#heck yeah tag games

[kimtaegis]

CREATOR TAG GAME ◆ post some gifs before and after colouring!

thanks so much for tagging me, beloved @heybaetae, @jkvjimin & @thisfuckingdeadlife <3 I'm sorry for already having posted most of these in my before after colourings posts before, I usually only save psds that I'm especially proud of... as always, the enemies remain yellow and cyan tints, absolute whitewashed skin and sad, lackluster colour grading, but nothing 25+ photoshop layers can't fix am I right?

original posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 I'm tagging @ye-xiu, @cordiallyfuturedwight, @btsiu, @jung-koook, @rjshope, @fireworksgalaxy, @jinstronaut, @lesbiansuga, @agustd3 and @spicyclematis 🤍

[olive-riggzey]

I blame this post for making this dumb idea spawn in my brain

Because now I’m convinced that Temenos actually doesn’t realize what a twig he is, like a small dog that barks at much bigger animals on the other side of a fence. I DUNNO-- (Also this was my first time doodling like half these characters so there’s a lot of improvising haHA)

[andminnequin]

“Screw you >:(“ *becomes sheep*

[chibishortdeath]

So I saw the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie and I’ve been thinking about it and game to movie/tv adaptations in general, so I guess a review and some general thoughts on it d(^^ ).

⚠️FNAF MOVIE SPOILERS!!!⚠️

I liked the movie, it was fun. The creature shop did really well on the animatronics, and there were quite a few scenes that had me pretty shocked in a good way. Vanessa’s inclusion was actually kinda cool the way they did it and surprisingly I did end up liking the little sister character they added in. William Afton was the best part of the movie and I’m glad he was even though I kinda knew he would be lol. The spring lock scene was a bit toned down, but still cool as hell and I honestly didn’t expect them to put it in at all. The Matpat cameo and the Living Tombstone at the end were fucking wild and hella deserved tbh.

There were some things I’m still meh about though:

I didn’t like how Mike wasn’t really bothered by the animatronics very much at all. They were barely a threat to him. The scenes of the vandals getting attacked was pretty cool, but Mike, the night guard himself, is just kinda protected through the plot armor of his little sister and I guess sleeping on the job??? Sure he did get attacked by the ghosts of the children during a dream, BUT it’s kinda a major plot point that the possessed animatronics are slowly closing in on the night guard office and you have to keep them away, soooo yeahhhh. Like aw man where’s my scene of the night guard closing the doors and having to anxiously watch the cameras? Especially with the added horror that there’s his little sister there and he thinks they’ll hurt her! Those are some high stakes they could’ve had! And the scenes of the sister being friendly with the animatronics could’ve been way cooler if they had scenes of the animatronics being aggressive towards Mike to balance them. Where’s all the my paranoia the game centered around? The suspense, dread, panic? I just didn’t get those vibes from the movie very much, which is sad.

Some of the changes to Mike’s story were strange choices imo. Most fans will know that “Mike Schmidt” is like a pseudonym for Michael Afton, William Afton’s oldest son who is kinda trying to figure out the murder cases and shut all this down, I cannot explain the whole fnaf lore in one bullet point 💀 but it’s important. In the movie, it really kinda seems like they made Mike his own character with his own family and his own sad dead brother backstory. Which is weird to me, because I feel like the whole dreaming plot could’ve worked really well with Michael considering the events of FNAF 4. That game implies that some of the events are at least coma dream related with the IV bags that show up in the kid’s room and mini games, so it would’ve made sense that this ghost kid brother would be communicating through dreams. They could’ve had Michael keep trying to change those events and then remember towards the end that what really happened that day was he had accidentally killed his brother at this establishment and that’s why he had blocked the place and that yellow rabbit, ya know? This would’ve also been interesting considering that little sister character they added and how he’d then feel like he shouldn’t be the one to take care of her after he figures out what happened only to get that redemption later. Idk I just feel like the plot lines they were going for would’ve been cooler if they had maybe not outright said that he was Michael Afton yet, but implied it or kept the whole crying child backstory. They could still be setting this up for twist in a sequel though since Willam kinda stutters on his last name when they meet and they have this whole child custody plot going on, maybe they’ll make that foreshadowing for later when it’s revealed that Willam was divorced or something and that’s why Mike doesn’t know that’s his dad, but yeah idk.

I feel like it was generally watered down. I get that it was made with the idea that kids would be the main audience in mind, but I think a lot of the actual horror gets lost. I almost wanna see this series get an R rated movie someday in the future just to see a different take on it, especially the first game since the vibes and general horror are really at there best in the earlier games. They’re not the scariest games ever made or anything, but playing the first one again recently it still holds up tbh, especially in atmosphere.

No Phone Guy :’(. Not even playing on the tapes. Like they should’ve just kicked the whole nature sounds things and had Phone Guy play instead. One of my favorite characters in the series and they didn’t put him in alas (;_;).

There are things I’d change about it for sure, but I enjoyed it for what it was. It’s pretty damn cool getting to see a movie based on an indie game series like this, and what’s more one that seems to actually respect it.

Perfect? Not hardly. Pretty good? Yeah :). 7/10

[hana-loves-bumblebees]

Happy Aleksis Kivi and Finnish Literature day to these dudes!!

[iiguess]

your muse’s vibe check 

" soft?! "

Well. She's appalled, to say the least.

TAGGED BY: stolen! TAGGING: anyone who likes the color red!

[blueflyingturtleontheway]

Gabe and Elena - 3, 5, 7, and 13 for the friendships ask, please?

themthemthemthem THANK YOU AMUEL

3. A random headcanon I have of them

Gabe takes her to the city a lot! I mean, it's not like Elena doesn't visit it herself (and actually probably more often than Gabe what with him being in the military and all) but I mean it in the sense that when Gabe goes home on a pass Elena often goes with him and he shows her what "a normal citizen's life" looks like (i.e. he gives her a secret probably half legal tour of the city, shares his favourite games, takes her to some amateur concerts, plays and dances and all the general stuff that you only know about when you live in a specific place your whole life.) And in general they hang out doing normal young adult stuff.

5. A scene I wish we had of them

Okay so this is something my sister noticed but. They never. Ever. Hugged in the show. As in never just the two of them, it was always a group hug with all the amigos. And I say we wERE ROBBED.

But other than that I'd love to see them interacting in semi/formal settings in season 3, like in Changing of the Guard or Crash Course, or even Captain Mateo. It's just peak of their dynamic in those episodes for me.

7. What makes me like their friendship

Wait you mean I have to verbalize it.

Uuuh... alright... eee...

Okay so I think partially because of how mundane it is? I mean, when compared to how Elena's friendship with the other amigos started, her and Gabe's meeting was almost an accident and so it took a lot more work than the other relationships. Their relationship has also changed much more and went through different phases as you perfectly summed it up yourself. And Gabe seems to be the only one to remember that Elena's the literal ruler and take that into consideration even once they're very close friends and personally equal. And there's much much more that I just can't put in words, just, they love each other, they would die for each other, they inspire each other, they hang out casually, they groan at each other's jokes, they learn and grow together, just....... Them.......

13. What I think would have happened if they never met

NOW THAT'S A FANTASTIC QUESTION LET ME PULL OUT MY AU FOLDER-

But in summary, it depends which side were looking from. For Elena I think not much would've changed story wise. Like, I think some of the plots would be harder (like the SoN arc), many episodes would definitely happen differently or wouldn't happen at all (Olaball, Princess Knight, Gecko's tale or The Curse of El Guapo for example) and I think she'd be a quite different person. She'd definitely be worse at fencing XD But also I think she'd have some problems with her confidence because while yes, Elena is a naturally confident person, I think Gabe really helped turn her confidence into persistence, and I think she'd also have a harder time while learning to be a leader since this was something they both had to learn and I think they both helped each other in this aspect. Those are the big things but there's obviously a ton of smaller ways that she'd be different too, that I just can't think about in the moment.

Now when it comes to GABE the changed would be much, much bigger, obviously. I think he'd still be a guard, but if he wasn't her personal guard, he wouldn't go on nearly as many adventures and would have less opportunities to learn and gain experience, I'm honestly not even sure if he'd become captain (not because of favorisation, but as I said, he'd have less opportunities to prove himself), now this could go a dark angsty route with unfulfilled ambition and unused potential (ESPECIALLY if you throw Guapo into the mix) or just a plain normal route. Gabe would remain a lieutenant for much longer, he wouldn't play olaball and his relationship with his dad would still be bad, he wouldn't know Mateo nor Naomi... Now that I think about it, Elena really DID change Gabe's life A LOT. So I don't know, maybe he'd eventually quit the guard, maybe he'd become and adventurer or a vigilante or a villain or maybe he'd leave Avalor, honestly there are a ton of possibilities because Elena is just that big of a part of Gabe's life.

Thank you so much for this ask Amuel!!! I am now bursting with ideas and they once again have taken over my brain.

Ask game

[moonysideofthesun]

rugby's hella gay come to think of it. why are you pinning your opponent on the ground for ? kiss him ?

[fruitsofhell]

[still talking about this but i feel like this would be lost if it was just a reblog addendum]

For real my greatest regret with my time in this fandom is not finding enough people who talk about Kirby STORIES nor doing that enough myself. Like its always kinda just between "ah my adorable and/or tragic blorbos" and "MOST FUCKED UP KIRBY LORE!" as I've complained about 100 billion times now, but I really wanna talk about the evolution of the series' storytelling under Kumazaki's direction more and how you can really feel them finding their footing on What Kirby "Lore" Means.

Ever since Robobot the games have tackled more direct themes and science fantasy tropes and it's also when it's really started coming into it's own. Return to Dreamland and Triple Deluxe and wonderful but you can see where the team holding back on detail and leaning into more cliche platformer-y things didn't let them reach full potential. Robobot and KatFL on the other hand excel at the more sci-fi themeing because they really let that more out there stuff absorb into the fabric of the gameplay and visuals, and while I've touched on KSA not being as lush as those other two, it makes up for it with sheer volume of content in the end. Evil cults are more fantasy than sci-fi so it didn't have ideas as extreme as those other two to latch onto, but it could still be more purposeful with the levels in the middle yknow. But still, the writing of the Jamba and the design of Void Termina have a lot packed into them that make it work once you unpack it.

RTDL and Tripluxe you can maybe say theres like a theme of greed in a nebulous sense, but it is genuinely fluffy platformer fair with an interesting villain thrown in at the end, Robobot, KSA, and KatFL are like actual great sci-fantasy stories wrapped up in fairytale-like bow. RTDL and Tripluxe become good when you fill in blanks*, but the last 3 just Are Good, Straight Up*.

*I know some of you people out there think pause screens are supplementary but it is literally The Game's Text, so I mean good with the pause screens.

Like Kirby "Lore" HAS gone from What If There Was A Platformer Villain But Really Fucked Up to actual really cool commentaries on imperialism/industrialization, bonds and religion, and life. I think its really fucking cool and what actually has kept me a Kirby fan. I can find a platformer that gets really complicated the more you look into it's flavor text, or one with cute character designs, or sad moments, but you don't find one so often that like cares. That really cares about the characters and the world and stuff, but about saying something confidently. Kirby storytelling may not come off as confident to people because it's not overt, but the confidence is in the details that surround and support those ideas that in any other series would just be pedantic "lore".

Like Robobot doesn't have "lore" about Susie and Haltmann, it has a backstory complimenting a power struggle in the plot's climax that ties into the idea of imperialism being a cannibalistic pursuit. Star Allies doesnt have "lore" about doomsday cults and gods, it has a story about how real bonds and connections can form even in dark places and its important to cherish those and not let circumstances corrupt them (or something, it has been a whilehgjh). And KatFL doesnt have "lore" about ooooo all the humans are dead this IS THE DAHKEST KIRBY GAME!! Its fucking aboyut how animals and joy and whimsy will reinherit the earth!

im justfuskdgs WHOS DOING THE KIRBY LITERARY ANALYSIS?? Where are they? They have to be out there im so fr ghsf

[mystiika]

misc tag drop

[azullumi]

a scripture on having a certain pretty gambler as your boyfriend ; aventurine

summary — radiant and gleaming, dating him feels like basking under the golden glow of the sun, with the promise of the serene and starlit night ahead.

pairing — aventurine (w/ gender-neutral reader)

tags — established relationship, fluff, him as your boyfriend basically, there are no spoilers dwww, i never proofread, 1.2k words ; headcanons

note — congratulations to honkai star rail for being the only game to have aventurine!! this is day 2 of writing for this man until i have him.

Aventurine couldn’t abandon the person that he used to be so he carried him in his hands. Always hesitant, afraid, and seemingly detached from everyone he meets—this is why he seems so distant and disconnected from you at first despite being in a relationship with him. Although he lives his whole life gambling, believing that everything happens and the outcomes gained are due to luck, he’s meticulously careful and cautious just to not get too attached to you lest he gets hurt in the end (he has dealt with the sight of people’s backs as they walk away from him multiple times).

It will take time for him to completely warm up and be vulnerable to you. Although there are moments that he lets the facade slip and he lays himself bare, moments where it’s just you and him in the silence, moments where you comfort him after a nightmare that disturbs his sleep; he doesn’t ask for comfort nor assurance often but you always seem to know when he needs it.

Aventurine loves it whenever you gently comb your hand through his hair. Even if he wasn’t vocal about the matter, you’ll know from the way he immediately relaxes under your touch as you rake your fingers through his locks. It just gives him a sense of comfort, finding serenity and affection in such a small act of intimacy; it reminds him of how simple everything could be (oh, how he wishes it was) with just the loving touch of your hands.

He’s not exactly a morning person but would always wake up early, occasionally before you do. It’s either because he has to leave for work early or it just so happens that he woke up just as the sun was rising. If he has to get ready soon, he’ll take a few minutes of his time to admire you as you sleep, to trace the bridge of your nose slowly and carefully so as to not wake you, to draw and follow the outlines of your features with his eyes. But if he has no plans for today, he’ll stay in bed with you and eventually, fall asleep once more. He holds you so close and so tight (but not tight enough to suffocate you) that it’s hard to slip away from his grasp.

You feel a pair of soft lips on your forehead, the kiss lingering for a moment until you flutter your eyes open. “Are you awake now, sleepy?” 

“Mmh…” You grumble, your vision adjusts to your surroundings as you blink multiple times. You could see Aventurine getting dressed, putting on his expensive tailored-coat.

“You’re leaving already? Why did you not wake me up?”

“You looked like you were having a nice dream.”

MATCHING PAJAMAS (heck yeah!!). The time when he saw you wearing one of his pajamas, it felt like something had been flipped inside of him and the thought of getting you one for your own that matches his fills each and every corner of his mind. Although all of the matching things you have with him are not just limited to pajamas—it can range from matching jewelry, matching charms, matching clothing, matching glasses, matching everything. God, he goes into a store, sees something that he likes and asks the staff if they have another one but in a different color that you like.

Perhaps you have never noticed (or maybe you have) but he never wears his glasses whenever he’s around you—when there’s only you and him. There was no need to hide anything from you, not when you adore all parts of his being. He melts whenever you compliment him (he’s a sucker for such words of affection) especially when it’s his eyes, loves the way you look at him as if he was everything you wish for.

He’ll often play games with you or initiate a bet but somehow, he has more losses than wins. “You’re cheating!” You’ll say, pointing at him as if you were an attorney from a game that objects to a statement. Aventurine, however, would stare at you in disbelief (though he’s just feigning innocence) and would answer with a raised eyebrow: “How am I the one cheating when you’re winning?” To which you’ll respond with: “That’s because you’re letting me win. You’re not playing fair, Aven.”

SPOILS YOU A LOT and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. Everything you'll ask for or even just mention in passing, he'll provide. He randomly sends you pockets of money, a notification on your phone lighting up your screen and the text says: You have received 100, 000 credits. You have to get used to it—it’s one of the ways that he shows his affection to you. He wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer whenever he gives you something either, so, you have to take it or else you’ll have to deal with a sulky man the whole day. 

Don’t worry though as he ensures that everything that he buys and gets for you is something you would like—expensive meaningless gifts will always be meaningless, he would rather give you a cheap yet beautiful charm that is of your favorite color or flower than an expensive shiny necklace made out of gold and adorned with diamonds which you’ll never wear because it’s too heavy on your neck or it’s not your preference.

On that note, he also likes seeing you wear the things he bought for you. Maybe it’s obvious, maybe it’s not, but he likes to dress you up, likes to see you put on the clothes he picks for you. Dates where he brings you to a boutique to pick clothes together (for both you and him), dress up, and ask each other if they look good is not so rare between you two. It’s silly but the two of you would end up giggling like children when the other would strike a ridiculous pose to show off what they're wearing (and also, with the intention to make one another laugh); he lives for and craves these moments with you.

Brings you together with him to casinos and lets you watch him while he plays as he regards you as his lucky charm (when he’s actually the one who is lucky here). Whenever he wins a game or a bet, he asks for a kiss from you—he taps on his cheek as an indication of his request but he will not force you if you don’t wish to express such affections in public, rather he’ll ask for something else instead like maybe a smile or ask that you hold his hand. Sometimes, if you’re curious enough, he’ll teach you the fundamentals of the game and what you can do to win. The look of pride on his face says it all as he watches you win and your opponent falls to the floor (you just put someone in debt).

The amount of endearing names that he calls you. If ever you get flustered whenever he calls you with those affectionate endearments, he’ll take the chance to tease you, to repeatedly call you with such names until you throw a pillow or any object at him—he catches it though but will apologize while laughing, saying that he won’t do it again.

You have to be understanding and gentle with him, careful as you tread the light, lest you fall into the dark and see that the tall and strong walls he built around himself is nothing compared to the broken and fragile pieces that are sewn on his skin, and he will leave (out of fear, out of anxiety, out of grief, out of self-hatred). But it’s alright, everything will be, you’ll embrace him even in the abyss and you’ll guide him back to your warmth.

© azullumi — do not plagiarize, copy, repost, nor translate any of my works

[mermaidgirl30]

✨Daddy’s Best Friend, Mr. Miller Part 7: Can I Keep You?✨

Dbf! Joel Miller x fem! reader

Series Masterlist

A/N: This fic is coming to a close, and I’ve loved writing every word of this one 🥹 Thank you to @lotusbxtch for beta reading 🩵 I plan to write an epilogue for this, and I may write some one-shots to throw in if I get the inspiration in the future. Thank you for coming along on this journey with me!

Summary: Christmas with your parents and the Millers was all fine, until they caught you with Joel.

Rating: 18+ only MDNI

Word Count: 6.1k

Chapter Tags: A little angst, arguments, no use y/n, lots of fluff, soft Joel, switching POVs, going to omit some tags due to spoilers

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

Christmas Day is here before you know it as the cool air blows against your crimson sweater. It sinks through your denim jeans as you make your way back into the house, back to where Joel and Sarah sit in the living room. A football game is playing over the flat screen, and glistening lights flash against the huge tree that sits in the corner of the room.

   Snowflakes tap lightly against the glass as your dad gives your mom the last of her gifts, your eyes flicking over to Joel as he leans into the back of the leather couch, a smile curled against the corner of his mouth as he steals glances your way every few seconds.

   God, his smile gets you every single time, making butterflies flit through your stomach as you take in the brown doe eyes that you can’t seem to keep your eyes off. You just can’t believe he’s yours. Something he reminds you every single day.

   You cling to the fleece blanket Joel gifted you, twisting your fingers against the soft material, bathing in the woodsy scent that sticks to it. And let’s not forget the Metallica concert tickets he got you, winking when your dad asked who you were taking. Joel fucking Miller, that’s who. Your man. Yours.

   He’s wearing the new hunter green flannel you got him, the material clinging against his broad shoulders, biceps hugging the sleeves as you try not to drool in your spot because the man just looks so damn good. 

   You want to sit in his lap, rake your fingers through his greying curls, let his lips brush against yours while his large hands pull you flush to his strong chest, let his woodsy scent completely lather you as you get lost in this plush lips, fingers scraping over his soft scruff. You just want him.

   “Hey, Sarah. Wanna go over to the Silverton’s for a few minutes with Claire and I?” Your dad asks as Sarah bounces off the couch, excited to visit because they always make her favorite chocolate chip cookies. 

   “Heck yeah! Dad, wanna come, too?” she asks as her long hair swishes behind her shoulders, her sparkling eyes finding yours after she calls your name a second later.

   Joel flicks his brown eyes your way and shakes his head. “Nah, you go on, kid. Gonna stay back this time.”

   She looks between the two of you and snickers, knowing exactly why you both had said no. She knows, and she absolutely loves the idea of you and Joel together which makes this whole situation much easier to navigate.

   “Hun, you sure you don’t wanna come?” your dad asks as he pulls his bulky winter jacket on.

   You shake your head. “No, I’m fine. Just gonna sit around the fire and watch some football,” you reply, trying to hide your smile as Joel smirks your way.

   “Football, huh? When did you become such a football fan?” he laughs.

   You shrug your shoulders and smile. “Guess I figured it’s not too bad to watch.”

   Joel shakes his head, chuckling under his breath at the memory of a few nights ago. You were sat on the edge of his bed, his cock stretching your drenched walls wide as he thrusted his hips up and down, your back flush to his broad chest as the glow of the tv played a football game you were paying no attention to, just focusing on how fucking good he felt thrusting his cock deep inside your pussy until he made you come hard and long. 

   “Think she figured out how hard those players play ball,” Joel smirks. You giggle at the memory and throw a fuzzy pillow over at him as he catches it before your parents can see. 

   “Suit yourself. See y’all in a little bit.” He waves as he rushes your mom and Sarah through the door with a present wrapped in glittery blue paper tucked snugly under his arm.

   The second they’re gone, you throw your blanket off and make your way to Joel, collapsing onto the leather couch as he tucks you snuggly into his side. You slide the palm of your hand up the inside of his black shirt, resting your fingers on his warm stomach as you breathe in the smell of his woodsy cologne.

   “Comfy?” he asks, chuckling as he pulls you closer into his broad body.

   “Very,” you smile. He bends his head down and presses a kiss slowly to your forehead, his fingers tracing the ends of your spiral curls as you sigh at the softness that makes Joel just perfect.

   “Figured,” he chuckles.

   You watch the fire crackle with orange sparks in your vision, the Christmas lights shining brightly as the tree glitters with dark green lights twinkling in the corner. It’s quiet in here, a peaceful Christmas evening, and you have Joel all to yourself for the next few minutes. 

   Joel runs his fingers lazily over your back, pushing your hair across your left shoulder as he trails the back of his calloused index finger over your jawline. “I, ummm, got you one more gift,” he says nervously, his free hand raking down his greying scruff.

   You sit up straight and stare at him, spellbound. Another present? “Joel, what more could you possibly give me? I mean, those Metallica tickets must’ve cost you a fortune! And that fancy steak dinner you took me to? You’ve done enough,” you giggle, letting your hand fall down on his denim clad thigh.

   He chuckles and shakes his head. “I know, but jus’ trust me. I think you’re gonna like this one,” he smiles as he digs deep inside the pocket of his dark jeans, pulling a light blue velvet jewelry box out as he displays it in the palm of his hand.

   You open your mouth wide in shock, your index finger grazing the outside of the velvety case as your mind starts ticking like a timebomb. “What is it?” you whisper, not even recognizing the muttering voice that asks the question.

   “Open it and see,” he smiles, his brown doe eyes sparkling with excitement as he hands you the tiny box.

   You slowly grasp it in your palm, taking a deep breath as you carefully open the lid of the box. Your eyes grow wide when you see a silver chain necklace displayed inside, complete with a key that glints under the dim lights of the living room. You pull it out and assess it, running your fingers over the crisp edges, and then when you turn the key around you freeze.

   Right there in the middle of the silver key are the words “Miller’s Girl” carved in fancy cursive, completewith a little heart to the right of the name. You freeze, your heart pounding wildly in your chest as you take in the most perfect gift he’s given you by far. “Joel…” you whisper, eyes glossing over as you think you know what this is.

   He turns you toward him and leans in, a crooked smile pressed against his mouth as he looks at you with longing, syrupy eyes that make you want to just melt into a puddle on the floor. “I know you’ve been havin’ a hard time pickin’ an apartment out of all the ones we’ve looked at, but I want you to forget that. Forget every single one we’ve ever viewed, forget the paperwork, forget the costs, forget it all,” he murmurs quickly. 

   You drop the jewelry box on the floor without a thought in your mind, one hand latched onto the silver necklace, the other laced through his fingers, holding on to every single word he’s telling you.

   “You don’t belong in any of them. You jus’ belong in my bed, in my house, with me,” he states, honey-glazed eyes locking with yours as heat builds in your chest.

   “Joel…” you whisper, losing your breath as you pull yourself back together. “Are you asking me to…?”

   “Yes,” he sighs, brushing a lock of hair behind your ear tenderly. “I’m askin’ you to move in with me because I jus’ can’t stand that thought of not havin’ you in my arms every single night now, sweetheart. Wanna take this a step further, if that’s what you want, too,” he smiles as he brushes the tip of his thumb over your lower lip. “Wanna see what it’s like wakin’ up to your gorgeous face in the mornings, wanna know what it’s like havin’ you in my space permanently. Move in with me.”

   Your eyes glaze over with pure admiration and love for every single word Joel just spilled from his lips. You think it’s the most beautiful sound you’ve ever heard.

   You throw your arms around his neck and wrap him tight in your embrace as his arms tangle around your back. “Yes, a million times yes!” you shriek, planting your lips on his as he pulls you down against his lap. 

   When he pulls away, he spins you around, instructing you to hold your hair up as he carefully latches the necklace around your neck. When you turn back around and face him, one hand is caressing your cheek softly while the other is curving down your personalized necklace, the literal key to his heart.

   Your thumb traces over the words Miller’s Girl and end on the heart as his hand comes down to clasp around yours. “Miller’s Girl, huh?” you ask with a wide smile splayed all over your mouth.

   “That’s right, sweetheart. Thought I’d get it carved on there to remind you jus’ who you belong to so you never forget,” he smiles, his glistening eyes bright and beautiful as he presses a delicate kiss to the back of your knuckles.

   You giggle and shake your head in amazement, watching the absolute love of your life express just how he feels about you. It’s all so surreal, all so perfect. And you honestly think it couldn’t get much better than this.

   “You really want me to move in?” you whisper as you look into those gentle brown eyes you can’t get enough of.

   “I really do, sweetheart,” he smiles.

   He cups your chin and brings you to his mouth slowly, and then your lips are on his. The kiss is slow, passionate as your fingers curl around his soft flannel, breathing in the woodsy cologne that makes your head dizzy. 

   “Never gonna let you go,” he whispers as his mouth crashes back down on yours while your arms lock around his neck, and he pulls you flush to his chest. 

   You get so wrapped up in the kiss that you don't hear the front door being shoved open, and then your world shifts and stops in the next second.

   “What the hell is this!” your dad shouts across the room. 

 You frantically pull away from Joel and shoot up from the couch, clutching your necklace with wide eyes as you freeze. Oh, shit. 

   Joel pushes himself off the leather couch and holds a hand out. “George, I can explain,” Joel replies softly, but you can see the panic flaring in his dark brown eyes.

   “Can you explain why you have your mouth and your hands all over my daughter?!” he yells angrily as his roar echoes around the vicinity of the house. Sarah looks between you and Joel and wishes she could help; your mom just stands there with her hand on her chest like she can’t believe this is happening. 

   Joel takes a deep breath and sighs. “Jus’ cool it, George. I can explain.”

   Your dad cuts Joel’s voice off and shoves past him, snatching your wrist as he starts to drag you toward the sliding glass door. “Excuse me, I need to talk to my daughter alone. I’ll deal with you next,” he growls as he throws you outside on the patio and slams the door shut, only having it become open again as your mom slips outside. 

   Your blood races in your body, and you can’t stop the sheer panic that’s making your heart beat straight out of your chest. “Wanna tell me why the fuck my best friend was all over you?” he asks sternly with his big hands on his hips.

   “We… we're together!” you stutter out.

   “Together? You mean to tell me you two have been dating behind my back?” His eyes glow almost red, and you fight to hide behind anything to shield yourself from how mad he looks. 

   “Yes! We’ve been dating! Not like we could’ve told you because this is how your reaction would’ve been!” 

   “That don’t give you the right to be sneaking behind my back, little girl. And Joel?! For the love of god, he’s twice your age! You know how bad that looks having my best friend go after my daughter who’s still in college?” he bites out with gnashing teeth.

   “I’m not a child, Dad! I’m twenty-six-years-old,” you pout while you cross your arms over your chest, feeling the bite of frigid wind blast through your sweater. “And I’m not in college. I’m in law school, which is super hard to even get into in the first place. And you know what? I’m making straight A’s! But you wouldn’t get that, would you? Because once again, you’re disregarding my accomplishments and making me feel awful about them.” You feel warm tears splash against your cheeks while your mom just stands there in shock. She wouldn’t dare interrupt when your dad is having a meltdown, but you see it in her glossy eyes that she doesn’t agree with him. Maybe she’s on your side after all. 

   “I’m not overlooking your accomplishments,” he scoffs as he shakes his head.

   “Yes, you are! Are you hearing yourself?”

   “Just cool it, kid. Enough. He’s forty-five, twice your age. What the fuck were you thinking? Did he manipulate you into this or did he just decide it was okay to screw around with my daughter?” he asks with an angry tick of his jaw.

   “No, it wasn’t like that at all! Joel is a nice guy, Dad. He would never hurt me. He cares about me, just like I care about him. And I really really like him, Dad.” You catch your breath and loosen the tight grip on your necklace as it falls against your chest. That was clearly a mistake because now he sees the glint of the key, and his eyes grow furious. 

   “What the fuck is this?” he asks angrily as he snatches it and yanks it off your neck. You reach for it, but he swipes it away as he inspects the silver key. “Miller’s girl. The hell does he think he’s doing? Is that a key to his place? Is that why you’ve taken so long to find an apartment because you were planning all along to move in with him?!” His voice is so splattered in anger that you barely recognize the man that stands in front of you, even your mom looks taken aback with wide eyes. 

   “No, Dad! God, just stop! If you can’t talk to me like a normal adult, then just stop. Me and Joel are together whether you like it or not. And that’s not going to stop either of our feelings.”

   “Feelings, huh? That what this is?” He scoffs, scowling down at the necklace as his thumb pierces into the metal. “You clearly don’t know anything, hun. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

   “But Dad, I love him!” you whine, biting your lip to keep fresh tears from slipping down your cheeks.

   “Love?!” he ridicules, spitting out the word like it’s poison on his tongue. “You don’t know anything about love or Joel,” he mutters. 

   “No? I think I know a hell of a lot more about Joel than you do. If you really took a good look at the picture, you’d see how clearly in love me and Joel are with each other. And this is why we decided to not tell you because you just wouldn’t understand. This is why I can’t tell you anything! Because you just throw it back in my face and never support my decisions. God, just for once don’t try to fight me on the one thing I want!” You blow out a deep breath and fist your tight knuckles at your sides.

   “He’s not a good fit for you,” he mumbles under his breath while his fingers tap mindlessly against your necklace.

   “No? Do you know who took me to Galveston when you canceled last minute? Joel did! And who took me around to look at multiple apartments, who spent hours trying to help me find exactly what I wanted? Joel! And you know who is always there for me, who helps me study for tests in my law classes, who is there for me no matter what time of day it is? Joel, Joel, Joel! That’s who! Not you, the man who’s supposed to always be there for me but can’t be. So forgive me for falling in love with someone that could give me everything I needed when I was never given those things in the first place!”

   He looks at you with his jaw ticked, his eyes red from the anger that boils inside him. And maybe you see a tad bit of sorrow and regret in his lost eyes, but he doesn’t even apologize. He just clutches the silver necklace tighter and forms his mouth in a tight line. “Hun, just let me explain,” he tries.

   “Explain?” You laugh and wipe a tear from your lash line. 

   “Yes! Look, I know I haven’t always been there for you with work and everything. But hun, Joel is not the answer to…”

   You turn sharply and cut him off, looking to your mom who just stands in the corner meekly by the sliding door with her eyes wide and mouth locked shut. “Mom, please! Back me up here?”

   “George, just listen to her. Will you? You’re not hearing her,” she tries with an even breath.

   “I’ve heard enough!” he barks as he turns back to you with a deep scowl on his face, obviously still very unhappy with you. But when was he ever happy with you in the first place? Almost never. 

   “Yeah, I’m sure you have. Because you never listen. Thanks for letting me down once again, Dad.” You brush past him without stopping for the necklace, letting the tears burn hot in your eyes as the world slowly caves in on you. You don’t even look at your mom as you rush past her, just needing to be anywhere that they’re not so you can breathe.

   Breathe. Remember how to breathe.

   You sniffle and rub at your blurry eyes, and then you find Joel standing in the middle of the living room with the saddest brown eyes he’s ever given you. This just makes you cry more.

   “Baby, you alright?” he asks with a shaky breath, reaching out an open hand for you as if he can take all the pain away.

   “No.” You push away from his advances and knock your shoulder against his, tugging away until you’re practically sprinting for the door. You don’t stop for Sarah who’s standing in the kitchen, don’t stop for Joel calling your name in that broken tone of his, all you do is rush for fresh air where you’re alone, where you can think. But you don’t really want to be alone, do you? You just want Joel. But your dad has completely ruined that. He ruined everything. 

   Joel feels the icy sting as your shoulder brushes past him; he sees the tears cloud your beautiful eyes as they cascade down your flawless face. He knows he’s fucked, knows your father will hate him now, but all he wants to do is pull you into his strong arms so he can hold you and tell you everything will be alright, that the two of you will be just fine. Because he’s not letting you go. No. He’ll never let you go. Not even if your father hates his guts now.

   Just when he starts to turn and go to you, he feels a looming presence behind him that feels a lot like a rush of cold ice freezing him out. 

   “Joel, a word.” George’s deep voice fills the room, and Joel nods and walks with his head down low like he’s a puppy being scolded for making a mess on the kitchen floor.

   The air feels frigid, and he digs his large hands nervously into the pocket of his jeans while he stands on the back porch and looks over to see George practically tearing him to shreds with just his predatory eyes across the way.

   “How long?” His voice is clipped, and Joel shivers at the sound of that icy tone.

   “George, I…”

   “How. Long.” 

   “Almost seven months…” he says quietly with his head down low.

   “Jesus Christ, Joel.”

   He holds up a palm and tries to explain, but his shaky breath doesn’t do him any favors. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t…”

   “Didn’t what? That’s my daughter, Joel!” His eyes glow violent against the hue of the orange sunset that’s painted in the sky, murky clouds trying to fog over the brightness like the depths of his dark soul right now.

   “I know! You don’t think I didn’t think of that before I started this whole thing?” Joel’s jaw ticks, and his thick fingers form into tight fists as he tries to stay in control. 

   “I don’t know, Joel. You tell me.” George narrows his eyes and crosses his arms as he waits for an explanation.

   “It’s not like I planned to fall for your daughter, it just happened.”

   “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me!” George slams his hand against the closed grill, and Joel sees the glimmer of your silver necklace that sits locked in his unforgiving fist. The one with the key to his heart he so casually gave you earlier. Joel’s eyes glisten with frustrated tears, but he doesn’t let a single one fall. He’s stronger than that.

   “Because this is why I didn’t, why we didn’t! Because we knew you’d be pissed.” His rugged voice comes out clipped because he’s tired, so very tired of hiding his feelings. No more, he’ll lay it out thick if he has to.

   “You’re damn right I’m pissed! You’ve been secretly dating my twenty-six-year-old daughter without me knowing and have been sneaking around this whole time. Hell, did anyone else know?”

   “Sarah knew,” Joel says quietly as he takes a step back.

   “Oh, so you tell her but not me?” George looks positively pissed, to say the least.

   “I didn’t tell her, she figured it out herself. Saw us on a date, and I couldn’t cover that up. So yes, she knows. And Tommy knows, too.”

   “Even better,” George chuckles. “And this? What do you have to say about this?” He clutches the silver key in his palm and stares angrily at Joel while his mouth ticks up in a deep scowl. 

   “That’s… I asked her to move in with me.” There’s no getting around this, so he might as well come clean. But every bone in his body tells him to grab the necklace and run out the door. He needs to make sure you’re okay. That’s the only thing that matters now.

   “Move in with you! Why would you…”

   “Because I love her…” His voice is soft, quiet, like he’s afraid he’ll disturb anyone that hears. 

   “I don’t wanna hear—”

   “George, let him talk. I want to hear this,” Claire turns and nods to him. “Go on, Joel.” Joel hesitates but gives her a tight-lipped smile and says thank you with his softening eyes.

   George pinches the bridge of his nose while he waits, and Joel takes a deep breath before he speaks, letting his nerves settle before he spills it all. “She’s been so stressed tryin’ to find the perfect apartment, and nothing right was workin’. And I jus’… I’d rather her move in with me. ‘Cause I want her there, and I’d look after her and take care of her, and…”

   George grunts and clenches the silver key harder, but Claire just gives him a stern look and tells Joel to continue. “Go on,” she encourages with a small smile. 

   Joel takes a breath and starts again. “Look, George, I never meant to fall for your daughter, but I did. And you know what? It was the best decision of my life. She’s so… she’s so kind and smart as hell. And she jus’ is the brightest ray of sunshine and lights up my entire life. And she’s so beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the world.”

   Claire tears up a little in the corner, and Joel picks absentmindedly at the fringe on his flannel. He can’t help but grin as he thinks of your beautiful smile, the way you make him feel as if no one else in the world exists when you’re with him. You’re like the golden sunset that stays up just long enough to wrap him in pure warmth and sunlight, the one thing that keeps his heart pumping through his veins. You’re it for him, he thinks you always have been. He just didn’t know it till this year.

   “I never thought this would happen, but it did. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Even if it meant ruining our friendship and you never forgiving me. I can’t give her up, George. I won’t. She makes me so fuckin’ happy, and I’d die before there was a day I ever hurt her. Losing her isn’t a choice for me because I love her, will continue to love her for as long as I live.”

   “Joel…” Claire smiles with a gleam in her clear eyes. “You really love her?”

   “Mmm. I really do. I’d do jus’ about anything for that girl. She’s so precious to me. So forgive me if I’ve spent the last almost seven months givin’ her everything I possibly could. She has my heart and always will.”

   Claire shifts and wipes a stray tear from her eyes, giving him a warm smile that says she’s so happy her daughter has him. And that takes some relief off his burdened back. Now it’s just George he has to worry about.

   George stares and stares at the silver necklace with knit eyebrows, contorting his features into something Joel can’t make out what it means. There’s a beat of hesitance before George looks up and stares directly into Joel’s eyes, like he’s hearing him clearly for the first time. “You really love my little girl, don’t you…” His eyes clear up, no more hatred or scowling or anything remotely hostile. They’re just awestruck.

   “With all my heart,” Joel mutters through the chill of the evening. 

   The cold breeze slips through Joel’s tousled curls, running straight down his spine while he waits to see what will happen next. Waiting to see if his best friend will toss him overboard for the sharks to tear him to shreds, or waiting for the acceptance that it’s okay to date his daughter.

   It’s like the world stops spinning, the only noise is the bated breath he’s holding while he watches his best friend flip the gifted necklace back and forth repeatedly in his palm. The silence is torture.

   Finally, George looks back up and sighs before licking his bottom lip and muttering. “Here, take it.” He holds the necklace by the clasp and jangles it in front of him, edging on Joel to take it.

   Joel stares at the gleaming key, reading Miller’s Girl in silver letters, the one that belongs to his girl. And when he hesitates, George shoves out his arm again, letting the necklace toss and turn in his grasp. “Take it,” he repeats, a little softer this time. 

   He walks forward, scuffing his shiny boots against the pavement and stops in front of his best friend, till the key is safely back in Joel’s grasp. He looks up slowly and sees George’s eyes almost tear up, but they still hold some faint hesitation in those uncertain irises.

   “Look, it’s gonna take me a while to be okay with this. You’re gonna have to give me a little space to process this, but I… I give you permission to date her because… because I trust you more than any of those other clowns she’s dated. And you lookout for her, especially when I’m not around, and you obviously care a lot. And sounds like you love her a lot. So… if this ever leads to more than just moving in together and dating then… just ask me next time, but I think I’ll be okay with it.”

   Joel’s eyes go wide at the words, and before he knows it he has his arms wrapped tightly around his best friend’s back in pure shock. George pounds a strong hand on Joel’s back and mumbles under his breath that that’s enough. Claire gives him a gentle smile and watches the two friends make up in peace.

   “Thank you, George. For trustin’ me with your daughter.”

   George shoos him away and grits his teeth together into a pressed smile. “Yeah, yeah. Jus’ go talk to your girl, Joel. Let the old man have some space for a few minutes. I need a drink,” he sighs as he heads back inside for a cold beer in the fridge.

   Joel nods to Claire and then makes a beeline for the front door, knowing you're sitting out there in the cold with tears streaming down your beautiful face. He has to fix it.

   The sunset slowly slipping under the grey clouds doesn’t help your mood as another tear escapes down your cheek, falling to the ground with a splash as you hug your knees tighter to your chest while you lean against the front porch railing. You always knew your father wouldn’t approve, and now he’s ruined your most favorite thing in this world.

   You almost miss the large figure that stands behind you until he’s kneeling down and wrapping his arms tightly around you like a warm blanket that drapes over your skin. His usual coffee scent and strong cologne showers you in a still calmness that only he brings you, and suddenly you feel like you’re home. 

   “Joel,” you sniffle into his warm chest, nuzzling your face into the crook of his neck while his big hands run up and down your back in soothing motions.

   “‘S’alright, sweetheart. You’re okay now. I’ve got you.” His gentle tone surrounds you in a cloud of comfort, and you suddenly feel warm and light for the first time since your parents saw the two of you kiss.

   “But they… my dad…” You can’t even speak clearly. Your words are all warped and clipped each time you think of how angry your dad was, how violently he ripped into your heart when all you were trying to do was tell him how much Joel meant to you. It was a disaster that was waiting to happen, and you let it.

   “Hey, look at me.” He tips your chin up and brushes the next tear away that clashes against your eyelashes. “Everything’s okay now. We’re okay.”

   You look at him with confusion swirling in your irises as your fingers clasps around his fuzzy flannel you love to wear so much. “We’re okay?” you whisper out in a daze.

   “Mhm,” he nods as a warm smile slips over his plush mouth. He digs into the pocket of his jeans and grasps the silver chain in his palm. Your necklace. 

   “Think this belongs to you.” Joel opens his palm and reveals the silver key that has your name written all over it. The key that promises for a future together, your future. A life with him in it, a step before a lifetime together.

   “Joel… he gave it back?” You gawk as your finger brushes against the metal, clasping your hand over his so you can feel the promise of forever in the warmth of his calloused palm.

   “Mhm. It belongs to you.” He pushes it into your open palm and closes your fingers over the cold silver, letting his hand linger over yours as his warm breath invades your space.

   You take a moment to register what this means, what this might promise. Did this mean your dad… Your eyes flick to his with agility, and your lips part as you exhale a long breath. “Does this mean... Did my dad…”

   A smile curls against his mouth and he nods. “‘S’alright now. After I talked to him, after I explained myself, he listened. He’s okay with us, darlin’. Well, as good as he’ll be right now. Might take some time to mend our friendship back to how it was, but s’okay. We’re gonna be jus’ fine. And you and me? We’re gonna be more than fine.”

   You throw your arms around Joel’s neck and sink your lips against his, letting his cinnamon taste melt into your mouth until you can taste nothing but him. He pulls you against his broad chest and strokes his calloused fingers against the back of your neck, tugging until you’re flush to him so he can ravish and serenade your mouth with the taste and feel of his warm, lush tongue. 

   It only takes minutes of heated passion until he pulls his lips from yours and rests his forehead against yours. You’re both out of breath, but you guess that’s how the two of you always are. Always giving your entire being to each other until the other is completely satisfied. But it’s not about that this time, it’s about finally being able to express your love for each other out in public. No more hiding from your parents, your friends, no one. It’s you and Joel against the world now, and there’s not anything you can’t conquer now.

   He moves your hair across one shoulder and clasps the necklace around your neck, leaving it right where it belongs now. Yours. 

   “There,” he smiles as he glides his fingers over the silver key. “Right back where it belongs. Right over your heart.”

   You take a moment to admire the syrupy eyes that flick to yours as you rake your fingers through his silvery scruff, dragging your nails slowly as he groans at the feel of you. “I love when you do that,” he murmurs as his thumb strokes your bottom lip delicately.

   “Well, get used to it because I’m about to be living with you,” you smile.

   “Mmm. I like the sound of that. You in my arms every single night? Wakin’ up to the glow of your stunning smile? Bein’ able to kiss you whenever I want, wherever I want? Yeah, I could get used to this.” His lips drag down your cheek and end on your lips softly, but then they’re gone in a flash as he traces his fingertips over the back of your hand.

   “Slow mornings with freshly brewed coffee, your lips, and me curled up in your lap? Yeah, I could get used to this, too.” Your lips find his once more, and then you’re floating off in a little bubble, to a place only you and Joel know how to get to.

   When his lips untangle from yours, he smiles and gives you those loving sweet eyes you never can seem to get enough of. “I love you, darlin’.”

   “I love you too, Joel.”

   The evening slips by in a rush. Your parents are weirdly mellow about the whole thing, but your dad still sends a couple snarls your way when he sees you and Joel holding hands. But he surprises you when he sends you off with a hug and a kiss on the cheek before you go back to Joel’s house. 

   It doesn’t take him long till Joel and him are doing fishing trips, watching football games together, and going out for beers again. And you kind of love that Joel didn’t have to lose his best friend over you. No. Joel got to keep both of you, and you couldn’t help but tear up when you saw how close they were again just a month after the whole Christmas disaster. You guess some things just fall into place like you and Joel did.

   You never expected to fall in love with your dad’s best friend, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to you. And now? You’re finally free to live your life with your favorite person by your side.

   You don’t know what the next year will bring or the year after, but you know Joel will be there no matter what. 

[russett-pots]

Frat Boy

Kim Minju

Tags: Too lazy to put tags. Just read if you wanna know ;)

Words: 3.6k

Sorry it took a while. It was supposed to be uploaded yesterday. But thanks to Finals approaching I got busy.

It is already the end of class, and you get down the elevator and head to your dorm. But before you can get home. You see one of your frat mates come over to you.

“Dude!” You shout.

Your friend comes over and brofists you.

“You coming to the frat party tonight?”

“Bro, I got a big test next week.”

“So? Your smart ass already studied for that.”

“I just don’t want to fail. I’m still gunning for Dean’s Lister.”

“Come on, man. A sorority is coming over. Time to find some chicks, you know.”

You’re reluctant. Even if you are in a fraternity, you have been hands-off. It is mainly for you to make connections. You have met a couple of interesting figures but nothing much that is interesting.

“You coming?”

“Fine.” You groan.

“It is later tonight. Just come to the house.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” You wave your hand. “I have to go.”

“Hehe. See ya tonight.”

“Yeah.”

~~

You knock on the door. One of your fraternity brothers opens the door.

“Hey.”

“Everyone! Mireu is here!”

You hear cheers for your name.

“Welcome. Sorry for forcing you to not stay in the frat house.”

“Don’t worry. I got my own room anyway.”

“Nice! By the way, do you have the assignment for our physics class?”

“I’ll send you the answers tomorrow.”

“Great! I need them by Monday.”

“No problem.”

You enter the room. There are typical things happening in the house, drinking, playing games, and other roughhousing. But there is one thing new with the place. A set of new sorority girls have arrived. They are the talk of the town with how beautiful they are. But one of them catches your eye.

With all your confidence, you march up to one of them.

“Hey, my name is…”

“Mireu!” She completes your sentence.

“Yeah. I guess you heard.”

“Hi, my name is Chaewon. You must be pretty popular.”

“Nah, it’s mostly because I do their homework.”

“Wow. Can you do mine?”

“Depends. What is it?”

“I don’t know if you can help me. It’s some math assignment.”

“Hand it over to me. I’m sure I can help you with something. Just ring me up. We can have a private tutor session.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” She giggles

Then suddenly someone pulls your arm. “Mireu, let’s play a game.”

“What the heck?!”

He plops you down in a circle with half boys and half girls.

One of the girls grabs a bottle and places it in the center. She spins in and it lands on you.

“What’s this?” You question.

But all the girls giggle and whisper to each other. You can discern that there is someone they want to partner with.

“It’s seven minutes in heaven.”

“What the fuck?!”

You try to stand up but you can’t. The guys around you are already pushing you down back to your seat.

“You got picked. There is no turning back.”

You close your eyes, take a deep breath, and spin the bottle to pick your partner.

It spins. It goes around and points are different people in the circle. You pray and hope that you didn’t get a guy. Then it lands on this one girl. She is quiet and seems like she doesn’t talk much.

Without much hesitation, all of your frat brothers carry you to the bedroom while the girls are bringing the girl you picked to follow you.

They toss you to the bed, then leave you. The girls brought the girl that picked you up and lock the door as they leave.

The girl smiles and introduces herself.

“Hi, my name is Minju.”

“Ugh! Whatever. I’m Mireu.”

“Aren’t we supposed to have sex?”

“Don’t bother. I didn’t want to play this game anyway. So don’t get any ideas.”

“Oh…” Minju sits down on the floor with her back to the wall.”

“You alright?”

“Is…Is… is it because I’m ugly? I saw you talking to Chaewon-unnie. Don’t you want to play with her?”

You get up from the bed and kneel down in front of Minju. “No, I’m not in the mood for sex. Just be quiet or something.”

“Okay…”

She sounds disheartened and quiet for the next thirty seconds.

“Did you want to have sex?” You ask.

“Well, the girls said it is a good idea and a great way for me to lose my virginity.”

“You’re a virgin?”

She affirms with a very slight nod.

“Is this how you wanted to lose your virginity? With a random guy?”

“Maybe…maybe it’s just the pressure. All of the other girls already had sex.”

“Don’t worry about it. Do it with a guy you trust or love. It’s going to feel much better than something like this.”

“You sure?”

“Trust me.”

Then there is a series of loud knocks. “You guys done?”

You shout back. “Yup, we’re just about to finish.”

You stand up and head to the door. But before you can touch the handle, Minju tries to hug you. It is a big surprise from Minju.

“Thanks”. She says as she buries her head into your chest.

You are shocked to see such a gesture from some you just met.

“Uhh…. What are you doing?”

“Oh..sorry.” She lets go of the grip on you. Instead, she turns around and heads out of the door. You can peek thru and see her run into the crowd.

Chaewon comes over and checks you out. “You done I guess?”

“Sure…” You reply. Minju is stuck in your head all night. She is shy and quiet, something you found cute. But with her? She seems like an outsider compared to everyone in the room.

The night goes on. You are done with playing seven minutes of Heaven. Good thing that they didn’t invite you to play again. Instead, you are with Chaewon, talking to her. You found her fun to be around. Just asking random questions and things seems to click.

“So, Mireu, what’s your major?”

“Me? Actuarial Science.”

“Oh, What’s that?”

“Just think Statistics.”

“Oh! You must be smart then?”

“You can say.”

“What’s your GPA?”

“3.95”

“Oh…. let me use the restroom.”

She leaves you to be on the couch. You wait there while she does her business. You wait ten minutes. Then fifteen. It becomes thirty. You check your watch and see it is already almost midnight. At this point you give up, you head out of the house and into your car.

But before you can step on the sidewalk you turn to your right. It’s Minju.

“Ya!”

Minju is jumps since she was startled.

You look around and see no one else then you put your attention to her. “Need a lift?”

“Uhhhh…. Chaewon-unnie told me that she is going to pick me up.”

“She’s long gone.”

“You sure?”

“Has your text even been delivered?”

“No….”

“She’s probably hooking up with another guy. Come on, you can ride with me.”

“You sure?”

“Do you want to be left alone here?” You almost scold her.

She follows you to your car. You head for the driver’s seat while she goes for shotgun.

The car ride was mostly silent. She just gives you her address as your head to her place.  You observe her. She is very timid, leaning at the window but then you see a shed of tears coming out of her ducts.

“Are… are you crying?”

She sits up straight and wipes the tears off her cheek. “No.” She says while she sniffles.

“Don’t make a mess on my seat.”

“Sorry….”

“There is some tissue on the glove box.”

She takes some out and wipes her tears. 

“Ugh fine…. What’s wrong?”

“It’s….. it…just you didn’t want to have sex with me.”

“You really think that having sex with a random guy is going to fix your problems?”

“No….”

“So why did you join?”

“Same as you, I guess….my friends pressured me. Chaewon-unnie always describes how good it is. But I never experience something like that.”

“Don’t fall for that peer pressure. You find the guy when you find the guy.”

This cheers her up a bit but she still continues to cry. Soon as you reach her house, she is already cleaned up.

Minju exits your vehicle with a smile. She waves at you before she gets in her door. As soon as you know she is safe you back up to the road and go home. But suddenly a small smile forms. You feel happy a bit. You haven’t felt like this since your last girlfriend who cheated on you before you left for college.

~~

That girl Minju lingers in your mind for the rest of the semester. You go thru classes. Everything that happens, you can see Minju doing it. Her face is plastered to all the girls in the room. You can’t get that girl out of your mind. All you see is her. She is the only thing on your mind.

Now it is the start of a new school year. You already became an inactive member of your fraternity. Finally, you feel a bit free from your old responsibilities. But you still try to keep a connection with them but now you gave your pin to the president.

~~

Finally, you can give one hundred percent of your attention to your schooling. But then you can see that face again, that mysterious face. You see it then it is gone. Like she is following you but you can’t really tell who it is.

You go to one of your classes. When you get in, there aren’t a lot of people yet. It is early, what do you expect?

As the good student you are, you take a seat where you can get a good view of the class. As you take out your notebook, you see her. It’s Minju. It has been a while since you last saw her. But now you can see her every week.

She looks around for a seat. It didn’t seem like she noticed you. She just goes around finding a decent seat. Then she sees one beside you. It still doesn’t seem like she knows you. But as she comes closer, a sense of embarrassment ruins her.

The first thing she does is to do a ninety-degree bow to you and walks away.

“Wait! You can sit here.”

She looks at you and goes back to the seat that she originally wanted.

“Hello.” She mumbles.

“It’s Minju, right?”

“How do you want me to address you?”

“Just…Oppa, I guess?”

“Okay….Oppa.”

“You okay?”

“Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Just relax. I know the prof. He is chill.”

“Really?”

Then the door opens. It is the professor that you told Minju about. He comes in front and introduces himself. He is a chill prof unlike the many that you wish could change him. As the class is about to end, he gives out an assignment for everyone.

You turn to Minju. “Wanna work together ?”

“Sure.” She happily agrees.

It’s the first time that she has been relaxed with you. But when she smiles. It hits you. You noticed how beautiful she is despite her dorky appearance. When he wasn’t very confident with her looks, you can see past that. You are starstruck.

“Do you need my number?” Minju asks.

You snap out of the trance the nod. She hands her phone to you and you type down your number.

“Sorry, Oppa. Let’s do the assignement later. I have a class.”

“Just text me or call. Whatever works for you.”

She chuckles. “I’ll just text you.” She waves bye as you sit on your sit, smitten. That one moment when you look at her, you wish that she is your girlfriend.

~~

The day goes on. You keep on staring at your phone to check to see if Minju has responded to you. Hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second. Each moment is filled with your thoughts of Minju. Then suddenly, during one of your classes, your phone vibrates.

“Hi, Oppa. Sorry for being so forward. Wanna do the assignment together?”

You quickly grab your phone. “Sure. When are you free?”

“I’m thinking after school. Umm….. I’m busy until then.”

You ponder for a moment. It shouldn’t be this easy to get a date. “You sure? I don’t want to keep you busy.”

Bubbles pop up on the bottom of the screen. Then it disappears.

Is this too much?

Then it pops up and a message is sent. “It’s no problem. Can we meet at your place? My place is a mess thanks to my roommate.”

You get nervous. This isn’t like you. The feeling inside your gut isn’t something you are used to, especially for a girl.

“Sure. I’ll meet you at 7?”

~~

You wait near the exit of your school. You check your watch and see it is almost seven. She is still not there. You check your watch again, barely anytime has passed. Then you see a group of girls passing by. You can see there is less than a handful of them. In the back is Minju. She comes closer and greets you, still wearing those nerdy glasses she had when you first met.

“Hi…oppa…” She is still nervous like you are meeting for the first time.

“Hey, Minju.”

The pack of girls behind are now giggling. Minju’s hands are shaking. “Sorry about them. They’re my sorority sisters.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah….”

“Don’t worry about them.”

“Okay.” Her voice is now more stable.

Then one of the girls shouts as you leave. “Treat her well.”

You can remember that voice as Chaewon’s. The girl you are supposed to meet that night before you met Minju.

Your attention is now on Minju as you bring her home.

Minju asks you about your dinner. “Have you eaten?”

“Oh, not yet.” Your mind has been nothing but Minju that you forgot to eat.

“Where do you want to get food?”

You check around the area and you see nothing but a convenience store.

“You…want 711?”

“Sure.”

You head inside and see what’s being served. There are some packed meals, sandwiches, and other quick and easy goodies. You look around and see the options. Minju is looking around as well and picks up something while you grab something more filling,

“You sure that’s enough, Minju?”

“It’s fine. I had a late lunch.”

You shrug your shoulder and head to the counter.

The clerk asks. “Want me to heat this up?”

“Sure.” You say. “Minju can you get me something to drink.”

She nods and waddles to the drinks section and turns behind the shelves.

“You dating her?” The clerk asks.

“I wish.”

“She seems nice.”

“Really?”

“Not my type but I’m sure. She’ll be fine for you.”

“Thanks. She’s cute.”

Minju returns with two cans of soda. “Here, I hope you like Coke.”

“It’s alright.” You look at her with a smile.

“Okay, is that all?”

You nod to the clerk as he packs up your food and drinks.

You and Minju leave the place but she is a bit clumsy but you pick her up before she falls to the ground.

“Are you okay?” You carefully ask Minju.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Then you both head up to your apartment.

“Let’s eat first. I’m hungry.”

“Sure…”

Dinner is quiet. You eating and Minju is right beside you. It calls you to do something but you cannot find anything to start the conversation.

“Minju…” You try to open up.

She turns to you.

“Oh, wait.��� You get up and grab a napkin then return back. “There is something on your face.”

Then there you are after cleaning up her, you face up against each other. You can feel her heartbeat and it is going fast. She isn’t backing up.

You look up and down then focus on her lips. This feels like forever. The thought of kissing those lips. The thought of your first kiss with Minju. Then you got tired of waiting and go for it. You kiss her lips. It is sweet as nectar the taste of Minju is on your lips.

You break the kiss for a moment.

“Minju, you like that?”

“Very much.”

Then you go for it. You cup her cheeks as your kiss her for the second time. Your hands from her cheeks down to her neck and to her breast. But she stops you and moves back.

“Minju!” you call her out. “Are you alright?”

“Ummm…..sorry. It’s just. You’re my first and….I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Remember that night? When we first met?”

“Of course I do. You rejected me.”

“Minju!”

“Yes?”

“Do you want me to be your first?”

“Yes but can we be… ge—”

For the third time, you dive into her lips and into the couch. The force you put upon her makes the both of you laugh. So you kiss again as she starts to undress you. You remove your shirt and unbutton her blouse. You can see her pair of breasts locked by a brasserie.

Minju removes her blouse and unbuttons her bra. Her breasts are now free for you to use. You start to suck on them, playing with the nipple simultaneously. As you enjoy your time with Minju’s breasts, your hand starts to linger down to her blue jeans. It unbuttons her pants and slides inside her panties.

You play with her gently. First slowly, then turn into rough. But as soon as Minju feels it, she stops you.

“Let’s just do this gently please.”

“Okay, how do you want to do this?”

“Umm…I’m not sure. But….”

“You just want to go straight to sex?”

“Sure!”

You lead her to the bedroom. Her chest is exposed and her pants are halfway down. You push her to the bed and move back to kissing.

“After that night, I never thought you’ll actually be in my bedroom.”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“I’ll wouldn’t have done it any other way.”

You peck her lips one more time then stand up.

“You ready?”

She gets up and removes her pants and her panties while you get naked. You look at each other and laugh a bit.

“You think it is small?”

“Well, I don’t have a comparison.”She squeezes her breasts. “You think these are small?”

“I don’t care. Boobs are boobs and yours are great.”

She blushes.

You grab her and pull her closer. “Let’s just do this simple, okay?”

She looks up to you and smiles. “Sure.”

You kiss her again and gently lay her on your bed. Your hands interlock in this passionate set. Then finally you align your tip to her entrance. You thrust inside. Minju grunts as there is a hint of pain.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just continue.”

You run in deeper and you can feel as if you are at your max. Then you slowly start thrusting. First in and out, just getting used to her unused pussy. Then when things are running smoothly, you move faster and faster. Things become more and more pleasurable which causes you to moan.

You notice that Minju’s eyes are closed but with a smile of satisfaction. She also grunts as she takes you in. But those grunts turn into moans like yours. They both become louder and louder. You try to silence her but forcing a kiss. It works for a second but instead of kissing you for longer, Minju bites your lip.

“Fuck me. That’s hot.”

“You like that?”

“Very much.”

You fuck again and kiss her again. It is getting up to you. You thrust faster and faster, feeling the deepest parts of her womb.

You can’t stop. Her pussy feels better after each second. Her breasts jiggle as your large force is inside Minju.

“Fuck! Minju! Ugh!”

“Come on, get me more, Oppa!”

Those words encourage you to move in deeper and deeper. You try to pleasure yourself and Minju as much as you can and it works. Your cock is feeling the best as it can with a virgin hole while you can hear Minju shout in delight.

It is hard for her to stop moaning and groaning. It starts to fill the room. For you, your own sounds of orgasm are in perfect key with Minju’s.

Then you can feel your gut turn. It is time. Your cock is throbbing.

“Minju! I’m going to—”

Then you spew your seed. You empty every single drop of semen inside her. Rounds, rounds of cum run inside her.

You pull back and see Minju catching her breath. She looks tired but still beautiful. You jump in bed with her and pull her in your arms.

“Oppa, that was amazing.”

“You must have enjoyed that.”

“Mhm.” She nods.

You pet her hair as Minju falls asleep. As you see her gently slumbering, you start to drift to rest.

~~

It’s the next day. Laying beside you is Minju. She is sound asleep so you try to quietly leave the room, still naked from last night. You quickly try to pick up something to wear. Once you are dressed, you head out and look for something to eat in the morning. 

You can still see the food you left for dinner and then pack them up. You clean up the small mess you left behind. Then you hear a creak on the door. It is Minju. She is still holding her clothes from last night.

“You wanna leave?”

“Sorry, I thought you left.”

“Minju, do you want to date?”

“Date?”

“Do you think that last night meant nothing?”

“No, I mean….I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

You open your arms open and walk to Minju. You embrace her as she snuggles up against your chest.

“Come on, we still have class.”

[prodigal-explorer]

why i hate sunflower (sunny x basil) - a rather unprofessional essay

spoilers for omori below

and also i'm not gonna tag this as hate because it's literally just the truth. cry about it.

respectfully, it's a horrible ship. i might just be saying that because i hate basil, but i just cannot see it ever being healthy. basil destroyed everybody's lives with what he did, and even if they decide to forgive him, what happened to them won't just be reversed. not to mention the codepedent/abusive aspect of the whole situation.

basil expects sunny to dedicate his entire life to him and his emotional well-being. you shouldn't be responsible for anyone's emotional well-being when you're fifteen years old except for your own.

even in the game, there is evidence of something codependent. basil can't function like a decent human being when sunny explains that he's going away. basil literally HURTS SUNNY to the point where he needs to be hospitalized in an attempt to make him stay. and you think that would work romantically? heck no.

yeah, they smile at each other at the end, but does that really mean anything? forgiveness is great, but it doesn't take back what happened and the effects it had. sunny will always remember when he tried to leave and got his eye taken out.

and the fact that sunny is so heavily traumatized because of what basil decided to do to his dead sister is just insane to me. he's always going to see that image. i get that basil had good intentions or whatever but intention doesn't equal effect. if i ran you over with my car, it doesn't matter that i was twelve or that it was an accident. you would still have to go to the hospital.

and when people say "but he was just a kid he didn't know any better!". if basil had the cognitive ability to think of doing that, he had to cognitive ability to stop, or AT LEAST to admit what he did. if he did, then hero wouldn't blame himself for years and years, aubrey wouldn't have been abandoned, and mari would have been respected after she died. what basil did was extreme disrespect to the dead and it gives me chills just thinking about it.

and he did it to sunny's SISTER.

i just don't see why you guys don't care more about that? that's a bit more than a little red flag that is like a red ocean.

end of story, sunflower is a horrible ship and i don't get why the fandom is so obsessed with it. it makes me sick just seeing it.

especially when this is such a beautiful story when you look at it from a friendship pov! why does everything have to be about romance and uwu little gay boys? i know damn well if basil was a girl nobody would be shipping him with sunny, you guys just want a gay male relationship to fixate on and infantilize because that's what toxic fandom people DO. but that's a digression.

anyway if you like sunflower you're a threat to society. womp womp go cry. or better yet stop shipping it that would be lovely.

[nijiiro-no-kasa]

The Sunshine Court reactions under the cut. That means spoilers!

Jeremy is so perfect and I love him. I’m so glad his whole Thing wasn’t an act 🌟

“Andrew taught me…” Everything about Andrew and Neil from Jean and Jeremy’s POVs was lovely. Even though Jeans view was basically like “Andrew is creepy and Neil is horrifying”. All of his descriptions of Neil made him sound like a cryptid or someone whos natural state is forcing down a murderous impulse by the skin of their teeth and he is RIGHT.

Jean reacting to the Foxes v Ravens game! His reaction to Riko attacking Neil!! His reaction to Andrew saving him!!!!!

“That’s just a mite bit hecked up” 💀

Both Jean and Jeremy being like “yeah he’s hot. But at what cost?” About the other

Barkbark. A golden retriever. Putting him in Jeans room so he won’t be alone. SOMEONE GIVE JEREMY A DOG

Jeremy buying Jean the shirt 🥺 He’s so good

Cat and Laila are somehow MORE amazing than I thought?? And I had really high expectations

I feel like Jeremy is going to learn necromancy just so he can bring Riko back and kill him 👀

Jeans reaction to Jeremy bleaching his hair!

“Blond 👁️👄👁️”

I’m dying to know what Jean did to Andrew and Neil (and Kevin)’s room. More than that, I’m dying to know their reactions lmao

“For the record, that’s not a thing well-adjusted people say” - That is the best summary for not only this book, but this whole series.

Jeremy saying “shall we see what kind of trouble we can get into” and pulling out a board game is so beautiful and wonderful and ridiculous. He is an old man and a golden retriever and an angel

“Permission to break his face coach?” “Denied.”

I was surprised that Andrew didn’t tag along for Neil’s little field trip to LA, but it made sense once Neil 1) Called for a hit via napkin while drinking Thai tea, 2) “That’s illegal, just so you know” at the FBI’s parking job, and 3) Him lying to and guilt tripping the FBI during questioning. Andrew would have simply died from lust if he had seen all that.

“Remember that the next time you think you aren’t worth saving” almost took me OUT

I am chewing through the walls of my cage waiting for the next book holy shit

[brown-little-robin]

okay, I'm crowdsourcing advice for a minute, so bear with me and please lend some words if you have any:

I want to get out of the house more. Like, on a regular basis. Weekly, maybe. Preferably, I would like to be interacting with people—the same people—every time, for... like... accountability, but also because I am hoping to put myself out there as the 21st century's most neurotic platonic Casanova. Uh. Making a friend or more out of this would be desirable. But I think if I go out with the intention of making a friend, I will be disappointed.

So. I want to go do something, for that something's own sake. I don't want to go be fake once a week hoping to get a friend out of it.

However, the beautiful state of Iowa is a bit cultureless, and I am too introverted and easily overwhelmed for this world (e.g. going to bars is probably not gonna be my thing). So.... I guess.... any suggestions? opinions? thoughts on making friends in general, or finding good activities as an introverted adult, in general?

oh yeah, also: I am poor. that's a factor. so. signing up a class or similar is not a great option right now.

what the heck, I'll add a silly poll for fun: