#i do like boys planet but only the fun and wholesome parts

[yoshi-ori]

ranking all 12 boys planet episodes

disclaimers:

i didn't go back and rewatch all the episodes bc i don't have time for that but i did look at some of the youtube clips and the live + post-episode discussion threads on r/boysplanet to refresh my memory

the overall score is mainly based on how fun/boring the episode was and how much evil-editing was involved

i may or may not have been a bit too harsh with the scoring idk

12. episode 1 (2/10)

pros:

everyone looked so happy here (minus jiwoong who just wanted to sleep), back when they didn't have their hopes and dreams crushed

i enjoyed the brief snippets of the trainees fighting for the p01 seat, wish we could've seen more of that

funny moments:

when hui sang for the p01 seat "battle" and jihoo immediately gave up lol

cons:

i'm sorry but i've always found when the mentors talk to be extremely boring and they talk soooo much in this episode 😭 literal snoozefest

speaking of the mentors, i also don't like it when they laughed at the "bad" performances, like i'm probably just being sensitive but i always felt bad for them 😭

i don't like how much they also keep talking about the k vs g group thing like wdym you guys are besties (also it was just boring)

they also talk a lot about the trainees' dreams and how they've trained for so long and while i think that's sweet i also think it's kinda boring

11. episode 4 (2.5/10)

pros:

most of the training segments for this episode were just boring and sad but the two teams that didn't fail me were both hot sauce teams, like it was just good vibes and not really a lot of conflict

speaking of hot sauce, this was the first episode where we got good screentime and storyline for ollie and phanbin like yessss we love to see it

also some parts from the training segments that i did actually like were when yugeng and yang jun made up and when yedam gave up the killing part to shanbin, idk i thought those were pretty sweet and selfless moments and the mentors didn't show up so

cons:

the training segments were boring and sad and i snoozed through them

also daeul got evil-edited really badly and krystian got evil-edited even more which weren't fun to watch

10. episode 7 (2.5/10)

pros:

some more of my favorite performances in this episode, namely tomboy and limousine, which are S-tier and A-tier respectively. boy do i love the dual position battle performances

while i once again found some of the training segments to be boring i did enjoy nslocb and limosine teams since they didn't really have a lot of conflict and it was just good vibes

funny moments:

the rush hour conflict was not fun but i will say i laughed so hard when ricky and seongmin side-eyed the camera 💀

i know this was supposed to be a serious moment but the haobin massage scene made me laugh so hard 😭 it just felt so intimate and sudden that all i can do is just laugh. also the live chat comments were killing me

cons:

more evil edits yayyyy /s. this time we have the continuation of jingxiang's evil edit from episode 6 plus shuaibo which weren't very slay

once again, some of the training segments were really boring. i'm gonna specifically complain about butterfly bc they set up a whole storyline for junseo only for him to still get last? like girl what was the point of that other than making him look bad

9. episode 2 (3/10)

pros:

i like the part when they react to the first episode together it's fun and i do love seeing them laugh and compliment each other

some cool performances in this episode (nunu nana, the real, shut down), i actually liked these more than the episode 1 performances. the real is S-tier while nunu nana and shut down are A-tier for me

the training segments for the signal song test were a mixed bag between boring and not boring but i did enjoy seunghwan helping daeul and phanbin helping hui, i thought those were sweet. i think i enjoyed those moments bc they were wholesome and the mentors weren't talking LOL

the part where they call their parents made me cry but it's such a touching moment and idk it warmed my heart <3

funny moments:

woongki dancing to my bag in the middle of the night

cons:

same problem as the first episode, i found the mentor comments to be super boring and i sleep through them like how jiwoong slept throughout the entire song level test

some of the training segments were also boring and also just made me sad, especially when the trainees get scolded. also there's too many mentor comments zzzzzz

most of the signal song tests were pretty boring to watch and were honestly a drag. i think it's a combination of i don't like seeing the "bad/mid" performances plus the mentor's comments are boring

8. episode 3 (3.5/10)

pros:

i liked their dorm room shenanigans those were cute

i actually did like seeing the good signal song performances mainly bc they went by quickly and the mentors didn't speak much LOL

idk why but i find the part where the trainees pick their teammates for the k vs g group battle to be so fun, i liked the intensity of finding out the top 10 and waiting to see who the trainees will pick and what song they'll pick and stuff like that

funny moments:

anthonny's eye roll when it was revealed that the next mission is k vs g group again like bro same

when they were about to pick teams and haruto's like "GUYS don't forget about me remember when we ate together??" and then him running towards honghai's team in mach speed like 🫶🏃🏻‍♂️ when he got picked

when g-group burn it up team was trying to figure out who has the best abs and they weren't impressed by yutaka's skdlfjs

the arm wresting competition was so fun to watch, g-group needs to drink more milk or smth idk

cons:

the part where they practiced and filmed the signal song performance video was boring idk

i've noticed that this show tends to follow the exact same formula where right before a team is about to perform they like do this flashback where they show the team struggling but then it's ok all turns out fine and dandy in the end, which like makes sense ig since you gotta show the backstory and create sympathy towards the trainees but i still find it boring LOL. idk i just don't like seeing them sad and it just feels like it drags along forever to me

there's also some not-so-fun evil-editing moments in this episode, specifically with krystian and kinda jianyu which is sad

7. episode 9 (3.5/10)

pros:

i did enjoy the part where the switch and supercharger teams had to recruit other trainees into their team like idk i thought how they tried to convince them was fun to watch

the outdoor games they played were fun and a vibe

i also really liked the numerous eliminated trainees cameos/mentions in this episode like during that one outdoor game where they had to find their baby photos or when some of the eliminated trainees showed up to the guerrilla showcase for the trainees whose parents couldn't make it or when some of the eliminated trainees showed up to the artist battle live performances to support their friends 🥺

funny moments:

when shanbin pretended to get kicked out of smn when he just needed to use the bathroom like my guy just likes to do a little trolling

when phanbin revealed he learned the switch choreo just for funsies so he slayed getting the killing part

the en garde prank and seunghwan being an amazing actor like get that man an oscar, i'm convinced inyeon ent saw this segment and thought "we need to recruit him"

kamden twin reveal! and their awkward interaction LOL

cons:

ok i know i said i enjoyed the recruiting segments but the trainees getting kicked from over me and smn was just sad

once again the training segments were really boring, honestly probably more so than the previous missions since the mentors seemed to be more present this time around making it even more boring (idk if they actually were more present but that's just what it seemed like to me)

this episode is the second part of the smn conflict and probably the worst out of the three. people were relentless with him after this episode like mnet why do you hate matthew so much what has he ever done to you

6. episode 10 (3.5/10)

pros:

i love love LOVE the little prince musicals. as someone who loves watching musicals this is definitely one of my favorite things they've done on boys planet. the performances were all so fun and i loved seeing them rehearse and it was such a vibe. so many cute moments like gyuvin, yujin, and gunwook "fighting" over hui, hiroto and takuto pairing up together and seungeon forgetting his lines but not giving up and haobin and gyuhui slaying

this episode also has say my name aka THE superior song of 2023, this song won the artist battle, got a perfect all-kill, and won 29304823 daesangs in my heart <3

funny moments:

when they were guessing who the next star master is gonna be and phanbin guessed tbz juyeon, gyuvin guessed hwanhee, and woongki guessed ariana grande

ricky and ollie being paired up for the musical and ricky doing kabedon on ollie and them getting 0 stars for whatever reason 😭

junhyeon just making stuff as he goes during the musical

cons:

honestly this is kind of a minor gripe and doesn't actually affect my feelings towards this episode that much but i'm still salty about how mnet never released everyone's musicals 😔

more boring training segments yawnnnnn. these conflicts are getting so repetitive it's literally just the same thing: mentors check the team, mentors and dissatisfied, the trainees practice more, the mentors are happy. like bro at least show them singing/rapping more instead of just making it all about dance

FINALLY the smn conflict ends and i was pretty satisfied with the ending but i will forever be salty with mnet, like girlypop there was absolutely no need to drag that on for three whole episodes

also my bird died while i was watching this episode live so

5. episode 11 (6.5/10)

pros:

the outdoor games they played were so fun, lots of funny moments from that segment. some cute moments include phanbin's reaction to being a spy and hiroto's cute "dance battle" and "tteokbokki" aka when i lost the idgaf about hiroto war

also there weren't any training segments in this episode thank GOD

funny moments:

when over me team was doing the pulling up pants game and kuanjui just straight-up bit ricky's pants in his crotch area and over me started playing in the background 💀

leejeong doing badly at the spinning elephant game and everyone in over me team thinking he's the spy only to change their minds at the last minute for some reason?? (the fact that leejeong later revealed that he wasn't pretending to be bad and he did actually get dizzy but the editing made it seem like he was acting bad on purpose makes it funnier LOL)

matthew unintentionally getting the word right during the whisper game

the smirks gyuvin and somi gave to each other

cons:

normally i like elimination episodes but ngl this elimination wasn't as entertaining mainly bc there weren't a lot of trainees left. i was gagged by hui and gyuvin making it since i thought they were goners but that was it. also everyone just looked sad during this elimination idk maybe that's just me

everything after the eliminations (when they were picking teams and positions and choosing the killing part) was kinda boring ngl BUT i will admit i actually didn't catch the ending of this segment bc i had a critique for my art class so like maybe i'm not the best judge for that LOL

4. episode 5 (6.5/10)

pros:

as mentioned before, idk why but i really enjoy watching elimination episodes, especially after the episode is aired. idk i just like the suspense and the trainees trying to guess who will get called up and their reactions when someone's name gets called and the trainee being all shocked and everyone congratulating them and idk i think it's sweet. also i love the "hints" the star master gives they're so silly it's like playing six degrees of separation

also there's no training segments thank GOD

i love all the trainees' little intros and how they paired up based on the best mate contest those were super cute

the dance battles were all fun, idk nothing much to say here they all slayed

can i just say i was absolutely GAGGED during the hot sauce announcement like wdym all of k-group survived with some of them barely making it in. phanbin crying from happiness was so heart-warming 🥺

gunwook and hwanhee gossiping during the entire elimination was so fun

i also liked when shanbin and matthew were contenders for p01 and they talked about auditioning for boys planet together and stuff like that got me in the feels 😭

funny moments:

shuaibo doing moe moe kyun at gunpoint with junhyeon

yugeng telling yang jun all of his predictions and getting most of them wrong

the woongki vs keita dance battle was fun but the trainees' reactions are what really take the cake

cons:

ok i know i said i like elimination episodes but obviously i don't like it when my faves get eliminated and jang jiho being the only one left standing in the k-group aju nice team absolutely broke my heart 😭

also the trainees' speeches are pretty boring and they tend to get kinda repetitive pretty quickly

i was pretty disappointed when they suddenly made k-group win the dance battle competition when g-group was leading even if they did end up sharing the pizza in the end

the cultural appropriation prank was NOT it and (most of) the trainees laughing was also not it 😭

the hyunbeen prank also felt pretty mean and it felt like they were skinny-shaming him like idk maybe i'm being sensitive but yeah that was not a vibe

3. episode 12 (7/10)

pros:

i absolutely love the beginning when they introduce the top 18 through fun little films that reflect each trainee's interests and vibes and stuff like that part was so cool

the self-made concept teasers the jelly pop and hot summer teams made were so fun

i LOVE the sleepover and how they talked about first impressions like that is my absolute favorite conversation starter and everyone's just laughing and having fun and roasting each other and remiscing good memories and it's just so wholesome <3

funny moments:

the whole kamden jelly noona thing. no elaboration needed

junhyeon calling phanbin handsome but phanbin not hearing him correctly 😭

kamden asking if he has an american vibe and the other trainees just going "no"

when they tried correcting matthew's pronounciation on jiwoong's name but he still pronounces it like "jiwoon-hyung" anyway

jiwoong's "sorry what was the group name again?"

gyuvin's "sorry i forgot"

cons:

this episode is SO long like i would never rewatch this episode from beginning to end ever again ngl

on a related note, some parts of this episode dragged on for so long like the introduction and how to vote and the group name reveal and the members reveal. like i understand why since this was an actual live episode but yeah i'm not rewatching those parts again LOL

the stuff with the mentors was kinda boring, like i did enjoy the trainees making the flower headwear things and the cakes and the silly little song they sang but everything else was kind of a drag

i thought the fans' messages were really touching and stuff but for some reason i've never liked seeing other kpop fans LOL like idk it just gives me the ick (also partially the reason why i don't really like when mnet cuts to the audience's reaction during performances)

seeing phanbin cry and keita look so sad broke my heart into a million pieces 😭

2. episode 6 (7/10)

pros:

the ghost prank at the beginning of the episode was pretty funny

idk why but similar to the trainees picking their teams for the k vs g group batte, i find the trainees picking their songs and other trainees pushing them out to be so fun to watch, i love the suspense and overdramatization of it all

some of my favorite performances are from this episode, namely zoom and gang, which are S-tier and A-tier respectively

speaking of gang i enjoyed seeing their team interact the most, idk it's just good vibes and the only "conflict" that happened was trying to come up with a bunch of dance breaks but that was figured out relatively quickly

funny moments:

when gunwook pushed woongki out of tomboy and he acted all sad about it at first before strutting his way towards feel special

ricky winking at jiwoong only for him to get pushed out of love killa 💀

junhyeon yelling at shanbin to push out gunwook so that he can join ggang while gunwook is just trying to hide

jiwoong acting all silly and goofy and the birth of mattwoong

the sheer difference between woojin's timid vocals vs mingyu belting out man in love

cons:

same problem i mentioned before with the k vs g group battle, some of these training segments and the conflicts they faced were really boring

this episode planted the seed of jingxiang's evil edit before it fully bloomed in the next episode which wasn't a slay

1. episode 8 (7.5/10)

pros:

another elimination episode :D as mentioned before i enjoy eliminations and the suspense and yada yada yada

once again the intros were very fun and wholesome good stuff

i did quite enjoy watching the trainees go to their artist battle teams and their reactions every time someone joins them, like when the besties woongki and seowon ended up on the same team together or when everyone was so happy to see gunwook in en garde

planet camp tour was pretty fun, i liked seeing the trainees just vibing all around planet camp

the sports day segment was also super fun i loved it. lots of fun moments from the princesses to the chicken fight to the sudden genshin sponsorship

more gagged moments from this elimination, probably the most gagged i've been was when leejeong manifested ranking 23rd

funny moments:

the smn prank has got to be one of my favorite moments in the show. idk i just really like silly pranks like this LOL

hui practicing his why-i-should-be-leader speech in the bathroom is so funny to me like honestly mood

cons:

the training segments for the third mission were such a drag like dang why did you have to ruin a good episode like this smh (i mean granted it was less painful since the mentors didn't show up i think BUT STILL)

also some evil edits here with jingxiang (again) and ichan which were not a vibe

also this episode planted the seed to the mattbin smn conflict which lasted for an unnecessary two more episodes which was also not a vibe

this is all just my opinion no i don't take criticism thanks for reading

[overthinkingtaleblr]

Tell me more about your Acachalla parents hc pls?

My Acachalla Parents Headcanon Masterlist

I don't think you wanted me to answer like this, but I was excited to use this as a jumping-off point. I hope that's okay! This is a couple days late but I had so much to say ^^; there’s a chance I’m still missing stuff, and I mostly focus on their relationship!

When it comes to two quasi-immortals getting together in middle age and having to raise a bunch of children after collecting enemies like it was a hobby for most of their life… no one can beat the Acachalla Parents. Papa Acachalla with his murderous ex-gangs and ex-spouses, and Gertrude with her frequently changing identity as she hides from literal space cops. Between the two of them, it’s surprising that either of them wound up assumed to be the “wholesome” parent, since I’m not sure that’s actually possible for either of them. The best part about the energy they bring to this relationship is that they Both bring it together.

While I don’t know if they’re in love in canon, to me there is nothing that means more to me than these two entities of murder and chaos swooning over each other. There is no i can fix her, there is no i can make him worse, they like the other for who they are now. Warts and all… So how did we get here?

General Headcanons

Controversial of me to myself, but I’m not reviewing old videos for this and I’m barely looking at the wiki. When I say all of this is in my head, I mean that literally.

Billion Year War - Gertrude is one of many characters who does not appear during the BYW arc, even though Papa appears frequently. Since Papa was kind of the cause of the war, it’s possible that he finally managed to do something bad enough that she couldn’t excuse it anymore.

Crimes - Papa is known more for his criminal behavior, but Gertrude has been a menace. Being together didn’t mellow them out, it’s only made them worse. I say that with love.

Date Night - Part of the reason why the kids have so many unsupervised adventures is because the adults drop them off somewhere random and tell them to have fun so that they can have some peaceful hours to themselves. This often involves getting them distracted before leaving as quickly as possible since the faster kids can and will chase the car home if they weren’t up for the day trip.

Paranormal Visitors - Not every ghost at the Acachalla house is a stranger, and most of them are from the pasts of the parents. When the hauntings first started, they usually pretended like they had no idea as to what ghosts they had a history with would want with them. After multiple years of this and some establishment of trust, they concluded that their connection doesn’t matter, what does matter is keeping their family safe first and foremost. They still don’t bring the topic up, but they’ll actually argue with ghosts now for being petty. It also makes it easier to work with PIE.

Raising Monsters - I’m sure only one of them would even jokingly refer to the Acachalla children as monsters, and only two technically qualify, but still. There is no way that they’ve gotten their act together yet— boy have they tried, but that just means they’ve failed. They’re not doing a bad job raising the kids overall, but they’re frequently overwhelmed and confused and there’s no guide for how to take care of your daughter who can turn into a demon or you son who claims to be a god. I think the chaos makes their organized moments all the more rewarding to Gertrude and Papa.

Relationship History HC

Crossing Paths in Cowboy Times

Gertrude is actually older than Papa by a lot, being a Gingarian alien. She arrived on the planet running from space police for crimes against her world that her family committed. She stayed flighty, moving from place to place on Earth to avoid being caught, and eventually finding herself in the middle of New Mexico during what would be come to be known as the “Wild West”

She intentionally chose a town that outlawed guns, knowing that she’d be able to crowbar anybody who aimed to do her harm and chose to work at a bank.

Papa Acachalla was running the Acachalla Gang while the real leader, his older brother, was dealing with a magical ailment no one understood. This was soon after he left his boyfriend to die when a heist went wrong, and he was having a really hard time keeping his head in the game. He probably would have lied about being sick if he wasn’t the only option.

Unsure who to bring with him with the list heavily exhausted, he decided to bring his younger cousin, Maxwell, allegedly to “get the kid some experience”. Real answer: he was out of options and desperate for an extra pair of hands. Maxwell trusted him, though.

Papa let Maxwell take the lead, borderline dissociating in the meantime while he wallowed in his own shame.

Gertrude, recognizing the Acachallas to be something that wasn’t human, mistook them for being apart of the police force she was running from. Taking advantage of the smaller one’s nativity, Getrude allowed him to come toward the money before bludgeoning his head in and threatening his partner.

Papa snapped back to reality in time to see what was about to happen, but wasn’t able to bring himself to warn Maxwell. He didn’t have the strength, physical or mental, to go up against this woman to get the kid’s body, either. Sputtering excuses, he turned and left when she told him to.

A diffferent group met the Sheriff at the town border a day later to pick up the body and take him home, though the woman who killed him was kicked out of town before they could ask for vengeance.

Though the local sheriff was happy to see the Acachallas leave them alone, Gertrude still got heavily chewed out for killing a child, especially in such a brutal manner. Not understanding where she went wrong, she sounded like a monster when pried for her thought process, making the Sheriff inclined to kick her out of the town. She was ready to go on the road again, anyways.

The Union of Acachallans in New Mexico started disappearing soon after this incident, the tragedy proving to be the last straw most of the inhabitants could take. Papa was left feeling solely responsible for the disintegration of both his metaphorical and literal family.

It wasn’t until years later that Gertrude came to understand how vulnerable humans are when they’re young, and this incident would start to haunt her as she realized she severely overreacted and someone died for it.

The first time the two met, they accidentally screwed over the other’s sense of normalcy and changed their life direction seemingly for the worst, all over a heist gone wrong… and they never even got the other person’s name.

First Connection

After almost two hundred years worth of downward spiraling between the both of them, Gertrude and Papa Acachalla truly met each other for the first time, entirely across the country from their initial interaction.

Papa didn’t jump around too much, it’s more like the world was moving too quickly around him. He entered and exited romances, he started working at a 7-11 when it first opened and found himself the manager and borderline owner just by being there, and he only got the house because he initially moved in with roommates who all left him. He had family in the area, but he never took the time to actually see them. He was drifting.

Gertrude on the other hand was rapidly oscillating from place to place, moving too quickly to really settle down anywhere. She would walk in, burn bridges, walk out. If her reputation in a cluster of towns got too high, she’d take a train to the next state and start over from scratch. Wasn’t just jobs and relationships, but her sense of self as well, Gertrude caught onto any new trend that passed her by, but got bored of it quickly. Part of her was only doing it to hide from the aforementioned space police, the other part of her was desperate for a sense of belonging.

So that’s how an overworked yet overpayed Papa Acachalla encountered an emo phase Gertrude in his 7-11.

I’m not entirely sure what happened next, but two things need to happen before Gertrude moves in with Papa. First and obviously, the two need to connect, actually communication with each other. The second is that Gertrude needs to encounter the space cop who’s been looking for her.

The way I’d suggest this is that Gertrude ends up trying to live inside the 7-11 without Papa noticing, he absolutely catches on like the second day but doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t care enough to bother.

The two eventually begin to chat from across the building, relating to each other a lot partially because of how secretive they both were being about their past. After a couple weeks, she basically became his unpaid front-desk buddy.

They’d sit in silence for most of the day, only really talking over meals. Sometimes Papa would order takeout if Gertrude mentioned being sick of noodle cups. They were beginning to get along.

After awhile of this becoming the new normal, the aforementioned Gingarian Space Cop (he’s an actual character, he’s named Agent Knock), comes in looking for someone of a different name, but it’s real obvious that Gertrude has been hiding since he came in.

Papa decides he’s siding with her over whatever galactic federation is in charge even if she WAS wrong and flaunts his metaphorical power as an Acachallan to get the Agent to leave.

Before feeling safe enough to be relieved as Agent Knock leaves, Gertrude realizes that Papa would technically be able to harbor her as a criminal. First thing she does when it’s all over is turn to Papa and ask if he had room for someone else in his house.

Again, overpaid, Papa doesn’t need a roommate financially. He does, however, live in a massive house that gets lonely, and he’s aware that Gertrude might just up and leave if the Agent comes back, so after a bit of waffling to tell himself that he’s not going soft, she’s just twisting his arm on the matter, he agrees to let her stay with him so long as she keeps her head down.

It’s not important for the list but Gertrude Does eventually kill Agent Knock good for her.

Adjusting to Domesticity

Two explicit criminals who previously incidentally ruined each other’s life— now living together under one roof, might fall in love.

Might have already fallen in love, but who’s keeping track.

Sadly for fanfiction tropes, there was very much not one bed in the house, so they wound up sleeping on different floors entirely in the beginning.

Gertrude hasn’t had a steady place to live in a long time. She keeps her belongings in one place so she can grab it all and leave at a moment’s notice if her good fortune suddenly sours. It isn’t that she distrusts Papa or what seems to be his kindness, but… it wouldn’t be the first time something didn’t work out for her.

The last time someone else lived in the house with him, Papa Acachalla was counting the days until they left and he’d have the freedom to do whatever he wanted with his own space. Now that they’re gone, nothing’s changed. Without having someone to interact with, the days began to blur together and nothing felt like it was worth doing.

Even just living together is enough to make life a little bit easier for both of them. Gertrude doesn’t realize it, but she’s stopping Papa from slipping into another stupor, and Papa is fully aware that his family reputation is keeping her safe.

It doesn’t take long for both of them to adjust to each other’s company, and when the children get added to the family dynamic as well, they grow closer as partners-in-crime (that crime is caretaking) as well.

As emotionally immature as they both can be, it isn’t the first time either of them had caught feelings like this. They’ve been burned before. With any luck, it’ll turn out okay this time around.

Optional: There is a chance that Billy and Sally entered Papa's life before Gertrude. I never considered it before now, but it would be very interesting for Gertrude to come in not just to Papa, but his adopted children as well. Lecture him for letting them get away with not eating their veggies.

Parenthood Attempt

Despite both of them having experience, to say either of them knew what they were doing when taking on the challenge of raising several children would be a lie.

Papa feels like people depending on him has only led to hurting them in the past, so he has a tendency to push the kids away, pretending like Gertrude is the only one who wants them there. If the kids ever claimed that Papa didn’t care about them, though, he would cry.

Gertrude tries her best to come off as responsible, but that’s because she knows they’re all human-ish. No matter how strong they seem, they will always be fragile compared to her. They won’t be able to survive forever, and she doesn’t know what injury might be dangerous enough to be their last, thus her protective parenting style.

Papa accidentally got Billy involved in a lot of stuff he was too young for and tried passing it off as after-school activities.

In fact, most of Papa’s group bonding activities are crime based… because the only other time he ever had to parent someone, his main interest was the gang Papa was in.

Gertrude genuinely thought Spencer was just low-maintenance until he one day vented about how much he felt like crap and she realized he was actively not taking care of himself and realized no matter how much he pushed away, he DID need her to make an effort.

Neither Gertrude or Papa know how to talk on the PTA without sounding absolutely insane, and both are fully aware that the other parents are counting the days until their kids all graduate.

If you asked if Maddie counted as one of their kids, Gertrude would explain that she was just a close friend who could be seen as a daughter if you really wanted, but surely she had other parents and they couldn’t just adopt someone illegally. Papa would think about it before going ‘sure, she’s one of ours’.

Johnny Ghost is an honorary Acachalla kid and almost had a stroke when he found out.

It’s mostly because he’s an ill-tempered orphan who frequents the house and can keep up with the chaotic energy of the kids and adults, and both the parents HAVE had to… well, parent him in a tense situation before. They’ve grown attached, he’s theirs now.

Addendum: ghost is not an orphan, he has a dad. He is so confused as to why they think he is an orphan but doesn’t want to tell them in case they decide the answer is to MAKE him an orphan.

Rapid Fire HCs

Gertrude proposed, but the rings are Papa’s. She used a random object as a stand-in for a ring since she didn’t know Papa’s ring size, and this gave Papa Acachalla time to tell his mother and for her to pass along his parent’s wedding rings like an heirloom. It was very touching for both of them.

If they didn’t accidentally screw over each other’s lives, they wouldn’t have gotten together. They both needed a hit to their pride to get the world into perspective. Before, Papa was too egotistical, and Gertrude was a little bit out of control.

Gertrude has a larger criminal record than Papa, but she lets Papa take the lead for larceny and stuff. Papa actually knows how to steal— Gertrude’s crimes are predominantly war crimes, planetary eviction, and murder.

Papa and Gertrude both like doing grand gestures, but they love the unplanned soft moments more. The tender moments. Their lives have been too action-packed to not appreciate the change in pace.

Sometimes shaving your husband’s back in a dark bathroom is a tender moment, idk.

Both have a skill-based preference when it comes to chores. Not because either are good, but more because there is one task they’re terrible at. Papa is a bit too experimental in the kitchen, and Gertrude mixes the wrong cleaning supplies. They’re happy to take the other responsibility if it means everyone in the house doesn’t die.

They keep secrets from each other, on purpose and on accident. When there are so many skeletons in your closet, it’s hard to know which ones should be dug up and which ones can stay. They’ve learned not to be too judgmental when the past gets dredged up.

Papa and Gertrude both come from absolutely massive families that they’ve been basically exiled from due to bad behavior.

Gertrude is on the space equivalent of a “no-fly list”, so any time they want to travel with her, they either have to fake her passport and identity… or find their own, unofficial methods.

Papa Acachalla is haunted by Jose Jose Jose Jose, who I like to see as an incredibly bitter ex. You’d think this would be difficult for Gertrude, but I think it’d be funnier if she and the vengeful spirit wound up besties.

On the other hand, Maxwell fucking hates Gertrude. Even if Papa didn’t recognize her from the incident, Maxwell did. It caused a bit of a relationship hiccup, but they worked through it.

Both Gertrude and Papa were disowned by their family after an incident that killed most of the ones they were close with, only difference is that Gertrude’s family still refuses to talk to her and Papa’s reconnected with his mother.

Papa has to do the taxes because last time he asked Gertrude to do it she told him she had a brilliant idea and explained tax fraud to him. He does not want to fight the IRS again, so he let her down gently.

An Alternate Understanding of their relationship is one that is more… “Should have been divorced a decade ago” but weirdly tongue-in-cheek and self-aware of the toxicity. I don’t like to do that one anymore because I prefer the conflicting tenderness of active criminals being caring and tender, but that read requires Papa to be genuine every time he says he doesn’t see the others as Family.

Songs and Why

- Tangled up by Caro Emerald (Remix)

“You’re quite the same | If love’s the game”

Yes, I was an animation meme kid growing up and this song has a soft spot in my heart now. I try to push it aside for these two, though. I want them to dance, and this song has a good beat!

[geonppangi]

boys planet trainees as seventeen songs pt. 1

this is mostly based on how well they fit the concept, but also if i think the song would be a good fit for them based on their skills! to make things more interesting i’ll be excluding the songs that have already been covered on the show (so no home, aju nice, or hot)

trauma - ricky

i think one thing that a lot of people comment on is how ricky has a softer voice

in comparison to other rappers on the show like keita, his delivery isn’t as sharp if that makes sense

which is perfectly fine! each voice fits a different part and i think that ricky’s voice would work really well in trauma

it’s not about the big things but about expressing emotion and thoughts through simple but charismatic rapping

i’d love to see ricky write his own lyrics about his experience on boys planet a la limousine

and also most of the video is just them sitting in different sets and rapping while looking cool

which may not sound very difficult, but it’s actually quite hard to be engaging while also looking like you’re just chilling

and honestly i think ricky’s facial expressions and mannerisms would really suit this song

like there are some people who just look good even if they’re not doing much you know?

i just think this is such a good concept for him

24h - kim jiwoong

to be honest, i think that this one is pretty self explanatory lmfao

it’s a sexy concept for our resident sexy boy

and i think dark red (and navy blue) are just his colours yknow?

i can already imagine him doing the low 24 hour line and i think it would be perfection

to be honest, i love seeing jiwoong try new concepts out, like he did an amazing job with say my name

but i think in terms of what suits him the best, definitely a concept like 24h

world - seo won

ahhhhhhhhhh i think this would be so so good for seo won!!!!!

like the sparkly outfits, the shining lights

and i love seo won when he smiles and a really cute and upbeat concept just suits him so well!

he would also be so good during the chorus like i know that my boy can sing, even if mnet likes to pretend that he doesn’t exist

fallin flower - sung hanbin

ahhhhh i had to think really long and hard about who i should give fallin flower to and what song i should give to sung hanbin

i think there are so many synchronized arm movements in fallin flower and the dance is very delicate and elegant

it’s a song that’s very near and dear to my heart and i think that shanbin would be able to do the concept justice

not only is he our favourite flower boy but he also specializes in tutting and waacking, both of which require precise arm movements

so i think that pulling off fallin flower would be effortless for him

also ngl i feel like he would look really good in pink but maybe that’s just me

mansae - kim gyuvin

THIS SONG FEELS SO GYUVIN

like it’s just a fun and cheerful song

a little bit on the goofy side

and we’ve all seen enough behind the scenes videos to know that gyuvin would totally nail this concept

i think he also has a really youthful look to him so the high school setting also works

also i just really want to see him do the choreo for the chorus

darl+ing - kim taerae

AFTER MAN IN LOVE I HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH TAERAE SMILING WHILE HE’S SINGING

he just has such a wholesome smile

and i think that darl+ing is such a cute song

like taerae would be so sweet while performing and i think he would really shine in a vocal heavy song!!!!

left and right - haruto

maybe it’s because of his zoom outfit but haruto has always come off as a little sporty? to me

and he has a lot of energy and the dance skills to match

so i think left and right would be such a good fit for him!

like he has a really good groove to his dancing that really suits the chorus

and i just know that he would eat up the rapa

adore u - kum junhyeon

okay yes, adore u has had some questionable outfit and editing choices

but who better than kum junhyeon to really make that his own

gang was probably one of my favourite performances this season just because of the personality that they brought to the show

also you definitely need energy for this song and junhyeon has more than enough of that

cheers - keita

honestly i think that left and right could also work for keita (especially the rap part)

but i also think he would do so well in cheers, especially with hoshi’s part

so far his rapping has been fairly fast and doesn’t give him that much room to be more experimental with his delivery

but i think cheers will be good for that

also i feel like he would just rock the big hat yknow

honourable mention goes to back it up which would suit his current rap style perfectly

however there’s no video so i’m not really sure about the concept

call call call - park hanbin

okay law phanbin with the scar changed me

like fundamentally as a person i have been changed

but honestly he does so many different concepts it’s a little crazy

i think call call call would be so fun for him, especially since the concept of the song is on the wackier side

like his facial expressions would be so good in this

and there are 3 main outfit concepts at the beginning and he would suit all of them

also he would look very cool on a motorcycle i’m just saying

part 2 here

[drawthething]

2 and 4 for the BB ask game!

2. Favorite non-belcher character (and why)?

THANK YOU for giving me another excuse to talk about my favourite boy JIMMY JR!

They could have written him as some typical popular boy to be Tina's crush but nooooo. He has a lisp. He has the stupidest running pose. He writes musoems about either his life issues (in some weird subtle way) or the randomest things ever like animal planet or god's name or his shoes and be super proud of it like he just invented a new artform (he did!). He has a pet turtle and has seen 27 dresses three times (i'm pretty sure j-ju has a thing for animals and old-school movies pfft) I especially love his absolute passion for dancing, and how he genuinely wants to be better at it (so you stink you can dance). He's just so endearingly weird and simple-minded and silly I dig this kid so much. And all the selfishness and messiness he's known for? I agree with it and appreciate it about him. No i don't think he'd be as good of a character had he been written to be all wholesome and stuff. He's a teenage kid, he's allowed to be a jerk and a bit self-centered and clueless and dumb. Feels more real that way. The only problem i have with it is how inconsistently developed he is though :/ Lots of unexplored potentials i think (which i can also say about many other side characters Mort)

4. Which character do you think has changed the most since the beginning of the show?

Hmm lots of characters to pick over here. Imma go with Tina. I think she's grown to be a lot more confident and self-assured throughout the show. Look back at how she talks to Tammy in the earlier seasons (2-4) and how now that she can stand up for herself and occasionally roasted her (I love their sass battle, can we pls have more of that :D) She used to be kind of a lowkey sass master and now it feels like she's a lot more open about voicing her opinions and doesn't hold back on her backtalk and I dig it 🤘 I appreciate that she remains to be a bit socially awkward and weirdly fierce about her passions though :]] Don't want that part of her to ever go away. Though I wished there were less moral compass things between her and Louise ya know, cuz they're sorta getting old and less fun (let Louise have her chaotic evil mastermind glory moments like back in the day!)

[msfett]

✨ Chapter 5: Parallax

Boba Fett x F!Reader

Rating: Wholesome Goodness

C/W: Smidge of Angst wrapped in Snuggly Fluffity Comfort

Some Stuff 😊 Thank y'all for supporting this lil saga! My heart is always so happy to hear from you 🥰 You never know how a fic will be received, and I am thrilled if this has meant something to you! It’s been a great escape for me 😌 If you prefer AO3 (msfett_ifyourenasty), this series is cross-posted there. If you're enjoying this fic, please feel free to reblog and share 💕

So…yeah. Initially this chapter was really long. I realized as I was writing, there were two very distinct sections. The first part dealt with familial love while the second part focused on romantic love (ie sexy times). I decided to split it into two separate chapters. As much as I wanted to jump into bed with romantic love, it just didn’t feel right to put them in the same chapter since they are so opposite from each other.

That being said, I hope you still enjoy this chapter, but in the next, we'll definitely be having some fun with ya boi! 😉

🎶 Musical Motivation/Lyrical Inspiration: Say by John Mayer (yeah, totally saccharine)

**********************

The sun-scorched plains of the Jundland Wastes reflect a penetrating glare across Tatooine’s endless Dune Sea. Very few organisms are apt to live in this blistering environment. Yet there are some creatures that have learned how to thrive in spite of the dry, barren desert.

Before you’ve even stepped through the synstone hut’s open door, you hear him shout, “Extra bantha milk?”

Unlike the stifling heat, the shade of the hut offers to wrap a gentle warmth around you. “You remember.”

Naturally he’s busy, hood covering the back of his head, nodding along as he hums an old melody you’d loved as a child. He pours a generous dollop of the rich, blue liquid into a steaming cup. “Of course I do. Most mornings it was the only way I could bribe you out of bed.”

“I see your sense of humor hasn’t changed,” you muse, removing your mask.

As the collection of sand-stroked robes turns around, the hood falls, and your smile seems to drip off your face as if the suns were actively melting it.

When you left, shocks of grey readily ran through his hair, but now there are no traces left of the fiery auburn color. His skin looks as if it has aged twice the number of actual cycles, a flash flood of wrinkles and scars worsened by the extreme elements.

“Don’t look so surprised,” he observes with faux contempt. “It certainly wasn’t easy providing a shield of concealment for the three of us all those years.” His grizzled, but steady freckled hand holds out the cup of caf. “You in particular, dear girl.”

At first glance, remnants of outward youth have vanished from his visage. But his eyes sparkle, hinting at boyish mischief, and his smile lights up with childlike charm in seeing his protégé.

He’s always been a frugal man, with the one exception of Garqi caf beans, the one item he’d splurge on. The caf is strong as it wafts into your nose, milk swirling in intricate patterns, marrying bitter with sweet. It tastes like home.

“How’s the kid? Still crashing his skyhopper in Beggar’s Canyon?”

“No,” he chuckles, seeming to recall fondly. “Fortunately it’s been fairly quiet since you left.” He absentmindedly scratches at his scruffy beard. “He’s growing into a fine young man. Though I’m not sure if his uncle will ever allow me to go near him.”

He appears deeply introspective, pondering his own words until he catches your concerned stare. “Where are my manners, please, come sit. I know you didn’t travel all this way to talk about the boy.”

In truth, you hadn’t had any plans to visit your Master. You hadn’t been sure if you would ever return to see him after the fallout, and guilt pangs through. He’s kindly received you, welcomed your presence, even presumed your visit was intended, planned.

It’s circumstantial that you were close to this backward speck of a planet after the bounty hunter decided to free you, the timing oddly perfect. You hadn’t been ready to forgive, to let go of the anger you felt towards your Master. But after the hunter’s explosive reaction to you, he’d unknowingly dislodged remains from your own wreckage, forcing you to pick up and examine the broken fragments of anger alongside his.

And while it had been easier to focus on him, you couldn’t deny the extra rubble belonged to you. Just as you had tried to help him reconstruct, you had to rebuild your own foundation, replace and strengthen. So you gather courage to be humble, express fault, laying down the first brick.

“Master, I want to apologize.” His eyes reflect more generosity than you feel deserving of. “I was so hurt, so angry when I left. I felt betrayed, deceived.”

His voice is forthright. “I should be the one apologizing, dear girl. It was never my intent to mislead you, but the less you knew, the safer you would be. I would’ve done…I would do anything to keep you from harm. The Empire thought you had perished alongside the others in the temple. Your life hinged on erasing everything from your past in exchange for a new future.”

He shakes his head slowly, regretfully at the remembrance. “If I’d told you about your parents and their defection from the Jedi order, it would’ve only caused confusion and grief, undue suffering. You were too young to understand. But as you got older, I let my own fears for you bury the truth.”

“When I learned your brother had survived order 66…” It’s as if he can’t allow the words to form. “Never did I consider that Vader would sense his connection."

“I did what I thought was right for you. I would not lose you to the dark side. I would not fail this time. But it wasn’t until much later I realized I’d condemned you to live in isolated exile out of fear, my fear. As I am now,” he murmurs contemplatively.

“I thought if I could teach you everything I knew, it would keep you safe if anything ever happened to me. That’s all I ever wanted for you, to be strong, to be independent no matter the circumstances.” His words are earnest, sealed with the bond of attachment adamantly forbidden by the Jedi order.

Your embrace is sudden, throwing your arms around him with the same carefree abandon as when you were young. There are holes in his threadbare robe, a testament to a lifetime of harsh conditions. The muscles in his shoulders have atrophied over time, made more evident as he soothingly pats your back.

When you look at him, his eyes appear to have grayed as well. But you feel the same loving reassurance wash over you as hints of blue still glint through. “Despite all my shortcomings, you were able to achieve balance, a balance that is vital to the future of our galaxy.”

“But Master, I don’t know what my purpose is.” Your voice catches, fighting back an ugly sensation. “What good am I if I can’t bring about change?” The tear almost immediately evaporates when it rolls down your cheek. “It feels so dark sometimes.”

The contraction in your chest acts to further suffocate, but the hand that reaches to touch your forehead aids in releasing the discomfort, and you gratefully lean into it, relaxing so you can take that deep inhale of life giving oxygen.

“That couldn’t be farther from the truth, dear girl. Do you feel I lack purpose?” he questions sincerely, drying residual rivulets coalescing with dust on your face.

“No.” Your brow furrows in response. “You’ve devoted yourself to bettering the galaxy, bettering me.”

He nods slowly. “Trust me, it can be difficult to remember that when you’re sitting by yourself, when you’re alone with your thoughts.”

Projecting comfort, he continues. “A single star may not appear capable of casting much light. But when it joins with the light of other stars, the night sky becomes brilliant, and we’re able to see things that we couldn’t before. If each of those stars faded one by one, you would notice long before total darkness stretched across the sky.”

“Your contribution is just as great as mine, if not more. You are at the beginning of your life with a future of possibilities. Even when you are my age, you may never fully realize the impact you’ve had, but it is vast in ways we often cannot understand.”

“You are strong and wise, dear girl. I have trained you since you were small. I have taught you everything I know, and you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be.”

His hand rests softly upon your shoulder.

“You have truly become a Master.”

“No.” Your mind is flooded with rules you’ve disobeyed, even completely ignored. “I’ve strayed too far from the order.”

“Perhaps it was the order that strayed too far from its own ideals. You represent a new generation of Jedi. You have rightly earned this.” His seriousness turns into a gentle chiding. “Don’t argue with me. I’m an old man.”

The light appears overwhelming at first glance, as you follow behind your Master to exit the hut. But as your eyes adjust, you can clearly see the twin suns in the cloudless blue sky. It must be around midday. One sun has already begun its descent as the other continues its ascension, growing brighter as it reaches the zenith.

“Your saber.” You kneel on the warm, soft sand and present the hilt, bowing your head. The humming vibration is reassuring as he speaks. “Your mother went to great lengths to fashion this after her Master’s. In that way, you carry on both your mother’s legacy, as well as Master Windu’s.”

So attuned to the amethyst kyber crystal, you can visualize its change in direction before he moves it, the living force surrounding you collectively.

“By the will of the Force, I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, bestow upon thee, guardian of Light and Peace, daughter of Jedi Knights Mallie and Kento Marek, the honored title of Jedi Master.”

A strong gust of wind swirls up loose sand, but breezes by leaving you untouched as if are encircled by an invisible shield of protection. You hear the blade retract, the hilt fitting perfectly into your outstretched hands before you rise.

“You’re like a daughter to me. I couldn’t be prouder of the person you’ve become. My legacy will also live on through you. You hold the future, and just as I taught you, so you will pass your wisdom and knowledge to others in the ways of the Force. We are all connected. Even if you can’t see me, know that I will always be with you.”

His eyes project truth and hope, but there is also melancholy that sifts through.

“Thank you, Uncle.” A universe of meaning lives within those three simple words. You place the warm metalweave across your face, an attempt to hide the shadow of apprehension on your lips. “I will see you again.”

His kind smile is as permanently etched into your mind as the wind-weathered erosions of the desert canyons. “Remember, Master Jedi, there is freedom in life. But there is also purpose in death. Fulfill your destiny. Go be the bright light for others in this dark time. May the Force be with you.”

**********************

Anyone want some crackers with that cheese? 😋

Small Digression 😊 I just have a deep love for Obi-Wan and could probably write an entire fic about these two. I feel for Kenobi and all the shit situations he handled with such humor and grace and kindness 😭 He suffered so much tragedy and loss. He watched helplessly as Qui-Gon was defeated and brutally killed. Satine, the freaking love of his life, died in his arms. Anakin betrayed him, turned to the dark side, and helped Palps hunt down and kill like 99% of the Jedi. Then he had to live the rest of his life in exile on one of the shittiest planets in the galaxy 😭The Kenobi series is gonna break my heart, but I’m so glad we’ll get the opportunity to delve into the universe from his perspective.

[freelyglitterykryptonite]

An extensive list of non-problematic youtubers

With the absolute crap-show that is the youtube community right now, I though I might share some of the least problematic creators on the site right now, pulled right from my subscriber list Here you go;

Glam and Gore Does Beauty and SFX makeup, She has two adorable dogs and she’s just the cutest

Bailey Sarian Does Murder Mystery and Makeup Mondays where she talks about true crime stories and does her makeup

IAMTRAEH Does Natural hair horror stories and tutorials for Natural hair

Snitchery Does Tutorials on how to change up your look

SusieJTodd does Fashion videos on a plus sized body

Bernadette Banner a Vintage fashion youtuber with a voice of liquid gold

TT Bret mainly a cosplayer who is more active on Tumblr and Tik Tok but does occasionally post youtube videos

Safiya Nygaard Does bad makeup science and travel videos. She’s absolutely adorable and down to earth

Dollightful a Korean Based artist who repaints dolls into her own characters, She did all of Eevies evolutions

Sideways Delves into music theory and motifs in modern culture.

Imbrandonfarris just absolutely hilarious with the most adorable little girl. He eats bugs sometimes

Emmymadeinjapan Makes vintage recipes, tests vintage cooking tools, and Viral internet foods in a respectful and educated manner

AnthonyPadilla Yes that one, His activism and “I spent a day with” Series is highly informative and he always approaches his topics with the utmost of respect and curiosity. (he’s also dating Glam and Gore from earlier and their relationship is absolutely adorable)

NikkieTutorials one of the few Big beauty youtubers who isn’t stupid Shady I love her so much

Royalty Soaps She makes and sells handmade soaps and she’s adorable

TheEpicNate315 shockingly a video game youtuber, He makes informative videos about Skyrim and Fallout 4 Lore

Overly Sarcastic Productions Covers History, Literary tropes, and Mythology In a fun animated medium

You Suck At Cooking is what would happen if How to basic had a voiceover

Enchanterium another doll repaint artist

Jennelle Eliana A travel Vlogger who lives out of her van with her snake. Very informative

Deligracy Is a Sims youtuber. The Sims Community is pretty unproblematic you can get really good content with none of the drama on this side of youtube

ThreadBanger cusses a lot but Todd and Corinne have one of the healthiest relationships on the platform. Todd also almost died a year ago and he’s back and better than ever

Beautyklove If anyone did those no heat curl tutorials back in like 2012 you know who she is. She still makes hair related content

MyFroggyStuff More doll art tutorials but this time they focus more on the dollhouse and smaller parts of a house awesome if you have kids who like dolls and crafting

Kristen Ryan Broadway fans rejoice! Kristen makes karaoke versions of popular songs but will sing every other part except the one you want to sing! She normally uploads multiple versions of the same songs so you have choices!

coolirpa revamps thrifted clothes and shows you how to do it

Oxhorn Another lore based Bethesda gamer. The gaming community has some wholesome bois I promise

Rachel and Jun a Japan based married couple who talk about their life in japan and how they make their interracial relationship work

RRcherrypie I guess they would fall under ASMR youtuber but I just find the little toys they mess with really interesting

ellie Nicole a Beauty Vlogger who occasionally covers natural hair and her skincare routines

Mo Mo O'Brien a cosplayer and Larper who attends renaissance festivals among other things. Is possibly the cutest person on this planet?

호주사라 HojuSara Australian youtuber based In South Korea, She does Korean based vlogs.

Maven of the Eventide Covers Vampire lore in modern fiction and reviews vampire movies

Spill, the only tea channel you will find on this list. Lays out the facts and lets you come to your own conclusion in a respectful manner,

Tristan Paredes is a vocal coach you can actually book online lessons for. Hes back baby

Mikaela Long, Does Beauty? Among other things

Philip DeFranco does daily news stories and is honestly one of the only ways I can consume the news without it feeling like its piling on top of me If there are any more that you guys can think of please reblog with your additions! 

[peikonlainen]

Just a quick question but what often gets you inspired?✨

Oh boy ehhhhhh - here we go to the never ending rabbit hole!!

Sometimes small things gets my attention like e.g. squirrels paws, unique red face of a person at a cold day or seeing chair upside down on icy lake (honestly I am now working on long comic about trolls inspired by that chair).

Comic art and animations inspires me greatly! Lately I have been inspired by animations gems like the thief and the cobbler, treasure island from 1988 (and other Soviet Union animations) and the king and the mocking bird. The animation process fascinates me greatly, how can one make smooth and imaginative animations is wonderful! I can't get enough of it all.

Also concept of kindness inspires me greatly. I have gone throw...lets say a lot. I love stories that show kindness where it is needed, e.g. Tove Jansson's story of invisible child. The child was bullied by their family so much that they turned completely invisible and lost their own voice, eventually they found confidence and selfworth in themselfs thanks to kindness of Moomins. I want my feelings to be seen and heard but sometimes world or people are overwhelming. Kindness is important, otherwise we will fall apart or at least I do. I am still on my way to be kind and understanding of myself and othets but those qualities are more important to me than ever.

Couple weeks ago I started to collect stuff that inspires me or I find interesting. I will list most of them below. If I am not saying anything about certain box, it means I enjoy the show/comic/meme/animal but cannot put my finger on why. Usually those make me smile and give new pespective about life. Somethings might be there twice because I am forgetful baboon!

Junji Ito's horror comics are visually out of this world! But my fav is his humorous comic about his cats. It was so different from his other comics that I fell in love with it.

Emma manga made by Kaoru Mori. Usually I can't stand romantic stories but the characters but the story and the art works perfectly together in her comics.

Comics and animations of @cecameron are gorgeus and fun!

Tove Jansson's books, comics, art and life in general.

Rainbow Road from Muppets is my favourite song and I wish it would be played at my funeral one day. Its hopeful song that fills me with joy.

Entranta from Shera. She never gives up, I wanna be like her! I wanna see failure is part of the process and helps me get further little by little + its nothign to be shamefull of.

Ponyo's fathers frustration is relatable, also the whole movie is wonderful and colorful. Its maybe my favorite ghibli movie.

Scarr my beloved weirdo! The image was in the tarot pack of the grim adventures of Billy and Mandy and he is of course the hermit (which is my personality card)

@deep-dark-fears comics surprise me by giving new ideas to express fear.

Hugo Simberg was Finnish artist at 1900's. Symbolism and sympathetic characters of devils and death has inspired me since I was 8 years old.

Treasure planet is one of my favourite disney movies. The father son relationship between Silver and Jim is great and makes me cry everytime.

Hypnopotamus and Warren Stone from ROTTMNT. Their relationship is wholesome and inspiring + the show itself is fun, full of action and passion! I love it!

Tintin comics are almost religious in my family. It was one of the first comics I saw different from different parts of the world and how tintin could become friends even the most oddest (looking at you captain Haddock) people is marvellous.

The penguin my belowed ❤❤❤

Mörkövahti is Finnish children book that accidentally inspired me greatly. The world of troll like creatures, magical elements in the story and research of the creatures made me fall in love in the world of the books. I often love to read books for kids or teens, they are more interesting and I don't have to fear to be faced with rape, sexism and other nasty stuff.

Stop motion animation and expecially Arman animations have been always part of my life. I have soft spot for the pirates movie thanks to it's humor, naivety and animation style.

Adventure time is one of my favourite series and couple of things stuck with me. Some people are build different, you don't have to understand it but you need to respect them. I love this idea greatly and I try to live by it.

Pinsir is my favourite pokemon and it says a lot.

Mr Pogo and other smart ape characters inspire me greatly. No wonder new planet of the apes trilogy is part pf my movie collection. I am not sure why I love smart apes as characters but it always works.

Wander over yander whole concept is to be kind and help people out, I love it.

Peto was made for me by @elle-eedee at lgbtq trolls discord server. Peto ended up becoming my ultimate comfort character and I love to draw him and make stories for him. I loved the way elle-eedee combined my favorite things to create him ❤ also their colorful art inspires me everyone I see it.

@alioutfit blog is blog of style choices of man named Ali. I want to find my own style like Ali.

The murder she wrote is nostalgic for me and I wanna get into that series again! The fact smart older woman is the main focus inspires me. I love Agatha Christi stories too so it checks out.

Hugs + rottmnt. I love hugs and the show has a lot of good hugs!

Don Rosa's Donald Duck comics are the best! Those who don't know, Donald Duck comics are big in Finland!

Heikko Peikko (meaning Weak Troll) was stop motion animation series in Finland at 70's. Its wonky, basic and charming story of Heikko Peikko's everyday life.

The meme that made me less depressed

@foxing_around had wonderful comic that made me think over my friends over my sad ass.

Squirrels, I like them a lot. They remind me of my grandpa who loved forest and nature.

My sandwich with a face

Monsters petting each others! My friend has a lot of arkham maddness board games that comes with monsters. I like to play with the figurines, they are so lovely monsters!

Concept art of toothless from how to train your dragon. Why toothless couldn't look like this little ugly thing??? I would have loved him from bottom of my ❤

Kingdom of lonely bananas sign was at supermarket. Little imaginative ideas like these are great.

Pasila series is good stuff, it was said to be Finnish South Park.

My photo of snail ❤

WoY faces are glorious

The snow queen movie from 1957 gives me live. Its one of my favourite Soviet Union animation movie.

My photo of my special secret place at summer

I know only these two from Transformers comics and their love is wonderful. Truly I haven't read the comics...I wish I could tho!

Sherlock Holmes books are awesome

New ducktales series had so many characters from the comics I couldn't believe it at first! Finally I had my favourite characters like Fethry on the show!

I love odd looking animals because I am one too

Animal Crossing is a game I thought I would never play. It looked like a baby game when my big bro gave the it to me at the time gamecube was new console. He bought it because it had a memory card and he know nothing about the game. I tried it and never looked back ❤

The ping pong animation is my favourite animation series from Japan. I got the manga even I can't read it since it's straight from Japan. It's more about the lifes of the characters and how they grow as people than the game itself (or at least it feels like it). The story feels real in a way, that the characters are three dimensional and their reactions are natural. Some charachters stop developing as players, some loose interest completely, some work hard to be the best, some forget why they played in the first place and some found new ways to live their lives. The story is good for my soul.

Comic of @catmilks made me realise there are other people like me. The feeling of the comic is relatable and hopeful, things will pass and life goes on + make sure you take care of yourself.

Comics of @ stuffnoonetoldme made me reflect my life and how I see myself.

@diva-humon has good points of life. I realised I have very christian way of thinkin even I am not religious or have ever been part of any religios.

Suomenlinna, I loved it!

[dizzydancingdreamer]

“First Lines” | Tag Game

Hey Y’all I have gotten tagged in this a few times— thank you so so much @auroracalisto @mikaelson-emma and, of course, @hellotvshowtrash— I haven’t had much time to read them and form coherant thoughts but expect some soon. 

So the rules are you post the opening lines to 20 of your most recent fics— or all the ones you have if you don’t have 20— and it kinda just shows who you are as a writer and it’s just fun!

I decided to include some WIP’s— and expose to everyone who is not @activist-af the sheer amount of fics that I start and then set aside. Please enjoy y’all I got a kick out of compiling this list!

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

“Barnes, you’re on protection detail.”

He must be dreaming— he must have fallen asleep with the tv on again. That’s been happening a lot lately; he’s trying to catch up on normal life. On all the shows and movies and music he’s missed throughout the years. He’s trying to catch up. Or maybe he’s just trying to drown out the silence. It doesn’t matter why, to be honest, all that matters is that he is asleep and what he is hearing and seeing are the workings of a bad dream. There was a marathon last night. Yeah, there was. Movies, a few of them. Something about bodyguards. He’s just dreaming about the movies. Right?

(WIP | Persephone’s Symphony | Bucky Barnes)

_

“Did you pack my dress!” A shrill voice assaults her eardrums as she scurries towards the door.

It comes from a tall, thin, young woman. Her face and fingers are boney, her blonde hair falling in perfect waves down her back. The faintest aroma of honeysuckles and violets wafts off her creamy skin. She is beautiful, her step sister Anna. At least in theory. The sneer on her cherry lips and the hatred in her cerulean eyes, unclouded and accusatory, can’t be hidden by any length of silky dress or ruby lipstick, though. She is ugly, even if just on the inside.

(Posted | The Servant and The Prince / Chapter One | Loki)

_

The ride to the capitol takes three gruelling days. Each night is spent at a different tavern. It is the same story each time; Estrid and Anna spend the night in a lavish bed and Y/n is left with the horses, curled under her thankfully baggy cloak. It is neither warm nor comfortable, sleeping on the bench seat of the carriage. She never really falls asleep, she only dozes in and out of consciousness. It is almost always interrupted by footsteps or the murmurs of animals or her own mostly empty stomach growling into the night. That one is twofold- usually her stomach is in so much nauseating pain that she cannot sleep but, on the off occasion she can, she is then awoken by the loud roars it makes.

(Posted | The Servant and The Prince / Chapter Two | Loki)

_

“Please Surtr.”

Her voice rings through his ears on a loop, the most beautiful and agonizing melody that he has surely ever heard. She must be magic- something strong and powerful and like nothing he has ever seen before. There is no other explanation. It had been magic when she appeared to him, literally falling into his lap as if out of thin air. He is the god of tricks but even he cannot do that- he cannot make women that smell like flower petals land in his arms at will. He wishes he could- more than anything he wishes he could pluck her out of his dreams and bring her back to him. But he cannot because that was not a trick. That was something else entirely.

(Posted | The Servant and The Prince / Chapter Three | Loki)

_

Y/n’s heart thunders as she gazes up at the glittering golden gates of the castle. If she was not so bogged down with bags she would throw a hand over her brow— a futile attempt to keep her eyes from burning out of their sockets. Do they really have to be this glittery? She thinks they are marvellous, that is not the problem. The problem is that she is not marvelous. Not in the slightest. Not worthy of such magnificent, splendid, rich architecture. She glances down at her simple dress— the loose green threads hanging from the side of the garment— she had meant to fix those— is this really where she must stay? Surely there must be a stable somewhere. A barn for animals like her.

(Posted | The Servant and The Prince / Chapter Four | Loki)

_

“On the balcony,” Frigga calls back, brushing her blonde hair over her shoulders. “We have company!” She adds, seemingly as an after thought— she is too busy pouring wine from a glass feeder into a beautifully ornate cup.

At least, Y/n thinks it is wine. She can smell the fermented berries— sweet and tangy and warming her nose as all wines she has encountered before have— only this wine is a pale violet shade. It is not an opaque rouge, not a barely there chartreuse. Nothing like what she has ever been able to get her hands on by way of bartering or shared celebration. Weddings and births. She takes a seat in one of the golden chairs, trying not to think about how out of her element she truly is. The little details are starting to show though. Not just extravagant pools and marble hallways. Even the food here is luxurious.

(WIP | The Servant and The Prince / Chapter Five | Loki)

_

She would have never thought it possible. Never. She’s the type to sit at home and crack open a good book. Maybe make a nice cup of tea. Lately she has been finding hibiscus tea to be a nice way to end the night. That’s besides the point, though. The point is that she is nothing like her older sister Jane. She is a dreamer, not a doer. Not a traveller.

Especially not a traveller of space— of foreign planets.

(WIP | Untitled | Loki)

_

“Are you heading home this weekend?” Lily twirls a strand of blonde hair between her fingers, “Mama told me there’s an event.”

Your best friend lays on your bed as opposed to her own, her legs dangling over the edge. Her eyes are closed, probably halfway to being asleep. It’s been this way since the two of you left for college three years ago, always more in your space than her own. You’re lucky that way, you have a best friend who would follow you across the country if you wanted her to. Honestly, you would do the same. Luckily, though, you decided on only two hours away away from home. Just far enough to find your footing. At least, that’s what you tell yourself.

(Posted | Everything, Everywhere | The Mikaelson Boys)

_

“Get away from me, Kai!” Y/n snarls, pushing her way through the grill with a huffing witch on her heels.

She had been eating her meal- staring at her meal more like— and trying to ignore the constant buzz of her phone. He was incessant, texting her non— stop as if it would make it all better. After the thirtieth text she had turned her phone off, preferring to look at her food in silence. No text can erase his voice in her head. She means nothing to me.

“Not going to happen, kitten,” Kai purrs, his hand wrapping around her arm and tugging her to his chest, “you’re not going to ignore me.”

(WIP | Untitled | Kai Parker)

_

New Orleans isn’t all that it was cracked up to be she muses to herself as she winds her way through the tombs. They tower over her, shadowing her with the sins of so many people before her. They’re lonely. That’s all she can think, over and over again. They must be so lonely. There can’t possibly be enough people to visit each of them. There aren’t even any people to visit her, let alone thousands of lost souls. She laughs to herself, a cruel sound breaking through the crashing silence. She is a lost soul.

(WIP | Do You Have A Moment? | Kol Mikaelson)

_

A little bit outside the city lines of New Orleans, tucked precariously off highway 109, there stands a roadside market. It isn’t too far, nor is it too close; it’s just right, like the porridge in some half assed, uninspired fairytale. It’s nestled perfectly on the edge of the bayou, drawing in just enough business to keep the two girls running it in business. The jam is sweet, the ham is honeyed, and the women have smiles that look a little bit like rain in a drought: necessary for life but too much water on dry soil is a recipe for disaster. It’s all a little bit too perfect. Too clean cut and wholesome. But this isn’t a fairytale, after all. It’s the story of the girl who got away with it and the girl who helped her do it.

(WIP | Hey Tommy | The Mikaelsons)

_

The Salvatore house has always smelled the same; like oranges and rum. A lot of rum. It is a welcome scent, one that smells almost like home. It will never truly be home, those scents are already reserved in your very essence, but it’s close. You’ll always be happy to walk through their door. Today is no different.

(WIP | Forever and Always | The Mikaelsons)

_

Kol drags a hand through his hair, his eyes locked on the book in front of him. His eyes wander the page, the corner of his mouth lifting when he skims something particularly interesting. You, too, have a book in your hands but, unlike him, your focus is elsewhere. To be exact, your focus is four feet away, basking in the sun on the lap of one shirtless vamp.

(WIP | Best Friend Things / Part Two | Kol Mikaelson)

_

“So, love,” a pair of arms snake around your waist, pulling you into a warm chest, “these are the famous pumpkins?”

A familiar blonde head, the one you woke up to this morning, settles against your shoulder. He must be leaning significantly given the fact that he’s at least a good head taller than you. You break the rain spell you had been working on, laying your wand next to your pumpkin starts. That’s the beauty of magic, you can grow in any season. You turn to face Klaus, a soft smile on your face.

(WIP | Pumpkin / Harry Potter Universe AU | Klaus Mikaelson)

_

The salt clings to her sticky skin, her hair grainy and matted from the surf. Thunder rolls overhead, chasing her through The Cut like. It’s only half past noon but shadows layer the street, casting everything in a dusky gloom. The pavement smells sharp; the rain is coming and fast. She hikes her tote higher on her shoulder and wishes for a moment that she hadn’t dove for as many shells today. She feels like a beached whale with all the dead weight. Business is business, though, and the tourists go crazy for a handmade necklace.

(WIP | Thunderstorm Afternoons | Jj Maybank and John B. Routledge)

_

She shoves her key into the lock of the Smith’s beach house, turning it with an audible click and smiling when she pushes the door open to the smell of warm pizza and oranges. Try as the boys may, Mrs. Smith’s affinity for essential oils will always prevail over the mass amount of cheap pizza they consume on what is— unfortunately— the daily. She hauls her bag higher on her shoulder, closing the door behind her and thanking the heavens she remembered to pack some of the chicken her mother made for dinner on her way out the door. No Domino's tonight, thank you very much.

(WIP | Sleepovers | The Kook Boys)

_

“Y/n, darling, come here,” her mother’s sweet voice trickled over her from the front hall, “I have some people I want you to meet.”

She stepped into the hallway, coloured lights pouring over her. It was Christmas time, her favourite time, and everything was extravagantly decorated. Garland lined the grand staircase, there was a tree in almost every room, and, her favourite, holly strung in every doorway. Her house radiated magic, more so than usual, that is.

(WIP | Hufflepuff Princess | Draco Malfoy)

_

Her feet hit the pavement with careful clicks, her heels— while undeniably killer— a little loud for her taste: a product of her day spent in practice with the other debutante girls. She has to force herself to make her steps light. This isn’t New York, it’s Mystic Falls. Being a southern woman is not a choice; it’s an obligation. A prior commitment she agreed to before she was old enough to truly fathom what it meant. For the most part she loves it— the elegance and refinery, the teatime giggles and flouncing skirts— but the heels? That’s a hard no.

(WIP | Untitled | Kai Parker)

_

She sighs, her toes burying themselves in the carpet as her arms reach well past her head in a much needed stretch. Her room is dark, the only light coming from her cheap desk lamp. The pounding in her head, for once, isn’t enough to drown out anything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours. None of this was supposed to happen, it wasn’t supposed to get this far. It was always just a game, wasn’t it? She runs a shaky hand through her hair, her knees wobbling slightly at the thought. Get it together, y/n.

(Posted | The Bet | Rafe Cameron)

_

Her bubblegum lip gloss attacks him from all the way across the café, cutting cleanly through the aroma of coffee and donuts and sending his heart racing at the obscenely sweet scent. He should hate it. No, scratch that, he shouldn’t think anything of it at all. It’s not in his nature to enjoy things- or to feel things at all, to be frank- but he can’t help it. The drugstore brand, wildly over-scented balm makes his head fuzzy like nothing else.

(Posted | Bubblegum Princess, Cherry Angel | Kai Parker)

_

I don’t really know who to tag because I haven’t been active these last few days so I am tagging people I have not seen do this yet and if you have just ignore me : @elijahs-wife @draconisxcaput @imaginearyparties @dumble-daddy 

[sugar-petals]

Please do a tarot reading on bts personality? Thank you

if we’re talking personality, it’s time for the big guns. i promised i’d use this deck to an anon, today we’re doing a shaman soul reading. 

Jungkook: THE RAINBOW

A sign that the end of the storm is near. This card is truly blessed and imbued with great innocence because that’s exactly what Jungkook is. It’s the “everything is alright” signal: The rainbow symbolizes completion of the soul in the Himalayan region where shamans consider rainbows a bridge to the afterlife. Believe it or not: What we see as JK is the last incarnation of his line. His journey is basically complete (!), it is whole. He’s found what we will all find and the end which is a state of profound happiness. There’s a reason why he brings so much ease, fun, and talent everywhere he goes. That sense of lightness and positivity is deeply embedded in him. Brightness, bubbliness, fleeting moods but always optimistic. His personality is all about joy and the feeling of soaring high. It’s not a farce we see on camera, he really is like that. What I noticed is. Since we see a colorful bird dashing forward on a ray of light, I believe JK is headed somewhere blissful, and he’s headed there fast. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, pretty much. Not just the shamans in Nepal consider the rainbow as an arch, Norse ones do, too. The Bifröst bridge connects Midgard to the Æsir. Jungkook has a sort of divine connection going on. That’s why his personality is dignified. Bifröst is translated to ‘shimmering path’, that he got famous was destined from the beginning.

Hoseok: THE SWEAT LODGE

Hey, Mama. I am not surprised that this card is all about a connection to mother earth and all things maternal. The hut — and the ritual that is behind it — is essentially an image for the womb. Hoseok is looking for that warm and cozy feeling in his life. That tells you a whole lot about the personality we rarely see on stage, it’s a much calmer state. The act of sweating disperses old habits and bad thoughts, this is precisely what he seeks. That blissful, protected place/state of being attracts him, or rather, draws him back into his past. His character is so youthful and cheery because he longs for a space like the sweat lodge that leaves you relaxed, drained from the weight of the world, and without sorrows. What he longs for is purity. He’s let go of demons and phases in his life he’s grown out of. His goal is to feel renewed and being without baggage. Note also that the sweat lodge is a community place. He is deeply social, it’s not an act. Hoseok aspires to be a nurturing figure in the future, and peace is very important to him.

Jin: TAMING THE WIND

Think about it: Something as dynamic as air representing Jin makes a lot of sense. He might be a fire sign, but air is nonetheless strong in him. He is a person who is self-directed and cannot be grasped at any time. Air does what it wants, and few other forces can stop it. On top of that, wind is malleable. It can be completely still, gently blowing, come on strong, or be a flat out hurricane. The different levels of intensity are all present in Jin’s character. As in, he can be the introvert of all introverts only to turn into extroversion embodied. The card tells us about just how versatile he can be. That he will achieve more consistency in the future is represented by the act of taming: Yes, he will settle. Visually, the feather is the most important part of this card. It symbolizes a holy dedication to life and distributes smoke during shaman rituals. It can also be interpreted as a pointer when you’re in alignment. So, I’d describe Jin’s character as something that dispels the old to bring about harmony. Thus, he is wild and tame alike. Very interesting duality.

Namjoon: THUNDER

Next to Jimin’s card, this is the most powerful one I pulled. If you’re familiar with The Tower in tarot, THUNDER is similar. Especially in its spiritual weight. Thunder always hails of new things coming. Namjoon is that kind of vanguard. Even his voice booms like thunder man, that’s no coincidence. That he’s the leader of one of the most famous boy groups on this planet means something dramatic and big coming our way. At his core, he is revolutionary. Namjoon is Namjoon because of his message that’s loud, terrifying to great many a hater, and a call to awakening. I am certain he is on his way to enlightenment, I’m not kidding. Because think about, thunder comes first, then: lightning. It describes his personality progression well: Namjoon did a full 180° in the last years. He did all of his shadow work. This card always says a person is about to fulfill their purpose, so he’s currently at the very brink. He is scared to the core but knows that he’s destined for great things. Like buffalos storming ahead, he is unstoppable just like that. It’s because of him that the game changes 😊

Yoongi: THE PRESENT

Beside the literal interpretation of Yoongi being a present to this world which truly is the case, this card also means unconditional offering in a general sense. You’d think it’s his wonderful music that he has gifted us. The meaning of the card says otherwise, things go deeper, it’s about something that is not material in nature. Only true love and true feelings can fully belong to a person and they can give them as a present. I think this is what Yoongi’s personality at its deepest level is about. He is a generous man. Who is more giving than someone so dedicated and full of tender emotions. The card is also a signifier of gratitude, and I think Yoongi truly is thankful. The winged woman shown on the card lifts up the sun, which tells me Yoongi wants to uphold joy and that he was sent to us as an angelic, radiant being. Lil’ cherub he is. The card is colored in such a bright yellow and orange way, I think he could be a kind of light worker, even, if you’re familiar with this concept. What Yoongi’s aim is at its most basic level is to gain access to the happiness of life. And he wishes so dearly we experience it, too. I need a moment.

Jimin: THE INCA CROSS

Ooof. Oh shit. This card is a massive fucking deal. I’m stunned every time I see it. It has a huge wtf factor. A simple but overarching symbol. To shamans, the Inca Cross symbolizes all directions and dimensions coming together. It even connects the Underworld with the Gods themselves. It also has a hole in the middle, allowing us to travel to a different perspective. It tells me Jimin is the one holding everything around him together with his personality. He is that cross, a compass basically. He has access to greater wisdom. The Inca Cross is a big leap, this is what Jimin essentially is. What he exudes propels us forward and unites us. He can make people change their mind and direction in life. He is only halfway aware of that skill. I wouldn’t mess with him either way, he is the true axis of Bangtan. The crucial (=cross-like!) one, even Namjoon said that. Now what’s also important is not just the cross itself but also the color. It is made of solid gold, a very warm tone. His charm and soothing character is innate to Jimin, and that is a regal feat. It’s very important that he knows his worth, that is the crux —cross— of the matter. Now this is where it gets really metaphysical: That the Inca Cross bridges the lower, middle (Human), and upper realm to shamans in Peru is no coincidence. It tells us Jimin was sent from a place that is not this, aka the middle world. I think even people who are not into spirituality can feel that. He is either a saved soul from the Underworld so this is his first incarnation after a long time or he was sent from the Gods. Because the cross connects all worlds, it could even be both at the same time. And since the Inca Cross allows dimension and time travel (!)… maybe he can do even that. This card is telling me the wildest shit.

Taehyung: HEART OF SKY

During the last tarot readings I drew The Empress for him several times, the energy is no different here. This card has Queen of the Night type of imagery. It’s a very dreamy, whimsical woman immersed in melancholy, dressed in lavish garments. It’s not hard to see the parallel to Taehyung’s character. He is just as nostalgic and concerned with all things that bring more beauty to this planet. That is his purpose. I repeat: Taehyung is here to spread the fine things in life to bring us sophistication and wholesomeness. The Heart of Sky is quite possibly the card most connected to creativity and love. It encourages the one receiving it to paint. We know he’s already an artist at heart, the shaman cards know it, too. Heart of Sky means to pour out your emotions. And to show all your talents in a gorgeous way. The card is just… spot on. Nighttime plays an important role in this illustration, Tae is more Moon than Sun in personality. He’s in tune not just with his divine masculine, but also feminine. Perfect balance. The Heart of Sky carries with it a strong ethical component also, that means Taehyung is figuring out his intent very often. He’s a benevolent person, a creator. A good person, a benevolent heart. He wants the best for everyone, you and me, anybody.

Bangtan: THE SUN 

I also pulled a card for the personality of the group as a sum. THE SUN is pretty straightforward: BTS are luminaries, a figurative giant. A super-star. Shamans connect the sun to male energy so the allegory fits, there’s a bright and positive masculine quality in their work. BTS are a hot topic and the energy is high. Sometimes even overpowered because their solar pizzazz is so ardent — burning out is the #1 danger here. That’s why the members connected to the moon and night (Joon, Tae, Yoongi, to some extent Jimin) are so important to balance everything. Passion, humor, creativity, playfulness are always around when BTS is near. The sun is at the center or the universe and widely seen, the group indeed takes that center spot right now. Many other life forms depend on the sun, revolve around it, BTS and their light are needed. If they fall, a system collapses. The card tells us they are currently at their zenith, truly radiant now, soaring like the winged spirit on the card. Also, to state the obvious: Come on, who’s the sun of BTS? Hobi’s personality sticks out the most, reflects back to the group dynamic. This is his card and time to shine. He makes or breaks the deal and the cards know it. He sets the tone.

bighit: THE JAGUAR

I wanted to see what the personality of bighit as a whole is, too. Unsurprisingly — what came out is an animal who’s a roaring force to be reckoned with. The energy is a lot more competitive and serious compared to The Sun. I find it convincing and see why these cards came out: Lighthearted group, big business company. Now, the Jaguar has a dark side as well as extreme advantages. He sure doesn’t look like the scariest animal ever, but being on top of the food chain allows him to do whatever he pleases: He’ll never be prey. On the other hand, he is protected because he’s so strong. Bighit does have that quality of being untouchable. Much like the jaguar, it’s an undertaking that operated in the shadows for long. We know that Bang PD claims to have the secret success formula and isn’t as public as say Lee Soo Man and JYP. There is a component of mystery, and the other companies are careful because of it. On the light side, BTS certainly have powerful and rational guidance. To give an analogy from the jungle book: Bighit is like Bagheera, the voice of reason, infusing BTS with strength and knowledge.

if you like my readings, support your local tiger on ko-fi 🐅

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: How different would the original Symphonia's story go if Emil/Ratatosk, Marta and Richter were part of the group back than, helping them against the Desians and Mithos?

Honestly, this is a really hard thing to answer. They existed during the Symphonia timeline, they just didn't participate in the main story. So we honestly have every reason to believe not much if anything would have changed except with the possibility of Ratatosk since, well, no one knew where to look for him at that time and I don't imagine Aster speed running that discovery since the only reason they started looking was because the climate was weird when the planet came back together all jumbled. If they had somehow stumbled upon Ratatosk their own way, either we would have gotten a redemption speedrun because Lloyd and Colette have plot armor and would have been able to keep him under control or we would have gotten some, like, devastating calamity way earlier because someone "important" would have died. Or they would have had to invent another underappreciated redshirt like Aster to take the bullet. I think if we saw DotNW's cast in Symphonia, we likely would have gotten mostly side-character reference and not much else because I think trying to involve them would not only have made the DotNW we got impossible (i.e. Marta couldn't have a reason to hate Colette if she was there with Colette when the tree went rampant. She would know how and why it happened. Emil would have to be the Real Emil Castagnier and it would remove some of the suspense and mystery from DotNW because if the changed appearance didn't give it away the unjustified hatred for Lloyd would because in non-game material I think we got to see the real Emil's journal and he made one last entry when the Blood Purge began and he seemed really confused that Lloyd, a guy he knew as a hero, would be terrorizing town. If DotNW had followed Real Emil, I think he would have been more confused and sad than angry after the blood purge. It would be more "Why would Lloyd attack Palmacosta and kill my parents? That doesn't make sense for such a hero. What made him change, and why did he attack MY parents?" Since Ratatosk/Emil didn't know Lloyd the way the Real Emil did, he had no framework for what a hero Lloyd was before. He has no attachment to the heroic image of Lloyd. That's part of why DotNW's Emil is so easily able to just hate Lloyd. He's not conflicted. He only knows Lloyd as "The person who killed my parents but everyone treats as a hero." and not "Lloyd, the former hero, who for some reason went out of his way to kill my parents." Richter I can't see as having a role in Symphonia 1 given how the half-elves are still either running human ranches and making everyone terrified or subjugated and exploited basement scientists under the thumb of Sybak Research Academy. If Richter had any role at all, it would probably be something akin to Kate's role. Helping the party but ultimately being a side character of little note. Which honestly would rob from his presence in DotNW or at least not add to it. Most people's favorite character from Symphonia isn't Kate or Chocolat or even Marble, even though they all have roles to play. Most people barely remember Virginia Sage is alive because she's so easy to miss and forget about. So anyone who did remember Richter, would probably be like "This guy is the villain now? Why? Why does this dude get the spotlight, he didn't do anything in the last game." Aster would probably end up being the same way. I doubt Aster would leave Richter all alone to go galavanting around Sylvarant with the heroes. And if he did, honestly he'd probably just end up being another Colette since they have similar sunny personalities and I doubt Symphonia would be able to do much with him since he doesn't have any special battle skills that would look cool and doesn't fill a role that Sheena, Zelos, or Regal aren't already fulfilling. Marta could theoretically fit but like I said it would get in the way of her character motivation in DotNW. But I'm not sure what she has that's unique that she could contribute since Raine is already a healer and the Vanguard isn't a thing yet, so a lot of her insight that was helpful in DotNW doesn't exist

yet. As a whole, I think putting the DotNW cast in Symphonia wouldn't work all that well because, well, it's not their story. Similar to how the Symphonia cast doesn't add much to the DotNW story because, again, it's mostly not their story. Now that doesn't mean it wouldn't have been AWESOME to see them interract. Richter as a broody young man getting carted around with his best bud Aster because he and Aster somehow have some special knowlege of, like, the history of Kharlan or something? That could be fun, but that requires a whole new thing added to the main story. Marta getting to join up because she knows a lot about the ancient history of the Sylvarant Dynasty? That could be neat. Emil being brought into the fold because as a native of a fishing village he's just, like, ridiculously good at fishing? That would be awesome. But these are all things that wouldn't necessarily be integral to the main game. Lloyd is the hero. He's just always right by virtue of optimism and plot armor. He has to be there. His dad is a smith and his other dad is an angel, so both those connections also help. Colette is necessary because she's Lloyd's motivation. She's sympathetic and gives the player someone to want to save. Her luck and power as the chosen and an angel and a pure maiden are all benefits to the party. Raine is a healer, is smart, and has extensive knowledge of ruins and can work most of the tech in the game. Her memory of the otherworldly gate is useful and contextualizes a gameplay element for the player. Genis is a best friend support type, a magic user, a half-elf, and sympathetic to Marble and later to Mithos. He not only affirms Lloyd's belief that everyone is worth saving and keeps Lloyd grounded and motivated but he's also useful for understanding the motivations of the bad guys. Sheena is a summoner, and the summon spirits are very important to the story and saving the world, but she also represents the anxieties of Tethe'alla, worried about the end of their prosperity. Zelos has power he never asked for, a testament to the broken system of Chosens and their purpose. He has connections as a political and spiritual leader as he has connections to the King and to the Pope. Regal has monetary connections, knows what it means to sacrifice, is unbelievably strong, but honestly, he's probably the least special person in the group. Presea knows her way around charms, sneaks the party into places they have to get to even before she regains her senses, and is basically living proof of why Mithos's misguided attempt to create a race of lifeless beings is stupid. Kratos has connections to basically everything, even if he's a betrayer, and is ultimately the reason Lloyd is even able to pact with Origin which is one of the final keys in the game. I feel like you could work fishing master Emil, historian Richter, scientist Aster, and distant heir to a dead dynasty Marta in to Symphonia, but a lot of Symphonia was written around the specific characters it needed for the story. So not only do I think it robs them of their rightful places as centerpieces of their own stories in DotNW, but it's also just trying to cram too much extra into Symphonia. Aster, Richter, and Colette being friends would be great though. (And Rilena too, honestly.) I think their personalities would play off Richter nicely and just... 3 blonds all dragging a grumpy redhead around and he'll never admit he likes it even though he absolutely does is, like, very wholesome. Marta, Colette, and Presea just being animal nerd geeks would be great too. Emil I'm not sure on because DotNW Emil isn't real Emil and IDK enough about what real Emil likes to know who he'd be friends with. But Ratatosk getting a defaut support system and getting to actually confront Mithos? Holy hell. That would be a game, man. But I don't think it could happen since the only reason Aster went looking for Ratatosk was because of the messed up climate and I'm not sure if Ratatosk could even be awake with the planet separated. But boy howdy that would be interesting. So while I

don't think there is any one answer and while I don't think it's entirely possible to put the DotNW cast we know and love into Symphonia without changing a lot, it IS fun to think about. But I honestly think it would not only make the first game too crowded and messy but would take away some of how special it was to meet Richter, Emil, Ratatosk, Marta and the rest of the DotNW cast in DotNW. Besides, it sucked enough to see Genis have to struggle with fighting against a fellow half-elf. Imagine teen angst Richter having to do it too.

[fallen029]

Early Night

Request from @indigotsubaki for Mirajane using Laxus as a makeup dummy. 

.

It was one of those stagnant kind of days where not much was going on and the bar was all but dead. Mirajane enjoyed those days, as she did most, for specific reasons dealing with the less stress load and not as much risk of injury do to a bar brawl, but overall, it made for a rather boring day.

When Laxus happened into the hall, she did perk up some, as she often did at the sight of her occasional date, but when he approached the bar with something of a question on his tongue, she knew she was about to have the misfortune of turning him down.

"I'm sorry, dragon," she remarked before he could even make his offer, standing where she had behind the bar, wiping it down with a cool rag, "but I have to work today. And tomorrow. And the day after, actually-"

"Mirajane," Kinana quickly butted in. She was rare to do this, especially when the woman was having a rather private conversation, but the bar was so empty that day that she heard her across the room and rushed right over. Serving tray under one arm, she stood before the bar and off to the side of Laxus as she insisted to her mentor of sorts, "I can handle everything here today. You more than deserve a day off."

"What? No." The older woman frowned. "I don't want to leave you here all by yourself. Just so Laxus and I could go on a date?"

"I haven't," Laxus spoke up then, perhaps with a bit of a grumble as he glanced back and forth at the women before him, "asked you for a date, you know."

"O-Oh." She beamed though, Mirajane did, up at the man as she remarked, "Did you not get to that part yet?"

"No," he replied though, just as quickly, he was shrugging some as he said, "But I was going to ask if-"

"Go, Mira." Kinana seemed rather insisted. "Everything will be fine here. Promise."

"Well," the other woman sighed as she mulled it all over. "If you insist-"

"I really do."

"Then-"

"I still," Laxus complained in his monotone way, "haven't asked to even take you out, you know."

"Oh, dragon, then go ahead and ask," Mirajane suggested with a bit of a giggle, as if he were the dense one.

Someone in the bar was calling out for a refill then and Kinana turned on her heel to take care of this issue, leaving the pair alone. As Mirajane stared up into his dark eyes though, Laxus only snorted.

"If you must know," he began as she quickly moved to untie her apron and toss down the rag in her hand, "I actually just wanted you to come by my place tonight after work."

"Your place?"

"No hard plan," he assured her. "To just...be together."

This took the woman aback for a moment and she only studied the man with a bit of surprise. While the two had found themselves quite the unlikely pair as of late, it was a rather wholesome attempt at courtship that they seemed to be drifting through. Mirajane was very aware that the man was frequently absent and that getting entangled with him would entail long stretches of uncertainty. Laxus, by the same token, knew that the woman had a slew of interested parties and entertained a few. Between the two of them, Mirajane and Laxus were equally aware of the others romantic inclinations, but still seemed to find one another, at least once or twice, when Laxus was in town for more than a few days.

"He's a fun date," Mirajane offered frequently to the uncertainty of any questioner and though the slayer wasn't one to be questioned, he would grunt a bit, when the Thunder Legion felt so bold, and shrug his shoulders.

"She's Mirajane fucking Strauss," he explained quite simply and, well, though it did fluster Evergreen and make Freed sigh deeply, Bickslow would always give him a big thumbs up, which had to count for something.

They liked one another.

A lot, at times.

Less at others.

But it felt good for each of them, maybe, to have the other to fall back on. Laxus seemed to come around only when Mirajane most need him while she was always there, in the guild, where she belonged, certainly not waiting on him, but if he closed his eyes tight enough, blocked out reality well enough, well, then it was almost as if she were.

Still, it was a bit strange, maybe, for there to be no big plan behind their time spent together. Mirajane always had a ball or event she was just dying to take him to or Laxus would want a woman to accompany him to a new bar or restaurant.

While they certainly spent a lot of time together in the interim, it was never with the express intention. They found one another to be good company, and it was more than welcome, but it was a bit strange, maybe, for Laxus to seek her out solely for it and while he kept mostly quiet, Mirajane found herself with some subtle glee.

She'd been to the man's apartment before, of course, and even had stayed the night quite a few times. But this felt different as they weren't stumbling into the place inebriated and hot, but rather sober and slightly chilled by the autumn air. Laxus dropped his coat on the rack before turning to take Mira's as well, his eyes not clouded by lust for once, but rather, maybe...a bit of nerves?

Mirajane found this hard to accept.

"I have some steaks in the fridge that I was saving for guys night, with Freed and Bickslow, but I can get some more," he told the woman as he walked further through the apartment. "Or I can go out later and get us some takeout, if you want. But for now," and he paused some, as he'd made it to his kitchen, heading right over to sling open the fridge, "let's have a drink."

Mirajane tried to decline, crinkling her nose a bit at the sight of the beer bottle he presented her with, but the man merely popped the cap on one with his rather impressive canine before walking over to the counter top and nodding at where a bottle of wine sat, corked.

And she couldn't rightly deny the offer, given it was surely her favorite label, and they fell together, eventually, into his couch, a music lacrima playing distantly in the background.

"So," Mirajane began around the one glass she insisted she was having, "was there anything in particular you wanted to do?"

"No," Laxus answered honestly enough. After a sip of his drink, he added, "Just to be with you."

It felt like the final confirmation she needed and that time, when the woman giggled, it felt real and Laxus felt the tips of his ears heat up, maybe just a bit, laughing himself at his own admission. Everything felt easier now and, for all the talking Mirajane typically required, Laxus was glad to find that this was now not the case.

He'd never brought a woman back to his place just to sit around. Honestly, maybe that wasn't even his true intention. He'd felt like the sex was implied, maybe, and did hope the night would turn that way originally (fine, even still), but fuck it wasn't a strange comfort to just exist then, beside the demon. Nothing more, nothing less. Just sit beside her and silently consider all of the things that to say aloud would ruin their own existence.

"Was there anything you wanted to do?" he asked when her cup was running low and he was already starting on his second beer. "Mirajane?"

"Well," she began with a bit of a sigh, "I dunno."

"What do you usually do?" he tried instead. "When you get an unexpected time off?"

"Last time I did," she told him truthfully, "I reorganized my kitchen cabinets."

Laxus considered this in silent for a moment before saying, "I only have a couple plates, cups, and bowls in mine. They only take up one cabinet. But you can have at it if you-"

"No way." She frowned. "How do you live like that?"

"Like a single person," he answered simply and, well, that made sense, maybe.

Humming still, Mirajane told him, "It sounds like someone needs a cookware set for their birthday."

"It sounds like someone's not finding out when that is then," he retorted bluntly before insisting, "Come on, Mira. There has to be something that you wanna do, right now. Something more than just sit and drink."

His question felt a bit leading and she might have taken it as such if his tone wasn't rather open while his gaze uncharacteristically seemed much the same. Laxus was honestly wishing for her to present the two of them something fun to do around his apartment and though, as her eyes scanned about, it was instead something the man didn't possess that she found herself suggesting.

"I have always wanted to do your makeup."

Laxus was mid sip and choked a bit, maybe, as he questioned, "My what?"

"Oh c'mon, dragon," she insisted in that pouty face of hers that she saved just for when he was being a sourpuss. "Don't tell me you've wanted to enhance your looks a bit."

"My face was chiseled by the gods," the man told her simply. "I don't need stupid makeup to make myself look better when I'm already the most handsome thing to ever grace this planet."

"Awe, you're a little handsome boy, huh?"

"Mirajane-"

"And hey, Lax," she griped a bit then, "what are you saying anyways? You don't need anything to enhance your look, but I do?"

"Did I say that?"

"That...that's what I'm asking," she replied. "Did you?"

He eyed her then, Laxus did, weighing his options before saying, "No."

"No you're not saying that? Or no you're-"

"You wear it because you like the way it makes you look," he told her then, angling his bottle towards her before pointing it back to his own chest. "I already like the way I look. A lot. So you should probably check yourself, demon, more than me."

She finished her drink then, Mira did, down to the last drop, before informing the man, "You're letting me do your makeup, Laxus. You owe it to me after that last remark."

The man got up then, to get another beer it seemed, and he stood with the fridge door open for a few moments before snagging one. As he pulled out from his mostly barren fridge, it was with some thought as to what he wanted, anyways, when he'd invited the woman over. While the obvious implication was true, there was more to it as well.

He liked Mira's company. And the antics that they could get up to together. Going out somewhere with her was never boring and he'd hoped that this would carryover into their time spent inside his apartment. She so frequently did the heavy lifting on the side of entertaining actions or engaging conversation that, for once, he knew it would only be fair if he played along.

"Fine." He came back into the room with half the new beer already drowned. As Mirajane, who'd honestly not considered him as truly giving in so easily, blinked up at the man in surprise, he conditioned, "But it doesn't leave this apartment."

While it wasn't her main forte, Mirajane did seem to dabble a bit in Titania's reequip territory. He'd seen the woman summon many things from her own reequip space, from her musical equipment to a purse, but that night she brought forth a modest makeup bag.

"Now Laxus," she began as they sat together, cross-legged on his bed, the man weary and his date with a wide grin, "I know that you probably too well versed in the beauty world-"

"Safe assumption," he grumbled as the woman merely giggled.

"Well," she continued with a shrug, "it's just that I've actually thought about doing this a lot."

"This?"

"Your makeup."

"Excuse me?"

"You have such good cheek bones," she insisted, stopping her rifling and pulling from her makeup bag and instead reaching to to ghost some fingers over the man's cheek. "And you could cut a steak with your jawline."

"I'm really close to kicking you out."

"It's a complement," the woman insisted, but he only rolled his eyes before downing the rest of the bottle and tossing it haphazardly towards the mini-trashcan in the corner of his room. As he missed (rather badly), Mirajane only made a face and hummed some, continuing, "And your eyes are just so-"

"Can you do something for me?"

"If you ask me to shut up, Lax," she warned simply, "then I'm going to leave."

But the man only stared at her blankly as he said, "Can you make make my scar go away?"

"W-What?"

"My scar." And he reached up then to tap at his most recognizable feature. "Can you hide them?"

"W-Well, I mean, I guess I can, Lax. Under concealer. But-"

"You can do whatever else you want," he assured her then. "I just want you to hide it as well."

There seemed to be an awkwardness about them now, as Mirajane busied herself with pulling her essentials from her bag and Laxus merely waited.

He'd never had someone so interested in his face before and it almost made him blush, just a bit, when the woman leaned over to begin her work. It was strange, to say the least, to only sit silently as the woman did her magic. He did as she said, even when she ordered him softly not to be so tense, trying to be the perfect dummy, and it was….

Weird, so fucking weird, but also calming, just being with the woman.

He felt like her energy meshed with hers perfectly. Yes, they both had something they'd buried, in their past, that could still come out at times, but over all, they both spent their free time decompressing and, occasionally, lamenting over shared experiences. He knew the facade that she put on up at the guildhall had to get tiring at times, to parade, and she was accepting of when his guard slipped a bit and the snarky, rugged side of made a short-lived escape.

They were good together.

Laxus wasn't anywhere near ready to say that they would always be that way, that there wasn't another woman that could see himself being even better with, but he'd begun to edge more into begin the confirmation phase, with the one before him, and maybe leaving all the others behind.

Maybe.

But he didn't want to have that conversation that night, didn't really want to think of it at all, but he did note how pretty Mirajane's eyes looked, when she was so focused in on a task and how it most tickled, just a bit, when the gentle brushstrokes graced the very tip of his nose.

It felt like it went on forever but when it was over, both knowing for separate reasons that the man, more than likely, would never again allow this, it felt like it hadn't gone on long enough. Mirajane smiled at him though, insisting that he go take a look in his mirror.

"How," she complained when she glanced around his bedroom for one, anticipating at least one on the back of a door, over his dresser, or even a floor length one, but coming up dry, "do you not have a single mirror in here?"

She anticipated some sort of crack over his own perfection, but the man only tumbled back out of bed, trying not to seem too eager as he headed to his bathroom.

"Well?" Mirajane insisted as she followed. "What do you think?"

Laxus had come to stand before the mirror above his sink, blinking some as Mirajane looked at the reflection as well. Under the harsh bathroom light, she found she didn't like it as much as she had before, in the cozy lighting of his room.

"It's not my best work," she chided a bit. "But-"

"Can I touch it?"

"I mean...it's not paint, Lax, but don't like smear it around or-"

"It's just weird," he told her softly, or maybe not. Maybe he wasn't speaking to her at all. The woman couldn't be too certain. As he brought a finger up to ghost over where, typically, the zigzag of a scar lay across his eye, he only added, "It's always been there. Since...since Ivan..."

Glancing away from his reflection then and instead at the actual man, she only insisted to him truthfully, "I like you better with it, personally."

"You do?"

Mirajane nodded when he turned to face her. "It's a part of you. And I'm attracted to you. So of course I like it. There's not anything in you that I want to change."

She blushed some, Mira did, at this admission, but he felt like her bashfulness was put on, maybe, just a bit. Still, he allowed himself to smile in return before turning to look back at his reflection.

"Now," he questioned, "how do I get it off?"

"Dragon," she complained. "I just put it on. Why would you want to take it off already?"

"Because I let you have your fun-"

"You enjoyed it too." Still though, with a groan, she pulled her bag from her reequip space once more, the object appearing in her palm. Pulling out some cotton pads and a bottle of some sort of liquid, she only said, "Lean down?"

"I can't just take a fucking shower?"

"If you want it all off," she remarked as, regardless of his complaints, the man still complied, always, "then this is just easier."

"You do this every night?" he asked her softly as the woman, after wetting the cotton pads, began to run the cool liquid across his face. "Demon?"

"I have a whole regimen."

"A what?"

"What do you think women do in the bathroom exactly? Before bed?"

"I mean...I'm usually shitting."

She crinkled her nose at the man before replying simply, "You have to take care of your skin, Lax. I've actually been meaning to talk to you about it. If you want to age gracefully-"

"I'm not going to age."

"-then you need to start taking care of your skin," she went on. "I didn't want to be presumptuous, but if you want me to buy you a kit-"

"I really don't."

"It's something to think about," was her final warning before, finished, she took a step back and the man was himself again, blinking into the twinkling eyes of the demon.

"You mentioned," she asked after a beat passed, "steak earlier? Didn't you?"

The night was far from over, it had only really just began, but after some time in the kitchen together, shifting through the searing of meat and chopping of vegetables, to the eating and light flirting, and eventually the finale where they lightly argued over who would wash and who would dry, the early evening came to an equally early end.

It was nice, when they fell into the bed together this time, but Laxus found himself equally as drawn to when they climbed back out of it, Mirajane giggling some when they stumbled back into the bathroom once more, this time headed for the shower. He liked the feeling of her, anyways, just as he had the whole night, but in a different way now as the water cascaded down and her bangs fell, wet and sticking to her forehead, over her deep blue eyes.

"Laxus?" she asked only once the sun had truly fallen beneath the horizon and it was a more acceptable hour, maybe, for sleep and they found themselves in his bed for the third, final time of the night.

He made some sort of sigh, a grunt maybe, in reply as he lay on his side, facing her and playing along, absently, as the woman toyed with his fingers, tired, but not wanting to let the moment slip away just yet. The dragon was sympathetic as, of course, he knew the feeling.

"I'm glad we could be together today." And her fingers escaped his, reaching out instead to gently press into his forehead, following perfectly the jagged line his scar left in his flesh, ghosting over his eye lid and finishing with a sharp poke into his cheek. "Tonight."

He shrugged, losing the fight with his need to be indifferent as he offered rather dryly, "We have fun together."

But Mirajane only smiled, forgiving in this as her hand fell to the mattress and, quickly, his larger one moved to cover it.

"Yeah," she agreed softly. "We do."

[sarah-blue-eyes]

2020 In Review

Hoo boy, here we go.

[Ok just before I begin. I had this queued to post in the first month of January but it doesn’t seem like that ever happened haha. Better late than never I suppose!]

So I am a nostalgic bitch, and since 2011, have loved to make memory boxes for each year, where I put trinkets and memories into a shoebox. This year I have continued that tradition, but I have also kept track of my happy memories throughout 2020 in my planner. This was done with the intention for me to upload a year-in-review sort of thing in hopes that maybe like, 3 people max on this god-forsaken site will read it. This sort of reminiscence was inspired by my friend @a-lbeit​, who has done these for a few years now and me, as a slut for nostalgia, was encouraged to do the same back in January (I think? What even is my memory at this point?)

2020, as it has been for many, was a very shit year, and I am no different. I would safely say that this year has undeniably been the worst I have lived through. But I am here. I am present. And I have made it through some of the darkest times to face 2021 with a new sense of hopefulness. Keeping track of my happier memories has been something that has truly got me through this clusterfuck of a year, so I am glad that I can finally go through them all again and share them with you.

Read it, or don’t, I don’t give a shit what you do with your time, but if you do, I hope that you aren’t bored to tears. And I hope to keep myself accountable to continue to do this for years to come.

Buckle up, grab a hot drink and a snack and get comfy, because this is a JOURNEY.

January:

· Kicked the new year off with hosting a 1920’s themed party with some of my closest friends at my family home at the beach. Had fun with drunk SingStar, playing What Do You Meme, creating a playlist with everyone’s top 3 songs of the decade (it was a bangin’ playlist I must say), and just overall drinking too much and having a riotous time

· I remember going to the beach New Year’s Day (as is tradition in Australia) and playing ultimate frisbee in the shallows and completing a crossword puzzle on the sand (I am a 75-year-old woman, it is just a fact of life)

· I also had my friend Kirsten from South Australia stay with me for the New Year’s period and it was lovely to have a guest over! I haven’t spoken to her much this year, she sort of fell off the face of the planet, but I hope she is doing ok.

· Went town to Torquay (a beach town in Victoria) for the 6th time for Beach Mission, which is essentially a holiday program for kids in preschool-year 9 where we run activities for them. It’s a Christian-based program but the aim isn’t to convert the kids or anything like that, it’s more to show God’s love to them through our actions and how we as Christians live our lives. It’s also a convenient way for parents to dish their kids off for a few hours too haha. This was my final year of being a part of this program, and I am so pleased to have made so many memories and (hopefully) impacted many children’s lives during my time there

· I remember going on a late-night beach walk with my boyfriend Josh, talking about what the year had in store for us. We were just sitting on the beach, as you do, and I saw a shooting star. I can’t remember what I wished for (if anything) but in that moment, life was a dream.

· The week after beach mission I started at my new internship! It was for a place called KidsCo, who run school holiday programs at workplaces, so parents don’t need to take time off work to look after them. I helped with client relations and a lot of behind-the scenes stuff. I really loved it there

· On the very first day of my internship I remember there was torrential rain, and the train home was delayed by like, an hour or so lol

· One of the best parts about interning at KidsCo was that they were the official child-minding service for the Australian Open. I make an effort to go each year, but I was lucky enough to get free ground-entry for me and a guest for the duration of the event. I went quite a few times and got to take my mum and Josh along as well.

· Saw my only concert of the year, The Veronicas, at the Australian Open. When I say the moment the violin riff at the start of Untouched absolutely went the fuck off is an understatement. Grade 5 me would have cried (and 23 year old me did a little bit too tbh.) Yet another of one of my “all-time-favourite-songs” that I’ve had the pleasure of hearing live. (I also went through the year feeling sad that this was the first time in 11 years I hadn’t gone to a concert, but this one certainly fell through the cracks)

· Started planning my trip to the UK to see my twin sister, and best friend, Jess

· Went away to Rye for the Australia Day weekend #changethedate. An excellent time with excellent mates, and went to the beach pretty much every day and got mindlessly sloshed every night

· Listened to the Triple J Hottest 100. I think 4 of my picks made it in, which was pretty good

· Continued my job as the office manager/events coordinator at my church

February:

Basketball started back after the summer break for my two different teams, The Vikings and The Wildcats (honestly such a highlight of this year with how the rest of it ended up going)

As a team-bonding activity at KidsCo we hired a boat for a few hours and I got more drunk that I had been for a while. It was a very fun time jetting down the Yarra, waving drunkedly at the people jogging by

For Valentine’s day Josh and I had an indoor picnic with our favourite food! The weather was shit for Feb, hence the indoor nature of the picnic

Saw Shrek the Musical with two of my closest pals, Bec and Katie (I honestly forgot that this happened in 2020 hahaha) but it was ICONIC

Had a Jackbox night with The Boys

Had my cousin Amy from England over for dinner! I hadn’t seen her in 5 or 6 years, so it was so lovely to connect again like no time had passed at all

Went to Healesville Sanctuary, a lovely conservation park which focuses on preserving and educating its visitors about Australian animals, with Amy

 Went to mini-golf for a friend’s birthday on the leap day. He technically celebrated his 6th birthday which was excellent

Saw Cody Ko and Noel Miller live with Bec and Katie

Finished working at the church office to make room for the potential job opportunity at KidsCo

March:

Ahhh March, you shitstorm of a month. This is where everything started going downhill.

The first thing of note that happened this month was me injuring my ankle at basketball, which had me out of action for a few weeks. It was especially bad because I was nearing the end of my internship and was hoping to do my best work so that I would be chosen to stay on as an employee, but had to take a week or so off to rest my ankle. My ankle would continue to be tender and sore for most of the rest of the year

Went away for the Labour Day long weekend with the family

Finished up my internship at KidsCo. Honestly was lead to believe that I would be staying on as an employee and felt sort of betrayed after all the work I did for them, but whatever

 Had a party at Bec’s house to listen to Triple J’s Hottest 100 of the Decade. One of my favourite songs was number 1 which was a pleasant surprise

Went down to the holiday house for a few days just to have so me time and sort myself out

Animal Crossing New Horizons came out haha. Honestly was one of the highlights of this year though. I stayed up until midnight so I could download it as soon as it was available because that’s the sort of person I am  

Mum’s birthday dinner with Dani, one of my best friends, and her girlfriend Amy

Went for a hike at Sugarloaf Reservoir with Josh and got spooked by a mob of kangaroos

April:

My mental health started really taking a downward spiral this month for multiple reasons which I won’t get into here, but this is more a note to my past self to say that it will all be ok I guess? Idk I just felt like this needed to be here

Did my ankle badly again on Good Friday

Watched the Overwatch League live with my friends and just memed in the livechat lmao

WARNING - this is a bit TMI but I am going to share anyway since it was a big part of this year, and if you are reading this you are either a stranger or a good friend so I really don’t care lmao: This month I also started to get bad pains in my uterus, like, not period pains but deep, stabbing pains. This continued on for the next few weeks without me doing anything about it, except for increasingly getting stressed about it, although I will talk a bit more about this later.

Josh and I celebrated our 6th year together which was ~wholesome~

Called my friend Ashley from the US and just caught up. It was nice to see her face again. She is a good egg. I haven’t talked to her since but I really hope she’s ok.

May:

Watched Star Wars with Josh and his family for “May the 4th”

Started a volunteer job at Kivuli, a non-for-prophet that is based in Kenya, and started helping out with their website and social media stuff

Zoom movie time with my friends, we watched How To Train Your Dragon I think? Athough everyone was talking over the movie so I didn’t really get anything out of it

Played Scattergories (one of my favourite games) with Bec and Jess on zoom and just wrote really stupid and funny answers and I remember this being just what I needed

Went for a long walk with mum and one of her friends and her daughter on a track we don’t usually go on, which was a nice change of scenery

Went down to the holiday house for the first time in forever since restrictions were eased, at least for a little while lol, with the fam

Went to Portsea for a walk along the beach with Bec and her husband Trevor

Did an online trivia night that night with a big bunch of friends

Had a doctor’s appointment to see what was goin’ on down there. Honestly freaked that it could be something REALLY bad. Got booked in to have an ultrasound the next week, so at least I’d be finding out what was wrong soon.

The day after I got my results was the 21st of May, the day my mum and I were meant to be flying out to the UK to see my sister and her boyfriend. It was already hard enough a month or so before when I had to cancel my flight, but this day was so SO difficult. I can’t remember the last time I cried so hard. I am so blessed to have a boyfriend like Josh though. He was by my side the whole day, and held me as I cried. Oh man I am crying as I write this now, it was such a hard time but I know I will see my sister again.

And then the day after THAT whole ordeal was my birthday, which was meant to be spent in London with Jess but it turned out to be the first birthday we’ve had apart. This day was also hard, but made better by being with loved ones and having dinner at my grandma and grandpa’s house. Grandma’s roast potatoes make everything better.

Went to Geelong to see the other side of my family, it was so good to see my nan again. I love her very much.

Went to the Briars with Bec and went on a lovely nature walk and saw a lot of little wallabies and even an emu

Had an ultrasound and my pain turned out to be a 10cm wide cyst!!! So fun!!!!! Thank the heavens it wasn’t a child. I was so relieved. It is still in my body so that’s cute tho.

June:

Applied for a bunch of jobs, and even got a few interviews! Still no job.

The absolute highlight of this month, and maybe even the whole year, was going away to Lake’s Entrance and Yarram with mum, dad and Josh. It was so good to go to the country, I love country towns so much and the wildlife and nature is so beautiful in the eastern part of Victoria. If you ever get the opportunity I recommend going there!

We ate so much nice food and just relaxed. It wasn’t a perfect replacement for not going to Europe, but it was something at least.

Did more work for Kivuli which kept me busy

Went to Bec’s house to bake a cake. She came out to me as bi this day too, and the cake was coloured like the bisexual flag!

Started a short course through the university I went to in Facebook for Business. It was a great way to build up my skills.

Played Animal Crossing with Dani’s little sister, Tami, a very wholesome time

Looked after Josh’s dog Jed while his family went away for the weekend (also went into the start of July) and was honestly the greatest time

July:

Halfway through the year. Thank fuck.

Had another job interview

Went on lots of walks

Was just generally cold

Did a lot of cleaning

Painted the downstairs rooms at church, which took a few days and a lot of back pain, but it’s cool to think that I was able to contribute my energy and time to something while I was not feeling good at all

The restrictions were tightened again, meaning that I couldn’t go further than 5kms away from my house, except to see Josh, so this was a really lonely time for me.

Really got into Masterchef with mum this season. They had all returning contestants from other seasons so that was really fun to watch.

Got and assembled a new couch upstairs that I can say I actually own myself. I absolutely love it.

More walks, despite the cold

This was a very uneventful month, but that’s ok!

August:

Had a call with the hospital I’ll be having my cyst surgery with. It was good to know that things would be started. I had to have a blood test and a second ultrasound then put on the waiting list for surgery. Still no sign on when that will be happening though 6 months later. Just so lucky to live in Australia where all of these appointments are free.

Went for a really nice long walk with Josh. Got shat on by a bird.

Did lots of stuff around the house, just tidying and watering the plants and sorting through my wardrobe to purge all the clothes I grew out of

Had an online Switch games night with some friends which was fun. We played Smash Bros. and Mario Kart and just had a great time!

Ok this sounds super lame but my favourite podcast, The Jenna & Julien Podcast, finished forever which came as a surprise and was just really sad. I really hope it comes back one day.

Did my tax return lmao

Baked rice puff/marshmallow bar things

Made an ASOS order to fill my happiness with material things. Did get some cute clothes and lingerie tho 😉

More games with Bec and Jess, we played Golf With Your Friends this time

Had a cocktail night with Josh, where we just made a bunch of fun cocktails and got drunk. I can’t wait to live with him so we can do this all the time.

Lots of Kivuli work, as we are planning for our 10th anniversary fundraising event

September:

Baked cookies, which was something I did a lot at the start of lockdown but sort of drifted away from. I absolutely love to bake.

Started working for Media-Wize, a small PR company that was started by someone I know at church.

Started playing Among Us at the start of the month

So many Among Us nights omg, just call me queen impostor please

Did my induction for Media-Wize

Got  n e r v o u s  because I kept getting things wrong in my new job. I always seem to fuck up the good things and opportunities that I get

Did a livestream reading of The Great Gatsby on my friend’s Twitch stream. It was really fun and something I had never done before. I voiced Tom Buchannan, which was interesting but cool to sort of get into the character. I hope to do something like this soon.

I burnt my hair while cooking dinner and had to give myself a haircut lmao. It was the first time since 2018 that I had cut it so it was a long time coming anyway.

So much Media-Wize work. It felt good to finally be getting paid to do a job

Got locked out of my bathroom so I had to climb up the laundry chute to unlock it from the inside, all because a fly outsmarted me (it’s a long story… and honestly best told by speaking it)

October:

Had the Kivuli 10th anniversary livestream. Lots of work went into it and it was so much fun! It’s incredible that a non-for-profit that has benefitted so many children and families is still going strong. Such a blessing to see.

Dad’s birthday, and we had a picnic with grandma and grandpa and saw them for the first time since lockdown was somewhat lifted

Walked to Beasley’s nursery with Josh and got a coffee. This was the first proper, not McCafe coffee I had had in months and it was SO good

Played Animal Crossing with Dani

More Among Us, a theme for the last few months of 2020

Watched the AFL Grand Final. Wasn’t super exciting this year tbh, especially since we couldn’t have a BBQ or party or anything, but hopefully next year will be different

Nearly moved out of home with a friend of a friend, but since I didn’t have a job, didn’t think it would be a wise decision. Would’ve been nice though

Did some more Media-Wize work. I haven’t been given anything to do since this time though, so I don’t know what’s going on with that? They really be ghosting me tho.

Applied for JobSeeker so I would at least be getting a little income

New Jackbox came out, and had a games night with The Boys playing all the new games

Voted in the local election

Went to Westerfold’s Park with Josh for a lovely long walk

Played lots of The Sims 4 (but tbh I have been doing this all year)

November:

This month things sort of started to turn around, as Covid wasn’t hitting my state hardly at all, so I was actually able to see family and friends again!

Went to my old primary school with Dani and played basketball and just shot around and talked. She also came over for dinner. It was so nice, and she is a true friend.

Had a picnic at the park at the top of the street with my dad’s side of the family, all together at last

Melbourne Cup Day, not that I really care but it’s nice to get a day off. Went on a day trip to the Dandenong mountain range. It was so, so nice and bought some lovely little things from local shops, went for a bushwalk and had a bakery lunch

Went to the park to throw the frisbee and kick the footy around with Josh and his friends, although they are my friends too tbh

Had a picnic with a group of friends that I hadn’t seen since January, so it was so, so good to catch up with them and have a delicious BBQ dinner

My favourite online comedy group, Aunty Donna’s Netflix series came out! Had a virtual watch party with a few friends and binge watched it all in one go

Had lunch with grandma. This used to be a weekly occurrence but for obvious reasons was put off for this year. I absolutely adore her and every lunch we spend together is so precious to me

Went to Kyneton with some of the family as another day trip

Christmas shopping time again. So weird to be at the shops and feel sort of normal? I went 4 different times in the span of a week and a half haha

Josh’s birthday! We went to this maze place with has a bunch of big mazes and other fun activities. It was such a perfect day. Then we had dinner with his family.

Got a letter from the IRS saying that I needed to provide them with proof of identity, so that was fun trying to sort that out. We love the outdated US tax system <3

Went to a bridal shower for my friend Katie

Went for another hike with Josh to the mountains

Drove down to Geelong for a friend’s wedding and stayed at my nan’s house

Had a pub dinner and Jackbox night while down in Geelong with The Boys

A good friend of mine was leaving to live in Japan for two years, so I went to her house one last time to say goodbye and chill in her pool and just hang out

God why is it so hard to get a job?

December:

Omg we have made it to December. It truly is a miracle with how this year went tbh. And if you have read this far, thank you but also, how little of a life do you have?

Went to my friend Katie’s wedding. Sort of surreal to go to a wedding during a pandemic but it was fun and I got to see a lot of friends I hadn’t seen in a while

Enjoyed the hot weather and went to the beach a number of times with a variety of friends

Went Christmas shopping, and just shopping in general since it was safe to and shops had finally opened again

Got a job at a talent agency where you get gigs as a paid extra in TV shows and movies, which was pretty cool! I even had a professional photoshoot to get headshots done, something that I had never done before. Glad that I could get some pictures to use on LinkedIn though haha. Still haven’t been cast in anything but here’s hoping.

Had dinner and drinks with Josh, Bec and Trev in the city for the first time since it reopened. God I love Melbourne so much. It is just so magical on balmy summer nights. This was such a special evening, and was so good just to be in the city again

Had a lovely day with Dani, starting with breakfast and then going on a hike before the weather got too hot. We went to Sherbrooke Forest, a place I hadn’t been before, and it was incredibly beautiful

Had a number of job interviews this month too, none of which got back to me which was annoying :/

Now it was heading into the time where every weekend is packed with Christmas do’s so I’ll just collate them in this point. Lots of drinks were consumed and many delicious roast dinners

Had our annual Christmas Carol’s service at church. It was a blessing to be back in the building for the first time since March, and to be able to do something I love (singing) with some of my best friends was the best

Christmas eve I went to my grandma and grandpa’s house (on dad’s side) to help them set up for Christmas lunch. Spending time together just the three of us is so special, and I am so glad I was able to come over and just chat and be in their loving presence. Then that night I went to our 11pm church service to bring in Christmas day. It was a great service and was great to see our kick-ass minister give a sermon face-to-face.

Ok here we go, Christmas was a doozy, let’s go. So Christmas lunch was, as I said, with my dad’s side of the family, which is always a great time. Cracking open crackers and fighting over who’ll get the bottle opener or nail clippers is always a highlight haha. But we had the fucking best roast potatoes I swear. I need to know what my grandma puts into them because I could genuinely eat 20 of them and still have space. Then the rest of the afternoon was spent in a food coma until I went to Josh’s house to spend dinner with his family. Another delicious meal and great banter was what I needed, although I can safely say that I put on at least 5 additional kilos after that day.

The next day the fam and I headed to Geelong to see my mum’s side of the family. Was a great drive down and I listened to all of The Avalanches new album which had just released. Easily the greatest album of the yeah hands-down. So we spent lunch there and absolutely stuffed ourselves with more food. Three Christmas meals really took a toll on me, but I am just blessed as it is to have a loving family and food on the table.

The next day dad, Josh and I headed to the beach to spend that weird time between Christmas and New Year’s. To get there we took the ferry that goes from Queenscliff to Portsea, which is always a fun time, since we don’t often go from one side of the bay to the other (if you don’t know the geography of Victoria I apologise lmao). Mum didn’t come with us as she had some symptoms of Covid, so went home to isolate and get tested. Thankfully she tested negative and she joined us the next day.

Once I got back home I had to prepare the house for my friend Jono who was visiting for new years from SA. Many last-minute chores and cleaning was done haha.

New Years Eve! Went to pick up Jono and my other friend Sarah from the airport and dropped Sarah off at her accommodation and ended up staying there with Jono for a while as this was where the New Year’s party was going to be. Although, in true Victorian fashion, our premier announced that there was going to be a limit of 15 visitors at any house from 5pm that night. Excellent. We love a last-minute change of plans. So we had lunch and spent the afternoon at my friend’s house before heading to a local park to chuck the frisbee and kick the footy around. We also had our second annual NYE trivia competition, which my team lost by 1 point!! Dang I get so competitive, but we will win next year, I can feel it. The new year came through uneventfully, we were in the middle of a game of Scattergories or something like that when someone changed the channel on the TV to see the Sydney fireworks across the screen and like, 4 second left of the countdown. I gave Josh a bog ol’ smooch and gave my friends a big hug. We had done it. 2020 was defeated.

Conclusion (damn this really be an essay tho)

This year was undeniably the hardest year I had ever been through. Going through unemployment for the majority of the year and having no sense of purpose hit me hard but I am entering 2021 with the hope and willingness to get on track with my career. And I think I will be successful. A lot of truly awful things happened around the world this year as well, with the devastating bushfires at the start of the year, the powerful BLM protests, Coronavirus absolutely destroying lives and many, many other global events but through it all, here we are. I hope you all keep well this year and that your 2021 is infinitely better than your 2020.

Song of the Year: Tangerine – Glass Animals

Album of the Year: We Will Always Love You – The Avalanches (I CANNOT stress this enough, but you absolutely must listen to this album!)

TV Show of the Year: The Mandalorian - Season 2

Movie of the Year: Bombshell (the only movie I saw at the cinemas so didn’t have much to go with)

Memory of the Year: Going away with my family and just enjoying time away with each other

Thank you for reading this, if you’ve made it this far, you’re a real one <3

[zankivich]

The Assistant: Shawn Mendes x Personal Assistant: A One-shot

a/n: this is just me seeing if I could even still write for this man tbh. I’ve been getting very good at separating my emotions about the pr stunt, and I think that’s because I literally have blocked it from my social media in every way, shape, or form. Honestly when I wrote this I envisioned a black woman because that’s just where I’m at in life, but I never specified so....do with it what you will. K bye. 

WARNINGS: mutual pining, fluff, love.

“Stop it, jackass.”

“No Shawn, seriously. Stop!”

“Stop! We’re going to be late, and if I have to hear Andrew complain one more time about it, I’m kicking your ass, do you hear me?!”

Being the personal assistant to Shawn Mendes is basically the best job in the world. You got to travel all the time. You got to learn more about the music industry than your internship at a record label had ever taught you. And he just happened to be the sweetest, most wholesome person on the planet. Except for when he was getting on your goddamn nerves. This just happened to be his favorite past time.

You’d been his PA for four years and no one knew him better. You knew his coffee order, what size underwear he wore, and the brand of cough medicine he trusted most. You knew what made him scared in life, what one sigh meant from another when it came past his lips, and when he was hungry or tired or emotional. What you hadn’t been prepared for was for Shawn to learn these things about you. And what you should have prepared yourself for was the trouble that this would bring.

Shawn had spent the last twenty minutes playing with some nerf gun that Brian had bought. He thought it would be a wonderful idea to see if he could hit you with it from multiple points around his hotel room. Shawn was usually business all the time, and so you loved any opportunity for him to get to relax and be a twenty-one year old. He had taken advantage of this and was more excited for a nerf battle than the business meeting he needed to be at in forty-five minutes.

“You have goooooot to relax a little bit.” He sighed rolling his eyes and dropping the gun.

He made his way over to you and slid his oversized palms onto your shoulders. Screw him. He was so warm and tall and chiseled. Dumb. So dumb.

“I could relax a lot more if you just let me do my job.” You pouted.

He snorted softly and let his thumb touch your chin.

“Is this you pouting now? You’re gonna try and guilt trip me with a pout?”

“That depends....Is it working?”

He licked his lip and you honestly could have swung on him. There was no need for him to behavior is such a sensual matter. Damn him.

“I’ll get my shoes on.” He hummed in defeat. “Just don’t be sad.”

You smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

He paused for a second, his hands still poised on your shoulders. There’s a moment of silence where it’s just the two of you looking at each other. You up at the mammoth you called a boss, and him down at you with those honey brown eyes. You hated when he looked at you this way, like he might wanna try something, like he might actually care about you the way that you cared about him. All it did was cause you unnecessary hurt, and very vivid daydreams.

See there’s a running joke in the Shawn Mendes team. If you want Shawn to do anything, then you simply just call y/n. The two of you were closer than closer, and he seemed to trust you with his life. Eventually you had become friends. Close friends. And so it suddenly became less “go buy me a juice” and more “can I lay my head in your lap until my migraine passes”. When the road was cold and lonely and he had no one, it was you he cuddled up to. For Shawn it was the convenience of it. You were there and you could provide him with what he needed. But for you? God touching him was like lightning. And you hated every second where it wasn’t real, where it didn’t mean the same thing to him. More than anything you hated the way that you loved it, because it meant being in his orbit.

“Go get your shoes on. Please?” You whispered.

He nodded slowly and pulled away finally giving you a moment to breathe.

The ride to this meeting was a quiet one. You struggled with Shawn’s affectionate touches and the ridiculously soft glances. Every now and again it got to be too much, and you had to preserve yourself if you were going to stay afloat. Working for Shawn was a joy, but that didn’t stop it from hurting sometimes.

The car pulled up to the destination and Shawn went to open his door only to stop when you didn’t follow him.

“Aren’t you coming?” He asked.

You shook your head. “I’m gonna go pick up your suit for your party.”

“Oh...Well you’re still coming to the party right?”

“Of course. I’m on duty, Shawn.”

He frowned. “No you’re not. I invited you as a friend.”

“Yea well Andrew knows better than to let you go to an open party with alcohol without me, so...I’ll be there regardless.”

“Okay well...I’m sorry you have to put up with me for the night.” He mumbled closing the door.

You sighed and let your head fall back against the headrest. Now you were both in a bad mood. Ugh.

***

New Year’s Eve was testing your patience. Here you were looking good as hell, ass all poised and waiting to be grabbed. What did you get instead? Nothing. Not a look, not a squeeze. You took another sip out of your vodka soda and went to stand up only to figure out that the previous two drinks before it, were a little stronger than you remembered. Shit.

“Woops! I’m sorry!” You gasped knocking into someone behind you.

“Sorry I--Oh, hey.”

You bit you lip and peered up at Shawn. The suit looked even better on him now then it did when he first stepped into it. And then there were his rosey cheeks and the heat of the room getting to his curls by the moment. He was absolutely stunning, and you couldn't believe you were about to enter another year of being practically suffocated by the weight of him.

“Hi.” You murmured reaching one of his arms to stabilize yourself. “How are you doing?”

He shrugged. “I’ve been alright. It’s been kinda hard to have fun though. My best friend’s been MIA.”

You snorted. “Is that so?”

“Yep. She got mad at me earlier, and I’m not really quite sure why. Perhaps you could tell me. I hear men are pretty dumb.”

You let your body weight lean into him, and sighed happily when his hands fell to your waist. Usually you’d do anything to stay away from this kind of contact, but vodka is a hell of a thing.

“It’s fine. I’m over it.” You assured him.

His eyebrows scrunched together at your words. That sort of Canadian pout of his. It was extremely effective.

“See, but I don’t even understand why you do that. Sometimes it’s like you're pissed at me, and then maybe you decide to get over it all without ever telling me what I’ve done in the first place.”

“Look let’s just enjoy the night, huh? It’s New Year’s Eve. All your friends and family are here. Let’s not make it more complicated.”

“Fine. But only if you promise to stop sulking in a corner and come have fun with me.” He mumbled. “I’ve like missed you all day.”

It was moments like that that you just wanted to shake him and yell. How could he not see what he was putting you through? How was it not incredibly obvious how in love you were with him? But you could tell just by the look on his face that he was being as sincere as ever. Shawn was just too kind for his own good, and for yours apparently.

“Yea, okay. Let’s have fun.”

*two hours later*

You are drunk. And the only reason you know how drunk you are is because you’ve lost your ability to measure other people’s drunkness. As far as your ass is concerned, everyone is living their best life and no one is any drunker than one another. Dumb. You should have known Shawn was drunk off his ass the minute he started hugging strangers. But alas, if Andrew’s expectation was that you were meant to keep him out of trouble then...you just might be fired tomorrow.

“You smell amazing.” Shawn whispered in your ear as he threw himself onto your back, arms wrapping tightly around you. “Where have you been all my life?”

You giggled. “I’ve been here, kiddo. You know, controlling your day to day life, keeping you afloat?”

“Not like that. I mean...I mean like...where have you been ya know?” He mumbled taking a sip out of a champagne bottle.

Sober you would’ve gotten him straight to bed at this point. Drunk you was a little dumber.

“No I don’t!”

“You just...God you’re so beautiful ya know?” He huffed bringing your foreheads together. “It drives me crazy.”

“What? What did you say?”

“Y/n I--”

“Shawn!”

And just like that, one minute the boy you like is hovering over you with heart eyes and the next his friends are practically picking him up. Jon, Brian, and Connor descended like wolves, quickly rushing Shawn away from you.

“We’ll be right back!” Bryan called over his shoulder.

You were left to your own devices and the only thing you could think to do in your drunken state was...to go complain to Aalyiah about how dumb her brother was. You know, like a crazy person.

“Hey what’s wrong?” She asked softly, not nearly as drunk as you. It must have been the whole underage thing.

You shook your head. “Your brother is an idiot.”

“Oh I’m aware. But why in particular is he an idiot this time?”

“He just can’t communicate jackshit unless it’s in a song. Can’t tell anyone how he feels. Just likes to stick his dumb, big head everywhere with his dumb big eyes and his dumb smile. I’m sick of it, ya know?”

Aaliyah smiled softly at you and squeezed your shoulder.

“Oh you poor thing. You want me to talk to him?”

You eyes widened. “No. Oh no, ‘Lyiah, not at all. I was just blowing off steam.”

“Uh huh…”

“No seriously. Promise me you won’t say anything.”

She rolled her eyes. “But y/n--”

“No promise me!”

“Alright, alright, Jeez. I promise.” She groaned. “But for the record if this is how complicated adults liking each other is, I want no part in it.”

“‘Liking’? Who said anything about liking?”

“Oh y/n...Please.”

“I liked you better when you were younger and shyer.”

*meanwhile in the corner on the opposite side of the party*

“What the hell guys!” Shawn muttered still trying to peer over the heads of people to see y/n.

Jon clicked his fingers in front of his face. “Excuse me? You told us not to let you get carried away with y/n tonight, remember?”

“...No. not really. And I retract my statement, now if you’ll excuse me...Goddamit, guys!”

They weren’t budging. And Shawn was pretty sure he was thinking clearer than he had in years. Save for the bottle of champagne in his hand.

“Bro, stop being an idiot, you’re blowing my high here!” Brian yelled at him. “You don’t want to fuck things up with y/n remember? You don’t want to mix business with pleasure! These are your words.”

“But...But...she’s so pretty.” He whined closing his eyes in despair. “So pretty.”

Jon snorted. “Oh to be young and in love. What a travesty.”

“Look we’ve got ten minutes until the ball drops. Let’s get you a fresh bottle of champagne and try to relax, aye?”

Shawn couldn’t quite do anything but pout.

“Fine. Let me go dammit.”

And thus the two were separate as the party began to re-hype for the ball drop. Brian got Shawn a bottle of champagne, his friends surrounding him on all sides so that he didn’t make any mistakes. Y/n was left to chill back in her corner. Without Shawn to hang out with, and his friends--which used to be her friends--being assholes, it was a lost cause.

At some point you were just waiting for the night to end. You wanted to go back to your hotel and sleep and forget all about Shawn’s dumb face when he told you how beautiful you were. What a joke. This whole night was a joke. Usually Jon and you would’ve spent the whole night making fun of all the white people, Connor would have hung on your hip like he always tended to do. Even Brian was a cocky son of a bitch who let you give it right back to him. But Shawn didn’t want to be near you for some reason. Friends. Yea right.

It wasn’t until everyone begin counting that you realized you weren’t in the mood at all. The excitement. The joy. It just wasn’t there. So you decided to leave. Meanwhile, at the clock struck midnight, Shawn busted open a bottle of champagne to spray his friends with. It’d been a hell of a year and he knew he deserved to celebrate a little bit. So the hugs go all the way around and he squeezes them tight enough that he hopes they know how much he loves them. He’s drunk and he’s happy and when those two things happen there’s typically on one person he wants to share that with. But it only takes one look around the room to see you’re not there. And that’s the opposite of what he wanted.

“Hey! Hey! Have you seen y/n?” He asked Jon who had quickly discovered his girlfriend’s throat after the ball drop.

“No man. And you shouldn’t either.” He huffed.

But Shawn had no time for his friend’s bullshit. This was the woman of his dream they were talking about here.

Brian was practically tripping balls and extremely ineffective. Connor was sympathetic but hadn’t seen her. His next best guess was Aaliyah, who was looking a little wobbily like maybe she’s stolen a drink or two. (He was too drunk and too fixated on y/n to remember that he’d been the one to give them to her).

“Sis, have you seen y/n? I can’t find her anywhere!”

She rolled her eyes. “No! But she probably got tired of the games and went back to her room.”

“What games? What are you talking about?”

“She’s tired of you acting like you want her until it gets too serious and then backing away and pretending you’re just friends. It’s bullshit and it hurts and she probably got fed up. Let me guess tonight’s plan was to have the guys keep you away from her?”

Having a sixteen year old sister who’s smarter than you is truly terrible.

He stared at her dumbfounded. “I…”

“Yea, that’s what I thought. Look if you don’t want to be with her just leave her alone. She’s not some play toy, alright?”

“I’m not--that’s not even remotely what’s going on!” He muttered at her.

“Well that’s what it looks like! Women aren’t stupid and you’re not clever, dumbass. Stop messing with her. It’s driving her crazy.”

He rubbed his hands over his face thankful when the music finally cut down as people took the time to huge and squeeze their loved ones for the new year. His little sister had never been one to let him off the hook, and it was nice to know some things weren't going to change in 2020.

“I’m in love with her!” He bursted. “I’ve been in love with her since the moment I saw her, and I didn’t want to let her go, okay? She’s amazing at her job and she’s my best friend. And I need her in my life. So, I thought I’d rather have a part of her forever than ever face the possibility of losing her. She’s not some plaything alright...she’s--she’s everything.”

And just like that the anger on her face twisted to happiness and she quickly reached to pat him on the shoulder. Teenage girls were practically navy seals mixed with ninjas or some shit.

“See, now was that so hard?”

“Look don’t take this the wrong way but I think you might be a sociopath.”

Aaliyah rolled her eyes again and pointed over his shoulder. He turned to see y/n standing there with her jacket in hand looking about as shocked as he felt. Suddenly the room was much warmer than he remembered, and his hair felt sweaty against eh back of his next. The cat was out of the bag.

“H--How much of that did you hear?” He asked you, walking slowly in your direction.

You bit your lip. “I showed up around the ‘love’ part.”

“Oh...okay. Do you wanna--can we maybe go somewhere and talk?”

“I don’t know. I’m drunk. You’re drunk. I’d probably just go to sleep thinking I made the shit up.”

He shook his head. “That couldn’t be y/n. I meant it. Every word.”

“Yea? Then prove it.”

“Prove it? How?”

“I don’t know! I’m drunk, shit.” You whined.

He rolled his eyes up at the ceiling and stalked closer to you until you had to peer up in order to see him. His warmth was intoxicating, the smell of campagne still fresh on his lips. This is dangerous territory. There are witnesses. No room for him to go back when he changes his mind in the morning. His fingers cup your cheek.

“Shawn.” You warned jaw going slack in his grip.

“You drive me absolutely crazy, you know that?” He whispered, breath fanning your face.

“Yea, the feeling is mutual...Don’t play with me right now.”

“I’m not. I swear to you. We can figure the rest out tomorrow, but for now, I love you.”

“Don’t say that unless you mean it.”

There were tears in your eyes threatening to fall, and your body as lose as it was from the alcohol was still struggling to let go. You’d dreamt about these words long enough that reality has begun to blur. Who knows what’s real and what isn’t.

“I mean it.” He hummed so softly against your lips. “I mean it, I mean it, I mean it. I love you. Let me show you.”

Leave it to your New Year’s kiss to come fifteen minutes late. But there’s not a care in the world when his lips are on yours. Your toes dig into the carpet as you lean up to kiss him something soft and chaste turning more dominant by the second. If this was a dream, let them never wake you up. Because it felt so real. So right. So soft.

“Happy New Year sweetheart.” He whispered against your ear.

And a happy new year it was.

The End.

Taglist: 

@liliane106 @wokeupinjapanisabop @sinplisticshawn @lifeoftheparty74 @xeuphorically-moonstruck @euphoric05 @daijanicole @bruhh-whateven @learning-howto-be-myselfx3 @decewill @goldiean @bitchacho25 @bruhh-whateven @justbeingoceana @loveylangdon @iloveshawnieboi @september-lace @disaster-rose @dimestorebieber22 @sinplisticshawn@MixerMani  @justbeingoceana @qcoachcartier @simpledomain @kamahriii @lifeoftheparty74 @valedictorian65

[kisskissbanggang]

Surreptitious

[15min. Read/3.7k words -- Mystery Member👀xFemale Reader -- Idol!AU, NSFW/Smut -- Spoilers in Tags, Dubcon, Ethical Grey Areas, Paranoia, Dirty Secrets, Stuck/Trapped]

Masterlist | Feedback

You don’t really think I’d be like that, do you?

The cryptic message echoed in your mind as you worked. Someone in this very home knew what you didn’t even think you’d have to hide, and you couldn’t begin to figure out who. The anonymous message had shown up a couple nights ago – long after you’d stopped posting on your blog. Nearly half a year ago, you came on your student visa and packed up your blog, taking a small hiatus from this hobby that took up so much of your time. You loved learning everything you could about Korea, especially after already spending years learning the language. However, it wasn’t long before spending money was tight, and it looked like it may be time for a part-time job. Housekeeping wasn’t your first, or second, or even tenth choice, but here you were.

A couple months into your new job, and you were handed a new assignment: a few days a week at a high-profile home. What you weren’t prepared for, though, was whose home. The door opened and after you brought in some of your cleaning supplies, you finally caught glimpse of one of your clients… And nearly fell over. You were positive that out of the corner of your eye you just seen Jung Jaehyun. But that clearly couldn’t be the case, right?

Wrong. Sure enough, you met most of the members that day, doing a much better job than you’d hoped you would in containing how ridiculous this all was. Being a housekeeper for NCT was, quite honestly, something that sounded like the worst fan-fiction on the planet, which is what ultimately led to you revisiting your blog.

You had started writing fanfiction a couple years ago, just something fun to take your mind off the stress of school that would keep you mentally stimulated. The emergence of smut, however, was unexpected. You had gone through a rut of stress, anxiety over school and work, and too much inconvenient arousal, that it all culminated in a particularly surprising way during the process of a fic you had been stuck in. The reception to it was equally surprising, your followers both new and old voicing their approval of this direction. That development made it even harder to put the blog down, so you decided not to delete it. You never regretted it… Until now.

Admittedly, it was your new assignment that made you curious to visit your old blog. Would it feel eerie, actually knowing these boys in real life? Of course, you had also been excited to see what all your old friends had been up to, what everyone thought of any new developments since you’d been away, but now you were growing concerned that you would hate everything you’d done. You checked your notifications, the comments on your posts. The messages that had stacked up in your inbox were mostly sweet, though some were from antsy followers who were curious if and when you would return. Then, there was the message that was now currently bothering you.

You don’t really think I’d be like that, do you?

The wording perturbed you. It felt immediately unlikely that it was a typo. Was someone playing a joke on you? It was obviously referring to something you’d written, but what? The idea that it was one of the members certainly came to mind, but it seemed to be too ludicrous to be true. However, now that the thought was planted, it grew weeds quickly. You took solace in the fact that even if it were one of the members, they would have no way of knowing it was you… Right?

You had been scrubbing the hardwood in the living room when your worry really began taking shape. You were so engrossed in your work, frustrated in a particularly stubborn stain in the wood grain that you hadn’t noticed Yuta walk in, apparently amused at your focus. Only when he sat on the couch did you notice, startled into yelping and falling back on your ass.

“Jumpy, noona?” Yuta laughed, his warm smile offering more sympathy than his joke implied. You smiled back until you noticed he was holding up his phone.

“You didn’t catch that on camera, did you?” You nervously joked as you turned back to your work.

Yuta shook his head. “Oh! No, I’m just reading. Have you ever seen some of the stuff our fans write about us?”

You almost fell over again. “No,” you vaguely chuckled, “like what? Fan-fiction?”

“No,” Yuta replied, “I found this message board where this fan is picking apart all the outfits we wear to the airport. It’s interesting, but I really just threw on something from the rack.”

“Oh!” You quickly recovered, “But that begs the question: do you ever read fan-fiction?”

You turned back to see Yuta shrug from over your shoulder. “Not all of it. Just what’s written in Japanese or Korean. If it’s not translated well, a lot of it gets lost. And I never get paired up with Jaehyun for some reason. I’d read that no matter what language it’s in.”

The two of you had shared a laugh over his observation, but you felt a little sick until you got home that night. All your fics were written in English, but now you were absolutely never translating them. If you even kept your blog, that is. It felt oddly needling to have confirmation that any of the members really did read fan-fiction. You pulled open the blog again that night to see if, in fact, Yuta’s suggested pairing really didn’t exist, when you saw a new message.

So do you think of me when you write about me?

This was clearly a joke by some fan and you were insane to think otherwise. And, again, even if a member had found your blog, which was still so unlikely, they had no way of knowing it was you running it. Anyhow, what a silly question to propose. Of course you thought about each member you wrote about, but now those almost affectionate thoughts were laced with guilt.

The next day you were at the dorm, you had taken a few minutes before catching your bus home to relax, to collect your thoughts and breathe. You were enjoying a quick glass of wine in the kitchen, something the boys had regularly offered at the end of your day since you’d started here, and you hadn’t even noticed Johnny enter the room until you turned away from the counter. You yelped and nearly dropped your glass, much to Johnny’s chagrin.

“Are you okay?” Johnny asked, sweet as ever. “You seem tense.”

“Oh! No, no, just a lot on my mind.”

Johnny walked over and opened the fridge. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“No, it’s okay,” you reassured. Johnny smiled warmly as he retrieved a soda from the fridge, popping it open and taking a sip as he turned to leave. “Well…” You bit at your lip as he paused, expectantly waiting. “This is such a dumb question, but your fans seem so… Passionate. Do you ever read what they write about you?”

Johnny thought about it and shrugged. “I try not to, to tell you the truth. It goes to my head or weirds me out, and no in between. But I’m glad they think I’d be a good dad. I want to be when I’m ready.” Johnny turned and left, leaving you to finish off your wine in silence as you thought.

The bus ride had been annoying, your mind clogged with what Johnny had said and feeling even dirtier and guiltier. Which response would your own writing stir in him? He’d said there’s no in between. If he’d ever found your work, would he be cocky or disgusted? And, above all that, now you were haunted by Johnny’s only real takeaway had been that the fans appreciated how much he wanted to have a family. What a good guy. And you had written filthy scenarios about him. You felt queasy for the rest of the trip home.

Another message had been waiting for you when you got home and opened your blog, your curiosity begging you to find something wholesome about Johnny starting a family.

You do know that you posted a picture with that bag you wear to the dorm, right?

You knew exactly what picture the message was referring to and went to go find it. The last thing you’d posted before putting the blog down was a photo of this very room, the caption simply “My new home for the next year.” Sure enough, there was your stupid bag sitting by the door. You felt so dumb. You felt so disgusting. You felt so exposed. Someone in the dorm really did know. Did you rather it be one of the members, or one of the staff, a possibility you’d barely dared consider? Your blog stared back at you, imploring you to put it out of its misery and delete it. No, you decided. No more childish paranoia. You would go to the dorm and figure out who was sending the messages, and then have a good conversation about what they would like you to do.

Then again, in all honesty, you should’ve expected this to be much harder than it sounded. The next time you were at the dorm, you inspected everyone’s faces for a knowing look of some kind and came up short. You had even changed out the bag you brought to the dorm, hoping to catch the attention of your mysterious messenger, but to no avail. It would’ve helped to feel bold enough to actually talk and figure it out, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. What would you even say? I’ve written graphic porn about the group but please let me keep my job didn’t exactly have a nice ring to it.

You helped yourself to a glass of wine once the house appeared empty in the afternoon. Everyone was out, running errands or busy with schedules, leaving you time and room to take down the curtains and wash them. You had just piled one set of curtains into the dryer in the small laundry room when you were finally relaxing and taking your break. Maybe you even had an opportunity to lightly snoop, to observe the living spaces and rooms and see if you could suss out who your anonymous friend was. Your planning was cut short, however.

“Did you come today since I was staying home?” Someone chuckled behind you, cut short as you whipped around in surprise, sending your wine glass all over Jaehyun’s chest and then clanging onto the floor. You sighed exasperatedly, immediately grabbing a roll of paper towels and blotting up the wine. “Oh, noona, I’m so sorry,” Jaehyun apologized, stooping down and helping you clean. You shook your head, not thinking as you hurried before the stain set in. You quickly diluted the remnants before wiping it up.

“Just because you were my bias, Jaehyun, doesn’t mean I’m trying to get you alone,” you laughed. Both yours and his ears turned red as you realized what a horribly inappropriate joke that was. “Oh, god, Jaehyun,” you winced, “I’m sorry. That was gross and uncalled for. Here,” you gestured down the hall to the laundry room, “I’m doing some laundry. You can bring me your shirt and I’ll clean it for you.”

“Really? Thank you.” Jaehyun smiled slyly before pulling the soaked shirt over his head and handing it to you. “I’m always surprised by how gracious our fans are,” he smirked, with a wink to top it off.

“What were you doing in here anyway?” You asked quietly to mask the waver in your voice. Jaehyun took another step closer, the subtle heat coming off his bare chest making you back up into the counter. He reached up and opened a cupboard before pulling down a box.

“Nothing,” he nonchalantly shrugged as he opened the box, “just grabbing a snack. Want some?” You could hear Jaehyun laugh quietly to himself behind you as you hurried down the hall, still blushing crimson as you rushed to the laundry room.

What the good hell was that about? Your thoughts ran wild as you yanked the dry curtains from the dryer and put the next set in before vigorously cleaning Jaehyun’s shirt for him. You were just getting the washing together when you realized the dryer wouldn’t start. Frantic, you checked to make sure the damn thing was plugged in and on in the first place, and then that the lint trap was clear. You opened the dryer, kneeling down to look inside. The curtain had snagged on the vent in the back of the dryer drum. Cursing to yourself, you elbowed your way into the dryer, trying to see in the dim light as you attempted to free the fabric without further damaging it.

Soon you were yanking at the dumb thing, trying to hold it together amidst all your frustration. Had Jaehyun really made you so flustered? Why did he suddenly ambush you today after having hardly interacted with you since you began here? All these questions swirled around your mind, distracting you more than enough until you were startled by something pushing you firmly further into the dryer. You cried out, muffled as you fell into the damp curtains, your exclamation continuing as you felt a pair of hands grip onto your waist.

Jaehyun exhaled a soft laugh behind you. “Why didn’t you tell me I was your bias, noona? We probably could’ve become fast friends if I’d known I’m your favorite.”

“Jaehyun,” you called back, “I’m sorry for what I said! It was horribly unprofessional. You can let me out now.”

“And,” Jaehyun continued, “I’m willing to bet that if I’m your bias, then you definitely do think about me when you write your little stories about me.”

“You!” You shrieked, surprised at your own fortitude as you struggled in Jaehyun’s grip. He still held fast, chuckling to himself in satisfaction. “You’re the one that’s been messing with me!”

“And you’re the one who’s been a bit naughty, haven’t you?” Jaehyun laughed behind you.

“Now who’s being inappropriate?” You asked accusingly. Jaehyun ignored you. His hips pressed into you, sending shivers straight through to your fingertips.

“I wonder if you get off on it,” he mused quietly, his thumbs massaging under the waistband of your jeans. “I wonder if you get excited, writing your fantasies.”

“What are you doing?” You asked nervously as Jaehyun teased the waist of your jeans lower onto your hips.

“I’m just acting the way you write me in your stories,” he said matter-of-factly, “you’ve thought about this, haven’t you?”

“I mean, of course I have,” you stammered, eyes widening as you felt Jaehyun stiffen behind you, “but that’s different, that’s just–”

“Online?” He countered. “In your stories? Sure. But this is real life. Wouldn’t you be crazy to pass this up? What, do you not want to?”

“I…” You trailed off as you thought, “No, it’s not that I don’t want to, I just–”

“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to. I can just tell the staff that they hired a pervert,” Jaehyun laughed heartily as he easily stilled your sudden thrashing. “Calm down,” he admonished, “I’m just joking.”

“It’s not funny when it’s my job you’re talking about,” you bit back.

“But it is funny that it was me who found out. The guys wouldn’t be as into it. So feel relieved, because I would,” Jaehyun prodded you along, making you jump as his hands circled your waist to unbutton your jeans. His fingers were surprisingly gentle as he slid them down to your knees, traveling back up to softly touch the growing damp spot on your panties. “Do you know how much I’ve been thinking of this?” He asked quietly, almost a whisper.

“You have?” You shivered as he took his time pushing your panties down to your knees as well.

“Of course I have,” he replied, keeping a hand pressed down on the small of your back as he pushed his sweats down enough to let his cock spring free, “don’t you realize how excited I was when I realized you were who I was certain you are?”

You bit into your lip as Jaehyun firmly rubbed his length against your ass. “But I stopped writing,” you meekly offered.

“Why?” Jaehyun asked, groaning quietly as he teased the head of his cock against your dripping entrance. “Isn’t this the sort of thing your followers would go crazy over?”

You gasped sharply, reactively pushing your back hand against Jaehyun’s thigh as he worked his length into you. He waited a moment to see if you were adjusted before grabbing your hand and pulling it up behind your back. You both shared a moan as he nestled deep inside you. The whole scene must’ve looked surreal, your ass hanging out of the clothes dryer and Jaehyun holding you down to fuck you. He was right. Your followers would kill for this opportunity, or at least experience it the way you’d write it.

“Why am I always so rough in your writing?” Jaehyun asked, almost casually as he fucked you. “Do you really think I’m like that?”

You groaned as Jaehyun rocked you firm against the dryer walls. “No, it’s not that,” you struggled, “it’s that you have this confidence that suggests it,” you managed to get out between moans, “they’re really drawn to it… I’m really drawn to it.”

Jaehyun groaned deep at your words, his grip on the arm behind your back tightening as he thrust harder. You found yourself spreading your legs further. His length really filled you out, gave you just enough stretch in a way you’d only wondered about.

“Why were you so excited for this?” You asked. You’d already crossed so many lines, you may as well get answers.

“Wouldn’t you be? Someone who clearly likes you and thinks of you like that, it just makes sense to want to make it happen.”

“Sounds about right,” you mused to yourself, masked through moans as Jaehyun’s hips snapped against you. His other hand ran up your back to your hair, gripping tight at the root and tugging in time with his thrusts. He finally dropped your arm from his grasp, instead reaching down to rub your clit. You responded eagerly, angling your hips to get a better angle from both sensations and quickly contributing to your building orgasm.

“You sound so cute when you moan, baby,” Jaehyun said, “I never expected you to sound so dirty and adorable.”

You blushed deep again, yelping as Jaehyun let go of your hair to smack and grab onto your ass. His fingers smoothly circled your clit, slick with how aroused he made you. Even though you were more aware of it now, you couldn’t stop from moaning louder, your peak steadily building whether you wanted it or not. He gently pinched and rolled your clit between his fingers, surprising you into hitting your climax. Your dripping pussy clamped onto his cock, pulsing and milking him as you whimpered and moaned through your orgasm.

“Is that how you wanted me to fuck you, baby?” Jaehyun asked, voice saccharine behind you. You breathed hard, letting yourself come down before pushing him back an inch.

“I want you to fuck me like you would fuck me.”

Jaehyun actually stilled behind you, as if he had to think about that and consider it. He gently pulled you out of the dryer, helping you to stand on your shaky legs before picking you up and setting you on the edge of the machine. He pushed your jeans and panties down to your ankles to more easily spread your legs and step between them. His cock prodded back up against your opening. Jaehyun tentatively lifted your shirt and bra over your breasts, pausing a moment to look before he leaned down and kissed each. He stood back upright, taking a second to look into your eyes before he pressed a single kiss to the crook of your neck. You watched, curious and pleased as he took your face in his hands. Jaehyun kissed you, simply and affectionately as he sank his cock back into your heat. His arms wrapped around you, and you took in his scent as he held you close. His pace was gentler now, but not without the same he’d been maintaining. His surprisingly cute moans were muffled into your shoulder, earnestly growing quicker, more desperate with each thrust. It was easy to feel sweet towards this side of Jaehyun, much more easily approachable than how evilly playful he was just a minute ago.

“Baby, do you want to cum?” You asked nicely in his ear, clutching your knees around his hips as he methodically slid in and out of you.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jaehyun panted, “I’m getting there… But there’s one more thing.”

“What’s that, baby?” You asked.

“I know I always finish inside in your writing, but I hope you understand if I don’t this time.”

You both shared a breathless laugh before his moans hit a fever pitch. Jaehyun’s eyes scrunched shut in his intense pleasure, even as he pulled out. He firmly pumped his cock in his hands, groaning languidly as his cum shot onto the lips of your exhausted pussy. You both rested for a second, your fingers caressing the back of his neck as he caught his breath. He aimed the remnants towards your panties as he pulled them back up to your knees for you.

The air had shifted between the two of you. You knew what had changed, but it was hard to place Jaehyun’s feelings. His expression was a mystery as he adjusted himself back into his sweatpants.

“So…” You prodded, “what now?”

You were both startled as the front door opened, someone outside announcing their return home. You hopped off the dryer and scrambled to make yourself presentable again. The cum in your panties was cold and damp up against you. Jaehyun simply grinned that same playful grin at you.

“I don’t know. How good are you at keeping secrets?”

“Pretty good,” you replied, suddenly wary, “but what about you?”

Jaehyun shook his head as he kissed the top of your head before heading towards the laundry room door. “I’m perfectly fine at it, but what you should really be asking is… why should I?”

You watched, unsure and still painfully excited as he winked and walked out into the hall.

[saultnpeppah]

Day 1: Buying the Ring

Event time! I'm so happy I was able to get something done to participate in this event. It's been a while since I wrote anything and I thought what would be a better time to get back into writing for this magnificent duo than with a WonderBat event?

I've decided to base this whole event on the AU versions that I wrote for both "O' Christmas Tree" and "New Years Eve", because we all know I like to tie other stories in with each other. There's something about writing an AU that makes me very excited. If you haven't read those two yet, I would strongly suggest you do that to give you a bit of background. I hope you all enjoy this!

January 27. Metropolis. 12:32

Bruce

My heart races as I sit behind the wheel, my hands shaking as I think about what has led me to this place. For months, maybe even years, I have known this was what I wanted, but there is still part of me that worries this isn't what is the best. I feel like the last year has been nothing but a dream, and I'm waiting to wake up. But I don't want to wake up. I want to continue this, continue down this journey with her.

Diana has been my rock since we've started dating- actually she's been my best friend and support system much longer than that. Ever since she transferred to Gotham back in elementary school, she has been supportive, even when I didn't deserve it. She is such a kind, caring, beautiful and compassionate person, and I don't know what I've done to make her choose me, but I will strive to continue to make her as happy as she's made me.

My hands continue to shake as I shift gears, placing the car into park, before I turn off the engine. I let out a small sigh and close my eyes, gently biting my bottom lip in nervous frustration. I know what I am doing is needed, but I can't help but feel it is a bit overwhelming. Diana and I have talked about this before, but it was never an idea set in stone, and I wonder if this is something that I solely want. My hand reaches for the key still in the ignition, ready to bring the car back to life, when my phone begins to ring from inside my coat pocket.

My hand abandons its path to the key and instead digs into my pocket of the coat folded neatly on my passenger seat. It is on its third ring by the time I fish out the phone and I quickly turn the device to see the screen, my lips curling into a smile when I see the name flashing in bright letters across the glass.

"Hello," I say. I pray my voice doesn't give off just how nervous I have been all morning, and when I only hear silence I fear it might have. I soon breathe a small sigh of relief when I hear a chuckle come through the phone followed by Diana's voice.

"Where are you?" she asks, although she already knows the answer. She knows I have business to tend to in Metropolis, I distinctly remember telling her this a few days ago. I was never specific in what I would be doing, as I was worried she would figure out my plan and ruin it, however I realize doing so might make things all the more suspicious.

"I'm in Metropolis," I state, pulling the keys from the ignition and placing them into the coat pocket my phone was housed in moments prior.

She scoffs at my answer. "I know that," she says, "but where in Metropolis?"

It is my turn to chuckle as I shake my head. If I give her even the slightest clue as to where I am she will have no problem making the trip over the bay to join me, and that is the last thing I want. I would still like to surprise her every now and then, and this might be the biggest surprise of them all.

"Downtown," I say. I open the door to the car and step out in the cold winter breeze, reaching back inside the vehicle to grab my coat before I quickly pull it on. As I look over the tall buildings that line the streets of downtown Metropolis, my lips twitch into a smirk. The giant sphere that sits atop of the Daily Planet is in perfect view from where I stand, and I mentally add another item on the to do list, before I close the car door, listening for it to lock before I focus my attention back to my conversation with Diana.

"Hey, Di," I say, patting my back pocket to check for my wallet, "I have to get going. I'll see you later tonight?" I know the answer even before I ask. Diana has been spending nearly all of her free time at the manor, and at first it was a bit frightening; I was used to having the place to myself, with the exception of Alfred of course. But the more time I spent with Diana, the more I wanted her around. It was always so quiet when she left, even if it was for a few hours to get items from her apartment by the bay.

After her incident with the tree, where my stupid self insecurities had caused her to get hurt, I knew there was only one logical thing to do: I had asked her to move in with me. Of course she had accepted, and we both knew what this meant, but I did not care. Bruce Wayne was a bachelor no longer, and I welcomed that change wholeheartedly. It had been a few weeks since I had asked Diana to move in, and although she had a few items still at her place, she was spending every night with me and Alfred.

"Of course," she states, just as I expected.

I am just about to say my goodbyes when she chimes in with, "Don't forget we're having dinner with my mother next week."

I nod even though she can't see. "I know," I say. It is one of the reasons I am currently walking down the streets of Metropolis in freezing weather. "I'll see you tonight."

"See you tonight," she repeats. "I love you."

I am unable to help the smile that forms hearing those three words. We have only been saying that phrase to each other for a few weeks, but it seems like we've known it for years. "I love you too," I return. I wait for her to end the call before I shove the phone back into my pocket and continue down the street. I know now, with absolute certainty, that I am doing the right thing. If thoughts of Diana haven't convinced me, her saying those three words have reminded me of all the reasons I love this woman so dearly.

XXXXXXX

"Stop that!"

My lips curl into a smirk and I turn my face, trying to avoid the death glare Diana and a few of our classmates are throwing my way. "Stop what?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Diana only furrows her eyebrows even more and places a hand on her hip. My smirk does nothing to her, it never does, and I let out a sigh before I relax my face. "You're no fun," I whisper under my breath, but when she raises an eyebrow, I know she's heard me. How does she do that? The woman seems to know exactly what I'm thinking and while that might be fun occasionally, it's hard to keep myself from letting her know just how hard I'm falling for - scratch that- have fallen for her. It's impossible not to. She's smart, she's funny, she's the most compassionate person I know. Not to mention she's absolutely gorgeous.

"I'm a lot of fun," she says, throwing her arms up in frustration.

One of the guys beside her only scoffs. "That's not what Steve said," he remarks.

I watch as Diana whips her head to glance at Marcus, the one who can't keep his snide comments to himself. Her jaw clenches at the mention of her ex-boyfriend and she stares at the boy, silently burning a hole into the side of his face. If there was one person you didn't want to make angry, it was Diana. Sure, she was the sweetest person I knew, but even the cuddliest puppy could become aggressive when provoked - and Steve was definitely a sore spot for her.

Having broken up with Diana over the summer before he headed into the military, many had assumed it was because he was sparing her the idea of a long distance relationship. Others assumed it was because he didn't want to be tied down going into the Army. But I knew there was more to it. Diana never told me the true extent of things, but I had a hunch. Either way, he didn't deserve her.

"Callahan," I say, startling the rest of the group. I take a step toward Marcus, watching as he takes a step back and raises his hands in surrender. But I'm not done with him just yet. I take another step toward the sophomore and jab him in the chest. "Apologize," I say, narrowing my eyes at the frightened boy.

He nods and gulps before he turns to Diana. "I'm sorry, Diana," he says, "That was uncalled for." He takes another step behind his twin sister, Rose, and breathes a sigh of relief. I may not be the biggest, nor the strongest, or smartest guy on campus, but money talks.

"Okay, okay," Diana says. She places a hand on my shoulder and yanks me back, flaring her nostrils as she shakes her head. My cheeks begin to burn red as I watch her eyes narrow and I turn away from Marcus, Rose, and the two other guys who have remained quiet this whole afternoon. Diana hates when I jump to her rescue; it was one of the reasons she and Steve argued so much.

I know I should've stayed quiet, let her fight her own battles, but she's my best friend. Diana is beautiful, and she knows this. Her confidence is portrayed as egotistical, and people tend to have very few wholesome thoughts of her. She deserves more than what people give her. Not to mention her accent always seems to draw attention, whether it be positive or negative.

Diana glances over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. It is well past four forty-five and she needs to be home before her mother starts to worry; another reason she hates people being over protective of her. Her mother worries enough, Diana doesn't need me to add to it.

"It's getting late," she says as she walks to her desk. "How about we pick this back up tomorrow after class?" She closes the copy of Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet that has been laying open on her desk and turns to the group. They all nod, tired of having read and translated the infamous tragedy, before they begin to gather their own items. She turns to me and gives me a small smile, letting me know she's not as angry as I think.

"Great, see everyone tomorrow." Everyone nods and walks out of the room. When it is just the two of us Diana turns to face me and raises an eyebrow, silently asking me what I was thinking.

"I know, I know," I say, holding my hand up, stopping her from lecturing me. I shove my own copy of Romeo and Juliet into my book bag and zip it up. I watch as she finishes packing her own bag, her lips quivering as she tries to hide a smile.

"People already think you're more than a friend, Bruce," she says. "You know the gossip at this school travels fast."

I know this, but would it be so bad if we were more than friends? Of course it would be. She's my best friend, and I don't want to do anything to ruin the only genuine friendship I've had since my parents' deaths. When Diana and I first met, she didn't treat me like some fragile boy, much like what the rest of the world did. To everyone else I was someone to be pitied, someone who didn't know how to live the rest of my life in happiness. And for a moment, I believed them. But Diana saw through that. She helped me more than I like to admit, and because of that, I vowed I would never do anything to ruin our friendship. Besides, I didn't exactly have a good track record with relationships.

"Let people think what they want," is all I say. She glances at me over her shoulder and lets out a chuckle, shaking her head as she walks toward the projector and turns it off.

"Easy for you to say. You enjoy the attention." She continues to walk around the classroom, checking to make sure she has closed and secured everything, before she pulls the large key from her pocket. She nods to the door, telling me to go, and I oblige, grabbing both of our bags and stepping out of the classroom and into the empty hall. "In case you haven't noticed, I get enough attention," she states as she closes the door and locks up, pushing it to make sure it is secure, before she turns to me.

Of course I've noticed. But I wouldn't dare tell her that. I hand her her bag and mumble a quick, "Sorry," before the two of us head down the hall toward the main office.

It is quiet as we walk, both exhausted from the last week. I can't wait for Midterms to be over, and as I steal a glance at Diana, I can tell she hasn't been sleeping much. She turns her head and catches me staring, her lips curling into a smile as a faint hue of pink begins to grace her cheeks. "Do I have something on my face?" she asks.

I chuckle nervously before nodding. "Yeah," I say, "I don't know what's going on here." I move my finger around her face and flash her a smirk.

She realizes my joke and nudges me with her shoulder, shaking her head as we turn the corner. "I can't wait until this week is over," she says with a sigh. "Although this whole Romeo and Juliet presentation would be a lot easier if you could play nicely."

I only shrug. Group presentations were never my strong suit. Group "anythings" were never my strong suit. "I just hate Romeo and Juliet," I say.

She raises an eyebrow and places a hand on my arm. "Sometimes the thought of living without someone you love makes people do stupid things," she says. "Whether that's a lover," she begins, lowering her voice, "or a parent."

I am momentarily surprised by what she says, freezing in my spot. She gently squeezes my arm, letting me know she hasn't told anyone of how I used to feel, lonely and wanting to die, before she gives me a nod. I give her a weak smile, waiting for her to smile, before we begin our journey back down the hallway in comfortable silence.

XXXXXX

I quickly walk into the shop at the end of the street, quickly closing the door to block the chilly air from entering behind me. There is a middle aged woman behind the counter who smiles when she notices me. "Good afternoon," she greets. "How can I help you?"

I take a step toward her and pull the coat from my body, suddenly sweating by the sudden temperature change, and maybe the nerves. "Hello," I say. "I have an appointment with Gustavo."

She nods and clasps her hands together. "Ah yes, Mr. Wayne," she answers, placing the jewelry stand in her hand on top of one of the glass display containers. "Gustavo should be right in," she says, "Can I show you a few of your selections?"

I nod, watching as she turns and unlocks one of the vaults behind the counter. As she pulls a tray containing a handful of velvet boxes onto the glass, an older burly man walks around the corner and into the main display room: Gustavo.

My family has come to Gustavo's for generations. I knew this was the place I wanted to come to find that special ring ever since my father told me of the time he asked my mother for her hand.

"Ah, Bruce," Gustavo greets. He offers me a hand, which I shake, and places a hand on my shoulder. "When you called me, I was so happy." He turns to the woman by his side and nods. "Ask my beautiful wife Linda, I was so, so happy," he says ecstatically.

Linda nods. "He was," she replies.

"I knew I had to come to the best," I say with a wink.

Gustavo soaks in my compliment and nudges my arm. "Oh Mr. Wayne, you make Gustavo blush," he says. "Come, let's see what we have here." He grabs one of the velvet boxes and opens it so quickly I fear the hinges will snap. Inside there is a ring that would make any woman jealous. The band is gold and the diamond that is perched on top is bright and bold. "Now this is a beautiful ring, for a beautiful woman, yes?"

I continue to look at the ring, making sure to examine every crevice. He is right, it is a beautiful ring, but it's not the one for Diana. "It is beautiful," I say, "but not the right one."

Gustavo nods. "Yes, yes. Of course." He carefully closes the box and places it on the glass, before he grabs another two boxes from Linda. "Don't you worry, Mr. Wayne, we'll find a special one for your little lady."

XXXXX

Diana sits silently, staring at the two textbooks she has laying on the table in front of her. She quietly plops a carrot into her mouth and chews, her eyes never leaving the pages that contain all the information needed to pass her Chemistry final. She carefully flips a page, her eyes narrowing as she looks at the formulas, trying to memorize the chemical compounds that have been used in every lab she had for the past year.

"I don't think it's physically possible to memorize all of this," she says as she lets out a huff. She gently uses her index and middle fingers to rub her temples. "How are you not freaking out?" she asks.

I only shrug and plop a few grapes from my own lunch into my mouth. "You're over stressing it," I say. "You're going to ace it, like you do with every exam. I wouldn't worry about it."

She only throws a glare my way before her focus goes back to the textbooks. "Easy for you to say," she mumbles.

I only smirk and let out a chuckle. "Relax, Di," I say, reaching over to close her textbooks. She opens her mouth to voice her disapproval but I shake my head. "Enough studying. You need to eat." She lets out another huff but listens. She pushes the books aside and pulls out a sandwich, quickly taking a large bite.

I give her a nod, feeling accomplished that I was able to convince her to eat. I shove the last of my lunch into my mouth and chew contently as I glance around the open courtyard. All around are students. Some are carelessly eating their lunches or socializing with friends, unbothered by the thoughts of next week's finals. Some sit like Diana, hunched over text books and notes, trying to cram for exams. And then there's Julie Madison, sitting across the courtyard, locking lips with one of the Seniors. I try to look away, but I am not fast enough as she looks up and locks eyes with mine, before she flashes me a smile.

I quickly turn away from her and shake my head. I had had my chance with Julie but I was much more interested in someone else than her. Word of our break up got around pretty quickly and it seemed as though she were enjoying the attention it brought. "You gotta stop doing that."

I turn to face Diana, who once again has her face buried in a book. "Doing what?" I ask innocently.

She turns her head to glare at me, before she looks ahead to where Julie sits. "Torturing yourself," she replies. "Why don't you just go talk to her? I'm sure she'd take you back in a heartbeat."

I absentmindedly shake my head. "I'm fine," I lie. She glances at me once more, her eyebrow raised, challenging my fib. I narrow my eyes and put on my best poker face, hoping it'll do enough to not raise anymore questions. After a moment she shrugs her shoulders and closes her book.

"So what are you going to do? Stay single forever?" she asks with a smirk.

I know what she's doing and I won't fall for it. For a year I've had to endure Diana asking me why Julie and I never lasted more than two months, but I don't have the heart to tell her it was because of her. "Maybe," is all I say as I gather my trash.

Diana scoffs and I do a double take, offended. "How about this," she begins. She places her textbooks into her book bag and zips it up. "What about, if we come to our twenty year class reunion and neither of us are married, we'll get married?"

I chuckle, stopping when I notice she doesn't seem to find it funny. In fact, she is staring at me, waiting for an answer. While the question does take me by surprise, it's not as if I haven't thought about it. Diana is my best friend, and shouldn't that be the person you marry? Besides, what is the probability it'll actually happen. As I've said before, she's an amazing woman, someone is bound to find that out and marry her before I get the chance to.

"You're being serious?" I ask.

"Absolutely," she says, stone faced.

I let my eyes wander, making it look as if I am actually pondering over the idea, but I already know my answer. "Okay," I say after a few moments, "I suppose so." She gives me a small smile and nods. "But I deserve a full proposal," I joke.

Diana is unable to help the laugh that falls from her lips. "Okay, Wayne," she says. She takes the plastic tie that was used to close her bag of carrots and twists it until it forms a tight ring. "Bruce," she says, pinching the makeshift ring between her forefinger and thumb, "will you marry me?"

"Of course," I answer as I place my hand on my chest dramatically. Diana only rolls her eyes and hands me the ring, watching as I place it on my pinky and flash her my hand. The bell ending lunch rings from the other end of the courtyard and we both stand from where we have been seated. I gather my items and sling my book bag over my shoulder. I watch as Diana quickly disposes of her trash before she grabs her bag and we rush toward the main hall.

When we are inside I walk Diana to her next class, Calculus, as I've done every day this year, casually asking if she's going to go to the big beach party Arnold Zarkousky is throwing next week after finals. She is hesitant at first but I eventually convince her to go. "Okay Prince," I say once we reach the door, "I'll have you know I am not a cheap man. I think I deserve a ring that actually fits."

Diana only chuckles and pushes my shoulder forcing me to take a step back. "I'll get you a ring pop," she says over her shoulder sarcastically as she steps into the classroom.

"Better be the blue one," I say with narrowed eyes. I watch as she shakes her head and takes her seat, before I turn on my heel and rush toward my French class, hoping my casual flirtations with Diana haven't made me late once more.

XXXXXXX

"What about this one, Mr. Wayne?" Gustavo lifts the last velvet box into his hand and silently prays that this is the ring. We have been looking at rings for nearly an hour. We have gone through the original seven Gustavo picked out, and a few more he had in the display cases. We have even toyed with the idea of custom making a ring for Diana, but things do not seem to be going great. I want this to be perfect. Diana deserves a ring that is perfect.

Gustavo hands me the box and I carefully open it. I want to say it's perfect, but there is something I can't quite put my finger on. "I'm sorry Gustavo," I say, handing him the back the ring. "I just want this to be perfect."

Gustavo nods but I can see he is getting a bit overwhelmed. "I understand," he says. "It can be a difficult thing. This woman is a lucky woman."

I nod and let out a sigh. "Gustavo, I'm the lucky one. Diana is beautiful, she's kind, she's smart, and for some reason, she's found enough reasons to love me to stay around." I look up at him and let out another sigh. "When you find a woman like that, you want to make everything possible for her. You'd move mountains just to see her beautiful smile. She makes you want to be a better man."

Gustavo nods. His eyes are moist and he lets a smile form as he tries to fight the tears. "I understand completely, Mr. Wayne," he says. He reaches over and grabs Linda's hand, gives it a gentle squeeze, and kisses her cheek. "When you find a woman like that, you want to give her the world. Yes, you are a lucky man sir, just like me. Lucky to have found your Linda!"

I nod as I let out a small chuckle. I watch as Gustavo kisses his wife's cheek two more times before she pushes him away giggling. "I think I might have just what you're looking for," Linda says. She disappears behind the counter, only to pop up a minute later, a black box in her small manicured hands. She hands the box to Gustavo, watching with a smile as he opens the lid.

"Ah, Bellissima," he says, kissing his wife once more. "My wife is as smart as she is beautiful!" He watches as his wife blushes, trying to wave off the compliment, before he hands me the box. "Take a look, Mr. Wayne," he says. "I think you'll find this one is, perfetto!"

I grab the box from Gustavo's hand and take a deep breath. I open the box and stare at the ring. I can see Gustavo grab his wife around the waist and hold her close as they watch me inspect the piece of jewelry. After a few moments I close the box, a smile on my face, and say, "It's perfect. This is the one."

The two throw their hands up in celebration. "Magnifico," Gustavo says. He walks around the display case and places a hand on my shoulder. "Let's get you all settled Mr. Wayne, so you can plan the best proposal ever."

The two get everything situated fairly quickly and within the hour I am heading out the door back into the winter breeze. "Don't you be a stranger, Mr. Wayne," Gustavo says from behind the counter. "And you bring the future Mrs. Wayne here, so Gustavo can tell her how you didn't stop until you got the perfect ring!"

"Of course," I say, as I step out of the shop. I give the older couple a small wave, watching as they happily wave back from inside, before I walk down the street.

I let out a sigh of relief. I never knew this could be so stressful, but it'll all be worth it. This is what I want, more than anything. I wouldn't have spent all that time looking at dozens upon dozens of rings if I wasn't sure.

Turning the corner, I continue down the street. The sun has come up and the temperature has risen slightly, but the wind is still as strong as ever. I quickly reach into my coat pocket and pull out my phone, dial the familiar number, and wait for them to answer. A few moments later I hear the distinct voice on the other end whisper a, "Hello," and I smile as my free hand pats the pocket where the ring now rests.

"Hi," is my response. "Can we meet up?"

@fyeahwonderbat

[jocelynscloset]

Special | Michael Langdon (Part 1 of 2)

Summary: The daughter of the Supreme, Katherine, seems unremarkable until her powers emerge at the age of 16, just weeks before the boys from the Hawthorn School for Exceptional Young Men arrive at Miss Robichaux’s to stay for one week, as is customary with the annual tradition of a masquerade ball celebrating the unity between the two sides of the coven. She intends to indulge in the festivities for the first time, as a newly anointed witch, and who better to steal a dance with than the man who threatens to dethrone her mother?

Word #: 5.7K | Accompanying Playlist for this story | Other Playlists

Author’s Note: This got really really long, so I'm dividing it into two parts. There’s smut in the second half, so be prepared for that. It’ll be out very soon, I’m just putting some finishing touches on the ending :) Please feel encouraged to leave your feedback and reactions, as well as leave a like and/or reblog!

PATREON | KO-FI | COMMISSIONS | MASTERLIST

Cordelia grew to value sharing her kindness more and more, the older she became. The generosity she extended to the young witches at Robichaux’s was beyond any teacher or mentor. Most of her students saw her as another mother. However, as she grew into her prime as Supreme, her longing to have a biological child of her own was reignited, and with her newfound radiant health, she made the decision to have a child on her own and raise it with the help of her sisters. To no one’s surprise, she was gifted with a baby girl, blonde like her mother with striking hazel eyes.

The baby girl was named Katherine, and she was raised between the walls of Miss Robichaux’s Academy For Exceptional Young Women, but for the first 16 years of her life, she showed no inkling of magical ability despite her mother’s power. Although her mother remained seemingly unconcerned, the older she got, the more Katherine questioned whether she had inherited the gene for magic at all.

One night while assisting Mallory with the ingredients for a potion, this ever-present frustration with her lack of ability bubbled to the surface. Mallory had been teaching her botany for the better part of the year since the herb garden began to revive with spring, but no matter how finely she ground the herbs or how intently she whispered the incantations, the spells simply wouldn’t work.

She was beginning to think that she wasn’t like her sisters. She started to believe that she was just like everyone else outside of the coven; completely average. Powerless. Helpless. Vulnerable. Expendable. She felt like a secondary character in her own life’s tale, and when the mixture laid there for the third time, completely unaffected by her words and her greatest mental effort, it happened.

The plant remained lifeless, but the light bulbs hanging above their heads began to tremble and brighten until they were so blinding that Mallory couldn’t avoid the brightness no matter where her eyes shifted. Katherine didn’t notice, as her lips continued breathlessly chanting the incantation, as if she was begging the plant to come alive again. Her eyes were screwed shut, her neck taught and her fingers gripping the edge of the table so hard it began to splinter. When she finally opened her eyes, all she saw was the plant, still dead.

A blood-chilling scream of rage and disappointment left her exhausted lungs, and the lightbulbs shattered, sprinkling broken glass about the room, nearly pulverized by the energy she released.

The smell of smoke reached her nose and she finally snapped out of her trance, looking around the room and seeing the glass dust covering every inch of the greenhouse. Mallory simply stood with eyes wide as saucers, her mouth agape and her hair white sparkling with the glass.

“Did I do that,” Katherine asked, her adrenaline making her heartbeat deafening in her own ears. Mallory could barely control her racing thoughts enough to nod her head.

Before Katherine could process what had just happened, her mother rushed into the greenhouse alongside Zoe, both with looks of pure fear on their faces as they sought out the source of the scream. When their eyes finally landed on the two witches, Zoe went to comfort Mallory and Cordelia slowly approached Katherine while taking in the state of the greenhouse. Katherine was visibly stunned, her eyes glassy and distant and glued to the floor, but when her mother rested her hands on her shoulders, a choked cry escaped her lips and she collapsed into Cordelia’s embrace.

“Something’s wrong with me, mom,” she cried into her mother’s shoulder. Cordelia only shushed her and held her close, stroking her soft blonde hair.

“You’re just special, sweetheart. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A dozen white moths fluttered from Katherine’s fingertips before Zoe’s eyes, contrary to the assigned task of conjuring butterflies. Although she had accomplished magic, it was simply another example of Katherine being so close to doing what was asked of her, but diverging slightly from the others. Cordelia reduced this to a mere lack of experience, as the girls she was practicing alongside had been honing their abilities many years before she had even discovered her own.

“It’s remarkable that she can accomplish even a version of what the other girls her age are going. You must mind the fact that she learned of her ability less than six months ago, and has already caught up to her peers,” Cordelia insisted, her eyes flickering to a glittering piece of glass that must have been left behind from her daughter shattering a vase during their one-on-one lesson the day before. “More or less.”

Zoe’s mouth downturned into a slight frown and her lips opened slightly before snapping her mouth shut. Cordelia didn’t miss it.

“What is it that’s got you so worked up about Katherine, Zoe?” Zoe pursed her lips, taking a seat across from Cordelia.

“Katherine is obviously a wonderful talent. It’s clear to see how quickly she’s progressed in the last few months. However...” Zoe trailed off before Cordelia cleared her throat expectantly. “I’m worried that her magical ability stems from some type of rage. Anger and pain is dark, Cordelia. It’s unpredictable and difficult to control. I wonder if it wouldn’t be in her best interest to separate her from the other girls and focus on teaching her to reach her ability from a healthier place.”

Cordelia knew that Zoe was making sense, and trying to protect everyone at Robichaux’s, including her daughter, by being prudent and cautious, but a small piece of her took her words and pressed them against one of her deepest insecurities.

“What rage?” She asked calmly. Zoe felt the air of the room shift with Cordelia’s kind gaze that never reached her eyes.

“Cordelia-”

“Pain? Anger? Unpredictable and uncontrollable rage? What exactly does Katherine have to draw darkness from?” Zoe distanced herself slightly from her Supreme, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Zoe should have seen this coming. If there was one sensitive, vulnerable spot in Cordelia’s heart, it was her daughter.

“Cordelia, nobody on the face of the planet and beyond would ever question that Katherine has had a very happy life here with you and all of us. She has seen nothing but love and acceptance and encouragement, but she dealt with living in the shadow of other girls her age her entire life, until recently. She watched you teach and bond with a hundred other girls who got your attention before she did, simply because that’s your job,” Zoe reasoned. “It’s not that you did anything wrong or that she’s angry with you. I think she just feels like she has something to prove, and that she’s willing to prove it by any means necessary, including drawing power from places that we don’t show her.”

“There’s darkness in everyone. It’s tempting to everyone, even me. I mean, look at my mother for god’s sake!” Cordelia folded her hands together and relaxed in her chair, despite her jaw remaining tense. “We taught her the difference between light and darkness. She knows how to be good and that she is supposed to rise above the evil. I raised her that way. She won’t devolve into the darkness out of a hunger for power because she knows better. I did not raise my daughter to become like my mother.”

Zoe nodded in surrender and knew that it was the end of the conversation. When Fiona entered the conversation, it was time to extinguish the topic.

“You’re right. I never should have doubted her. You raised her well and the last thing that this coven is going to do is turn their backs on her, no matter what.” Cordelia was visibly ruffled by Zoe’s dismissal of her reassurance, but she let it go for the time being.

“Can you let her know I’m ready for our daily lesson?” Zoe nodded and left the room quickly, leaving Cordelia with a storm of worries to ignore.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The sun was beating down on New Orleans with a vengeance when the warlocks of The Hawthorne School For Exceptional Young Men arrived, as they did every year to participate in the customary masquerade ball to come together as a united coven. The idea was wholesome and full of potential for fun and mischief amongst the young, budding adults but in reality, it was a tense glaring match between the witches and warlocks that share the highest ranks of the coven. Namely, Cordelia and Ariel. Behold when he was drunk, but he was largely harmless aside from the threat of his magically refilling wine glass staining the linens.

However, for the first time, Katherine was looking forward to the event. This time, she had power buzzing in her fingertips and she would finally feel at home taking part in the magical fun. She took it upon herself to buy a beautiful dress that accentuated her best features and a mask that would leave just enough to highlight her favorite facial features. Her new abilities left her with a refreshed sense of confidence, and she intended to show it to one or two Hawthorn boys in the ballroom.

So, when her mother called for all of the witches to report to the foyer to welcome their guests, she was overjoyed to be standing near the front with her mother, having the opportunity to get a closer look at who she’d be sharing the next week in her home with. Unfortunately for her, the entrance did not go at all as was routine for the occasion.

The second Ariel walked through the doors of Miss Robichaux’s, she and her mother both sensed a particular smugness that wasn’t usually as poignant in Ariel’s demeanor. He was a notorious misogynist, especially when it came to your mother’s supremacy, but he wasn’t usually so transparent. As soon as he took Cordelia’s hand, a smirk began to curl his features and he announced that he had an important matter to discuss with her. Cordelia clenched her jaw slightly but preserved her kind smile, but it was clear to Katherine that her mother was already annoyed with Ariel’s presence in her territory.

Ariel moved aside, announcing the boys and immediately an organized stream of well-dressed young men began to file through the entryway. You watched them pass patiently, sizing each one up as every other young witch was, making your selections and tucking them in the back of your head for later.

Your breath was cut short when your eyes raked over the final boy who walked with much more command over the room than any of the others, including Ariel. He was tall, maybe six feet, with neat blonde hair and light blue eyes that accompanied his gentle smirk nicely. You cocked a brow when his eyes met yours and his smirk grew, him nodding down at you as if he were reading your thoughts.

Maybe he had been.

Eh, so what if he was? He’s not even the most handsome guy here.

You could have sworn you heard a quiet chuckle as he left your sight. You inconspicuously looked behind you and nearly groaned when you saw at least three girls with their jaws sitting on their toes, and he just soaked it all up. He was going to be a pest.

A few hours later, after the boys were assigned to their temporary rooms and the girls were doubled up in theirs, Katherine made her way downstairs for her daily lesson with her mother. Her fist was an inch from the door when she heard Ariel’s angry voice pleading with Cordelia.

“Cordelia, you can’t ignore this boy’s power because of your fear to let go of power. Just give him a chance to show you what he can do—”

“You’re asking me to sentence this boy to his death. There’s no possibility that a warlock’s powers could rise to the level of supreme, let alone surpass it. I will not entertain your desperation to create a world in which men control the coven, because it is simply impossible. This conversation is over.”

“You become more and more like Fiona every day, and you’re too high on your mighty horse to see it—”

“Mother, it’s time for my lesson.” Katherine interjected, pushing the door open. She knew that if he’d said one more word in reference to her grandmother he would have left that room without a tongue. Cordelia cleared her throat and motioned toward the door.

“Have a good evening, Grand Chancellor,” she offered. She only received a huff in response before he stomped out of the room. “Three year-old man, I swear,” Cordelia muttered under her breath.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Now repeat after me, Solvo Liberatum Spirito Malus Nequam,” Cordelia guided, her hands resting in Katherine’s to assist with a routine banishing spell she was trying to learn. Katherine repeated after her mother intently, her eyes screwed shut in focus. After a few moments, her mother let go of her hands and hummed in content. Katherine opened her eyes, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“How do I know if it worked?”

“Well, if there were any evil spirits in the house, they would be effectively removed.” Katherine looked at her mother expectantly.

“And?”

“And, there were none,” Cordelia announced. “Congratulations.”

“Mom, I can handle bigger spells. I’ve learned so much in the last few months but I’m still behind and I have to catch up.”

“You will, sweetie, but you have to give your powers time to grow on their own. It doesn’t happen overnight.” Katherine chewed on the inside of her cheek, feeling tears of frustration gathering in her eyes.

“I just don’t want to feel useless anymore.” Cordelia’s mouth went ajar at her daughter’s confession before she rested her palm on the side of her face.

“You’re not useless, you never have been. You’re just as powerful as any of your sisters, and even if you weren’t you must know by now that the last thing that determines your worth is power.”

Katherine dabbed at the tears cascading down her cheeks and nodded, accepting a gentle hug from her mother before standing to retire to her room for bed. Before she could leave the room, though, her mother called her name.

“Sweetie, be careful around that Michael boy. He seems to be a bit troubled with the charm to match, and I saw the way he eyed you today. Just stay away, okay? For me?” Katherine nodded almost compulsively and promptly left her office.

As Katherine gently tiptoed up the stairs to her room, it occurred to her that this Michael must have been the boy Ariel was so passionately advocating for. But, if it was impossible for a warlock’s powers to rise to the level of supreme, then what exactly was he?

She wagered that in the following few days she would find out.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Katherine’s eyes traveled the page of her latest read, her surroundings having completely disappeared earlier that afternoon. Witches and warlocks had come and gone from the parlor and she remained, peacefully sitting at the table in the corner. However, as the second day of the warlocks’ stay extended into the evening, more and more students crowded into the room, leaving almost no place to sit, even with the added seating, compliments of your mother.

It didn’t surprise her that eventually, the voice of a young man interrupted her story, asking if she would mind him taking the empty seat next to you. When Katherine looked up to assure him it was fine, she met the eyes of none other than Boy Wonder. She tried to conceal the fact that butterflies had begun fluttering around her tummy, but the fact that she took a good ten seconds to respond probably gave him a clue.

“If you’d rather I leave you alone, it’s no problem.” She cleared her throat and motioned to the chair next to her.

“That’s alright. I mean, if you don’t sit here someone else will anyway.” He smiled gently at her and took a seat. She had just returned to her comfortable position and was about to return to her book when he leaned closer to her.

“What are you reading?” Her eyes flickered between his curious expression to the book in her hand.

“Um, a book?” He chuckled and raised his hand to turn the cover toward him so he could read the title.

“I see that,” he said. “But what is it about?” She swallowed a lump in her throat, desperately trying to remember what was going on in the story before he’d shown up.

“It’s a romance. A girl who falls in love with her neighbor. He’s a real douche, though. I don’t know what she sees in him.” She explained, getting a bit caught up as she expressed her thoughts to this complete stranger.

“Then why are you still reading it?” Her brows furrowed at his question. “If you don’t like the love interest of the story, then what’s the point in sticking around?”

“Well, he may be a douche, but I’m hoping that by the end of the story he’s grown up a little and eventually deserves the affection of the main character.” He laughed a little too loud at her response.

“I hope he does too, but people don’t change. If he didn’t deserve her to begin with, wearing nice clothes or playing with more puppies won’t change that. The main character is just as immature as he is if she’s interested in someone she has to change in order to love.” She was speechless at his bluntness, but she realized immediately that he had a point, and that it was probably the most intelligent thing she’d ever hear come out of the mouth of a boy his age. However, part of her wanted to quibble.

“But isn’t love about hope? Isn’t romance in the little things one does to make their lover happy, even if they don’t enjoy doing it?” It was his turn to be stunned.

“Maybe in teenage romance books, but real love is about being happy to do something because it makes your lover happy. Love should be worship, not servitude.” In that moment, she realized that she had no angle with which to play devil’s advocate.

“That’s really… sweet, actually.” The young man smiled at your reaction, reclining back in his seat.

“My name’s Michael, by the way.” He extended his hand to her to shake before pulling it up to his lips, which made Katherine blush.

“Katherine Goode.” His eyes lit up at that.

“So you’re the one the others are constantly murmuring about.” Her eyes widened at Michael’s remark, his smirk growing ever so slightly. “All good things, of course. The warlocks want you and the witches want to be you. You’re quite a supreme presence in this place.” She only scoffed.

“That would be my mother, actually. The only supreme thing about me is that I’m supremely ordinary.” Michael shook his head and chuckled, the sound of which was beginning to grow on her.

“Believe me, Katherine. I think you’re anything but ordinary.” She met his intense gaze and a delicate smile formed on her features as he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“Well, Michael, that’s very kind of you to say.”

“I mean it. You’ll see. Nothing motivates an extraordinary person like being underestimated, and something tells me you’re not used to people seeing your potential.” Katherine looked down at her toes before he cleared his throat. “But for the time being, let me know how the book ends. I’ll bet you an Andrew Jackson that she believes she got him to change.” With that, Michael stood and retreated to whatever room he was occupying upstairs, leaving her alone again, but this time with the motivations of another boy to wonder about.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Thank you for coming, Michael,” Cordelia said, motioning toward the seat across her desk for him to take.

“Of course, Ms. Goode. What is it that you wanted to talk about? Did I do something wrong?” He feigned cluelessness, but he knew she was concerned about the level of power he had been displaying, especially during magical lessons the past few days.

“No, Michael. In fact, you’re an exemplary student and I think you have a lot of potential to be one of the most powerful men in the coven.” Michael smiled, pretending he didn’t already know that. “I’m not concerned about you or your actions, but it’s been brought to my attention that some of your instruction may be ill-tailored to your abilities. The Grand Chancellor has shown overzeal in the past when it comes to warlocks who have a tendency to have a connection between their emotion and their power, and I’m afraid that that is becoming the case concerning your lessons with us.”

“I assure you, madame supreme, I’m having no trouble with my lessons and Ariel has been nothing but gracious during my time at Hawthorn.”

“I’m sure he has, Michael, but I must question his judgement as he has made a suggestion regarding testing your abilities that would put you in mortal danger, and I would hope that if he ever asked you to perform a task you felt was beyond your current skill set, you would let me know. He may be a high-ranking officer of this coven, but we all make mistakes and your safety is my top priority.” Michael nods, his eyes very sympathetic.

“Of course,” he agreed, “But if I may ask, what was it that he wanted me to do?” Cordelia laughed with a sliver of discomfort in her tone.

“Truthfully, he wanted to sentence you to death by seven wonders.” Michael frowned at her lack of faith. “You’re very talented and a natural with your magical abilities, but a male is simply inhibited from performing magic at the same level of a female, and as harsh as that reality is, it’s much kinder to tell you now rather than let you learn that by getting stuck in hell for eternity.” Michael faked a thankful smile and stood.

“Thank you for your concern, Cordelia, if I may call you that?” She nodded apprehensively. “If I ever feel unsafe, you’ll be the first person to know.” With that, Michael left her office, his face turning quickly into a frown as he walked down the hallway. He was two doors down from his own temporary bedroom when he heard a giggle that sounded an awful lot like Katherine’s coming from the one open door on the second floor. He stopped for a moment, willing himself to just let it be.

Don’t get distracted.

She’s not important enough to occupy this much of my mind.

Stop thinking about her.

However, it only took her giggle echoing from wall to wall one more time for him to abandon his restraint and quietly walk toward her room, stopping just before crossing the opening. He listened for a moment, trying to deduct what was making her laugh, but all he heard was the rustling of fabric. His heart started to race as he thought of all the worst possibilities.

What if someone in there is flirting with her?

What if someone is taking her clothes off?

With that thought circling in his head, he peeked into the room and saw Katherine holding up two dresses, one held up to her neck and the other held in midair by her other hand. She stood in front of a large mirror, comparing the dresses she had collected over the years in anticipation of the masquerade ball. He allowed himself a moment to just… look at her. Her soft, shiny hair, her beautiful skin, the way her dress hugged her in all the right places, and the upturn of her painted lips made his heart race.

He reeled himself in quickly and silently repositioned himself so he was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded over his chest and his signature smirk.

“I like the black one.” He said, startling Katherine for a moment before she looked at the two dresses again and cocked a brow at him.

“They’re both black.” He smiled and winked at her. She sighed and laid them neatly on her bed. “What’s up, Langdon?” He shrugs and looks around her room, observing the little trinkets scattering the various surfaces.

“I just spoke to your mother,” he said. Katherine froze, her eyes widening in fear of what he was about to say next. “She’s worried about me.” Katherine said nothing, praying to whatever was out there that he wasn’t about to tell her that her mother threatened him to stay away from her. “She thinks that the Grand Chancellor is trying to kill me.” Katherine gasped in relief, which made Michael slightly confused. “Oh please, contain your worry.”

“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant,” Katherine said before stepping forward and taking his hand, leading him to sit on the edge of her bed. “I just thought you were going to say… something else.” Michael smirked knowingly at her, but he let it go quickly and began running his fingers over the fabric of the dresses. “What do you mean ‘kill you’? No offense, Michael, but I think that if Ariel wanted you dead, you would be.” Michael contained his amusement at her assumption, masking it by nodding in agreement.

“I agree. She said that he asked her to administer the test of the Seven Wonders,” he clarified, “on me.” Katherine’s brows furrowed and she shook her head in disbelief. “No, that can’t be right. Ariel is smart enough to know that only a female witch can master the Seven Wonders.”

Michael tutted, raising a brow. “Well, technically only a female witch can become the supreme. A strong enough warlock could, in theory, rise to the level of a supreme’s magic, but he’d be called the Alpha.” She only shook her head, standing from the bed and pacing the room.

“So you think you could be as powerful as my mother?” He nodded.

“Probably even more.” She scoffed at that.

“Sorry, Boy Wonder, but no matter how impressive your powers may be, you won’t ever be the one who dethrones my mother.”

“Oh really, and why is that?” Michael stood, looking down at her with a cocky smirk on his face. Katherine tried for a moment to keep her facial expression angry, and mean, but it faltered ever-so-slightly and gave way to her true fear. She stepped away from him, looking toward the window of her bedroom and folding her arms. Her eyes met the floor as she felt the weight of the words leaving her lips.

“Because if you’re rising, it means she’s dying.” Michael’s expression softened a bit, his jaw clenching before he took a deep breath. Silence filled the room and they were both still, stewing. Michael was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry, Katherine,” he spoke quietly, trying not to further upset her. He could hear the sniffles that gave away that she was about to cry. “I didn’t… I forgot about that.” Katherine turned, her red, teary eyes looking up at him, full of pain.

“It wouldn’t be your fault, Michael. You don’t make the rules,” she reasoned, mostly to herself. “I’m just not ready to lose her. I never will be, but I want her to see what I can really become before she’s gone, you know?” Michael bit his lip, feeling a bit guilty as her tears began to roll down her cheeks. She lets out a choked cry and begins to sob, and Michael pulls her into his arms, stroking her hair as she holds on tightly and just lets it hit her.

“It’ll be okay, Katherine. I promise. You’ve got time. We both do.” She nodded and for the next half hour she just cried it out. Michael had pulled away to clear her bed and let her curl up in his arms there. He held her and every now and then, he whispered that everything would be okay. He left just before lights out with his jacket, finding that the scent of his cologne comforted her, and he promised to come and check on her early the next morning.

She slept better than she had in awhile, that night.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Katherine sat quietly at the kitchen table one night, trying to memorize the incantation for a spell she was being evaluated on the next day when a boy from Hawthorn, who she hadn’t been introduced to yet, asked if he could sit next to her while he studied as well. She nodded, smiling graciously at him before he took the chair closest to her, despite there being 7 others that would have given her some personal space. She didn’t say anything though, not wanting to seem unapproachable.

The silence was comfortable for a few moments, until she felt his knee brush against hers, making her skin erupt in goosebumps. She thought nothing of it, and returned to the page of her spell book, but as soon as she read the next word, his hand was on her thigh under the table. She jumped lightly, scooting away, trying to get him the message that she wasn’t comfortable being touched, but he only tightened his grip on her flesh.

“Um… sorry but, could you maybe take your hand off of my leg?” He looked into her eyes, and instead of seeing the kind smile he’d flashed her before, he had a smirk on his face and a new darkness in his eyes, his other hand reaching to grab the edge of the chair and pull it closer to him. She tried to squirm out of his hold but he grabbed her shoulder and shoved his lips onto hers. She attempted to pull away but his grip travelled to the back of her neck and held her face against his.

She felt a wave of anger shoot through her veins and she bit his bottom lip as hard as she could, tasting copper when he yelped and pushed away, her chair falling backward and tossing her onto the hard floor.

“You bitch! You strut around these fucking halls in your slutty outfits and then complain when you finally get the attention you’re so desperate for?”

“She doesn’t want your attention, but I do,” said Michael, whose face was calm and collected. However, Katherine could feel the rage radiating off of him, hot as the sun. Michael bent his knees, gripping the collar of the boy who’d assaulted you, lifting him up so his toes were dangling just above the wooden floor.  “Listen to me, now, you fucking moron,” He began, his voice now low and bitter. “The only reason I’m not crushing your larynx and tearing it from your throat is because there is a lady present.” The boy cringed, his hands clenched into fists. “But do not think for a second that I will not do so if I ever see your face again. Do you understand?” Michael dropped him without warning, the boy nodding profusely and scrambling away, his breath ragged and his face red.

Katherine remained on the floor, now propped up on her elbows with her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Michael bent and looked her in the eye, as if asking permission to touch her. She nodded, reaching her hands out. He gripped her gently and pulled her to stand, brushing a loose curl from her face as she straightened her dress.

“Thank you, Michael.” He smiled, genuinely smiled down at her offering her his hand once more, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.

“If you want, you can come sit in my room with me while I study. I thought maybe you’d want some company for a bit.” Katherine’s heart warmed and her eyes softened before she rested her hand in his, letting him lead her up the stairs and to his room, which he occupied alone somehow, and where he went to his closet, grabbing a dark grey hoodie that would nearly reach her knees. “Here, it’s more comfortable than what you’re in now. I also have a t-shirt and sweatpants you’re welcome to anytime.” She giggled, motioning for him to turn as she closed the door and dropped her dress, sliding the hoodie over her head with only her spanx, underwear, and bralette underneath.

“This is a little intimate for friends, don’t you think, Michael?” He chuckled, taking a seat at his desk and motioning for you to sit on his bed.

“We’re not friends.” Her face fell a bit, before a blush crept up her neck.

“Oh, right.” Michael sensed the disappointment in her tone, turning around once more and leaning toward her as she sat cross-legged at the foot of his bed.

“We have something better, don’t you think, Katherine?” Her eyes widened and the blush on her cheeks deepened as she shrunk under his intense gaze. She nodded, shifting inside the fabric of his hoodie before he turned back to his books, beginning to study again.

“Relax for a while, I’ll come lay with you in a few minutes once I’ve reviewed my spells for tomorrow’s class.” She slid under the neat covers of his bed and snuggled into his rather large pile of fluffy pillows, breathing in his scent, which lulled her into a satisfying sleep. When she was woken by slight shifting of the mattress, she opened her eyes to see Michael in a t-shirt and boxers. He was joining her under the covers and pulling her into his arms, which she helped with by resting her head on his chest and sliding an arm to rest across his abdomen. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her arm with the warm tips of his fingers, whispering a quick goodnight before using his magic to shroud them in the night’s darkness.

He prayed to his father that he’d have more of these moments with her before he’d have to destroy everything she’s ever cared about.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

If you like what you just read, please consider Buying Me A Coffee to keep it coming! Those who donate 2+ coffees can request an imagine character/concept for me to write :)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

If you would like to access all other content early, participate in polls to choose next week’s content, read the other patreon exclusive works, and more please consider becoming a Patron for only $10 per month.

You gain access to my entire body of exclusive works, which gains an exclusive oneshot (6000+ words) every month, and 8 exclusive imagines (800+ words) every month, and you get a say in what you see next here on the blog. *Once we reach 20 ($10+) patrons, I’m going to be adding a patreon-exclusive series to the list of benefits*