#comedical. COMICAL. I need to go to bed

[7-oh-ta1]

World's sleepiest girl attempts to breed blue roses in acnh

[thebibliosphere]

It’s been a while since I fever dreamed the plot to something, but I just woke up from a literal fever dream set in a futuristic version of New York where Tom Hiddleston and his pet cyborg owl are entrenched in a spy thriller buddy-cop narrative, only to get swept up in the conflicting heartfelt rom-com narrative of Dakota Johnson who, after a series of unfortunate breakups, has sworn off love and committed herself heart and soul to her job as a curator at Futuristic Met Museum. This is much to the distress of her weed smoking, shroom taking trans lesbian mothers and their elderly dog, Jeff, who just want her to find happiness and love.

As part of his cover, Tom and his cyborg owl, Frank, move into the same apartment where he’ll be staying for several months while he plans to steal a diamond from the Met. I think if you held it up to the light it would project nuclear launch codes that’d been etched onto it. Don’t ask me, my brain was more focused on making the cyborg owl into the wise-cracking comic relief. It kept saying things like “wow Tom, you really are a jack of owl trades” or “don’t worry, Tom, owl always love you.”

The pair meet in the lobby where Tom manages to piss off Dakota by not holding the elevator for her while she is carrying heavy boxes. The apartment building, however, is old and shitty, and he gets stuck in the elevator, requiring him to be rescued by one of Dakota’s mothers who also happens to be the super. Dakota huffs her way out the stairwell just in time to hear her mother inviting the “nice British man” to dinner, much to her chagrin as she realizes that her mom is trying to set her up with the asshole and the cyborg owl that sits on his shoulder like a parrot.

Tom, who finds out she works for the met over said dinner, decides to go along with it as he realizes she’d be the perfect cover to get into the Met Museum for an upcoming gala event—not to mention the perfect person to take the fall for his theft—and begins wooing her relentlessly, assuring Frank, the cyborg owl, that it’s all just part of the mission.

Eventually, the pair fall for each other for realzies, and Tom is conflicted over using her to steal the diamond but his time is running out because we also find out he went rogue for a while after his partner died and was using his skills to work freelance for an international crime syndicate and now the mob is after him?????

Anyway, he’s about to confess all to her on the night of the gala when she gets a phone call from her moms letting her know that their elderly dog, Jeff, is dying so the pair rush back to the apartment and take him to the nearest cyborg vet in the hopes of saving him. En route, the mob find them and start shooting at the flying car they’re in and it leads to a comedic shouting match between the pair along the lines of “what do you mean you’re an international spy and the mob are after you? Ugh, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this sooner! I told you everything about me!”

“Oh, yes, your embarrassing high school stories are exactly the same thing as divulging international secrets. Tell you what, after this let’s get a coffee and I can tell you some highly sensitive top secret information to even out the playing field.”

Anyway, Frank the cyborg owl manages to take out the mob car chasing them with a grenade (????!), and the pair get Jeff to the cyborg vet in time. The dream shifted after that to Dakota helping Tom to figure out how to break into the Met so he can get the diamond, not because she loves him and he helped save her childhood dog, but because she wants him gone. Tom accepts her help and storms off to his own apartment where Frank the cyborg owl is poignantly silent save to say “take some Tylenol”

“…what?”

“Wake up, you need Tylenol.”

Which is what sent me rocketing upright in bed, dizzy and dehydrated, pounding migraine headache, drenched in sweat and running what the thermometer tells me is a 102 fever.

Which brings us to now where I’m downing Tylenol in the dimly lit kitchen, guzzling water and typing this all up on my phone because there’s no way I’m going to remember all this in the morning but damn if it wasn’t a fun dream.

Anyway, shout out to Frank the cyborg owl for waking me up before my brain fried ✌️🦉. I’m going back to bed.

[onboardsorasora]

De aged Daniel sneakily putting on Max’s race suit and helmet then going to show max and he says “look Maxy ima race car driver like you!!!” because he may love Ferrari at his young age but he’s grown to love his maxy more

Hey besties! I hope you don't mind me putting these two prompts together! I love when we hive mind lol

De-Aged Daniel | De-Aged Daniel Pt2 | De-Aged Daniel Pt3 | De-Aged Daniel Pt 4 | De- Aged Daniel Pt 5 | De-Aged Daniel Part 6 | De-Aged Daniel Part 7

Max blinked in shock as he stepped out onto the patio with a cold can of redbull. Little Daniel was riding around the backyard, laughing joyously with himself. That wasn’t the surprising thing of course, Max was used to Little Daniel playing games with himself and his squeaking honking laugh echoing in the living room normally.

No, what was surprising was that Little Daniel was wearing his helmet. Max’s helmet. The one from his first season in RedBull. It looked comical on the little boy, made him look more like a bobble head than ever before. But Max couldn’t deny how overwhelmingly adorable it also was.

Little Daniel wobbled to a stop, spying Max’s presence. He slid backwards off of the slightly taller bike before running to stop in front of Max.

“Maxy Look! I’m a race car driver like you!” Little Daniel grabbed onto the helmet to hold it steady, his little fingers clutching at the red bull logo. Max could see his beaming smile a mile away.

“You look good! I bet you can go very fast!” 

“I would win the race firsht! I will be the fastestest!” Little Daniel ran in a circle around Max before throwing his hands in the air in victory. Max couldn’t help his crinkly eyed grin.

“Hmmmmm, you can’t win a race dressed like that!” Max said teasingly.

“But Fewawi is racing clothes! Silly Maxy!” Daniel giggled, the helmet bowed forward as he laughed and Little Daniel clutched it tighter. Max looked at him, in his favourite bright red Ferrari shirt and Max’s helmet. 

“I have better racing clothes.” Max said matter of factly, thinking to the other things in the red bull gift bag that Little Daniel had so quickly spurned. Max knew his time had come.

“You do??” Little Daniel asked curiously, his large brown eyes wide. Max was about to blow his mind.

“Yes, I can show you.” Max motioned for Little Daniel to follow him, grinning around his can as he helmet wobbled and bobbled as they went.

They ended up in Little Daniel’s room and he dove onto the bed while Max put down his drink and went into the closet. He turned around to see little Daniel jumping up and down on the bed, giggling wildly.

“I’m an ashtronut!” He cackled, gripping Max’s helmet so it stayed on his head.

“I thought you were a racing driver?” Max asked ‘confused’.

“Racing drivers can’t fly Maxy!” Little Daniel squealed.

“Well I guess since you are an astronaut now, you don’t need a racing driver suit, I think.” Max shrugged, as Little Daniel gasped loudly.

“A racing suit? For me?” He bounced into a sitting position, wide eyes and tiny nose visible through the open visor. 

“For you!” Max presented the navy red bull kid sized replica race suit.

“Can I wear it?” Little Daniel gasped, his leg started bouncing excitedly.

“Of course. Let's put it on.” 

Little Daniel bounded off the bed in an excited whirlwind. Getting the race suit on was a comedic montage because Little Daniel refused to take off Max’s helmet and he giggled every time Max’s head hit it.

Soon though, the little excited body was running around the room in the just a smidge too big overalls. The sleeves bunched on his wiry arms and the legs were bunched a little at his ankles but he didn’t seem to care as he was vibrating out of his little body with energy.

He looked in the mirror once before running around the room like a maniac. 

“I look so cool!!!” Little Daniel screeched before running out of the room making car zooming noises. Max chuckled and grabbed his phone, he figured Grace would appreciate a video or two.

[celestie0]

hi, love! how are you today? are you doing well? is work treating you good?

i hope you are doing well! flowers 💐 for my favourite girlie ✨

also have you got any tips for new writers? like i’ve been tryna write this fanfic but i cannot really understand how to keep it flowing without forcing it out, and i’m hoping you can help us out. its absolutely fine if you’re busy or cannot for any reason. no pressure truly🥹

🫶💌

hellooo i’m doing well thank you 🥺💕 work is well i just got home, its rainy where i live so i made some hot cocoa and im just in bed now. i hope you’re feeling better i know you said you were sick <3 🌤️🌤️ some sunshine for you!

ohhh to be asked for writers tips is so flattering! i tried to think of my top few, and i have them below the read line :”) hope they help in some way and if you do end up posting your works don’t hesitate to tag me i would love to read them <3

my writing tips ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

dialogue. this one is toughhh bc i feel like a lot can ride on dialogue. my biggest tip for dialogue would be to just write all of your dialogue for a scene completely stripped down. none of the “he says” & “she says” or action verbs inbetween, just write it all out like it was a simple text convo w quotation marks. that way the words will sound realistic because you’re only picturing a convo in your head, rather than also trying to juggle all the descriptive prose. after you’ve got the dialogue, then you can go back in to fluff things up. if it’s meant to be comedic or a fast-paced argument, i think keeping it relatively stripped down is the way to go, but if it’s something intense or suspenseful then fluffing it up may be the better choice. also, i find dialogue becomes easier the more you write for a specific character, so if it’s not flowing right away, don’t worry!! their words will find you eventually once you get to know the character better :)

on choosing conflicts. this can be harddd because sometimes you just want the story to exist in happy land haha. but just like you said so beautifully in the sweet kickoff ch8 review you gave me, characters won’t always act perfect, but i think a great way to make conflict seem realistic is for them to act in character but with flaws, rather than just randomly out of character with flaws. maybe make a list of what that character’s good qualities and how those qualities could also work against them, and use the latter to brainstorm realistic conflict that those qualities could put them in (ex: a character is self-sufficient, but that causes them to rely on ppl less when they need it -> they fail to reach out for help in timely manners and leads to mistakes/regrets)

pacing. the biggessstt most important thing in my opinion for writing i believe is nailing the pacing. especially for fanfiction where people may be more interested in specific niche scenes rather than all of the stuff built around it. when starting off a story, don’t be afraid to just jump straight into it! or jump straight into the dialogue and then build the scene gradually as it progresses, rather than [gigantic block of text in beginning of scene that reader must drag their eyes through] and then get to the dialogue (im sooo bad w this myself lmao i fluff things up too much). in a world where attention spans are decreasing (rip), a lot of the times less is more. make sure the pacing fits the scene (romantic -> longer paragraphs more focused on subtle details, comical -> short paragraphs w simple n relatable diction, etc)

creating characters. with fanfiction this can be easy since you already have fleshed out characters from shows/books to work off of, but a good way to characterize is to just include little details that give them personality! not only is it a way to allow the reader to resonate with the character, but also it gives other characters in the story an opportunity to notice those lil quirks and create bonds over them as well. i just picture my friends or family in my head, the things i love about them, and incorporate it (i know nothing about film photography but my friend is a film major n thats where i got the idea for mc in kickoff)

for tone and mood. i think to get words flowing for different scenes, it can be really useful to get into the environment of those scenes while you’re writing, such as listening to a song that fits the vibe of the scene prior to/during writing (i blasted tgif by katy perry while writing the party scenes in ch6 of kickoff lol), or if its a scene at night, write it w the lights off, or watch a youtube vid w scenery that matches. may sound silly, but it could help! if i write something angsty in a really bright sunshine environment it’s hard for me to get the words

read more. this is sort of a miscellaneous one but a good way to subconsciously get better at writing is to just read more! your brain kinda learns how to write on its own when you read. also, when i’m reading, if i see words i really like i jot them down in my notes app so i have my own lil vocabulary of words that i know i would like to use in my writing

on writing insecurities. be proud of your writing!! your first draft does NOT have to be perfect. some days the words will flow, but on some they won’t, and that’s okay. don’t get too into your head about “i wonder what readers will think of this plot point or this character action” etc, i think having faith in your own process but also in your readers will bring you a lot of peace as you write :) create what you want to create and the rest will follow!! when i first started posting kickoff i was overthinking sooo many things that ended up being received just fine by readers in the end, so just stick to your plan 🫶🏼💕

use chatgpt. looool ai can be useful in writing too! i usually only use it after i'm completed with a draft, and i just plug select paragraphs into it to see if it can come up with some better words for me to use. it's also useful to come up with logistical details for aspects of your stories for world-building etc (no clue anything ab professional collegiate soccer games i've never been to one but i used chatgpt to come up with the scenes)

woooow i wrote way more than i thought i would haha but i hope this helps!! ive never given tips before so idk if these only make sense to me 💀 but hopefully they can be applied to what you’re looking to write as well :)

[violetskies65]

The Boondocks & Cultural Relevance

Well, Aqua Teen Hunger Force got old.

I needed something new, or something bingeworthy. Unlike most people, I pretty much binge anything with little to no actual regards for plot development and continuity. I have been working a lot, and just relaxing and going to bed at night to various adult animation blocks & adult swim shows.

I was then woken up at 6am by Robert "Grand-dad" Freeman yelling and berating the beloved Riley.

Well, I gotta say, I have enjoyed my time spent watching The Boondocks, and it's view on pop culture and version of events. Some plot lines themselves can be "dated", but actually still hold true and remain valid to modern issues, especially those plaguing the black community. A community in which my white ass is not apart of.

Nevertheless, most if not all jokes land to me. But that is just me, someone who grew up in a painfully extremely white area, who has had to learn about true racial issues via the internet, because I mean, we know how modern school glosses over them. With this being said, both the Boondocks comic strip and cartoon have solidified a place in black entertainment, and I feel as a show it goes further than others in using it's voice to rain concern about cultural concepts and issues. I mean, there was a whole episode surrounding the CEO of B.E.T, and how it is affecting black youth in America.

The Boondocks also parallels a lot with the real world, in a comedic fashion. One episode even referenced famed southern racist singer, Johnny Rebel, as "Jimmy Rebel", in which he teams up with Ruckus. I mean upon further research you could just see that even though the plot is just an outlandish "ruckus is a self hating racist" plotline, it ties back into our sad reality and past with racism, as at one point, a spiteful human being.

On a lighter note, we also have episodes within The Boondocks that are direct ties to figures such as Tyler Perry, Barack Obama, & Oprah. But really, it is a must watch, and there is more to the series other than "Well, Well, Well".... iykyk

[aarcanechaoss]

Hey ;)

Can you do a headcanon with the BC characters and their so says their safeword

Characters - Zora , Nozel , Jack

👀 are you the same person??? Or is this a hilarious coincidence? -> Anyway off we go … I’m saying they got overstimulated because I don’t want anyone getting hurt okay

Zora Ideale

You have never seen this man freeze so fast, the second that word left your lips. He knew that having a safe word was necessary and he always thought he was careful but he still stayed frozen above you, waiting for you to say something else. The panic leaves when you say you were just overstimulated and that he hadn’t hurt you… because he’d rather die than do that.

Nozel Silva

He has trust issues with himself, the second you say the safe word he is out of you and on the other side of the bed. It’s almost comical… if he wasn’t genuinely afraid that he’d hurt you. However once he realised you were just overstimulated slowly creeped forward and pressed kisses to your face to help you feel better.

Jack the Ripper

Panic. Just straight panic from head to toe, he’s no longer in the mood for anything but giving you cuddles and saying he loves you over and over again. Gets you a glass of water and helps to clean you up almost immediately once you both calm down. Then you both cuddle until you fall asleep.

Osamu Dazai

He pauses and scans you over, checking to see if he had hurt you in any way. He even has a mental checklist of everything you’d both just done before moving away to help clean you up. Your comfort was his priority after all.

Ranpo Edogawa

He had no idea what to do. How do you respond, what do you ask? For being the smartest person in the agency he really didn’t have great people skills. (He does have good tongue skills though… sorry) He immediately stills and just lays there with you until you are able to calm down, he hasn’t left you at all during this- still being quite comfortable in there.

Edgar Allen Poe

You think Nozel panicking is comedic wait till you see Poe. He’s somehow managed to fall out of the bed in his panic at the word. He’s on the floor apologising and asking what you need. It makes you laugh actually which is good too before sleepily asking him to help clean you up and cuddle for a bit. Then you can talk.

Chuuya Nakahara

He goes from king of the sheets to the most precious man ever as he gently moves away to help clean you up. He goes so far as to set a bath for you with a glass of water and your favourite snack. He also gives you a million kisses as he helps you relax. Man loves you big time

[kusuguricafe]

Cloud 9 - Squealing Santa 2K22

A/N: Surprise surprise, @writingwitharlo! I'm your squealing santa this year!! I hope you're having a very happy holiday season and enjoy your gift ❤️💙

I was listening to my renga playlist as I was writing this and the second I finished, the palm tree song started playing. There truly couldn't have been better comedic timing.

Summary: Langa takes Reki on a snowboarding trip! After a long day of teaching Reki the slopes (like, ropes? get it?), the two go back to their log cabin to unwind. Reki's a little upset he's not getting the hang of it as quickly as when he taught Langa how to skateboard, but Langa finds a way to cheer him up!

Semi-inspired by this adorable renga comic

Word Count: ~1.2K

Characters: lee!Langa, ler!Reki ❄️⚙️

“Argh! Itatataa…”

“Reki! Daijoubu??”

“Yeah…”

“Yokatta… I think that’s enough for today. Want to go back to the cabin? I can make you some hot chocolate.”

“Sure. Thanks, Langa.”

Langa offered his hand and Reki cautiously took it, doing his best to stabilize himself as he attempted to stand back up. It’s so much easier to get up after wiping out on a skateboard—the damn thing isn’t stuck on your feet! He almost made it up, when the snowboard suddenly slipped out from under him, dragging them both back down. Langa landed firmly on top of Reki, knocking the wind out of the latter.

Langa chuckled and rolled off of Reki onto the packed snow. Reki didn’t move for a minute or so, still trying to catch his breath.

“S-sorry…” Reki managed to say.

“Don’t worry about it. You clearly got the rough end of that fall. Here, lemme help you take that off.”

Langa sat up and crawled over to Reki’s feet and removed the snowboard. Langa offered his hand once more and Reki reluctantly took it, avoiding eye contact.

“C’mon, let’s head back. I’ll carry this for you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Okay.”

Langa held the snowboard under his left arm and grabbed Reki’s left hand with his right. Reki was looking down at the snow, dejectedly. Langa gently pulled him along, back towards the cabin.

Once they arrived, Reki plopped himself down onto the couch and began taking off some of his heavier winter gear. Langa put the snowboard down, took off his boots and his jacket. Then, he went straight to the kitchen and started making some hot chocolate for Reki, just how he likes it.

After it was done, he went back to the living room to see a moping Reki. He sighed to himself, then walked over and placed the cute snowman mug full of hot chocolate on the coffee table in front of him.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Langa took a seat across from him. The two sat in silence for a couple minutes, Reki occasionally taking a sip.

“You did a great job out there,” Langa broke the silence. “Much improved from yesterday.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You did! You only wiped out like twenty times instead of thirty!”

“I don’t need your sympathy. I know I suck.”

Langa paused. He never really knew what to do when Reki got like this.

“You don’t suck.”

“I do.”

“You really don—”

“Just drop it, okay? I don’t want to hear it.” Reki finally looked up just in time to see Langa’s countenance change from encouraging to mildly hurt. Oops.

“O-oh, I mean, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine. I get it.”

Now it was Reki’s turn to panic. Overwhelmed with emotion, he stood up and said, “I. Just give me a minute. I’m gonna go change.”

“Okay.”

Reki went to leave, came to a halt about halfway to the bedroom, turned back around, and went back to pick up his hot chocolate. Langa saw the mug disappear out of the corner of his eye. He smiled.

A few minutes later, Langa knocked on the bedroom door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

Langa gingerly entered the bedroom. He saw Reki sitting on the bed in sweats, scrolling on his phone. Langa walked over and sat down next to him. Reki glanced in his direction, but that was all.

Langa started again, “You know, learning to skateboard after already knowing how to snowboard is like learning to drive a car after already knowing how to drive a semi truck. This is much more difficult.”

“Really?” Reki looked up from his phone in Langa’s direction.

“Yeah. Turning a snowboard requires very specific muscle control. It’s not intuitive at all.”

“That makes sense. I just thought I’d be able to get the hang of it faster. I guess it’s a lot harder than I thought.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Langa said, gently nudging Reki’s side with his elbow.

“EEK!” Reki squeaked, dropping his phone onto the bed.

“Oh! I’m sorry! Did I hit a bruise or something?”

“N-no, s’not that.” Reki looked away again.

“Hey! Stop doing that. I want to see your pretty eyes.” Langa grabbed Reki’s chin and pulled it towards him. Said pretty eyes widened in surprise.

“So what’s up?”

“It’s nothing,” Reki pouted.

Langa laughed. “You’re adorable, you know. Even when you’re repeatedly face planting in the snow.”

“L-Langa!”

“I’ve been so much happier after meeting you. You’re just the light I needed in my life.” Langa continued, still squishing Reki’s now bright red cheeks in his hand.

“Hah? Where is this coming from??”

“Just thinking out loud. Being around you is like having a little sun in my pocket. You’re so important to me. I, I lov—”

“STOP! P-please stop, I can’t take this,” Reki covered his eyes with his forearm.

“What did I just say about hiding your beautiful amber eyes from me!?”

Reki lowered his arm and began frantically looking around anywhere but Langa’s gaze. “I’m sorry!! I’m sorry, you were just looking at me so, so…!”

Langa interrupted him with a chaste kiss. He let go of his cheeks.

Reki gaped at him. Reki.exe has stopped working.

“Reki? Reki??” Langa waved his hand in front of Reki’s face. No reaction. He shook his shoulders gently. Reki blinked, closed his mouth, and shook his head.

“Wha… did you… did you just…?”

“Y-yeah, I hope that was okahAHAHAHAY!!”

Reki suddenly pounced, digging his fingers into Langa’s sides.

“Ahahahahaha! Reheheheki!! Whyhyhy!?”

Reki was blushing like mad. “You can’t just do that out of nowhere!!”

“Wh-why are you—AHAhahahaha nohohooo!”

Reki was digging into Langa’s tummy now. He quickly realized this was not helping his blush go down. Since when was Langa this ticklish?

“R-Reheheki! Pleheheeease wHA *snort* HAHAHA *snort* NAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!”

Reki had begun drilling his thumbs into Langa’s hip bones.

“I-I’ve never heard you snort before!”

“Shuhuhut AHAha uhUHUP! S-stahahahahap!” Langa was blushing now, too.

“Where else are you ticklish? Here?” Reki squeezed the tops of Langa’s thighs experimentally.

“OHO MY GOHOHOHOD! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOO! NonONONO NOT THAHAAAAA!!”

Langa practically screeched as Reki reached the spot right above his knees. Reki reddened impossibly deeper at that. He let up.

“A-are you alright?”

“Yeheheeyeaha. Th-that’s just a really bad spot.”

“Are there worse!?”

Langa covered his face with his hands.

“There are??”

“Mahaybe…”

Seizing the opportunity, Reki reached up into Langa’s underarms.

“AAAAAAAAAHHAHAHA WAITWAITWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAIT!!!”

“No way, did I actually find it?”

“YEHEHEHEHEHEHES!! REHEHEKI PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!” Langa screamed, yanking his arms back down in an attempt to protect himself. This, of course, revealed his bright pink face and tear stained cheeks.

Reki continued for a little while longer until Langa began pounding the bed with his fist, his laughter going silent. Langa laid there panting with his eyes closed. Reki leaned down and kissed him back.

Langa’s eyes shot back open, just in time to see Reki beaming down at him. Langa smiled back.

“...Sorry for making you worried earlier.” Reki said.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re okay now.”

Reki reached out his hand, which Langa gratefully took. He flung himself back up and wrapped his arms around Reki.

“I love you.”

“I… I love you too.”

[teslacoils-and-hubris]

best part(s) about tf2?

Well firstly it's a very good game to get into very silly hijinks! Tons of comedic potential from a game that has both taunts and killbinds and blowing people into little pieces that stick around for a while

But for me the big thing is the characters. Both in design and general execution they're so well developed and unique and interesting that I struggle to come up with something to compare it too. (Homestuck comes to mind as far as each character being so unique and well developed personality wise, but I still think tf2 wins out there personally)

Like. You take literally any character and pretty much just by looking at them you know what you get. Which makes sense since their design team had to make each class recognizable from silhouette and fast paced game play. Medic Looks like a crazy doctor, soldier looks like well.. a Solider lol but they have such big distinct personalities that it's really to latch onto them. You put Any of these guys in a scenario and Stuff is GOING to happen as a result you know? Even just in game stuff like cosmetics and voice lines add so much to the characters outside the comics (which I only mention cause most tumblr fans don't actually play the game but enjoy the comics lol) and they didn't just give this treatment to the dudes! Pauling and admin and zhanna all have such big fantastic personalities and absolutely none of them are reduced to the Woman Character you know?

I guess to sum it all up my favorite part about tf2 is how all the characters could very well be real people. From design to personality they're just... people you know? They aren't perfect and they're silly and often over the top because tf2 is at its heart a comedysilly game, but they feel just so real. Scout is an annoying self obsessed loser but he also draws and is willing to admit his flaws when he genuinely needs help (expedition date). Heavy is a big emotionless Russian who isn't great with English, but he has a degree in Russian literature and also names his guns and has beds for them. Engineer seems like the normal polite texas but his go to solution is 'add more gun' and he cut off his own hand to replace it with a robotic hand his grandpa invented. Pauling works 364 days a year pitting two sides of a war against eachother for reasons she doesn't really understand and she likes to go to gun shows when she can. Idk they're all just really strongly realized characters and that really draws people in

[bokubear]

hq boys “teaching” you how to kiss

feat. atsumu miya + ushijima wakatoshi + suna rintarou + akaashi keiji

warnings ; kissing ? explainable

notes ; toshi’s big hands aaaa

+ATSUMU never imagined himself to have you sitting in his lap, wrapped around his finger so languidly. well, that is what his kind took this situation as, while you on the other hand wanted to get this memorable lesson over with. especially because of his insistent teasing. “you really came to me ? it must mean because i’m pretty good huh.” and that quirk of his thick brows, irritating to an incurable degree. “no. you’re just my boyfriend, it’d be wrong if i did it with anyone else.” his face turned flat. “oh right.” then lighting up, he beckoned you closer. “so just kiss ? like you said ?” you muttered, narrowing your eyes at his lips. “mhmm, ill guide you from there.” — “alright.” and so you did, till you both became a frantic mess of breath, well, until he was satisfied.

+USHIJIMA throughout his life was characterized as extremely strong of powerful. to you this never seemed to get old, thanks to the difference of how he was with you. and don’t get me wrong, he was still extremely powerful and strong. but maybe the way he would caress you skin, ushering you to close your eyes when you fell asleep each night, like some sort of rare porcelain doll. comedic almost, but adorable. “you want me to teach you how to kiss ?” you nodded your head fervently, patting the stool on front of you which the ace heftily became seated upon. “i can’t say i’ll be any better than you but i can try.” large, stable fingertips grasping you waist. the way he kissed reminded you of a frank sinatra song, fly me to the moon was it ? like honey or syrup dripping off each syllable he spoke. enchanting.

+SUNA could not be more smug about this ordeal. he was quick to oblige, eagerly scooting to hop into bed with you. all curled up like a spoiled tabby cat. “but i have one condition-“nah nah. conditions are no fun, who needs requirements anyways, let’s just make out.” you groaned, rubbing your temples. “thats the thing, i need you to teach me.” his lips parted momentarily, only to close with thought. “ah.. alright then, just close your eyes and go with the flow until you get it, let me take the lead.” like usual occasions, a heated make-out pursued, but suna kept his promise with ‘leading’ you. pointing out mistakes and things that he found unnecessary to make the event more enjoyable to the both of you. smirking so proud when he separated to find you out of breath. i mean you looked so cute, how could he not love it ?

+AKAASHI had his eyes trained upon the pages of “the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde” by robert louis stevenson, apparently entranced by the ‘late night’ chapter he’d been droning on and on about while cooking with you. “hey keiji, could you teach me how to kiss ?” touching your lips with a finger, you quickly became amused at his dark eyebrows lifting comically up to his forehead, face flushing just like it has many times before. “you-me-teach to kiss ?” he stammered, giving you the ‘is this a joke ?’ by akaashi keiji look ( he definitely rocked that look ). “yes, unless you don’t want to.” you clicked your tongue plopping down beside him. “i mean .. yes. i don’t mind, it’s just kind of unexpected.” a smile pulled at his lips, holding a fond look at you. “now come here, ill be gentle i promise.” featherlight touches and words of praise ricocheted through you, sending you into the clouds. he’s something else.

-maak

plagiarism, repost, and editing is prohibited

[cococookiedraws]

We all know where Nathalie's loyalties really lie.

The Agrestes: [Master List]

[First] | [Previous] | Here: Ep. 13 | [Next]

Ko-Fi

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Series description: What if Cat Noir, Hawk Moth and Mayura knew each other’s secret identities? This comedic comic series explores the shenanigans they would go through.

—

(Alternate Text under the cut)

[Alternate text for screen reader: The Agrestes Episode 13. A miraculous comic series by Coco Cookie Draws. Updates every Thursday. Frame 1. Adrien sits up in his bed, his hair messy. His pillow says number one Ladyfan. “I need a midnight snack,” he says. He’s wearing ladybug spot pajamas. Plagg sleeps on his pillow that says heart camembert, and holds cheese as he sleeps. Frame 2. Adrien brings a glass of chocolate milk to the table. Gabriel is already sitting at the table with a glass of wines. Frame 3. Adrien sits down. Nathalie walks into the room, to the surprise of Gabriel and Adrien. Frame 4. Nathalie looks dead tired as she pours a cup of coffee. Adrien claps, looking really happy as he notices Nathalie’s Cat Noir pajama top. Gabriel takes a sip of his wine and says “traitor” under his breath. End of text.]

[jimilter]

riptide (m) | k.sj. | (1/2)

one | two

pairing:  kim seokjin x reader

rating:  m (18+)

genre:  angst | smut | established relationship!au

summary:  It takes a foolishly trivial incident to unravel how astonishingly little you and Seokjin actually understand each other. It has you questioning your relationship, and him? Well, he’s questioning his whole life.

warnings:  swearing + implied alcohol consumption + realistic relationship problems + mentions of insecurities, jealousy, complicated mental dispositions + emotional distress + sexual situations (unprotected penetrative sex, dirty talking, a bit of manhandling, fingering) + mentions of masturbation + a ton of miscommunication (refer to the summary smh)

word count: 12.3 k

note:  it’s FINALLY done, y’all! came up to be a monster of 25k words, so i decided to split it into two. i’ll drop the other part next week. this took a lot more time, energy and re-writing than i’d thought it would. i began writing this in january - it’s been five excruciating months! 😩 i really hope y'all will like this one~ 🥺💜

💟 YOUTH – 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

— masterlist

— feedback is always appreciated!

riptide (n) – a dangerous area of strongly moving water in the sea, where two or more currents meet.

Lady, running down to the riptide - Taken away to the dark side - I wanna be your left hand man.

The turn of events has been so fucking hilariously impossible that Seokjin has literally been rendered speechless. Which doesn't happen often, mind you. What can he do, he is just extremely witty—he always has something to say about everything, usually and preferably with impeccable comic timing. Especially when it comes to you. 

This, though. This completely baffling scenario, right in front of him, has him gaping like a goldfish with no words to say.

"Final call, Jin. Gawk at me for five more seconds and I walk out of here," you threaten, an elegant arm poised at your waist and gorgeously plump lips pressed into a thin line. "Say something?"

And Seokjin still cannot formulate a single word, because what the actual fuck? How can you even think that he could ever— 

"Alright." You catwalk out of his bedroom, leaving him blinking into space.

He jumps the next second, leaping after you. "Honey! How would—what—I can never—why do I even have to say—will you wait? You’re being so ridiculous, right now, I hope you know that!"

If he wasn't in such a fix, Seokjin would physically cringe at his speech. It was better when he was just gaping.

“Honey! Stop being so overdramatic, you’ve known me and you’ve known Jimin! For years! Stop acting like you seriously don’t know what happened, here!”

You don't stop, though, gliding down the stairs and hopping over the haphazardly tossed items in the living room as you exit out of the house.

And then you're gone. You're really gone, over something so fucking ridiculous, that Seokjin still has no words to say.

All he knows is that his girlfriend of five years has finally gone crazy enough to jump to conclusions of such high magnitude of stupidity.

And, that Park Jimin is a dead man.

It all begins on an unsuspecting Sunday morning, when the entire house is smelling of weed, stale booze and some worse fluids. 

Last night, Seokjin vacated his own bedroom for the boys to smoke up in at Jimin's request, because that is the only well ventilated room of the house. He spent the night in Yoongi's room with earplugs in, dead to all the chaos in the house—as he often does on party nights—to catch up on his beauty sleep. He cannot afford any unbecoming dark circles or, God forbid, breakouts.

And no, that's not a comedic moment, he really does need his face looking perfect this week for reasons outside of personal gratification too, because he has a shoot on Tuesday. He especially took a leave from his part-time job at the Mexican restaurant downtown where his girlfriend, you, work full-time, on a Tuesday—saying goodbye to all the amazing tips always forwarded to the cooks on Taco Tuesday—for this. Nothing would mess up his face.

Not to mention that one very important audition for a very gigantic project he's been looking forward to. They're yet to announce the date, but it would be this very month. He hasn't really told you much about it, planning a huge surprise for later when—if, actually, but he prefers to be unrealistically optimistic in every situation possible—he bags the coveted position, at the end. He hasn't really decided upon much, other than a long drive and a picnic date to one of those grasslands on the city's outskirts that you love so much. Oh, and bringing up the prospect of moving in together in an apartment with just the two of you. 

He's pretty certain you must not remember him raving about the opportunity, because it has been months since he did that. He then proceeded to be covert about all the mini auditions and trainings he underwent to prepare for the final audition, and he is confident you have not connected the dots.

But that is all a discussion for later — he doesn't even know when he would be auditioning. 

The crux of the whole matter is that he needs to keep looking as flawless as he can until that audition happens.

So he has slept like a baby, last night, while the rest of his friends have partied, including two out of three of his housemates—Hoseok and Jimin—along with Taehyung and Taehyung's girl. Namjoon had foregone attendance in lieu of the Halloween party, next weekend, that he knows he would definitely be forced to attend because Hoseok is hosting. Yoongi, his third and final housemate, escaped the house altogether to spend a night of music-making with Jungkook in his dorm.

So, in the morning, when Seokjin is moving around his kitchen that seems to have been hit by a tornado, checking the fridge and mentally praying that his baggie of smoothie ingredients is still in good shape—a scream echoes around the house.

Seokjin freezes. That sounded a lot like…you.

Immediately alert, he runs out of the kitchen and into the drawing room. Hoseok is hanging upside down on one of the couches, something that looks a lot like undigested white sauce pasta puddles on the ground, inches from his new, fiery red hair. Seokjin grimaces.

"Kim Seokjin!" your screech tears the silence.

Seokjin twists on his heels, looking up in the direction of his bedroom. It really is you. And you're in his bedroom—the room he did not occupy last night.

God only knows what kind of a scene you have walked in on. He hopes these idiots didn’t have an orgy up there, although he really can’t put it past them.

Not waiting another second, Seokjin rushes up the stairs and pushes through the doors to his bedroom. His mouth falls open on an audible gasp.

You stand next to his bed, dressed up elegantly in a navy dress that ends above your knees—which makes him wonder if you are here for an impromptu breakfast date—with one hand clutching his duvet that has uncovered what looks like…

…a head of long, dirty blonde hair.

Who the fuck?

In his bed?

"Hey, Honey!" Seokjin's voice is a squeak. "You… you here for a date?" he manages out of a suddenly parched throat.

You roll your eyes. "Uh huh. A fact you would've known if you looked at the texts I sent you last night." Your eyes are narrow at him. "This explains why you didn't, though. Busy night, Jin?" 

He balks at your words, at a loss. How could you even think it was him, when you know all about Park Jimin and his escapades?! 

Seokjin's blood boils. Fucking Jimin. There is going to be blood on Seokjin’s hands. 

In the midst of it, the blonde head shifts. 

Soon after, as you two watch, a pair of brown eyes with smudged makeup emerge from inside Seokjin's bed—and the audacity?! There’s makeup all over his covers! Jimin will pay for the dry cleaning. The face is followed by a whole, tiny woman of five-something feet who is, thankfully, covered in a shirt.

Seokjin is almost not breathing when the blonde starts to give him a dreamy smile, his gaze switching between her and you. And it’s extremely stupid, because he hasn’t seen this woman before, ever, in his entire life. But he catches the way your arms fall to your sides and those elegant, dainty fingers of yours ball up into fists as you look at the blondie’s face.

Fortunately, the girl recognises him at last before her grin could turn fully dopey, and with a squeak, jumps out of the bed. “You’re not—um. Hi. Sorry, I, uh. I’ll get going.”

And surprisingly, she does exactly that in less than a minute, leaving you to stare down at Seokjin.

“You know, it’s really unbecoming for a girlfriend to keep finding girls in her boyfriend’s bed every other week and not be given an explanation, ever.” Your tone is teasing, but your eyes are taunting. “You shouldn’t always be so dismissive, you know? What if I start getting ideas? I don’t think you even remember how to make up with your girlfriend, at this point, because I never fight.”

That is when Seokjin starts gawking. And literally doesn’t stop until you’ve left the house.

“I don’t get it,” Jackson says, stuffing cold noodles into his mouth and chewing on them without closing it. “Do you think he cheated on you, or do you not think he cheated on you?”

You look at your best friend with your face twisted up in disgust. You swear to God you would never have agreed to make friends with this guy on your mother’s insistence when the Wang family moved in next doors to you, had you known he’d turn out to be such a barbarian a decade later. Twelve-year-old Jackson had been such a decent kid—studious, elegant, well-mannered. What went wrong, along the way?

You exhale, shifting on your chair, very wary of any dried up fluids that you might come in contact with. “I know he did not cheat on me, Jax, the very notion is completely ridiculous.”

Jackson stops chewing and looks away from the WWE match playing on the TV to squint at you. “I’m…confused? Wait. What is the problem, then? What are you mad at him for?”

To be completely honest, you aren’t quite certain yourself.

But you do know that you don’t feel good. And that this feeling has been building up over a couple months, but you have only really acknowledged it head-on, today, in all five-something years of your relationship. Five years, seven months and eight days, to be exact, but that’s kinda besides the point.

You’ve had at least a few months’ worth of buildup that has gotten you to this point, you would admit. Especially after Seokjin had to cancel that visit to your hometown at the end of June, for your parents’ thirty-fifth wedding anniversary celebration because he had an important audition for a big-brand ad film. The cancellation was acceptable, but his offhand comment that, “thirty-five isn’t even that special, we’ll get them a huge gift for their fiftieth,” stayed with you longer than it should’ve. Things got okay-ish when you reminded yourself how Seokjin never really thought too hard about things he said, always being a humorous, unattached clown in every situation. But this morning's dismissal has pushed you over that edge. You straightaway goaded him, claiming he doesn’t remember how to make it up to you, and all you got in response was his shock and being called “ridiculous” and “overdramatic.” Fun.

You were most certainly joking, if a bit caustically, when you said what you did. He could have taken it as a joke and laughed it off. He could have taken it as a threat and comforted you, said it was Jimin that used his room, and maybe kissed you. You already knew what had happened when you saw the girl, anyway. But this was probably the third time this situation had happened, this month. 

Sure, you are understanding and really do know Jimin and what all he gets up to, but is that really supposed to be such a given? Asking your boyfriend to hug you close and kiss your forehead when you discover a girl in his bed just as you were about to cuddle the lump of sheets thinking it was him, is not too much to expect, is it?

Granted, Seokjin has never been extremely expressive, but still. It feels like he’s consciously trying to keep you at a distance, these past few months.

You don’t have the complete grasp of the storm of thoughts in your head yet, but you want to try and explain it to Jackson the best you can. 

“It was about respect, in a way, I guess,” you quietly mumble, and Jackson turns the TV off, now sitting cross legged on the couch to face your chair. He puts away his takeout container to frown at you, probably gleaning how serious this is for you. “He stood there, without saying a single word, expecting me to stop being mad. Almost willing me to stop being mad by making these big, incredulous eyes at me. Like it was that horrible of his girlfriend to demand for an explanation when she found a girl in his bedroom. It was just the two of us, I wasn’t making a scene in front of anybody. He just—ugh! He could’ve simply asked me to not be mad, said it was Jimin who spent the night in the room and maybe even laughed about it, or plotted Jimin’s murder—I would’ve joined in—but no. He acted like I was being stupid, told me not be ridiculous and dramatic. And that made me feel really stupid.”

Jackson winces. “And why do you think you were not being stupid?”

You exhale. “I wasn’t. Because I wasn’t actually accusing him of anything, and five years down the lane, he should know that now. I just wanted him to say it and not scold me when I tease-taunted him. He always expects me to know everything. And even though I always do, it gets tiring sometimes. These weird thoughts get to you — that maybe you’re being too understanding and he’s using that to his advantage, you know?” You look down at your lap, playing with your nails. “It’s just…um. I wanted him to coddle me, I guess. To treat this as something big because I was throwing a tantrum about it and, just, I don’t know—try to cajole me? Assuage me with his words, maybe? But he didn’t. Because he hasn’t done that in forever. Because I never need him to, because I always freaking understand everything!” A sob leaves you.

Jackson pats the place next to him. “C’mere, you dumdum, and stop hyperventilating,” he mumbles, hugging you to his side when you move to sit on the couch. “I don’t exactly understand how the relationship dynamics work, but from what you told me, I get that you wanted attention? Some loving? And instead you got disappointed looks because Jin expected you to be mature and rational about it — the way you always are — and that too with his fucking eyes and some low-key insult words? Is it something like that?”

Wow, Jackson really paraphrased all that amazingly. “Yes, actually. It’s exactly that.”

Jackson sighs. “Y’all have been together a long time, babe, so I guess it’s kind of a given that you’d get to a no-bullshit point. Which is why he hasn’t done that in forever, because y’all probably don’t need that kinda stuff between you anymore.”

“I get that, it’s how a relationship matures. But I’m pretty certain that it’s not supposed to make me feel like this,” you sound slightly muffled, having stuffed your face into Jackson’s hoodie-covered chest. “I feel—I feel like we got too comfortable and now he’s just started to take me for granted. And I also feel like I’m being too needy. Am I being needy and annoying? He’d hate me if I told him all this, won’t he? Half of the reason we’ve worked out so well is because we’re both career oriented and don’t waste time overthinking stupid shit.” You gasp. “Oh, no—would he leave me? He’s used to his girlfriend being mature, not needy—”

You are cut off when Jackson pulls you away by your shoulders, giving you a serious look. “Wait, wait, stop. What did you say? Not the needy part, you’re allowed to be needy once in all the damn three-sixty-five days y’all stay busy for. The…taking you for granted part. Pretty big of a thing to say, babe.”

You sigh. “We haven’t been on an actual date in months. Seokjin thinks there’s no need for that extra effort when we spend lunch breaks at work together, everyday. Outside of the restaurant, our meetings involve our entire flock of friends by default. It’s been three months since we slept together.” You sniff, hating having to impart such a private detail of your life. “So no, I don’t think it’s that big of a thing to say, at all.”

“Wow.” Jackson gives a slow whistle. “You’ve really been bottling up a lot in there, huh?”

You shrug. “I guess. It never made me feel underappreciated, though. Sure, I was irritated at some occasions and disappointed at others, but… Today I feel horrible, Jax.”

“Did you share anything with Byulyi?” he asks, referring to your flatmate and good friend since college.

You shake your head. “She already has a lot on her plate, right now. She got rejected by the photographer she wanted to intern with, so it’s back to freelancing for her.”

“Yeah, that must suck.” Jackson grimaces. Then he looks at you. “You need to take a break, hun. Sit back, today, and have tacos and beer with me. Reset your inner thoughts. Talk to Jin tomorrow. Although, I must say, it’s kinda depressing that you have to actually tell your boyfriend that he’s being a bad boyfriend. Isn’t that kind of shit supposed to be realized on your own?”

You purse your lips. “I guess, yeah. But…don’t say that he’s being a bad boyfriend, Jax. I don’t think he even realizes something is wrong.”

“And that…doesn’t make it worse?” At your raised eyebrows, he concedes with a roll of his eyes. “Fine, fine, in any case — maybe try to hint at it before you dive straight in with the kill? See if he reacts?”

“I don’t know, Jax. What if he doesn’t? He’s really not the best at taking hints and reading signs, or that kind of subtle stuff.”

“Then you can just say your shit. All I’m saying is, give him a chance to figure it out on his own. He’s probably really clueless why you reacted so big on something so small, this morning. If you drop hints, maybe he’ll feel it out.”

You nod, somewhat amazed at how sound Jackson’s advice seems. “How are you doing this, Jax? Being a love guru all of a sudden?”

Jackson scoffs. “I’m just tryna put myself in Seokjin’s shoes. If I was in the situation he’s in, this is what I’d like to happen — be given a window to figure out what’s wrong. You’ve been together a long time, hun. It really shouldn’t be that difficult for him.”

You shrug a shoulder. “I won’t be too sure about that. Why does it even matter if he can or cannot, though?”

Jackson seems to be mulling over something before he drops his chin to his chest. “Because you’re supposed to be partners, hun. If you can tell what’s up with him with a single glance, why can't he? Not being good at taking signs is not a good enough excuse. My gut says that he’d be able to, though. And that knowledge will make you feel infinitely better, trust me. It’ll be reassuring to learn that he really knows and understands you well, won’t it?”

You nod, slowly, but you still have your suspicions. Seokjin has just been the kind of guy whose emotional depth goes to a certain extent and then just — well, stops. There are things that he feels and realizes and sees, and there are things that he doesn’t. It isn’t even something he does, you believe. It’s just how he is. Certain feelings just don’t fall in his orbit. And you’ve never found there to be anything wrong with it when he’s been an immaculately amazing boyfriend and tended to every single one of your needs, always. Well, you have never actually needed emotional consoling, too, so you haven’t had the chance to audition him for that. You keep yourself too busy for all that unnecessary mental pressure. It comes as a surprise, but you have never cried on Seokjin’s shoulder in all these years of your togetherness. You’ve kept your head straight and chin up, even during your college exams. And so has Seokjin, because you’ve never seen him cry, either.

Lately, though, things have been kind of weird. The gradual transformation into your professional lives that began after college, has been drastic in the past few months. Seokjin has been constantly prioritizing his career over you, and you have been understanding about it because you agree with it — to an extent. Seokjin believes it all the way through, though, and you have known for a while that you would hit your limit at some point, and would try to bring him back to yourself. Today morning, it seems, you hit that limit. 

You felt dispensable. 

You hate this feeling.

To be very honest, you know you can get over this. You can give it some time, remind yourself of how much your Jin loves you, believe that he is eventually going to come back to you once he settles, and be understanding about the entire thing. 

You can — but you really don’t want to.

Something tells you that this feeling of getting too comfortable will only fester and take a worse form as time goes by. You can wait it out, sure, and hope you aren’t being a pushover as he works on building his career. You are building your career, too, after all, and at least some of it has been for each other. 

The thing is, your plans with Seokjin are long-term—marriage, kids, white-picket fence, and all that. And you believe that if you are sensing a problem now, you better deal with it now before it has the chance to change its form and affect you both when you are at a more responsible point in your life.

Mind made up, you look up at Jackson, immediately grimacing when he forwards a greasy hand to pick up a taco for you. “I don’t…I don’t like tacos. And may I exchange the beer for scotch?”

“You work at a Mexican restaurant, and you don’t like tacos,” Jackson deadpans.

“They mess up my skincare.”

“Oh, fuck off! Have a spinach smoothie with a drink, why don’t you?”

You purse your lips to hold back your laughter at his ire, your own worries forgotten in the moment as Jackson gets up to get you a glass of scotch and some healthier snacking alternative.

“You're a dead man.”

Jimin stops dead in his tracks, arms frozen in the act of putting a t-shirt on. He blinks at Seokjin with big round eyes. “Hyung?” he mumbles, a picture of unblemished innocence, especially when he covers his toned torso with the oversized t-shirt he was in the process of getting into. “What—what’d I do?”

Someone who doesn’t know better would never believe that this young, innocent, frazzled haired fairy-boy could ever do any wrong. But Seokjin knows better. “You chaotic womanizer,” Seokjin nearly hisses, "you've gotta learn to clean after yourself. Honey found a girl in my bed. A girl—in my bed.”

Jimin had the decency to drop the innocent act. “Oh. Oh.”

Seokjin raises a brow. “Oh? That’s it?”

"Yeah, well, I clarified to her that it was a one time thing when we got to it. She was obviously expecting something more if she didn't leave when I told her to. Disappointed but not surprised." Jimin is frowning when he comes to sit down on the couch next to Seokjin. “Sorry you two had to see that. You clarified to Honey noona that I’d been the occupant of the room, though, right?” 

“I—what?” Seokjin scoffs. “Why would I even need to do that? She knows that already, obviously. She’s been seeing you for over five years, or have you forgotten?”

Jimin squints. “I mean…okay, fair point, I guess. Why’re you so worked up, then? Did something else happen, too? Where’s she, now?” Jimin looks around the living room as if looking for you.

Seokjin sighs. “Well, I couldn't really get much out before she was storming out of the damn house, altogether.”

Jimin blinks. “Storming out? Why? She… um, was she mad?"

Seokjin opens his mouth – and then shuts it. Was she mad, indeed. "I don't know. She looked kinda mad, yes. But maybe she was in a hurry?" 

"Why would she be mad? Did you try to call her? Text her? It's unlike her to react so big on something so small." Jimin bites down on his lip, looking lost in thought. 

Seokjin shakes his head. "She didn't pick up or text back."

“There’s definitely got to be an underlying reason for her being like this. Are you sure you guys haven’t been fighting, hyung?” 

Seokjin sighs. “Yes, Jimin, I’m absolutely certain that there hasn’t been any fighting of any sorts between the two of us before today.” He pauses. “Well, she was slightly irritated that I didn’t check her texts last night, but she knows I go to bed at eleven on days leading up to a shoot, so that one’s on her.”

Jimin looks genuinely concerned, which, in turn, makes Seokjin concerned. Jimin isn't the type to stress over stuff if he can help it. Sure, he cares about the boys and would always be down to do whatever he can for them, but his throwing-caution-to-the-wind way of life causes him to not take most of the things in life seriously.

You’ve been like an older sister to the boys ever since Seokjin started dating you and introduced you to them. They all have their ways of showing their respect and affection to you. Well, maybe not Jungkook because he can’t get over getting unnecessarily intimidated by Seokjin enough to relax around you. 

Jimin, especially, always seems to be affected by any tension in Seokjin’s relationship. Everyone can see how it upsets his entire life when you two are fighting, although he’d never admit to it. He doesn’t need to, because it’s pretty obvious when he becomes a cranky six-year-old who hates the world. 

Right now, he has a guilty frown on his face. "I should've seen to it that Suzette left before I went to shower," he mumbles as if talking to himself. “Shouldn’t have trusted her to leave just because I told her to.” He looks up at Seokjin with troubled eyes. "I'm sorry, hyung."

Seokjin can not believe himself when he shakes his head at Jimin's apology—this little demon causes so much chaos in all their lives that any apology coming from him should be justified and welcome. But this one isn't really on him. "It's not entirely your fault."

Jimin's demeanor changes a bit and the attitude Seokjin is used to witnessing makes an appearance. "Right? That's what I was thinking, too!" Jimin exclaims, some of the concern on his face lifting. "You have to talk to Honey noona and make things right, though, hyung. She’s the only womanly touch in our man cave. We’d all be barbarians without her.” Jimin looks very wary and kind of nervous.

“It’s funny you would crave her ‘womanly’ presence when she’s rushed off because of a woman that you brought home.” Seokjin scrunches his nose. "And I said it isn't entirely on you, because it is partially on you, Park Jimin. You borrowed my room to smoke up in. Why couldn't you take your Suzy back to your own room?"

"Suzette," Jimin corrects under his breath while shaking his head. "Yeah, I should've, but… your room just felt like a better choice during the high," he finishes in a mumble, dragging a hand down his face. “Hyung,” Jimin says with a pout on his lips, “the last time you two fought was two years ago, remember? On your birthday? When Hobi hyung dumped cake in noona’s hair and she had her first shoot for that bigshot magazine, the next day?”

Seokjin nods with a sigh. “She yelled at me for having stupid friends, and I yelled at her for caring more about the shoot that having a good time on my birthday. Yes, I remember.”

“And then she didn’t visit us for a whole week. Please don’t let that happen, again.” Jimin looks up at Seokjin with big, round eyes. “I can’t take that kind of unrest in my life."

Seokjin briefly wonders, if Jimin’s nightly conquests were to see this side of him, would they run in the opposite direction or be more attracted to him? Jimin definitely needs someone in his life that would bring out this side in him and stay to provide him the emotional comfort he requires when he gets like this. 

“I will try not to, Jiminie, but…” Seokjin shuts his eyes. “I seriously do not understand her actions from the morning,” he finishes in a mumble.

“Maybe she’s—maybe she’s worried about something else? Some other aspect of her life?” Jimin suggests with wide eyes. “And she’s just projecting onto you.”

“As sound as the explanation is, I am literally involved in ninety percent of the aspects in her life,” Seokjin says with a twist to his lips. “I would know if something was wrong anywhere.”

“That’s cocky of you to say,” Jimin snarkily comments with narrowed eyes. At Seokjin’s raised eyebrows, he amends, “That’s cocky of you to say, hyung-nim.”

Seokjin scoffs, but then he shrugs his shoulders. “It’s true. We work at the same restaurant, we’re scouted by the same agency. Even her agent is best friends with mine—she gossips a ton about how Honey passes up so many opportunities and pisses her agent off. Her friends are, well—” Seokjin stops short when it hits him. “Wang. Wang could know something!”

Jimin is looking at him skeptically when Seokjin meets the younger’s eyes. “I just think you should have a simple talk with noona first before digging around.”

That is sensible advice. Seokjin nods as he pulls his phone out.

“Just find out what’s been troubling her, hyung. You two are rational people, I’m sure you’ll work it out.” Jimin pauses to scratch the back of his head. “Just please don’t let this be another fight like that one?”

“Don’t worry,” Seokjin finally says with a pat on Jimin’s shoulder as he finishes sending off another text to you, “this one is nothing like that fight.”

Turns out, this fight really is not like that one. Or any other fights Seokjin has ever had with you, in fact, because you’re giving him the silent treatment. 

You’ve never given him the silent treatment. 

Not even when you were students and didn’t have a load of time on your hands and used to waste precious sleep hours arguing over stupid shit that would probably resolve itself if you just slept on it and looked back at it with a fresh state of mind. Not even then did you forego talking.

Needless to say, Seokjin is distressed.

You drive to the house to pick him up at your usual time, the next morning, after not having responded to any of his calls or texts for the entire day. Seokjin is aghast as he gets into the car.

“Honey! What is going on? Why didn’t you—where have you been?”

You simply start the engine and take off. “Busy,” you murmur after a while.

Soekjin’s head is close to exploding. “Busy? Doing what?”

Your face remains stoic as you weave through the morning traffic. Seokjin looks at you. You’re dressed up in your waitressing outfit that consists of a shirt, skirt and tights, and being who you are, Seokjin can proudly say that you would stand out to be the most well dressed server in the field. You’re always pristine and tidy — no accidents happen to you at the job ever. No spillage of drinks or ketchups, no soiled hands being wiped down on your skirt. Nothing even ruins your manicure. 

It is something that Seokjin has always tried to keep up with, this cleanliness streak of yours. Because he has always assumed you would expect it out of him, too. You were attracted to the cover model version of him, after all. It is quite natural that you would have those kinds of expectations. And Seokjin has always been more than happy to deliver. It has become a part of him, in fact. He doesn't even chew with his mouth open even when he's among the boys, anymore.

It has, somewhat, made him practical and less emotional in life, too, but he doesn't really think of it as a bad thing. You have always been practical in life – the most ambitious girl he has ever met, someone that has always prioritized her career and goals over everything else. Seokjin has admired that since college, and has tried to show you that he has similar priorities even if he has had to work on thinking from his mind more than his heart.

But when you are already by his side, what does he even need his heart for, anymore, when it's already yours?

Now, looking at you sitting with a morose expression on your face as you give him the cold shoulder, Seokjin is just as much in love with you as he was when he first met you.

“Stuff,” you say with a shrug, after some extended silence. “You should know about that, right? Your schedule’s always busier than mine and I never complain.”

Your sharp words have him reeling. Whatever do you even mean by that? “Uhm, okay. Fair enough. But… did you really not have the time to respond to a single text?”

“It gets impossible sometimes, Jin, you know how it is.”

Seokjin frowns. He does know that, but he doesn’t feel okay. Something is very off with you. It is as if you’re saying something else and expecting him to discern a different meaning out of it. 

He doesn’t understand why, though. You, of all people, should know how terrible he is at decoding signs.

He sighs.

Seokjin, after his conversation with Jimin yesterday, had decided to ask you about the morning’s incident, head on, whenever you called him back. But you didn’t, and this is the first opportunity he’s had to talk to you, so he decides to bring it up, now. “What—what happened yesterday morning, babe? You got really mad and stormed off, and… I mean, you’ve got to know the girl had been Jimin’s companion for the night, right? You know him, how he is!”

You say nothing, hands tightening a bit on the steering wheel. Seokjin looks down at his own hands.

“You know I was only surprised at your words because we really do not have the time to be discussing silly things." He shuts his heart down when it tries to tell him to go soft. He knows it isn't something you would appreciate. "After five years, you know what I’m capable of right? You can never start getting ideas, because that would be insane and stupid. I’m already so supremely occupied as it is between two jobs, when would I even have the time to cheat, right?” he jokes, snorting to himself.

You’re still quiet, but your tongue comes out to moisten your lips. It is a nervous tick of yours which Seokjin recognizes very well, because with your skincare and scheduled regular application of lip balms, your lips never need the extra moisture.

He frowns. Was he too straightforward? But this is exactly how you communicate with him! “Hey, is everything okay, babe?”

You exhale, noisily. “Everything’s fine, Jin,” you finally say with a roll of your eyes. “And you’re right. I know you wouldn’t cheat. You don’t have the time to chat me up, how are you gonna pick someone new to impress, huh?” 

Your snort sounds lacking in humor, but Seokjin still gives a couple of stilted chuckles. Even so, he's still somewhat relieved. “Right. Just so we’re certain, that was a joke, right? I mean, it would be really ridiculous of you to think that I would—”

“Yes, Jin!” you cut him off with a deep frown. “If I wanted to talk to you about something, or accuse you, or confront you — I’d do that without you having to prompt me. Stop obsessing over yesterday and stop trying to explain yourself. I know it was Jimin’s doing.”

Seokjin feels immensely relaxed at the conviction with which you say the last sentence, certainly, but something is still off. “Why were you ignoring me, then?”

“I just didn’t have anything to say to you.” You stop at a red light, the last one before you reach the restaurant, and turn to look at Seokjin with really vacant eyes. He doesn’t like your stare one bit. “We’ve been together five years, babe. If neither of us have got anything of significance to say, I’d rather not text too much, if that’s okay with you? I’ve got a busy schedule to work around, too, you know?”

Seokjin wants to remind you that both of you had something of significance to say after you left his place in anger, but chooses to just roll with whatever you’re playing at. Maybe he's thinking too much. He nods. “Sounds alright to me.”

“Great,” you breathe out, somehow looking disappointed along with the preexisting sorrowful expression you had on your face.

You really do not have a concrete explanation for why you acted the way you did with Seokjin, this morning. 

You were supposed to hint at being mad, not blatantly try to give him a taste of his own medicine. It could turn out to be a good thing if he eventually starts to miss you and reaches out, sure, but playing mind games never feels right to you. But when he started to joke about not having time to cheat, and something just turned off in you. He really could’ve seriously reassured you of his love. That would’ve been actually comforting. But no. He chose to joke about that, too. You didn’t feel like putting in all that energy anymore, after that.

Now, you sit down in the break room to check your phone during your ten minutes’ rest break. A text message floats at the top of your notifications.

Jax 🚽 Hey How’d it go?

With an exhale, you decide to call him back. Your fingers are too tired to type, and Jackson is sure to launch off into a rampage of texts the moment you tell him you’ve tried to turn the tables on Seokjin.

Seokjin is in the kitchen, his usual rest break not being for another hour, so you don’t have to worry about him walking in.

“Hey!” Jackson jovially greets you as soon as he picks the phone. “Did you get my text?”

“I did, yes,” you respond in a calm voice. “I’ve been looping milkshake mugs through my fingers since eight am, they needed some rest, so I decided to call.”

“Yeah, no, it’s cool. I was in a really boring class, anyway. So. How'd it go?"

You pull in your lip between your teeth. "I… I kinda ended up telling him I am a busy person too and that we shouldn’t text that much."

You hear silence instead of the outburst you'd expected. 

"Jax?"

"Are you actually gonna try to play a mind game with the dumbest human being you know on earth?" Jackson so very eloquently asks, his interpretation making you pinch the bridge of your nose. “He’s never even gonna figure it out!”

“I know how it sounds, okay?” You exhale. “I honestly don’t know what came over me.”

“Okay, alright, one thing at a time. So, no coddling?"

"Not a single soft word. Just more expectations of me understanding, and claiming that anything but that would be stupid of me. He acts like I'm supposed to know everything about him and everyone in his group of friends," you mutter in irritation. “As if those dumbasses know the first thing about themselves.”

You realize you're being a bit harsh, because his friends – basically your younger brothers, at this point – are a bunch of clueless idiots that love, adore and respect you. You shouldn't be badmouthing them, Seokjin’s growing callousness towards you isn't their doing. It's his own. 

You sigh. You really miss how things used to be when you were in college.

“Uh, I think we need to rewind a bit. What happened? What triggered this?”

It makes you smile a little when Jackson asks that. At least your best knows you’re not wholly clinically insane. “Well… I drove him to work. He…" your brows lower at the recollection, "he was the first to bring up yesterday morning. And yet again, he gave me the same you've got to know this and that crap, and then he tried to assure me in the dumbest possible way. Do you know what he said, Jax, do you?”

“Um, do I wanna know?”

“He said, and I quote, he doesn’t have the time to cheat. Jackson Wang, are you hearing this? He really straight up said he was too busy to cheat on me and so I should rest assured! Who says that?!”

“He must’ve meant it as a joke—”

“Yeah, he said that, too, and then very immaculately added that it’d be ridiculous of me to think otherwise. I have lost count of how many times the words ridiculous and stupid came up.”

“Goddammit.”

“Goddammit is right,” you mumble, morosely resting your head on your palm.

“What did he say, by the way? When you told him to text less?”

You give a wry chuckle. "Well, he said it sounded alright to him."

"Son of a bitch. You – you two are messed up, man. Messed up bad. Why the hell can you not just say shit you really mean and actually want to instead of saying shit you don't? You don't wanna text less because you're busy, you want him to dote on you because you miss him!" Jackson sounds beyond frustrated. "And it doesn't fucking sound alright to him! It sounds scary, it sounds confusing, it sounds like something you would never say to him!" He groans. "But none of you would say that shit to each other! You’re choosing to be evasive and fucking plastic instead of honest, and falling deeper into your mess."

You reel from the onslaught of his harsh words, eyes widened and breath stuttering. Jackson isn't usually the type to pay so much attention to your relationship problems. But this time, you guess, he has garnered the depth of your unhappiness and thus has gotten so involved.

You realize he is right. Nothing good can come out of any turned tables, because Seokjin is, anyways, not even going to be able to work out the problem by himself. He may even go around talking to his friends about how you were being cold with him and not giving him any time, and still not realize he has been doing the same to you. He is thick like that. 

When his friends tell you tales of his compassion, you're unable to relate. You've never seen that side of him. He has probably grown up from that emotionally overwhelmed high school graduate who had made friends on a whim, the night of his graduation.

You certainly don't appreciate the emotional abstinence, though, and would very much rather prefer if he would open up a bit more. It would help you be more open with him, without fearing him calling you "stupid" in response.

But it’s still alright, you accept him with that thick brain of his, because he’s still only ever going to be the only one for you.

"How are you two gonna get around to having a proper chat if you just keep building more walls between you both?" Jackson asks after the long pause from your end, this time softer. “I’m sorry, babe, I was wrong. Giving him signs and making him realize shit won’t work. It was stupid of me to suggest that. It’s probably why you ended up being so caustic with him.

“No, no, it was all me, Jax. I could’ve chosen to not listen to you, but my ego got in the way, I guess. It’s not exactly easy, telling your boyfriend you’re feeling neglected. I mean, what if he laughs in my face and tells me I’m being paranoid? What if he thinks I have no regard for his career — or mine — because my priorities don’t align with his?” You bite your lip, shutting your eyes as your insecurities attack you.

“Hey, no. None of that is gonna happen if you really share with him what you’ve been feeling. No hints, no sarcasm, you’re gonna have to tell him point blank. Allow yourself to be raw. He’s the love of your life. You don’t have to protect yourself from him, right?”

You sigh. “Yeah, I know. You’re absolutely right, Jax. But I really have no idea how to even approach him, at this point. He’s either too busy with shoots, or with the guys, or some meeting. I cannot do this on call, because that always leads to misunderstandings.” You bite down on your lower lip, contemplating. “But I’ll figure something out.”

"Yes, you will. You always do. So, that’s good then. In the meanwhile, can you at least clean up this latest pile of poop? The talking less thingy is gonna make you two more distant, hun."

You scrunch your nose at his metaphor, but then your shoulders slump. "I don't know, Jackson. The way he so impassively agreed to it would make me sound really stupid if I take it back. And given what he keeps saying, he really doesn’t want me to sound stupid."

Jackson gives a snort at that. “Hah, funny. But listen. At the end of the day, he’s your boyfriend. You're gonna have to really decide if you're trying to get your boyfriend to give you more love, or if you're fighting a battle of egos and would like to bend him to you."

You bite your lip. “You make me sound manipulative.”

“You yourself confessed you let your ego come into this, one time. Don’t let that happen again. I’m trying to make you realize that complicated problems can have simple solutions, too. If only you’d communicate. Just talk to him soon, please, and make him understand why you’re hurt. Don’t carry on with this stupid cold war, okay? You gotta figure out exactly what you want, first.”

“You know what I want, Jax. You’re literally the only person that does, actually,” you remind him with a sigh.

“Oh, he is, isn’t he?”

You freeze, eyes bulging at the familiar voice. “I’ll… I’ll call you back,” you mumble before you disconnect the call and turn to look over your shoulder at Seokjin’s unreadable face. He stands with his arms crossed, still in his uniform but without the apron. “Jin… what—uh…”

“What am I doing here?” he scoffs, lips curling in distaste as he stares you down. “Well, I was going to the loo when I saw you sitting here. You looked upset, so I thought I’d check in on you on my way back.” He clicks his tongue, a dry chuckle tumbling out. “But apparently, you’ve got other people doing it for you, already.”

You wince, shutting your eyes. The one time he was finally going to give you some much needed attention — you sent a bad message his way. 

“So. Good to know there actually is someone who knows what you want. Would’ve been easier if it were me, though, given how I stand to be the one that is to deliver.” Seokjin sounds pissed off, and despite your irritation, you really want to make him understand.

You rub at your forehead. “Stop talking like that, Jin, it was just Jackson.”

“Wang?” He seems to seethe more, for some reason. “Of course, it’s fucking Wang!”

You frown, standing up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Seokjin looks at you incredulously. “You—do you not see how this looks? You have problems with me, Honey, but you choose to discuss them with him? Who’s he, your therapist?”

“He’s my best friend, Jin, someone I trust,” you grit out.

Seokjin seems to take it the wrong way, his agitated expressions slowly fading into a blank stare. “Oh. You trust him, as opposed to…” He trails off with a shrug, but the implication is as obvious as it can be.

“Jin—”

He raises a hand up, palm facing you as he looks away. “If you need some time apart, you should tell me in plain words. You know I’m not good at reading signs.”

Seokjin gives you a blank stare before turning around to leave the area. You stand rooted to your place, jaw dropped and eyes wide.

Some time apart? Has he lost his mind? 

He really is a huge freaking idiot who cannot pause to think what implications his words have. He seriously doesn’t recognize what all his “don’t be ridiculous/overdramatic/stupid” speeches do to you. You realize you should really make him understand. This has gone on for way too long.

But maybe you should take some time to yourself to cool off before that. You don’t want to say the wrong thing in your rage and complicate things further.

You sigh to yourself as you slump back into the bench you were sat on before.

You’d set out to tell your boyfriend you were feeling neglected, but you ended up making him think you want to be apart. How the heck did you get here?

You belatedly recall Jackson's words.

Why the hell can you not just say shit you really mean and actually want to instead of saying shit you don't?

You’re choosing to be evasive and fucking plastic instead of honest, and falling deeper into your mess.

Your usually dumbheaded best friend was right on this one, you realize. You should’ve just talked like a normal human being instead of letting Seokjin’s words get to you and get pissy in retaliation.

You give a weary sigh. 

Seokjin is grateful for the sudden busyness he’s got on his schedule, or he would explode from all the pent up frustration you have been causing him. 

He realized he wasn’t as upset with you as he was irritated, right after he walked away from you on Monday. He dropped you a text with some excuse of needing to stay back so that he wasn’t forced to ride with you in the car again, and later took the bus home. 

You had told Jackson Wang about what was troubling you, but not him. It made Seokjin feel upset, incompetent and more than a little insecure. Seokjin absolutely hates feeling insecure. Especially about you. You’re the singular most precious entity in his life — not that you are an entity, per se — and anything that seeks to threaten your position in his life or his position in yours, makes him lose his shit.

So it was understandable that he jumped to unfairly disproportionate magnitudes of conclusions that day. When he thought about it, later, he could easily tell that you are just mad at him and not actually contemplating leaving him, not even for a little while. Not that he’d just sit back and have you do that so easily.

Seokjin also hates overthinking, but that is all he did for the entirety of his Monday. 

Monday, though, was the last time he had time to overthink. Life got exponentially busier after that.

Immediately after his shoot on Tuesday, he received his agent’s call and was informed of his jam packed schedule for the remainder of the week. He was pulled into two separate magazine ad shoots on Wednesday, a perfume ad film drank up all of his Thursday, and today, a hair product ad film needed him to report to a sunrise point in the city at the ass-crack of dawn. The sky was still dark when he rode across the city with his agent at nearly four in the morning. 

And now, the afternoon sun beats down on his car as he drives back alone, his agent staying back to tend to some business. Stopping at a red light, he reaches for his spinach smoothie with one hand and his phone with the other. Ugh, he feels beyond tired.

Blearily, he looks down at the device around a yawn, fingers habitually reaching for your chat.

He took a week off from the restaurant and dropped you a text, late Tuesday evening, informing you of the same.

Honey✨❤👸 Hm, kay. Good luck x

Unsurprisingly, that stands to be your last message in his inbox. It’s been four days.

Sighing, he swipes a hand down his tired face and exits out of the message app. He went to bed at nine o’clock, last night, and owing to the way he has trained his body to sleep on command, he did manage to get a sleep of nearly six hours, too. But it was fitful and plagued with nightmares featuring you. 

Knowing he doesn't have to be at the restaurant until Monday and that his next gig isn’t until Wednesday, he cannot wait to get back home and drink his weight in alcohol before he sleeps his way through the weekend.

Just as he has moved past the intersection, his phone rings. 

Honey✨❤👸 calling...

He nearly spits the smoothie he just sipped at.

Coughing, he roughly jostles the plastic cup back in the holder and pulls up to a side of the road to pick up the call. “Hey,” he breathes into the phone, embarrassed at his desperation.

“Jin. Um, hi.” You sound awkward, as if you…have been compelled to call him due to some reason.

He is immediately worried. “Honey? Is everything okay, do you need something?”

He hates himself for being so concerned when you have been neglecting him for so many days – yet again, despite your spat at the restaurant – instead of finally talking to him about what’s bothering you, but he can’t help it. At the end of the day, you are the love of his life. 

“Yes, yes, I’m okay. It’s just, um. Can you pick me up from the restaurant?” you sound nervous.

But, Seokjin realizes, I was right. You do need something. He clears his throat. “Uh, okay, I guess,” he agrees before stopping short when he realizes the time. “Wait, it’s barely even two. Why are you leaving?” he asks, confused and a little concerned. You work your shift till five every day and till eight on weekends.

“Tomorrow is Halloween, Jin. We’re closing for the weekend, remember?”

Seokjin’s mouth falls open on a gasp. He really had forgotten. “Oh. Oh, okay. Yeah, I’ll be there in five, wait up.”

He swerves the car into the lane and takes off in the direction of the restaurant. 

He laughs at himself. He has been so caught up in work that he literally forgot Halloween. He wonders if this is what actual adulting is.

He is stopping before the restaurant within three minutes of your phone call, eyes immediately spotting your delicate figure standing on the sidewalk with your hands crossed against your chest.

You step down from the curb when you spot his car, and walk towards him. He watches your elegant legs as they beautifully fall in a straight line. Even when exiting your job as a waitress, you’re every bit the elegant model he met in college. Your hips sway tantalizingly, and something akin to longing swirls in his chest.

He composes himself quickly when you cross the car to get into the passenger’s seat. You awkwardly clear your throat as Seokjin busies himself with starting the vehicle, unsure if he should initiate conversation.

“Um, sorry about this. You were probably getting ready for shoot,” you finally say. “Byulyi dropped me off today. She wasn’t picking her phone up. I was trying to get a cab for half an hour. And the bus stop’s really far—”

“Hey, stop. It’s okay. You should’ve called me sooner.” Seokjin catches your apprehensive gaze on his oversized hoodie when he chances a glance at you. He sighs. “I was returning home from shoot, actually.”

He feels you stiffen, and he feels even more mentally drained at this. You used to be updated with his schedule to the tee — just short of having an actual copy of the calendar his agent carries on him. And the same goes for him with your schedule. This feels so wrong.

You are quiet for a while, your hands fidgeting in his peripheral vision.

“How—how was it?” you finally say, voice coming out like a croak.

Seokjin shrugs his shoulders. “The usual. Blinding, tiring, exhaustive. I did okay, I guess.”

He feels your gaze snap up to drill holes into his skull. Your eyes are wide when he checks. “Okay? Since when do you do anything less than amazing at shoots, babe?”

He feels endeared at your casual use of a pet name. “I had to get up at three in the morning and go through a skincare routine. Then drive across the entire city to get to the location, because they wanted to capture actual sunrise. I was more tired than excited by the time they rolled cameras, so.” He shrugs. “Can’t really say I gave my best today.”

You nod at his admission. 

Seokjin almost jumps when his phone rings, again.

Jiminie calling...

He feels you shift in your seat. His mouth sours at the reminder of that Sue girl that started off this entire tussle between you and him. Fucking Jimin and his conquests. What happened to the shy and more than a little glum looking freshman he let into his living space, three years ago?

Your hand suddenly reaches forth to accept the call, putting it on loudspeaker, immediately. Seokjin gapes at you, momentarily looking away from the road. 

“Uh…hyung?” Jimin’s confused voice echoes in the car. 

Seokjin snaps out of his daze when you gesture towards the device. “Wh—Jimin, hi, what’s — what’s up?” he stumbles his way through a haphazard greeting.

“Hyung, I needed a favor. Are you on your way back from the shoot, right now?” Jimin asks, and Seokjin sees you freeze in your seat.

He feels a perverse sense of satisfaction. Yes, take that! Park Jmin knows of my schedule better than you do! This is what you get for ghosting me! “I was, yeah. What is it?”

“Oh, great! I kinda need your help, hyung. My tire gave out. Could you pick me up from the Kappa hall?”

Seokjin scowls. “Yah! Who am I, your butler? Hop on a damn bus!”

He notices you pursing your lips, no doubt finding his agitation humorous — you always do. 

“Hyu~ng,” Jimin whines. “I would take the bus, but the next one leaves in forty-five minutes and I need to be back within an hour!”

“What? Why?”

“I started on my sem project really late, hyung, and now I gotta spend any time I can spare at the rehearsal hall. I’m meeting a choreographer here in an hour. Please help me out!” Jimin is still whining, and maybe his reasoning is kind of alright, but—

Seokjin is tired to his bones. He literally cannot drive all the way down to your apartment and then drive back to the university campus to pick Jimin up.

He sighs, wearily. “Jimin… I’m really tired.” 

“And I’m really desperate, hyung! Dancing is tough! And the subject I've chosen, tougher. I haven't done ballet since first semester, Freshman year! I have to work my butt off and be done in under two months."

Seokjin exhales, feeling beyond exhausted. But then your finger is tapping on the screen and the call has been muted. Seokjin’s surprised eyes fly up to meet yours. You look conflicted, biting down on your lower lip as you shake your head with a frown.

“You should go home and rest, Jin. Leave the car with me, I’ll pick him up.”

“Hyung? Say something?”

Seokjin blinks. “You…”

You roll your eyes. “I’ll pick him up, yeah. He’ll drop me off and drive back to your place.”

“Hyung?! Did you put me on mute, or what? I can't hear a thing!”

“Tell him you’ll be there in ten!” you say, unmuting the call.

“I’m in the car, the network must have glitched. I’ll, uh… be there in ten?” Seokjin nervously finishes off, looking at you in question. You give him a nod, blinking slowly. “Wait up, okay?”

“Oh my God, thank you so much, hyung!” Jimin practically squeals through the phone. “I’ll be in the ice cream shop across the building. I love you, hyung-nim!”

Seokjin rolls his eyes and disconnects the call. He looks at you from the corner of his eyes as he takes a right, now moving in the direction of his apartment instead of yours. “You sure about this? Jimin, um, knows. About our…” Seokjin doesn’t want to call it the f-word, because he would like to believe that you two aren’t actually fighting. “You being upset, I mean,” he settles for the easier alternative. “He might ask questions.”

You give a small huff of wry laugh. “I can handle it, Seokjin. I’ve known Jimin for almost three years now.”

Seokjin doesn’t like it when you address him by his full name. And so, his lips remain pursed for the remainder of the ride, only parting to tell you to “drive safe and text me when you finally get home,” and then he walks inside his apartment without looking back.

He hears his car come to life and then speed away. He shuts his eyes, leaning against the kitchen counter. Gathering his emotional as well as physical bearings, he opens the refrigerator to rummage through some leftovers to munch on while he breaks out a six pack of Budweiser. 

Before his fried rice has even reheated, Seokjin groans at the sight of an all too jovial Hoseok entering the kitchen with a glint in his eyes. “No, Hobi. Not now.”

“What? I didn’t say a word, hyung!”

Seokjin winces, shutting his eyes just as the microwave beeps. “I don’t have enough energy to deal with your general aura, right now,” he mumbles, extracting the piping hot glass bowl. He leans down to open one of the compartments beneath the kitchen table to get to the beer that he’s been dreaming of for nearly an hour, now. “I’m dead on my feet and—woah!” Seokjin gasps, cutting himself off.

Hoseok hops into the kitchen, coming around to stand behind Seokjin. “So you found ’em,” he says around a chuckle.

“Found ’em? This is you?” Seokjin whips his head around to glare at Hoseok up from his crouch. “Why is my liquor closet resembling a liquor shop, Hobi? Why do we have all this—” he turns around to read the labels, cursing under his breath. “Why do we have,” he pauses to count, “five bottles of Tequila and eight bottles of Vodka?”

Hoseok frowns in concern. “Eight? There should be ten, hyung, check again.”

Seokjin actually gasps, this time. “What the hell, Jung Hoseok? Explain yourself before I start throwing hands!”

Hoseok smacks a palm against his forehead, taking Seokjin by surprise, yet again. “Tonight’s the Halloween party, hyung! Did you actually forget?”

Seokjin screws his eyes shut, letting his head roll back with a frustrated whine. “No~o, don’t tell me it's tonight. Halloween’s tomorrow, right? Why is the party tonight?”

“Yes, hyung, Halloween in tomorrow, which is why it would be stupid to hold the party when Halloween is ending.”

Seokjin finds the logic to be very severely flawed, but his energy is draining out fast and he cannot keep up with this quarrel. There’s no point, anyway. He’s known about this party for nearly a month. And Hoseok isn’t going to postpone a whole party just because Seokjin is tired.

“You look tired, hyung. You should rest. Recharge yourself before the party, okay? There’s plenty of time.” Hoseok pats Seokjin on the shoulder with a kind smile.

“I’m not even in the mood to party, Hobi,” Seokjin mutters, reaching behind all the glass bottles to extract his pack of cans. 

Hoseok scowls at Seokjin. “Because you’re upset about your fight, I realize that. All the more reason to party, hyung! Take your mind off it for some time, why don’t you? You don’t even have to dress up, come as yourself.”

“I’d rather just drink myself to sleep and not wake up for the next twenty four hours.”

Hoseok blocks his path as Seokjin moves to exit the kitchen. “Is Honey coming?”

Seokjin sighs, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t know, Hobi. Did you invite her?”

“No, hyung, because you said you would.”

Seokjin clicks his tongue. He completely forgot. “Then she isn’t coming.”

Without listening to his protests, Seokjin trudges upstairs with his food and beer. He will be forced to come down for at least a couple shots, he is certain, so he better make as much of the time he has on his hands as he can.

These days, it seems to be becoming a pattern for you to do things without really understanding why you do them. 

You nibble at your bottom lip as you recall how gaunt and pale Seokjin had looked when you sat in the car. You had been really self-centered as it is, not really keeping in touch with him for four days, and then reaching out when you needed help. You couldn’t bear to think, on top of everything, that he had driven you home despite his extreme exhaustion while you sat back selfishly and let him drive around the city to pick Jimin up when he looked like a ghost.

You shake your head at yourself as Jimin jogs down the road to enter the car, ten seconds after you texted him. 

His gaze is slightly hesitant when he meets your eyes, even though his smile is nothing but genuine. “Hello, noona. How come you are…” he trails off, gesturing around the two of you.

You start the car, shrugging one shoulder. “Seokjin came to pick me up. Now you’re gonna drop me off.”

Jimin gives you a huge smile, before his eyebrows suddenly lower. You look away, veering onto the road. “Wait. Were you in the car with him when I called?”

You chuckle. “Yes.”

“Oh,” Jimin mumbles around a small laugh.

You hum to yourself as you drive, distracting yourself from the thoughts that keep encircling your head. Seokjin is your boyfriend, no matter how mad you might be at him — you love him and care about him. Which is why you have tried to help him out. Not to mention, you felt slightly guilty, as it is, about calling him to pick you up. Why is your gesture of goodwill bothering you, then?

This is what you do for people you care about. Seokjin would do the same.

Your train of thoughts suddenly comes to a screeching halt.

Would he? Would he, really?

“You okay, noona?”

You jolt back from your thoughts, wide eyes turning to look at Jimin. “Wha—yes, yeah, I'm fine.”

He cocks an eyebrow at you. “You’re gripping the wheel really hard.”

You look at your tightly clenched fists, and immediately ease them. “Oh, uh. Sorry. A lot on my mind, I guess.”

“Understandably,” Jimin mutters, looking out of the side window when you turn to look at him.

You purse your lips and press down on the accelerator. 

A few beats of silence pass between you two before Jimin clears his throat. “Can I say something?” he asks you in a soft voice, looking nothing like the seductive persona he puts forth to get ladies falling in his bed. 

You exhale. “Sure.”

“You, um. You are not just hyung’s girlfriend, you know?” he says slowly.

You scoff. “Of course, I do. I am also the very best server my restaurant has ever seen and the best struggling model you’ll ever meet, on the side.”

Jimin snorts, before giggling with his eyes closed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

You do. But you do not want to face it. You want to be selfish, for once. You do absolutely know that you have been ignoring all the boys in your anger at Seokjin, but you absolutely do not wish to do anything about it. Not until you’ve resolved this tense air between you and Seokjin.

“You are also a part of our little family,” Jimin quietly finishes.

You suck your lips in at that. The word “family'' really gets to you. 

He’s right, isn’t he? 

All eight of you — well, nine, now, with the addition of Taehyung’s girlfriend — have been a family since the day you met these guys.

You smile as the memories start to filter in.

You had had a giant crush on Seokjin since the very first time you saw him in your Freshman year. Well, having a crush on the guy wasn’t that unheard of given how handsome he was. It also helped matters that he modelled for the cover page of your university’s journal within his first month in college. What surprised you was his reciprocated interest when you both finally got to know each other, thanks to Byulyi. Your current roommate was majoring in photography back then, and somehow roped the two of you into modelling for her portfolio. Seokjin asked you out during the sixth month of your Freshman year.

You recall being introduced to Yoongi in your Sophomore year, when he entered your college as a Music major. You found him laid back, calm but really sassy, and fun to be around. The three of you often hung out together, and you took immense pleasure in singling Seokjin out with the two of your sarcastic back and forths.

In your senior year, Hoseok transferred to your college as a Sophomore, and Taehyung and Jimin entered as Freshmen. 

Hoseok was literally the most lively person you’d ever met in your life. There wasn’t a single moment of boredom next to him. He was easily given the responsibility of planning all your outings and parties, henceforth — a position he still holds with full competence.

Taehyung was usually found to be lost in his head more often than not in his initial college days. He was confused about his major for two entire semesters. With inputs from the group, when he eventually picked Art, he eased into college life. After that, he came out to be one of the weirdest and unwittingly funny guys in the group. You still don’t get how he was the first amongst all the boys to find him a girl.

Jimin was a really quiet and reserved individual, at first. He very rarely interacted with you all, choosing to stay holed up in his dorm room, instead, that Taehyung had forced him to share with him. You suspected he was recovering from a recent heartbreak. It became evident when he started dating someone within a week of getting into college, only to confess it was a rebound when he got dumped. The whoring around that began after the whole debacle is yet to cease, though. Obviously. 

Hoseok comes from a really well-off family, and had brought along with him the four-bedroom apartment he currently resides in with Yoongi, Jimin and your boyfriend. His uncle gave it away to him, rent-free of course, and he proposed to share it with the rest of the guys. Seokjin and Yoongi were immediately on board, more than eager to leave the chaotic dorm life behind. Taehyung, contrarily, decided he wanted to get the whole college experience and refused to quit the dorms. Jimin, then, left the dorm he shared with Taehyung to move in with the elders.

You met Jungkook immediately after your graduation on the boy’s eighteenth birthday. He instantly struck you as a smart kid, really good at singing as well as art. Yoongi disclosed he wanted to be a music major in your college, and you tried to encourage Jungkook about it, but the guy could hardly even look at you. It was cute but also hilarious how much he was scared of Seokjin, and by principle, you.

You believe that is still true. Now that you think about it, you're pretty sure you haven’t seen Jungkook ever actually relax around the two of you.

“Noona?”

You blink, coming back to the present as Jimin calls out to you. You take a deep breath, the memories hitting you with tender emotions. All these people are really precious to you, aren’t they? The bunch of you really are a family, aren’t you?

A sad smile swims up to your face. You miss the boys.

When he calls again, you turn to look at Jimin, questioningly. 

“Please don’t be mad at hyung,” he slowly says, looking down at his lap. In this moment, he looks quite unlike the Jimin you are used to and reminds you of, instead, the one you’d first met. “He might lack tact, sometimes, but he really loves you a lot. You’re his whole world. Whatever it is that you are angry about, you should tell him about it. I don’t think he would be able to figure it out by himself.”

This, you agree with. “I’ll try, Jiminie.”

“We all miss you. Especially Hobi hyung and I,” he says with a lopsided excuse of a smile. 

You resist the urge to fluff his hair. Jimin and Hoseok have been like the younger brothers you never had. You miss them, too. 

He suddenly chuckles. "And Yoongi hyung hides it well, but I think he's the one that misses you the most. No one helps him roast Jin hyung quite like you do."

You roll your eyes. "Of course not. It's a waste for Yoongi to even try to find a better partner at roasting Jin."

You spot your apartment building and pull up to it. 

“I’ll try to talk to Jin as soon as I can, Jimin, I promise. Don't worry so much about it,” you say as you step out, patting the boy once on his head. "I miss you all, too."

You give a small wave and faint smile to him as he drives away.

tagging: @shrimpmsg​

note: so! a lil bit of backstory and the infamous halloween party - how we feelin’ so far? the next part is ~12k words, too, and i’ll post it next wednesday, wait around~ 😘💕

SECOND PART OUT NOW: read here!

© jimilter | 2021

[soul-dwelling]

I wonder if it gets underplayed how much the "decline" of a series quality is dictated by market demands. Like all the horrible fetish tropes that are just accepted in anime, for example in One piece Ulti and Paypay have this weird incest thing going on and I doubt Oda wanted to put it in but the staff probably said "yeah we need to fill this demograhic!". Maybe explains Okhubos decline "Im just doing what sells!"

My initial reaction when reading this question was, "This can't be a thing. If people wanted that stuff, they would just find smut to read–why would people want to sit through something more ‘mainstream’ to get to that?”

And with Ohkubo, I don't even know if it's a decline when three of his major series--Soul Eater, NOT, and Fire Force--all pretty much started with "girls and women in the shower or bath," "pull up someone's skirt to show their panties," and "girls being groped without their consent." At least B Ichi mostly avoided that in the beginning chapters, aside from "Shotaro puts on Mana's underwear because Yohei tricked him." It's less a decline and more of "more of this, because it was there at the beginning, and I still keep selling volumes as I do more of it."

But then I look at the patterns. I mean, just look at how much content out there forces in stupid “brother and sister and incest” stuff, even stuff I like: Bungo Stray Dogs, Ookami-san, Mashle, Spy x Family. 

So, yeah, it’s probably a mix of “the author finds this entertaining” and “it gets the attention of the audience,” whether that’s people who actively seek out this stuff, or people like us are gobsmacked and giving it undue attention, the old “there’s no such thing as bad press” idea. 

(I could understand Bungo Stray Dogs doing it when a lot of its interpretation of characters are based on the real lives of the authors or the characters they created, but just because it is “understandable” doesn’t mean it’s good or should be here.)

And since I brought up Spy x Family, I want to talk about market demands and what sells when it comes to, not quite fetish, but just a potential objectification problem I’m expecting to pop up in this Saturday’s episode. 

Up to now in the manga, Spy x Family appealed to me because it never felt like it had to be gross in doing sex appeal. This is not quite an all-ages manga (the amount of blood and violence discourages that kind of a rating), but the tone and comedic sensibility does feel like the kind of thing where even the violence and bloodshed are so goofy to be not the worst I could imagine a younger reader encountering. 

And the series has been smarter about any sex appeal. It’s not falling into James Bond nonsense, the “camera” of the comics panels may linger on angles for Twilight and Yor, but–and this is a low bar for a lot of current manga–at least they’re fully dressed, so that the sex appeal is in the outfit, or the pose, or the interactions–before it is all undone by wacky comedic shenanigans and the fact that Twilight and Yor are so freaking aromantic / demisexual that they are so awkward around each other. In other words, for a series indebted to the spy genre, it never feels like it goes over the line to be, “And now, pointless objectifying angles of the characters, especially the women, and pointless ‘spy beds a lot of women’ scene.” That’s not to say I don’t imagine a point where Spy x Family will get a little more sexually charged–this is a spy story, this is in part a “will they or won’t they” with Twilight and Yor–but it is also a story about young Anya starting school: this is a series that should grow with its audience, not throwing sex around so early on before a target audience is ready to see things that are way too mature. 

And that leads to the problem I encountered this previous Saturday: I cringed when I saw the post-credits preview for the next episode. We already sat through Yuri’s gross attraction to his sister, now we’re getting the dodgeball episode–and in the middle of it is someone taking a shower. What? Every image in that preview was just about Anya’s dodgeball game and her classmates. Suddenly we have an adult in the shower (Twilight? Yor? Someone else?), and I just cringe expecting the following: 

One person thought it was adapting the chapter where Anya tries to earn a star, as that chapter takes place in part in a pool, so that could just be the shower for people after swimming or before they jump into the water. That’s a reasonable, if befuddling, choice for the preview, and it’s definitely there to check off a box on the market demands: “Ugh, why would we want to sit through this hilarious episode where Anya is in a dodgeball contest? Throw in a random shower scene!”

But other people, myself included, think this next episode is not adapting the chapter where Anya tries to earn a star. Rather, I think this next episode is adapting the special chapter where Yor is injured during a mission and can’t look happy on her date with Twilight. The chapter is about Yor getting injured in the butt. I repeat: it's an entire chapter about the aftermath of Yor getting injured in the butt during an assassin mission. What makes the chapter hilarious is every single one of Yor’s awful reactions to the pain–just that face, that grimace–and the lengths she goes to avoid having to sit during the date, and how upset and mortified Twilight looks that his suave dating approach is failing here because he thinks Yor hates him, when really she’s just in pain. But what makes it even better is that it puts Yor, a woman, into this scenario of, “My butt hurts,” and plays all the comedy out of it without it being gross or a sexual double standard: of course she’s in pain, she got hurt in the butt, she gets to be comedic relief without this being sexualized. 

And as I see that next episode preview, with someone in the shower, I’m wondering what is going to happen. They aren’t going to show Yor’s butt injury, are they, and make this, “LOL you people who were so hot for Yor leaning down to the camera when trying to kiss Loid get to see her in the shower but, whoops, butt injury!”? Or is this going to be her before the mission, to show her before the injury, so that we see her previously unscathed body in the shower? Or is she unscathed? Like, there is no way with her career that she doesn’t have scars–will it be a shower to show how dangerous this work is? Or an imagine spot where she worries Twilight will see her in the shower and realize she is scarred up? 

My point is, the preview knew what it was doing: it wanted to drop in a potential message that we’re getting a shower scene, and you’re all (meaning me) are leaping to something pervy instead of just treating it as a shower scene. But that scene is in the preview to check of a box for marketing. And if it’s Yor, for the one chapter that avoided making her a sexual object, in a manga that has been smart about how it handles sex appeal without something so stupid as a shower scene, I’m going to be pissed. 

And if it’s Twilight in that shower, I’ll still be pissed, because it’s still doing sex appeal for market demands–but I’ll also be pissed because, honestly, what would that scene even do there? At least I kind of explained above why, if you’re adapting the “Yor’s butt got cut” chapter, why it’s her in the shower–but why would we have a shower scene of Twilight? (Aside from needing to fix a lot of double standards still prevalent in gender…)

[denimbex1986]

“...I thought it was gonna be a disaster, especially putting me and Sebastian together and letting us go (laughs).”

“...all that was communicated at the time was, look, we love these two characters, um, Sam and Bucky, and we love them together. And we wanna, we wanna make sure that we, we get the time to focus on them, um, and, you know, this is again, following the, the footsteps of Infinity War and Endgame where I think, you know, our characters have been established to some extents, and again, mine way more so than, than Anthony’s character right, but then in the last few movies I, I’ve felt like - you know, at least what was communicated to me was that they hadn’t got a chance really explore them as much as they would have wanted to...they wanted us together and to further kind of, you know, expand on our, on our chemistry, you know, um and, and that was gonna be exciting and super fun to me. And, and the idea of just six hours obviously with, with, with these characters, um, was also really exciting, because it felt like we were gonna get to kind of get, you know, much deeper into who they were, and what their backgrounds are and where they come from.”

“...I thought that Sharon had sort of been put to bed, so it was really interesting to get the phone-call that they wanted to bring her back...for me that was very exciting...for Sharon it was just so much fun to see her in a different light...she’s really gone to the dark side, but I enjoyed it so much...”

“...entering the MCU Universe was, um, quite wild...I had no idea who Isaiah was...”

“...you just have to trust the people that you’re working with, and when you’re working with Anthony and Sebastian, and - I didn’t get to work with Emily but - uh, and Daniel, you know, it’s it’s easy - it’s like you do all kinds of different things and you’re having fun...”

“...we were always looking for the, the temperature of it, you know, in terms of how sarcastic is he, you know, uh, there were - there were, there were takes that we did that were very funny you know; there was a version of that scene that was actually more comedic, but you know, what I - what I loved ultimately is that they decided to go with, with something that was more grounded and realistic, and - and, and yeah. it was, it was nice to have a scene like that to start of with because at least it sets up for us the journey um, of, of where he has to go, you know, where he’s at sort of at the end of, of - of Endgame, you know, um, is, is very much in, in a sense of, you know, kind of a lack of identity and, and, and fortunately he has the capability to sort of reinvent himself and re-educate himself and really his arc in this show, from my perspective, was always a sort of a re-education and, and a, and a re kind of calibrating of, okay, what, who am I and, and - what am I - what do I stand for, and, and what can I contribute, how can I contribute, you know? Um, I think that in a way for, you know, he represents, you know it’s the PTSD of war, and, and again, of, of, of a soldier who sort of like enlisted a long time ago and then has kind of never really had his own choices, you know, to, to sort of make his own choices and now he finally does and, and what he does and what he decides to do, uh, is what I think is most impactful...”

“...my life mirrors the idea of Sam Wilson as a character...I’m a dude that went to a meeting and I left as Captain America...it’s a rewarding feeling, not only, you know the idea being Captain America, but to be a part of this institution that’s known as Marvel because, you know, it offers us the opportunities to do really interesting, fun, different types of roles, while at the same time, building our fan-base and doing it in a classy way...”

“...in the comic books, Sharon is such a badass and we never really did get to explore that side of her...it was great to see that side of Sharon, I really enjoyed it...I was so happy to see Sharon in this new light...”

“...I think his mind is completely changed by what he sees...he’s definitely changed...all he’s trying to do now is just live...”

“...I’d look at Sebastian and - because, you know, you know there was a moment of connection between them that, um, that needed to happen...he understands more of who he is now, but has to respect - listen respectfully...”

“...when I first read what he actually wrote, I was really moved, I was, I was taken aback because I didn’t - I had never - no-one had ever put my feelings, my complexity and confusion about the state of, uh, African-American in this country into words so eloquently and beautifully...Steve Rogers is a super-soldier, he’s a muscle Captain America...whereas Sam Wilson is a counsellor...they’re two very different characters...the idea of where we are as a country and what that monologue meant was really huge for me because I have sons, and I know when I have a party at the house for my boys, the back yard literally looks like a racial skittle-box...at some point in time, your reality should reflect everything around you, and I want my kinds to have a reality where they’re not pigeon holed into one idea of what they think their race, their culture, their masculinity is and I think, you know, with this series what Malcolm was able to put in that monologue so beautifully is we’re all Americans, we’re all humans...”

“...Bucky had a second shot and Wakanda gave him that...he knows where his loyalty and relationships lie, however he’s put in a situation in the show where he’s having to test boundaries and relationships as a result, and, you know, he’s also driven by slight triggers and personal motives desires that are, you know, unrealized desires he may have towards setting the score with Zemo, you know, you know, and, and, and you know, he’s kind of like torn and, and figuring out his boundaries - and that’s a moment where it’s like ‘Okay you’re right at the edge’. You know what I mean? And it’s like don’t, don’t forget like -  don’t forget where you’re coming from now, you know, and, and I think it’s, it’s the, the learning of that. But then also, you know, in the comic book, in the comic books, you know, Bucky has, like he learns how to detach his arm and use it and throw it and all this stuff, so it’s like there was another piece of it also like ‘okay, now we can do this’, so I think - but I it’s just a humbling moment for him, you know - it’s a - he’s put in his place...”

“...we were joking around on set and we came up with the line, you know, ‘Spend a little time in Wakanda and you come out White Panther.’ That’s my favourite line. Like, nobody caught it but it makes me so happy every time.”

“...it was just me and Sebastian like running down tunnels, and every time we turned - we, we turned around it was like a - it felt like a Benny Hill sketch; where it was dudes just running back and forth...as far as a day of me giggling, that was probably one of my better giggles.”

“...there was an explosion and so it’s just us falling, over, and over, and over again...you just think, ’what - what is this that we do for a living?’...”

“...there was that scene in Mad - Madripoor where he has to drink the - the snake thing; I have to tell you, I mean it was like, it was so hard not to laugh because we did it so many times and he was like; ‘Kari, why are you having me do this again?’ Every time, it was like another double reaction - it was so funny...”

[wistfulrat]

this week’s fics! feat. bakeries, bookshops, bisexual awakenings of the angsty and fluffy sort, wolfstar goddads being tender as hell, desi harry reconnecting with his culture, domestic drarry, a lap dance set to akon’s smack that, and more!

But That’s History by @ebbet - 54k - T Harry Potter starts his first year as Muggle Studies Professor only to find that Draco Malfoy has been hired to teach History of Magic.

listen to me. this is one of the funniest drarry fics i've ever read. i was cackling in my bed at 2am because harry’s internal monologues throughout this fic are unhinged. insanely quotable. “what was he, a lothario” and “you were crushing me with your muscular thighs!” are lines that live rent free in my empty head. harry has never played anything cool a day in his life. there’s a faculty meeting where the teachers are planning the yule ball and debating the merits of a DJ when harry decides he must defend his muggle-music-loving honor by dancing seductively to akon’s smack that while a blushing draco loses his mind. i fucking screamed. and the best part is that in between the comedic scenes threading the overall story, you have extremely tender moments of like, padma patil helping harry become a more rooted desi by sharing their cultural traditions, harry proudly donning his sherwani. draco wrestling with his past, going to harry’s lgbtq+ club for students, being sheepish with ron and hermione. ugh, comedic writers with emotional depth are clever and talented as hell!!

Realities, Unfurling by @ebbet - 45k - M Draco Malfoy is released from Azkaban into a changed world.

incredible collage-fic told from multiple povs. 8yrs post-war and everything’s changed. the current state of the magical world unfolds via slice-of-life snapshots from a truly stunning cast. non-binary harry whom is running a non-prof org dedicated to building tolerance and establishing equality for marginalized identities. post-prison-release draco whose life will be changed by the internet. neville’s tender relationship with blaise. andromeda’s fiercely protective mothering. remus and sirius being alive and very hot and just, the tender goddads harry deserved. cho chang being brilliant. baker pansy’s softened edges. found families abound. harry being flustered by their crush on draco and making personalized playlists on an iPod nano.

that all might sound narratively cluttered but the author more than pulls this off. glorious, start to finish.

Knead by @jovialobservationanchor (an @hd-erised​ fic) - 83k - E This is not a story about Harry renovating Grimmauld Place. This is a story about coffee shops and brewpubs, about Ginny and Luna on a farm with creatures, about magical Oregon, coastal road trips, flying, friendship, and Draco Malfoy's lean arms.

cinematic. a love letter to oregon’s expansive landscapes and lively cities. it’s harry finding home in unexpected places and people. in the vast silence of rolling fields, endless coasts, and starry night skies big enough to feel like you’re adrift in space. and it’s also the lingering, intimate quiet of early mornings in a bakery, sitting on a park bench overlooking the city as you eat ice cream next to your crush. it’s harry watching ginny and luna dance and work around each other like bees. it’s the slow unfolding of harry and draco’s relationship as they fill each other’s quiet. finishing this fic is like waking from a good dream. transporting, immersive, lovely. 

Harry Potter and the Bisexual Awakening by @writcraft - 20k - E Harry is perfectly content being single, heterosexual and living in Godric's Hollow with his very clingy rescue dog, Snitch. When Draco Malfoy turns up on Harry's doorstep demanding that Harry teach him how to drive, things quickly become a lot more complicated.

first of all, i feel very seen by draco being a gay-who-can’t-drive. it’s called representation. but mostly i love the ease of harry and draco’s banter, a flustered harry discovering his sexuality, and the way this fic addresses biphobia. also very emo over this exchange: “I think I might be scared of you, but probably not for the reasons you think.” “Yes.” Draco stares at Harry. “I think I might be scared of you too.”

Forged through flowing water by @tedahfromtayla (an @hd-erised​ fic) - 40k - E When Hermione sets up a diplomatic mission to begin repairing the damage British colonisation did to Indian magical communities Harry isn’t going to pass on the opportunity to visit and help his family’s home country. Maybe he should have asked a few more questions about the personnel she had recruited for it before signing on because Malfoy surely has an ulterior motive to be there.

so much to love about this fic. the beautiful settings, from kolkata to mumbai, to the holi festival and colorful lively streets, to remote cave settlements and old intricate temples. it’s harry in the homeland, reconnecting to his family’s heritage and confronting the weight of imperialism in his history. it’s nipping the white savior complex in the bud. this part: That is what England left behind. That is what it still stands for, despite whatever mask of respectability and honour it presents. . .You don't get to step aside and let someone else deal with the mess. You have to listen and learn and then act, Malfoy, you need to learn how to fix your own mess. This is why we're here. my indigenous ass cheered. HP certainly sells the british fantasy but HP fanfic?? fuck jkr, fuck the crown. i love that this fic doesn’t romanticize england’s history. i love that we get to see the vast resilience and beauty of post-colonial india.

Purity Control by yrfrndfrnkly - 28k - T In which Harry tries to ignore his trauma with fantasy Quidditch but Malfoy's Thereness™ is distracting and all his classmates want to talk about are unicorns, virginity, and Muggle music.

tender 8th year fics where they go from bristly as fuck to understanding and soft 100% guaranteed to make me emo as hell. all the teens have traumas and no one wants to talk about it but eventually Things are Talked About. it’s good of the adults to finally notice. everyone just wants someone to hold their hand. and this part: “You’re the only person around here who’s a bigger mess than I am.” “I thought maybe we could be a mess together,” pls don’t look at me as i weep over their gentle empathy.

Advent, a comic by dustmouth - WIP - T It's Harry and Draco's first Christmas together and Draco is determined to live his full yuletide fantasy, come hell or high water.

dustmouth, patron saint of whimsical drarry. whose illustrations singlehandedly reinvented wizarding fashion. whose cheeky and tender comics are like a soothing balm to the utter depravity of this carnal world. harry and draco being domestic, draco’s xmas spirit brand being “traditional unhinged”!! extremely my shit. we’ll absolutely be reading this all december.

Little Spaces by @dracoladon and @lazywonderlvnd​ - WIP - E Draco's back from France and working on the spell damage ward at St Mungo's with Hermione, who invites him over for dinner. Without telling Harry. This is a roleplay, which means Harry is written by one author (lazywonderland) and Draco by another (dracoladon).

the switch in distinct character voices works so well for this fic!! tonally i feel like i'm watching an episode of the office. i personally love harry and draco being Pissed Off at how much they want to bone each other. the battle of the tapenade was the most riveting dinner scene i've read in a minute. clever, hilarious, emotionally tense. can’t wait until that inevitable moment post hate-sex when they’re gonna be like “oh noooo it’s a Heart Boner as well!! >:((” hell ya we’re subscribing for chapter updates.

Dragons Don’t Know Paradise by @teacup-tai​ - WIP - E In 2004, when Remus spends two scary weeks in the ITU due to complications of pneumonia and his HIV condition, Sirius walks around the house like a ghost and Harry finds comfort and strength in Draco through a chat in an online LGBT forum. Harry falls for him, but Draco has a lot of secrets and, before long, will need to come clean—even if he believes that no one is able to understand a dragon.

non-magical bookshop AU. remus and sirius’ relationship is a marvel. the ease of their affection with harry makes me so emo. draco’s friends being insistently present even as he tries to isolate himself. this is a story about acceptance, found families, and falling in love at a distance. the intimacy, the longing, the tenderness. what a fic!! i keep coming back to this part:...he looks at ease, inside his body, a body he needed to fight for. He’d made peace with his struggles and his scars. And Draco realises he wants that. He wants to be at ease inside his body, the body that now carries a virus. He wants to be at peace with his own existence. you hurt for draco so deeply but you get moments like these where he affords himself a kindness that feels foreign and it’s just!! the boys navigating grief and learning to be vulnerable. so good.

[little-murmaider]

Well @offdensmith ‘s Nategaar OTP answer and @frienderbender ‘s Skwisgaar in therapy comic have me feeling A Way so!!!! Also thank you @insomniac-pens for edits!

“How’d it go?”

Skwisgaar flopped onto Nathan’s bed face-first, his prolonged groan muffled by the mountain range of pillows. 

“That bad, huh?” 

Closing his book on a faded Burzums receipt, Nathan knuckled aside Skwisgaar’s hair and massaged the back of his neck. Skwisgaar hummed in appreciation.  

“Hads to talks about Little Skwisgaar.” 

“Ugh, I hate when he makes me do that.”

Rolling onto his side, Skwisgaar scooched up to rest his head on Nathan’s shoulder. “He says dat’s de best ways to work throughs my.” He waggled his fingers. “Childhood traumas.”

“Always with the childhood trauma, that guy! It’s like, we get it, we all have an alarming number of unaddressed psychological issues, move on!”

“Pfft, ja. Gets dis, today he says dat my needs to appear as dis untouchables closed off cool guys stems from my fears of emotional intimacys, ands was likelys a copingks mechanism developed durings a volatile childhoods wif a narcissistic and neglectful parent.” He coughed, fingers thrumming against Nathan’s collar bone. “Or somet’ings likes dat.” 

“He can cope with this mechanism!” He palmed his crotch. “Did you say that? That’s what I would have said. If it was me. And I was there.”

Nathan expected a laugh. Dick-based punchlines were a guaranteed laugh from Skwisgaar; for all his posturing, he had the comedic sensibilities of a middle schooler. But Skwisgaar didn’t laugh. Instead, he looped an arm across Nathan’s waist, curling his knees into himself like a moon shell.  

“Cans I stays here for a little bits?” He murmured. 

A cold, disarming pulse rocketed through Nathan’s bloodstream.

“Uhhhhhhhhh yeah dude. Yeah. Yeah.” He leaned toward the night stand, hand hovering over the remote. “You want to put something on, or…?”

Skwisgaar shook his head. “Dat’s okay. I just…”

The arm draped over him curved tighter around his body, hand splaying against his ribs.

“…Wants to be wif you, rights now.”

“Oh. Uh. Okay.”

Thumbing away his makeshift bookmark, Nathan tried to pick up where he left off, the book’s spine digging a divot into his palm as he balanced his wrist on Skwisgaar’s shoulder. He found himself scanning the same passage over and over, unable to focus through the fog of confusion that had settled over his senses. This was…weird. He didn’t know why it was weird, or what to do to make it less weird. He’d never been good at reading these kind of situations. (Or, according to That Guy, he lacked emotional literacy or whatever, he was working on it whatever!) Best he could do was stew in the weirdness, let it simmer around him until it broke down into a delicious broth of normal. Had he missed second lunch? How soon was dinner? Was it too late to ask Jean-Pierre for soup?

Wetness seeped through the material of Nathan’s shirt. He smirked. Skwisgaar must have dozed off—the trickle writhing down Nathan’s chest must have been his drool. Gross, but not an uncommon occurrence. For some reason Skwisgaar was most relaxed when the two of them were alone. It puffed Nathan’s ego with a misguided pride, that the most tightly-wound person in the world unraveled with him.  

But that pride vanished the moment he realized Skwisgaar was crying.

Technically, he shouldn’t have been shocked. Technically, this wasn’t the first time he’d seen Skwisgaar cry. There had been plenty of stress-induced meltdowns; plenty of shaky insistences he was TOTALLY HIGH as globs of corpse paint dribbled off his cheeks. This wasn’t like that. This was new, and rare, and required a delicacy way above Nathan’s emotional pay grade. Oh God. He was going to fuck this up so bad. He was going to destroy Skwisgaar, destroy their friendship, destroy the band and, much less importantly, destroy the global economy. Oh God oh God he was going to fuck this up so bad! The book tumbled from his fingertips, his body on autopilot. One hand snaked through the rolling golden waves of Skwisgaar’s hair. The other anchored between Skwisgaar’s shuddering shoulder blades. Feeling Skwisgaar’s hitching sigh of relief, Nathan’s panic settled. Against the odds, he’d stumbled into the correct reaction. He did something right.   He gathered Skwisgaar closer, the rhythm of his sobs mirroring the beat of Nathan’s heart.

Time grew hazy. Nathan was unsure how long they laid there, how long he held him. Long enough that when Skwisgaar wriggled out of his grip and rocked onto his knees Nathan’s arms ached at the absence.

“H’okays.” Fixing Nathan with a watery smile, he swept at his cheeks with a flourishing flick of his wrists, eyes bright as heat lightning. (Once he’d confided when he was little his mom would purposely make him cry because she loved how deeply blue it made his eyes. He’d shared it as though it was a wacky, hilarious anecdote but it left Nathan with nothing but a gutting sadness.) “I’m normal nows.”

Nathan bobbed his chin. “Sick.” Sick? He’d never said sick in his life, why did he choose to do so now? What was the matter with him? What the hell was emotional literacy???

Skwisgaar raked his hair back from the roots, lips twisting as if he were considering the notes of a wine. Nathan anticipated a bailout. He waited for the half-baked dismissal of what occurred, the flimsy excuse to leave, the tacit agreement to never speak of it again. But when he spoke, Skwisgaar said, softly, “t’anks you.” Nathan balked. “For what?” “Dere amn’ts a lots of people I cans...does dat wif. Most times I just does it by myselfs. But.” His gaze lowered, shyness coloring his smile as a flush colored his cheeks. “Ams really happy I haves you.” Nathan’s face heated, an unfamiliar pressure building behind his sinuses. He felt his lips part and waited for his brain to push something ruinous to fall out of them. Before he had the chance, he curved his hands around the back of Skwisgaar’s neck, drew him back down into the bed. They melted into each other and kissed until their jaws ached.

[soundsaboutrighttumblr]

Okay, meta of the scene in ep 5 between Shu Yi’s Dad and Shi De.

Shame on me, because I have to digress at the very beginning even, because that piggy back scene reminded me of something Sam said in an interview, and that is that Yu’s body felt soft to the touch, like a cat’s, and that it is totally a good thing. In the way he molds himself to Shi De’s back, and later slithers off him into the bed, I must say, I totally see it, what he means, and I am loving it. He’s probably very good at winding himself out of your hold when he doesn’t want to be there, and fitting himself to every part of your body when he wants to. Bendy, non-resistant, viscuous, long, warm limbs, I can just imagine the morning stretches. And yeah, I would totally try to pet him, even at the dangers of scratch and bite.

Back to topic:

That scene with Dad. I laughed out loud several times, it is amazing, but also heart wrenching and a psychological roller coaster of course, but I loved how the acting toed the line between serious and comical at times. How Shu Yi’s Dad seems so much like Shu Yi in some moments, when he angrily stalked over towards a wide-eyed Shi De – with Shu Yi on his back-, or later the end of the scene, his impulsive face journey, and how you can see where Shu Yi got his bearings and mannerisms from. Great choice of actor, great acting, I laughed so hard.

On to the psychological ride that is this scene:

So, we’re still digesting the piggy back ride with Big Cat Shu Yi, and there he comes, Dad, dorky and enthusiastic and overbearing, already in Shu Yi’s apartment, with food and presents, but so happy to see his son.

And he comes face to face with a doe eyed, clumsy looking, caught in the act-mannered Gao Shi De, and of course that phallic symbol in Dad’s hand has to be broken for effect (You know, the phallus shaped snack that Shu Yi really likes, that Shi De will take to him later?).

And the music and all plays into the comedic aspect, but also into the role that Shi De takes on here, which is to a point calculated, I believe. It’S the playing weak he will be accused of later. He still tries to win Dad over by playing a more submissive role, not offending his pride, but allowing for his authority, still trying to maybe appease him for Shu Yi’s sake, to make him maybe come around without having to play hard ball.

Dad prowling over menacingly, shushing him, only to take the shoes… yeah. Laughed. His priority is his son, even if he is misguided about what he needs to protect his son from. A thought: The relatives, not the love of his live. But, of course, that is easier said than done, because Dad, too, is entangled in family and corporate webs.

But first things first, Shi De takes his big cat to the bedroom, and this time the statue and rabbit on the window can look on, because nothing scandalous is happening, the snow globe with the Statue of Liberty seems gone, no more freezing American secrets to disturb, it seems.

And is this the look of a man wo just decided that he wants to marry the one sleeping in front of him, again, and over once more? Yes, it is.

It is also the look of a man, who decided to try and win over his fiancé’s dad once more, because even if he knows Shu Yi will stand at his side against him, the happier future he wants for Shu Yi would be with Dad on their side, because despite it all they are close, so close they share mannerisms and face journeys.

So, he showers, in Shu Yi’s space probably owned by Dad, washing off past mistakes, preparing to be his best self when meeting Dad downstairs again. Also? Making Dad wait for him, what a power move, Shi De is capable all right.

When he finally comes down to meet Dad, he takes on the role of a more submissive junior again, polite and respecting authority, because he is the one who asks something that Dad thinks it is his to give, and thus hehas the disadvantage, or at least wants to appease Dad by making him feel that way.

He plays along Dad’s rules, apologizing for breaking a promise that was a set up from the beginning, and he knows.

He presents the documents of his ‘worthiness’, humbly apologizing for them to be lacking in Dad’s eyes. Dad keeps eating, not paying back any of the respect he is shown, still to caught up in his entitlement.

Dad’s remark of it being the betrothal presents is meant to ridicule Shi De’s efforts and love.

Shi De gives him one last out, when he overlooks the tone, and just says yes. You can see it as my dowry, being totally honest and unoffended, as a move of power.

And Dad falls into his trap, out of arrogance, out of underestimating Shi De. Ridiculing something, that is not his to judge, laughing. Entitled: You are never getting into my family.”

Edit: for further intricacies about dowries and betrothal presents in Asian cultures, go here a post by @noona96n​ that gives more sense to it. I’ll leave my take before reading here nonetheless, because the gist is there, lol. But that reading of the beginning of the scene with the documents and the dowry and dad’s entitlement makes more sense.��

And that is when Shi De changes course.

Leaving the submissive pose behind, sitting down at the table, an at least equal partner at the bargaining table.

And what he says, that he can let Shu Yi into his own family, because they are accepting him with open arms? It is a strike that is powerful, proving that equality, if not superiority.

It reminds me of when Shi De said in their first encounter after America, that he will accept the deal, because he knows Shu Yi will never be happy without his father’s approval.  Dad should have seen it then, maybe he did and forgot, and underestimated again.

Shi De is a psychological menace when it comes to bargaining and debating, and don’t you make the mistake to underestimate that. Now they are playing hard ball.

Because he brings Shu Yi’s happiness into it, something he knows is something Dad cares about deep down, even if he is misguided how it should look like. It also plays into parental duties and responsibilities and being a good parent, supporting your child and accepting and loving him for who he is.

He appeals to Dad’s guilt over that, all the while putting him in his place, because he, Shi De has that love that loves Shu Yi unconditionally and wants what makes him happy, he has parents that will love him and may take Dad’s place if he does a job that is lacking.

t’s also a hit to Dad’s fear of losing Shu Yi, that he admitted to in the bar, when saying not only daughters can leave their families. He treatens to take Shu Yi away into a new family.

Shi De builds himself up as Dad’s equal here, with a love that is true for Shu Yi, and also one that chooses Shu YI’s happiness. He’s saying, if they are to be competitors for Shi Yi’s love, Shi De might just come out winning, so Dad should rethink his course.

And Dad realizes then, that he has underestimated Shi De, he has leaned back in his chair while Shi De leans forward. He’s not laughing anymore.

Shi De is very confident in enunciating the syllables, leaning forward, no cowering in his eyes any longer. Everything about his posturing is dominant now. Demanding respect, not asking for it any longer.

So much that Shu Yi’s Dad is backed into a corner, offense his only defense: Are you threating me?

Now it is Shi De who is laughing. What a terrifying opponent in a negotiation. Business man and alpha males through and through… ah, alpha, wasn’t that the project that Shi De… anyway.

Shi De’s reaching out an olive branch, trying to soothe the situation for politeness sakes. All instruments in the psychological engineering of that scene.

And Dad has to give that credit, even if he gives it the tone of an insult.

“You played weak before.”

I am not sure if he means Shi De portrayed himself as weaker than he was, or if he meant play dirty. In any case, he misjudged Shi De. Edit: I think it means playing dirty. Which dad has done, too. Edit’s Edit: Although @noona96n post on the japanese subs ead in me into an iterpretation of playing weaker than he is again... I am torn. both, both is good.

And Shi De again pretends not to hear the tone, just takes it as face value, not letting Dad getting personal. But also, Shi De delivers a lethal blow:

Reminding Dad again, that yes, Shi De played that game for Shu Yi’s happiness, thus having the moral higher ground, but also reminding him that yes, he chose to play the game that way, dirty if he must, with all the capabilities he now proved to have, and that he is not afraid to sacrifice on personal levels, or his pride, to get what he wants, which is ultimately a happy Shu Yi.

Also reminding him of the emails, how dirty he COULD play, leverage that Dad until now maybe thought he still had, but that Shi de now holds over him.

You can see how Shu Yi’s dad doesn’t have anything to set against that. So, he just turns to an insult, trying to put Shi De down again.

But Shi De twists it in his mouth, taking it as confession, just to rile up Dad. Then calling him Dad/Father-in-law, to remind him that with how things are looking now, this is the foreseeable outcome of their future, one where Shi De gets his way and Dad doesn’t.

Edit: @noona96n‘s post on the japanese subs and marriage and family in Asian culture led me to believe that Dad’s scolding of calling Shi De an ungrateful creature/child, as if he was in fatherly position to do so, made Shi De trap him with the question, if he had accepted the marriage/Shi De as his child, and he calls him Dad. I also think that Dad was really impressed by Shi De’s negotiation Skills, and maybe because of that slipped up like that... For those interested, sometimes we have interesting conversations in the comments and notes, lol.

I correct myself; I think that was the lethal blow, lol.

And Dad can only turn to blind rage, lashing out with anything that comes to mind. How the incident in the company still might cost him that future with Shu Yi. Hm. Sus.

You know, the incident, where someone maybe paid a lot of money to destroy/test Shi De’s company and future, by stealing the title alpha, ahem, project alpha from him, only for Shi De to rebuild what alpha means from the ground up, out of his resources, to present it to Dad’s company? Yeah, am I getting this right? Metaphors and all?

Anyway, Shi De has his capabilities and team and support to trust he will resolve that matter, so he is not in the slightest intimidated by that veiled threat.

He concludes by turning back to politeness, thanking Dad for his criticism/warning and paying back some respect to his authority, by bowing and promising to not let him down. Being the bigger man and all.

Then he steals the food Shu Yi likes, that Dad brought, out from under him. Because he CAN.

Yeah, that frustrated face journey by Dad is everything.

But. Maybe someday, when he gets over his pride and anger, he will even be impressed by his future Son-in-law, because yeah, Dad just met his match on a psychological scheming business war-fare level. He got his a... handed back to him.

He HAS to see how that will be good for Shu Yi to have in his corner, eventually.

Edit: After reading @noona96n ‘ post on weddings and family in Asian culture, I believe that interpretation fits the beginning of the scene better, but I do think once Dad rebuffed Shi De’s ask to marry into the family so harshly, Shi De really went into ruthless negotiation mode, to prove to Dad who thinks him unworthy of his world, that he can scheme and negotiate with the best of them, it is not a negotiation of Shu Yi’s future as much as they are pithing their negotiation skills against each other, and I believe Shi De succeeds in impressing Dad, which leads to Dad’s slip up in scolding him like achild, also maybe letting slip he knows of the stolen project, even though everyone has signed confidentiality agreements.