the instrument. Pain and adrenaline mixed in his veins as he crawled towards it, each movement a testament to his will to survive. Clutching the shattered neck, he used it to hoist himself up, the makeshift cane offering a sliver of support in his vulnerable state.

Behind him, the creature's torment filled the air, its frenzied attempts to dislodge the guitar fragments from its face creating a cacophony of destruction. It slammed into tree trunks and mushrooms, blinded by pain and rage, its screams a distorted symphony of agony. This chaos provided Floyd with a crucial window of opportunity, one he seized without hesitation.

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Limping with the guitar neck for support, Floyd steered clear of the trail, aware that remaining within the creature's line of sight spelled certain doom. The forest around him was a blur of pain and determination, every step a challenge, every breath a victory against the darkness.

Then, as if emerging from a dream, Floyd stumbled upon an old bridge. Its wood was weathered and worn, groaning under the weight of untold years, the ropes that held it frayed and thin. It looked as though a single wrong step could send it tumbling into the ravine below. Yet, beyond this precarious crossing lay the possibility of escape, a chance to put more distance between himself and the nightmarish creature.

With no other options, Floyd approached the bridge, each step measured and cautious. The guitar neck, now a lifeline, steadied his shaky movements. He tested the first planks with a tentative weight, heart pounding not just from his injuries but from the fear of the bridge giving way beneath him.

The old wood creaked ominously under his foot, a sound that seemed to echo through the still forest, loud enough, Floyd feared, to attract unwanted attention. With the creature possibly still in pursuit, Floyd knew he had to cross quickly but carefully. Every step was a gamble, every creak a potential alarm, as he navigated the treacherous bridge, praying it would hold long enough to carry him to safety.

Floyd's heart pounded against his ribcage, a frantic drumbeat echoing his mounting despair. He was so close to the other side, to a semblance of safety, spurred on by the hope that the creature's liquid form might falter at the touch of water. The bridge, with its creaks and groans, seemed to mock his desperate flight, every shake a sinister whisper of his potential downfall.

"Why did it have to be a rope bridge?" The thought flashed through Floyd's mind, a fleeting moment of dark humor amidst terror. But then, the shaking intensified, transforming from a tremble to a violent quake that threatened to fling him into the abyss. Heart sinking, Floyd turned, and his worst fears were confirmed—the creature had found him, its grotesque form navigating the swaying bridge with unsettling speed despite its awkward limbs.

Tears carved paths down Floyd's cheeks, each one a silent prayer to any deity that might be listening. His mind raced with apologies, regrets flooding in as he faced the stark realization that he might never return home, never fulfill his promises, never see his loved ones again. The thought of Baby Branch, innocent and unaware of the danger Floyd faced, filled him with an acute pain that eclipsed even the fear of the creature behind him.

Time seemed to dilate, stretching each second into an eternity as the added weight of the chase proved too much for the ancient bridge. The ropes, worn by time and weather, began to snap, the sound a death knell ringing through the air. Floyd and the creature, locked in a deadly pursuit, plummeted towards the river below.

The fall felt like a lifetime, every detail etched into Floyd's mind with painful clarity. The river rushed up to meet him, not deep enough to cushion their fall, littered with rocks that jutted out like the teeth of some gargantuan beast. Floyd's descent aimed him headfirst into the water, a final, cruel twist of fate.

Impact. His head collided with a rock, and a blinding pain flashed before darkness engulfed him. Consciousness slipped away to the sounds of rushing water and the creature's agonized screeches, a haunting lullaby as everything faded to black.

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At the edge of Rock Troll territory, near the imposing yet vibrant Volcano Rock City, a young Rock Troll girl idled by the river. She appeared to be around fourteen, her distinctive large, fluffy mohawk transitioning from fiery red to a deep black, a mark of her heritage and vibrant personality. Engrossed in the simple pleasure of skipping rocks across the water's surface, her attention was abruptly captured by an unusual sight—a troll, strikingly out of place with his bright colors, floating aimlessly in the river's current.

Instinctively, she sprang into action. Unlike the troll in the water, she was a Rock Troll, naturally endowed with strength and resilience. Wading into the river with determined strides, she reached the brightly colored troll with little effort, pulling him to the safety of the riverbank. Her heart raced, not from the exertion, but from the urgency of the situation. Gently, she placed him on the bank, leaning in to place her torn ear against his chest, searching for the faintest sign of life. To her relief, a heartbeat thudded against her ear—faint but unmistakable. He was alive.

Realizing the immediate danger wasn't over, given the troll's recent submersion, she knew she had to act fast to clear any water from his lungs. Despite her age and the lack of formal training, she had a basic understanding of CPR from the stories and bits of knowledge passed down in her community. Determined to save this stranger, she positioned herself and began the procedure, driven by a mix of adrenaline and the sincere hope that she could make a difference.

Her technique was far from perfect, her movements occasionally hesitant, but her resolve never wavered. She was a Rock Troll, strong in more ways than one, and today, she was this stranger's lifeline. As she worked to save him, a mix of fear and determination settled in her heart. She might be young and inexperienced, but she was his only chance, and she wouldn't give up on him.

As the young rock troll administered CPR, the pop troll abruptly jolted to consciousness, his body reacting violently as he expelled water from his lungs. Between harsh coughs and the effort to breathe, his condition was dire. Swollen and bruised, his ankle was a stark contrast to the severe wound on his leg. His complexion had turned alarmingly pale, a clear sign of his physical trauma. Despite his brief moment of wakefulness, exhaustion quickly overtook him, and he succumbed once more to unconsciousness.

With no time to lose and the pop troll's life hanging in the balance, the young rock troll lifted him onto her back. Muscles tensed and determination set in her eyes, she dashed towards the nearest infirmary, her resolve unwavering.

Bursting through the infirmary doors, her entrance commanded immediate attention. "Help! I need help here!" she cried out, her voice echoing with urgency.

The doctors in the infirmary turned, their appearances distinctively that of rock trolls. One had a stony complexion with jagged, slate-grey hair that seemed to mimic the sharp edges of a mountain range. His broad shoulders and muscular arms were adorned with tattoos resembling tribal markings and musical notes, a blend of tradition and rebellion. The other doctor, a female, bore a striking lavender hue to her skin, her hair a cascade of deep purple and silver, worn in a style that was both practical and indicative of her strength. Their attire, though reminiscent of traditional medical garb, had a rugged edge to it—leather belts equipped with various tools and instruments, and their scrubs adorned with metallic accents, giving them an aura of toughness and capability.

Without a moment's hesitation, they sprang into action, their expressions a mix of concern and professionalism. They carefully lifted the pop troll onto a stretcher. Swiftly, but with care, they wheeled him into the back, where the infirmary was equipped with the necessary tools and medicines to treat his injuries.

As they worked, their movements were efficient, a testament to their expertise. The female doctor assessed the wound on pop troll’s leg with a critical eye, cleaning it meticulously before stitching it up with a precision that belied her rugged appearance. The male doctor, meanwhile, tended to the swollen ankle, applying a cold compress to reduce the swelling before carefully wrapping it in a bandage designed to support and heal.

Throughout the process, their demeanor was calm and reassuring, a stark contrast to the violent world outside the infirmary walls. They communicated in hushed tones, their focus entirely on saving Pop Troll’s life. The young rock troll watched from a distance, her heart heavy with worry but filled with gratitude for the doctors' swift intervention.

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An hour had passed since the young rock troll had raced into the infirmary with the injured pop troll on her back. Sitting in the waiting room, her mind raced with worry and anticipation, her legs swinging back and forth in an anxious rhythm. The door to the back swung open, and the doctors emerged, their expressions somber but not without a hint of relief.

"He'll live," one of the doctors began, pausing as if to let the words truly sink in. "But his ankle is sprained and swollen pretty badly. And it's not just the open wounds—whatever happened to cause those wounds also shattered the bones in that leg. He won't be leaving any time soon."

The young troll stood up, her relief palpable but her concern for the stranger's well-being growing. It was then the female doctor added, with a tone of caution, "He's a pop troll. He shouldn't be anywhere near here. I think it's time to inform your father. He needs to know about this situation."

Realizing the gravity of the revelation and the complications it could entail, the young troll nodded solemnly. She knew what had to be done next. The implications of harboring a pop troll in rock troll territory were not lost on her, and the need for discretion and careful handling of the situation was paramount.

With a determined step, she made her way to seek out her father, the leader of their community. The weight of responsibility felt heavier with each step, but she was resolved to see it through, for the sake of the injured troll and the delicate balance of their community.

As she found her father and relayed the information, the air was thick with concern and the unspoken tension of what this could mean for their tribe.

"Father," she started, the urgency clear in her voice, "there's a troll in our infirmary. He's in bad shape, but he's alive. The doctors... they say his injuries are severe. And he's... well, he's a pop troll." Her father, a figure of authority and wisdom, absorbed the news with a measured pause. "A pop troll, here?" he echoed, the weight of the situation settling in. "This is delicate, indeed. We'll need to proceed with caution. And you did well to bring him to safety, Barb."

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[jae-bummer]

More Than You Wanted

Request: HALLO MY DEAR! Welcome back to writing 💛 May I HUMBLY request either 7 or 9 (or both cause we all love that hurt comfort spice) with the one and only Mr. Kim Mingyu? He's moved into bias zone, I am ASHAMED /s

Prompt:

7) "Doesn't matter what happens...if you call me, I will always answer."

9) "I don't want them. I want you."

Prompt list can be found HERE.

Pairing: Seventeen Mingyu x Reader

Genre: Angst/Steamy

.

The carpet in your apartment building was disgusting. Covered in dirt (at least you hoped that's what the stains were) and always kind of moist, you avoided contact with it at all costs. But now, you were sitting on it. Slumped against the wall behind you with your head in your hands, you were sitting on the world's dirtiest carpet and crying.

It had been approximately two hours since you had contacted your building's repair man, and an hour since you talked to anyone in management. You had locked yourself out and were completely exhausted. All you wanted was to lay down and maybe binge watch your favorite drama. You hadn't signed up for enrichment time outside of your enclosure today.

Cringing as the idea came across your mind, you looked helplessly down at your phone. It would be just so easy to text your ex-boyfriend. The two of you had never met up to exchange each other's things, so he still had your key.

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly, you lifted up your phone and scrutinized the battery life. It was running below 10% at this point, so if you were going to do it, you needed to suck it up. Scrolling almost to the bottom of your saved text messages, you found Mingyu's name and tapped.

you busy?

That was safe, right? You didn't want to make him worry and you certainly didn't want to inconvenience him. You had done enough of that in your past relationship.

You weren't surprised when you saw typing bubbles appear before you had even locked your phone. Of course, he was going to be hyper available during your crisis.

Depends. What's up?

What a terrible non-response.

i was wondering if you could stop by and drop off my key?

Want me to bring the rest of your stuff?

not if it's not already with you...

"Why would it already be with him?" you muttered. "Please use your one active brain cell before you hit send again."

i just really need my key

Contrary to what you may believe, I have no plans to break into your apartment. Can I drop it off at the end of the week?

You groaned, leaning back and lightly bonking your head repeatedly on the wall behind you.

Resisting the urge to reply with "that's fine" and leave your fate in the hands of your apartment complex, you quickly typed out a message.

i locked myself out of my apartment.

Give me 10 minutes.

Breathing a momentary sigh of relief, you commended yourself. Texting Mingyu had not been easy, but it was a necessary evil for your own mental well-being. Surely you could play nice for approximately 45 seconds while he handed you your key and walked back down the stairs. You had 45 seconds worth of gratitude in your system, didn't you?

Closing your eyes, you tried not to think too hard about seeing him again. Naturally, that had the opposite effect, and you began dragging out memories that you hadn't touched in weeks. Your relationship had started out innocently enough. You had been an English tutor for the entertainment company that Mingyu was signed to and tutored him weekly. After spending hours upon hours with each other, a natural closeness formed between the two of you. While yes, you had been close to all of the artists in one way or another, something with him was different. It was something warmer, something more incendiary.

You found yourself actually paying attention to how you dressed or how you styled your hair. Starting to become overly interested in your personal appearance likely should have been a red flag. You knew better than to start anything with an idol.

Against your better judgement, your sessions quickly turned into flirting for hours. Mingyu was incredibly smart, so it wasn't a surprise when he was ahead in his English lessons. With the spare time, you got to know each other. Finally, one day he asked you out for dinner.

With time, the two of you had become inseparable. That was until the company found out about the burgeoning relationship. It only took days for them to threaten Mingyu until he said he couldn't see you anymore. It came as no surprise that a few weeks later, they had alienated you so entirely that you put in your notice.

"Stupid," you muttered to yourself. "How could you have been so stupid."

"People forget their keys all the time, Y/N," you heard a familiar voice say above you. "Do you know how often I lock myself out of places?"

"But you have twelve other people to rely on," you sighed, opening your eyes. "And I have...well, you."

Mingyu looked down, a sad smile playing over his lips. God, why was he allowed to look so good? You could tell he had showered only minutes ago judging by his damp hair. He had thrown on a pair of fitted joggers and a t-shirt. It should be against the law to make casual wear look so expensive just by being hot.

Using the wall as leverage, you pulled yourself up to stand. "Thanks for doing this. I didn't mean to disrupt your whole afternoon."

"Don't" he said softly, shaking his head. "Doesn't matter what happens...if you call me, I will always answer."

He dug around in his pocket, producing the pink Hello Kitty key you gave him ages ago. It looked so small in the palm of his hand.

"Well anyhow," you said quietly, taking it. "Thanks."

He nodded, signaling the end of the conversation. You went to turn away from him but paused. He wasn't moving.

"Y/N, this whole thing" he motioned between the two of you. "When did this happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"When did we become strangers?" he sighed. "Because honestly it is hurts so bad."

An unknown feeling of annoyance bubbled up to the surface. "Mingyu, you broke up with me."

"You had to have known that it wasn't really me," he whispered, looking away. "I didn't have much of a choice at the time."

"Whether you did or not, we knew it wasn't going to work out in the long run."

"Don't say that!" he snapped. "I loved you...I still love you."

"Mingyu," you said quietly, deflated by his reaction. "You have millions of people out there wanting you. You're an idol. If your company discourages you dating noncelebrities, that is what it is."

"I don't want them. I want you," he said hoarsely. Stepping closer, he took your face in his hands.

You could feel tears beginning to gather at your lash line. "Mingyu-"

"Let me talk to them. The management team and everyone above and in between. Let me fight for us like I was too scared to do before," he whispered.

You tried to shake your head, but your face remained caught. Reaching up and placing your hands atop his, you sighed. "I wish it were that easy."

"It's not easy at all" he said, furrowing his brows. His eyes searched yours. "Nothing about love is easy. Nothing worth fighting for is easy."

"Mingyu," you whimpered, tears starting to fall. "I just wanted my key..."

"Yeah, well," he breathed. "You're getting more than you wanted for once."

Before you could clock his advancement, Mingyu's lips were on yours. You felt your tears falling even faster as you reached to grasp the fabric of his shirt. Because of you, the kisses were much wetter than normal, but it didn't stop his urgent need. He was manic with his movements; afraid you may slip away at any point. After every labored breath, his lips found yours again and again. Biting, licking, groaning against your mouth, you thought you would simply unravel in the dingy hallway.

Eventually the two of you had to take a break, all of the emotion was just too much. His hands sliding from your face and resting on your hips, he looked down at you, his expression hopeful.

"Why don't you come inside?" you asked nervously, unsure of what would happen moving forward. "We can talk."

"Sure," Mingyu nodded, a genuine smile spreading across his lips. "I'd like that very much."

[mazeinthemiroh]

third impressions.

Genre: Crack, slight angst??, romance

Word Count: 2.4k

Requested?: Yes

Synopsis: Bangchan is introduced to a new choreography, who he makes a horrible first and second impression on. Is there any way he can recover?

Warnings: Cursing, comical violence/slapstick??, Minho being his iconic self

A/N: This was very fun to write indeed. This is my first Chan fic! Can you believe it?? My bias and I've only just written a fic about him?? Don't worry, there will plenty more to come. And umm, yeah, that's about all I have to say to you guys. I hope you all enjoy, please let me know what you think <3

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

As a natural planner, Bangchan had never planned or expected things to go oh so terribly wrong.

A few comebacks under the teams' belt had Stray Kids bubbly and excited for the next. As their leader, Chan did well to make sure everyone had their input and contribution to the comeback. There was a lot to prepare for, but that was okay. He had done this plenty of times. Writing lyrics, producing, coming up with the theme of the album, singing the parts, organising the choreo, etc. There was so much to think about. And he did it every time, without fail.

Only this time was different.

"Has everyone gotten a hang of the choreo?"

Your voice echoed off the walls of the practice room after you had gone through the choreography for Stray Kids' new title track.

It was clear that Chan looked at you with interest. He was intrigued by you. Why had Minho brought you to them? It was usually the same choreographers each and every comeback. And here you were, a newbie. It felt kind of off to him. He would of at least wanted to meet you first but now it felt like a confrontation. Making your acquaintance was a goal for him; being the leader meant that building rapport was important.

The members could sense that Chan's brain was going haywire because he was very quiet. It wasn't that anything was wrong. Things just felt like they had fallen out of the same usual routine, and Chan didn't like that.

"How about we take a break?" You said cheerfully, sensing there was some sort of tension, but you couldn't pinpoint who it came from.

The members went to drink some water and stretched their muscles carefully.

Minho splashed water on his face and wiped it over his skin with his palms. He then looked over to Chan, whose eyebrows furrowed with thought.

"What's up with you then?" Minho poked at his side, "don't like the new choreography."

"It's not the choreography" Chan muttered, shaking his head. "It's the choreographer."

"What's wrong with Y/N?" Minho felt slightly defensive, "hey I only choose the best of the best for our team, so if you have a problem then you need to deal with it yourself."

"It's not that," Chan gulped down his water, "I just wished you'd introduced me to them before. I feel like it's awkward without getting to meet someone and work with them closely."

Minho grinned slightly. "Ahh, that's right. You're all politeness." He took another swig of water before sliding the cap on, doing an elegant bottle flip in one swift movement and landing it perfectly. "Go talk to them, then."

"What, now?" Chan exhaled a chuckle and looked at his friend, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Go for it. Say your hellos and whatnot. It gives us a longer break, at least," Minho placed a hand on Chan's back and pushed him towards your direction.

Chan watched you from the other side of the room. You were alone, and he didn't feel that was fair. You were like their special guest, after all. So, after taking a deep breath, he did as Minho said, walking over to you casually.

"Uh, hey," were his first words. He immediately cursed himself. Did he sound dumb? Gosh, why was he overthinking everything?

"Hey," you smiled at him, fiddling with the water bottle in your hands.

"I'm Chan by the way, nice to meet you" he extended a hand for you to shake. Why was he being so formal and rigid? Where was the carefree Chan gone?

You laughed at this, sensing his nervousness. "I know who you are. Nice to meet you though. Officially, at least."

He chuckled at this, gazing at the floor. Why did his cheeks feel warm? And gosh, he couldn't stop smiling, dimples on full display.

"Are you okay with the choreo or did you come over here to tell me you hate it?" You teased playfully, drinking some water for yourself.

"No no nooo no no I like the choreo it's very good very dynamic and.. yeah."

Wow, such a way with words. Chan scolded himself internally.

"Really?" You quirked an eyebrow up. He didn't sound very convincing. "Because you were messing up quite a bit back there," you said gently, hoping he would appreciate your honesty.

"Oh gosh, really?" Chan's heart dropped a bit, discouraged. "Where did I go wrong? Was it the bridge part? I feel like it was then. The footwork there is very quick and it's hard for my body to move like that, I think it'll take some getting used to-"

"Hey don't worry about it," you shook your head and reached out, placing a hand on his forearm to soothe him, "we've only gone through it a couple of times and we've got so much more practice time ahead it's really nothing to worry about."

Chan felt electric shocks spike through him when your skin slid in his. Suddenly he felt a bit dizzy as more warmth rushed to his head.

"Thanks," was all he could let out, looking deep into your eyes. He couldn't believe he could even hold eye contact with you for that long before he tore his eyes away and cleared his throat.

"I should, uh, probably stretch more" he gestured behind him before shuffling away after you withdraw your hand from him.

You licked your dry lips as you watched him stretch his body again. You sincerely hoped you hadn't upset him with what you said.

Chan lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. The blue and pink lights attached to the wall pulsed like a heartbeat, illuminating his neat, dark room.

It wasn't like Chan to have a crush so quickly. Gosh, he didn't even know you. But the way he acted today... it could only mean one thing. Chan had the feels, indeed. And they weren't going away anytime soon.

He couldn't let the immense awkwardness of today show in tomorrow's practice session, oh no. That would be mortifying.

He needed to loosen up. He needed to just be himself and have a fresh start with you. First impressions weren't everything, and you seemed like the agreeable type, not one to judge so quickly. Chan had a chance, right?

Hope swelled up in his heart. Tomorrow is another day. Let's make it count.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8"

You watched the group work through their routine. It was coming along nicely. They were such quick learners, being quite deep into the game. It was amazing to see their progress since yesterday's session. You watched on with pride.

Each member had learned their individual parts and came together as a group, like pieces of a puzzle, to fit one whole routine that would be sure to make fans fall for them all over again.

The song conclude and they all held their ending poses. There were a few tweaks to be made here and there, but otherwise, you had very little complaints. They truly were amazing.

"Well done everyone," you applauded them and they all did the same, breathing heavily and smiling at one another. "Very clean work, guys. Very good."

Jisung slipped to the floor and Hyunjin followed, spreading himself out like a starfish as they panted. They still started a conversation and ended up chatting away like they usually would.

"There's just a couple of little things. Uh, Jeongin" you gestured for the youngest member to come over near you. "Your dancing is super clean and all your moves are on point. Right before the last chorus ends I want you to make sure you keep your footwork as tight as possible, like this," you demonstrated and he followed on, mimicking your feet. "That's it, perfect. If you remember to do that then the whole routine comes together."

Jeongin nodded along to your feedback and smiled lightly, thanking you for your help.

"And Chan," you tip-toed your way over to the leader, who had just caught his breath, "this is just me nit-picking but-"

You made his way over to him as he watched you with interest. You circled around him and caught his hand in yours.

"When you spin around at the start, extend your arm more and roll out your hand. Feel the music run through your arm up all the way into your hands, like a wave."

He nodded as he watched you extend his arm with your hands.

"Maybe give it a try now?"

And so he did, going through the steps before the big spin. And when he spun, his arm extended bluntly and in a rough manner, and as you saw this, a hand came flying your way and collided with your face.

"Oh shit!"

The other members who weren't paying attention at the time turned around to see what had happened. Felix and Minho glided over to you in concern.

You held the side of your head and held back the tears that gathered at the bottom of your eyes.

"I'm okay it's absolutely fine don't worry," you said loudly to Chan trying to reassure him so wouldn't have a meltdown. But he was panicking.

"Are you okay?" Felix placed a hand on your lower back and tried to comfort you the best he could whilst Minho went to get a staff member.

Soon you were sent to a separate room. You were given an ice pack to put in your face, which seemed to numb the pain a bit. The other members left you alone as they didn't want to disturb your peace and wanted you to rest.

Chan was freaking out in the practice room.

"Well, I didn't think you were going hit them, not gonna lie" Minho joked to Chan who had a guilt-stricken look on his face.

"I'm going to hell" Chan rubbed his temples "I fucking hit them in the face. Of course, I did. That's what any normal human being would do."

He paced backwards and forwards and breathed heavily. The other members began to be affected by this.

"Wait... so you meant to hit them in the face?"

Jisung asked, clearly confused. He was only half aware of what was going on at the time.

"Of course I didn't I was being sarcastic!" Chan exclaimed before going back to pacing.

"Chan, this is a perfect situation for you" Minho commented, settling down on the floor, cross-legged, a satisfied smile on his face as an idea formed in his head.

Chan stopped walking up and down and looked at his friend like he was an alien.

"How on earth is this a 'perfect' situation?"

"Well, if I have to spell it out for you..." Minho trailed off teasingly before getting back to the point, "you can use this as a good opportunity to have a good laugh. Make a joke out of it. Be your charming self and woo them over."

"'Woo them over'" Hyunjin snorted at Minho's phrasing, finding it hilarious.

"Do you wanna be punched in the face too?" Minho turned to Hyunjin who immediately shut up.

Chan couldn't believe he was actually considering Minho's crazy idea. I mean, really, what had he got to lose now?

You heard a gentle knock at the door, already sensing the presence of guilt from the other side.

"Come in~" you chimed in a sing-song voice.

The door revealed, as expected, Bangchan. He had a stiff, awkward smile that lay on his features as he settled down in a seat next to you, closing the door behind him as you did so.

"I... didn't realise you'd fall for me that quickly."

You erupted in a fit of laughter at his cheesy pick-up line, taken aback by his joke. Suddenly, all of his nerves seemed to disappear all at once. Your laughter was music to his eyes, quite literally.

"That was smooth" you commented with a grin, eyes sparkling as you stared over at him. You loved the way his shoulders lowered a bit more, becoming more relaxed as he sensed your cheery mood.

"How are you?" He winced slightly as he asked the question, hoping you weren't in too much pain.

"I'm fine, Chan, really" you reassured him.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N" he bit his lip nervously. You didn't want to mood to lower any more than it needed to be.

"Don't be sorry, it wasn't even entirely your fault" you shrugged. "I stood way too close to you when you were trying to do the move. It was more my fault than anything."

Chan shook his head, wanting to take responsibility. But you were right. You were standing really close to him. And by the time he realised that, he then came to realise how close you were to each other now, here, in a small room with no one else around.

He cleared his throat and grinned slightly, his heart fluttering in his chest.

"Well, that's very sweet of you to say," Chan's eyes glittered as he dove right back into yours. You lowered the ice pack you had held up to your head all this time, staring intensely into his eyes. You felt dizzy, and you didn't know whether it was the ache in your head or the ache in your heart this man made you feel.

The was a moment of silence, but it wasn't awkwardness. Rather, the room was filled with thick tension as you both remained eye contact, leaning closer and closer and closer.

Until your lips collided, rougher than Chan would've liked for someone he had just accidentally hit. But hey, if you liked it rough, he was going for it. Your lips moved in perfect synchronisation with his, finding a rhythm almost immediately as you began to explore each other's mouths.

It was like choreography, this kiss; a dance of passion and tension and everything in between, improvised and executed in the most perfect way possible.

Chan slipped a hand on your thigh as you reached for his hair, weaving your fingers through his hair as you groaned into the kiss slightly.

That's when you both pulled away slowly, looking intensely into each other's eyes. A smile played on both of your lips, mischief and passion sparkling through your veins as you both caught your breath.

First impressions were overrated. Second impressions, too. As it turns out, it was the third impression that counted the most.

Chan seemed to find that out in the best way possible.

tags: @hanstan127, @iamgodandthisismyreality, @cutiepiebangchan, @hakunamatatayah, @strawberrysandwitch

[iznsfw]

Who tickles your daddy kink the most? Wonyoung or Eunbi?

It's fascinating to see Wonyoung climbing so high on your bias list 😮

It all started with that clip with Wonyoung saying "Daddy" 😂.

Have you ever secretly wished that Eunbi would say the word Daddy on camera too?

If a clip of Wonyoung and Eunbi saying 'Daddy' keeps looping when you're writing, how long do you think before you need to take a break? 😉

Ohhh that first question is tough. Both are cute tokkis and everything. So... let's analyze!

Tokkinacci Analysis of The Two Best Bunnies

Wonyoung

Wonyoung is the type of girl to be saying it teasingly. She really enjoys how your face changes when she calls you that. The fact that she's said it on camera like you mentioned was so powerful that it made me change my no Annyeongz rule.

Her cute coy accent is everything. I'd assume she'd be pretty bratty too since she works hard to get what she wants, and that doesn't change when she's riding you hard for you to breed her.

Also, yep, she climbed a lot on my IZ*ONE bias list, right after Eunbi. I admire her a lot since she's so successful and professional. She's 19 with a net worth of millions and the income always there for her and I'm turning 21 on the 7th with... yep, nothing going on xD

Eunbi

She looks so cute in this picture, not to mention looking like such a good girl—

My best girl. I think she's the more passive one since she likes being told what to do instead of the other way around for once. On a tough day, she'd cuddle up to you and whine daddy, and you don't have the heart to tell her no.

Skl that's partly what inspired me to write Home. After watching a domestic type of(no sex though) scene in Fast X, I started writing it. Coming home to your baby girl would be a dream.

Unlike Wonyoung, she hasn't said daddy except for those mistranslated Bubble/Universe messages, but she has said mommy/mom/eomma, which makes you think...🤔

She looks so cute with the bangs, just like her baby tokki Wony. So I guess I have to say that she ticks my daddy kink the most by a very slight difference. Eunbi's my ult out of all the IVESSERAZONE girls so it isn't surprising that I'd like her to fuel me more.

I think I'd need to take several breaks, just to gather all that "inspiration."

On a different day, I would choose Wonyoung, but until then, Eunbest girl <3

[casp1an-sea]

MY HCs OF PRINCE RIEL’S SIBLINGS

Picrew is not mine: sushicore!

Atlas: Based on Attina

Male, He/him

(29)Atlas is the heir to the throne of the Coralsea so he’s never left the Coralsea. He has an Orangey-Red tail and orange fins. He’s the oldest most mature and kind of a mom for all the siblings.

Antoinette: Based on Alana

Female, She/Her

(26)Antoinette also lives in the Coralsea and has never left. She has a knack for fashion and always puts in great care to looking her best. She has a purple tail and pink fins.

Allegra: Based on Adella

Female, She/Her

Age: 24

Height: 5’8”/173 cm

Birthday: July 2nd (Cancer)

Likes: scrapbooking about attractive land dwellers

Dislikes: not getting to finish her dreams or her day dreams being interrupted

Favorite Food: Sashimi

Least Favorite Food: Clam Chowder

Talent: match making (self proclaimed)

Allegra decided to go to land after graduating from school she got a job cohosting for reality shows on the TV show network “Once Upon A Dream” so she’s somewhat of a celebrity. She has a crush on her costar Alceé Bordelon. She’s bubbly and outgoing totally obsessed with romance. She’s a hopeless romantic. Her hair is naturally curly. She has a yellow tail. Her favorite color is lime green.

Aaliyah: Based on Aquata

Female, She/Her

(20) She is recently graduated from RSA. She’s doing a part time teaching job there while she figures out what she wants to do in life. She’s quite shy and sweet. She likes staying in and reading books. She secretly likes going out and dancing but she’s notably very bad at it even in the water. She’s quite close to her younger brother. She still sleeps with her pink stuffed seahorse Mr. Fuzzyfinkel (when alabaster doesn’t steal it) she has a blue tail.

Alabaster: Based on Arista

Trans Male, He/him

(disclaimer I have an Alabaster bias because Arista is my fav and I also played her in a musical 👉👈)

(19)Alabaster is a Seinor at RSA he’s adventurous and silly, and he loves music. He’s very similar in personality to Riel but he doesn’t get away with as much because he’s not his dad’s favorite and he’s kind of intimidated by him. He breaks the rules when he thinks he can, but at the same time, is very anxious about it. When he came to RSA he wanted to learn a whole bunch of instruments and is currently working on the saxophone. He’s very close with Aaliyah and is constantly stealing her stuff much to her frustration. He’s also really the only sibling Reil hangs around. Riel hangs out more with his friends than his siblings. He has a red tail and rose colored fins.

Aria: Based on Andrina

(FYI I am the head of the Aria hate club so you are very welcome and expected to hate her)

Female, She/Her

(18) Aria is a Junior. She tried to get into both RSA and NRC but didn’t make it into either so she goes to Somercrest Academy instead. She was one of Azul’s Bullies through Elementary and Middle school. Still picks at him if they ever cross paths. She also is obsessed with Floyd and Quite in love with him. He despises her. In middle school she made a deal to give up her good voice to Azul in exchange for a pretty fin to impress a boy. After the contracts were sanded in book 3 she likewise got her voice and old fin back. She’s also a total gossip and kinda sucks at magic.

she doesn’t really have a reason for bullying people, other than she can. As a princess, she feels really entitled, and it really gets to her head.

—————————————————————————

as you can see, some of them are far more flushed out than others. You’re welcome to suggest things to me for ones that aren’t complete, which is basically all of them, except for Allegra cause I used her in a story lol

Reply if your part of the Aria hate club <3

—————————————————————————

@xen-blank @thehollowwriter @ferris-the-wheel @fizzydreamz @hyperfixation-or-death

@ravenwing0110 @keii-starz @distant-velleity

@krenenbaker @elenauaurs @the-banana-0verlord @edith-is-a-cat @dove-da-birb

@cimonim-crunch

[lyramundana]

Since @whatudowhennooneseesyou wants more and I’m a people pleaser, here’s another version, again based on another convo we had. 

This time is about my man, the icon, love of my life and the only person that makes me want to have children. His children only. My bias and the reason I got into Stray Kids. 

Christopher Bang

Now here’s the thing:

This man is a fuckboy. That much it’s obvious. Just look at his interactions with Stay and his messages on bubble. Not to mention he’s an aussie (and a former eshay) this men are the definition of “danger”, For fuck’s sake, his nickname among friends was “Mr Steal your girl”, which fits perfectly with a Libra’s description because that’s what they usually do: Stealing girls (and make anyone question their sexuality). 

Now there’s a wrongly extended misconception that fuckboys have to be “cold, sarcastic, too-cool-for-love type” type of dudes. That they go around wearing leather jackets, riding motorcycles and spend their days fucking everything that moves. But this isn’t it. A fuckboy is simply a man that gets off from being desired and having the people he wants at his mercy, specifically in bed. There’s not a settled manual of dressing and general behaviour to be one, the name says it all: A boy who fucks. Easy. 

Christopher it’s exactly that. He fools us with his good boy persona, acting all shy with pick-up lines but still fishing out for more. Showing off his muscles at every single opportunity he has (like that one concert where the members went to lift his shirt and he just let them, putting his hands behind his neck in surrender), but if you pay close attention, he doesn’t really hide his fuckboyish manners. I can’t explain it, but there’s something in his attitude, the way he speaks sometimes and acts, that screams “i make girls orgasm every week to relax”. 

“Does that mean I’m your daddy? MOvIng oN”

“You know what else is big?”

“Say please”

Do you need any more proof? I think not. Now back to my delulu intepretation of him:

Christopher is the type of bf that would feel that he must be the "caregiver" of the relationship. He's the one who leads, who provides, who looks after you. That's his role and you shouldn't ever take that away from him. You can take care of him for a change sometimes because he also needs some coddling and attention, but most of the time, he's in charge. I think raising his members by himself for so long has enhanced this side of him. He's very protective, very picky and a perfectionist, so his partner has to learn patience because this man can be mentally and emotionally exhausting for them.

In his toxic version, he's extremely controlling and possessive. He doesn't let you hang out with other boys, or anyone he doesn't approve of. He makes big decisions over your own life for you because "he knows what's best". He'll treat you more like an accessory that needs to look good on him rather than a person. In his mind, you belong to him and that's final. If gets hit on, he’ll accept it with zero regrets and may return the gesture. He’ll show it when he likes someone’s physically and may flirt with them, but you’re not allowed the same behaviour. He expects you to be always at his beck and call, but he’ll most likely never be completely loyal to you. Funny thing is that he truly believes he loves you and you should be grateful for all he does for you. He simply wants his partner to be the best version of themselves, and if that casually fits his standards of perfection, well, does it matter? Every single thing you do has to pass through him first. He’s the type to end fights with angry sex and call it “talking things out”. He’ll make sure you never move on from him. If you break up, he’ll be the ex that still calls you “his” and sabotages your love life. He’ll manipulate you to the point you’re totally dependant of him, his perfect delicate doll. Remember this guy is one perfectionist dude and he has very high standards, and as his partner, he expects you to meet at least some of them.

As a yandere, he’ll be pretty much the same, with the difference that he won’t look at anyone else and he’ll never be unfaithful. He’s a smooth motherfucker, and so he knows how to keep you with him subtitly without you noticing. He’ll isolate you from everyone else, planting seeds of suspicion in your mind and pushing you to overthink stuff and doubt everthing around you, becoming almost paranoid. He’ll deliberatly create situations than can be easily misunderstood so you come running to him for comfort, believing he was right all along, while he hugs you tightly and kisses your hair, smiling to himself at seeing you right where you’re supposed to be. He’ll use every dirty asshole trick during arguments to win. Gaslight, pulling out insecurities, emotional manipulation, everything. He’s mad at you for not behaving the way he wants to but he doesn’t want you to leave him either.  He’ll start fight with you with the twisted purpose of getting you to be vulnerable and having the excuse to put you in your place. He does everything for you and gets angry if you try to do stuff for him. Your autonomy is taken away and you can’t leave him. Ever. He has a way to make you feel so loved, so cared for, so desirable, that you won’t notice the darkness closing around you until it’s too late. 

As a normal person, he’s also territorial, but in a relatively healthy way. His caregiver complex is still off the roof tho. He feels like it's his duty (and also his joy) to take care of you and make sure you're content. This man, when he loves, he does wholeheartedly. He worships the ground you walk on, he sees you as a heaven sent angel just for him, he adores you and would give you the world if he could. He hates when you go to other people for comfort or advice, because in his eyes, who's gonna help you better than him? He lives off feeling needed, of having you rely on him. He doesn't let it get to the toxic point because he's mature like that, but there are times that he wishes he could hide you from the world and keep you to himself. If he's in a bad mood, the members know they only have to bring you where he is and suddenly it's all good. The bad mood might not always wear off, but at least he wouldn't snap at anyone if you're there.

He gets shy with other people's compliments, but with you? He pulls out the fuckboy manual. He loves to make you blush, push your body against him and whisper the most indecently, spiciest pick-up linea. Those wicked pick-up lines he's not allowed to use with Stay? You've heard all of them. His incessant need for control purrs when he has you all flustered and nervous under his hands, submitting for him. We treat it as a running joke but I truly believe this man is an Alpha in an alternative universe.

The type of bf to assert his claim over you by physical contact. Throwing an arm around your shoulders, grabbing you by the waist, pushing his hand in your lower back to guide you. He makes sure you're never far from him when you guys are out. Another dude staring at you too much? He moves right by your side or behind you to send him a message. He's another one that loves seeing you wearing his stuff. The type to place his coat/jacket on your legs or shoulders, not only to keep you warm, but also to mark you even further as his person.

Honestly most of your fights are because of his jealousy, because when it comes to other problems, he talks it out like a champ and communicates his feelings. The only thing that makes his blood boil is the idea of losing you, especially to someone else. He can't stand people getting close to what he considers his. Like I said, an Alpha.

If I don't stop here this post will never end. Feel free anyone to add your own opinion about the matter.

[trashlie]

I saw a theory about Mr. Kim being Kousuke's real father. Makes me want to throw up. And then I saw another comment on that thread how the real thing that would break Kou is realizing that Nol is no longer his brother.

And omg ew? Sang Chul would be??

And I'm never getting over Nol's plastered smile. The sneer. The humans suck line.

The "Convince Me" line.

Girl I'm going thru it.

You totally called it on the theories.

The WORST kind of "OH GOD I KNEW IT" weeks have been happening for me when it comes to ILY lmaoooo and I NEED QUIMCHEE TO GIVE ME A BREAK AND LET ME CATCH MY BREATH!!!!!!!!!!!

Gonna drop my thoughts below the read more! Spoilers spoilers spoilers!!!!!!!!!!

When Elle and I talked about the "Rand isn't Kousuke's father" theory on the fourth episode of our podcast I even talked about how as much as I don't want the theory to be true for Kousuke's sake, narratively it's SO compelling and it just makes SO MUCH SENSE. I remember the first time I read the theory, too, how initially I was like "no way, this feels really out there" but it just stuck with me. I couldn't let it go, I kept going back to that panel, the "you're the sole heir" speech bubble over Nol's face and I think I've just always felt that it meant something, you know? That quimchee would NOT have done that if it didn't mean something, if we weren't supposed to read into it, if it wasn't meant to be the earliest of foreshadowing of this theory.

And to have it actually confirmed!!!!! Just has me SCREAMING but absolutely anticipating what it means for everyone!!!! Because not only does it mean everything Kousuke has ever worked for - the only thing he's ever had to his name, the only career option he's ever had - is taken away from him and thrust to someone who may not even want it, someone who wants to be as far away from this family and this coldblooded, bloodthirsty rivalry as he can get.

Neither of them get any reprieve.

Kousuke never had any other option, and is left with nothing.

Nol will likely be thrust into the heart of everything he wants to excuse himself from, everything he's come to resent and loathe and GOD it's insane to see how it's all unfolding, after all this time!!!!!!!!

I think, too, in thinking about the fact that Nol isn't even Kousuke's brother is that it means re-examining the rawness of 212 and what it means for Kousuke, who believes that he got none of the good traits of Rand that he sees in Nol, the good parts that he's never been privileged enough to see in Rand himself, and that he was left with only the worst parts of him - the cold man with his back turned to him. But it's worse, because none of that was his.

(Please know that I am saying this SO VERY LOOSELY, in the sense of how I imagine Kousuke is thinking this. I'm not a fan of the "Rand suspected Kousuke wasn't his son and that's why he was so cold with him" theories. Frankly, I think they're disgusting and it shows an interesting bias in people in how they perceive biological family to be more worthy over, say, adopted family. I think it's very evident that Rand loves both of his sons and has done the best within his means, but has been dealing with an incredibly controlling tyrant of a wife who has ensured that he had little chance to provide the nurturing he wanted to, who ensured that there was a gap between him and Kousuke so that Kousuke would be forever chasing after him, because she needed him to stay focused on her goal. I refuse to humor conversation that implies Rand loves or favors Nol more because that's his biological son and because Kousuke is, currently suspected to be, the son of a Kim, he has less love for him. That's a disgusting mindset. Biological love does not make someone inherently love their child more. Yui herself proves this. And in that same vein, not being Kousuke's biological father does not excuse Rand's part in Kousuke's neglect and that it was the commodification of his love that has factored into how Kousuke has come to view love in this transactional manner and why he struggles to see his father's true love for what it is. Regardless of whose genetic material fathered him, Rand is the man who raised Kousuke as his son, the man Kousuke saw as his father, and therefore he is Kousuke's father.)

Kousuke has modeled himself after his father in every way, tried so hard to emulate him, to be someone who will make his father proud, who can earn his affection and feels like he hasn't succeeded at that yet - and to find out that the man he has spent his entire life emulating is not, in fact, his father? Is going to CRUSH him. Not because it changes the fact that it was Rand who raised him and Rand to whom Kousuke looked up, but because it's yet another lie in a series of Yui's lies, yet another lie that she has used to manipulate him, to mold him into her pawn, to create him into a likeness of something of her own desire, rather than ever allow him to be his own person.

She lied to him about his father. She whispered paranoia to him about his brother his brother's mother. She made him believe that everyone is out to get them, to tear them down, that because they are better than everyone else he can trust no one. She used these tactics to isolate him and played upon the paranoia and fear that she created and instilled upon him so that when he did rebel and stray from her, when he did try to be his own person and have friends and a life of his own, she could pull him back to where she felt he belonged, at her side. She smothered and suffocated him and manipulated and lied to him and nothing she has done to or for him has ever been honest and even his father is a lie. Even his goals and motivation is a lie.

I know a lot of people still hate Kousuke but it fucks me up. It has me choked up, to think of what it must be like to be him, and to have this bombshell thrust upon you, that everything you believed has been a lie, that your mother has been manipulating you for your whole life, she's been drugging you, you have finally grasped the gravity of the harm you have caused using the justification she has equipped you with. To come to the realization that everything you ever justified was never truly justifiable, that you caused harm that cannot be undone.

How do you come back from that?

How do you deal with that?

And then, to find out that the man you've believed was your father isn't. That the only person who ever offered you unconditional love, whose relationship you've destroyed isn't even your brother, and has no reason to ever turn to look your way ever again.

Kousuke was right. He has no brother.

And it devastates me lmao ;____________;

And I do really think that it means his father is Gun Kim. All of the comparisons to Sangchul and Kousuke have haunted me as much as this theory.

BUT MAN IT'S JUST SO MUCH QUIMCHEE IS JUST OUT HERE WITH A BODY COUNT. MA'AM. SLOW DOWN I CAN'T KEEP UP. Nol is on a warpath and I need him to CHILL.

Actually no you know what was the FUNNIEST thing to me about Nol and his humans suck line? THE FACT THAT MY GIRL SHINAE IS OUT HERE BLUSHING.

GIRL. /GIRL/

She is DOWN BAD. SO FUCKING BAD. LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO i can't stand her I love her she's a whole hot mess express I really need to gather myself and drop some thought dump posts over here finally because generally my reaction to all of these episodes lately has been [SCREAMING CAT]

i'm two for two on "dark theories i didn't want to be true but knew in my gut are" and listen. I DON'T KNOW IF I LIKE IT ;_______; HOWLING