#i found this and thought I should share it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

poomphuripan · 1 day

Text

Director Pepzi Banchorn Vorasataree - iQIYI Exclusive Interview Transcript

[What makes 'My Stand-In' special?]

Pepzi: The uniqueness of this series lies in my perspective of it being a youth drama. However, it's the kind of youth drama that's like... So typically youth dramas should be bright, simple and straightforward right? But this youth series has real drama and delves into the intricacies of life and emotions. It has these life stories that makes me feel like... Like about a painful youth which makes me think that having a series like this would be very interesting. Because the series not only portrays the mundane aspects of life but also adds a touch of fantasy, not in the sense of envisioning a futuristic fantasy, but rather, revolving around life's themes. I find these elements fascinating.

[What are some challenges you face as Thailand's first female Y Series (LGBTQIA+ series) director?]

Pepzi: Some refer to me as the "mother of LGBTQIA+ dramas," but not for any specific reason though but it's because I'm the only few [female directors]. Everyone else is typically called something like "father of...". With a BL series foundation, people often express delight in the fact that I make Y series, that I understand the NC scenes, and grasp the dynamics and critical scenes between same-sex characters. However, I'd like to emphasize that, my starting point/intention is that I always love to direct a love story, whether it involves same-sex or other relationships, the base of it has to be a love story. I believe that, once we have understood love, whether it's BL with men loving men or women loving women or men loving women, ultimately, they all share the same foundation being love stories [regardless of gender]. As long as we understand love enough, and perhaps it's also because of my age [re: personal experiences], I have seen been able to see various forms of love, which have evolved over different stages of my life. Therefore, to me, directing LGBTQ+ dramas is just like directing another form of love story. Each of my works revolves around love. Thus, I don't differentiate between whether it's a Y series or not.

[Why did you decide to direct "Stand-in"?]

Pepzi: The opportunity to direct "My Stand-In" arose when I met Ms. Yuan, (the CEO) of YYDS. YYDS wanted me... so they initially reached out to me, however, at that time, I was quite exhausted and looking forward to taking a break. Cause like your body/health after working on four, five series... Actually during the pandemic, I had been involved in numerous projects without any rest or travel. Until one day, I decided to take a break. I rested for several months without working, without taking on any new works. Then when Yuan contacted me again, I even told her I would only consider it after hearing the plot. I was planning to decline if it didn't pique my interest. Because I'm at that age where I should just rest. Later, I told her I wanted to meet and see the content. Ultimately, when we met and Yuan showed me the Chinese script translated in Thai, I realized it was a really interesting/fun story. The storyline was so compelling that it drew me, someone who was on a break, back to work. At that point, I had only read the plot. It wasn't until later that I found out it was based on a popular Chinese novel with millions of views. Honestly, while reading the novel, I found the storyline truly remarkable and felt compelled to direct it. It was only later that I learned about its background story and the powerful narrative it held.

[What gives you confidence in this series?]

Pepzi: First, upon receiving the plot, I thought the original Chinese version was so good. But I knew we would have to adapt storyline to make a Thai version (re:suit the Thai audience), and we had a conversation with the Chinese scriptwriters right at the beginning to ask for permission in order to make adjustments if they wanted me to make this. If they wanted me to direct, they had to trust my abilities, choices, and decisions. We had to localize the storyline to fit the Thai context. Eventually, after discussions with the original Chinese author (Shui Qian Cheng), who agreed to the adaptation adjustments, we moved forward. Every time we make a change, we would thoroughly discussed between both parties. I felt that the fact that everything proceeded smoothly from the outset was an excellent sign. Plus, being given the freedom to select the cast based on my aesthetic preferences or the vibes of the series was empowering. However, every decision I made was preceded by discussions with the team so it felt like this drama is good in all aspects. I believe that this is a BL or Y series where we really chose the main characters based on the storyline. Meaning, we looked for actors suitable for the roles according to the plot, and the result turned out great, just like it is now.

[What are the differences between the TV series and the novel?]

Pepzi: The structure is similar, but we made some changes to the context to make it more suitable for a Thai audience. It's not just about incorporating into Thai culture, but including the lifestyle or the way Thai people think and live. Because ultimately, this is a Thai series with the kind of plot geared towards a Thai audience so we believe that most of the viewers will be Thai. But we also trust that the Thai people perspectives can resonate globally. Changes can be made, but we aim to preserve the fundamental cultural aspects of Thailand.

[How is the director's job, and what's special about it?]

Pepzi: One aspect we paid particular attention to is the action scenes. While I can direct action scenes, some crucial segments required additional assistance to help me make those scenes look cool/badass. And the person who can make [those action scenes] look cool/badass is THE Kongkiat Komesiri, or P'Khom. I've known Kongkiat for a long time, over ten years. Kongkiat offered to help designing some action scenes or pivotal moments in the series. In this series, there's also a crew that many others may not know much about but it's the stunt crew team. For the stunt team of this series, Ja is responsible for/lead of the crew. P'Ja is Jeeja Yanin, I don't know if we're born in the same year (re: if we're the same age) or not. P'Ja came to help oversee our stunt, action and fight sequences and even the training of the actors. Since this series is related to stunt doubles, we aimed to gather the most talented individuals in every aspect within our capabilities. So I feel like everyone involved that we've been able to gather are people who are skilled in their respective fields. From my perspective, I've already done my best and everyone else also brings their best. So I feel like the entire team is... If it's someone in the production industry, they'd know that to be able to do that is pretty amazing.

[Why must it be Up and Poom?]

Pepzi: Why Up and Poom? Initially, we were looking for Ming and Joe. We had to find Ming and Joe. After an analysis, we found it quite challenging. So, we started with Joe. Joe's character is a stunt double, the top one in Thai martial arts dramas. He had to be handsome because he would be doubling for the hottest stars, and his acting skills needed to be top-notch. He also had to convey emotions well and be disciplined. We were searching very hard. In the end, nearly 400 actors wanted to play Joe. And I was the person who watched everyone who auditioned. We auditioned everyone, then matched and paired them up until we finally found that... we chose Up and we chose Poom. And I dare say here that on the day we made our decision, Poom wasn't necessarily the actor with best acting skill among the 400. But for me, Poom is the person who resembled Joe the most. After selecting Poom, I told him to put in more effort. I felt like I really hoped the audience would give him a chance. He wasn't someone with prior fame or popularity, but Poom is a talented actor. Because Poom had really stepped into the role/embodied his role as Joe and that Joe is the most perfect version of Joe for me.

As for Up, once we found our Joe... Actually we found our Ming first but Ming was even harder to find than Joe because he had to be born into wealth, things which we couldn't fabricate. Right? Moreover, he had to be a skilled actor because he needed to portray depth. As a top executive of a company, who had to be secretly in love with someone, someone his sister loves, and he had to back off. Then, he accidentally falls for someone else. That accidental entanglement turns out to the biggest true love of his life. We auditioned numerous people, including celebrities. Many, many people. Ultimately, it was a gut feeling, perhaps intuition? I really saw shades of Ming in Up. They resembled each other. And then Up actually came to audition. But I'm very grateful to Yuan because one day Yuan went to talk to Up saying that Pepzi's simple request was for Up to come for an audition because I wanted to see if Up was really (suitable for) that character. So Up really came to the audition. It was the first tape audition, then finally, we started looking for someone who could pair well with Up. And it took many steps before Up and Poom became our Ming and Joe.

[What do actors need to prepare to become their characters?]

Pepzi: Mostly, it was a LOT workshops but there's also many types of workshops and we have to differentiate between them. So especially for Poom, there were many workshops. We'd have a regular acting workshop, like an acting workshop between Up and Poom for them to work on their emotional scenes together. But Poom also has a separate workshop to handle stunt sequences due to his character's profession as a stunt double. Poom really had a lot of these action workshops and he worked diligently in all of them. His positions/stunt sequences he showed were really good. Shoutout to the instructors and the crew of P'Jeeja for this. Additionally, there's one last workshop and it's the intemacy workshop for the intimate scenes. Ultimately, despite containing mature content, the foundation of these scenes is love. Both actors trusted us, and we conducted rehearsals for intimate scenes beforehand. We're thankful for their cooperation and trust, and their compatibility was evident from the first shoot. This series is filled with love, not lust, but love. That's why there were those scenes. Yea, so much thanks to them.

[From day one to today, what have you seen in the actors?]

Pepzi: I've been able to witness their development as actors when they're playing these characters. Like I've said previously, we chose them because we saw Ming and Joe in them. But as they continued to portray the roles, I dare say that they are truly the actual Ming and Joe. They are the reason why I need to thank God even more for validating our decision that day. Because from what they've shown us, our decision that day was correct and it's becoming more apparent. And one more thing, I want to thank these two people for really embodying their characters and putting in immense effort to get into these roles. This is the transformation we've seen. They not only improved as actors but also became the characters themselves, like embodying their essence.

[Are you satisfied with the work after months of filming?]

Pepzi: To be honest, just like the audience, I'm eager to see it. However, we know the storyline because we're the ones arranging the plot's sequence, and I'm also responsible for editing in the post-production phase. Honestly, if I may say so without sounding conceited, I believe I gave it my all. Everyone worked diligently, and while it may not be 100% perfect for others, for us, bringing together everyone's strengths, we're not ashamed to say and we're always ready for others to see and critique.

[What were the difficulties in making this series?]

Pepzi: The difficulty was the action scenes and the drama. But both boys performed exceptionally well. I'm really thankful to them, especially with the blocking of scenes.

[What were the challenges of this script/story?]

Pepzi: The challenge of this series is making viewers believe in our protagonist's guiding storyline. This story with a male lead who I dare say that it's a character who the audience must curse at while watching. I believe some viewers will be upset, and there are certain plot points that some may not like. But like I've said, Ming is just human; he also has unlikable aspects (t/n: the exact term Pepzi used is that Ming has a few 'not so cute' aspect). However, Up's portrayal of Ming convinces us. When it airs, some people may criticize him because his character truly destestable and deserves all these the curses, but it's also important to emphasize that Up fearlessly played this role without fear of losing his image. And so I'm genuinely grateful and thankful if Up['s character] receives criticism afterward, because it's also a recognition that he plays Ming so accurately and well. Everyone please save Up.

[Most difficult and favorite scenes]

Pepzi: The NC scene when they first met. For me, it was difficult because of the blocking for that scene and I'm the person who did the blocking myself. Feeling of enjoyment from my own work. Because the starting point is this initial spark of love from the staircase, then to the room, and then we also incorporated the raining effect while the actors have to perform the NC scenes with multiple blockings. In order for an NC scene to be beautiful, not only does it require the actors' emotions but also the right blockings and the right camera work. It's a challenge for the actors and everyone involved, but I believe the results will be great, and indeed, they've been showcased exceptionally well. There may also be complaints. For my favorite scene... Actually my favorite scene is also an NC scene. However, it's an NC near the end of the series... Because as I've said before, and I have emphasized this repeatedly to the actors that these [NC] scenes aren't just for shock value (t/n: exact term Pepzi used is that these NC scenes do not exist "simply for the viewers to drive their ships"); the specific reason is to depict the love between the characters over time. The plot spans two lifetimes, from the previous one to the current, and it's necessary to complete this love story. For the last NC scene, since I'm the person who designed every action for it, I felt like there were lots of moments that make go... [squeals] There were some shy moments, but in the end, everything stems from love. The two actors also have great chemistry, and for me, and for me, it all turned into beautiful scenes. I thank them very much.

[Explain the name of title "My Stand-in"]

Pepzi: A stand-in is like a substitute. We used a particular person as a substitute for someone else. In the storyline, Joe substitutes for everything three times. The first time, he's a stunt double, a profession on its own. But being a stuntman means it's the profession where Joe willing becomes another star's stand-in. What does this mean? Even there's fame, it belongs to the star, not the substitute. That's the first time being a stand-in. Later on, the second stand-in occurs when he suddenly has a lover who only likes him from behind because his back looks like that of the star. So, Joe is a stand-in, a stand-in again for love. The third time, Joe himself dies and is reborn. Not reborn as a new person, but being transformed into someone else's body. Finally, he circles around until he returns back again to his old life. I think this kind of substitute is his own substitute. It's the third time being a stand-in. So, this series represents Joe being substituting for many aspects.

[Expectations for this drama]

Pepzi: I only hope the viewers watching the series will see the dedication of all the actors as well as the staff. Regarding ratings and... what do they call it?... ahh Twitter trends and things like that, honestly, as a person who works on the series, I can say it without being embarassment that we want it to be high too since it's normal that everyone hopes for that as it's one metric to gauge the quality of this series. But actually more importantly for me, the buzz on Twitter should come from a genuine liking of the series from the viewers' hearts. After watching it, if everyone genuinely falls in love with this series, as creators, we naturally anticipate feedback from the audience. Whether it's praise or criticism, we're happy. But as I've said, I've given my all to showcase our best work for everyone to see.

[Recommend "My Stand-In" to everyone]

Pepzi: Thank you all. Both the actors and the staff have put their best talents into this series. I want the audience to see this as well. I want the audience to see this as well. Please pay more attention to My Stand-In. You can watch it on IQIYI Original. I really hope everyone, as I said, to see that all the staff have put their best talents into this series. We're really eager for everyone to watch it. Whether you like it or not, everyone can comment. We're very proud to introduce this series as really good. You must watch it!

You can watch the original interview here with iQIYI VIP.

#my stand in #pepzi banchorn #my stand in the series #i cleaned up the engsub translation a bit #really wish i had a way to grab the soft sub for iqiyi but alas #so this is the most yall are getting from me

94 notes · View notes

winedarkthoughts · 2 days

Text

house of addams (6)

— 🌖 pairing: ot7 x fem.reader

— 🕷️ genre: mystery, angst + fluff + smut

— 🗝️ word count: 5.5k

— 🍄 summary: desperate times call for morally grey measures.

— ☕ content warnings: stalking (but it's mutual??), taking photos without consent (also mutual), slight lore dump, mentions of death/decomposition/missing persons

— 🕸️ a/n: thank you so much to everyone who continues to share their thoughts i love y'all so much!!

previous chapter ← series m.list → next chapter

chpt. 6: don't stalk, investigate

october 19, 2004

The trees surrounding the university are starting to brown at the edges. Fall has begun its descent.

The click of the camera shutter has become white noise to you. Through the viewfinder, you follow the motion of the mop of black hair.

You've found that that's how he starts almost all of his mornings: messily, sleepily. More often than not, his hair is just-rolled-out-of-bed fluffy, the lower half of his face covered with a black mask so you can only see his cat-like eyes.

He looks good today, wearing a loose white button-up and silver jewelry. He approaches the university with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder, still clearly half-asleep.

Yoongi is not a morning person, you've learned. You know because you've been watching him.

Listen, you never claimed to be a saint. And yes, maybe half the reason that you're a damn good private investigator is because you're willing (and perfectly capable) of doing the things that others would rather not.

So be it. You've witnessed others commit far worse evils than the one you're currently undertaking.

Long story short, your mental blockade with the case (and whatever the fuck happened at the lake) may or may not have caused you to look into some of the strange characters frequenting Farrow's End. Starting with the shy, antisocial botanist.

The fact that he supposedly lived in the Addams house (according to the commentary from the college students) wasn't the thing that made you suspicious, it was the fact that he lied about living in the Addams house. Pretended to know absolutely nothing about it, to boot.

As a human being, you can respect someone keeping their secrets. As a private investigator, your job is to dig up any secrets that prove relevant to your investigation.

Half of you wants to believe that he's nothing but a good guy. You can admit that you like him, that you relate to his aura as the token "weirdo." But the cynical part of you, it whispers in your ear that he shouldn't be trusted.

No one should. Your job has taught you that much.

Therefore, you have to exhaust each point of view until you find out who's guilty, and who's less guilty. Because pure innocence is impractical.

And after what you saw (or think you saw) at the lake, you're going to have to gear your research towards less "scientific" topics. And try to avoid the woods at all costs. For the time being, at least.

On most days, Yoongi begins his days early, and mostly on-campus. It didn't take long to witness him being transported by the same black Mercedes that you saw outside the cafe, the one supposedly belonging to one of the mysterious Jungs.

Though Yoongi never enters the car in heavily populated areas. He usually walks a short distance to a more private spot, and then the car pulls up like clockwork.

You can never get a good look at the driver, thanks to the tinted windows.

So far, the only suspicious thing about the botanist is the fact that he lied about living in the Addams house. He goes to class, goes to his labs, gets coffee, goes home, with very little in-between.

Well, that plus spending a large amount of his time on campus with one specific chemist. And it doesn't take much longer to realize that he lives at the Addams house too.

Jimin, unlike Yoongi, is often late. He gets dropped off by the same sleek car, a short distance away from his destination, then he power walks to wherever he's going, fluffing and preening himself along the way.

Whether it's a hand brushing through his hair, or a knuckle pushing up the bridge of his glasses (which he never leaves the house without), or him adjusting the collar of his shirt, he's almost always fixing himself.

Sometimes, you get the impression that he isn't comfortable in his own skin.

He has a few other signatures: those heeled boots, pants that are almost always too tight for your liking, glasses (either tinted or completely dark), and always a mask covering his mouth. That, or sometimes an oversized scarf pulled up to just under his nose when it's particularly chilly outside, the wind rustling his hair and it's oddly shifting color.

You've taken to wearing one of your smaller cameras around your neck at all times, just in case you run into anything suspicious and need to snap a picture.

The morning mist has deepened into a constant drizzle most mornings, and that leather jacket you bought at Magic Shop has come in particularly handy. The garment is warm and cozy, and it always gives you a feeling of comfort whenever you wear it.

Fine, so maybe following Yoongi and Jimin didn't yield the results you wanted, though you'll admit it was fun. Still, something is telling you that there's something suspicious about that house and those who reside in it.

So you move on to another lead: Kim Taehyung.

He rarely leaves the house, you've found. So you have to conclude that he lives there as well as works there. When he does leave, it's on official business. Either to go to the police station to pick up documents or out of town to examine a body.

He doesn't ride in the Mercedes, though. Rather, he drives a classic black hearse. Again, peak dedication to the aesthetic, which you can appreciate.

And fine, maybe you snapped a few pictures of him on the rare times you caught him out of the house, but it's all for the sake of the investigation.

At first, you were quite hesitant to get too close to the house on the hill, with its looming trees and black birds hovering all about the roof.

But one day, when you creep up the path, the front gate opens on its own to welcome you. You were planning on scraping along the outside of the gate, peering into the yard through the iron bars. You weren't expecting it to actually open for you.

A gust of wind surges through the air, pulling you towards the house. The rustle of the trees practically whispers come closer.

It takes you a little bit aback, but you don't show it. Just in case someone is watching. In fact, you barely react to it, simply sidestepping the gate entrance and continuing along the path as if you were on a morning walk.

You walk along the entire perimeter of the gated yard, which is much, much larger than you anticipated. There are a number of gardens, a small hedge maze, a swamp even, and at the very edge of the property, a graveyard.

The tombstones are dotted throughout the wooded grove, a thick layer of ivy covering the ground like a burial shroud, and an air of calm hangs about the place.

But it isn't until you circle back to the other side of the house that you see something you truly weren't expecting: Jin, your favorite barista, strolling through the garden with a cup and saucer in his hands.

Wearing a turtleneck under a black coat, his hair blowing picturesquely in the chill wind, he meanders past the crumbling stone statues and trickling fountains.

You quickly duck behind a tree, reaching into your jacket to grab the small binoculars that you typically carry when you're in the..."observation" phase of the investigation. No, this isn’t the first time you’ve done this sort of thing.

Jin leisurely walks over the cobblestone pathway, sipping from his cup with a satisfied expression. He'll run a hand through his hair or lean against one of the stone garden walls, looking over his shoulder every once in a while.

And maybe it's just a hunch, but you get the sense that he knows that he's being watched. The weird thing is that he doesn't seem bothered by the fact at all. In fact, it almost looks like he's...posing.

An itch at the back of your neck. A glance back at Jin tells you that he's not looking at you, nor has he realized that you're there. But still, now you feel eyes on you.

You look around but find nothing but white-barked trees. And maybe if you looked a little closer you would've noticed that the knots in said trees look a little too much like eyes, open and alert.

Even if you had noticed such a thing, your conscience would tell you that obviously that's not the case. Trees can't watch people.

You'd be wrong, of course, but how could you have known that then?

october 23, 2004

He only ever works nights. The graveyard shift, to be specific. His shift always starts after the sun has set, and it ends just before it rises again.

Normally, you'd split your time between the cafe and the bookshop, but recently you've dedicated almost the entirety of your days to watching the barista and learning his habits. And in that time, you've hardly seen him eat.

In all the time you've spent watching him combined, the only things you've seen him eat include: a handful of olives, a few slices of bread and cheese, and the occasional spoonful of honey. Coffee and the offhand glass of red wine (which he pours into a teacup with a charming wink when he catches you watching him) is all you ever see him drink.

The only time he leaves the Addams house, besides to go to work, is on Saturday mornings when the Farmer's Market takes up the town square.

Sporting a checkered coat with the collar turned up to shield the lower half of his face, sunglasses (even though it's utterly cloudy), and an umbrella held over his head (even though it's not even drizzling), Jin scours the aisles, scrutinizing each booth's wares to find only the freshest and best quality produce, meats, and bread. He also procures some fancy cheese and preserves, his tastes expensive and well-refined.

The only other time you see him deviate from his routine is to visit the nearest hospital one afternoon. You're expecting him to enter into the waiting room, but he circles around the back, waiting by a STAFF ONLY door.

That same tickle from somewhere in your brain, the one that makes your eyes a little blurry. You take a moment to refocus them, and then you see the door crack open.

The person behind the door hands Jin an object that he quickly conceals in his coat, and the interaction is too quick for you to see what exactly it is.

But not quick enough for you to miss taking a picture. Because you've learned that it's always best to prioritize the camera before your eyes.

You take it to the dark room that same day. And the film reveals that the object appears to be a plain white box. Your guess is that it's a thermal container, the ones used to transport samples or the like.

It's a bit embarrassing to admit that it takes another day to put two and two together.

You're sitting in the cafe, skimming through the files of the five missing persons, when Jin approaches your booth and silently places a pastry on the table.

It's another one of his habits, you've noticed. Whenever you're in the cafe and have gone a long time without ordering any food, he'll subtly bring you something without a word, and you're usually too focused on your research to notice until some time has passed and it's too late to reject the offer.

You've told him several times that though the gesture is appreciated, he doesn't need to provide you with any freebies just because you're in here all the time. But he just brushes you off and claims that he needs a taste tester for his new recipes.

You let it slide after telling yourself that he probably does the same to a number of other customers given his charming nature (though in all the time you've observed him he's never done it for any other patron, but that you conveniently ignore).

This time it's a little cake, topped with a strawberry and absolutely smothered in fresh cream. When you cut into it, red jam spills from the inside of the cake like blood from a wound.

Then it finally clicks.

...Blood.

Like a slideshow in fast motion, all of the little details spring back into the forefront of your mind. The time when you noticed his shirtsleeve riding up, revealing a faded scar distinctly resembling a bite mark on the inside of his wrist. The time you noticed him drinking from a to-go coffee cup, but with a ring of red surrounding the opening in the lid.

And at the hospital, a thermal container used to transport samples such as blood bags, or even human organs.

Fuck.

You push the dessert away at the realization, scrambling to gather your things and leave the cafe as quickly as possible.

Of course, that means you miss the concerned and slightly disappointed look on Jin's face as he watches you go.

october 24, 2004

You don't know what makes you more of an idiot, the fact that you're actually close to believing that Jin is some sort of blood-sucking creature of the night, or the fact that it took you this long to consider the fact based on all the warning signs.

Unfortunately, nothing is impossible. And though none of your investigations so far have pointed to something so overtly "supernatural," you have to entertain the possibility.

Because it's possible that something about it could trace back to one or more of the victims, since clearly this case has proven to be far from normal.

Though the internet is a great resource, currently all you can find is blog posts, and you'd prefer not to cite those when it comes to professional matters. So you turn to local folklore, urban legends, and the security of the written word.

When you enter the bookshop the next day, you realize just how broad of a topic it is. There are hundreds, even thousands of mythical creatures across different cultures. It's going to take a long time to factor out one with the right features and track it's roots.

Then you remember the man behind the counter. Namjoon is currently staring at the mass of papers on his desk, looking confused and frustrated.

"What's all that?" you ask as you approach the counter.

"My accounts. Balancing my checkbook," he replies without looking up from the mess.

"Ah," you say in understanding, in pity.

A pause.

"Want a distraction?" you finally ask, and his head whips up almost instantly.

"Dear God, yes."

You chuckle, moving to lean against the desk.

"You're a writer, right?"

"Yes," he answers with a nod.

"What kind of things do you write?"

"Mostly research papers, some articles here and there, a few field guides."

Hmm, so he's more of a scholar, then. Interesting.

"In what area of study?"

Namjoon's mouth twitches like he's trying to find the right words.

"Folklore," he finally answers, but obviously there's a little more to it.

Perfect. You bite back the urge to rock on your toes with excitement.

"Can I ask you a few questions?"

He smiles at that, dimples and all, like nothing would delight him more.

"Of course, anything you want," he answers, voice curling around the edges.

And you don't know it, but he means it sincerely. He would tell you anything and everything about him and his little family if you would only ask.

Any of them would, really. Technically, none of them have ever lied to you, they just haven't share all the information.

And if Namjoon is being honest, all of them are quite eager for you to get a little more invasive and figure them out for yourself.

"What do you know about mythological creatures that feed on life energy?"

You didn't mean for it to come out so specific, so incriminating. But you're getting a little tired of questions without a ghost of an answer.

His eyebrows raise a bit.

"To be honest with you, my knowledge is limited mainly to the folklore of this region," he admits, sounding apologetic.

Even more perfect. You try not to give away too much of your excitement, despite the fact that every time you encounter him he only seems to get better and better.

"Pray tell," you urge, leaning forward slightly with open ears.

A little bashful expression crosses his face as he settles deeper in his chair, all thoughts of taxes abruptly thrust aside.

"Well, vampiric creatures are quite common across folklore in many cultures. They're usually associated with outbreaks of disease, and vampire hunts are mostly accompanied with epidemics..."

You let him talk for as long as he wants, listening eagerly and only looking away to scribble a few notes from time to time. It's clear that he's passionate about what he studies, speaking about it like a lover would.

He tells you that even the word "vampire" is shrouded in mystery, as linguists do not know the precise etymological origin. Apparently, the folklore of this region is steeped in Slavic roots, so that's what he focuses on to narrow it down for you.

From the Old East Slavic language, the term "vampire" hails from the word "upir," which is speculated to translate as "someone who bites" or "the thing at the feast/sacrifice," though the word has no definite origin.

Namjoon tells you that scholars agree that the term was used as a stand-in, since they were too afraid to say the creature's true name.

"An upir needs to feed on life essence to survive. In literature, this is usually represented by drinking blood, since it represents life," Namjoon explains.

"Usually?"

He shrugs.

"The "opir" in Ukraine consumes large amounts of fish as their source of sustenance, preferences vary across cultures."

"You speak of it like they're real," you say with a chuckle, watching closely for his reaction.

Another shrug, this one more uncomfortable.

"To the Slavs, they were. The universal belief in supernatural beings was common. Unseen entities were part of the way they understood the world," he says.

"Hmm," you mumble, scanning him up and down. You try not to delight in the way he squirms slightly under your scrutiny.

"Most of the traits attributed to vampires these days are based on myths, or downright misunderstandings," Namjoon blurts out. "Like how the outbreak of rabies in Europe led to the belief that the upir are afraid of light, which is ridiculous. Many of the symptoms of rabies, which is spread through biting, coincide with the supposed traits of vampires, like the fear of light and altered sleep patterns."

He says it all like he's slightly annoyed.

"Or how they assumed that the upir are undead because during decomposition, built up pressure can push the blood into a corpse's mouth," he continues.

"So the upir aren't undead at all?" you probe.

"No, it's just a misconception," Namjoon replies like he's in the throes of a heated debate.

He seems to notice, since the next moment he's clearing his throat awkwardly and slumping in his seat.

There's a moment of silence as you jot down some more notes.

"They're not evil," he blurts out like he can't help it, and the look on his face implores you to believe him.

You look up at him.

"Across the centuries, they've always been used as the scapegoat for things humans can't understand," he adds softly.

Hmm, yes that seems to be a recurrent theme in human history.

You close your notebook and straighten up from leaning on the desk.

"Very interesting. Thank you, Namjoon," you say and mean it.

He smiles and nods as if to say of course, but after your back is turned, his face falls a bit, wondering if he let a little too much slip.

"Too much? In my opinion, you didn't tell her enough," Jimin quips.

Namjoon rolls his eyes, but he's mainly focused on Jin. The older man only smiles at him, pressing a comforting hand to Namjoon's cheek.

"Don't worry, love. I don't mind at all," he says. Because yes, he too is eager for you to realize just what they all are.

"I just don't want her to think we're the ones behind all this," Namjoon admits.

"If she's as smart as she appears, then she'll figure that out for herself soon enough," Hoseok replies, slowly circling the room with his arms crossed.

He approaches the elegant leather couch that Namjoon and Jin are occupying.

"Joonie," he says, running a hand down the younger man's neck.

"I don't think it would hurt to drop her a few more hints, hm?" And everyone notices the smirk on Hoseok's face.

"I'm tired of waitiiiiing," Jimin whines.

"She's still a skeptic, Minie," Yoongi supplies from where he's watering the plants against the window. "She needs to be eased in."

Jimin just rolls his eyes.

"We could just kidnap her," he suggests.

"No." The reply comes instantly from Namjoon, Jungkook, and Yoongi simultaneously.

Jimin laughs high and bright.

"Come now, Jimin," Hoseok says with a sharp smile of his own. "Everyone knows it's more fun when they consent to it first."

october 25, 2004

The next time you enter the bookshop, Namjoon immediately mentions that he put together a little collection of texts for you to look over, saying they might be interesting to you. Maybe even aid in the investigation.

You thank him earnestly. And no, your face doesn't heat up at the fact that someone has gone out of their way to make your life easier.

When you slip into your usual nook, you notice that one of the drawers in the desk is adorned with a little pink ribbon around the handle, almost like it's gift-wrapped. And when you open it, you see several books, articles, and newspaper clippings, all of which seem very promising.

Something stirs in your stomach at the sight, but it's quickly set aside as you lock in and dive headfirst into the new research endeavor.

There's the notice for each of the missing persons, all the mentions of them so far in the newspapers, including one article from a publisher you've never heard of.

With the headline simple reading DISAPPEARED, the short snippet describes each missing person and the details of their last eyewitness account. The strange thing is that the article includes far more details than the big-name publishers, making you wonder why you haven't heard of it before.

The Periscope Press. You don't recall seeing it in any of the corner stores around town, but you do recall some of the people you interviewed mentioning details from "the newspaper" that you hadn't heard previously. Maybe this is the publisher they were referring to.

When you ask Namjoon about it though, he is surprisingly unhelpful. He claims that he can't remember where he came across the article, saying that he often picks up stray newspapers for wrapping and packing purposes for the shop.

Well, you suppose you'll have to save it for later then.

Also among the pile of papers in the drawer, there's a short blurb announcing the opening of the Kim Morgue and Crematorium. Taking a closer look at the date tells you that Taehyung's practice has actually been passed down through nearly three generations.

Technically, Taehyung is actually Taehyung III, taking the same name as his father and grandfather and great-grandfather before him.

But it's the photo you stumble upon that really stalls your breath.

A portrait, faded and yellowing, dated almost seventy-five years ago. The subject is a man dressed in a brown suit and tie, his hair dark and curly, except it looks exactly like him. From the Roman slant of his nose, down to the way he positions his shoulders, it looks almost indistinguishable from the Taehyung of today. The family resemblance is apparently very strong.

And again, it's a little embarrassing how long it takes you to reach the conclusion that to others, especially to the supernaturally-inclined, might seem obvious.

But you've already mentioned that you're a bit of a skeptic.

october 28, 2004

You fear that you may be going a bit crazy.

The dreams are getting worse. They've escalated from simple images and sounds to corporeal sensations. You feel the water so sharply, the cold, the current, even the vibrations. You can see hands reaching towards you, and sometimes you are compelled to reach back. Sometimes you swear you wake up smelling of seawater.

And the itchy feeling of being watched has only gotten stronger. You feel as though you're always looking over your shoulder, always listening for following footsteps.

In the past few days, you've used your research as an effective distraction.

You've found that the Kim family has run the morgue out of the Addams house for almost as long as the Jung family has owned it, Taehyung hailing from a long line of coroners and forensic pathologists rooted in Farrow's End.

With a little digging, you discovered that the Jungs have been business tycoons for decades, buying and selling and trading their vast number of industries to generate a near endless stream of income that they then hand down to their children and children's children.

Unfortunately, most of the knowledge on the Jung family is circulated through the townsfolk, so you have to ask around a bit to get a more solid basis.

The current owner of the Addams house is one Jung Hoseok. Young, beautiful, and filthy rich, according to those you spoke with on the streets. But, apparently he spent most of his youth in a mental hospital. Not only a mental hospital, a high-security facility for the criminally insane.

Now, you're not sure how much of that you believe, but you still have to entertain the possibility.

And one day, you even catch sight of him. A small crowd tends to gather whenever the black Mercedes pulls into town, curious eyes prying into the tinted windows.

You're lingering outside the bookshop one afternoon, making sure you didn't leave anything behind after a four-hour-long research session, when the car rolls through the streets like a slinky black cat.

Whispers immediately fill the air, causing you to look up from your bag, which is bursting at the seams these days from all the papers you have to carry around.

The car stops at the curb in front of the cafe, the driver soon killing the engine. Then, the driver's side door opens, and a black-booted foot steps onto the sidewalk.

The man is handsome, you have to admit, with long black hair that curls at the nape of his neck. His face is sharp and angular, with a softly heart-shaped mouth and surprisingly bright eyes.

He's dressed in pressed pants and jacket, thin and elegant. The man walks into the cafe and picks up a to-go order, gets back into his car, and drives away without so much as a glance at all the people who have stopped to stare at him.

You being one of them, but you're fairly certain that you're the only one who takes a few pictures.

But it wasn't until yesterday that you started to really feel like you were losing your marbles.

As you're asking around town, you breach the subject of the town's forensic pathologist. Everyone you speak to has nothing but good things to say about the young coroner, except for the fact that he isn't as young as you thought he was.

You ask a woman you struck up a conversation with outside the grocery store about the Kim family, and she says that Taehyung did a fantastic job taking care of her nephew for his funeral.

You agree, mentioning your admiration for how educated he is for someone so young.

That's when the woman's face turns puzzled. "Young?" she says, raising an eyebrow. She goes on to say that the most recent Kim Taehyung has been running the morgue for the last twenty years.

"Taehyung III?" you ask. "Thin, dark eyes, looks a bit like a Roman statue?"

"Yes, that's the one. Took over the family business after his father died. But no children, I hear he's training a young apprentice that will likely take over when he retires."

You mention that surely Taehyung has time to have children, but that same confused expression crosses her face.

"Isn't he nearly seventy though?"

A squirmy feeling in the pit of your stomach. You awkwardly brush off the woman, apologizing for the confusion.

You ask almost every other passerby you see on the street that evening about the town coroner, and they all say the same thing. A kind man, very good at his job, and most definitely in his late sixties.

They all insist that there hasn't been a young Kim in the business since Taehyung was a trainee nearly thirty years prior.

So you do a little more digging, and turns out it's true. If you'd have looked a little closer at the dates on all of Taehyung's degrees and certificates, you'd find that he acquired them all between fifteen and twenty-five years ago.

You're tailing him the next morning. You got lucky, today being one of the rare days when he leaves the Addams house to go into town.

He steps out of the hearse in leather shoes and a sweater vest under his trenchcoat. You suppose he dresses like he's older, from the way he tucks in his shirt and cuffs his pants, but he also sports a crossbody bag over his shoulder that others would most likely consider feminine, but he pulls it off effortlessly.

The clouds are letting down a light rain, leaving dewdrops on your jacket and making Taehyung's hair appear just a bit fluffier.

There's that same streak of gray from his hairline. The only indicator that he possibly isn't an attractive man in his late twenties/early thirties.

But that's exactly what you're looking at. Not an older man with aged skin and silver hair, rather more like a bronze god with a mop of black curls. And the only sign of age from knowledge or experience is deep in his eyes.

You begin to follow him down the street, sneaking pictures occasionally, curious what would happen if you were to show said pictures to others. Would they still see an old man? Or would they see the young one you've been seeing from the beginning?

You get the odd sensation that you're being watched, but from a source you can't name, since you're fairly certain Taehyung hasn't noticed you.

It's as you're nearing the end of the sidewalk, slipping in-between a cluster of people, that he suddenly stops dead in his tracks.

You stop too, a cold chill latching onto your spine. He stands there for a moment, perfectly still.

Then, he turns over his shoulder and looks right at you.

There haven't been many times in your career where you're genuinely shocked speechless. And even fewer when your target is not only fully aware of the fact that you're trailing them, but apparently isn't bothered in the slightest by it.

Because then a smirk is creeping onto his face. Those tiger eyes turn a shade darker, and he nods his head slightly as if to greet you.

He knew you were watching him, they all did.

The ice under your skin only intensifies when you hear the click of a camera shutter from behind you.

Whipping around, you see Jung Hoseok standing just a few feet away, a camera held up to his face and the brim of his hat tilted down, but you know it's him.

And the lens is pointed at you.

What's strange is that no one else seems to notice him. Every other time you've seen him in town, everyone stops to stare, but now they slide around him like he isn't even there, their eyes looking right through him.

Something weird is definitely going on.

You dissolve back into the crowd like a ghost.

october 29, 2004

A letter appears on your doorstep. The stationary is soft and expensive-looking, with your name scrawled on the front in curling script. With no return address.

It's enclosed with a red wax seal, stamped with the image of a crow.

You debate on whether or not to open it for approximately three minutes.

Dearest _______,

We cordially invite you to the Addams House for dinner, dancing, and drinks on October 30 at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Please bring your case notes for discussion.

Dress code: semi-formal.

Fondly,

Jung Hoseok

The back of the paper reads:

How do you accept this invitation?

➳ With enthusiasm

➳ With excitement

You think about it for about thirty seconds. Circling "with enthusiasm," you slip the paper back into the envelope and set it back outside where you found it.

It's gone the next morning.

a/n: thanks so much for reading!! i would absolutely love to hear any of your thoughts! 👉👈

#bts x reader #ot7 x reader #bts ot7 #bts fanfic #bts series #bts mystery #bts x fem!reader #bts fanfiction #bts angst #bts poly au #bts poly x reader #bts fic

75 notes · View notes

gilverrwrites · 7 hours

Text

Fake Dating tropes with (some of) the birds and the bats. Ft. Babs, Bruce, Dick, Duke, Jason, Kate, and Tim.

GN!Reader, ≈200-250 words each CWs: None graphic mentions of sex, none-graphic injuries, none -graphic mentions of drugs, intentionally minipulative behaviours.🩷

Barbara

The two of you weren’t exactly not dating. Attached at the hip, making goo-goo eyes in person and inappropriate comments over the comms line when apart; it was obvious to anyone with eyes or ears that something was going on there, you just hadn’t put a name on it yet. It’s something the two of you had made plans to nail down and discuss during your sort of but not really a date-date tonight.

But you had only gone and got yourself shot during what should have been a simple trip to the bank. It wasn’t life-threatening, but you’d been rushed off in an ambulance, you’d need surgery, a lot of meds, and months, if not years of physio to get your arms back into shape.

Barbara didn’t know that at the time though, she’d been panic-stricken from the moment she found out. Emotions getting the better of her, brain running at 100 miles a minute as she rushed to the hospital.

“Partners and family only.” The nurse had told her. And without hesitation, she’d responded: “I am their partner.”

Her lie paid off, allowing her access to your bedside, as well as a full update on your status. There wasn’t another face in any universe you would have rather seen upon waking up from surgery. Now you just had to keep up the appearance of being a married couple until you were discharged, maybe longer.

Bruce

It’s a well-organised and thoroughly thought-out publicity stunt. Bruce needed someone new on his playboy roster, and you needed the media to circulate literally anything other than the less-than-flattering leaks that had been sold to them without your consent.

All you had to do was follow the itinerary. A couple of soft launch social media pics, a few whispers to the looser-lipped socialites of your circles, and some ‘private’ candid photo ops of the two of you dating:

Snuggling under the shade of an oak tree in Gotham Park, wearing matching caps and sunglasses that do little to hide your identities as you read a shared copy of Romeo and Juliet together.

Sitting in his car, in the parking lot of Big Belly Burger, munching on an unseemly large order of burgers and fries together. Nobody questions why the previously tinted windows of Bruce’s car are now clear.

Intimately and provocatively embracing, tastefully half nude on the balcony of your uptown apartment. The press didn’t need to know that you’re actually renting an Airbnb for the weekend, for exactly this purpose, and nothing more.

Everything was carefully planned, right down to the T for maximum impact and minimal effort. The only thing that hadn’t been accounted for was one, or both of you catching feelings in the time you’d spent together.

Dick

He’s never been able to say no to you, you know it, he knows it. So when you ask him in an act of desperation to be your fake-boyfriend for your ex’s wedding he’s quick to inform you that this is the dumbest idea he’s ever heard, and that he’s 110% on board.

He takes you shopping for matching outfits, picks you up on the day in Bruce’s flashiest car, suprises you with something pretty, compliments you loudly and romantically at every chance and won’t take his hands off you all the way through the ceremony. He's attentive and outwardly passionate. Not only is he playing the role of the world's best-ever (fake-)boyfriend, he’s making sure everyone in the vicinity knows you’re a (fake) couple.

It’s during the reception when that funny feeling really starts to settle in. The hairs on edge, butterflies in your belly feeling. Maybe it’s the happy, romantic atmosphere, the soppy music, the way his hands sit so perfectly on your hips as he sways you round and around on the dance floor. Maybe it’s the way he’s looking at you with those mesmeric blue eyes but damn if you don’t want to kiss him, right here, right now.

Duke

It was a stupid idea, and his family would give him so much shit if when they found out, but you’d argued that “we’ll never know if it might actually work unless we try” and that had sold him on giving it a go. Even if he thought about calling it off at every turn.

What was the stupid plan, and why was it necessary? Well, your ex was dating his crush, and you’d figured fake-dating might redirect their attention to the two of you. And if not, no harm done, right?

Big harm done. Over the next few months, Duke and yourself had spent most of your free time in close proximity. Sharing clothes, food, and ‘plan-related’ intimate details about each other. When you weren’t together you were glued to your phone, awaiting his texts, refreshing his socials.

Somewhere amongst all the dinner dates, and ‘strictly-business’ public making out sessions, your plan worked; his crush took notice, how could they not, Duke was perfect.

Your ex did not. Not that you cared, you’d moved on, to someone who was about to become equally as unavailable.

Jason

He was trying to infiltrate an infamous drug ring so he could take it down from the inside and needed someone in the know who could double as arm candy to sell his story. You’d already been trying to get your foot in the door for weeks now, but lacked enough street cred for them to take a chance on you. It only made sense that you would join forces.

For a while it’s fun, hanging off his arm, letting his hands roam your body freely, loud-whispering all the things you wanted to do to him for anyone to hear. You really enjoyed pretending to be his devilish trophy partner. You enjoyed the nights where it wasn’t pretend even more. But all good things must come to an end.

He served his purpose of getting you where you needed to be, but now he was getting a little too close to building a compelling case against the ring, you couldn’t let that happen, you had much bigger plans for it.

What? You’d promised information, not loyalty.

Kate

You’re both socialites with fairly large internet followings who run in the same circles. Your relationship has always been that of friendly acquaintances until a photographer snaps an innocuous photo of you both entering the bathroom at the same time and the media goes crazy.

Despite putting out very clear, separate statements, clarifying that there is nothing going on, your respective followers grab the ball and sprint with it until you both innocently start to play along. Leaving flirty comments on each other selfies, acting appalled when the other is rumoured to be dating someone else, tagging each other in scenic snaps that could be considered romantic: graffiti hearts, colourful sunsets, starry skies from the candlelit table of a wine bar.

It’s completely harmless of course, it’s all a joke, until it’s not. Until you actually find yourself flustered by her comments, really wishing she was sharing your dinners, until you brace yourself and send the first DM.

Tim

He really is the whole package. Handsome, hardworking, dedicated, polite, and as smart as he is rich. You can understand why your grandma was so excited, calling you from across the country to confirm if you were the mystery person spotted out and about with Bruce Wayne’s second youngest. You hadn’t lied when you’d said yes, you’d just neglected to tell her that you were only friends. You figured it would get her off your back about finding a nice boy for a while. It kind of felt nice, talking to somebody other than yourself about your big fat crush on him and in your defence, you hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly.

One minute she’s bragging about her grandchild’s new boyfriend to the ladies in her swim aerobics class, the next she’s booked a flight to come and visit so she can meet him.

If you’d known what she was planning you would have confessed, but she’d already forked out the cash for her plane ticket so you swallowed your pride and begged Tim to help. He wouldn’t even have to do much, just spend the weekend nodding and smiling at an old woman’s stories and then he could reap the rewards of your eternal gratitude. You’d promised 6 months of undisputed lording it over you and a lifetime of freshly made cold brew.

Smile and nod, that’s all you expect, but apparently, that was too easy. Tim just had to make what was already an embarrassing situation, a million times worse. ‘Perfect grandson-in-law’, your ass.

87 notes · View notes

boundinparchment · 1 day

Text

Lullaby

Sunday/Female Reader and their child, in which Sunday sings a lullaby. Domestic fluff. On AO3 here.

It was a rare experience to hear Sunday’s voice croon and bless the walls of your home.

Every now and again, he would hum, lost in his own thoughts as he went about this or that. An unconscious echo of a life you only knew from stories and hearsay, shared in quiet moments of the night when nostalgia moved from wistful to fuel an existential angst only he could pull himself out of.

But singing was a sacred act, full of purpose and soul, conscious in what it sought to weave in both musician and audience. It came from a fountain of emotion that threatened to overflow if not directed just right.

Much like crying.

You’d spent the last twelve hours managing the tears and screams and fever of the little one in the other room, drifting off to sleep when you could. Sunday returned home from a meeting with Elio and found you in the kitchen, half-asleep with your hands covered in dish soap. Your husband was gone for months at a time prior to the change in your lives but now, thankfully, he was never far from reach.

Somehow, he’d managed to get you into bed, although you didn’t recall more than the kiss to your forehead and brushing of his wings against your cheeks. Through the walls, you could feel the vibrations of someone vocalizing but you couldn’t make out more than that. Blinking and accepting the fact that you’d slept longer than you intended, you rose and shuffled quietly out of the master bedroom and padded down the hall, where a sliver of light cut through the darkness. You nudged the door open with your toe, careful of the creaking hinge.

Sunday kept his rhythm with the gentle rocking of the child in his arms, his footsteps just as silent as yours were as he paced the length of the nursery.

The tune, familiar now that you could hear it properly, was one you were well-acquainted with. He’d composed it himself after a rather restless week of sleep, when you’d both been dismayed to realize your child was a night owl and kept you up all night with flips and kicks. Every chance he had, he whispered and sang to both of you, and his voice was the only thing that soothed the constant restlessness inside you.

At times, you thought perhaps it was a byproduct of the empathy that Halovians could extend one another. It would be impossible to know for another few years, of course, given the human genetics in the mix.

And truthfully, what did it matter?

Your child, born of both of you, loved their father’s voice. Few things brought you greater joy, especially when all previous memories of the act were tainted.

Eventually, the cries turned to whimpers and then gentle fussing. Sunday pressed his lips to a tiny forehead, both an act of love and a dutiful check of the fever, and his face relaxed. You watched, head tilted as you rested your weary body against the wall and watched your husband expertly navigate the latches of the crib and arrange the monitor just so.

He wasn’t surprised in the slightest when he turned and found you there. His face bore traces of exhaustion and you held out a hand, beckoning him close. Sunday stepped closer and took it, pulling you close.

“The fever is broken, finally. That should be the worst of it,” he whispered, kissing your temple. “Be sure to rest, my love; pushing yourself will do more harm.”

“You should take your own advice, too,” you replied, angling your head to capture his lips. “I know Elio is eager to have you in the field again. You can’t afford to get sick.”

“There’s so much to be done.”

You felt a tickle at the base of your skull that reminded you of the way a dam buckled under pressure. Resignation stirred in your shoulders and you kissed Sunday again, gentle and coaxing. Always taking up what needed to be finished. Never resting until every item on the list was entirely crossed off.

“It can wait,” you replied. “We’ll talk about everything once you’ve slept.”

You parted long enough to plea silently, earnestly, with gold and indigo eyes. The sensations faded, replaced with a content hum, the way air felt in spring.

Full of promise for an even better tomorrow.

#sunday #sunday fluff #sunday x reader #sunday/reader #x reader #x female reader #sunday x female reader #sunday/female reader #fluff #hsr fluff #domestic sunday

106 notes · View notes

streaminn · 3 days

Note

There’s something about the fact that personal boundaries exist to separate people from those who’d impede on one’s personal bubble, and yet for Wednesday Addams, because her boundaries are always clear, other’s feel bold enough to constantly cross them. Boring boys continue to ignore her clear intentions to be alone; trying new pathetic pickup lines that range from pedestrian to unintelligible. Fellow students interrupt her silent studies in the library to spark up a mundane conversation that go nowhere. Even some of the teachers try to rope the goth into some inane extra curricular with the promise of fun, even though she’s already participating in the required activities that she actually wants to do (fencing and bee keeping is enough). While Wednesday isn’t exactly yearning for the whole school to fear her (at least not too much) a healthy amount would be nice if it meant she’d have some peace and quiet without another person breaking the silence.

There’s an obvious exception though, personified in her bubbly roommate. Enid Sinclair has mastered the ability to somehow weave her way through Wednesday’s boundaries so effortlessly that it’s like a dance. The wolf so clearly wanted to wrap the raven in her arms since the moment they met, and yet she respected Wednesday’s wishes, only crossing the line after the two of them helped save the school. The goth even hugged back, and though she’ll never admit it, she wished the hug lasted longer. This isn’t even touching upon all the countless times that Wednesday has convieniently forgotten her aversion to touch when it comes her roommate. To be fair, Enid wouldn’t linger for long, and it was usually either Wednesday’s arms or shoulders, but the raven has harmed people for less, so there’s no denying that the wolf was special (though denial is a fickle thing anyways, especially according to a certain vampire).

Unfortunately, Wednesday was currently in a situation that didn’t involve her “only exception” as she found herself at the receiving end of a new student’s attempts at flirtation.

“Look, all I’m saying is that my ability to heal rivals everyone here,” says boring lizard boy whose name Wednesday didn’t even bother to hear. “I can even regrow limbs!”

Wednesday doesn’t even waste her energy rolling her brown eyes at this nobody, instead opting to just ask, “Why don’t you regrow them somewhere else, preferably far away from me.”

“Oh come on Addams, I know you’re into weird shit. You’re telling me you don’t have a single morbid thought about my abilities? ‘Cause let’s just say the healing helps with certain endurance based activities.”

“I hold no thoughts of you, for if I did, I’d risk lowering my IQ. Now leave.”

“Damn, can’t the savior of Nevermore throw this dog a bone? Not even a smile?”

His slimy fingers began to reach for one of the goth’s braids, but he soon found two of his fingers caught between a pair of scissors.

“Do not touch me, less we learn the extent of your abilities.”

The boy threw up his hands with a dopey grin. “Whatever you say Addams.”

Fed up with the social interaction, Wednesday began to make her way back to her shared dorm. Enid should be there, probably already painting Thing’s nails. Regrettably, this brief moment of thinking distracted Wednesday long enough to not notice the sleazy reptile once again reaching towards her. This time, he grabs her wrist, specifically the one holding the scissors.

It’s short lived however, because right as the raven was about to give this boy a sneak peak of Hell itself, she feels something splash against her face, followed by the shrieks of the idiot who dared touch her. Wednesday lifts her arm to see his freshly amputated hand still attached to her wrist. She touches her face and finds that some of his blood has indeed gotten on her. She finally looks to the source of the violence, finding her angry roommate with blood still dripping from her multicolored claws. The sight causes something to stir in Wednesday, not unlike the way she felt after hugging her bloody roommate for the first time.

“Don’t ever touch her,” growls Enid. “Don’t even look at her, or your eyes will be next.”

The lizard boy nods his head as if his life depended on it, before sheepishly asking, “Can I at least have my hand back?”

“Oh for sure!” With a smile on her face, Enid removed the hand from Wednesday’s wrist, and with a casual strength that only a werewolf could muster, threw it across school grounds so far it couldn’t be seen from where they were standing. “Go get it. Come on Wednesday, it’s almost your writing time.”

With a level of irony for the currently handless boy, Enid grabs Wednesday’s hand as she drags her away from the scene. All he can do is bleed and watch them disappear into the school.

As they walk the halls, Enid talks a mile a minute, with her actions now dawning on her. “I really just cut his hand off. Like, SLASH, off! It was like instinct, I wasn’t even thinking. I just saw him touch you, and I know you don’t like to be touched.”

“Enid.”

“Like I know you can fight your own battles, but part of being best friends is that you don’t have to do it alone anymore!”

“Enid.”

“I’m probably going to get into trouble aren’t I? I mean, he heals right? It’ll grow back, everything is fine. Plus, it was kind of self defense, or is it not ‘cause I was coming to your defense?”

“Enid.”

“Sorry, yes Wednesday?”

“While I agree that I could’ve handled it myself, your actions are appreciated, especially due to how vividly violent it was.”

The validation causes Enid to blush. “Aww, thanks Wednesday, anything for you.” The blonde smiles a big toothy grin, to which the goth replies with a small smile only meant for Enid. The two continue to their dorm, with a peculiar sight for anyone that dared to look in their direction: they were still holding hands.

Enid, realizing that her favorite sweater is covered in blood: awh man!! Now it's never going to wash out

Wednesday, already tugging her towards their dorm: I can help with that

#Wenclair #Writing #Jdwicked #THEY'RE JUST SO... CUTE JD 😭😭😭😭#I love them

71 notes · View notes

cobaltperun · 11 hours

Note

Tara Carpenter x fem!reader

"Tara and Y/N having a movie night at the Carpenters and Tara is gushing about her crush on her english class, but she doesn't know that Y/N also developed a massive crush on the brunette"

Angst with a happy ending ☺️

Jealous? Yes!

Tara Carpenter x female Reader (request)

Masterlist

Word count: 1.3k

The planets must have aligned just right that night, or so you thought when you realized you and Tara were all alone for the night. Chad and Mindy went to a party, one that Sam didn't let Tara go to, and Tara was trying to do better, to show Sam she was handling everything she went through much better than before. And Sam was working tonight, which allowed Tara to call you over. Sam mostly trusted you, though it took a long time to get to that point, but she still didn't like Tara having anyone over unless she was there. And Tara still felt a tiny need to rebel against Sam every now and then, so here you were. Furthermore, since it was you Sam wouldn't be too angry if she caught you there with Tara. For some reason. You weren't sure why, but Tara told you it would be fine.

As for you, you planned on studying for the exam but Tara called you and if hanging out with Tara was to be paid for by a sleepless night spent studying, you would gladly pay it!

It's not that you minded Tara's friends being with the two of you, but you really weren't in the mood for Mindy's teasing, because that girl was perceptive and she knew you had a crush on Tara.

And she never let you have a peaceful night without at least hinting at it.

"So, what are we watching?" you asked as you and Tara got comfortable in her room and you opened a bag of popcorn while Tara set the bowl and two bottles of juice on the bed between the two of you.

You filled the bowl with popcorns. "I was thinking It Follows?" she suggested and you shrugged, Tara's taste in movies was impeccable, so you had no need to doubt her.

"Works for me," you smiled as she scooted closer to you and turned the movie on and you desperately tried to ignore the way your shoulders were touching.

A bit over an hour and a half later you fell back onto her pillow and took a deep breath. "That was something," you exclaimed, not exactly expecting this, but still, Tara's taste in movies remained impeccable!

"See, it's great," she laughed and lied down next to you.

"I didn't doubt you for a moment, T," you told her as she turned her head to look at you.

You found yourself mesmerized by her eyes, by the softness in them as she looked at you, and you just barely registered how her gaze flickered down to your lips before her cheeks darkened for a moment and she quickly turned away.

"Say, Y/N, can I tell you something?" she asked, puzzling you.

You just sat up and opened the bottle to drink the remains of the juice. "I dunno, give it a try," you teased her with a cheeky grin on your face as she rolled her eyes and you brought the bottle to your lips.

"I think I'm in love," she said abruptly and you choked on the juice, making Tara sit up and smack you on the back a few times.

"I'm good," you rasped with a thumbs up, even though you were, in fact, not alright. You should have told Tara about your feelings, not to win her over, or anything of that nature, but to avoid hearing about her falling for someone. Still, you didn't tell her how you felt and this wasn't a time to sulk about it. "Tell me more?"

Tara smiled and moved until she was leaning her back against your back, a clear sign she was a bit embarrassed. "We share our English class," she began and your heart skipped a beat. You knew her crush then, you knew who she fell in love with, and you immediately began thinking of the options.

Wait, you should probably narrow it down first before you started thinking of someone in particular.

"She," okay, so, a girl, about a third of the class was eliminated. "is kinda oblivious," Tara told you. And you swore you saw your hopes that she may have been talking about you jumping out the window. You were a lot of things, but you weren't oblivious. "She's also stupidly kind and trusting," so definitely not you. You were kind and trusting, or so you've been told, but not stupidly so.

"She's just, amazing, you know. Makes me laugh, is always there for me, always helps her friends. And her eyes? Don't get me started on her eyes, I love looking at her eyes!" you couldn't see her, but you heard Tara moving her arms around, gesturing even though you didn't see her.

All the while, you felt the need to crawl into a hole. How could you ever allow yourself to fall in love with Tara when she was, well, she was Tara! She was incredible, smart, capable, resilient, a fighter and a survivor, stronger than anyone you've ever met and still kind despite everything she's been through, and she was so damn beautiful. Easily the most beautiful woman you ever saw, and it wasn't just you being lovestruck, you thought that way before you got to know her.

"I really want to kiss her, you know?" she admitted, leaning back against you a bit more and all you wanted was to get up and leave, to catch your breath and rethink everything because it sounded like Tara had it bad for this girl.

"Y/N?" she called your name and you hummed. "You're leaning away," she pointed out and you just realized you instinctively moved away from her, just to escape her touch, since it was something you shouldn't get used to. How could you even be her friend if this was enough to make you move away from her?

Just because she didn't return your feelings? You were being pitiful, and you felt yourself slipping into self-deprecating thoughts.

"Sorry," you mumbled, not even capable of putting on a fake smile.

Tara paused, getting up and going around her bed until she was placing her palms on your thighs and leaning forward. "Are you jealous?" she asked, her breath tickling your lips.

"Jealous?" you repeated and she just nodded, her eyes meeting yours as she removed any thought that wasn't related to her from your mind with her gaze alone. "I am. I'm in love as well," you admitted, watching as her eyes shone brightly.

"With me?" she asked, and you must have imagined it, but you could have sworn her lips were inching closer to you.

"Yeah. I'm in love with you, Tara," you admitted and all of a sudden you felt her soft lips on yours, and you froze, stunned by the realization that Tara Carpenter was kissing you on the lips.

"I admit, I was oblivious as well," she whispered and cradled your cheek. Her forehead pressed against yours as you finally moved, hugging her and pulling her onto your lap. "I didn't realize you loved me back," she admitted as you finally kissed her.

Unlike you, Tara didn't freeze, she kissed you back immediately, humming as you ran your fingers through her hair and caressed her cheek. The kiss was soft, gently, fitting for the very start of the relationship.

"I guess you just had to make me jealous," you said when you separated from one another.

And then a thought came to your mind. "Hey! I am not oblivious!" you complained much to Tara's amusement.

"Sure, sure whatever makes you happy," she laughed as you pouted. At least you now knew your feelings were reciprocated.

A/N: So, I very nearly went with the crack fic for this, with Tara crushing on her actual class, but I figured you meant classmate. And since you didn't specify her crush isn't R, well, I took some liberties. If you, however, meant her actual class please tell me and I will probably write that crack fic 🤣🤣

#tara carpenter x female reader #tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter #scream #jenna ortega x reader #x reader #x female reader #perunrequests

103 notes · View notes

clove-pinks · 2 days

Text

In his 1839 travelogue Diary in America, Captain Frederick Marryat described the crowded and rustic hotels that a traveller in the United States could expect at this time, especially in remote areas far from cities and large towns. Rooms might include "three or four other beds," most of them with two people in each bed. Then, he shares an anecdote about an American friend:

A New York friend of mine travelling in an Extra with his family, told me that at a western inn he had particularly requested that he might not have a bed-fellow, and was promised that he should not. On his retiring, he found his bed already occupied, and he went down to the landlady, and expostulated. “Well,” replied she, “it’s only your own driver; I thought you wouldn’t mind him.”

A fascinating look at the attitudes around male bed-sharing in 1830s America, and an underutilized historically accurate take on "there was only one bed"! Imagine your OTP: forced to share a bed by the landlady.

#frederick marryat #diary in america #1830s #and there was only one bed #19th century #victorian #social history #masculinity #tbh it's interesting that the landlady assumed two men of very different classes would share a bed #and they were bed-fellows

60 notes · View notes

paisleypens · 9 hours

Note

Hehe it’s me again I hope you’re having a wonderful day! I hope it’s okay that I have another request!

I keep having these wonderful ideas and I just know that you’re the perfect one to write them, that’s why I ask you. (The best of the best I re-read your stories way too many times)

Could you maybe write a Spencer Reid x fem!reader? And basically the reader is VERY left out/excluded from the team? Like he tries to contribute but her voice isn’t just drowned out? Like she is just straight up ignored and feels left out? (Like maybe have a few situations on where those things happen?)

But Spencer being the lovely amazing man he is, is the only person that lets her say the things she wants to? And points out her thoughts about the cases to the team?

I don’t know you decide I just think it’s a good idea.

I just think it would be angsty yet so sweet at the same time. Thanks love!! 💕

hi mary!! this is so so sweet and comforting tysm for this request

anytime | spencer reid x f!reader

Y/N sat in her usual seat, her latest theory on the current case detailed in her notes. The team was gathered around the conference table, discussing the unsub's profile, and she was determined to contribute.

"Garcia, what do you have on the victim's background?" Hotch asked, his voice commanding.

Penelope launched into a detailed report, and Y/N saw an opportunity to share. She cleared her throat, preparing to speak, but her voice was lost as Morgan and Rossi began debating the unsub’s motivations.

Y/N sighed and slumped back in her chair, feeling the familiar pang of being overlooked. It wasn't intentional, she knew that, but it stung all the same. She glanced over at Spencer, who was deeply engrossed in his own analysis. Despite her efforts to suppress it, her heart always skipped a beat when she looked at him. He was kind, brilliant, and the only one who seemed to truly see her.

As the meeting wrapped up, Spencer approached her desk, his characteristic awkward smile on full display. “Hey, Y/N. I noticed you were trying to say something earlier. What was it?”

Y/N's cheeks flushed slightly. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a theory about the unsub’s ritualistic behavior. But it’s not that important.”

Spencer’s smile wiped to a frown. “Everything you have to say is important. Why don’t you tell me now, and I’ll bring it up with the team?”

Y/N hesitated but eventually nodded. She explained her theory about the specific pattern in the unsub’s kills, noting similarities to ancient rituals meant to ward off evil spirits.

Spencer listened intently, his eyes never leaving hers. “That’s a fascinating angle, Y/N. We should definitely consider it.”

The next morning, the team was back in the conference room, and Spencer made sure Y/N sat next to him. As they reviewed the case files, he turned to Hotch. “Y/N has an interesting theory about the unsub’s behavior that I think we should discuss.”

Hotch looked at her, quizzically. “Is this the best use of our time?”

“Yes, it is. Hotch, it's unfair to treat Y/N as less than others just because she doesn't speak over everyone like the rest of you do.”

The room went into a stunned silence as the team looked around at each other. Everyones guilty eyes eventually landed back on Y/N.

Spencer lightly nodded and Y/N found the courage to speak up. She detailed her observations, and this time, the team listened. Rossi even praised her for noticing something they’d all overlooked.

After the meeting, Spencer caught up with her in the hallway. “See? Your insights are valuable. Don’t doubt yourself.”

Y/N smiled, her heart fluttering at his words. “Thanks, Spencer. It means a lot coming from you. You didn't have to do that”

He smiled back, a warmth in his eyes that made her heart race. “But I can and I will. Anytime, Y/N. Anytime.”

Days turned into weeks, and Y/N’s confidence grew. Spencer continued to stand by her side, always ensuring her voice was heard. The team began to notice her more, and slowly, she started feeling like she truly belonged.

One evening, as they were both working late, Spencer and Y/N found themselves alone in the uncommonly quiet office.

“Y/N, can I ask you something?” Spencer’s voice broke the silence tentatively.

“Of course, Spence. What’s up?” she replied, curious.

He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “I... I’ve been meaning to tell you something. I... really… I like you. More than just a colleague.”

Y/N’s heart stopped. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? “Spencer, I... I feel the same way. I’ve had a crush on you for a while now.”

His eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of relief and joy flooding his features. “Really? I thought it was just me.”

Y/N laughed softly, the tension melting away. “No, it’s definitely not just you.”

Spencer smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile. “I’m glad to hear that. Maybe we could... go out sometime? Just the two of us?”

“I’d love that,” Y/N said, her heart swelling with happiness.

#criminal minds #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid x you #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid fanfiction #paisleypens

51 notes · View notes

herxria · 19 hours

Text

BEAUTIFUL SMILE, jiyan

TW: injuries, spoilers for Jiyan's past before he was a general

It was no surprise to the inhabitants of Jinzhou that General Jiyan had once been a field medic. But what few knew was that long before becoming a general, Jiyan had shared a special bond with the young disciple of the right-hand man of the General of Jizhou, a girl named (name).

Jiyan had been just ten years old when he started helping his mother heal wounded soldiers. Their destinies crossed unexpectedly one day when, while bringing medicine and some bandages to his mother, he stumbled upon a scene he would never forget: a girl with h/c hair and e/c eyes being severely reprimanded by her master.

Jiyan found himself caught in the middle of the dispute. The general’s right-hand man, after observing him for a moment, ordered authoritatively, "Attend to her, boy." The girl, who seemed to be his age, looked at him with a mix of frustration and expectation. As their eyes met, Jiyan couldn’t help but think she was incredibly beautiful.

“Are you just going to stand there with that dumb look on your face or are you going to help me?” the girl snapped, pulling Jiyan out of his daze. Still overwhelmed by her presence, he glanced down at the rolls of bandages in his hand.

“Sorry,” he murmured, barely audible to the girl. She frowned and impatiently extended her hand.

"I don't care… just help me with my hand," she said, her tone more commanding than pleading.

Jiyan swallowed and approached carefully. He took her hand and began to bandage it skillfully and gently, thanks to the experience he had gained alongside his mother. As his hands worked, he felt the warmth of (name)’s skin, and his breathing grew heavier.

“How did you get this?” he asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

“Practicing,” she replied curtly. “The master says I need to perfect my technique.”

Jiyan nodded, focused on his task. When he finished, he looked up and met (name)’s eyes, shining with a mix of curiosity.

“Thank you,” she said, her tone softening a bit. “I’m (name).”

“I… I’m Jiyan,” he responded, feeling his face flush slightly.

That was the first of many interactions between them. Whenever (name) got injured, it was Jiyan who tended to her. Although at first he did it out of duty, he soon began to sincerely worry about the young sword master’s recklessness.

To Jiyan, it was evident that (name) did not take necessary precautions during her training. Every time she came to him with minor injuries, like a scratch or dirty bandages, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of frustration and concern.

One day, while bandaging a particularly deep wound on (name)’s arm, Jiyan could no longer contain his thoughts.

“Why are you so reckless?” he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

(name) looked at him, surprised. “What do you mean?”

“You’re always getting hurt,” Jiyan said, his hands trembling slightly as he tied the bandage. “I worry about you.”

A flash of surprise and something warmer passed through (name)’s eyes. “Jiyan… you don’t have to worry so much. I’m stronger than I look.”

“I know,” he murmured, unable to help a small smile. “But that doesn’t mean i don’t care.”

The e/c eyes gazed curiously into Jiyan’s golden eyes as he continued to look at her. Her lips formed a thin line before she smiled.

“You know, your eyes are very pretty. It’s like your eyes are pure gold,” she commented.

That made Jiyan open and close his mouth for a few moments, processing what she said. There it was, that warm feeling in his chest and the slight warmth in his cheeks.

“Thank you… (name),” he finally responded, his voice barely a whisper.

(name)’s smile widened.

“You should smile more often,” she said softly, removing her hand from Jiyan’s forehead. “You look good when you smile.”

Jiyan blushed even more but couldn’t help but smile back.

#wuthering waves #herxria #wuwa jiyan #jiyan x reader #jiyan angst #jiyan fluff #jiyan wuthering waves #wu jiyan

52 notes · View notes

adobe-outdesign · 2 days

Text

Earning NP in 2024: A Quick-Start Guide for New and Old Users

I feel like there’s a lot of people that struggle with making NP nowadays, both due to shifts in what is/isn’t profitable and a lack of clear direction for new players, so I thought I’d put this together to see if it helps anyone. (This was originally written for Reddit, but I figured people over here might find it useful as well.)

IMPORTANT: This guide just tells you what to do, not how things work. I’d recommend looking up more in-depth resources if you would like to understand the specific mechanics.

Also, please note that this guide is just what I’ve found most effective. Feel free to sound off in the comments if you want to add something you think is useful.

Part 1: The Big 8

The Big 8 are the dailies that I’ve found to be incredibly profitable; just doing these each day will earn you tens of millions of NP over a few months, and they’re pretty fast to complete. If you don’t do anything else, do these.

Bank Interest

Click the “collect interest” button.

Always collect your interest before you do anything else—remember, you can’t collect after depositing or withdrawing NP.

Note: Upgrade your account type (at the bottom of the bank page) as you save. This permanently increases your interest rate.

The interest rate does NOT go back down if you dip below the required amount after upgrading.

Shop Till

Technically this is just collecting the money from items you’ve sold, but if you follow this guide you’ll likely have a tidy sum to collect each day :)

The one is listed second because you can jump straight from here to Trudy’s, as the till’s old layout will make the Trudy’s notification appear if it hasn’t already.

Trudy’s Surprise

Click the “play” button.

Do this each day for 25 days to collect a 100K prize.

Note: Trudy’s also gives out Basic Gift Boxes, which are useful for NC trading.

Quest Log

First, check your weekly prize. To do this, click on the slider button to switch from your daily prize to your weekly one. Check the price of the prize.

If you like your weekly prize:

Complete all of your daily quests.

When all daily quests are complete, click on the NP bag to collect your 20K reward.

HIT REFRESH WHEN DONE. The clock at the top-right corner will disappear. This has to be done or the completion may not take.

Repeat for the week, then click on your prize at the end of the week to claim it.

If you do not like your weekly prize and want to change it:

Complete 4/5 of your daily quests (whichever ones are most profitable)

For the last quest, click the red “skip quest” button and confirm.

REFRESH THE PAGE. Once again, this is important.

The next day you should have a new prize. Continue skipping a quest per day until you get an item you like.

If you want to reset your weekly prize but already completed some days:

Follow the steps above. When you return the next day, your progress will be reset but your weekly prize will be the same.

Follow the steps above one more time. When you return the next day, you should have a new weekly prize.

Stock Market

To buy shares:

Go to the bargains page above.

Look in the right-hand column titled “curr” and find a stock with the number 15 (the cheapest you can buy shares at).

Copy the four-letter ticker symbol in the left-hand column labeled “ticker”.

Click on the “buy” link above and enter paste the ticker symbol into the first box, then enter “1000” into the second box (this is the max amount of shares you can buy per day). This will cost you 15K NP.

Repeat daily. Remember to diversify your portfolio (which is a fancy way of saying buy shares for different companies to increase your odds of getting a payout).

After you have bought a stock, go to the “my portfolio” page and look in the “current price” column.

If the number there is greater than 15, you have made a profit.

It is up to you to decide when to sell the stock. Waiting until 40–60 is average, but you can decide your own preferences here.

DO NOT ever sell a stock under 15. The stock market no longer crashes, so a stock that drops down has no choice but to eventually bounce back up.

Note: The stock market is a long-term investment. You may need to wait long periods of time before seeing a profit depending on how often you sell.

Food Club

Unlike other dailies, Food Club rolls over at 2:15 p.m. NST.

At 5:00 p.m. NST, a few Food Club board will automatically go up on this subreddit.

Click on the board and pick a betting table you like from the comments. I highly recommend u/nsheng’s standard or aggressive sets.

Once you have your table, submit your bets. To do this:

Click on “place a bet”.

Start with row 1 of your chosen betting table. On the “place a bet” page, select one pirate from each drop-down menu, then click the far-left checkbox for each.

Enter your betting amount. Your max bet is listed on the “place a bet” page, or you can enter a different amount. MAKE SURE THE AMOUNT IS THE SAME FOR EACH BET.

Hit “place this bet!”. Repeat this process ten times for all ten rows of your chosen betting table.

At 2:15 the next day, click “collect your winnings”, then go back to the “place a bet” page and enter that day’s 10 bets once the betting tables are posted on Reddit.

Note 1: How much you can bet (and by extension, make) depends on your account age, so this may be less useful to new players. It’s free passive NP either way however.

Note 2: There will be days you experience losses with Food Club. On average you will make back much more than what you invest as long as you stick with it, but with that said, make sure you’re only betting amounts you feel comfortable losing.

Battledome

The Battledome is unique in that you have to put some time and money into it to get something out of it, but the rewards are usually pretty high (making 100K+ a day isn’t uncommon).

To get started, you will need to train your pet and get them some weapons.

For training, follow the steps at the bottom of Battlepedia’s “Beginners’ Guide to Training” here.

For weapons, pick a beginner’s set from Battlepedia’s “Beginners’ Weapon Recommendations” here.

Once you have a basic weapon set and some beginner training, you’ll need to pick an opponent. Not all opponents are worth fighting!

/~SeasonalAttackP breaks down the stats, but the shortened version is that you’ll want to fight these opponents in this order, working your way up as you go (for difficulty, chose the hardest level you can manage for each opponent).

For premium users:

For regular users:

The end goal is to get to the point where your pet can 1-shot your chosen opponent with a single weapon without taking damage (this allows for the fastest dailies run possible). To do this:

Train your pet up to level 50 and give them the lens flare ability. This prevents opponents from attacking.

Give your pet a powerful bomb-type weapon. I recommend Varia is the Bomb, which currently goes for 3–5 mil and does 25 icons.

Train up your pet’s strength. How high your strength needs to be for a one-shot depends on what opponent you’re focusing on and if you’re using one or two weapons; you can use Battlepedia’s damage calculator here to get an idea.

You can earn up to 15 items a day; how many items you get per battle is random. DO NOT stop battling until the “You have reached the item limit for today! You can continue to fight, but no more items can be earned” message pops up.

(Note: You can continue to earn items after the “You have reached the NP limit for today” message pops up. It’s only when the item message appears that you can’t earn anything more.)

Stock Your Shop

Do this last so you can price any items you obtained from the previous 7 dailies.

Try to do this once per day, which will prevent massive backlogs of unpriced items taking up space in your shop.

Note: If you already have a backlog, you can use Jellyneo’s shop price checker to get an idea of how to price things—but use caution and double-check prices when appropriate, as the checker may not always be accurate.

Part 2: Optional Dailies

These won’t make you nearly as many NPs as the above, but if you’re in a hurry to earn NP these are useful additions. All of these have been vetted as low/no risk with either a decent daily reward or a slim chance at a very large reward.

Daily Puzzle (Note: Answers are posted on Jellyneo)

Rich Slorg

Anchor Management

Forgotten Shore (Note: You need all 9 map pieces for access; just buy them on the SW, as they’re dirt cheap)

Coltzan's Shrine

Deserted Tomb

Grave Danger (Note: Need a petpet attached to one of your pets for this one)

Fruit Machine

The Discarded Magical Blue Grundo Plushie of Prosperity

Tombola

Mysterious Negg Cave (Note: This one has a little puzzle to solve)

Faerie Caverns

Wishing Well (Note: Place 7 wishes @ 22 NP every 12 hours; you can use the recent winner’s list to get an idea of expensive items you can wish for)

Buried Treasure

Ye Olde Fishing Vortex

Part 3: Assorted Tips

Make sure to place any large amounts of NP into the bank immediately to protect yourself from random events. (I recommend keeping around 30K–50K on hand.)

Likewise, put any expensive items in your SDB or shop immediately.

It’s easier to make NP if you have NP. Try to save past your goals before making a large purchase so you have a “cushion” left over—it will save you a lot of time in the future.

Restocking used to be a good way to make NP, but currently bots snatch up all the valuable items. You can do it on the side and make a small profit by focusing on less profitable items, but it’s generally a time-intensive low-profit option.

Likewise, (traditional) games are a huge time sink with almost no profits (only 3K/game). Don’t bother unless you just want to play for fun.

For older players: You can use Jellyneo’s SDB Price Checker to find expensive items in your SDB to sell. Remember to double-check the prices on the SW/TP before selling!

Also for older players: Don’t forgot to check for unneeded Battledome weapons, old TCG cards, Neohome items, NeoDeck cards, and unused plot points.

It’s generally a good idea to sit on items from plots/events for a little while before selling—the price usually goes up over time (don’t wait too long though or it might be re-released!).

Always participate in plots and events when possible. Not only are they engaging, but the prizes are usually worth a decent amount.

And most importantly, remember to have fun!

#neopets #neotag #outdesign posts things #apparently copy/pasting bullets from reddit allows you to keep the indents on tumblr?? okay

45 notes · View notes

the-himawari-otome · 1 day

Text

[Shuuen no Virche] Birthday Short Story - Yves

The birthday celebration of a certain handyman

･ﾟ･:,｡★ translation under the cut ★,｡･:･ﾟ

Mathis: H-Happy birthday, Yves!

Yves: Thanks, Mathis. And the rest of you guys— I can't believe you went through all the trouble to hold a dinner party just for me...

Adolphe: I mean, you're always helping us out after all. Although... you probably didn't need us to celebrate for you, huh?

Yves: Hey, that's not true. I'm super happy about it!

Adolphe: You say that, but...

*Baaam...*

Ankou: You can't help that thought when you see all the gifts from the townspeople piled up in the garden...

Lucas: Indeed. The moment I saw that huge amount of boxes, I thought you might be moving homes...

Hugo: Haha. He's a real natural charmer, isn't he?

Scien: Well, you won't be running low on supplies for a while.

Yves: Gosh, while I'm grateful for the gifts from the neighbourhood... it feels especially nice being celebrated by my precious friends.

Ankou: ...I see. Our princess and the others should be arriving shortly as well. Please enjoy today's party to your heart's content.

Lucas: I must say, it was surprising that Scien came to participate in the festivities.

Scien: Dahut was nagging me to bring over a birthday gift. I decided to have a drink and a bite to eat while I was at it.

Hugo: Isn't that what the person being hosted should say, not the host themselves...?

Yves: Now, now. Don't sweat the details. 'Tis the occasion, so let's all enjoy it together.

Mathis: That's right! I helped with the cooking too!

Mathis: Ah, but before that... Wouldn't it be better to give him his gifts first?

Lucas: Yes, good point. More guests will be coming later. Let's give him ours first, shall we?

Yves: Huh, you even brought presents? That's too much...

Hugo: Alright, I'll go first. —Happy birthday, partner. Eat this and stay your ridiculously energetic self from tomorrow on.

Yves: Thanks, Hugo. I'll be relying on you too! Is this... a fishbowl? ...And inside is— Woah, there's a fish I've never seen before!

Hugo: It's a big one, right? It's a special catch reeled in by the genius fisher, yours truly.

Yves: It looks like it'll be worth slicing up! I'll cook it up nice and tasty for us.

Hugo: About that. Eat it yourself. Alone. Seriously, by yourself. Down to the last crumb. There's no need to share it with me, got it?

Adolphe: (He's just making sure he doesn't suffer any harm himself...)

Ankou: Now then, as for the gifts from the others—

Lucas: Um. If I am not mistaken, it seems there are ominous sounds and fumes emanating from the gifts all of you are holding...

Adolphe: ...Yours is the same, isn't it?

Scien: It appears all of us had the same idea.

Mathis: I see, everybody brought fresh ingredients that Yves can cook!

Ankou: I-Indeed... However, we also prepared tangible items in addition to the ingredients...

Lucas: Oh my, to think our gifts would overlap to that extent.

Yves: Woah, woahhh...! Is this much okay!? I'm going to happily accept all of it, you know...!?

Adolphe: ...Well, it's fine as long as he's happy. Mine's a whetstone, so you can use it to maintain your sword.

Yves: Great, thanks! ...It really is wonderful to have people who are special to you celebrate your birthday.

Yves: I wonder if it's alright to be this happy. ...Won't God punish me later?

Scien: I won't, so don't worry.

Hugo: Haha. God guaranteed it. Don't fret, Yves.

Yves: ...I see. That's true. I hope I'll be able to continue to spend my birthdays together with everyone I care about.

Yves: And forever with her—who bound me to this fate.

*CLICK*

Yves: ! Hey, come on in. I was just thinking about you. Thanks for coming for my birthday.

Yves: Huh... a present? I see, you also—I appreciate it. ...Can I look inside?

Yves: ...! It's a gorgeous gem— You found it at Marché? And you thought it would suit me?

Yves: ...Thank you, truly... I'm over the moon...!

Yves: I really am blessed with encounters. After all, I was able to meet a girl who's giving me such a wonderful present—

Yves: From the bottom of my heart, I love the happiness I feel for having met you, my hope—

And I pray that in the future that awaits, I will be able to dedicate my first "love" to you...

---

[DO NOT USE OR REPOST MY WORK W/O PERMISSION, THANK YOU]

#shuuen no virche #virche evermore #virche evermore yves #HAPPY BIRTHDAY YVES #even though this was actually from last year haha #waiting to see if we'll get anything new this year...

28 notes · View notes

nottapossum · 22 hours

Text

The duck Story -An Itty Bitty Imps One-Shot

Possum: Listen! I know this is stupid!

But I wrote this for fun when I discovered there's a 4th Duck song. Lol

As a kid I would sing this song- On Repeat!

And then I thought...what If Lucifer sang the duck song as obnoxiously as I did?

Here you go! :)

🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆

Lucifer was an adorable little.

The other members loved his sass, his spunk, and his kind heart.

But every little has their quirks that some may find…nettlesome.

For Lucifer this was obsessing over a single TV show or book or song for a long period of time and only exclusively watching, singing or talking about said things.

And most begin and end with…ducks.

Lucifer loves ducks! More than anything really.

For the last couple of months Lucifer has been grabbing his guitar and playing the duck song to the members of the hotel.

He started with Charlie of course. Who better to share the greatest song ever with?

He walked up to her happily while she was working on a lesson plan for the next day. “A duck walked up to a lemonade stand and he said to the man runnin' the stand: Hey! Bum Bum Bum, Got any grapes?”

Charlie raised an eyebrow at her father (who was very obviously regressed) “I'm sorry, what?” She asks him.

“Got any grapes?” Lucifer repeats, he's holding his little guitar, continuing to play it, waiting patiently for her answer.

“I think so?” Charlie says. “Let's go check in the kitchen.” She suggests to him.

Lucifer looks at her like she's the one making no sense now and sings: “I'll pass.”

Charlie tilts her head and Luci starts to walk away, singing: “Then he waddled away, waddle waddle, till the very next day Bum Bum Bum Bum Bum ba dom.”

Charlie honestly had no idea what he was singing, but she soon found out by looking up the few lyrics she remembered.

She definitely wasn't surprised by what she found.

She knew that Lucifer was sure to pester the others with his new obsession…and she thought maybe she should warn them but…

It was much more fun just to leave it alone and see what happens.

The next time Lucifer regressed, he once again grabbed out his guitar and started playing it while he sang to a member of the hotel: “When the duck walked up to the lemonade stand and he said to the man runnin' the stand: Hey! Bum Bum Bum, got any grapes?”

Angel raised an eyebrow: “Grapes? No, why?”

Lucifer replied: “The duck said. Goodbye.”

Angel was still confused as Lucifer continues to sing as he walks away: “Then he waddled away, waddle waddle.Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. 'Til the very next day! Bum Bum Bum Bum ba da dam.”

Lucifer waddles over to Husk the next time he regresses:

“When the duck walked up to the lemonade stand

And he said to the man runnin' the stand: Hey! Bum Bum Bum. Got any grapes?" Lucifer asks.

Husk actually did have some grapes in his mini fridge behind the counter. “Uh yeah, here you go.” He puts some in a bowl for Lucifer and hands it to him as the kid continues to play his guitar.

Lucifer sings: “The duck said: "How about…no.”

Husk raises an eyebrow. “I thought you said-”

Lucifer leaves, singing: “Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. Then he waddled away, waddle waddle waddle. Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. 'Til the very next day! Bum Bum Bum Bum ba da dam!”

By now, everyone was aware of Lucifer's new obsession with the dreaded duck song.

This month alone they could tell when Lucifer was regressed when they started to hear his little guitar start to play.

“The duck walked up to the lemonade stand and he said to the man runnin' the stand: Hey! Bum Bum Bum got any grapes?"

Alastor slowly turned his head to the small king, his smile still present as his antlers grow and neck stretches out threateningly. “Lucifer, if I have to hear that song again, I will blow a fuse and destroy this beautiful hotel!”

Lucifer is not at all phased as he sings: “The duck said, Adios!”

Lucifer then leaves, room, once again, singing: “Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. Then he waddled away, waddle waddle waddle. Then he waddled away, waddle waddle.”

But Alastor decides this will not stand! He will think of a way to stop the king from playing that ridiculous song!

But how?

Lucifer approached Vaggie the next time he was regressed: “When the duck walked up to the lemonade stand and he said to the man runnin' the stand: Hey! Bum Bum Bum. Got any glue?"

"What?" Vaggie asks.

"Got any glue?" Lucifer repeats, smiling that someone finally knew the next line to the song.

"I thought the duck wanted grapes.” Vaggie says, confused.

…

He was a bit disappointed that Vaggie didn't actually know the words, but he didn't let it get him down. "Then one more question for you…” Lucifer sings: “Got any grapes? Bum Bum Bum ba ba-”

“Lucifer.” Alastor interrupts, suddenly appearing in front of the two. “I have something for you.”

Lucifer tilts his head. “What is it.”

Alastor uses magic to make a flower crown appear out of nowhere.

But this was not just any flower crown. No no. This crown was surrounded by not only beautiful daisies, but rubber ducks.

Lucifer gasps and reaches for it.

But Alastor pulls it away. “Ah ah ah. Wait a minute. You can only have this if you agree to stop singing that wretched Duck song.”

Lucifer hums, considering.“So, I can have it if I stop singing the duck song one?” Lucifer asks him.

Alastor smiles wider. “Precisely.”

“Okay! Deal!” Lucifer says, taking the crown and putting it on his head happily.

Alastor smiles proudly. “You're all welcome.”

Lucifer was thrilled as well, he was going to cherish this crown forever! Alastor has never given him something before, and he absolutely loves it!

The next day they hear the guitar playing again: “A duck walked up to the corner store and he said to the woman, running the store: Hey! Bum bum bum, got any grapes?”

Alastor's eyes turn to diles as he turns to Charlie. “There are two duck songs?!”

“Pretty sure there's four of them actually.” Charlie answers.

“Curses…” Alastor mumbles angrily, but he immediately calms himself down. “It's alright. I will figure this out. No one bothered me until then!” He tells them, walking upstairs to his room.

Lucifer was still happily playing his tune, flower crown perfectly on his head: “Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. Then he waddled away, waddle waddle. Till the very next day….”

♡

Happy Father's day!

@todayimfour @trophyxtissues2 @abby5577 @ask-dusty-boy @im-not-paying-my-taxes @stormy-is-hyperfixated @attagirljessy @legeufygeuber100 @thatswhat24 @hinata-chan-utaitelover

@babiegurlmuffin

#ittybittysinners #hazbin hotel agere #hazbin hotel age regression #little!lucifer morningstar #age regressor lucifer morningstar

28 notes · View notes

kajaono · 5 hours

Text

This quick glance is killing me

When Monty says: (Charles) is the one you love" Edwin quickly glances to his right side. When Mony leaves we see that the Cat King is standing at his right said.

So Edwin probably looked to him, embarrassed, in panic, but why?

imo there are three reasons.

First: Monty adresses Edwin being gay, out and loud. Something Edwin himself hasn't really addressed yet. Something Edwin hasn't really accepted yet. Something Edwin is slowly discovering, and hasn't really found the words for yet or the courage to say it out loud and proud. It is hard to tell if Edwin discovering he is in love with Charles and him discovering he is queer are parallel journeys or not. Before Monty kissed him he only said „I am discoving feelings… feelings I thought we should never talk about“ it is hard to tell if he talks about a) being in love with a boy or b) being gay in general. All we know is that he is still discoving his feeling and Monty just goes straight to the bottom of it. No hesitation. Monty just straight up says: „you are in love with Charles.“ Of course Edwin panics, and looks around. Scared that someone (Charles) might have heard Monty

Second: Monty addresses Edwins feelings for Charles in front of the Cat King. 1. The Cat king is a third party, someone who doesn't know yet that Edwin is gay... at least this is what Edwin is thinking/hoping. Edwin hopes that him always pushing the cat king away covered the fact that he is actually really attracted towards the him. Which leads to 2. Edwin is embarrassed that the guy he is horny for hears that he is actually in love with someone else. Also Edwin being in love with another guy was a secret he only shared with Monty, it was not supposed to be discovered by someone else. Especially not the cat king, who might or might not use it against Edwin (fact is: edwin doesn't trust the cat king)

Third: And this is most important! When Montey says: "Hs's the one you love and its so obvious" Edwin realizes that the cat king saw right through him.

(we hear Edwin gasp)

When the cat king transformed into Monty Edwin only raised his eyebrows, confused. But when The Cat King transforms into Charles Edwin panics. Because this is what he wants, WHO he wants. And the Cat king knew it all along, even when Edwin hadn't realized it himself yet.

This is why Edwin looks at him for a quick moment, during the forest scene. Because he is embrassed, he is scared and he realizes the cat king. He KNEW! And he was right.

#edwin x charles #edwin payne #dbda #dead boy detectives #dead boy detective agency #the cat king

27 notes · View notes

ghoulysaphomet · 2 days

Text

An exempt from my newest Chatfic

Sharing this on Tumblr because I actually think it's funny, and because I'm considering making this into a mini-comic scene.

Chatnames:

Abel: Jason

Cain: Cass

Dickiebird: Dick

*Eggplant Emoji*: Stephanie

NotDamian: Damian

Queen: Barbara

Stoplight: Duke

Timber: Tim

Chat Room: Is that a bat? no. Is it a bird? Also no. We don’t know what that is.

Stoplight: what was that

Cain: you should be asleep

Stoplight: well yeah i was asleep

Stoplight: ??

Stoplight: is someone crying?

Timber: It’s fine nothing’s wrong, Stephanie was just overreacting

Stoplight: it doesnt sound like steph crying though

*Eggplant Emoji*: i thought a fucking demon was in the kitchen excuse me for freaking out

*Eggplant Emoji*: what did you want me to do? conveniently drop onto the floor with spread legs saying ‘oh no step-monster i tripped and cannot get up pls help me’ huh tim? is that what you wanted?

Timber: Uhm.

*Eggplant Emoji*: no tim that’s not what you do in that scenario. no you find the first fucking thing you can find and you hurl that shit. do you understand

Timber : Yes?

*Eggplant Emoji*: i dont believe you

Timber : But also, why is that your example?

*Eggplant Emoji*: you know why.

Abel: lol

Dickiebird: but did it have to be my cereal

Stoplight: woah wait a minute

Stoplight: back up a bit. i feel like y’all may have glossed over something

Stoplight: what was that about a demon in the kitchen?

Timber: There was no demon.

Timber: It was just Jason.

Stoplight: ..okay that doesn’t really clarify anything?

*Eggplant Emoji*: yeah well i didnt know that! how was i supposed to know his eyes glow in the dark like some analog horror creature?

Abel: rude

Dickiebird: :( my cereal

*Eggplant Emoji*: dude you were sitting on the counter (alfred is going to murder you. was the rat not enough?) in pitch blackness eating a soggy bowl of cereal

*Eggplant Emoji*: thats on u.

Dickiebird : its perfectly normal to eat cereal as an adult, its an easy meal and i was tired

*Eggplant Emoji*: uh-huh sure and next thing you'll say that you pour milk before the cereal too

Timber: What's wrong with that? That's clearly the superior way to eat cereal if you’ll eat it with milk.

Stoplight: are we sure jasons the demon

Abel : don't drag me into this

*Eggplant Emoji*: tim. no.

Timber : Uh Tim, yes?

Timber: Soggy cereal is disgusting. If you pour milk on top of dry cereal it’ll all just get mushy and gross! If you pour milk first though you can strategically eat parts of it so it’ll retain the maximum capacity of crunch.

Abel: it’s cereal.

Abel: only you would be overthinking, planning and ‘strategizing’ the best way to eat cereal.

*Eggplant Emoji*: why are you surprised this is coming from the guy eating oats like its cereal

Timber: ?? It is!! Oats with milk and cocoa powder on top is a valid meal?

*Eggplant Emoji*: you dont even like oatmeal

Timber: Oats are delicious. Oatmeal is gross.

Abel: lemme guess. you hate tomatoes but like ketchup?

Timber: Ew. no.

Timber : I hate tomatoes and ketchup both, thanks.

Timber: I love tomato juice, though.

Abel: bruh

Stoplight: wait if dick was in the kitchen…

Stoplight: why didnt he react to jason/a demon breaking in to rob the fridge?

Timber : He probably recognised him?

Dickiebird : what if the demon had a family at home to feed. huh. what then?

NotDamian: Grayson likes to take stupid risks when he’s tired and hungry, especially when he’s both. I doubt he recognized the apparition as Todd and deemed the cereal worth it. this is backed up by the emotional outburst of brown taking his meal away.

Stoplight: ahh he’s the one crying

Dickiebird: it was good cereal ok.

-Cassandra and Jason's usernames are linked and sorta puns, in that Cain was Cass's last name (She goes by Wayne now) and that Jason was the first sibling to die.

And that's it! This is from the 2nd chapter of my newest chatfic "'Cus everytime we touch I get this feeling (That I want to kick your ass)" which can be found here on ao3.

There's no strict plotlines or anything. It's honestly just me having fun with these characters. It's not based on social media usage, because I don't have any other social media accounts aside from my tumblr (nor do i look at stuff from there) so it's just going to be fun scenarios and references to other fandom media by either inside jokes or very vague references lol.

I made this fic because I wanted to do something fun, so this is completely self indulgent.

Just fun tidbits on the batfam in this verse, which is probably more or less aligned with the WFA canon.

-It's an AU where Bruce is a good parent and went to therapy. He didn't revive the joker when Dick killed him.

- Jason wasn't revived as a Wayne and is usually referred to as a family friend in public. He has tattoos from the all-caste, which I believe he has canonically in one of the webcomics.

- Tim isn't UwU soft baby boy who needs help and someone to save him. He's unapologetically unhinged. So there's a lot of references to him knowing things or saying things he's not supposed to know. Let him be creepy, fanon, dammit.

- Damian has a snake, her name is Sting, because she'll sting you if you don't treat her well. She's of the species Bitis Rhinoceros and I love her.

- Tim and Barbara can and often will insert themselves in private conversations because they're nosy, bored or because they think whatever is being discussed could have important information. Jason can do this sometimes too, which he learned from Barbara. He mostly does it to mess with people.

- Duke's chatname is a reference to him being a robin once. I feel like his character is often either boiled down to him being either a tech-dude or moral support, but he was Robin canonically as well, just as Steph was, and he deserves acknowledgement, dammit.

- I'm not really a fan of romance, like, at all. There's very, very few ships/pairings where my mindset is "oh yeah they're in love" because usually it's just "they fuck nasty/they're obsessed with each other lose boundaries that way" - not saying that's a healthy relationship, but it's basically my sort of disclaimer that romance isn't going to be featured heavily if at all. However, Cass/Steph is in a relationship. It's not really mentioned so the reader can interpret it as romantic or queerplatonic, whatever they wanna I ain't a cop.

- Damian's chatname comes from Dick telling him not to put his real name online.

30 notes · View notes