#but I couldn’t find them after an update I think🥲

[oriixxc]

[umbracirrus]

WIP Wednesday!! 💛

Chapter 21 of The Perfect Storm is absolutely kicking my backside at the moment, though I'm slowly chipping away at it. About 5000 words so far and quite a few more to go!! I'm hoping to get the update out soon though, because I've got a handful of things I'm looking forward to writing coming up soon, including Elyse's birthday and Dagny getting a bit of attention because I've had some focus on both Frothar and Nelkir, but nothing really for her.

And I'm going to tag a few people, I've gone a few weeks without tagging so I'm going to do a few now :3 No obligations of course!! @hircines-hunter, @thequeenofthewinter, @bostoniangirl21, @throughtrialbyfire anyone else who wants to share a WIP! I've probably missed off some people who would normally tag me/who I would normally tag, but I'm writing this with an annoying headache at the point of putting this post in my queue and names just aren't coming to me 🥲

-----

"Come on!"

"Nelkir, I am not in the mood for this messing around, can you please not-"

Elyse froze at the same time as Balgruuf did, as he was pulled down the staircase by Nelkir. She knew that for him, it was probably from the surprise of seeing her there. For her though... Well, it was because she didn’t know what to do. She obviously needed to talk to him, but... She had no idea if she was ready to, even after Lydia's encouragement. Not now.

What struck her most as they simply stared at each other was that both Lydia and Frothar hadn’t been kidding when they had said that Balgruuf had been losing sleep. He just looked... tired. Exhausted, even. There were dark circles beneath his eyes and his hair looked unkempt – none of the usual braids she would see it pulled into and his beard scruffy. And it was incredibly unusual to not see him in his usual attire, simply a plain tunic and trousers. No circlet, no furs, no chains, not even a belt with a weapon at his hip.

Divines, had she done this to him?

Irileth let out an irritated huff after silence had lingered for longer than was comfortable for anyone present, before turning towards her. "Well, Dragonborn? Don't you have something which you wanted to say?"

She gulped at all of the attention which had fallen upon her, noticing in particular that even in spite of his evident weariness, Balgruuf was looking at her with an intensity no other could quite match. She couldn’t tell in the slightest if he was angry, confused, or an entirely different emotion altogether – the only certainty was that he was staring at her.

"I, um…" she whispered, finding her hands clenching at the hem of the sweater which Lydia had insisted she wore that morning. "I want to talk about what happened… A-About our argument."

Her eyes darted to the ground, no longer feeling able to make eye contact with him because of the way in which he was staring. Shame from her outburst and what she had done to everyone in Dragonsreach was eating away at her too, making it even harder to lift her head.

"Hm."

The noise which he made was no better at helping her judge what he was thinking. The only thing which kept her from losing her nerve completely and backing away from this all was the fact that Frothar still had a firm grasp of her wrist, and the fact that she hadn't already been told by the Jarl to leave.

"As do I," he eventually remarked, making her lift her head as he glanced between his two sons. He didn't need to speak for the two of them to understand what the look he gave to them meant, and they both let go of the respective person they had attached themselves to and ventured off elsewhere in the palace.

Elyse already felt much calmer in knowing that Balgruuf also wanted to talk, and finally managed to make eye contact.

"Come with me – I know a place where we can talk without all of the prying eyes and ears."

An arm got held out before her before she could move though. "Am I safe in assuming that there isn’t going to be any risk of yelling or shouting?" Irileth questioned, though Elyse felt a shiver down her spine as she stared at her, the last word feeling incredibly pointed. "I will be about. I will know if anything happens."

With that warning hanging over them as the housecarl made her presence scarce, Balgruuf let out a sigh and turned around, returning in the direction which Nelkir had pulled him from.

She inhaled deeply, and began to follow.

[cinnbar-bun]

I AHHSJDJDJDJDJ I HATE TALKING TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CALL REPS AAAAA WHAT DO YOU MEAN WITH ANY OF THIS??!?!?

So update: apparently USPS decided, barely a day after not doing anything to find my package, to close the case and not tell me that after they said they would be updating me the next day.

You know it was Memorial Day weekend and stuff so I waited until today to call my local post office again, only for them to say “they weren’t open” (it’s not a holiday, and it’s been over an hour since they opened??). So I call the USPS line and get a very nice representative who attempted to open the case, but couldn’t. She did confirm that they delivered it to the wrong address with their GPS (not that she could tell me but jejdjdjd) and then gave me the number for customer affairs and told me to call them so they can reopen the case.

Okay, I think, I can do that. I am put on hold for five minutes before it hangs up on me. Weird, maybe it was an accident. I call again and it goes THE NUMBER YOU HAVE DIALED ISNT AVAILABLE BLAH BLAH. Okay, lemme call my post office again maybe they can- BEEP BEEP BEEP until the call drops.

What the hell dude 😭😭😭 i just want my package. I guess I can try going to my neighbors and asking but they’re older people and I don’t wanna bother them lots 🥲

[dazed--xx]

What are your favorite Hyunjin five you’ve read?

Lol this is a long list but if you’re asking for series then my favs are (in no particular order)

Watercolor by @jinhyun ( ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THIS SERIES!! Lol and the writer knows it. I will recommend this to literally everyone if I had to choose a number one of my favs this would definitely be a contender. Female lead is cute and determined and Hyunjin….JESUS Hyunjin made me want to put my head through the wall at one point but he was literally just adorable after certain events. It’s so good full of Fluff angst and then occasional smut but not really a lot so good.)

Star lost with you and Only fools fall for you by @hyunjinspark (this counts as one cause it’s the same writer 😭) (I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS ABOUT ONLY FOOLS ITS LITERALLY AMAZING AND FRUSTRATING AT THE SAME TIME. Full of angst and smut if that’s your thing I really like this fic cause I’m in love with the enemies to lovers trope it’s so well written and I just can’t get over it. STAR LOST is still being written and the last update made me cry 😭 it draws you in and has so much going on I’m so invested like these people are real)

The guy next door- @jl-micasea-fics (so one of my favorite movies in the entire world is the girl next door and I could tell off rip this has the same concept. Love Hyunjin in this yet I just absolutely hate porn names lol 😂 only thing that makes me cringe is the porn names but you have to have that in this it’s amazingly written and heartbreaking and ugh you’ll dream about Hyunjin tbh 😭)

Jealousy is…. And Goodnight moon by @whatsk-poppinhomies(jealousy is…is the first part goodnight moon is like the second part it’s so damn good) (THESE ARE YANDERE FICS AND THEYRE THE BEST ONES IVE EVER READ DONT ONLY READ HYUNJINS READ THEM ALL THEYRE SO FUCKING CAPTIVATING AND UGHHHHHHHH IM LITERALLY OBSESSED WITH THIS WRITER AND YOU SHOULD JUST CHECK OUT ALL OF THEIR WORKS BUT THIS SERIES MAKES YOUR HEART POUND AND GIVES YOU LIFE ANGSTY AF AND THE GUYS ARE WALKING RED FLAGS BUT YOU BECOME SO OBSESSED WITH IT THAT ITS OKAY)

Maybe it’s not our fault by @cosmic-railwayxo (incomplete 🥲🥲🥲 unfortunately but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the wait if the writer gets back to it it’s so good. Exes au tbh and I love it so much there’s so many misunderstandings and heartbreak yet there’s fluffy warm moments ugh you’ll be rooting for them for such a long time and always find yourself looking back to see an update cause you have to see what happens next. I love every character in this and idek why they’re so compelling and just make you feel so many things)

Lol as you can see I couldn’t just pick 5 fics so I picked 5 writers 😭 but I find myself just enjoying a whole bunch of stuff and there’s one fic that I literally can’t find it’s older and about hyunjin but I think the writer deactivated it’s my fav fic and I’ll describe it for you but I wish I could link it cause it would be my legit number one but it’s about a struggling relationship with hyunjin he’s been distant not answering calls texts and the reader decided she had enough so she asks to take a break and he begs her not to, that he wants to be with her and he’s sorry so she gives him a second chance. Her best friend is Chan and there’s multiple parts to it. At one part they go to some party or something and hyunjin gets jealous she was hanging out with Chan so he makes it seem like he was flirting with some girl and the reader sees and storms out Chan gets rightfully pissed and tells him he fucked up for the last time and ugh it’s so angsty and good they do end up together but I can’t ever find it but I hope you enjoy reading those if you haven’t and if you have lmk which ones you like

[setsugekka]

Ok, I’ve literally been OBSESSED with paradise lost since it came out to the point of me dying a little bit inside every time I see an update because I don’t want my heart broken again 🥲🥲

BUT…..am the only one who thinks Hongjoong is a little bit hypocritical??

Like for the most part we know for a fact that MC is the one who fucks shit up with her shitty decisions, but I kinda feel like Joong kinda pushes her there, you know??

Like they start sleeping together and MC obviously starts feeling something for Joong but they aren’t in any type of actual relationship so she doesn’t want to push him even though she wants answers and they aren’t said to be exclusive

So when she confronts him and finally wants an answer from him about what they are, which he can’t answer, he mentions that she went for Wooyoung while he didn’t didn’t sleep with anyone else. But my point IS… does it actually matter if he didn’t sleep with anyone else?? MC didn’t know if he was or wasn’t because they weren’t exclusive, so does it actually matter in theory if she never knew??

That and the fact that at the end of that conversation he couldn’t tell her about his feelings or that he wanted an exclusive relationship with her, regardless of him wanting to apologise later on after he comes to the realisation or not, she left that conversation thinking that they still weren’t exclusive

So, I don’t understand (besides him finding out she was fucking someone by being sent a video of them 🥴) why he’s actually so pressed about her being selfish, when in my opinion, his actions or there lack of, leaves her in a limbo and unsure of what exactly his boundaries are and what their relationship is??

Like, just because he came to the realisation that he loves her and wants a proper relationship with her and phones her to apologise and tell her this, doesn’t give him the right to be angry and wanting to cut her out of his life because she slept with someone while he was having this epiphany when she didn’t know, yeno???

Like yeah, MC is a dumb bitch but so is Joongie in my opinion 🥴🥴

I may have just completely rambled none sense and might be the only one with this pov but oh well 🫣

(p.s. love this story so much and I’ve started to read a couple more of your works, you’re so talented 🥹🫶🏻)

glad you're enjoying it!

tbh, no, most people aren't on team hongjoong, but i think i you're reading all of the details, then you might be!

// paradise lost 08 spoilers and the like

i went into more detail about this here, but effectively hongjoong tried to have that conversation first and she didn't want to yet because she wasn't sure. which okay, fine. but then why are you acting so weird and jealous about everything that he does even things that have happened in the past? do you need to bang his best friend knowing that he has feelings for you? are you really gonna be that surprise that he finds that somewhat off-putting and is going to be a bit more standoffish about the whole thing now?

the whole premise of paradise lost is effectively looking at the idea of "you're allowed to you do that" under a microscope. sure, they are not in a monogamous partnership so she can technically do whatever she wants. but in the real world, with real life people who have feelings and in situations that have real life nuance it isn't often just that simple.

she knows that the things she does are going to hurt his feelings, we see as much with her attempted secrecy with what she (hopes) to do with wooyoung, and then seonghwa, but that isn't reason enough for her to not go through with it anyway. which again, fine, but then you need to be willing to lay in the bed that you've made for yourself and manipulatively dropping L-bombs after practically emotionally tormenting this man ain't it lmao.

BUT! that's just my take of the goings on within. death of the author and what have you 🤣

[purplekiwis]

Hi I hope you are doing well ❤️ I just want to say that your ceo harry fic is one of my absolute favs, it’s so well written and so fun to read ❤️ any new chapters coming soon? Can’t wait to read them, have a nice day ❤️

The Party (PART 6 of CEO!Harry having a crush on adorable and chubby Y/N)

You can read:

PART 1; PART 2; PART 3; PART 4; PART 5

hii lovely readers!!! i'm so sorry for keeping you waiting for a ceorry update for so many months 🥲 i know you guys love this story very dearly so, i really hope you like where its going. this chapter is a bit different from the ones before so i'm excited to hear your feedback on it ❤️

**

“I should probably head back to my table but… this was great! Seeing each other outside the office, I mean. Maybe we could um… do it again soon,” Harry ventured. He knew Y/N was probably a bit too tipsy to process anything but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to test the waters. Get a feel for her reaction, so to say. They'd been chatting by the bar for a bit, and she looked to be enjoying herself. He'd stay with her the rest of the night if he could, but when he caught her sneaking a glance at her friends, he knew it was time to say goodbye. She wanted to return to her table, and Harry wasn’t going to stand in the way.

“Oh! You mean like an office party, right?” Whether it was for the better or for the worse, the prospect of a party appeared to have reignited Y/N's focus on him. “That would be so fun! People at work have told me you guys used to do that sometimes…”

“Uhh… we-um… yeah, I guess we used to do that. Haven’t in a while though…” Harry faintly recalled having thrown a party or two, and while that was far from what he'd had in mind, he was frankly lacking the guts to correct Y/N after seeing her so excited. 

And his guts only shrank when she told him that if he was ever looking for ideas, she had one. It goes without saying that he hadn't been looking, but the fact that she had an idea piqued his interest. “What’s that?”

It was that question that ended up with Harry organizing an office party. It was ridiculous… especially at such a time when everyone had important projects they were working on. If someone else had suggested he’d throw a party, Harry would have told them to take a walk, but as it was Y/N, he went along with the damn thing.

Her idea was that they would host a Murder Mystery event, where the team would have work together to find out ‘who killed the boss’. Harry will admit he didn’t find that last bit very amusing, but Y/N had looked so cute while drunkenly explaining everything to him that night at the bar that by the time she was finishing, he was smiling and nodding along without even realizing.

On the bright side, the idea would be easy to follow. Harry would only have to purchase a silly little game kit, and perhaps play dead for an hour or two (he didn’t really know what the game consisted of yet, but he was assuming that should be part of it). But then, of course… once they went to present the idea to the rest of the team the following Monday, everyone wanted to have a say on the matter.

They also wanted dinner… which Harry was fine with. That was what the corporate card was for after all. He would even let them pick the restaurant themselves… and as long as he got to spend time with Y/N and the food tasted decent, he wouldn't even think to look twice at the bill before swiping his bougie debit card. But that wasn’t enough for them, the greedy little bastards… they didn’t just ask for ‘regular dinner’, they wanted a potluck dinner. It was Margaret's idea, of course... because she could never pass up the opportunity to flaunt her cooking skills. Harry on the other hand, was well aware that his weren’t that impressive. He could put about five dishes together successfully, and none of those were party foods.

The fact that everyone was bringing food from home instead of going out to eat would save his corporate money, but not him from the potential humiliation of showing up with something that didn’t taste that good. And yes, he could always play it safe by bringing in the good ol’ trail mix bowl, but there was nothing particularly exciting about that.

He could also opt to buy some fancy pastries at a bakery… those would be a surefire hit, but everyone would know he hadn’t made them. That’s the annoying thing about in-store baked goods… they always look a little too elaborate to pass as homemade.

So Harry did the unpredictable, he settled upon trying to cook something himself. Figuring that, if everything went to shit, he could always pick something up on his way to work the next day. He searched for recipes that were fun, easy, and suitable for most dietary preferences. Mostly because he didn’t know if Y/N was a vegetarian and whatnot, and he didn’t want to give her any reasons to not eat his food. Not if he could help it anyway...

So he made spinach puffs from scratch.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t entirely from scratch because he used frozen puff pastry… but the filling part he did all himself! And he still had to cut, fold and egg brush his pastry, which had to count for something, right?

All in all, Harry was quite enthusiastic the moment he got to showcase his plate full of golden brown treats to his team, but nothing could beat his excitement to taste whatever it was that Y/N had brought in.

His entire evening was consumed by food and other people, so when Y/N finally spoke to him, it was the highlight of his evening that far. She complimented him on his food, and he returned the compliment, “These look spectacular.” He said regarding her cake pops. That she had made look extra cute by tying little ribbons around the ends.

“Really? Thank you!” She looked happily surprised. “I figured that since Simon has been pestering me to bring him cake, now would be the perfect time.”

“Oh.” Well, that certainly caught Harry off guard. “So you two have been getting along, then?”

“Mhm. I’d say we're becoming good friends.” She raised her finger to her lips in thought. “Now that I think about it, I think I actually have you to thank, because the first time Simon and I talked was when you asked me to call him to your office.”

The knowledge that Simon got to hang out with Y/N often unsettled Harry… and kind of enraged him too, mainly because he was jealous that she was spending her time with somebody else other than him. Did this mean they were together? Harry couldn't resist the impulse to ask, “Good friends as in… just friends?”         

“Yeah, of course. Just friends.” She replied immediately. “But why? Do we have a policy on dating coworkers or something? Not that I’m asking because of Simon, it's just... I’d like to be informed, on the off chance that we have one…”

Y/N’s question caused a quickening in Harry’s pulse. “Uh, no. We don’t. But… personally, I'd say it would be best not to date someone you're working on the same department with… just in case, you know… things get off-kilter.” Harry ended the subject by bringing one of Y/N’s cake pops to his mouth and taking a bite. “These are really good...”

“Oh, thank you! I’m glad you like them… and yeah, I get that. Thanks for the advice.”

Her reaction blindsided Harry. He was just hoping she didn't think she'd have to follow his advice. Because one, it was very biased advice, and two, it was only referencing her and Simon, not the entire company… much less the executive department, where the only option available was Harry himself.

“Were you able to use that coupon I told you about to buy the game?” She asked when her eyes fell on the store bag that Harry had brought to the table with him.

He looked down as well, having completely lost sight of why they were standing there talking in the first place. “Oh, yes. I did use that. Thanks for recommending it. Struck us a deal.”

“Oh, cool! If you’re ever looking for any other coupons, remember I'm the person to ask!” She smiled goodbye at him once one of her coworkers interrupted them to steal her attention, and suddenly Harry feared that none of the beverages available at dinner would be powerful enough to help him beat the heat coming up his neck.

What the hell was he doing? Why had he given her that stupid advice? Like she would ever take it into consideration if she was seriously contemplating dating Simon... If his advice was going to serve for anything, it would be to remind her of how hypocritical he was being whenever he eventually asked her on a date. And yes, as for the latter, he was still planning to do it... but as usual, his biggest challenge was finding the right opportunity. What only got harder once they started playing the game, because just as Harry had already been expecting, his only role in it was to be absent.

Which was annoying, all Harry had wanted was to eat a decent dinner and talk to Y/N… and now he was being made to stay inside the meeting room by his team. Lounging on the office sofa and staring at the blue wall painting. How fun.

Everyone else seemed to be having fun though… at least judging by the commotion outside. Harry wouldn't be too shocked if everyone accidentally forgot about him by the end of the evening… he was actually kind of expecting them to, until a soft knock on the door pulled him out of his self-absorbed reveries. “May I?” A sweet voice made him sit up. Y/N. Harry didn't need to peek at the door to know it was her.

“Yeah, of course.” He replied as he swiftly moved into a more flattering position. “Is everything okay? How’s the game going?”

“Good. It’s good. I just got killed off, though.” She smiled, sighing and laughing at the same time. “Is it okay if I wait in here with you?”

“Oh, by all means… I’ll definitely enjoy the company.” Harry smiled back, shifting to give her a space to sit beside him. “I thought I was going to be the only one getting killed, though...”

“Oh, no. Someone will on every round until they figure out who the killer is. The story is just like any other serial killer mystery... Which, in hindsight, also explains why the bigger girl was killed first.”

Harry could tell that Y/N was kidding, but the implication she was making didn't sit well with him. “I doubt that was the case; I think they just killed you first ‘cause they knew how much I wanted your company…”

“Oh, I wasn't whining about getting killed.” She quickly began to explain. “I'm sorry if I sounded like I was sympathy-seeking- I wasn’t. I was just trying to break the tension with a joke.”

Harry shook his head. “It’s not that. It's just no fun listening to someone as great as you underestimate yourself.”

“Yeah, I know. I try not to, but these types of jokes usually come to me when I'm nervous.” She acknowledged with a sigh. “I’m sorry if that was awkward.”

“It wasn’t. But what is it, that's making you nervous? Is it me?”

“Kind of. Not you in particular, but it's just a different situation being here with you this way.”

“Would it make you less nervous if I turned on the overhead lights?”

“Oh no. It's not that kind of nervous.” She laughed softly. “It's more like never knowing what to say or what to talk about…”

“Tell me about you, then…” He asked her honestly. “What do you usually do when you’re not at work?”

“I don't do much, to be honest. I used to go out with friends a lot, but since I’ve gotten my dog I’ve been spending most of my time at home with him instead.”

“Oh, you’ve got a dog. How’s he like?”

“He’s uh… white and tiny?” She chuckled. “Would you like to see a picture?”

“I’d love to.” Harry said, leaning closer to look at the photo Y/N was showing him on her phone. “Aw, look at this little guy!”

“His name is Mochi, like the dessert.”

“It’s a good name.” Harry had never heard of Mochi and had no idea what it was, but after learning that Y/N enjoyed it, he really wanted to try it. “I have a cat, by the way. My lock screen is a picture of her, actually so… I can show her too if you'd like to see.”

“Yeah, ‘course I’d like to see.” She said, and so he took his phone out to show her. “My goodness! Is that really your cat? Look at that hair- it’s so fluffy!” Harry smiled at the comment. He was definitely proud of how well-groomed Atlas’s fur was in that picture, and it made him feel good that Y/N could tell it was well taken care of. “How much did you give for her? She looks expensive.”

“Oh, that's a touchy subject. We don’t talk about that.” He shook his head, smiling. “A little over two thousand. I know it’s a lot for a cat, especially when I could’ve easily gotten one for free but… I don’t know. To be honest, I had never considered owning a pet before, but after seeing her I just couldn't let her go. She was too cute.”

“No, I’m not judging. I completely get the appeal. I saw her and wanted to have her right away.” Her face drew back once she was done admiring Atlas. “I have to say I’m surprised, though. I would’ve never pictured you as a cat person…”

“Really? What did you make of me, then?”

“I'm not sure, but you look like someone who would be more into dogs.”

“I like dogs.” He’s not a big fan, to be totally honest… but as long as they don't growl or bite at his shins he can sympathize with them. “Do you like cats?”

“I do, yes. But I wanted a dog because I was hoping it would help me become somewhat more active. That backfired though, because Mochi’s a couch potato like me, so we basically just stay home and watch Netflix.”

That, by Harry's standards, sounded like a perfect weekend. That's exactly how he spends his too, but God… if he had Y/N there, it'd take things to a whole other level of perfect. He adored the concept, and he really wanted to know what her favorite shows were. “What have you been watching on Netflix, anything good?”

Harry could tell she was excited that he’d asked, which made him wonder whether she had been waiting to tell someone. “I started watching this show called The Umbrella Academy. It’s pretty fun if you’re into goofy, sci-fi shows.”

“No way! That’s what I’m watching too!” He was the one getting giddy now. “I’ve binged through the entire first season on Sunday. Haven't had the chance to start season two yet, sadly… What season are you on?”

“I’m halfway through season two. I won't give anything away since you haven’t seen it yet, but it has been fantastic so far.” Harry could tell she was enjoying the conversation by the way her body had turned entirely to face him. “What’s your favorite character?”

“Hmm… I’d say it’s a tie between Five and Klaus for me. Yours?”

“It’s the same for me, but I think I might like Klaus a little bit more...”

“That’s fair. He’s a great character…” Their legs brush as Harry adjusts on the sofa. He noticed she didn’t draw away, which he interprets as a favorable indication. His body is itching to make a move. They’re alone, the lights are dim, and she looks so lovely under them. Harry cannot keep that question bottled up inside his chest anymore, he has to ask her now. “So… Is that also all you're planning to do next weekend—just Netflix?”

“I believe so. I won't lie; the weekends are usually very unexciting for me.” She laughed, and Harry gulped.

For a moment, he feels the words tremble in his throat. Harry's not too sure on how to approach this with her. He doesn't want to lose out on the opportunity… he's done it before and regretted it immensely after. He really wants to spit it out and get this over with, but he's so nervous that his tongue feels tied to his mouth. And, to add insult to injury, she was staring right at him with those pretty eyes. He couldn’t wait any longer though, so he does the only thing he knows will benefit him in this situation: He takes a deep breath to settle himself before speaking, “I was thinking it could be fun to go do something together, since you're free. We could, er... watch a movie. Perhaps have dinner or grab a drink... whatever you'd prefer, really.”

Y/N’s brows furrowed for a little, but then she made a face as though she had finally grasped what he was saying. “Oh. So you're saying like you, me and...”

“Just us, that's what I’m saying.” Harry could feel the reddening forming on his cheeks, but he hoped Y/N wouldn't be able to notice it in the low light. “I’ve been trying to push away my interest but I… can’t. I think you’re great, and I’d like to get to know you better, if you let me, of course.”

Her face was giving him the impression that she was perplexed by this suggestion, like she couldn't believe her ears. “I, um… I’m sorry. I’m really confused.”

“That’s okay. I know that this was most likely unexpected, but don't be scared to speak your mind. I’m a grown man. I can take rejection. And, course, whatever you decide won’t have any implications on your job or anything. I shouldn't even have to mention that, but just in case it wasn't clear enough.”

Harry noticed her glancing down at his hands, gaze focused on his many rings, possibly looking for a wedding band. Her puzzlement seemed to ease some when she didn’t find one. “Right. So, um...”

Before she could finish her sentence, there was another knock on the meeting room's door. It slid open, as Mark, the fucking cockblocker, walked inside to announce that he, too, had been killed off in the game and was hoping he could join them. Despite the unwanted company in the room, Harry’s gaze still remained glued to Y/N for another moment, hoping she'd at least give him a hint on where her answer was going.

She didn’t. In fact, all she did after Mark's arrival was putting more space between them by giving up her seat next to Harry. He wasn't sure if she was nervous or trying to keep up appearances, but the rest of the night he had the impression she was wary of his proximity and avoided standing too close to him. Her distance was making Harry anxious. He desperately wanted to believe that the way she was acting was because he was making her sweat the same way she was making him, so he tricks his mind into believing so. His optimism begins to waver however, when the party’s over and he notices that Y/N doesn't linger around for him. On the contrary, she appeared to be in a mad dash to get to her car.

“Y/N…” Harry rushed after her. A pasted smile on his face since he had not yet realized how much her demeanor had changed since their talk. He did however notice it the moment their gazes met. She seemed uneasy and quite frankly unhappy to see him. “Hey, er… before you go, I wanted to ask on that thing from earlier, since Mark came in and I missed your answer.”

“Right, um… about that...” He noticed her eyes darting about the parking lot, as if she was anticipating someone to be staring. “I didn't give it much thought since I didn't think you were serious.”

Harry's brows furrowed. “Why would I ask you out if I wasn't serious?”

“I don’t know.” She looked frustrated. “I’m not trying to invalidate your feelings, but I feel like you're playing a joke on me and if that's the case, I don't find it funny.”

With each word she uttered, Harry's confusion intensified. “What makes you think it's a joke?” He waited for her to respond, but she didn't. “Do you not like me? Is that it? Cause if that's the case, I'd honestly rather you tell me than pretend it's not serious.”

“No, I- of course I like you. You're a good boss, and I've always appreciated that.”

Harry was unable to control his shaky laugh. “Don’t give me that… you know that's not what I'm asking.” She finally met his gaze at that point. The slight pout on her lips was beyond Harry's understanding, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do about it. He couldn't, though. Not there. Not yet. “Do you like me as a man, or… find me interesting in any way?”

Y/N went quiet for a moment. “Yes, I think you're interesting,” She finally confessed. “But I also genuinely love working here and I really, really am not looking to jeopardize that.”

Harry noticed Y/N turn towards the driver side of her car, so he took a step further, in a nonverbal request for her to halt. “You won’t. I assure you.”

“Whether or not that's the case, you're still my boss, and I don't think it would be appropriate for us to spend our free time together under these circumstances.” She hastily unlocked her car door. As far as Harry could tell, she seemed to want to end the conversation there.

“I understand that, but what if we look past the circumstances? One date, Y/N. You don’t have to compromise… just let me get to know you, it’s all I want.”

“I'm not that type of new hire, Harry.” Based on her words and expression, it seemed that his insistence had irked her. “I don’t know if this is something you typically do, but I respectfully ask that you do not bring up this topic with me again. Otherwise, you'll leave me with no choice except going to HR.”

“Y/N, hold on... You're reading this wrong. I'm not that kind of guy; please... let me clear things up.” He stood next to her car, pleading with her not to flee the parking lot the way he knew she wanted to.

“Have a good night, Harry.” That was all she said before shutting the door and starting her car. So Harry stood in that practically empty parking lot and watched her leave. He couldn't believe this had happened to him. It had felt like a nightmare, but it was real. The lingering scent of Y/N’s perfume emanating from the spot where her car had just been parked confirmed so.

His biggest worry wasn't whether Y/N would go to HR or not, that was the least of his concerns. He just felt awful that he made her feel like she would need such drastic measures to keep him away. Had he been too insistent? He didn't want that at all; all he wanted was for her to see past the downsides and give him a chance.

Maybe Harry was arrogant in thinking she should have. He was quite spoiled in that regard. When he asked women out, he wasn't used to getting a no. Of course he'd been dumped by exes before, but he couldn't exactly say he was used to getting turned down right away... they usually always let him have what he wanted first. If not for his looks, then most likely for his money.

Granted, he had never had to deal with such ethical dilemmas when persuing someone before, but still, he couldn't help but think that Y/N’s reaction had been slightly overkill. But perhaps Harry was just looking at things from his privileged point of view. The truth was that if shit went down, the worst thing he would have to face was getting marketed as a boss who sleeps with his employees. Meanwhile, Y/N could have to deal with much worse. He’s heard stories, after all. He knows people would feel much more at liberty badmouthing her and questioning her accomplishments than they would his.

So, he gets it. He does. He despises it, however. It's not even about the rejection for him; of course, that bothers him, but he can live with it. The knowledge that Y/N probably thinks he is a scumbag, however, is what’s killing him the most. He can't even look at himself. He wants to punch his reflection whenever his eyes land in the side view mirror as he drives, the same way he wants to punch himself in the bathroom mirror the next morning. He looked as miserable as he felt, but he wouldn't have expected anything less after drinking himself into that state the night before.

He had half the mind not to show up at work that morning. The alcohol and the lack of sleep had led to a severe hammering behind his eyeballs. His vision was still slightly skewed, and he felt absolutely rotten. It's not like anybody would bother checking on him… they'd just assume he had to attend a surprise meeting or was doing something more important. Speaking of, Harry did have some major stuff he needed to take care of at the office that day. That realization was only making him want to get back under his covers and never get out of bed again more.

But somehow he pushed through.

Because truth be told, he was acting like a wimp. He knew facing Y/N would be painful, like removing a bandage from a fresh sore. That’s why part of him wanted to put it off for as long as he could, even if the other was aware that wasn't a workable option. Logically speaking, he knew it was only a matter of minutes, or perhaps seconds until they ran into each other. And yet, never in a million years did he expect it to happen as quickly as it did.

Harry had just finished dragging his grumpy self inside the building’s elevator and was about to hit the button when she walked through the door and slid in beside him. The fragrance of her perfume engulfed him, what instantly transported him back to the previous night and made him shudder, but he inhaled it anyway.

“Good morning,” She greeted cordially while searching through her purse, oblivious to who the person standing next to her was.

“G’Morning.” Harry muttered back. The recognition of his voice eventually jolted her into looking at him. By then, he had already figured she hadn't consciously stepped inside the elevator with him, but it still stung to see her face drop at his presence.

Judging by her reaction, Harry was guessing her eyes had failed to recognize him at first glance. Sunglasses and jeans, after all, were not his style when it came to workwear. He liked to put in effort when it came to his appearance, and naturally that was only heightened by his not so little crush. His pants were always ironed the night before, and his clothes were always perfectly coordinated. On that day however, he had barely mustered the patience to comb his fingers through his hair, let alone put on something nice.

From that moment on, there was an awkward tension.

Harry desperately wanted to apologize for what had happened the night before, but he was trapped by shame. He couldn’t even look at her. His gaze was fixed on the elevator floor, and he had no intention of raising it until they arrived at their floor. He assumed hers was fixed somewhere within those close-fitting walls too, probably as far away from him as possible.

“I’m free on Saturday.” She suddenly said, to his great astonishment. “If you still want to hang out, we can, as long as it’s at a place where we are unlikely to run into anyone that works here. It isn't a date though, so don’t have any expectations.”

Despite his exhaustion, Harry couldn't keep a giddy smile from breaking out on his face. “Can I give you my number, then?”

**

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[saintobio]

hi ai! thank you sm for updating us with another amazing chapter 🤍

i can’t believe we started out asap with y/n’s health condition 🥲 idk how to tie these all together, but i just know there will be a connection between y/n inheriting her mother’s illness, her mother dying from it, the trauma from her mother passing away, and satoru inevitably finding out about this trauma. and i’m excited to see how this will change him, considering his own mother also “left” albeit not bc of death

i find it sooo funny how he expressed concern that the events in bora bora would cause a domino effect like sir? this domino effect already began on the very first day of your marriage lmao

“he would never in his life be like the twisted man who ruined his childhood and drove his wife away from his son” — read that again satoru. slowly. slooowly. i know we’re just at the very start of satoru’s redemption arc but i hope he catches up soon lol. the cognitive dissonance is too much

let’s talk abt sera! look, i’m sorry she had to be born into a family like that. but her self-pitying, self-destructive if-i-fall-i’m-taking-everyone-down-with-me attitude has got to go. i really think this will come to back to bite satoru in the ass later on in the story. she will do something reckless and he will have to take the blame for it. not necessarily a pregnancy. but i liken it a bit to sera being a hostage taker and satoru urging everyone else to run away while he holds her down, potentially risking his life and maybe even dying with her. something like that. the ship they’re steering is abt to sink and considering the part he had to play in its sailing, it’s only proper he also partakes in its fall; he will be forced to accept the repercussions. i’m also on the fence abt the pregnancy. i don’t know if she’s gonna end up pregnant, or maybe she will pretend to be pregnant. after all, we saw her imagining her pregnancy in front of the mirror. that could be a hint as to where things are headed. one other thing i like abt this chapter is how we see just how dismissive she is towards satoru’s emotions and past history. many times in the story she refers to him as “different,” “unappealing,” and “not being himself,” wc is a stark contrast to how y/n accepts satoru for both his good and bad sides. sera has this idea of who satoru “should be,” and now that he’s not looking like that anymore, she’s beginning to show her true colours. and when sera told him to “move on” ?????? BITCH 🔪🔪🔪 the audacity “there were more problems to face in life” she’s really acting her problems are the only valid problems in existence. who’s being an attention seeker now huh??

toji! i love how his presence in the story immediately calms both y/n and us readers lmfaooo. i know they’re not meant to end up together romantically, but i love how their friendship is so calming, for y/n especially. and when he called her mrs zenin?? BYE my brain short-circuited. literally just being around him will improve her health, no joke. also! i’m so excited to see the zenin kids 👀 lowkey hoping satoru sees them all together, happy like a family 🥴 this reminds me of one of the songs in the playlist but i couldn’t remember the title nor the lyrics ahajsjsk. another thing, i love how you portray the zenins in sn as a happy family, even if in canon they’re anything but 😩 tho since we have asshole satoru, wc is a contrast to canon satoru, i’m not complaining!

one last detail i loved: how satoru didn’t even bother wearing a necktie when we all know y/n is the one who ties it for him in the morning. it’s always the little things 😩

part nine really greeted u all with a hospital scene hhhhh but most ppl called it anyway. yn has been showing signs of a heart condition since the earlier chapters. and omg ur rant abt sera ahah mood

the zen’ins in sn are sooo ooc but like toji did say in part 5 that they do have problems within the family, tho that has more to do w their elders than the kiddos. aside from the company and the pressure of being an heir, there’s not much drama w the zen’ins. maybe that’s why naoya is always up in somebody’s business 💀 he knows everything

the necktie ahahah yea he just goes to the mirror and forgot how to do a tie properly bc he’s so used to yn doing it neatly for him. he misses her the most in the mornings when she was gone <//3

[vampiresinforks]

Please do you have more info about SMeyer throwing a fit over Edi Gathegi??! I heard of it but couldn’t find more info 🥲

Okay so I know for a fact that there is an actual Edi interview on this topic out there because I read it a couple years ago but I can't find it anymore.

So I give you the generic re-tellings of Catherine Hardwicke / Indiewire:

"“She probably just didn’t see the world that way,” Hardwicke said. “And I was like oh my God, I want the vampires, I want them all—Alice, I wanted her to be Japanese! I had all these ideas. And she just could not accept the Cullens to be more diverse"

"“The only reason that came through was he was described as having olive skin,” Hardwicke said. “And I said, there are black olives out there! Then she was open to the students in [Bella’s] peer group being other ethnicities, so we got Christian Serratos and Justin Chon, so we were able to open it up a little bit.”"

like... how terrible does that sound?? that you have to "open up" a person to the idea of casting a non-fully-white cast????

Update: I found two other ancient interviews with Edi but it's not the one interview I meant ;___; I bet SM's PR team swiped it? I can't have hallucinated it

"Lexicon: What about Laurent’s physical type?

EG: My understanding of the "pale skin" is vampires are essential "undead". They don't have blood flowing through the veins, and as a result, their skin is cold and "pale". Color, creed, religion, content of character, favorite brand of ice cream isn't really a factor ;-) So essentially any human being could be bitten and turned. And why shouldn't they be, we are all HUMAN with human DNA, the genetic makeup, and chromosomes that dictate that. And my skin tone is naturally darker so with bloodless veins I would only get so pale, which is to say, not very "pale" at all :-). And to the uber loyal fans of this book, I humbly offer this perspective... the brilliant description of Laurent by Stephenie Meyer, "olivetoned", allowed me to be considered for this part. How fortunate for me that there are different color olives. Black olives anyone?"

"Blackfilm: Have you given it a thought the fact that you are the lone black in the film?

EG: I thought about that in the sense that there are no other blacks in the film, but when I was going out for the part, I didn't ask how many people were going to be African American. I just auditioned for the role, and then I got it. There was actually some fan backlash when I got cast, because people didn't see Laurent being black. In the book, he's described at being olived-toned, and I decided to address the issue head on. I did an interview where I said, "The character is described as olive-toned, but there are many patches of olives. Black olives anyone?" I think the fans responded to that, and they immediately gave me an open reception after the interview. I think that they did a great job in casting colorblind, because it makes it more accessible to many groups of people, and for African Americans to see me in the film, they know that they are being represented."

[getoswhore]

Start off, completely fine, I’m glad that you treated yourself! Everyone needs one day to just go “I’m done! Mine” to their favorite junk. It’s the mom friend in me to worry about people. Honestly worry about everyone on the server but I can’t exactly go “is everyone okay?” Since you do it more times than not.

The panic attacks are social anxiety 🥲. It’s whenever I’m in a crowded area or out of my comfort zone do they happen. I’m able to get them under control but it’s literally just anxiety. Being introverted does that to you. I do notice when they’re starting, which is why I try to de-escalate them during the middle but if it’s at gatherings and school…many try dragging me back and so I can’t get it completely together. I’m good after about 30 minutes to an hour. And surprisingly it’s not my mind. My mind’s completely blank and working on calming me down. Weird right? Very rarely is it because my brains all over the place during them. It’s all over the place before and after but never during.

Actually..I’ll be happy to show you! And if you wanna go through the process then I’ll let you do that too! I normally do my makeup and have my sister in law do my hair. Thinking a rope braid or just some crowning braid with defined curls for hair though. Nothing too much. And I’ll be happy to show the outfit and everything when I get it! Most likely because I’ll be suuuper exited. Gotta to shoe shopping tho because wooo, ain’t done anything for this. Yet. And my “besties” have work or have a boyfriend so…doubtful 😅. And at school I’m known as my mom’s kid or the quiet smart girl…so. I’ll be with my “husband” during this 😂. Yeah, the 25 year old is sweet…but I was just looking for friends 😐. Also! When don’t I keep you updated Bella? Wishing we were closer tho. Oh! And to answer your morning question! I’m doing fine…kinda annoyed because I couldn’t pull into my parking spot like normal but it’s okay. I’ll be fine. Currently listening to Britney Spears and just enjoying my morning. Hope your morning can be the same! 😘

hihihi bb, sorry i got to this so late, just busy.. y’know..

YEAH even when im with my pookie bear he makes me feel more comfortable to eat???? like he enjoys feeding me xkgndjnjfn so i like to just let him sometimes but ty for your concern :(( lob you.

ah, i see.. hm i used to have vv bad social anxiety when i was younger, so ik in a way how you feel.. but then after finding comfort in myself and forgetting what people think of me or how they look at me when m around a large group has rlly helped me ALOT DJFJD being able to dispose of the thought that your around so many people when you're with a group of friends also help too, just focusing on your friends and acting like it's just y'all has always worked for me, yknow? but ik it can always be different for everyone, just wanted to tell you what's worked for me and my attacks.. maybe and hopefully and can help you to bb. <’33

ooooou a rope braid? had to look that up n it's SHPER CUTE AHH. wish i can do that with my hair :/ but my hair texture CAN NEVER HOLD THAT DJFJSJ i bet you'll so goooood when you have everything all done and figured out! can't wait to see bb. also, do you think you can bring that mysterious 25 yr with you? cause i remember a old friend of mine was able to bring her bf who didn't go to her school to her prom before.. hm idk if they changed the rules or if its different in each state. idk, but hopefully you'll be able to go with someone and if not, that's perfectly ok! being a hottie by yourself is good as is <33