#i almost forgot the flag but added it

[joybeantown]

IT WILL WORK OUT 🗣️

Filled with glee and wonders hes my fav :>

My kid icarus phase comes to haunt me but it did help with the hair

Still have requests open if theres an alt you'd like to see!

[bratzforchris]

Inked Daisies (Chapter 1)

A series

Summary: For the past year, you've been running the flower shop that's next door to your friend, Matt's, tattoo studio. But what happens when the feelings start to get more than friendly?

Pairing: Tattoo artist!Matt x floristfem!reader

Warnings: There will be individual warnings for each chapter. No warnings in this one!

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: Soooo...my first series on here ♡ In this universe, Matt has a nose ring and his usual tattoos, plus some other tats and piercings that'll be added later hehe<3 Let me know how you like it!! 💐💐

“Nope,” Matt shook his head as you stepped inside the shop, looking at you from behind the counter. “You can’t bring those in here.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, setting the small Mason jar of flowers down on the glass case that held a variety of glittering body jewelry. “They’re flowers, Matt. Not a bomb.”

“Don’t care, didn’t ask. Plus, they ruin the look.” Matt kept his eyes trained on whatever he was looking at on his laptop, but you could see a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

“You’re so grumpy,” You tsked, maneuvering yourself behind the counter and peering over his shoulder. “Whatcha doin’?”

Matt sighed, running his hands through his hair and spinning himself around in his chair to look at you. “This dude keeps changing his fucking design even though he’s put his deposit down. And guess what? His appointment’s tomorrow,” he sighed again, brushing a hand across his nose. “Fuck, I forgot that’s a new piercing.” 

Your face dropped into a pout at Matt’s stress. You had known him since freshman year when you had become friends with Chris and the other two triplets by extension. Although you didn’t see all the inner workings of Matt’s mind, you knew that he struggled with anxiety and stress. A particular instance at Six Flags during your sophomore year had told you that much. 

“Let’s see the design,” You offered, filling up a paper cup from the water jug behind the counter. “I’m sure there’s something we can do to make him happy.”

“What? Give him the tattoo for free and then change once it’s already on his body?” Matt raised a brow at you as you poured the water into the jar of flowers. 

“You’re such a pessimist, Matt,” You shook your head, placing the now-full jar of flowers next to his computer. “If it helps take away the awful, vile sight of big, scary flowers, these are the outcasts. Their stems were too short and a few of them are missing some petals. They’re the rejects.”

Owning a florist’s shop had been your dream ever since you were a little girl. You had been captivated by flowers since the day your granny had taken you into her expertly tended garden, leading you around and telling you all the meanings for the different plants. In a way, it almost felt like you were carrying on her legacy by owning such a dainty, girly shop that sold her favorite things. Maybe she wouldn’t have liked the fact that your shop was directly across the street from an all black tattoo and piercing parlor that just so happened to be owned by your best friend’s brother, but she definitely would’ve liked the aesthetic of your business. 

You drew yourself out of your thoughts, pulling up the chair of another piercer who had left earlier in the day. “Let’s see what we’re working with.”

Matt moved a few things around on his laptop, opening up Procreate and clicking onto a design. In your opinion, it was absolutely gorgeous. The tall oak tree in the drawing had large branches that extended outwards, but instead of leaves, the tree held clocks that were all stuck at midnight. Underneath the actual drawing was the carefully lettered sentence ‘Until Time Stops’ in swirly letters that matched the chains of the clocks. 

“That’s beautiful,” You said softly, your eyes entranced by the drawing. “It’s…wow, it’s gorgeous.”

“I think so too.” Matt mumbled, clearly more lost in his artistic mind than here with you. 

This reminded you of the nights during high school sleepovers. Chris and Nick would pass out early, leaving just you and Matt. You both struggled with insomnia, so some nights you would both stay up, pouring over the brunette’s sketchbook together while Matt explained each and every drawing in great detail to you. You had noticed that, similar to you, Matt had an eye for the natural world. You’d never brought this notice up to him of course, but you often thought about it during the early morning hours when you were doing opening duties in the shop while waiting for your employees to arrive.

“But he doesn’t like it, so it’s a scrap,” Matt shrugged, closing out the application and leaning back in his chair, eyes closed. “God, I’m fucking tired.”

You sighed sympathetically, hopping out of the chair. “I understand. I guess I’d want something I really like if it’s going on my body permanently. Doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying, though.” You acknowledged, bustling around behind the counter as you stacked papers up, put pens back in their cups, and locked the jewelry case. 

“I get that you like flowers and animals and shit, but you don’t have to do that. You’re not Cinderella. I’ll do it later.” he sighed. 

“Later? Matt, it’s almost nine,” the only reason you had come into the shop in the first place was because you had finished cleaning and locking your own store rather early and had seen Matt sitting behind the counter. “You need to go home and eat and sleep. A) You gotta be hungry and B) No offense, but I wouldn’t want someone who’s sleep deprived to be giving me a tattoo or piercing.” You joked, bumping his shoulder lightly. 

As if on cue, Matt’s stomach growled audibly, making him fidget with embarrassment, but not so much that he couldn’t open one blue eye to glare at you. “Says you. How many times have you gotten Astrids and Hydrangeas mixed up because you stayed up all night reading.” the brunette chuckled to himself, remembering the time that you had employed the triplets’ help to create a brand new bouquet less than an hour before a certain bridezilla’s wedding. 

“Now that’s not fair and you know it.” You huffed. 

“Is too.”

“Is not.” 

“Is too.” Matt insisted, smirking triumphantly once he saw you sigh in defeat. 

“You’re annoying,” You grumbled. “I like Chris much better.”

“Sure ya do, sweetheart.” Matt didn’t even look in your direction as he closed his laptop, shoving it into his black tote bag.

Something about the way Matt said such a simple sentence had you fighting your blush, grabbing your own bag that you had sat down earlier. You tried to ignore the funny feeling in your stomach, fiddling with your phone while Matt finished the tasks you hadn’t completed. “You think Nick and Chris would kill me if I brought pizza over instead of their elaborate orders from five different restaurants?” You asked, eager to move your mind away from the implication of his words. 

“You’re coming over?” Matt turned to look at you, an expression you couldn’t read on his face. 

“Nick invited me. You know we don’t see each other as much as we did when we were kids. I miss our sleepovers.” You smiled softly. 

Matt’s eyes crinkled with nostalgia. “Yeah, I remember that. They were kind of nice, I guess.”

“You guess? Wow, way to treat us like chumps. You got a girlfriend you’d rather be hanging out with or something?”

“No.” it was a single word, yet the boy’s tone changed from one of fondness to something much deeper and almost angrier. 

“I’m sorry, I…” You trailed off, studying him as he picked up his bag, trying not to focus on the tattoos that snaked down his muscular arms and connected to the chunky, silver rings on his fingers. “I didn’t mean to hit a sore subject.” Even though you two were close, you knew Matt didn’t tell you everything about his life. 

“Let’s just go, okay? I’m sure the ruffians are hungry.” he grumbled, walking towards the door. 

You scrambled after your friend, each of his broad steps equaling four of yours. “They’re not so bad.”

“That’s because you don’t live with them,” Once you were both outside, Matt turned and locked the door to the shop behind him. “Trust me, when Chris burps in your face for the fiftieth time that day, it gets less funny and more annoying. Do you have a ride?”

“...no…” You admitted. 

“Can no one in my life get their license?” Matt sighed, not even waiting for you as he started the trek to his car. 

“Actually,” You corrected him, practically jogging to keep up. “I have my license. I’m just saving for a car.”

You believed city transportation was a perfectly valid form for getting from point A to point B, but as you slid into the passenger seat of Matt’s car, you couldn’t help but to admit that having your own personal vehicle was a much nicer alternative. Matt pulled out of the parking space without speaking, but you could feel his warm presence beside you in the car. As he migrated the car through the narrow city streets, you found yourself wondering what your life would be like if this is how every single day went for you. You knew Matt would drive you home in the evenings if you asked, but a part of you wanted to keep the rare occasion of rides together just that. Rare, special, something seemingly so mundane that it was almost silly you were even thinking about this. 

Time spent alone with Matt was rare, despite working across the street from each other. Between being a triplet and your friendship with Chris, the one-on-one actions were few and far between. But for some reason, on nights like tonight, when you thought about how he interacted with you, you wished that you could make them happen over and over and over again.  

tags ♡:  @jake-and-johnnies-slut @chrissfavwh3re @suyqa @chrissturnswife @mbsbaby @herxysc-blog @lovingchrissposts @caffeinatedscorpio @spencereidenthusiast @crazychrisl0v3r @sturnioloxlver @whicked-hazlatwhore @blahbel668 @sturncakez @junnniiieee07 @biggesthat3r @sturniolowhore @patscorner @julesgrl @0strawberrysorbet0 @strombolilovr @matt444nixi @remussbitch @devthepoet1221 @mattyblover07 @loisnotaa @mollyquinnxoxo @graysturns @pepsicolapussy333 @ginswife @emmagirouard @athaliahxoxo @bitchydragonparadise @ilydeaky @soggyslugg169 @m00n-0n-paws @books0fever @stingerayyy2 @sunsetsturniolos @mimi-luvzyu @raysmayhem-72 @faygo-frog @oobleoob @billsslutt @aemrsy

note ♡: if you'd like to be added to my taglist, click here <3

[ink-the-artist]

Were you the one that created that one really cute non-binary demon?

If yes then might I ask if I am allowed to use it to make a flag out of it? A xenogender flag? With credit of couse!

thats me yea! i have a couple posts that has the demon with various flags as well as blank template versions for anyone who wants to make their own, ill just add them here

links to the posts:

[silentcryracha]

❍ ‗ Taking care of you during your period x maknae line (skz) ‗ ❍

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Pairings : Han Jisung x reader, Felix x reader, Seungmin x reader, Jeongin x reader

Genre/warnings : reader has periods, mention of painkillers/mood swings/blood, nothing else just fluff and really sweet boys

Summary : Like the title says, the younger boys take care of you when you have your period. You are their s/o in this. Half headcanon and half scenarios.

Word count : 1.8 K

A/n : Hyung line link. Possible grammar errors, english isn't my first language so have mercy T-T

Hope you enjoy, have fun and feel free to interact if you feel like it :')

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Jisung ‗ ❍

Hannie well... he's definetly not the most prepared student in the matter. He only has brothers. I feel like he'd lowkey be anxious in the first couple of days when the pain/mood swings are usually the worst. He's either babying you or teasing you there's not half way.

He's unhinged, like I truly feel like he'd tease you just for the fun of it when he sees that you're in a grumpy mood. "What if I told you that I forgot to-" and you'd shoot him the stinkiest side eye. He would try to not laugh and fail after two seconds, making you roll your eyes but he'd immediately hug you and kiss your cheek asking for forgiveness "I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry, you know I'm messing with you". And you'd forgive him because what else you can do? ACTUALLY-

You could get payback, that's what. And it would always be in the least expected moments too. You could've just randomly had a small breakdown, him comforting you stroking his hand up and down your back looking at you with those wide sweet eyes and a pout. And then you'd pull something like "You know, I still haven't forgiven for that thing" he would PANIC. "What? When? How?-" and you'd hold your laugh for a minute or so before telling him that you were "Just messing with you, silly" and he would sigh relieved but also lowkey hold an unserious grudge.

But then again everything would be forgotten in thirty seconds max and you'd end up cuddling while watching anime or a drama. When you felt particularly in the mood you also asked him to sing you something that would calm you down.

When it was something more serious than a belly ache or an off mood though, he would get quite tense by seeing you in pain. He'd try to stay by your side, helping you in any way that he could, wether that was getting some groceries, medication and so on, or simply using his hands to warm up your lower belly or gently stroke your back. I feel like that could almost be something that he wants to do, because you say that it feels nice and therefore he feels useful, and lowkey calms him down too.

Felix ‗ ❍

Okay, now we got a very sweet and probably the most prepared boy out of everyone. Grew up with two sisters that he adores, so y'all already know how much of a green flag it is.

He truly has been there, done that and you were truly not expecting how... normal? He would be about it? Straight up at the beginning of your relationship, you were out grocery shopping together on a normal day, and when you dragged him to the sanitary supplies aisle he just went "Oh are you on your period? You need anything?" and you just stared ad his chill expression dumbfounded. "Uh no, I actually just needed a new toothbrush" and he'd chuckle a bit going "Ah okay, next time that you need something though, ask me yeah? I'll grab them for you."

That kinda moved you? But you gladly accepted his offer and promised to tell him if you happened to need anything. And boom, not even a week later you got up from one of the kitchen chairs and realized that you left a blood stain on the plush cushion. You immediately gasped and kind of started to panic. Felix's head shoot up to look at you "Angel, what's wrong?" he leaned a bit to the side to check out the issue, and chuckled. You looked back at him confused but at that point he had already risen from his seat and untied the plush seat, holding it with one hand. "I got this, sweets. Go change if you have too, don't worry" as he kissed your temple.

You felt embarassed and mortifyed more than anything since the apartment that you were in wasn't yours, but Felix sounded so calm that he transferred the effect on you. You eventually did wash up and change, just to come back to him washing the stain in the kitchen sink. "Felix you don't have to do that, I can clean up my mess" but he shook his head gently and smiled at you. "Barely a mess, angel. Don't be embarassed, it happens. How are you feeling?" you answered that you were starting to feel pain so you would've liked to take some painkillers. He immediately told you to go get comfy on the couch and pick something to watch while you wait for him. You didn't ask any questions and just did as he said. After a couple of minutes he showed up with a pill, some water and warm chocolate in a mug. "There, sweetheart"

You ended up tearing up at how caring he was being for you and he got worried for a second, until you told him and then he'd laugh a bit while stroking your hair and leaving kisses on your head, forehead, temples, cheeks. "I am your boyfriend, of course I'm going to take care of you, angel"

And he always kept that promise, whatever you needed it was yours. He gave you such a sense of comfort that you couldn't help but be a little clingy during this time but he didn't mind at all, if anything he absolutely loved it and loved to indulge you and spoil you. And yes, brownies and other homemade treats would be a must, absolutely.

Seungmin ‗ ❍

I'm not completely sure about him. He does have a sister, there's that. But at the same time I feel like he'd also be a little awkward or maybe almost completely neutral about it. He would probably take the whole thing lightly and tease you a bit just to annoy you (jokingly).

"I wated to ask you a question but I'll wait a couple of days now you're no fun" you'd slap his arm and he'd laugh at you.

If you did happen to be in a more depressed more or be more in pain though I feel like he would be a lot sweeter. Still think that he wouldn't make a big deal out of it and I also don't think that he would be the type to baby you or be extremely cheesy, but he would make sure to do small things for you quietly.

For example; you two just finished dinner and are just having conversation, when he gets up and starts washing the dishes right away before you could even think about it. And he would refuse the help saying "Don't worry I got it, it'll take two mintes". Or maybe he'd notice that you were about to fall asleep on the couch and gently take you/lead you to bed and tuck you in.

He doesn't seem to be big on physical contact, BUT he will hug you in unexpected moments either as an unspoken "I love you" or a seemingly random moment. You do appreciate these little moments a lot, knowing his character.

And he would also give in to you requesting affection after a bit of begging. "Please? A little kiss? I'm hurting, you should comfort me" and he'd probably roll his eyes but secretly melt at your cute faces. He would absolutely regret it when you'd go like "I knew you weren't mean" and laugh at his annoyed face.

If you did happen to have a really really bad day though he would 100% worry and treat you like you were made of glass. "No, wait I'll take it for you" "Seungmin I can reach for the glass by myself" "No, shut up" and you would in fact shut up probably, lowkey finding him worrying for you cute.

Wouldn't admit it but couldn't stand to see you cry. He'd just get agitated and try to make you stop a little awkwardly "No, no, hey don't do that please" and would hug you with a pout and big puppy eyes. He would manage to comfort you though, even if it's just with a small gesture or a word of encouragement. Probably would propose to watch a drama or some tv to cheer you up :')

Jeongin ‗ ❍

Another one of which I'm not totally sure about. He only has male siblings though so, that is to be considered. He is also someone who would probably tease you to rile you up on purpose but at the same time I feel like he would make sure that you are taking care of yourself.

For example, if you were too tired or didn't feel like doing your night routine, at first he would try to encourage you to make a little effort, jokingly reminding you how you'd hate yourself the morning after. "Right now I truly don't care Innie"

He would end up convincing you to at least let him do it for you. You'd sit on a stool or the bathtub's edge with closed eyes, a relaxed expression and him standing in front of you gently rubbing hydrating cream on your face. Then you'd thank him with a smile that would make him smile back, with his dimples showing T-T

His sweet side would come out more during a relaxing time, wether it was watching something together on the couch or laying in bed to sleep, maybe even in a random mundane situation like standing close on the subway. He would rest his head on yours wrapping his arm around your shoulders, or even let you lean on him with your face nuzzling his neck, just for a few seconds before you had to move.

He's another one of those who I imagine would not baby you too much or be extremely cheesy, but just naturally very nice and comfortable to be around. Like his presence alone could make you feel better.

He would NOT be able to handle you being in an actual bad mood or crying so he'd just try to avoid it before it happens. As soon as you look lost in thought, he would nudge your shoulder with his and give you a small smile, to which you would always reply with another. If he felt a little unhinged he would try to make laugh in a completely silent subway/bus ride. And you'd absolutely hate him for it because he would be very hard to resist, wether he's making funny faces or making silly comments about something specific.

If you happened to feel quite bad, he would still try to at least cheer you up. He'd buy you some treats or do small kind things in your place, and cuddle you to help you calm down. You'd usually end up sleeping in his arms, making him smile sweetly and snuggle even closer to you, almost as if to transfer his good mood to you in some way.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

This is it for the maknae line! Hyung line link is at the start of the page. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed, feel free to leave feedbacks <3

[joon4eva]

forg_tful — kim namjoon.

summary. where namjoon's forgetfulness gets him into trouble.

genre. established relationship ✰ angst ✰ fluff

word count. ~3,482 words

tags/warnings. angst; lots of it, crying, namjoon is a green flag idc, oc is whipped, apologies and a happy ending, oh also here's this to give you an idea of how i pictured joon towards the end of the story

masterlist :)

"sorry"s and "i forgot"s seemed to become part of your daily conversations.

tonight was the night you'd been waiting for, the evening you finally introduced namjoon, your boyfriend, to your parents over dinner. to your relief, everything went smoothly and your parents adored him.

however, despite the outward success of the event, frustration bubbled deep within you.

the reason for this internal turmoil stemmed from multiple factors. first and foremost, you were late to the dinner; an issue in itself.

but what added fuel to the fire was that your tardiness was a direct result of namjoon forgetting about the event altogether.

this wasn't simply a matter of being late - it went much deeper than that.

you had done everything possible to ensure he would remember – leaving sticky notes on the fridge, setting calendar reminders on his phone – but to no avail.

in the beginning, namjoon's forgetfulness was almost endearing – he would forget where he'd put his keys or the name of that movie you both watched last weekend. but eventually, this tendency seeped into larger aspects of your relationship, causing him to miss important dates or appointments - moments that mattered a lot to you.

it seemed like you were constantly having to cut him some slack and reschedule plans, hearing apologies aplenty.

but somehow, namjoon always knew how to make it up to you - showering you with kisses and sweet gestures, making incredible plans for recompense on another day, or even demonstrating his love physically in ways that left you dizzy and unable to walk straight for days afterwards.

but this time felt different.

this time, it felt like his apology was more of an afterthought than a genuine act of remorse. it felt like he simply didn't care – as if your frustrations were utterly inconsequential to him.

before leaving for dinner, shit really hit the fan; heated words were exchanged at lightning speed through clenched teeth and narrowed eyes.

his defensive attitude made it apparent that he simply believed another quick apology would be enough to sweep his negligence under the rug.

as much as you tried to suppress it throughout the night, frustration eventually took over your usually sunlit demeanor.

somehow, both of you managed to plaster on fake smiles upon arriving at your parents' house, pretending that everything was fine between you.

every warm smile felt forced and every tender touch unnerved you.

you could barely bring yourself to look at him the whole night, and every time he tried to make a reassuring or affectionate gesture by holding your hand or wrapping his arm around you, you subtly but firmly rebuffed him.

by some miracle, your parents remained oblivious to the storm cloud hanging over the two of you.

somewhere deep down, you knew you couldn't simply let this go – not this time.

and so, this brings us to where you find yourself now – in the car with namjoon in the passenger seat as you both return home in silence.

the quiet is deafening, your demeanor frosty, and your eyes stubbornly focused on the road ahead, while namjoon's eyes occasionally dart towards you nervously. at red lights, your vision blurs as you stare resolutely at the world outside, acutely aware of his silent presence beside you.

namjoon, usually so adept at reconstructing bridges burned in anger and patching emotional wounds with well-timed humor, seemed at a loss for how to approach this situation.

this time, it appeared he couldn't simply laugh and charm himself out of this.

he exhales deeply, running a hand over his face. "i really am sorry-" he begins, but you cut him off, your voice barely containing the pain you felt.

"namjoon, please. i don't have the strength to listen to another one of your apologies..."

he blinks at you for a moment, wordless. his heart aches with guilt as he sees just how upset you are - more than he had ever seen before.

he opens his mouth as if to say something more but ultimately decides against it.

"i just want you to care, namjoon," you murmur through quivering lips, tears balancing perilously on the edge of your eyelashes. "that's all i want. am i asking for a lot?"

sudden honking from behind startles the both of you as the car behind you grew impatient with your delay at the green light.

with a jolt, you press on the accelerator, driving on towards home as fresh tears threaten to escape from your eyes, your throat growing increasingly tight with unshed emotion.

with a quiet sob firmly concealed behind clenched teeth, you bite your lip and try to focus on the road ahead – unsuccessfully fighting against a flood of fresh tears cascading down your face.

namjoon quickly averts his gaze, allowing it to wander aimlessly beyond the confines of the car, seeking solace in anything but the heart-wrenching sight of your sadness.

the elevator ride up to your apartment was filled with deafening silence - one where neither of you dared utter a single word as if doing so would shatter what little remained between you both.

as soon as the apartment door creaked open and you stepped inside, your resolve seemed to enter shaky territory.

for a brief moment, you stand still just inside the doorway, your clammy hands still clutching onto the keys.

your eyes follow namjoon as he takes several steps into the entrance. he removes his shoes and coat, seemingly on autopilot.

however, he soon pauses his actions and turns to face you, visibly aware of your eyes scrutinizing his every move.

"i think…" the words caught in your throat, "i think i'm going to spend the night at my place." your voice was barely audible, even to yourself.

namjoon's face registers surprise, and he stops in his tracks, eyes studying you intently for any sign that might reveal your thoughts.

after a brief pause, he moves to slip his coat back on again, his brows furrowing in concern.

"okay. i'll come with—"

"no, namjoon," you interrupt him firmly. despite the hitch in your voice barely rising above a whisper, there was no doubt how serious you were. he stops moving – his face reflecting his surprise and confusion.

namjoon has always been inseparable from you; there hasn't been a single night he has spent away from your side since you've been together.

"i could take the couch if that's..." namjoon starts again tentatively.

"just… let me have this space tonight. please."

his broad shoulders tense and he lets out a shaky sigh, turning his head away for a brief moment so that you wouldn't see the hurt that flickered across his eyes or the subtle gestures as his fingers came up discreetly to wipe at them.

he turns back to face you again and there's a vulnerability in his gaze – his normally confident exterior now replaced by feelings of insecurity and genuine fear at what this separation might mean.

as if propelled by instinct, namjoon crosses the distance between you both faster than you can react. he wraps you tenderly in a warm embrace, his arms enfolding your body against his firm chest.

his hand comes up to cradle the back of your head as if trying to protect you from the world or, perhaps, himself.

as you lean into him, the warmth of his body seems almost too much to bear – like walking on hot coals or holding fire in your hands – yet you know that it's exactly what you're yearning for.

his arms draw even tighter around you, and he lowers his head to press it lightly against your hair; the familiar scent of your shampoo wafting towards his nostrils.

he exhales tenderly before murmuring your name softly. with a voice strained by raw emotion, he whispers hoarsely, "i love you," allowing each precious syllable to crack the tiniest bit.

"and i'm sorry. i know i messed up. but please remember that i love you."

—

the drive back to your apartment is hazy, almost as if your body transported you there without any conscious effort from your mind.

your hands grip a duffel bag stuffed with essential toiletries and a few changes of clothes, enough to last a couple of days.

the thought of turning back and returning to namjoon crossed your mind multiple times. the lingering sensations of his arms wrapped around you were still so vivid; his heartbeat pounding against your chest felt as if it was still happening.

and as difficult as it was to admit, by the time you had managed to finally step through the door and leave the house, a part of you had already forgiven him.

when you unlock the door and step inside your old apartment, you notice that everything is exactly as you left it; eerily clean along with the darkness that envelops the space, the accompanying emptiness, and the lack of life within.

the emptiness is almost palpable, with a barren fridge and clean empty shelves serving as a stark reminder of the life you've temporarily left behind.

the only reminder of your presence in this apartment is the furniture that you bought brand new when you first moved in - before namjoon had ever asked you to live with him.

rather than feeling like home, your apartment appeared abandoned and forgotten; a place where no one had ever taken residence.

with a flick of a switch, dim light fills the living room casting shadows on the surrounding walls.

you stand there, rooted in the center of your living room, as a memory suddenly resurfaces:

you and namjoon had been dating for nearly nine months at the time. by then, both of you were comfortable enough with each other to spend nights together at each other’s homes; so much so that it almost seemed natural for your things to mingle together.

you were both sitting cross-legged on your couch together, warm cartons of chinese food cradled in your hands while letting a cheesy romantic comedy flicker across the tv screen on netflix – his selection no less.

the remnants of dinner were almost gone when namjoon ventured deep into the takeout bag and emerged triumphantly with two fortune cookies clasped tightly between his fingers.

handing one over to you, he flashed a warm and playful smile - the kind that seemed to make his dimples more prominent than ever.

"i'll open mine first," he declared confidently.

you watched him fondly as he eagerly cracked open the cookie, listening intently as he read aloud:

all things are difficult before they are easy.

he pondered the words for a brief moment, then, in true namjoon fashion, nodded to himself and adorably popped both halves of the cookie into his mouth.

reclining against the couch cushions, he gives you a playful wink and motions for you to proceed. "your turn," he mumbled through his self-satisfied grin.

you broke your own cookie, feeling the small slip of paper between your fingers, and your eyes raced across the message before they stopped dead.

the words printed there sent your stomach tumbling, your heart performing dizzying backflips inside of your chest:

your fortune: move in with me?

you glanced up at namjoon just in time to notice him observing you intently, a smug expression dancing across his face – it was clear he was enjoying the sight of your reaction.

"well?" he asked innocently, feigning ignorance as he leaned in closer to where you sat on the couch.

"what does it say?"

—

in a fit of frustration, you spin around, clutch your duffel bag tightly, and trudge towards your bedroom with heavy, slow steps.

pulling on your pajamas and brushing your teeth almost mechanically, you finally crawl into bed – but sleeping alone feels alien to you.

the chill of the empty sheets envelops you, and try as you might to shake it off, it's an uncomfortable sensation that clings to your skin. your heart grows heavier as blankets enshroud your shivering form in a futile attempt at comfort.

when morning arrives — or perhaps it's afternoon by now — you find yourself even more exhausted than before if that's possible.

the sunlight filtering through your curtains causes a strain on your groggy eyes as they slowly crack open.

with one arm stretched out from beneath the covers, you reach for your phone — clinging to a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, namjoon had called or left a message while you were asleep. reality's cold slap stings as your screen is devoid of notifications.

although space was something you thought you wanted – needed even – it was never something that felt so crushing with its absence filled by namjoon.

groaning slightly, you sit up in bed and stretch before rising unsteadily on weary limbs.

coffee – that's what you need right now.

you were sure that you didn't have any cream though, but perhaps the bitterness of black coffee would suit your current mood; it's almost as if the scent of it was already lingering in the air.

you groggily shuffle down the hallway with bleary eyes. except for an odd denim jacket tossed on the counter, nothing seemed out of place.

your eyes widened at the jacket as you halted abruptly: buttoned cuffs, oversized, and slightly faded.

it was namjoon's.

your eyes quickly dart to the entrance, where a pair of shoes that couldn't possibly be yours were thrown carelessly next to the door.

your heart skips a beat as adrenaline momentarily jars you awake.

the sound of rustling emanates from the kitchen, and with bated breath, you walk towards it. cautiously, you approach and peek around the corner.

there stands namjoon with his broad back overshadowing everything else in view.

he's clad in a crisp white tank top, toned arms on display and muscles subtly rippling beneath the fabric. his back faces away from you as he appears wholly engaged in some task at hand.

you rub your tired eyes and squint, trying to recall whether yesterday's events were merely figments of your imagination or if they genuinely transpired.

you remember everything vividly: it really did happen.

absentmindedly perched on your kitchen counter are two mugs; namjoon smoothly fills each with coffee while he hums to himself.

what catches you off guard is the presence of your favorite hazelnut creamer next to the mugs - something he clearly must have picked up for you - as well as an all-too-familiar takeout bag from your favorite bagel shop.

the creamer— so delightful that on one occasion, you could have sworn you were hallucinating when you swung open the refrigerator door, only to find that namjoon had stocked it with multiple bottles. they were meticulously arranged in such a way that they occupied the majority of the uppermost shelf.

"so you won't have to worry anymore about running out too quickly," he had explained that day.

a mixture of emotions bubbles within; anger competes with relief, anxiety dances with affection.

you wanted this, didn't you? your secret desires brought to life with his unexpected presence, yet simultaneously neglecting the boundaries you had asked for.

it was difficult to deny how alluring he looks in that tank top, the very image of domestic perfection as he prepares your morning coffee and a fresh breakfast spread.

and then he turns around, clutching both mugs in his hands.

he freezes, seeming equally startled by your sudden presence – as if he wasn't expecting to be discovered just yet.

his lips quirk upwards in a hesitant, yet warm smile as his eyes take in the sight of you—sleepy, tousled hair, and the adorable pout that comes with a still-drowsy state. "good morning," he murmurs softly.

"hi."

the two of you stand there for a beat, the awkwardness of the situation settling like a thick blanket around you.

the question spills out of you without warning:

"how did you get in?"

he glances down at the coffee mugs still cradled within his grip, cautiously responding, "you always leave a spare at our place. i thought it would be nice to talk over breakfast."

your voice falters as you try to respond, but any words that might have come forth dissolve into the swelling lump forming in your throat. instead, you opt for a subtle nod before turning away and leading him towards your small balcony.

as you step outside, the bright morning sunlight makes you squint, still adjusting from having just woken up not too long ago.

you take a seat with namjoon at the small table on the balcony, silently munching on cream cheese-slathered bagels and sipping coffee, which slowly helps lift the fog of grogginess clouding your mind.

your eyes occasionally flicker towards namjoon, whose pensive gaze seems fixed on some far-away point in the distance.

a somber cloud seems to hang over him and a sinking feeling in your stomach tells you that he's here to bring an end to something.

"i fucked up yesterday,” he says, breaking the silence, “i know that.”

your head turns to look at him, saying nothing.

"i'm sorry," he begins softly. "i know i can't make it up to you now, but i genuinely am sorry."

namjoon's eyes remain locked on the same distant point as before, and as he continues to speak, they're filled with a profound sadness that seems almost unbearable for him.

his voice begins to tremble ever so slightly as he starts to explain himself further. "i've always been forgetful; it's among my most significant flaws. but i want you to know that it's never been out of carelessness when it comes to you. sometimes, my mind just gets overwhelmed."

he takes a deep breath, glancing at his hands before turning to look at you and adds, "i promise i'll do better; not just because i need to but because i love you. and the fact that i was in bed without you last night made me realize just how much i truly hate being apart from you."

pausing for a moment, he reluctantly allows his hand to hover over yours before gingerly placing it atop your own.

"i understand if it takes time for you to forgive me – i'm not asking for it right now," he admits quietly, his voice wavering slightly. "all i need is a chance to prove to you that i can change and be there for you when you need me."

namjoon then slowly removes his hand and looks away, giving you space to consider his words while fidgeting with the coffee mug handle.

you release a heavy sigh and look away too, trying your best to hold back tears. "oh, namjoon," you murmur, forcing a weak, watery chuckle.

this man, you think to yourself, will be the end of you. gently, you reach out and take his hand once more, interlacing your fingers with his.

"you cannot do that to me again."

in response, he turns his head to look at you once more - tears brimming in his eyes as they drink in every detail of your face. his expression softens with love and relief as he nods earnestly, "i won't. i promise."

holding namjoon's hand firmly in yours, you slowly stand up from the cozy, cushioned chair, beckoning him with a subtle nod of your head, signaling him to follow suit.

he rises from his seat, his tall figure towering over you as he instinctively stretches his arm wide, then gently pulls you into a tight and loving embrace.

his arms envelop you while his cheek tenderly rests on the top of your head. sighing contentedly, you nuzzle your face into the comforting fabric that covers his chest.

"namjoon," you quietly ask, snuggling deeper, "have you slept?" you can hear the slight rustle of fabric as he shakes his head.

"nope," he replies, his voice resonating through his chest.

he presses a tender kiss onto the top of your head before continuing, "you know i can't sleep without you." his words bring a smile to your face and a chuckle bubbles up within you.

"let's go back to bed, then."

you both walk back inside your apartment and into your bedroom where everything feels warmer than it did just yesterday: the bed that awaits you; the covers that promise to envelop the two of you in their cozy embrace; and namjoon himself, whose presence brings solace to your heart.

and as you lay down next to him and rest your head upon his chest, namjoon's heartbeat fills your ears—slower and steadier than it was the day before.

the sound is a soothing lullaby that leads you both to fall into a deep slumber, allowing you to sleep better than you have in what feels like an eternity.

[linawritestwst]

𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚡 𝚝𝚠𝚜𝚝'𝚜 𝚋𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚐𝚜 (𝚐𝚗!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛)

I'M FINALLY DONE. I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THESE YANDERE READER HEADCANONS.

okay, so, i should probably explain how these headcanons work and how i chose characters for them.

each character gets a yandere!reader with a specific personality trait and there will be different yandere types too. you can read more about yandere types online, i personally used information from the dere wiki.

about the title.. i agree that most twst characters can be called red flags (btw i mean it in an affectionate way.. with some characters. some of them are red flags in a derogatory way to me sdhdkjsdks) since almost all characters are based on disney villains, however, i decided to go with the ones i personally consider to be a little bit less sane than others <3 also i just used those characters who i wanted to see in a relationship with a yandere!reader, so don't come at me, okay sdhjsksksk i know that i should have included some other characters too, like now i'm thinking that i probably should have added cater, azul and a few other characters too but. i'm tired, okay. if people will be interested in seeing a part 2, sure, i might write one, but for now, just take this.

characters: riddle rosehearts (listen, i know that he's not as bad as other characters, but hey. yandere!reader x riddle makes me 💞💓💗💖💕) , jade leech, floyd leech, jamil viper, rook hunt, malleus draconia, lilia vanrouge (again, he's probably not that bad, but it's the vibe, okay) rollo flamme.

warnings: possible ooc, general yandere themes, themes of obsession, mentions of manipulation, murder and death, implications of suicide. if you're not comfortable with yandere/horror content (i think it has some angst too?), i suggest you skip these. stay safe, love y'all.

also i'm sorry if this has typos or anything like that it's kinda late and i wrote this instead of doing my hw

(divider link)

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character: riddle rosehearts

yandere type: training type

personality trait: cheerful

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♡ you remember meeting riddle for the first time like it was yesterday. of course you would remember it well, you knew that he was the one right when you saw him. riddle wasn't like most nrc students. he was responsible, hardworking, he followed the rules instead of breaking them. he definitely was your type. he was so cute too! it's so easy to make him blush and sweat and stutter, his reactions are always so fun and entertaining!..

♡ but there's this one small thing that annoys you a little. why do all other students say that riddle needs to chill and that there's no point in following all those rules? can't they see how amazing and talented he is? of course you're more loyal than all those traitors, you would never go against your queen's orders. in fact, you actually think that riddle should be even more strict. you remember hearing about his unique magic for the first time and being so excited to see it, "off with your head" means that he can easily cut anyone's head off, right?.. oh, so he just stops them from using magic.. man, and here you hoped that you will finally see those rulebreakers' heads on the floor.

♡ most people find it weird how even though you're always so cheerful and you love to have fun, you still think that riddle is right and you continue to support him. well, maybe your idea of fun is simply watching your classmates cry because they forgot to study for today's test and now it's too late to do anything! <3 actually, you're a bit scared that someone will try to change riddle's mind and make him become more relaxed and forgiving of those who break the queen's rules. you can't allow that to happen! you must make sure that riddle stays the same.. actually, what if you tried to help him become even more perfect than he already is? riddle will never forget about anything if he has someone like you by his side. he will study even more because you think that he's not working hard enough. he will try harder to impress you because you're the only person in this school who actually gets him.

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character: jade leech

yandere type: obsession type

personality trait: shy

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♡ jade is one of the few people in this school who actually understands you. he never judges you, he never forces you to socialize, of course, he does say that it would be nice for you to talk to others more, but he doesn't think that you being an introvert is a bad thing. he doesn't think you're weird, he listens to you when you talk to him about your interests and his face expression never changes. he always has a smile on his face no matter what you say, he never looks disappointed or confused or scared, he genuinely likes spending time with you and you know it.. or maybe that's just what he wants you to think.

♡ but even if he actually doesn't have feelings for you, you definitely are in love with him. anyone would fall in love with him if they were treated the same way. for someone as shy and quiet as you, meeting jade was the best thing that could ever happen to you. if it wasn't for him, you would be so.. lonely. actually, you just stopped caring about making more friends after meeting jade. jade is the only friend you need. you don't have to talk to anyone else. they will just laugh at you or call you weird and you're too tired from dealing with people like that. you think about jade so often, his own brother finds it concerning. you couldn't care less about what floyd thinks though.

♡ .. but what if jade actually finds it creepy too? no, no, that thought scares you so much, you can't stand it! jade loves you, right? he wants to be more than friends, right?.. but what if he doesn't even think of you as a friend? what if he just pretends to be nice, what if it's just him being polite? it's so scary to think about and you can feel your heart breaking, but.. what if it's true? you have to make sure that he loves you back. you have to talk to him about it. yes, you're shy, yes, you're quiet, yes, it's hard for you to talk about your feelings, but you have to know the truth. and if it turns out that jade is actually a huge liar.. haha.. at least one of you will die, that's for sure.

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character: floyd leech

yandere type: self-sacrifice

personality trait: cold

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♡ most people find it hard to talk to you. you're known for almost never showing your emotions and always looking like you want to kill someone even though you don't even look angry or anything like that, there's just something about your eyes and the way you look at people. so yeah, most people just ignore you or even run away every time they see you. it's not like you're mad at them, really. you don't mind spending most of your time alone. but it still.. hurts a little. haha.. so you actually can feel emotions after all. so when floyd suddenly started talking to you more and even gave you a cute nickname, you were surprised (though it was hard to tell from your face expression) but also.. maybe even happy?

♡ floyd doesn't exactly have the best reputation either because of his.. uh.. interesting personality, so of course you two would get along so easily. honestly, you even start to feel like you're.. it's so weird to hear yourself say it, but it feels like you're actually in love with floyd. he's the only one who can make you feel something and react to things, he's the only one who can make you smile or cry or feel fear. and he gets excited when he finally sees your face expression change too. however.. his mood swings do scare you a little bit. sometimes, when you're not showing any emotions and his tricks aren't working, he suddenly says that he's bored and just leaves you. huh.. a-are you not interesting enough for him?

♡ you knew it. of course, you knew that someone like you isn't good enough for floyd. he's always so full of energy, he needs someone who can keep up with him and you're not like that at all. but you need his attention. you just want him to look at you one more time. you really hope he will stop ignoring you if you just.. start acting differently. what if you start acting more like riddle who he loves to annoy so much? what if you start acting more like kalim who's just as energetic as floyd? you don't care what other people think of you, you just want floyd back. you're so scared of disappointing him again, you'll be anything he wants you to be.

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character: jamil viper

yandere type: protective

personality trait: soft

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♡ you admire jamil so much. you have no idea how someone can be as perfect as him. he's so patient, so hardworking, so good at everything he does.. and he also has to deal with kalim all the time. you talk about jamil so often that some people start to think that you have a crush on him. whenever they make jokes about that, you blush and deny everything, but you know very well that you really are deeply in love with him. you really want him to love you just as much as you love him. but how are you gonna make him notice you? well.. maybe you should help him in some way?

♡ but how exactly can you help him? you doubt that you can help him with cooking or his vice dorm leader duties.. ah, it must be hard for him to be kalim's vice dorm leader. maybe you can tell kalim to be a little bit more responsible? you know, so that jamil won't be overworked. you try to have a conversation with kalim about it and he promises that he won't push jamil too hard and he will try to be a better dorm leader. you apologize in case you have said something rude, but he claims that it's fine and that you're actually right. he really should pay more attention to jamil's well-being. he thanks you for caring about jamil so much and you say that it's not a big deal while trying to hide just how red your face currently is.

♡ .. kalim is a good guy. he really is. but he's not good at keeping his promises. no matter how much he tries, he still forgets things and jamil has to do everything for him. and even if kalim tries to do something without anyone's help, jamil still ends up doing it for him because he doesn't trust kalim and he doesn't want him to accidentally ruin anything. it hurts seeing jamil work so much. despite your best efforts, his situation never changes. well.. you didn't want to do this, you really didn't. but if there's no other way to solve this problem, maybe you should.. you know.. remove the person who's making all of this happen? ah, and if any other scarabia students get in your way or try to make jamil's life miserable as well.. it's okay, you can take care of them too. it's all for his sake.

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character: rook hunt

yandere type: monopoly + removal

personality trait: popular i know it's not really a personality trait but still

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♡ you're loved and admired by many nrc students. they have many different reasons to love you: your beauty, your intelligence, your sense of humor, etc. and you enjoy being this popular, even though on the outside you look like a gentle and even kinda shy person. however, even though you have such a good reputation and you're loved by so many people.. you're still not satisfied with it. why? well, the thing is.. no matter how many nrc students love you and say you're the most beautiful person in twisted wonderland, you just want one specific person to call you that. but he's never gonna do it. because he thinks all people are beautiful in their own way and he never stops complimenting them.

♡ rook is an interesting person. you have to agree that he can be a little.. weird sometimes, but for some reason, his behavior and personality intrigues you and you can't help but find him fascinating. and of course, he's one of your many admirers. he's not immune to your charms and he certainly finds you beautiful. however.. it's not like he thinks you're the most beautiful person here. he changes his mind like every few seconds, you swear, if you could put him in the same room with you, vil and neige, he would probably explode or something. but you want more than that. you want him to call you the most beautiful person he has ever seen. i guess you could say you want him to call you the fairest one of all, haha.

♡ so how can you make this happen? how can you make rook look only at you and nobody else? this is gonna be hard. you can't exactly get rid of just one person or even two people, because rook finds everybody beautiful. but uh.. maybe you can just remove the strongest rivals first? and if that's not gonna make him pay more attention to you, you'll have to get rid of more people then. and more. and more. you will make sure rook has his eyes only on you in the end because there will be nobody else to look at. too bad, you don't know that rook thinks that when someone is covered in blood and their heart had already stopped beating, that person is still beautiful in some scary, twisted way. so even if you do kill all those people, his thoughts will still be about them.

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character: malleus draconia

yandere type: loneliness induction

personality trait: manipulative yes i know most of them are manipulative shhh

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♡ oh, poor malleus. everyone finds him so scary because of his intimidating aura, it's impossible for him to make friends or even simply talk to people without making them want to run away. he's so strong, so powerful, of course people would be scared of him. well.. it's their fault for being so weak then. no, it's just not possible for them to become stronger. even if they do, they will never be as amazing as malleus. you don't think that malleus not having any friends is a bad thing, really. those other students don't deserve to even breathe the same air as him. he's just better than them and that's why they don't want to talk to him. they can't accept the fact that they're weaker than him.

♡ it's okay though. you're more than happy to be malleus's only friend. yes, he doesn't need anyone else but you. you've told him that many, many times before. at first he wasn't sure about it, but now.. he doesn't even talk to other diasomnia students that much, including lilia, silver and sebek. actually, sebek acting like his usual self annoys him now. he'd much rather hear you saying that you're ready to do anything for him. sure, you will say that. it's not like you actually mean it though. you agree that malleus is better than others and that you're the only one who's allowed to talk to him, but you do have your limits. it's not like you're okay with dying for him. you won't let him die for you either.

♡ you just enjoy him being obsessed with you a little too much to die for him. maybe malleus could make more friends if it wasn't for you. maybe he could find someone to be in a more healthy relationship with if it wasn't for you. but the fact that a strong mage and a prince of briar valley depends on you so much that he refuses to talk to anyone else makes you too happy to let him form bonds with other students. you repeatedly tell him that other people don't deserve him and that he doesn't have to spend time with them if he doesn't want to. it's okay if you're his only friend. it's okay if you're the only person who cares about him. you will give him more love than all those people combined.

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character: lilia vanrouge

yandere type: dependent

personality trait: innocent

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♡ you know that most students find lilia a bit strange, but you think that he's one of the most reliable and trustworthy people here. sure, he loves to pull pranks and mess with people, but you actually do think he's funny. you always laugh at his jokes and even though you get scared after he suddenly appears right in front of you out of nowhere or you see him hanging upside down, you still enjoy his company. in fact, you enjoy it so much that it's a bit.. hard to imagine your life without him. it'd be so lonely without lilia by your side.

♡ lilia is always there when you need someone's help and he's always there to support you and cheer you up when you're feeling down. no matter what other people say you know that this man is one of the kindest people you've ever met. he often says that you should be more careful since it's not like he can always come to your aid, even though he wants to be your hero so much. from his tone it sounds like he's joking, but he actually really is worried about you. you often look like a lost child who has no idea what to do and who will trust anyone no matter how suspicious they look. sometimes he jokes about you acting like this to get more attention from him. little does he know that this actually might be true.

♡ you need lilia to watch over you. you need lilia to come to you when you're sad and lonely and tell you that everything is going to be okay. most of the time you're not pretending, you really are this pure and innocent, you still have no idea how you can act like this while attending a school full of villains. but sometimes you do pretend to be a little bit more naive than you really are. you just like it when lilia acts protective and you're so, so afraid of him leaving you one day because he thinks that you're gonna be fine on your own. if he thinks so, then he's wrong. you will do anything to make lilia stay. you will do anything to make him believe that it's impossible for you to do anything without his help. haha.. maybe you should start getting into more dangerous situations on purpose. maybe if he sees how you almost die, he will understand that he just can't leave you. he's not allowed to leave you.

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character: rollo flamme

yandere type: worship

personality trait: flirty

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♡ it's hard for other people to say if you actually do have a crush on rollo or you're just messing around. you don't act like this with others though, so maybe you actually do have feelings for him?.. but again, it's hard for both rollo and those people to take you seriously. also, other nbc students just don't understand how a person like you ended up falling for someone like rollo. like.. he's probably not your type, right? you're so outgoing, talkative and energetic, you're not like him at all. actually, shouldn't you find him annoying? you two are just so different.. well, in your case, opposites attract.

♡ you don't hate rollo. actually, it's hard for you to say that you have a crush on him either. what you feel for him is much stronger. it's like.. he's so different from all the other people. he's basically flawless to you. even when you find out how much he hates magic, you still agree with him. if you are a magic user, you will gladly die for him to show just how much you respect him and how far you're willing to go for him. if you are not a magic user, you will be more than okay with killing as many magic users as he wants you to kill. hm? he's a magic user as well? ah.. well, he's just different from them. he's just better. also, he would never use magic in the same way as all those other mages.

♡ it takes a lot of time for other people and even rollo himself to realize just how deep your obsession with him is. you always play it off as a joke and if rollo asks about it, you smile and wink at him while saying that you just love him so much, your feelings for him often make you say the weirdest things. it's so fun to see him react to your words too. haha, if he can't handle you simply saying that he's cute, then maybe you really should keep your obsession with him a secret for now.

[staytinyville]

OUTLAW (16)

ATEEZ poly!ot8 x Reader

Cowboy AU / Wild West

Series Masterlist

Warning: None

BETA READ (@mariana-mmtz)

You tried your hardest to not jump off your moving horse when the looks of a camp came into view. Yunho was the one leading so he was the first to spot the logo they had created ages ago on a flag. When you caught sight of the man rushing forward, you were quick to follow along. 

It took you all about five hours to find the camp the others had settled on. You had concluded that the entire journey probably could have been made in four, but seeing as how you all had to scavenge to find the marking Hongjoong left, an extra hour was added. 

It seemed as though they went along the creek while also trying to stay hidden from it. Who knew if people were to follow along and come across them. The marking Hongjoong had left for you all really helped in finding the direction they headed. It seemed the boys had made their small camp next to a brook that stemmed off from the creek. 

“Captain!” Yunho shouted with a large smile on his face. 

The tall man’s shout startled the men around the camp. They all whipped their heads around at Yunho’s shout and quickly threw down all that they had in their hands. With excited yelps from Wooyoung and joyful laughs that fell from San’s lips, they all huddled together to get a hug in. Hongjoong had a smile on his face as he patted all of his members on the back. 

Wooyoung was of course the first one to notice you getting off your horse, quickly separating himself to rush up to you. “Sweetheart!” He cried out, pulling you into a hug. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck, dropping your head into his shoulder as you clenched onto him tightly. “You're all okay.” You whispered into his neck.

“Of course we are.” Wooyoung grinned. He pulled back to look you over. “We've done this plenty of times.” The boy teased. 

Someone wrapped their arms around you from behind, causing you to turn your head. “Darling.” The buff man greeted. 

“San.” You whispered, rubbing your hands along his arms on your waist. San’s closed eye smile came into your view, which made you beam as tears started to well under your lids.

“You found us.” Hongjoong spoke up, talking to the rest of his members who didn’t have to go into hiding. 

“No, that was thanks to Angel.” Yunho grinned. “ Honestly, the things her brain comes up with are outstanding. I'd say she'd be a great leader for a gang.”

You deadpanned at the man’s teasing smile on you. You tried not to laugh at his words, so you opt to shake your head. “You're so funny I forgot to laugh.” You told him sarcastically. 

“We'd never let you do that.” Seonghwa laughed, bumping his shoulder with yours. “If you were to join a gang, it'd be ours.”

You licked your lips slowly as you looked over at all the boys. A smile threatens to take over your face as you watch them playfully bicker with each other. The family dynamic they had made you almost jealous of it. They were much more than friends, but yet they knew that they could go to each other like ones. 

You grinned. “Can't do that yet if I don't know you all well enough. Who says I trust you yet?” You teased.

“You think we are so great!” Wooyoung exclaimed. “If you didn’t, you wouldn't have been so worried about us.”

You gasped, lips pulled tightly as you couldn’t keep the smile off your face. “Where did you hear that?” You pouted. 

“No one needs to tell me to know you were.” The boy’s face remained in a grin, but his words softened as he looked at you. 

A blush began to settle on your face as he looked down at you with an intense stare. You were something precious to him–more than any kind of jewel he would steal or the money he would win with San. He wanted to save you as a reward for all his hard work. He was glad to know you cared for them in some way. 

“Doll?” A new voice interrupted from the edge of the clearing. 

You turned around in San’s grasp, taking in the sight of the tall pink haired man. He was carrying some game, dropping it down when he saw you turn to look at him. “Mingi.” You gasped out, rushing to reach him. 

Mingi grunted as your body slammed into him, wrapping his arms around you to keep you steady. As he wrapped a hand around the back of your head, he suddenly felt you shaking and he was reminded of that night he left you with Seonghwa. “Woah.” He cooed, trying to pry you off his chest. 

“Hey, why are you crying?” He held your cheeks in his hands, bending down to be eye level with you. His thumb continued to wipe at the tears that flowed out, pulling you back into his chest when your shaking didn’t go down. 

“I was worried about all of you, dammit.” You sniffled. The others walked closer to the two of you, smiling as they realized how much they meant to you.

“Told you.” Wooyoung snickered. He yelped when Jongho punched his arm, a pout on his lips as he soothed the bruise that was probably going to form. 

You took in a deep breath, trying to calm down the sobs that had racked through your body. “I was so scared they found you and were going to put you all on death row.” You turned around in Mingi’s arms, choosing to look at all the boys who were watching you.

“Hey, we'd never let that happen.” Yeosang spoke softly, moving forward to drift his fingers over your head. “Captain would never have that happen to any of us.” You looked over to the man with blue hair who stood with crossed arms behind everyone.

“We're not going anywhere. It's been too long for us to give up.” Seonghwa smirked.

“Besides,” Mingi’s arms wrapped themselves around your middle, his head leaning down onto your shoulder. “We have you to look after now.”

Your cries turned into soft hiccups. You tried your best to wipe at your face, thinking you probably looked like an animal with how much you cried in a short amount of time. 

“You guys don't have to look after me. I'm not a child.” You laughed.

“But you're special to us.” San smiled. “You're part of the gang now.”

“Welcome to ATEEZ.” Yunho grinned, his cheeks puffing out with his smile. “The group of outlaws that protect those who need it most.”

You giggled to cover up your flustered state, which prompted the boys to coo at you. “I forgot, pretty girl likes when she gets attention.” Seonghwa told the others.

“Oh! This is great news!” Wooyoung quickly pulled you into his hold, wrapping his arms tight around you. 

“Wooyoung.” Mingi lightly scolded. 

“Look at her! She’s a tomato!” Wooyoung’s laugh sounded in your ears, which prompted you to lightly hit the boy’s arm. 

“Stop!” You scolded with a pout. All that got was more laughter. 

As the boys started to tease you for your red face, Hongjoong watched from the back as they all interacted with you. He had a small smile on his face as he took in how well you all got along. However, before his mind could stray into waters he didn’t think were possible, he sighed to himself. With his hands in his pants pockets, he turned around to head back into his tent. 

You watched with sad eyes as he left the group, his face looking as though he was in deep thought. The others had often told you that he was someone who looked after all of them. The stress on his shoulders was much larger than he cared to admit. You knew that being part of the group was going to put a strain on his emotions over what to do. While you hadn’t really spent much time with him, it was clear he carried a heavy burden on his shoulders to protect his gang. 

You wanted all of them to be your friends and weren’t going to allow the captain to single himself out. You were going to make it your mission to have him think of you as someone more than just the girl who was cared for by the boys. Not only that, but you wanted him to see you as part of his group of friends too. 

Series Masterlist

@thefrog3223 , @iarayara , @0rangemilk , @explorewithd , @detectivedoodle , @bangtanxberm , @a1i33aa , @loveforred , @drunken-deitence , @0325tiny , @the-ghostest-with-the-mostest , @atinyreads , @atinytinaa , @lexiigom , @smilingtokki , @mismatchfluffysocks , @brain-empty-only-draken , @sousydive , @alex-tinyy , 

[kangals]

oh i forgot to write up an update on the embark situation!

if you missed my posts last month (or didnt read them because they were certified walls of text): i got kep an embark test and in addition to the expected stuff, it also flagged him as having some genes related to copper storage disease - specifically that he had 1 gene for copper accumulation, and 2 genes that make accumulation less severe, meaning he inherited copper-related genes from both parents. when i did some reading into it,i couldnt find ANY studies or resources regarding copper disease in collies - it was almost entirely focused on labradors and dobermans, with an occasional hand-wavy comment of "sometimes seen in other breeds idk." because this test only got added by embark last month, i ended up doing a new test on stellina to check and see if she also had it.

basically my thinking was: A: does the presence of these genes mean that kep is actually at risk for copper storage disease, OR B: was this an incidental finding and the genes really only affect labs and dobes.

with stellina's test results, i think i'm pretty confident in guessing that the answer is B!

stellina's results also flagged as having one gene for copper accumulation - which, since i know that kep and stellina are pretty distantly related, indicates to me that it's much more likely that the genes are widespread in the greater collie gene pool as opposed to both of them just so happening to pick up a rare and harmful gene.

and most notably, now that's been a month and embark presumably has more data, they also had this new information listed:

those are HIGH numbers - and is an even bigger indicator that the gene, for whatever reason, simply doesn't affect these breeds that much. great pyrs, for example, are primarily working, livestock guardian dogs - there's no way that 80% of these dogs are suffering from copper storage disease. and while frenchies and cavs are certainly poster children for "breed with lots of serious health problems", copper storage isn't one of them. given the extreme popularity of frenchies, if 90% of them had this disease, someone would have noticed.

(interestingly, last week when i looked at this instead of pyrs it had pembroke corgis listed in that spot at around the same numbers - i wonder how many other breeds have large percentages of this gene but embark is just only listing the top few. this is such a new test that i expect a lot of information to change)

so i'm guessing that copper storage genes are actually pretty common in dogs - especially breeds with known low genetic diversity, such as collies, cavs, and dobermans. but given that there's nothing noted in studies about breeds besides labradors, dobermans, and a few terrier breeds, it just might not affect the rest of them. similarly, i know stellina carries the gene for "saddle tan" coloration, as do a certain %age of collies - but collies don't come in saddle tan. it's suspected there's another gene needed to "'activate" the pattern that's missing from collies. i'd guess the same thing is happening here - lots of dogs have the gene, but the "activation" genetics are only in a few specific breeds.

i'm definitely still going to be keeping a close eye on it, the test only released in May so it's still very early and i imagine they're getting a ton of data from this - would love some research into if my thinking is correct. if you have a dog that's gotten an embark health test from may and onwards this year, i'd be interested to know what breed(s) your dog is and if they also carry these genes. but i think, overall, this indicates that it's more incidental than a real concern.

[sunghanne]

STAR RACER － ENHYPEN GREASE AU SERIES | PART 3 🚦

racer!enhypen & flaggirl!reader

PARTS: PROLOGUE, PART 1, PART 2 , PART 4. coming soon...

TITLE: ST★R-RACER : PART 3. MAKING ENEMIES

feat. ENHYPEN, TXT, STRAY KIDS?!

PLOT: in a small town during the 1950s, seems the only thing keeping careless teenagers entertained are drag races where only the elite participate. and those elite are known as star racers.

WARNINGS: coarse language, sexual themes, sexist remarks, ooc idols, illegal acts, violence, tba...

TAGLIST: @lalalalawon , @strvlveera comment your @/user to be added!

WORD-COUNT: 8.5k

NOTE: heyy, in hopes to keep the 1950's setting authentic, there are sexist jokes so please watch out for that. because the reality is, that mindset was not rare to come across during those times. this chapter is NOT EDITED at all. i'm sorry if its not my best one. likes, reposts and comments are all heavily appreciated, thank you and enjoy!!

"ow, that hurts y/n! you've never done this before have you?!" the whining male cried out as you shushed him with a harsh tug of the tuff of his dark hair, his yells echoing off the bathroom walls.

you shot him a death glare through the mirror of your bathroom, standing behind riki's sitting figure with foil and bleach encased around his head like someone's grandma with a head of rollers, "no, but i know what i'm doin'! i saw this on a commercial, it's a piece of cake," you reassured, even snorting quietly in your throat at the stupidity in your words. riki wasn't sure whether to be even more terrified than before at such unhelpful guidance.

"if i come home bald, you're gonna tell my folks exactly what you'd done," he huffed as you painted a thick coat of hair dye on a handful of his strands. you tutted at his childish nagging and focused on the task at hand.

"the ladies are gonna be all over you," you sang while lifting a foil-covered bunch of his hair and waving it in the air for him to see in the mirror. his dark eyes shot open at the new colour enveloping his virgin hair, "look at that."

"shit, how many times do i gotta do this?" he asked when a concentrated yellow appeared from his roots to the ends of his hair.

you hummed at his inquisitive question and with a cheery smile you replied, "only around four times." his head was thrown back while he wailed out with a mocking cry, like a child on his first day of school. you nudged his head back forward with the bleach applicator in your hand so the foil wouldn't fall out of place.

"i better win this upcoming race," he sulked while sitting up properly as you enforced harshly. you giggled and immediately started teasing him if he didn't win, he'd be on a permanent ban from racing ever again. except, when the day arrived. you didn't know what kinda racer yang jeongin really was.

"shit," you cursed out aloud, having to almost yell it to be heard over the jostling barracks, feeling guilty, "we missed riki's takeoff," your eyes searched for sunghoon's and he ducked his head low am tousled some of his light silver hair in a fluster. you originally wanted to be cheering your heart out for riki's first race back in action but you were so lost in your conversation with chan and felix that you forgot all about it.

"right, yeah," sunghoon plainly responded, eyes scanning the scene of the flag girl skipping off to her side of the track, "he's made in the shade. let 'em be," he nonchalantly finished while the crowd's volume gradually decreased and currently in a waiting period.

definition:'made in the shade'. > success guaranteed.

"yeah, she'll be right," felix grinned, most likely referring to his mate, jeongin. you were curious about brace boy, particularly that last conversation he looked like he held with riki where riki held his pinky up and did a promise in the air. your attention was placed back onto felix who has turned away with a hand tucked into his pocket.

definition:’she’ll be right’. > he/she/they will do fine.

"you're a star racer?" you questioned the freckled-faced male diagonal from you and he shone a proud smile at your acknowledgement.

"that's right. why is everyone always surprised when i tell them this?" felix asked while turning his head to his familiar, chan. his voice uncertain and high-pitched at the backhanded reaction from you.

"you're just so friendly, the other stars i've met are too busy touching their gearsticks to come up to another star and chat," you explained and his nose scrunched at your misleading metaphor of gearsticks. sunghoon snickered beside you quietly, silently agreeing in his mind. you weren't entirely off the mark saying that, hell, soobin never cared for his opponent at the beginning or end of the event. too busy stroking his machine on wheels to unsuspecting girls from his side.

"aw, that's real peachy of you. where's this star of yours?" he wondered while pressing a flat hand above his brow bone and squinting his eyes, deliberately looking over sunghoon during his theatrical act. of course, only chan found this bit funny. sunghoon on the other hand was driving forward to brush his hand on felix's shoulder to spin him back around to where hyunjin stood.

"cut the gas. i need another weed," sunghoon demanded the childish counterpart of his, hiding his internalised annoyance for being overlooked. felix let out a toothy laugh and called out for the red-haired male several metres from where we stood.

definition:'weed'. > a cigarette.

hwang's fierce eyes faltered at the outlandish male calling his name in a deliberate baby voice and reluctantly came to his heed. leaving the makeshift spotlight of the lamp post behind him, his charming features were illuminated in the natural moonlight, half of his face hidden in the shadows. and as he approached even closer, he was surprisingly almost as tall as sunghoon.

"what is it?" he grizzled out, annoyance evident in the way he spoke at felix's antics. the male in question patted his disgruntled friend on the back and gestured towards sunghoon with his free arm like a tour guide.

"a cig for the gentleman here," the playful boy announced and hyunjin's dark pupils shrunk upon landing on sunghoon.

"park, where's your little groupie?" the newcomer asked, their voice tainted with boredom like he didn't care about the answer regardless. you were curious about their history together so you kept a keen eye on their interactions. hyunjin's slim hand hid in his jacket's pocket and when he retracted it, a cigarette was flown at sunghoon in an instant. your friend paused and reeled forward to catch the stick, startled. "need me to light it for you too, eyebrows?"

sunghoon's brows dipped at the name-calling from his opposite, ignoring such disruptive teasing and lighting his cigarette smoothly. he sighed peacefully, blowing smoke that lapsed the red-haired male in spite. the misty effect around the said boy with the mole beneath his left eye made you want to jump out of your sneakers and hope to catch a ride with him home. he had no reason to look so effortlessly gorgeous. eyes starting to water from the lack of blinking, a carefully placed hand spun you around towards the upper slope of the concrete walls.

"hitting the road so soon? tell lee i said hello," hyunjin's voice poured and you felt sunghoon's nails almost dig into your fabric-covered arm in frustration. he couldn't answer why the other men weren't with him, it'd only open more holes for the opposition to pry. so for your safety and his, the only thing he could do was turn his back and exit without a word.

"want a drink?" he questioned to break the defeating silence on the way up the slope. it felt like it was the two of you against the world, a familiar feeling with you and sunghoon being placed in difficult positions to crawl out of. it was so lonely, jungwon and sunoo didn't come with you and jake was somewhere in the crowd preparing for his upcoming race.

if you weren't sure which of the two boys from earlier would be against jake, you'd be safe to assume ruby locks. chan the creep was a close competitor but something about his appearance didn't scream racer. the reason you weren't familiar with this handful of boys was that they were not in town often. why? because they were from a nearby suburb and only came to your drag strip because it was better than whatever set-up they had. this only lead you to ponder what kind of people they were.

"yeah, please," you agreed to sunghoons suggestion and he changed directions of your footing to a nearby huddle of people around a foldable table, impatient hands of money held out to whoever was running the alcohol-selling get-up.

the rumble of an engine, the screech of tires, the painful sting of car oil and your sweet face amongst the strands of hair flying behind you. that's all heeseung could recall in his last moments of racing before everything turned cold.

when he saw you and sunghoon running away from him, getting chased by soobin, beomgyu, taehyun and kai, he knew he was at a loss. he fidgetted with his door lock, hands soiled in grease resulting in his fingers being slippery with the hard surface. then, with a dip in his legs, he limped out of his messy car and turned right back around to look at the state it was in. just his luck, the white shine of his vehicle was ruined by a clear brown slick splattered inside and outside it.

"fuck. fuck, what am i gonna do," he cursed while his wet fingers came in contact with the back of his hair, jostling his strands in frustration. he had two options, go to you and the mobs surrounding yeonjun or hit the road. he couldn't go home like this, and neither could he relish in humiliation from everyone. so, weighing his options, he began his journey up the closest slope with heavy footsteps.

he loathed the way his favourite jacket was now dirtied with car oil and his footsteps left marks on the dry pavement behind him. he just prayed to god that they would dry up by the time anyone else came to find him.

this side of town for heeseung was unexplored. the neighbouring school's turf, that's all he took in as his head turned while walking past the tall, brick building. the school for the higher-ups. the school where students probably didn't spend their after-school time in gas-ridden garages as he did. he had made quite the change in progress from the race track he crawled out of and now found himself deeper in the bramble bushes on the opposite side of town.

he smelled awful, like a gas station set on fire. he still wore his damp jacket, knowing it was a smarter idea to throw it off but the evening breeze was way too cold to discard it so easily. and, part of the boy believed there'd be a chance to save it when he got himself out of the mess.

a deafening beep of someone's car brought the boy out of his clashing thoughts when he found himself crossing a road, green appearing on every street light around him. his eyebrows furrowed and he clenched his teeth in annoyance, throwing up a middle finger to the driver as he picked his pace up while meeting the other side of the pavement.

he wasn't the type to dawdle stupidly. he was irritated at his thoughts tuning him out of the real-world enough to make him senselessly cross a road.  also half irritated at the scare and the loud beep made his heavy shoulders flinch. he was wondered what was going on in the drag strip right now. the other school was having their bash and you were probably with the other boys heading home or to sunoo's diner for burgers and shakes.

just his luck, the neon wiring on a shop's board spelled '24hrs' stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the dark windows of already closed establishments. he'd found a 24-hour dry cleaner and maybe he didn't hate the previous rage road for rushing him to it. the entrance bells rang as he stepped in, his hand leaving a thin coat of car oil on the door handle.

the cleaning service smelled of lavender-scented washing detergent and the warm smell of an iron pressed to clothes, a nice change from his burnt tire-smelling 'cologne'. behind a run-down service desk was an employee, looking up from her newspaper, glasses tilting up her nose bridge. her face was partly distorted behind the tip jar that only had two coins in it. the stranger's mouth was parted, most likely surprised a customer even came in at this time of night or maybe at the appearance of heeseung who looked like he'd crawled right out of some swamp.

heeseung was just as surprised to see a girl his age working, assuming it was a family-owned business and she was most likely forced to stay late nights as punishment for bad test results. but, he knew he would be able to use this to his advantage.

"pick up for, er, nathan," he fibbed while fiddling with the cuffs of his jacket, praying to whatever god above that there was a customer named nathan. the girl's eyebrows raised, realising she actually had to do her job. so with the fold of her newspaper, she jumped down from her seat and tiptoed towards the long hanger racks with a collection of clothing hanging.

heeseung tailed behind her, proceeding to the opposite side of the two stripes of clothing racks and clicking the hangers together as he frantically sought clothes that could do the trick. long floral nightgowns, tuxedos, and even a wedding dress yet, no clothing fit for a teenager. "i'm sorry, no clothes under the name nathan," the employee fret while turning around to look at heeseung's opposite spot to hers.

he clicked his tongue in annoyance, not replying but only heightening his pace in scrolling through articles of fabric till his hands paused at someone's long pair of coveralls, clean and freshly ironed. he unhooked it and held it to the girl observing and smiled, "found it," he responded and the girl pushed her glasses up her nose bridge at the awkward feeling of being bested by a customer.

"really? oh, there we go then," she replied without a console and padded back towards her counter, leaning her elbows on the surface while picking her newspaper up. heeseung was silently celebrating in his mind at his successful act, treading towards the girl whose stationed right at the exit.

he calmly slid off his oily jacket and threw it on the edge of the counter she didn't lean on, a few rolling coins with it, "thanks, buttercup. i'll pick this one up next," the boy spoke with a wink at the broad. then, he pressed forward and left the building, stolen coveralls folded over one of his arms. as he disappeared from the store's large windows, he couldn't help a long arm of his being pulled back to his side in a celebratory dance, hoping on his light feet to an imaginary beat in his head as he skipped past dimly lit buildings.

you and sunghoon were regretful forgetting to watch riki's departure. because when he rolled in a fraction of a minute after jeongin, that's when hell broke loose.

you leapt up from your sitting position and pulled sunghoon with you to the middle of the track where riki had just parked. before getting a word in, the protruding male shoved through the circle of students encasing jeongin and raised a fist to the unsuspecting boy's face. about to strike, he was roughly pushed to the floor and met with the untamed clashes of three pairs of shoes.

"watch it, greaser!" chan yelled before laughing and settling his foot right on top of riki's reddening ear, earning a hiss of pain from the younger. your eyes widened in worry while you mirrored riki's shoving tactic to maneuver the crowd out of the way for you and sunghoon. you'd never expect such a rocky entrance from your friend.

"beat it!" you yelled while trying to shoo off hyunjin, felix and chan who had been kicking and stomping on riki's fetal position. sunghoon aided you by rutting his shoulder into the trio of men to make space for you. you placed your drink on the floor while ducking down to help riki up. he was roughed out, swipes of dirt in the pattern of shoe prints all over his clothes and face.

"what's the big idea?" sunghoon grumbled while glaring at the prosecutors, chan swiped his nose, sniffing inwards while his eyes searched the crowds like he was expecting someone. the look in the other two boys echoed the same reaction and sunghoon was taken aback by their behaviour. they were waiting for everyone else, jay, jungwon, sunoo and heeseung to interfere but no one came. sunghoon could tell, another light of pride flickering off in his mind. they weren't here.

only jake was running down the concrete slopes while his dark leather jacket flew behind him with every airy step he took.

"what's our prob? like you didn't just see your yoot strike ours first," hyunjin replied while his shoulders seemed to relax at the lack of our crew members. your head turned to riki as he grappled onto your hand and slowly unfurled himself, wincing during the gradual motion.

definition:'yoot'. > a younger sibling.

he wasn't looking at hyunjin, nor sunghoon at that. he was only staring at one boy. the boy with a sadistic grin spread across one cheek to the other, braces shown and all, "what happened, riki?" you questioned lowly in case you'd tripped on a wire that lead to the alarms going off in his head. his eyebrows furrowed while he wiped the back of his palm against his nostrils, a crimson fluid left behind on his pale skin.

"take a look at it yourself, this brute just dented jay's ride," he explained while your head flicked back to the boy's car he had borrowed from jay to use. jake positioned himself next to riki and viewed the area like a radar, a serious scowl on his face from his usual sweet smile.

"no rules in drag racin'," jeongin spoke up, and it was the first time you'd ever heard him. he sounded youthful and the cruel smile still on his face only added to it.

"you wanna pay for your damages? go ahead," riki rasped, a clothed arm against his nostrils to try and soak up his bleeding nose. the boy opposite to him only raised an eyebrow, looking over to his older peers like riki had just told a bad joke.

"i'm not the one losing the race, why would i?" jeongin rhetorically questioned while his smile finally dropped and only then did he finally give you the creeps. riki seethed through his teeth and stepped forward with hunched shoulders before he was stopped by sunghoon's hand.

"relax, he's just tryna bug you. ts'only the first race. jake and i got this," sunghoon reassured and rubbed his hand on riki's shoulder. the younger affirmed with a nod of his head and took a few steps backwards, almost bumping into you if you didn't move away at the right time.

"come on riki, let's get you fixed up," you persuaded the other and tugged on the cuff around his free hand. he reluctantly turned around, his eyes being the last of his body to disappear from the four boys.

"his mom came to pick him up, ain't that nice," you heard jeongin mock, only earning a small snicker from the crowd here and there. but you didn't care. cheaters would never have real skill and that's that.

you lead riki back towards the slanted pavement, in hopes of finding some tissues or an ice pack around somewhere. as you left lightly, you heard jake's voice question sunghoon about what happened and the crowd slowly disburse in preparation for the next race.

with a cold glass of beer against riki's sore face, his eyes never lifted off the concrete you two sat on. you clutched onto your long skirt and bit your bottom lip while mindlessly tracing your eyes on the tire tracks left in the dirt as jake and hyunjin already started their race.

"so... what really happened?" you asked the boy gently and he groaned at the forming bruise on his cheek that hurt every time he tried to speak.

"that son of a bitch' decided to play dirty when i was ahead of him for half the race," his voice was nasally due to the two twisted tissues stuffed up his nostrils and you could laugh at his state if it wasn't such a serious situation.

"he just rammed into you?" you questioned in uncertainty a boy so sweet looking like jeongin could be so fierce on the racetrack. but riki wanted to prove you wrong.

"yes. before the race, he told me no hard feelings for whoever won. so much for that act," he spat in betrayal, his gold locks draped around the sides of his face like a curtain. you assumed that's why riki held his pinky up before his race, motioning a promise to that flawed oath. you lightly chewed on the insides of your mouth, thinking his outrage seemed justified.

"what a joke," you commented while tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear and looked off towards the distance to not pile on the shame the boy was already drowning in.

"ts'tough. i wanted to win so badly. now everyone still thinks i'm a joke," he vented while continuing the shield on his expression. you immediately consoled the doubtful boy, a gentle hand stroking his back soothingly.

"that's not true. shit, i doubt anybody could handle the stress of being crashed into during a race," you pleaded while trying to cheer the boy up. he lifted his face slowly and his bangs fell to their correct placement, eyes lightened at your encouraging resolve.

"think so?" he asked in a low voice and you nodded with a small grin at his change in attitude.

"keeno," you responded and he sighed in relief while closing his eyes and rocking his head back.

definition:'keeno'. > keen, sure.

"this little kindness thing you do, is this what you learn in bible study, y/n?" his tone suddenly changed as he teased you with his usual banter. your eyebrows furrowed before you abruptly tore a tissue down from his nostrils and he cried loudly at the sting and the gush of blood that came out with it.

jake won his race. you were glad to see the smug grin wiped off of hyunjin's face upon his arrival. this glimmer of hope made your shoulders lift at the chance your crew could still win the night. it was you, jake and riki sitting together along the pavement waiting for the winner. riki's previous beer was now being used for its actual purpose and he gulped it down without a care in the world once his bruise stopped hurting and his nose quit bleeding.

jake was talking about how some pack of girls kept crowding around him like flies when he first arrived, hence his disappearance when you and felix first met. you thought it was a little funny why jake was always trying to run away from his group of fans every time he raced and riki made some comment about how jake probably swung the other way which he immediately denied.

the topic changed, rotating between what holiday jay was forced upon by his father, whether riki's voice had dropped yet and if heeseung was going to come back or not. where would he be? what could have taken him two weeks of his life from racing? not only was the absence at his desk at school starting to grow a pit in your stomach but also the doubt whether he was coming back or not.

you and the seven boys were childhood friends, in preschool, middle school all the way to high school the seven of you were inseparable. heeseung wasn't the kind of person to throw away years like that just for some hurt pride. so he had to come back.

the loud echo of an oncoming vehicle's radio sounded from atop the slope opposite your side. it was a roofless, bright blue automobile but the pack of men inside it is what surprised you the most. the two boys in the backseat were standing up and cooing like wild animals, fists in the air that held bottles of liquor. the people sitting on the concrete slope had to jump and run out of the road for the vehicle barging through them to avoid being squashed flat.

the men standing up only held onto the top of the front seat headers to retain their balance as the car veered forward down the slope dangerously to the point it could almost tip over. the air out of your lungs was socked out at such a stunt as the rolling vehicle came to a halt once it met the flat ground. the bass of the radio reflected off the pavement and you could hear your ears thumping to the same rhythm of the music before it clicked off and the four men jumped out.

"yeah, the boys!" chan's loud voice yelled while he ran from his previous viewing position to greet the other individuals with bear hugs and handshakes. your head steered towards the two boys beside you, curious about their reactions as well. jake's lips were parted and with clenched teeth, he fidgeted in his position steadily. riki's eyebrows were raised far enough for his forehead to crease in interest to what the appearance of these newcomers entailed to the event.

your eyes squinted while watching the figures below where the three of you say upon and their interactions. they behaved like sleazy, booze-infested apes who only knew how to communicate by yelling and wooing at everything. "who are they?" you questioned, not directed to either of your friends but jake took the initiative.

"that's the rest of their gang," he cooly replied and his lips licked out of habit and discomfort. if sunghoon didn't win, he would be the bud of jokes between the just-arriving men.

"shit, there's a mob of them," you cursed while counting up the numbers of your crew. four to eight did not look appealing to you at all.

"they're bad news," jake quietly continued while his eyes traced the furthest he could of the race track for any sign of sunghoon or felix. and you believed him. the appearance of such a feral group muddled with the only familiar handful of men you knew from them completed a perfect puzzle in your head. they were much worse than yeonjun and his group. way worse.

heeseung didn't have anywhere to stay the night. but when the company of his worn coveralls found him tiptoeing in the night, they invited him in. the owner of the repairman company, an old, balding man asked heeseung where he found the uniform which the boy answered shamelessly. unexpectedly, the old man laughed at such brutal honesty and offered heeseung a job.

so for the upcoming days, heeseung spent every day and night on the job, using the telephone outlet to call home and promise his temperamental mother that he'd be home soon and was just out with the boys. the owner of the establishment loved heeseung and his surprising work on vehicles.

"you seem to know a lotta 'bout cars, son. your old man a mechanic too?" his low antique voice asked while heeseung lay on a creeper on the undercarriage of a car, toying with something. a bead of sweat rolled down his dirt-staining temple while he licked his lips to answer.

"nah. just a knack i picked up," he lightly responded in such a bent-over position, his voice was coarse and throaty.

"impressive. skilled with your hands, aren't ya," the old man chuckled at his gag and heeseung just softly chortled at the dirty joke.

"no sweat," heeseung replied while focusing back on his work. that was the domestic dynamic he held with the owner who so generously offered food, shelter and a job to him. but all things come to an end and heeseung had a group to return to and a race to win.

and that's where heeseung found himself, sprinting out of the joint with nothing but a cigarette in his mouth and handfuls of scrunched cash stuffed into his pockets and crowded against his stomach as he ran away with the infuriated man behind him. of course, being at such old age made the owner give up easily and retreat to inside the store and to the nearest telephone for the police.

heeseung was smiling, laughing breathlessly at such a successful act that merely took a week and a half to achieve. the loud steps of his black converses came to a stop in front of the only store with a neon sign at this time of night. the dry cleaners where he could finally collect his jacket.

he swung the door open, ignoring the glare of the same girl at the run-down counter as he raced to the hanger racks to find it. the loud scratch of the girl's chair bounced off of the poster-ridden walls when she stood up in disbelief at the return of the boy who left her with a hand of dirty pennies and a destroyed jacket.

"nathan?" she abruptly spoke up and heeseung's pace faltered for a brief moment while he ignored her calling. she had a lot of questions in mind as to why he was running with wads of cash glued to him and why it took him to long to collect his jacket.  "those aren't yours, are they?" her glasses adjusted on her nose bridge as two shakey fingers pressed against them. she was referring to his coveralls now soiled in stains. he had almost forgotten the fake name he used so he didn't even realise she was referring to him.

"s'course they aren't mine. you realise this world is full of cheaters," he rhetorically asked through messy heaves of his chest while still flicking through articles of clothing. he was drenched in sweat and, motor oil and dirt, almost as dishevelled as the girl first saw him. her hands, once preoccupied with the newspaper she once read grasped onto her long red polka-dot skirt, uneasy with such a mean response.

the brief moment of silence broke at the relieved sigh that left the tall boy's parched lips as he found his beloved jacket. before he could pad back towards the entrance, the bright flash of red and blue reflected off the windows as police cars drove past at a deathly slow pace. they were searching for him. heeseung's dark eyes widened and he ducked down in an attempt to hide before his vision was clouded by red and white polka dots. "nathan, behind here," the gentle voice above the endangered male brought him back to reality and the crisis he was in.

the employee gestured to behind the front desk and he complied, side shuffling on his aching knees behind it. the girl was like his reflection, mirroring his positioning to take light steps and use her wide skirt to cover his face while he made haste getting to behind the desk. he met with the grim dusty table legs and leaned his back against it with a clamouring heartbeat. the unnamed girl returned to her usual position, reading a newspaper but all the tiny printed letters were too blurred by her adrenaline to actually process anything.

police cars swarmed by, their loud tires burning rubber against the road outside and their brash sirens singing out. heeseung was more than grateful for the little helping hand as he would've been toast if he was still out in the open. the only thing he thought about was the son of a bitch who ratted him out and sent a flock of police after him. he'd understand one or two cars but half a street full was asking for too much. it wasn't like he robbed the man's entire life savings, only a till full.

his partner in crime only took the flashing reflection in her glasses as a signal that the police cars had finally passed by and she craned her guilty head down to the man below her. his pearly white teeth shone, smirking in his pleasing tactic of avoiding the authorities, "thought you were a good girl. turns out y'not," was the only sentence he formed as his nerves calmed as his breathing regulated.

the quiet girl suppressed the tint of red growing from one of her cheeks to the other at his words, turning away in an instant to not blow her cover. "hit the road, hood," her voice changed while she referred to the criminal acts of the boy and now realised the kind of character he was.

the smoke of heeseung's cig left an imperfect line in the air as he stood up cautiously, eyes darting through the wide glass panes to see if the coast was clear. once he confirmed it was, he graciously stepped out of the desk and back on his previous path to the exit. the nickname 'hood' amused the boy, as well as the sudden fierceness in the girl he only thought was innocent.

"thanks, sweetheart. my name's heeseung," he revealed through a light whisper before he ducked out of the thrown-open door and to the opposite direction the police cars came from. the employee raced to the doorway upon his departure and leaned her head out of it to watch as the male escaped to an alleyway hidden in the shadows.

a knot in her heart snapping at the thought it would be the last time she'd ever see the boy. she knew from the beginning the coveralls weren't his and she knew his name wasn't actually nathan. because the tag on the jacket he left behind was claimed with blue pen that spelled his real name. all she knew about the dangerous boy was that she had fallen head over heels for him.

heeseung swerved past tight corners, cautiously avoiding the open from the fuzz that was most likely circling the area. he was trying his best not to move so violently and risk papers blowing out his pockets so he stopped once and found himself in an alleyway between some grocery store and two large skip bins where the stink was more detrimental than being caught by the police.

fortunately, there was a telephone hooked to the wall of the grocery store and as long as it wasn't hooked up to the services of the actual store, this could be his one-way ticket out of this muck. so, within two beats he held the phone up to his ear and dialled the only reliable service he knew. park jay.

sunghoon lost. the ear-defeating celebration from the pack of animals in the middle of the track only rubbed salt in the wounds when sunghoon exited his vehicle and scrambled his hair in his fingers out of frustration. jake stepped forward and rubbed the dishevelled male on the shoulder out of encouragement but he didn't bite into it. the cold winds brushed against the equally cold atmosphere and it sucked having two losses in a row.

you stood beside riki and began to turn away as sunghoon and jake were an inch past you when felix's loud voice yelled, "that race was child's play. i thought you had more fire in you, but i guess you put out," he mocked cruelly, indicating something unrelated to racing.

"s'got a broad with 'em. whaddya gonna do on the way home? this a gangbang?" another male you never met before slurred out, clearly mixed with alcohol. the disgusting comment made your nose scrunch and riki's steps froze.

"ey, let me tap in then," another one drunkenly laughed while his arms were slung around chan and the previously spoken male.

"what'dya meant to do the other 23 hours and 45 minutes in a day, han?" hyunjin teased immediately and han was laughed at while the other boys yanked his clothes mockingly.

the laughing group of hyenas in contrast to your silent crew made you grow embarrassed by the inappropriate remarks. well, until riki's fist banged into han's snickering face and made the boy almost collapse like a folding chair. your eyes shot open, sunghoon and jake immediately spun back around to stop the incoming throttle the seven active men were about to induce on riki.

the mobs of drunken teens were reeled around the scuffle, making it almost impossible for your two friends to pull their youngest out of the rut. your fingernails seeped into riki's shoulders as you attempted to help them hold riki back from going any further than a punch against han and the other men did the same with the said male.

"bust a gut, but you'll be blown off when i get my hands on you-" riki hissed out, voice hindered by the violent thrashes he used to try and get out of the lock sunghoon and jake had on him. han's lips were sneering in anger, cheek reddening while fought against his kind.

definition:'bust a gut'. > laugh out loud.

'blown off'. > defeated in a race.

"bite me!” han yelled before getting shoved to the ground by felix and chan, the two men who were slightly guilty for their friends' behaviour having met you beforehand. you stole a glance at felix, eyebrows furrowed in anger at the switch of personalities the men had around their friends. you thought they were cool at first before their true colours showed.

"cool it!" chan shouted while han was still itching to get his hands on riki. riki finally complied with the grip on his arms, calming down his heaving chest that was so clouded by anger and humiliation.

"i'm warnin' you ever utter a word about y/n," sunghoon rasped, for once his pink lips not clouded by the smoke of a cigarette between them. felix gulped down dryly, eyeing you through the gap between jake and riki's shoulders sympathetically.

"these chicks're only good for one thing," the male with dark hair who previously brought up the idea of the 'gangbang' spoke so confidently and your stomach turned at his controversial words. riki's body jerked at the immorality of the other and sunghoon called out for him to relax.

"fuck up, changbin, for fucks' sake," felix cussed in irritation while turning to his aggravating companion who never got the hint of the situation. you hand rubbed at riki's warm back to continue to settle him down as a blanket of intense silence ensued, consisting of death glares being shot from one boy to another.

"if you're cruisin' for a bruisin', this is our turf and we can get you kicked out anytime y'want," sunghoon warned lowly and felix's head angled downwards at his threat. before he uttered a word, hyunjin stepped forward with his red hair stealing the attention of everyone else.

"how 'bout we settle this? let's cop this side of town so you looneys can't reach us," hyunjin suggested and it piqued interest with his clique nodding in agreement.

"this s'not your turf and neither is it ours," sunghoon retaliated referring to the other side of town owning it. and to be exact, he meant yeonjun and his lackeys' ownership. hyunjin's head tilted in amusement, one eyebrow raised at the correction.

"well then, better defend their turf or you'll be bruised by 'em too. lets race. same spot, same time, tomorrow," hyunjin gambled and for one, you knew bets like these never ended well. you bit your lip uneasily and stole a glance at sunghoon. his eyes didn't falter, and neither did he move an inch from his position when his hands clapped against hyunjin's in a passive-aggressive handshake.

"winner takes the turf," he concluded while he released his hand from hyunjin's robotically and started to turn around to his vehicle parked behind him. you, jake, and riki copied his mannerisms and with hunched shoulders, you refused to return the sorry gaze felix conveyed to you. the tension in the air broke and was followed up by the loud celebration of the opposition's win.

sitting on four leather seats, you and the three others leaned on the counter, chewing your nails anxiously at the upcoming rumble in 24 hours. "i mean, surely you can bring your salt shakers and maybe sprinkle it in their eyes," jake humoured while looking over at sunoo who burst out laughing at the idea.

definition:'rumble'. > a fight among gangs.

"effective, don't you think? five bucks if i land it in jeongin's eyeballs just for you, riki," sunoo joked, previously hearing all about the events thirty minutes ago. riki just sighed out a less than enthusiastic laugh, clearly still torn on jeongin and his personal fight.

"you learnt better than that to set up bets again," you spoke with upturned eyebrows, staring at sunoo with a smile on your face to try and get him out of the habit.

"five bucks is not gonna empty my wallet," he replied while pouting his lips slightly to exaggerate his pronunciation.

"you paid your debts back?" you questioned, sounding a little more surprised than you intended to and the male was almost insulted.

"yes, actually," he rolled his eyes at your tone and then shifted his gaze to sunghoon whose head was in the clouds somewhere, only the fog of a cigarette blowing out of him. your eyes traced the long, slowly wavering line of smoke all the way up to the ceiling that danced before it disappeared into the air.

"sunghoon," you called his name and only his eyes moved to the direction of your voice, which you flinched in your seat, "oh my god. he's possessed."

sunoo and make cracked up quietly, not wanting to bring the male back to his right senses by being too loud. because for some reason, sunghoon's spaced-out periods were entertaining to watch. "must be heeseung's ghost. hey hyung," sunoo piled to the humour and you chewed the inside of your mouth not to giggle as well.

"stop," you begged while silently laughing while tugging sunoo's wrist to try and stop his hand from waving like a robot at sunghoon as if he were greeting heeseung.

finally, sunghoon's eyes blinked and he awoke from whatever curse was placed upon him, "fuck. we are so canned this rumble," he groaned while his hands clawed at his roots, palms drowning his eyes in darkness while he covered them.

"cool it, hyung. we've got weapons," sunoo calmly reassured while sliding a bottle of ketchup to jake which the male effortlessly caught and raised in the air playfully.

"'m being serious. six of us and eight of 'em, if they don't bring any other hobos with them, we're dead," he responded while his hands dripped from his anguished face and resided on the table.

"it was your bet, jackass," jake's brows crossed as he placed the bottle on the table and crossed his arms. sunghoon grunted while he slowly looked back at the other.

"yeah, i know that. how else would i have gotten them off us," his dark faze darted to riki's unsuspecting face next, "some fucker decided to strike 'em first, not once but twice."

riki's mouth fell open in treachery at his scolding, "lay off, hyung. you saw the way they were talkin' to y/n," he retorted while his blonde hair bounced with every word he spoke.

"i saw, we were jus' outnumbered. it was a bad move," he explained as quickly as he could before you got the wrong idea. his reasoning made sense but riki still thought he was getting heat for shit.

"whatever," the younger scoffed, pride partly hurt when he recalled the amount it took to calm him down from lashing out at han further.

"hey, riki. you wanna drop jay's ride at his garage for jungwon in the morning?" you asked the other to change the subject and ease the growing pressure in the room. the boy nodded his head and jumped up from his stool without another word and you trailed behind him to the entrance, "catch you later."

"i don't get it, he would've done the same for you," riki opening complained, hair grasping at his roots in stress as he steered with one hand. you leaned your chin on the back of your palm, listening intently to his worries while the gusts of cold night winds blew past you through jay's roofless automobile.

"no one was in the right in that situation," you responded and riki's eyes flicked up to you in the rearview mirror for a split second while he tried to piece together why, "i don't care about the shit they said. i know the only girl they'd ever kissed is probably their moms so why should i," you grumbled and a quiet noise in riki's throat signalised that he was laughing just a tiny bit.

"so you agree with sunghoon hyung then?" he mindlessly questioned as he turned a corner and the come and go of neighbourhood lamposts illuminated him briefly.

"i didn't say that. riki, he would've done the same if heeseung or jay was also there. but they weren't. can't you see that their absence is affecting him more than you think?" you asked with a simple reflection and riki's lips closed while he thought about it for a second.

"you're confusing me," he blabbered while his eyebrows furrowed at your complex analogy. you hummed for a second to piece together a version that maybe he would understand.

"i'm saying that he was trying to keep you outta trouble. he was scared of them and scared you'd get hurt even more," you finalised and riki released the grasp he had on his blonde tufts while he sat up straighter.

"hyung doesn't get scared, y/n. we could've taken them, easily," he contradicted whilst he pulled up to jay's father's abode. you clicked your tongue at his stubborn disregard and unlocked your door to step out.

"you didn't see it but i did," you swore before knocking on the garage door a few times and awaited a response. jungwon was usually still here at this hour so you had nothing to worry about. riki stayed inside jay's car and tapped his long fingers on the steering wheel to an imaginary beat. the garage door finally revolved upwards and you saw the expected boy alone in the empty garage. your eyes widened at the lack of heeseung's car that left behind a few splatters of oil in the centre of the room it used to be in.

"where's heeseung's car?" you asked the boy and furrowed your eyebrows at the last remnant of the boy being gone. jungwon's cat-like eyes peered back at you and stepped to the side of a wall to make way for jay's car.

"what do you mean? i gave it away," he quietly muttered while carefully scanning your shift in expressions. your heart panged at the very words and although you expected it since it was a race for the pinks and all, this just revealed that the only reason jungwon spent late nights at the garage was to clean the vehicle for the enemy.

your mouth pursed and you steered your gaze away from jungwon, hurt, "oh. right," you mocked remembering the bet. you tried to hide your solemn expression through a thick lie, "i forgot."

riki turned off the engine of jay's car and stepped out after parking it in the middle of the garage, he tapped the hard metal of the vehicle and looked up at jungwon, "it's dented. when i took it out for a spin, i didn't know if be racing with some psycho," riki explained while jungwon walked away from you and towards the rear of the vehicle to see the damages.

"that's totalled," jungwon's eyes widened at the large vacant indent captured just beside the boot of the car. he slipped his white thick gloves off and placed them in the pocket of his coveralls, "you guys win or lose?"

"lose," you softly responded laced with a layer of anguish and defeat. jungwon's lips just downturn at the disappointing reply.

"i was about to catch some z's so i'll head out nd fix it tomorrow, cool?" he questioned the male who was striding closer towards him from the hood of the car.

riki's eyes show up and he immediately shook his head, "you gotta fix it sooner or later, i don't want jay to flip when he sees i've broken his car," he wailed while he put his palms flat together as if he were praying.

"don't flip y'lid, rug rat. jay isn't coming home anytime soon," jungwon conceived while he buttoned down his coveralls and took his arms out of the sleeves, revealing his clean white tee in comparison to the dirty pair of coveralls he wore. he linked the two sleeves of his coveralls and tied them around his waist, settling on his hips. from the lack of fabric around his forearms, you could finally see what laid underneath that baggy fabric. well-toned biceps formulated by the tired labour of car work.

"first thing in the morning," riki pleaded next and earned the eye roll of the older male as he turned on his heel and began to walk the other way.

"they still at the diner?" jungwon asked, knowing the usual routine of the guys after a race and completely disregarding riki's whining.

"i'll tell you if you promise to do it tomorrow!" riki yelled out from within the garages jungwon was already skipping towards the direction of the diner anyways. you just gave the asking male a nod at his question and that's all he needed to go. the male now left with you sighed through his nostrils and you made haste in clicking the automatic door button to start to close the door, leaving the boy inside. he screamed out and jumped out of his frozen position to meet you outside, making you laugh out at his skittish behaviour.

sunghoon was worried about being outnumbered. if sunoo and jungwon came with us tomorrow, that would be six to eight. it would be fine if the race really was just a race. but from the intense atmosphere where the bet took place, you knew it would most likely result in a rumble regardless of who won or not.

rumbles happened every blue moon or so. your crew never really thrived on gang fights but only did when it was necessary. and to get these stray kids off your turf was definitely needed. so you needed allies, at least a handful of them for undeniable succession.

that's where you found yourself outside snob-high. the place where you wanted to find the very man you dread. choi yeonjun.

[flurrys-creativity]

Shipwreck

Pairing: Choi Jongho (Ateez) xGN!Reader; Genre: mermaid au, angst; Rating: sfw, PG-13; Wordcount: 570; Warnings: a dangerous dive, bull sharks, mentions of a fight, a speer

Synopsis: Instead of being eaten by the sharks, you're rescued by a merman.

You cursed yourself inside your mind over and over again. Stuck inside an old shipwreck with your air supply slowly but surely vanishing, you couldn’t help yourself but think of all the warnings you had heard before venturing out to the shipwreck.

“It’s too dangerous!”

“There are lots of sharks out there!”

“Diving there alone is almost like a suicide mission.”

Right now you wished, you had listened to them but like usual out of spite you had ignored all the warnings, all the red flags and went head first with your mission.

You peered out of the hole inside the shipwreck, seeing dozens of incredibly large bull sharks circling the area. You could have sworn they weren’t there before, otherwise you probably wouldn’t have reached the shipwreck in the first place.

You pushed back when a large shadow swam along right in front of the hole you were hiding in. While everything within you screamed out in panic, you desperately tried to hold on to your logic. Panic was the last thing you wanted while you were so far under the sea.

So far the sharks had stayed far away from the shipwreck itself, giving you some sense of safety but the shadow just now? That made your skin crawl.

Once again you carefully got closer to the opening, peering out into the sea. You nearly forgot how to breathe when you saw something way bigger than the sharks fighting them off. Though the size wasn’t what made you speechless. It was the usage of a weapon instead.

“You can come out now.”

While a part of you wanted to stay hidden, fearing the creature that fought a bunch of sharks just now, your body still moved on its own accord. You swam out of the shipwreck, feeling immediately vulnerable out in the open like that.

“For a being that’s supposed to be dangerous and harmful,” - the large shadow came closer, revealing a merman, who gave you a look once over - “you’re everything but. If I hadn’t showed up, what would you have done?” 

He swam around you once, twice and then stopped right in front of you again. “You would have died down there without the air you need so desperately or up here in between the sharks that were only waiting to feast on you by the way.”

You winced upon his harsh words, feeling how you somehow shrunk in front of him. He was already incredibly large, making you feel small but his words only added on to that feeling.

“Follow me”, he sighed and swam towards the surface. His large, dark blue tail easily propelled him forward, bringing a huge distance between you two. Another sigh came out of his mouth when you finally breached the surface as well.

You pulled the mask and mouthpiece from your face and turned to the merman, taking a closer look at him.

He wore some sort of intricate mask around his eyes that had spikes reaching upwards. Somehow he looked like a kind of soldier - especially with the spear he still held in one of his hands.

“Don’t tell me you’re unable to speak at all.”

You quickly shook your head. “No, no. I can speak. It’s just. I’m surprised. Thank you…” Your voice rose at the end, indicating you hoped to learn a name.

“Jongho.”

A smile spread over your lips as you nodded. “Thank you Jongho.”

© all rights reserved

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland​ @songsoomin​ 

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[dollsonmain]

wtf is go premium......

Um...

Other work-red-flags are:

There is no clocking in or out. You just show up, say hi to the manager, and that's it. That opens the door for fraud on management's part like not paying or underpaying you and there being no official record of you being at work. I suppose she's probably writing it down in a book or logging it on a computer somewhere, but I don't know.

At my leave-work time she said "Ok it's time for you to go, now you have to count your drawer" which should have been done before leave work time.

When I slid out the drawer to count it she reached across me and took out almost all the 20s and 10s to set the drawer for the next person and I was like "......" Isn't that going to mess up my count by a few hundred?......

Anyone can just hop on the register at any time, there's no log-in or anything, so everyone counting the drawer on their way out is kind of silly. Person A could be responsible for the count while Person B is making a ton of mistakes and screws it up.

I still don't know how much I'm earning and keep forgetting to ask. That's as much on me as them, but also there was no contract to sign which is unusual.

-

Not red flags but she kept asking me questions about myself and I was like "I am very boring I don't know."

She asked about TV shows I watch, how That Guy and I met, old jobs, how long I've lived here, etc. I don't watch TV or movies, can't talk about my old jobs much because some of them I'm not allowed and some I just don't remember, like... I am very boring.

When she asked why I was going back to work I was like 😬

They say not to give your coworkers your socials but when she asked if I had pictures of any of the toys I've fixed I gave her my insta. I didn't have my phone to just show her. There's nothing at all personal there, it's all dolls/ponies and a little crochet, and there are links to the doll blog but not to main. The only way she's going to find my main is if she does a deep dig to really old posts before Tumblr added the ability to reply as chosen blog, and that would be creepy.

-

I could be in a lot more pain than I am. I'm sore but not hurt, even with getting pinched by the step stool when it broke. Thankfully, I do know proper lifting form so did not injure myself in that way, either.

-

Just realized I forgot to pay the phone bill. It's due in two days so it's going to be late. I've been preoccupied.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

Hello there!! OMG you don’t know how I just sped to read the Saturday date I think I’m actually in love with your writing. Also 7K WORDS?!?! Guys I’m being fed too well omg chefs kiss a million times over <3 Found another piece to burn into my brain and reread over and over again I was kicking my feet reading this THEYRE SUCH DORKS ITS SO CUTE AHHJDKSHD This has to be some witchcraft because I can’t even express in words how good this was!! Reading this made my week omg! The beach aspect incorporated his fear of water PERFECTLY he’s such a gentleman and a menace at the same time this is literal perfection!!!

And SAME we can be (blue) locked in together HAHA I seriously can’t wait for him to be animated!! Speaking of, you saw the Epi Nagi movie, correct? If so, what’d you think?? Just in case I won’t spill my thoughts quite yet hahahaha but would love to hear what you think

Also I LIVE for the hilarious interactions between Karasu and other characters too!! I completely forgot to mention before but I think I died laughing with the Hiori cameo you added in the first part of the Karasu piece - it was so on brand and so goofy of him I love how you added that! And the Hiori mention this time too was gold, you’ve captured the essence of their characters and relationships so well!!! Otoya interactions with Karasu are also a fav of mine so IM SO EXCITED TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE IN STORE!!!

On that note, I’m not sure if you’ve read the EpiNagi manga either but there’s some great interaction content in there if you’re looking!! Their dynamic is also so goofy and I love them too!!!!

You’re also a GENIUS I hadn’t even thought of Karasu interacting with Yukimiya for the first time that’d actually have me rolling omg I can imagine him just glaring at him and sizing him up all the time doing his analysis and just muttering insults like “he’s just an mediocre dude” etc LOL

Once again, thank you so so much for entertaining my thoughts and requests you didn’t just deliver you ATE and DEVOURED, above and beyond truly!!! If you’re ever lacking Karasu writing ideas or just thoughts generally I’ll always have some handy for you o7 HAVE A LOVELY DAY!!!! THANK YOU FOR FEEDING THE KARASU COMMUNITY HSHSHSH I have a feeling I’ll be in your inbox quite often LOL (esp when he finally gets fully animated!!!)

On my way to go reread that piece again orz

-Karasu anon :)

OMG YAYYY I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT!! hehehe smth abt karasu always gets me rambling…both times i’ve written for him the pieces have ended up being almost double the length i intended them to be 😭 I LOVEEEE HIS AND READER’S DYNAMIC they’re so stupid and they truly match each other’s freak so well LMAAOAO i think the whole “Why do you think he’s so interested in me? It’s because of the kindness that radiates off of me in waves!” ~ “That’s not kindness radiating off of you, that’s the scent of your hair gel.” exchange is one of the funniest things i’ve written in a WHILE i was giggling coming up with that whole convo 😫

i think his fear of water is so interesting!! since it was established in the first part that y/n loves swimming i thought this was the best way to include that without it feeling too random 👆🏻 HAHA i really wanted to show that despite his snarkiness he truly is a green flag at heart!! him being a bit of a jerk is so integral to his character but at the same time i am 100% confident that he would be sooo down bad if he liked someone and he would absolutely treat his gf like a princess (even though he’d simultaneously be a jackass abt it)

YES i did watch the epinagi movie last thursday when it came out in the us!! ofc nagi is my fav so i liked it but i do think they cut out a lot from the manga which made it feel a teensy bit rushed. i almost wished they would’ve waited until the manga finished up w the second selection and then animated that too (biased because i want to see more karasu + barou) overall though it was good!! the tabieitaken + kurona cameo at the end was sweet if not a bit crunchily animated 💖 also i distinctly remember there’s a scene (i think at the end) where they show reo and nagi like standing next to one another and THEY DO THE FUCKING PRIDE AND PREJUDICE PINKIE THING LMAOAOAOA i hope you know what i’m referring to it had me dying 😭😭😭 i fear reonagi is not a ship i care much about (LOVE both characters, find them kinda boring together tbh) so it wasn’t emotionally impactful to me i just found it hilarious…like ok wyd here mr darcy ⁉️ but i’d love to know what you think!! i am caught up with everything blue lock so feel free to talk about anything related to it in my inbox 😤

I LOVE HIORI IN THIS SERIES TBH he’s like karasu x y/n’s biggest shipper (besides y/n’s bff) but also kind of their weird little freak child?? idk how to put it but karasu + y/n both feel like they are probably role models of some sort for hiori (which will be shown a bit more in the next continuation i hope) so he kinda just follows them around as he has been so far and at some point they just give up and pretty much adopt him. like yeah that’s their son what abt it (this is based on that one scene of karasu and hiori in the epinagi movie where karasu looks like he’s taking his child [hiori] to the doctor’s office for the first time because his wife [y/n] is busy 😭)

OTOYA AND KARASU ARE SUCH A FUNNY DUO I LOVE THEM TOGETHER!! i’m so excited to write otoya meeting y/n i think it’s going to be entertaining for sure!! and PLEASE karasu meeting yukimiya in blue lock has been on my mind since you requested him going into the program…he does his stupid little analysis for the first time and immediately has a breakdown because yukimiya is canonically 1cm taller than him 😭 otoya has to tell my man to stand tf up HAHAH i bet the trash talk after they won/after karasu got ranked third and yuki got ranked fifth for third selection was VILE (on karasu’s part. meanwhile yuki is like “great game 😄 you’re super talented bro 👍🏻” because he’s unproblematic and also has 0 idea why this random crow boy holds such a deep hatred for him)

i loveee the epinagi manga i wish it was updated weekly because i’m so impatient i need to know what happens next!! the current match going on is making me sooo happy because it has my top three bllk boys (nagi, karasu, and barou) in it…plus my bestie chigiri 💖 the art style of the manga is so pretty though so i don’t mind waiting longer for chapters…perfection takes time after all 🤩 the way karasu especially is drawn in epinagi is so hfdkskjs like bro is ASTOUNDING. the panel where he’s first introduced in it and his name is written and he’s all smirky…lives were changed dare i say!!

i have so much fun reading your thoughts!! and once again i’m glad you like the way i’m taking your requests 🫶🏻 i will hopefully get the next ones done soon too and you can lmk what you think of them!! always proud to serve the karasu fandom 🫡 i’m like that one video of justin bieber that goes “hey. just working. working hard so i can please you.” but it’s me writing for minor bllk characters instead of just the itoshi bros typical suspects.

come into my inbox whenever you want!! i will always be happy to read whatever you want to talk about (even if it’s not karasu related hehe)

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (12-18 May 2024)

the fucking contempt that dripped from his voice!

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😊 Tea and No Sympathy (who_la_hoop) - 70K, drarry - enjoyable enough, set 2 yrs post war, draco gets stuck in a time loop & learns some things

😊 That's What You Get For Waking Up In Vegas (Oh_i_swear & ThePirateStorm) - 96K, shrunkyclunks - cute & entertaining - ymmv depending on your threshold for lots of britishisms in the dialogue of two ostensibly american guys + highly unrealistic kid behavior

😊 head above water (yourblues) - 91K, hocky rpf, started almost too slow burn for me since I don't know the characters involved but well written & compelling enough that I wanted to know & then about halfway thru I was fully in

😍 This, You Protect (Infinite Coffee & Protection Detail #1) (owlet) - 64K, recovering WS Stucky, one of the preeminent classics in the Stucky fandom featuring Cat Eleanor, The Olds, grilled cheeses and sheep pj pants.

💖💖 +56K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Kelly, the Well-Meaning and Very Confused Barista (chaya) - MCU: barbershop quartet, 6K - "An outside observer confuses the 'barbershop quartet' as one woman with a really bad habit for cheating. Complete fluff." - I really love a well-done outsider POV

and now you will not be alone any more (pocky_slash) - X-Men: cherik, 5K - "Erik gives driving, sewing, and cooking lessons, soothes nightmares, bolsters self-esteem, and still can't figure out why Charles keeps smiling at him like that." - love stories where Erik's like a feral cat that accidentally domesticates itself without realizing it

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Girls5eva - s1, e2

That '90s Show - s1, e1-2

The Unicorn - s1, e1-2

QI - series U, e9-15

Murdoch Mysteries - s16, e21

The Brokenwood Mysteries - s10, e3

Dead Boy Detectives - s1, e1

D20: Fantasy High: Junior Year - "Ragenarok (Part 1)" (s21, e19)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Only Cowgirls Get the Blues" (s16, e19)

Doctor Who - s1 (series 14), e3

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Musée Mécanique

Re: Dracula - May 12: What Manner of Man is This

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - To the Moon and Back with Rebecca Boyle

Shedunnit - Bonus: The Chalet School

The Sporkful - Bringing Georgia O’Keeffe To Life With Her Recipes

99% Invisible #581 - It's Howdy Doody Time!

Decoder Ring - How the Jalapeño Lost Its Heat

WikiHole - Nathan Lane (with Zach Woods, Jeff Hiller and Katie Dippold)

Under the Influence - The Gong Show: Ads That Could Never (Ever) Run Today

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum

WikiHole - Patrick J Adams (with Bowen Yang, Mary Beth Barone and Marie Faustin

Points North - The Legend of Heike's Tombs

The Allusionist - 194. Word Play 4: Good Grids

Pop Culture Happy Hour - I Saw the TV Glow is weird and transfixing

Switched on Pop - Is pop music just fast food? (with Gastropod)

The Fandom Show - 29: The Golden Girls (with Tricia Black)

Dinner’s on Me - Zachary Quinto

99% Invisible #582 - Rocket Man

Vibe Check - Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

Re: Dracula - May 15: Lizard Fashion

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Looking to the past and future of Black Twitter

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Underwater Sculpture Gardens

Welcome to Night Vale #248 - Mother Lauren

The Fandom Show - (NEW) Doctor Who

Re: Dracula - May 16: This Man Belongs to Me

Wild Card - Why Chris Pine gave up on being perfect

Wild Card - Chris Pine on performing the role of "movie star" + more Issa Rae (Wild Card+)

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Gabbing Goblins with Colin Dickey

Dinner’s on Me - Harry Shum Jr.

Persuasion by Jane Austen - Persuasion 1. | Meet the Elliots

The Fandom Show - Our Flag Means Death

Short Wave - Scientists Reveal Mysterious Origin of Baobab Trees, Rafiki's Home in 'The Lion King'

Dear Prudence - My Mom Forgot to Take Her Medicine and “Accidentally” Made Racist Remarks. Help!

It's Been a Minute - Bumble & the trap of modern dating; plus, living ethically in COVID's aftermath

Endless Thread - Catfish for dinner

Strong Songs - "Easter Theatre" by XTC

Dinner’s on Me - Danielle Brooks

Re: Dracula - May 18: It was No Dream

99% Invisible - The Power Broker #05: Brandy Zadrozny

Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me! - Maya Hawke

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Sweetheart Soul

The Romantics Radio • Familiar

The Essential Survivor [Survivor] {2014}

My Supermix

AM In The A.M.: '70s Pop Morning

"Beach Baby" [First Class] radio

[evilwickedme]

I’m so sorry to add to the fic Rex requests but I’ve been desperately sad lately and need a pick me up. Do you have any Batman fic recs for happy aus? Idk how to exactly explain it but fics where they all get along pretty well and clearly love eachother. Something along the lines of Shutterbug, if you’ve read it. Thank you and I’m sorry for adding to the growing pile of requests 😭

hey for sure!!! do not apologize for adding to the growing pile of requests I have DREAMED of this keep sending them FOREVER

some of these are a little ooc but I tried to pick ones that at least aren't outrageously ooc. it's just hard to write happy batfam fic that isn't a little ooc they're so fucking miserable in the comics

JLA & the batfam

what a genre. I have more of these but I picked my favs

Jason Todd's terrible, horrible, no-good very bad Week - Jason gets kidnapped by JLA who think he's still a wanted Gotham villain. Batfam (minus Batman, who's unavailable) try to rescue him.

Batman/men? - how can Batman be in like six places at once on this JLA mission???

Not So Alone - JLA doesn't know Batman has a team/family, they insult him, batfam gets revenge

specific dynamics

Life in the Fast Lane - honestly the ao3 description is a pretty good summary: “So, let me get this straight,” Dick said, frowning, “You stole a car, kidnapped Tim, got in a high-speed chase, stole another car, fought a bunch of cartel members, and blew up a chop shop...all to get a minivan back?”

hit 'em up style is an all time favorite!!! Bruce gets Steph some tampons. that's it that's the fic

How to be Brothers with the Family Cryptid - a guide by Duke Thomas - Duke gets to know Jason and vice versa

crack and general fluff

Waynes? More Like Wayne-kers - the Waynes are annoying! lots of fun

pest family - ratman ratman ratman RATMAN RATMAN RATMAN RATMAN RATMAN RATMAN RATMAN!!!!!!!

Capture the Flag (to the death) - the Waynes play capture the flag. it is not a low-key affair.

this is our home, we just don't have a door - the batkids for sure are doing something, and Jason is not getting involved. he's not.

The Wayne Family Annual Beach Trip is exactly what it says on the tin

before we get married, I need to get permission from batman - I almost forgot to rec my own fucking fic. I am fucking speechless. anyway the story of five people asking for a batkid's hand in marriage + 1 time it was the other way around

this has some drama, but they still love each other when it comes down to it

I'll Still Love You Anyway - a platonic soulmate au for the four male Robins & Bruce | 2nd edit: has a quick mention of pit madness

Minimum Height Requirement is an au where Bruce strictly enforces a "no capes until you're 18 rule" | edit: decided to reread this and as per previous request here's a tw that this fic has mentions of pit madness!

hope this makes you feel better <3 <3 <3 much love and enjoy

[gadunkie]

rant post about the online queer community

hey after going outside and talking to real life people for a while Ive come to the conclusion that most of the online queer community is just horrible for queer people. hi reddit today Im going to ramble on about how the queer space on the internet has somehow regressed back into separation under a more progressive and performative light. so after being on tumblr for like, fucking 7-8 years or some shit as well as experiencing other queer spaces on other social media platforms (twitter and reddit, mostly twitter) for only a couple years, Ive come to the conclusion that people are so caught up in their own asses that theyve completely misunderstood and forgot why the queer community exists. side note: I dont care how messy this post is or if the points made are all over the place, this is tumblr.com who gives a shit.

as far as Im concerned, a lot of non-queer and especially religious people really dont like us queers. unfortunately we were all born in a world where we suffer as a minority under laws and power that would really rather have us killed than working together. as such a collective of queer people started banding together under a community where we were finally allowed a space to be ourselves and live as people. the community consists of fags, dykes, transsexuals and whoever was in-between or outside of those terms. our relation comes from how we are rejected from living normal lives for simply trying to express romance or identity in a way that would finally make us feel alive. so it would only make sense to band together and make sure each of us finally have a home and a life we always wanted to live, surrounded by people who would finally accept us for who we are, right?

ya!!!11!!11one thats the whole point of the queer community, to band together and finally be treated as people. but the one problem that I see nowadays is that the current queer community just doesnt fucking do that. Im bad at formulating problems in an essay-like way so Im just gonna make a list of things and explanations underneath ok? :) :) :) 1. the queer community unfairly fetishes women: now theres nothing wrong with liking women sexually or romantically or whatever, in fact it doesnt correlate with the above sentence at all. Ive noticed in my time on using the internet, that queer people tend to hate or forget people who arent women. whether they are men, or nonbinary, or both, or none at all. women have a much larger audience than other queer people and its stupid. its gotten to the point where I forgot that the trans flag included women, men, and those who dont identify with either. I just got used to seeing them depicted with women or feminine figures that arent cis. I literally didnt make the connection until a few days ago that people other than women completely belong under that community as well, yet Ive seen so much trans discussion that only involve women and no one else. lets change that please, people who dont identify as women belong with the rest of the trans community. I feel ridiculous saying that because I shouldnt feel like I have to even formulate that sentence at all.

2. the majority of the queer community doesnt care about brown people: now there are a lot of online queer people who arent actively or intentionally trying to be racist but I cant help but notice that they tend to forget about brown people a lot, specifically black people now that I think about it a bit more. you guys remember when a new version of the pride flag came out and it looked the exact same but they added brown and black colors onto the flag? strange that at the same time the blm protests were also really popular and part of current events at the time as well, its almost as if it was simply a performative gesture to signify what should have already been obvious. even after those colors were added, black people were just forgotten again. Im not even going to sugarcoat it I dont think the majority of the online queer community would even care if black people just died, because they already dont. but this isnt just about black people either, anyone with darker skin tones, no matter the ethnic group, are either used for diversity gestures or completely forgotten about overall. it has been pointed out multiple times that tumblr staff has actively silenced or banned accounts belonging to brown people. actually the only time I saw tumblr even care about shadow banning was when they started doing it to trans women, what a fucking shit show. its so easy to care about people no matter their skin color its literally so fucking easy, why is it impossible for the majority of this community to do that.

3. why are we fucking separating ourselves from each other: hi Im sure youve noticed that Ive been saying the word "queer" over and over again. first of all, if it bothers you, grow up. the queer community have fought for decades to reclaim phrases used against us dont give it power again. second of all, I prefer saying queer over lgbtqia+ because it unites us all under one word rather than an acronym pointing out each little category of queer people. theres nothing wrong with trying to create an identity for yourself that means a lot to you and makes you feel more comfortable for yourself, but I have to argue and say that certain labels just seem pointless and belong under ones that have already existed before their creation. yet I dont blame people for using different ones than the labels that have already existed because I think we collectively failed to inform people that those labels can have multiple meanings. bisexual doesnt just mean you like cis men and cis women, it means you like anyone you want to. transgender doesnt mean you are now the opposite of your assigned gender, it just means that you arent cis. it also doesnt mean that you need to have surgery done on you or that you wear different clothes than the norm either. although I see the point of creating extra labels, I ultimately think they do more harm than good. we have to stick together to survive, any more individual groups then we are as good as gone.

those are the general points that Ive wanted to make anyway. I would love to type more but I have a feeling that the reading comprehension on this site wouldnt survive the first two paragraphs.

the last thing I want to say is that you should find more ways to be together than try and exclude each other, because while youre calling yourself a "foxgirl bi lesbian enby demiboy" there are queer people in real life being kidnapped and mutilated for simply trying to exist.

please for the love of everything that keeps us alive and safe, find ways to stick together.

[thinknicht]

Silver lining and your latest Sixth Hokage was so goooddddd!!!!! Finally I reached the latest chapter of Sixth Hokage and goddamn, my soul seems to be ascend to heaven of how you build up their relationship! I have so much to say about Sixth Hokage, but one thing for sure that its a really roller coaster ride!

I kinda worry about the major character death, like what--don't do it girl. I know your magic, witch. You put those magic chakra and intriguing pov of the characters to distract me, but it doesn't change the fact about that shiny red flag really worries me the most 😭

I really appreciate the depth you put on those characters. Shikamaru lowkey hating Sakura, and how a showoff he was to Temari. Hinata and Tenten jealous to Sakura, not knowing how Sakura struggles about her journey. Choji picking up the subtle hints and gets it immediately. He knows that Kakashi is becoming an absolute menace when he states about his interest to Sakura. My most favorite chapter on Sixth Hokage will be always Ino entering Sakura's mind. It was a fucking shitshow and I absolutely love it. The chapter where Sakura poisoned Kurenai and she nearly killed Danzo was the absolute best.

Asuma knowing that Kurenai is part of root and naming their child, Mirai, was really fucked up. I feel bad to the guy.

Sakura really radiated about that scene from Legally Blonde, 'what? like it's hard?' when she do the impossible shit with so much ease.

Kakashi is a fascinating character ngl. An absolute menace (affectionate).

I think I need to reread Sixth Hokage.

Silver Lining? Best shit I read. The later chapters is so hilarious and make me giggle because the ANBU planned to make a seduction strategy for Kakashi to Sakura 😳😳

Oh, thank you so much for the ask! I so rarely get asks that I don’t check them much… sorry about that!

Legally blonde — best movie ever! I’m honored you compared the energies hahah! And that you read silver lining! Honestly, it’s bookmark and comment count is way lower than sixth shadow so I always get surprised when someone reads it and tells me about it! :)

Kakashi IS a menace in the fic, for sure… and major character death… I mean, I almost forgot I’d added that tag! But all you need to know is that she does travel to the past to fix things so…

The danzo Kurenai scene was really fun to write! And I’m surprised you like the Ino one so much — someone else told me the same thing recently! Anyway, thank you so much for the encouragement,

Xxx