#it’s way shorter than the original im aware

[verysium]

PLEASE DO BLUE LOCK ICKS IM BEGGING🙏😭🌹

😏 coming right up anon. gonna channel my inner critic and not hold back on any of these.

RIN

brother complex. not much else to say except that he needs to get a life. not everything is about metaphorically crushing your older brother's dreams and brooding in the dark hate of retribution.

competitive but only because he is a desperate whore for external validation. ignores everyone but craves the attention of a sole person named sae itoshi. was defeated by isagi once and has never let go of it since. has a one-track mind that is impossible to derail. stubborn when he wants to be.

probably a virgin and will continue to be one until his late 30s.

has not known a single day of peace ever since sae ditched him for the popular girlies. as a result, he has developed a very concerning case of social awkwardness. his idea of a conversation involves a brick wall and thirty minutes of you staring at his resting bitch face. constantly looks like that one grumpy cat meme. judges you for your poor decisions but then gets aggressively defensive when you point out his own mistakes.

reeks of so much teen angst that even metallica can't save him. the problem is that he has nothing to back up his emo persona. his insults lack creativity and, unfortunately for him, phrases like "lukewarm" and "half-baked" and "hell" do not make his words carry more weight. uses the f-word but in the most embarrassing context that it makes you facepalm and internally cringe.

SAE

zero social awareness. this boy's head is empty. the lights are not on up there. there are no picture frames or furniture. the curtains are drawn, and there is not a sliver of clouds or sunshine. cannot read body language and does not know what a filter is.

the source of all of rin's stress. he is the original trauma projector, creator of generational cycles. not even subtle about it. "turns out i was wrong. i thought japan was incapable of ever giving birth to decent forwards." sir....with the way you worded that, you knew exactly what you were doing when you gave rin false hope.

swears but it's even worse than his brother. literally called his elders a "fatso and bob cut duo" and "insect turd." i mean....there is a line between what is considered a legitimate burn and what is a first grader making up insults in his coloring book.

has a horrible haircut and no fashion taste. i already talked about this previously, but it was so bad it deserved a second mention.

a freak but tries to justify it rationally. like what do you mean you can tell a person's athletic ability from their buttock size? just admit you have a kinky fetish already.

somewhat of a coward but i'm gonna give him some leniency due to his tragic child genius backstory. tbh he's just an eighteen-year-old boy who needs a goddamn break.

KAISER

alexa please play clown music. this man sets himself for failure and then wallows in self-pity when he actually fails. like what did you expect? you knew what was going to happen the moment you challenged isagi like that. it was most definitely your fault you got violently humbled.

has a borderline god complex (currently calls himself an emperor but has not evolved into a deity yet.) unfortunately, he does not stand on business. cue the dramatic meltdowns when he realizes there is an actual gap between his ability and his reputation. if you're going to lie, at least make it believable.

insecure and mentally unstable. he probably cuts and re-dyes his hair every single time shit happens. no wonder his locks get shorter every time.

lazy when it comes to anything that is not football and expects others to do it for him. demands princess treatment wherever he goes. unfortunately, not all of us have servants with no self-respect like ness.

"it is not enough that i should succeed, others should fail" type of person.

does not wear shoes and even if he does, it's sandals. put them grippers away.

NAGI

a literal sloth who has so much potential but uses none of it. has no intrinsic motivation of his own, so if he's going to do anything, it has to be you behind the wheel, making sure he gets put to work.

does not have a close relationship with his parents, and so he has no sense of community, holidays, or traditions. no fun at all if you want him to do things like christmas shopping or birthday celebrations.

rots in bed all day and then has to nerve to ask you to carry him around. your back better be strong because his 190 cm body is not going to be light.

not loyal (need i say more.)

REO

second male lead syndrome. also known as that one popular guy who's always picked last.

acts like a victim but then when you realistically tell him to how to change his situation he refuses to do so. you cannot ask for advice and then take none of it to heart. no wonder you're still not over your ex.

"i can fix him" mentality. no, you can't. you are a seventeen-year-old child, not a licensed therapist and nagi isn't even all that.

NESS

touch-starved to the point he will stay in a toxic and abusive relationship in order to gain some scrap of affection. just because you were the black sheep of your family does not mean you can lose all sense of personal dignity.

probably stalks all the people he hates. has a burn book like regina george from mean girls. cuts out and glues little pictures of kaiser all over his bedroom. doodles hearts all over it with glittery gel pen. isagi's face and name are scratched out of every team photo.

delusional and prone to mood swings. medicated but at this point, he is beyond saving.

ISAGI

a home wrecker. has ruined more relationships than he can count on ten fingers yet still manages to smile like he's some angelic saint.

solves jigsaw puzzles for a living (not very cool if you ask me.)

has some unresolved anger management issues. probably repressed all his negative feelings when he was younger, so it all comes out when he's on the field. unfortunately, his twilight-sparkle-friendship-is-magic agenda is not going to work if he keeps cussing out his teammates like that. but then again, he is the main character, so i guess his plot armor makes up for his pitfalls.

says that he's a good guy but then holds personal vendettas against rivals he doesn't like. boy was so ready to throw hands when #kaisagi was trending on the internet. but when you actually think about, he's similar to kaiser in more ways than he'd like to admit.

BAROU

has the worst case of high and mighty "holier-than-thou" attitude. isagi put his ego in check, but it still peeks out from time to time.

he was the ugliest baby when he was born. i am not going to hold back on the child barou slander because it is true. no, he was not a cute and lovable bundle of joy. he looked like a demonic gremlin.

he needs to take more risks in life and try cross-dressing. simply imagining him in a maid uniform will not suffice. it needs to be made into a reality.

with how nit-picky he is, i doubt people can realistically stay within a 1-meter radius around him. unless you are a clean freak yourself, his constant complaints will start to get annoying after a time. even if he does have good intentions, he needs to let people have a little breathing room sometimes. a messy room is not going to kill you.

BACHIRA

this boy's brain is smooth. no folds. no gray matter. no intelligence either. his pencil and eraser have been left untouched since day one. if he wasn't crazily good at football, he would be unemployed and homeless in the future. not even a mcdonald's wants him.

one of those people who will do the literal opposite of whatever you say. you want him to stop talking? well, now he's never going to shut up. you tell him not to step on a pile of dog shit? well, now he's going to walk right into it. you want him to quit running around and act normal? well, now it's his life's mission to make you as annoyed as possible. please pray for your hair follicles because at the end of the day, you're not going to have many left with how much he makes you want to tear your hair out.

has the cerebral capacity of a toddler. if he thinks monsters are real, he's going to think anything is real. super gullible when it comes to any form of scam, ploy, or trickery. the only way he would not be fooled is if he's also played the same prank before.

SHIDOU

a brazen pervert. says the most out-of-pocket things and refuses to apologize for them. sometimes it comes out a little too sleazy for your liking.

"to me a goal is fertilization! a shot is the seed and the goal is the egg!! and the birth of that joy i call an explosion!! my genes are gonna knock you up!" let us give ourselves a moment of silence to digest this quote. only shidou ryusei would come up with a sperm and egg metaphor to describe football. (i guess protection means nothing to him.)

has no empathy. if you dislike him or cannot keep up with him, you're a literal nobody in his books. no sportsmanship. no compassion. no self-awareness.

you cannot say "balls" to him in a serious tone without him misinterpreting it as something dirty. that alone should tell you enough. stay the hell away from him.

where do men get the audacity? right here. from this little bastard. he invented the term "shameless slut." boy was getting off during the u-20 arc and on live TV too. no wonder sae said he was disgusting.

and finally, he comes from a long line of cockroaches. he's even got the antennae to prove it.

i think this might have been a little excessive, but i have no regrets about it. you're welcome anon ♡

[radioactive-earthshine]

im having a great time with Pluto despite not having seen much astro boy (been aware of it obviously just never sought it out) what would you recommend for someone to watch/read after pluto from the astro boy franchise that is similar in tone and content?

Oh boy oh BOY!

If the Pluto anime is your introduction into the Astro Boy franchise then you've been thoroughly acclimated to the most fervent reoccurring themes found within Tezuka's writings and as such a lot of the tone and story telling will be very similar - even if Pluto was written by Naoki Urasawa and not Tezuka himself.

What I personally would suggest for those curious about learning more about Astro Boy and this particular story is to read the Pluto manga (8 volumes) as an accompaniment - the anime is a very good adaptation but some things had to be cut for time (it's inevitable) and the manga was simply better at revealing some things than the anime to give you a broader sense of place that this world takes place in.

From there you have many options before you depending on your accessibility to some of the series below.

NOTE: There is nothing quite like Pluto other than Pluto, but in all versions of Astro Boy you will find the same themes and content found within Pluto but with a different narrative voice.

For the sake of simplicity I am not getting into the bigger Tezuka Star System I'm just focusing on Atom in the most direct way - no this is not meant to be a full complete list of EVERYTHING.

The 1950s Manga

Written by Tezuka himself, where it all started.

Contains all of the original core stories of Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy) which were adapted in various media.

Is available in English to purchase and is online.... in places...

Can get shockingly dark and gruesome and I do not have the spoons to list all the Content Warnings possible. Adults will find enjoyment from this series.

Is generally episodic.

Classic golden age sci-fi with themes relevant today still.

The 1960s Anime

Written and worked on by Tezuka himself.

Contains many of the core stories presented in the manga adapted to fit a single episode.

Episodic.

The first two years (104 episode out of 193) are available in English to purchase on DVD (with extras!) - I do not know if the 'missing 89' are available online with subs or if the original Japanese is available with subs out there.

Yes, inevitably the dubs sanitized a lot of the stories and Americanized them - but even so they are worth a watch.

The 1980s Anime

Also written and worked on by Tezuka himself.

Is available in English to purchase, but like the 60s dub, it has been cropped, chopped, and censored - in some ways worse than the 60s series. The DVDs at least do have the Japanese track with subs available.

You can find the 80s Japanese unedited online with subs.

Is mostly episodic but does have a subplot featuring a new character Atlas and his sister Levian.

Contains some of the core stories from the manga but this series is much shorter so some of your favorites might have been dropped.

The 2003 Anime

Tezuka did not work on this series as he was deceased at time of production.

Modern Astro Boy with a more modern lens and modern story-telling expected of anime of the time.

Contains a plot and contains the episodic spirit of the original shows and manga, but the plot is still referenced in modern anime story telling. The main plots being 1.) robot rights being established in a world where they have none despite having "kokoro" (heart) which is basically free will and sentience and 2.) who is that boy anyway?

Many of the most beloved Astro Boy stories from the manga are not present in this series.

American voices dictated the direction of this series from the start even in the original Japanese which is a big negative.

The English dub is heavily censored and altered from the original version - but it contains some amazing performances from people like Dorian Harewood whom I still to this day don't know HOW he agreed to play Dr. Tenma but my god he did an amazing job.

The unedited subbed Japanese version can be found online.

Despite the amount of butchering and meddling during production it is still a relevant part of the Astro Boy collective world.

Naoki Urasawa's Pluto Manga and Anime

You already know of this adaptation but it's a retelling of The World's Greatest Robot, the classic story from the manga and is present in all of the above series. It is also direct commentary about the American invasion of Iraq with some names changed so as to not hurt feelings. I generally suggest to adults to read this and if it connects with them then try on the original manga and maybe see if any of the anime gets their eye too.

A note on Tezuka and his extended works.

An American equivalent to him would be Jack Kirby however he had more creative control with his work, was credited for his creations, and had just about the same amount of influence on Japanese comics as Jack Kirby did with American comics (maybe even to a greater extent). Tezuka was incredibly prolific and is dubbed "The God of Manga" for a reason. Many of his stories all circle around the same themes; war, grief, the futility of hatred and the doom of mankind while also taking on blatant political sides including environmentalism, equal rights, gender rights and even playing with gender and expression (note they are products of their time and some of which are offensive today but for the time were groundbreaking).

If you wanted specific stories from the manga that might be more what you are looking for to refine your search, let me know! I've been needing an excuse to drag them out.

[lazulian-devil]

The Villains of Skulduggery Pleasant 2

Now before I start, I want to point out that Book 2 has an absolute myriad of Bad Guys™.

The book introduces not only Dusk (who is great at making everyones day just a whole lot worse. Just fun to be around. Only bit Valkyrie, killed the Lord Vampire of Dublin™ Moloch and is generally just... So much fun!), but also the whole Diablerie Subplot (oh look, China is getting a backstory upgrade), Billy-Ray motherfucking Sanguine (who is in one way or another responsible for a third of my favourite quotes from the books), the Torment and Roarhaven (and all that bullshit), the reflection quite literally cracking (this could never possibly become important later on), the whole Faceless One dimension and whatever was going on with Thurid Guild.

So uh, yeah. Book 2, for being actually quite short in comparison to the absolute Grimoires Derek would later be known to write, is a dense friggin book. You might ask yourself "Wow, this sure is a whole lot more dense than the first one" and thats because Landy had at this point already won and be nominated for enough awards that his writing adventures would be a solid thing for him.

The first book was a leap of faith, the second was the beginning of a saga.

(Tangent: I personally think Landy plans and writes books in pairs of threes, as even Phase 2 was originally supposed to be nine but then turned into six books by force of publisher. Because I read them on a Kindle, I am very much aware of how much longer they have gotten with each installment and I think that he, like many an author, would absolutely benefit from cutting down some of the sizes of his books. But book 2 is still very much on the shorter end, if not the second shortest book of the series).

So, after all these absolute bangers of villains, who will I focus on? The one that dies (which is honestly how I think I should do these. Just slowly talk about everyone who actually dies and leave the "I will appear in a trillion books" villains for last, in favor of my sanity).

Baron Vengous.

In a world filled with sarcastic, silly villains, Vengous is the stern military guy that doesnt talk a lot.

And I mean that literally. Besides like... One or two speeches the guy just doesnt talk much.

Ive managed to complete Book 7 in my reading insanity and have read up to 13 before that (reading them as they come out) and I can say with a solid 78% conviction that he is the most "normal" villain and antagonist the series has ever had.

Hes straightforward. Hes methodical. His status as a General of Mevolent is based not only in honestly insane levels of power, but in his pure military might brain and body.

Baron Vengous is the absolute most opposite anyone could have written to Serpine. He almost seems specifically written to oppose him in as many ways as possible. If Serpine was the Vibe, Vengous is the Antivibe.

You get my point.

We actually get an in depth look into him later (where? Leibniz. In terms of trouble, always assume Leibniz) and even among those people, he is somewhat normal. Apart from his wife.

Oh and the other character trait he has. What was that again? I can barely remember.

Ah. Right. Faceless One fanaticism to the point of self destruction.

It makes you wonder what he did after the Amnesty, as he is broken out of prison by Sanguine at the beginning of the book and its never quite explained why. Serpine was just vibin' in his castle. Maybe he did some human sacrifices to his beloved gods and got caught for it. Who knows. (Afaik, its never explained what he did after the Amnesty to end up in prison in the first place and at this point, Im convinced it doesnt really matter and was just a neat way to introduce Sanguine).

But Vengous just isnt a very... Interesting character. He only works so well because Sanguine is a delight anywhere he shows up and Dusk is just utterly terrifying. The Baron is almost too normal among them.

You need proof? Fine. Let me grab my Kindle real quick.

Insert transition music.

Alright, so. Vengous first appearance (Chapter 3: Vengous) paints him as the man in control, the guy who has been in prison for eighty years (Im sure cellphones blew his mind) is out and looking for revenge. He doesnt say a lot. His first actual words are "You're late." to Dusk (who he later points out in his internal dialogue isnt even a man to him). This gives us two insights into his character: First, his stoic mentality. He just murdered someone. Hes entirely calm. Lifes are a casualty to him. And second, he holds enough power or reputation that a very skilled vampire is not only working for him, but accepts being talked down to by this man.

Later in Chapter Ten: The Armour, Sanguines inner dialogue says "The Baron was not a man to be trifled with, especially at a time like this". Once again, we have a whole chapter that shows of several things (passively) about the Baron. He is a planner (shown by his knowledge of the armor and its requirements, the supposed knowledge of where Vile died and his general tactical demeanour being described), he is someone who seems to be in control at all times (shown by him casually watching a bunch of infected under Dusks command dig away) and he is incredibly patient (shown in previous chapters by him being able to wait 80 years and then just "get on with it. Sure, hes mad at Sanguine, but his plans are more important).

And then we add something a little spicy in the mixture: Hes not only a fanatic, hes also an asshole. Ooooohoho.

Its Chapter 18 in which our Protagonists finally meet him and he simply despises Skulduggery. But thats not whats actually interesting. The Chapter reveals him to be self important. Sure, hes a leader, stoic, goal oriented. But hes also cocksure of himself. (A trait he shares with about 84% of all characters in the SP universe).

Skulduggerys taunts go right over him.

"Skulduggery nodded. "So, you married or something? Do I hear the pitter patter of tiny evil feet?"

"I will destroy you."

Normal reaction, ey? The scene goes on quite a while longer than that, but only hammers home this point even more.

The Baron believes himself superior. Righteous. Blessed, probably.

What kills him in the end? His self importance. And how does he react to his death?

"But... But this isnt how Im supposed to die", He said weakly. "Not... Not like this. Not by your hand. You're... You're an abomination."

And then he crawls towards the actual abomination he summoned, pleads it to tell them (the Faceless Ones) that hes sorry for failing them.

The Grotesquery moved its hand so that it touches Vengous' face. It looked almost tender, until the hand gripped and wrenched and the Barons head snapped to one side.

Vengous is a fascinating villain, because he stands calmly among the flashy and vibrant. In a long line of batshit insane people, his insanity is the one that hits closest to home. Many, many villains in the future would be obsessed with religion (the Necromaner Temple, the whole Diablerie plot, later on Darquesse). But all of them are so overpainted, so saturated, that many are just that: A mockery of real life fanaticism.

And the Baron still feels like someone who is rootes in reality. He truly believes that he and the Faceless Ones are superior. His last act is - and I cannot stress this enough - apologising to his gods.

This man. This stoic, straightforward man. This absolute unit. Former General of Mevolent. Words like a scalpel, tactician, wit and gumption combined.

Hes just as insane as all of them. But his insanity is so much quieter. So much more refined.

And that makes him scary.

While I would like to end here, lets summarise real quick:

Vengous has mostly two traits that make him stand out: Straightforwardness and Fanaticism.

Hes a pretty boring villain in comparison to his counterparts.

He is - at least in my opinion - one of the most realistic villains in the series. His insanity is believable and while its not as flashy as those of others, its a kind of insane that makes your skin crawl as soon as you think about it.

He stole Skulduggerys Armor. If you know that Skulduggery is Vile, there are some really interesting scenes that allude to it.

His Leibniz counterpart, for once, seems to actually improve on the OG one. He talks more and he even shows a certain twisted kindness to Valkyrie in explaining her everything. I would almost argue that the Baron of Leibniz is more interesting than the OG Baron. Also, silly wife Eliza. Such a stupid joke.

If he had been succesful, he would have actually ruined the world. Legitimately. The stakes were so high and the man remained so calm. Imagine trying to resurrect your gods. Imagine resurrecting Jesus, all the while having the vibes of a Military Dad with PTSD.

Im afraid that I never found Vengous that compelling. The writing in Book 2 is immaculate though and Dusk and Sanguine are amazing.

I give him a... 7? 8 out of 10?

Also: remember to stay hydrated. Eat a snack. Stretch. You deserve it.

Wanna read more of my mad ramblings? Heres Part 1 with Nefarian Serpine and Part 3 with Batu!

[tizzymcwizzy]

I may be interested in watching Trigun, but I have doubts cuz I see there's a 1998 anime and a current one so, I should watch both to understand the plot or is it a FMAB situation???

oooooohhhohohooho *rubs my hands together* >:] okay

it is KIND OF a fmab situation but also not and all,, the trigun 98 anime was airing alongside the manga and then ended before the manga finished so it had to improvise a lot about the ending and thusly (from what i know, i have not read the manga yet) ends differently than the original manga and does not explain a lot about the plot and villains,,, i haven't seen the original fma anime yet so i don't know how deep the comparison goes but they seem like they have the same case

and the stampede is, yes, a later rerelease of the story that can only exist since the manga has been finished,, but from my impression !!! it is STARKLY different in some aspects to that of the manga's plotline and pacing, which is a very different case to fmab which is a truer adaptation that follows the original manga's plotline

SO neither of the animes will give you the truest understanding of the manga's story (also there's 2 mangas, trigun and trigun maximum and im not fully aware of the differences between them, again, haven't read them yet) that's why i'd recommend watching both of 98 and stampede!! which is what ive done, if you don't wanna do that then ill give you a rundown of the differences so you can pick which seems more interesting to you

trigun 1998 begins the same way the manga does and does all its reveals and like, early story stuff the same way the manga does (I THINK,, AGAIN, HAVE NOT READ THE MANGA) the tone of the anime also matches the manga, i think, and that may not seem like something that's super important,, but it has a lot of a funny goofy silly moments and mystery !!! that i feel add a LOT to the experience of the story that stampede just doesn't have cause of it's shorter runtime, the characterization of the main cast is i also think way closer to the manga and (in my opinion) way more fun and likable than stampede JDGDHFJ

stampede is very different from the original storyline (again,, i will reiterate,, my impression of it cause idk exactly how different 98 is to the manga but im sure 98 is much more similar than stampede is to the manga) it begins, runs, and the season ends very differently to how 98, and manga, i think, does the story,,, it switches out set pieces, characters, and plotlines,, BUT it really gets into the lore and villains in a much deeper way than what trigun 98 does, it actually explains shit and includes plotlines that the 98 anime just could not include which makes it really intriguing and more dramatic

enough about the plot and more into my personal opinions,,, trigun 98 is super fun and silly and has a lot better of an introduction and characterization of the main cast than stampede does. 98 has a better intro to the story and world than stampede does beCAUSE stampede is only 12 episodes and rushes through a lot of the beginning for the sake of getting to the plot and lore, but stampede has a much stronger ending and a deeper exploration of the main characters and villains than 98 because it actually has the resources from the manga to pull from

that's why i think that if you wanted to watch both you should start with 98 first because it's got a better beginning and set up for the story's main themes and messages than stampede does, but stampede then delves into those themes l messages, and villains! that 98 didn't have a chance to explore to their fullest

this is also why id recommend you read the manga as well cause there's a lot that is still missing from the entire trigun story that neither anime will explain to you (we'll see what stampede season 2 has to offer but that's a ways a way)

WHOO THAT WAS A LONG FUCKING ASK IM SORRY DHDHJFJGG but i hope it gives you some insight on how to approach getting into it!

TLDR: the 98 anime and stampede are both different from the manga in different ways so id recommend you watch both of them, 98 first and then stampede, but also read the manga :)

[flimbingod]

The Carebear: Everywhere At The Beginning Of Nowhere

After 9 hours and taking a day to mull over the Carebear, i'm finally gonna post my thoughts about it.

im going to say, for the sake of my own views of it, im going for a 6/10.

To give some backstory here, the Caretaker and the Carebear both are albums built to simulate the final thoughts of their respective characters. their names being, of course, the Caretaker and the Carebear. The Caretaker, created by Leyland James Kirby, was made using 1920-1930s ballroom music. Most importantly, almost all the songs (except for the titular It's Just a Burning Memory) are copyright-less. meaning, the ballroom music that was recorded and played is quite literally forgotten; perhaps not by the people who made it, but by the people that profited off of it back in the day. In the modern age of everything being copyrighted, it's a somber reminder that shit can just be forgotten, the creators left unknown, and the musicians that performed it are left as ever anonymous faces.

now im gonna stop yelling about the caretaker and just actually review the carebear. The Carebear takes these things and follows mostly accordingly. Using the same genre of music, similar themes, and similar stages. However, the carebear adds 1 extra stage (totalling 7) and an extra 3 hours of runtime. Is this length worth it?

The most important part of the carebear to me is that it takes a much more artistic and contrasting approach to the subject matter of the carebear slowly losing her memories. the caretaker lost his through a slow descent into nothingness; ending in an angelic choir that signified his dignified, respectful death. The best way i can describe it is that the story of the caretaker is the most realistic, with no bells or whistles attached.

The carebear takes these bells and whistles and sprinkles them in wonderfully.

The first four stages take up the usual lull that the caretaker exemplifies. while the carebear does well to mimic the original style, it only mimics it, it doesnt do much to actually make it stand out. and considering thats our first 3 hours of runtime, that isnt a good sign. However, stage 5 is when things get both good and bad in different ways.

to describe it as simply as possible, the carebear, unlike the caretaker, has an extremely short song titled simply as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Compared to other songs in the album that sandwich it that are at least 30 minutes, this song is only 3 minutes, seamlessly blended into the ending of the previous Stage 5 Post Awareness Confusions. The constrast between the droning sounds of the rest of stage 5 and the absolute chaos of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder just. is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. it's even stronger when the song after it is made just so deafeningly quiet. Nothing can compare to the fear that the carebear felt that day, or that week, or those years, however long she felt it.

Then of course there is this version's Temporary Bliss State. And I'm REALLY disappointed in the Carebear for this one; the caretaker's version gnuinely makes you feel blissful. it is a reprieve from the chaos of stage 4, probably one of the most terrifying parts of the origincal caretaker, but now that TBS has been relegated to stage 5, where things are much more droning, the carebear's TBS is neither blissful, whimsical, or anything. it just ends up pretty damn boring all things considered, especially compared to the fact that 2 songs earlier was PTSD.

Stage 6 goes by with nothing interesting. over another entire hour of droning music. Obviously you COULD argue that "but flim, doesnt EATEOT ALSO have a bunch of droning music?" and i would say YES. however, the caretaker's entire album is 6 hours, with stage 5 and 6 taking up 2 and a half hours of runtime. Not only is it comparatively shorter, but it also is exascerbated by the earlier contrast. there are higher highs and lower lows in the carebear than the caretaker; whichever you prefer, a smoother ride or a more bumpier ride, is up to you.

And finally. Stage 7.

The most BEAUTIFUL, and i really mean BEAUTIFUL part of the entire album. literally gave me chills. Something Reawakens Before the Curtains Close. Genuinely i really recommend listening to the whole song if you ever get the time to, its about half an hour, but its just so good. If you dont care about 9 hour albums or 6 hour albums about dementia and weird sounds and my own insane rambling, ATLEAST give Something Reawakens Before the Curtains Close a watch. The rest of this is gonna spoil what it is, so if you wanna hear it for yourself just skip this next paragraph.

The heart monitor is cheesy, yeah. taking an old song about love called It's Been a Long, Long Time and putting it in with clips of old 1940's nostalgia is cheesy, sure. making it crescendo as the carebear takes her final breaths is cheesy. i know. but god. this shit hits so fucking hard. after over 7 and a half hours of slowly descending into nothingness, i didnt want this shit to end ever. the carebear, for all her struggles, has lived a good life, and she deserves to see those final moments play out in utter nostalgic bliss. after all the struggles of when she was young with PTSD, with dementia, with losing everything she knew, she finally had a moment to remember everything. god shit is moving me to tears bro. pic related

Anyway, then comes the post mortem section. its kinda bad tbh, didnt really need it especially since the previous part hit SO HARD. its also an hour long and just doesn't really matter all too much.

AND SO, UH. THAT'S MY REVIEW. tune in next time after i finish the 6 and a half hour The Caretakers - Nowhere At The Millenium Of Space, which takes the original idea of EATEOT and takes it to a groovy 60s to 80s vibe instead.

[a-vampire-culturelover]

The Serpent and the Tide - a sequel to The Serf and the Moon

Slowly, the Lady had awoken, a burning thirst lingering in the back of her throat. 'Where am I?' she thought to herself as she looked around. The last thing she remembered was running from an an attack set on the village she had lived in, passing out from her wounds, and a strange sting in the side of her neck.

Checking to be sure, she had felt where the stinging had originating, finding two prick marks, faded and healed, but still a reddish color. She had tried to think of what could possibly have caused it, trying to retrace her steps and remember anything else. It was as she was trying to remember that she felt the small snake that had coiled itself around her chest tightly, flicking its forked tongue in delight seeing her awake at last. "I see your awake now" A voice pitched in from the shadows, startling The Lady, who broke out into an abrupt hiss at the stranger. She covered her own mouth at the horrid noise that had just came from her, more scared than she was before. The voice had emerged from the shadows to reveal a shorter woman with a bat ear growing out of her forehead, blue eyes that shined almost as bright as the moon did. "W-who are you?" She had spoken up at last. "My name is Moon. I saved you from death, although I am not quite sure having an undead and unbeating heart counts as so." If she could breathe, it would have stopped after hearing what Moon had said. She wasn't alive but she wasn't dead? How? Before she could say anything else she felt the prick of something sharp in her mouth, two sharp fangs in place of dull canines. It was then she had realized just what Moon was, and what had happened to her: She was a vampire now. The burning thirst in her throat finally made sense now, as she had grown thirstier, aware of what her body hungered for. She suddenly broke down in tears, catching Moon unaware. Feeling sorry for this tall, beautiful woman that she had turned, came closer to wipe away the tears and ignoring the snake that hissed out of pettiness for being flicked away when Moon originally turned her. "What is your name, darling?" Moon had quietly asked, being as gentle as she could to the trembling vampire. "Rosita. My name is Rosita." Her voice trembling as she began to finally calm down. "You feel much more like an Empress to me." Moon had complimented her, lightly flirting. "Empress" blushed lightly, beginning to finally accept her situation and her newfound immortality.

“Let me introduce you to the rest of the court. Im sure The King will have a good way of explaining this all to you.” Moon said as she led Empress to The Vampire King, leaning in close to the taller one’s touch.

[dreamball-teams]

I'll happily read the 10 paragraphs of nerd shit I'm the same way :3

halp

k so. his is a shorter version of the original ramble i had typed up but for those unfamiliar with pokemon (hi, thanks for hanging around even when you dont know what im talking about) the pokemon darkrai is one of those “misjudged angsty” type cast pokemon. its a dark type whose presence induces nightmare, but its stated in the pokedex that this is a defense mechanism. in most of the mainline games it minds its own business, and even when it does make antagonistic appearances, its usually being manipulated by the REAL villain (pokemon ranger: shadows of almia), actually just lonely (pokepark 2: wonders beyond), or its intentions have been mistaken (pokemon: the rise of darkrai). its generally shown to be either benign or outright benevolent.

when i make teams i try my best to stick to canon precedent, so i have to really justify it to myself to put darkrai on a villains team, but we do actually have two outright villain roles for it that im aware of (and ive played a lot of spinoffs in my day).

the first was a minor anime appearance (this is a different darkrai than RoD darkrai, yes there are multiple darkrai. this sometimes happens with mythicals and legendaries, we’ve even seen a baby lugia in the anime despite nearly all legendaries and mythicals being unable to breed). it was causing nightmares to??? be a dick i guess???

the other is pokemon mystery dungeon: explorers of time/darkness/sky (play this play pmd:eos play iiiiiiiiitttt).

(spoilers) in those, darkrai is the very final post game story boss, revealed to be the big mastermind behind everything that occured throughout the games main story, despite never being foreshadowed or mentioned. he just shows up in the players dream and tells them to kill themself (yes, REALLY). darkrai as a villain isnt smth im a fan of, even excluding the hellish cresselia escort it takes just to fight the goddamn bastard, but it can work if you try to convince me. pmd:eos does not.

given darkrai is unable to NOT cause nightmares, the most common thread ive seen is that its basically lashing out due to isolation (a veil of lies is such a good fic go read it on ao3 if you like pmd fanfics its ongoing and long and juicy hnnngngnggg).

ANYWAYS all that said darkrai was a choice i waffled on for a while when it came to bill because the conceptual idea of a pokemon that enters and manipulates dreams to inflict horrific nightmares is one that matches but darkrais most common depiction DOESNT.

and then i went oh wait everybody is always stigmatizing darkrai in canon for causing nightmares. its like the weird kid who starts hanging out with Actual Criminals because it finally gets to feel cool. thats my feeling on darkrai on that team.

i actually have so many thoughts about each pokemon i put on each team but i try to keep it brief. when i make these teams im imagining full on aus which means i have to justify each choice to myself and decide how it ended up there.

[svhnflwr]

%! relationship status

× lee donghyuck

SYNOPSIS! donghyuck loved telling others about you but he preferred to have you say it, even if he had to trick you into it

INCLUDES! superrrr fluffy, established relationship, two mentions of food (fruit), mischievous hyuck, fem!reader, kinda unexpected small twist? but its cute !

NOTES! im actually crying rn i love this man so much. i also saw this prompt/idea from a hq fanart like over a year ago so idk if this is their original idea but its such a cute idea and i cant even rmb the artist 😭 BUT CREDS THEM 🫶 it was so cute i had to write it down somewhere

WORD COUNT! 513

There were many things that you loved about Donghyuck. 

You loved the cute moles on his face and neck. You loved tracing them with the tip of your finger and connected them as if they were stars in a constellation. You would kiss each of them, reminding him how much you loved him. You loved how he hugs you, or how he holds your hand, or how he gives you sparkly eyes as a way to wordlessly ask for permission to kiss you.

But notably, you adored the way he brushes his hair back, some shorter strands falling back where they were while the rest of his hair sported an intentionally messy look that you oh so adored. He even perfected the technique to brush his hair back whenever you were watching because he knew how attractive you thought he was when he did.

You were not shy to voice things as such to him and the important people around you. There was not a time you would miss a chance to tell him how much you loved him or ramble to his dear friends about how amazing of a partner he is to you. People would deem the two of you as perfect partners who never stop talking about each other.

Even with strangers. 

Donghyuck was particularly fond of talking to people at the grocery store. There would be encounters where he just happens to strike up a conversation with someone, whether it was about a discount on a product he was not aware of or a kind lady making a sweet comment towards the two of you. 

Which was the exact situation you two were in.

“Oh you two make such a lovely couple!” the lady exclaimed as she glanced at Donghyuck who was patiently waiting by the shopping cart as you were picking some fresh fruits nearby. His face lit up, both from the kind compliment and the sudden idea he just had. His lips pulled up in a smile to reciprocate the one the lady gave him, noticing how you were walking back with the bag of fruits. 

“Oh, she’s actually my ex-girlfriend,” he said ever so nonchalantly. The gleeful expression on the lady’s face dropped faster than light as his words finally processed in her head. She was about to apologize to Donghyuck when you finally approached them, slapping his shoulder immediately after hearing what he said to the poor lady. He could only chuckle and give you a shy and only slightly apologetic grin.

“Stop introducing me like that! You’re only misleading everyone,” you said and quickly turned around to give a small bow to the lady in apology for his words. “I’m sorry about that miss. I’m actually his spouse.” His face immediately lit up at the words, feeling a sense of pride whenever you would say that out loud, whether or not he had to somewhat force it out. It was such a sweet expression on his face and you would do anything to protect it.

God. 

You were so in love with Lee Donghyuck. 

[thelostmoongazer]

sooooo this is an au thats been in the works for a few weeks now! Ive been calling it the ForgetMeNot AU but @spudinacup​ has been calling them the Dust Bunnies and i just.... lets just say its an alternative name 

to put this au in the briefest description, this is a direct spin-off of the GONE WRONG AU (thank you spud for enabling me) where a divergence in events leads to Steven's body getting cremated and his ashes being spread over the hill where Steven died/where the injector landed, for ceremonial purposes. This au also incorporates a theory/au that @faranae​ has that involves the injector originally being used to create new gems/spinels. With this in mind, cremation ashes are commonly used to create diamonds to put in jewelry as memorabilia. So, with those two concepts in mind... i’m sure you can see where im going with this

(This au is based entirely around the events that will happen in the GW AU, events that I am in no way privy to how they occur so i’m just here for the ride, folks)

READ UNDER THE CUT FOR MORE DETAILED CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS AND NOTES 

•Cloud•

   Pronouns: They/them (occasional he???)

   Age: Last to emerge

   Flaw: Twinning wisps (in layman’s terms, when too many outside elements interfere and stunt the growth of the diamond) (design more heavily based on this) 

   Symptoms: light projection is underdeveloped. Black misshapen “skin” is warped over crystalline “nursery clusters”. (I headcanon that in the early stages of gem growth, their entire form is nothing more than a small, light projection cluster of the gem their made of, but then this condenses into one spot, the gem, thus leaving behind the refined light projection and hardening the gem.) The underdeveloped skin is black/reddish because of the presence of other elements, receding it’s formation.

   Personality: All three are curious about the world, sure, but only Cloud is as forward with their intrigue. They have the mentality of “This interests me, I am going to learn more.” Which often leads them to invading boundaries and personal bubbles.    They are the most likely out of the three to ask questions and strike up conversation (that is, at least, when they learn English. Even though I can still see them trying to anyway even with broken English lol) making them very charismatic and friendly. This, in turn, makes Cloud act as the three’s door to learning more about this new world they’ve found themselves in.

   Other Notes:    - Representation of Pink Diamond. Poofy pants, Leotard over pants, Flats. Their Personality also reflects this, mimicking Pink Diamonds childlike curiosity and hunger for knowledge about life on earth.    - Meant to mimic Steven’s friendly nature.

•Sky•

   Pronouns: She/He/They

   Age: second to emerge

   Flaw: Clouding

   Symptoms: Pigment discoloration around eyes paired with iris colomba (poor vision)

   Personality: Sky is the grounding force of the group, they are the one to bring them back down to earth and be the calm when either of them go into their own heads too much. They are also fairly curious about the world but isn’t as direct about it, mostly preferring to observe from afar unless encouraged (or enabled) by the others (*coughcough* cloud *coughcough*) this isn’t to be confused with skittish, though. If sky were to be approached by someone unknown they wouldn’t run away, they’d most likely stay where they are and give you a funny look.    Sky will often need encouragement, direct or indirect, from the other two to make their own willing decisions, and will often parrot cloud or slug. Sky will often act as their dictionary or mental catalogue. If one of them forgets the word to something it’s likely sky will be the one to remember it.

   Other Notes:    -Representation of Rose Quartz. Shawl layer in the shape of RQ’s dress, loose ringlets, bare feet. Their personality reflects Rose Quartz’s mature and nurturing energy with the deep love for all those they hold dear.     - Meant to mimic Steven’s caring spirit    -due to iris colomba, her vision is very poor. But a symptom of iris colomba is the presence of floater spots in ones vision which, in children, can lead to a more developed use for peripheral vision. This is the case for Sky.

•Slug•

   Pronouns: He/They

   Age: First to emerge

   Flaw: Black Inclusions (bits of spinel?)

   Symptoms: Black splotches all over body, mental conflict (short temper, mild co-dependency)

   Personality: Being the first to emerge, Slug takes on the role of protector. This makes him very defensive and slightly possessive of the other sibling. He is the most antisocial of the group but can be easily swayed into any activity by the other two, especially when it comes to affection. He typically comes off as crass and rude to strangers (or anyone who isn’t sky or cloud), but if his trust is earned (with a lot of effort) he will show it rather than say it. Slug is the most visually observant and spatially aware out of the two and acts as their sharper set of eyes (this also going hand in hand with their role as protector).

   Other Notes:    - Representation of Steven. Jacket, (comparatively) shorter curly hair, sandals.    His personality reflects Stevens protective nature (and temper) and desire to help. Wanting nothing more than to be useful to those he cares about most.    - Meant to mimic Steven’s will to fight

•Overall Notes•

   • These gems emerge about 3-4 or so months after the current events of GONE WRONG (THIS IS LIKELY TO CHANGE) 

  • Each gems deformities/premature emergence all make these gems extremely brittle compared to a normal perfect cut diamond (or even a regular gem for that matter)

  • 3 gems instead of one was the fact that a pink diamond, in essence, is practically identical to a white diamond, as far as whats in it’s chemical compound to effect it’s color. With this in mind, its been explained before that White Diamond carries the essence of the entire spectrum. If this is true, then why wouldn’t a pink diamond if they’re practically identical? Therefore, the result of adding those residual properties of a pink diamond from within the ashes, would produce the “purest” forms of the spectrum. White, yellow, and blue. All of them tinted slightly with an ashy pinkish hue.

   • Many things were factors in their premature growth, but a main factor is the amount of injector fluid that was provided in the growing process. When spinel first lands the injector, its very apparent that there is plenty of fluid injected into the hill right upon impact. But in this circumstance, after the current events in Gone Wrong, the injector goes idle (or is possibly removed and relocated by/to Little Homeworld but that is completely up in the air and reliant on future events in GW.) and what little fluid was left behind by the injector was what was used to grow the three gems 

   • Currently, their vocabulary is very limited. They will normally speak in 1-3 word sentences unless they are parroting. Although, given that they are technically elite gem, albeit deformed, they do have the programming for an advanced ease of grasp on language. 

   • Because of their human influence, they have taken on specific traits of Steven. Yes, different physical aspects (facial features, body type, clothing, etc.) but they also gained instincts from Steven. Not to be confused with memories, but rather impressions of specific muscle memory.     Although they don’t need to, they will sometimes desire sleep or food, often unknowingly acting on human instincts. They will even find themselves drawn to specific things/places/people, finding them familiar or warming up to this thing/place/person with ease. (e.g. feeling familial attachment to Pink!Steven not long after first contact with him, with the exception of Slug (lol))     This can include, but is not limited to, other absent minded behaviors; such  as, inflections in speech, subtle ticks (i.e. humming, tapping feet, idle movements), specific hand gestures, ect.

[mcd-ms-rants]

I can’t believe I started this blog asking for one note and you guys went way above and beyond that <3 <3

let’s do this shit *cracks knuckles*

also some of the points here might be in jumbled order cuz I just wrote them as soon as they came into my head

STUFF I DIDNT LIKE IN MYSTREET SEASON 2:

• ayyy home alone reference

• ok that’s not a bad thing

• WHERE IS LAURANCE. He had no reason to just disappear like that where did he go :(

(side note: I’m pretty sure that Jess was hospitalized during this time, so a lot of characters were cut out and the script was made shorter. so I think that’s why a few characters were scrapped.)

• isn’t llp supposed to be ‘sold out since forever’?? how do Aaron and Dante somehow win tickets FOR EVERYONE just by kissing?? ok sometimes shows or contests give free tickets...but only like one or two. Aphmau literally drags the whole street there

• in my opinion it is IMPOSSIBLE for a whole street’s worth of people to pack their stuff, grab essentials, drive to the airport, check in and get on the plane IN AN HOUR. especially considering that mystreet is the most chaotic street in existence

• why do all the boys swim shorts have the same damn pattern hello originality??

• DAMN TRAVIS GETS UP TO SOME FREAKY SHIT WHEN THE OTHERS ARENT HOME. he literally hires people to impersonate his friends and monologues as katelyn and I’m not even going to repeat those lines here they are CURSED😳😳 where did he even get Katelyn’s clothes from??

• how does the mys gang take Zane, who (im pretty sure) wasn’t even in the house where Garroth and Dante were when Dante broke down the door, but forget to take Travis, who literally lives IN THEIR BASEMENT IN THE SAME HOUSE. for the record HOW DO THEY FORGET LAURANCE. this makes no sense (I don’t really remember this part well so if zane is actually there then ignore me :) thanks)

• garroth saying ahoy matey kills me every time

• I feel like lucinda really got shoved to the side in this season. she barely has any relevant lines that aren’t just filler

• ok there’s a gay couple here it’s Guy and Nate. but isn’t this way of representing them heavily stereotyped?? a twink and a buff guy. Seems like a stereotype to me and I don’t like it because of that

• also arent ivy and teony supposed to be lesbian?? this would have been nice...IF WE ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE THEM ASIDE FROM LIKE TWO EPISODES. Stop making characters disappear :( I get that not every character can be major but they were like the only decently written lgbtq+ representation this show has plus teony is a dark-skinned beauty and you cannot convince me otherwise. she’s underrated

• I bring to you better lgbtq+ representation: Garrance

• admit it it would’ve been SO MUCH BETTER even tho Laurance wasn’t actually in s2 at least do it in s1

• we need more nb and lgbtq+ representation I’ll say this again and again

• when Aph sees Ivy there’s no mention of her being in a jury of any kind in pdh. Same with Katelyn and Jeffory actually, even Ivan in s3. If these people weren’t in the jury then who was??

• i love mcd Dante but WTF HAPPENED HERE. His character is a mess and not the good kind. he is dumb, flirty and a cheater since highschool and instead of learning from his mistake of cheating in pdh he decides to DO IT AGAIN. And I don’t see anyone else in the cast point this out or tell him not to?? Why??

• HOW TF DO ZANE’S PANTS EVEN FALL DOWN?? he legit goes down a baby water slide and boom theyre gone. Aphmau doesn’t lose her clothes while going down a roller caster water slide that GOES INTO THE SEA so HOW DOES HE?? If they were that loose they would’ve fallen off while he was walking. which they didn’t. Also doesn’t water make your clothes stick to your skin and not the other way around? Ya hello can someone please explain

The next four points are not actually bad things i found them funny in a stupid way but also how tf did they even happen:

• I’m not even going to BOTHER deciphering the physics behind Travis setting the house on fire, having said fire coming into contact with explosive feathers, and yeeting him thousands of miles away into llp

• no seriously how is he still alive

• and why is he allowed to stay?? isn’t this place sold out since forever??

• wow celeste has the power to swim thousands of miles away to llp as well seriously what does she eat??

ok let’s get back to it

• doesnt Katelyn throw Travis off a roof some time in this season, or was it s1? Either way that’s not cool

• the talk between Travis and katelyn was very much needed. I’m very glad it was written in but feel as though it could have been written a bit better. also Katelyn doesn’t even realize what shes doing isn’t ok till here in canon which I don’t like because it makes her seem ignorant or airheaded and I know she isn’t like that. she’s better than that. she should have been at least a bit aware of it since s1

• AND THIS WHOLE TALK WAS SHOVED ASIDE BCUZ AARON HAD TO ASK APH TO LIVE WITH HIM. am I the only one that feels this way? which is more important in your opinion?? there was nothing inherently wrong with this scene but the fact that THIS had more importance than the travlyn talk really upset me

• hello Gene :) the ONLY character with some decent development here. Give him a hand👏👏

let me make it known that I’m aware that this is supposed to be an anime style show so not everything will make logical sense but I’ve still put those points in cuz why not

and that’s all I can think of thanks for coming to my ted talk <3 <3

[jaime-brienne-fic-exchange]

Exchange Posting Guide

Hello, friends and frenemies! We are less than three days away from the collection opening, which means I have a tension headache every morning I wake up and remember that I have to finish my exchange fic. The no-fault defaulting deadline has passed, but if you realise you will not be able to finish on time please, please let us know ASAP anyway so we can get a knight writer to write your recipient a gift.

On the other hand, if you have completed your exchange fic draft, please remember to tell us before the 1st! About a third of the participants already confirmed they’ve finished their fic, and we say:

Okay, now with the collection opening soon, here’s some FAQ on posting!

First off, how dare you?

Honestly, I ask myself that all the time, and the answer is there is no answer. We knew what an exchange would be like. Chances are, you did too when you signed up because many of you were here last year. We have no one else to blame but ourselves.

How does posting work?

The exchange portal will open on August 1st at 12pm AEST. Once it opens, use AO3 to upload your fic as usual:

Most of the upload process will be exactly the same as usual, but you need to fill in the following two fields:

Fill in the first with “JaimeBrienneFicExchange2021” (It should autofill, but please be careful to select the right collection! This one is the one we're using. Alternatively, you can go straight to that collection and click the “Post to Collection” button on the top right under the banner once the collection is open.)

Type in your recipient’s AO3 name in the second field. Double check your original prompt to ensure you have the correct name. A few people have different tumblr/AO3 names and we don’t want any fics to go awry.

If you've already made an AO3 draft before the 1st, make sure you add it to the collection and put in your recipient's username in the fields we mentioned above, and make sure you change the date when posting (or your fic will be buried). Be aware it can cause some shenanigans where the fic may not appear at the top of the page.

After that, it’s as simple as clicking post! Your fic will be submitted to the exchange and automatically be made anonymous. As the author, when you open your own fic, it will say ‘YourUsername (Anonymous)’, but to other users it will simply say ‘Anonymous’. Author’s names will not be revealed until August 21st, when we click the button to reveal them.

Feel free to reply to comments during that week. As long as you are logged into the account that posted the fic, all of your comments will also be anonymised.

If any of this process is confusing to you, PLEASE reach out to one of the organisers (nire-the-mithridatist/slipsthrufingers/firesign23/samirant/im-auntie-social)! We’re happy to hold your hand through the process 🤗

What about Lil’ Oathkeepers?

I’m glad you asked, imaginary exchange participant that’s totally not me talking to myself! A Lil’ Oathkeeper is a gift that can be any size and shape. It can be art! A video edit! A moodboard! A fic shorter than 1000 words! Or… a fic longer than a 1000 words, but you probably know that. Anyone (you don’t even have to be signed up to the exchange) can make and gift a Lil’ Oathkeeper. We’ll be releasing the prompt spreadsheet and posting instructions on the 1st!

Why is the exchange opening a day earlier than you said?

Because Slips has set the time on the exchange to suit her own timezone. She has to stay up till after midnight to watch F1 cars go vroom vroom and had to deal with being spoiled for every single episode of Game of Thrones on Tumblr and Twitter because it aired in the US while she was at work. This is her own petty little vengeance and she will not apologise for that.

Also it’s easier for her to keep everything straight in her head this way. Mathematics is not her strength. We’re kindly moderators though, so here’s a handy timezone conversion for you.

Why do I need to let you know by the 1st that I’ve finished my fic if I can post it anytime during the following week?

So we can find a knight writer ASAP. The sooner we know that you won’t be able to complete your fic, the sooner we can find someone to fill in for you. We don’t want anyone to be disappointed.

Do I have to post ON the 1st of August? I’ll be AFK for the day because my cat has a piano recital!

No, you can post it anytime between the 1st and the 7th. If you can’t or don’t want to post it on Sunday, then you can absolutely wait until later. We anticipate that the bulk of fics will be posted over the weekend, but if you want to post it on the 6th, then that’s absolutely your choice. Just be mindful that your recipient may be worrying why they haven’t received one.

Also tell your cat we’re rooting for them!

I really overshot the 1k limit and need to post multiple chapters. Should I post them together and drop my 40k prompt fill in the tag all at once, or can I stagger it throughout the week?

You must have a complete posted story by the 7th of August, unless you have reached out to us to make alternate arrangements. If you want to post your story over the week, you can. If you want to post it all at once, you can. As long as your prompter gets a completed fic in the posting window, we don’t mind.

(Also, look at your life, look at your choices! It was a 1k minimum!!! Buncha overachievers in this fandom, I swear 😂😂😂)

Can I thank my beta in the notes of my story?

Absolutely you can! The betas of the fandom be working HARD this week, they definitely deserve recognition. Just be mindful of including anything in your notes that might reveal who you are. You could choose to name your beta, or just thank them generally and add their name after authors have been revealed.

What if I don’t receive a story?

It might be because your author hasn’t posted it yet - they have the full week from the 1st to the 7th to post their story. It also might be because your fic needed a knight writer to write it. If this is the case, know that your knight is probably working very diligently to complete it, but might not be able to complete it within the window. If it looks like your fic will be significantly delayed (like until after authors are revealed) we will contact you directly to let you know what’s up.

What’s the etiquette around thanking my author?

A kudos and a comment is pretty standard. It’s up to you how long your comment is; we don’t write comments with our heads, we write them with our hearts. Just keep in mind that a person out there spent time working on something just for you and make sure you show your appreciation, even if the story isn’t exactly what you expected!

Can I promote my story?

Please don’t do this until authors have been revealed through the collection.

Can I rec my gift story?

Absolutely! Share the love! You can choose to rec it while it’s still anonymous, or wait until the authors are revealed. It’s up to you.

I’m not participating in the exchange, but I want to get into the spirit of the week. What can I do?!

Well firstly, read any of the 102 fics we expect to be posted that week! Read them and enjoy them! Leave a kudos! Leave a comment! Leave ten comments! Write rec lists and share them on Tumblr or Discord or TikTok, wherever it is that the cool kids hang these days!

What’s for dinner, nire?

Chicken, seasoned with my own tears.

I have another question that hasn’t been answered in the FAQs

Either send us a message through tumblr, or get in touch with one of the organisers privately. We’ll get back to you ASAP!

[hoekageyama]

cmfrt

yaku morisuke x reader

warnings: nsfw, smut, uhhhh grey sweatpants (ik im sorry ew)

wc: ~3k

a/n: hi hi! this is my first piece, so pls go easy on me ._. this started off as something fluffy bc my desire for yaku content is thru the roof (as it should be), but ofc i got off the rails and went the soft smut route lmao oops. anyway, i hope u enjoy! 

~ also! please don’t consume this content if you are not of age, thnx <3 ~

You and Yaku had been best friends for years. Having gone to the same middle school and practically being next door neighbors. Needless to say, you spent a lot of time together; you two were pretty much attached at the hip. So when Yaku told you that he’d also be going to Nekoma for high school, you were pretty excited but not really surprised. 

Throughout high school, the two of you spent as much time together as possible, proving to be difficult at times with every ounce of Yaku’s free time being devoured by volleyball and the endless amounts of studying that was required for prepping for uni. All that aside, the two of you always found time for each other. Whether it be little lunch dates on the weekends, small study sessions in the library, or even facetime hangouts when you were both exhausted and too lazy to actually meet up face to face.

It felt like any other Friday when you and Yaku met up in the early morning to walk to school together. “Y/n, did you finish that history report yet? I’m almost done, but I need someone to review it so I don’t look like an idiot when I present on it.” Yaku ran a hand through his light brown hair and looked over to your slightly shorter form.

You turn to Yaku, noticing how his cheeks were slightly flushed due to the cold wind blowing directly in your faces. “Just about. I just need to finish my conclusion, but it shouldn’t take me too long to power through it. Also, yeah, I can take a look at it. No worries.” You turn away after answering the boy, and continue on your walk, thinking that was the end of that conversation. You can feel his gaze on you suddenly, leaving your cheeks to tint to that familiar shade of red. “Thanks. Also… are you free tonight?” he asks with slight notes of hesitation in his voice. You glance at him through the side of your eye noticing his fidgeting hands. “Yea, I’m free. What’s up?”

Without looking at you or answering, he slows his pace until he’s stopped. Standing and gazing out at the trees that lined the roads, watching as the Maple leaves are shed from their branches, showing the first true signs of winter. You stop alongside him and nudge him slightly with your elbow, “Why’d you ask so suddenly, Mori? Something up?”

He jumps slightly being pulled from his thoughts. He glances over at you, “Oh, uh, no reason really. I was just wondering if you’d wanna come over tonight to study and hangout. We can chill and watch movies like the old times. I have the house to myself and all so…” When you see his raised eyebrow and sly smirk grace his features, you feel your face heat up slightly.

You turn to him giggling, “Oooooh, Mori! I didn’t know you could be such a flirt!” He wraps an arm around your shoulders and forces you to start walking again. “If that’s what you call flirting, then the guys you talk to must be braindead.” He pulls you a little closer into his chest, laughing along with you now. You nuzzle your head into his chest, breathing in his familiar scent, “Of course I’ll come. As long as you treat me to some takeout tonight.” He nods and smiles, looking at your slightly smaller form clinging to his for warmth. “Deal. We can stop by the store on our walk home, and I’ll get you whatever ya want.” You only nod in agreement, leaving the two of you to walk the rest of the way in a comfortable silence.

As the day moved on, you found yourself getting a bit anxious for your hangout with your best friend. It’s not like you haven’t slept over at his house before. In fact, you and Yaku practically slept at each other’s houses every weekend for as long as you can remember. But what was so different now? Oh yeah, that’s right. It’s because now you were painfully aware of your burning crush on the mighty libero. 

The final bell signaling the day’s end rings as you make your way through the double doors of Nekoma. Making your way towards the gym, you see Kuroo and Kai standing by the entrance chatting. “Yo Tets! Kai! You guys seen Mori anywhere?” The two both wave in greeting as you move closer to the duo. “Yea, I think he’s getting changed right now. Should be out in a bit.” Kai states. “You two still aren’t dating yet? You guys act like you're married already.” says Kuroo, rustling your hair. “Oh shut uuuuup already.” you hear Yaku groan from inside the gym. “You’re so worried about our relationship when you can barely hold a conversation with a girl without looking like a nerd.” Yaku scoffs, punching Kuroo’s arm. 

The four of you eventually split off into your own groups, making your way home for the weekend. The walk home doesn’t take very long. It’s filled with Yaku telling you about Kuroo’s horrible chemistry pickup lines and complaining about the test you both had coming up. Midway through, you both stopped at the store, picking out ample snacks for your movie night and some dinner for later.

Upon finally trudging through the icy winds, you arrive at Yaku’s house. He unlocks the door, but steps aside to let you in first. “What a gentleman!” you say jokingly as he laughs from your reaction. You slide your shoes off at the door and make a beeline straight for Yaku’s bedroom, plastic bag filled with goodies in hand. Yaku lets out a happy sigh and soon follows suit. 

Once in Yaku’s room, you lie face down on his bed groaning. “What’s wrong now, princess?” he asks as he closes the door. Plopping down on the bed next to you with two juice pouches already in hand he nudges you gently to sit up. “I completely forgot to stop by my house to pick up clothes for tonight. All I have in my bag are gym clothes.” you sigh in exasperation as you take the pouch from his cold hands.

“Oh stop. You know you can always just use some of my clothes.” he shrugs while taking a sip of his juice. “I mean.. You’ve done it before. It’s not that big of a deal. I- if you’re ok with it, that is.” he says looking over to you, waiting for your response. You nod in response moving to lie in his lap.

If you didn’t know Yaku well enough, you wouldn’t have noticed the way he tenses slightly, ears the tiniest bit redder than they were moments ago braving the cold of the outside world. “Well then, get me something comfy because I need to get out of this skirt asap!” you say brushing down the edges of your skirt, putting them into place. “I’ll say..” he mumbles. You barely heard it, but it makes your cheeks grow a little red.

After you both finish your drink, you see him disappear into his closet only to emerge moments later with two sets of clothes in hand. He tosses a black t-shirt and a pair of red shorts to you on the bed. Both of which, landing right on top of your face. “I’ll go shower up first since I don’t take ages like some people.” he says with a smirk as he reaches the door.

You giggle hearing his mocking tone “Ok that was one time! And to be fair, it was all your fault. My hair smelled like Yakuult for days after!” He blushes slightly remembering the incident, but chooses to only shake his head laughing to himself as he continues his pursuit for the bathroom.

You lie in his bed scrolling through some app on your phone when you hear the door open. Yaku returns, toweling off his lightly dampened hair, clad in just a pair of grey sweatpants that seem to barely hand onto his waist. You feel your thighs press together tightly as he throws a hoodie on, turning to see your flustered state. “What? Am I too hot for ya?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows. “Oh shut up!” you groan, rushing passed him and right out the door. You quickly hop into the shower once in the bathroom to cool off your burning cheeks, praying that you can keep it together for the rest of the night. 

Soon enough, you’re all dry, dressed, and heading for Yaku’s room. As you close the door, you see Yaku sitting at his desk running his fingers through his hair. Yaku had been working on his history paper while you were in the shower, and it seems he isn’t making much progress. You grab your back and move to sit by him, brushing against his leg with your own on the way down. He feels a shiver rush down his spine at the sudden delicate touch. “You ok, Mor?” you ask when you see him nodding profusely in response. “Yeah just can’t get this paper done. It’s like my mind is racing, but I can’t focus.” You rub his back and lean over to view his paper in front of him. The way you’re positioned isn’t helping Yaku’s brain one bit. 

Yaku places a hand on your lower back, ogling at the way your back arches naturally reacting to his touch. He smooths out the back of your shirt, admiring the swell of your ass. He flushes a bit, feeling a dull throb and a tightness beginning to form in his sweatpants, when he notices how short you made the shorts after rolling the waistband up a few times to ensure they’d fit. 

You subconsciously rub your thighs together a little while reading through his history report. You hoped that Yaku wouldn’t notice, but unlucky for you he did. He continued rubbing your back, slightly lowering his hand little by little until you felt his rough hand caress your ass. You turned around to look at him, but were met with eyes glazed over in lust. “Hey Mor, you ok?” you ask confused. “I’m fine, baby. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.” he says as he drops his hand into his lap in an attempt to conceal the bulge that began growing in his sweats. You shake your head giggling, moving back to your original position next to him. “Nah it’s all good, babe. Just…” you lose all train of thought you possibly had when you glance down and notice the outline of something in his sweatpants. “Hey, y/n, listen. I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean for this to happen, I promise. I- I just think you look really good in my clothes…. Sorry.” he quickly spits out. 

He began shuffling to get up from you when you reach out and clamp a hand around his wrist. “Why are you apologizing, babe? I should probably be the one apologizing. Especially when you’ve made me like this.” you say bashfully, leading his hand to the wet spot that was now visible in the red shorts you wore. He groaned upon feeling the dampness. “What’s all this, princess? Why so wet already?” he coos into your ear, continuing to rub his rough hands against your clothed core. 

After building up the courage to get this far, you threw all caution to the wind. “You, Mori. Fuck! I want you to touch me, please.” you let out a little moan as you palmed him through his sweats. You could tell just how hard he was through his pants. “Fuck, baby, I’ll do whatever you want. Just please let me fuck you.” he groans when you press a little harder onto his hardened cock.

Everything that happened next was a blur. Lips smashed together, tongues dancing, teeth clashing every now and then. You finally part lips, gasping for air as he tugs his hoodie off over his head. You follow suit, removing your shirt and shorts, leaving you standing nearly bare in between his legs as he lounged in his desk chair. 

His eyes never leave yours as he unhooks your bra, allowing it to fall to the floor with a thud. His hands smooth over your breasts, rolling and pinching a nipple in between the rough pads of his fingers. He places open mouthed kisses from your jawline down to the swell of your breasts. Leaning back to take in the view once more he groans, saying, “You’re so beautiful, baby. I can’t believe you’ve been hiding these from me all this time.” you only moan as he moves in to nip at one of your pert nipples. Your hands immediately reach for his light brown locks and begin to tug in response to the stimulation. 

His hands move to your lower body pulling off your lace underwear until they drop to the floor. You kick them aside before he grips your hips tightly. “Mo- Mori please, let me ride your cock.” you say through moans as he lightly trails a finger through your soaked folds. He removes his mouth from your chest with a lewd popping sound. He stands up to pull his sweats lower and sits back down in his seat. You take a moment to ogle at the sight before you. His cock, painfully hard, dripping precum from the swollen head. You grab his shoulders and move in to kiss him as his grip returns to your hips. 

He hoists you up onto his lap, making you straddle the length in his lap. When your wet core makes contact with the length below you, you let out a lewd moan and grind in his lap. He hisses at the contact and tightens his grip on you to stop you from moving. “Patience, princess.” he groans out as you finally stop your ministrations. He lifts you slightly, aligning himself with your hole before looking up to you for approval. You simply nod your head and lower yourself onto his cock little by little. It isn’t too above average in length, but damn did he make up for it in girth. 

You both hiss at the feeling of him being sheathed completely inside your tight cunt, neither of you moving to allow for you both to regain some composure. “Fuck baby, you’re so tight!” he groans, “Just let me know when you want to start moving.” You only nod your head, savoring the delicious stretch in your core. 

As soon as you regain your bearings, you look up to him with glazed eyes, “Mori, mo- move please.” He attaches your mouth to his and gently lifts you, gripping your ass tightly. Before long, he let you take control. The pace you set is slow at first while you kiss him tenderly, running a hand through his hair, tugging gently every so often. His cock hits a particularly sensitive spot inside you, causing you to erupt in another lewd moan of his name. You feel him twitch inside you, he speeds up the pace a bit bringing your ass down harder each time he lifts you. 

Before long you feel that familiar heat in your core building inside you. “Ah fuck, I’m c- close” you moan out as he snaps his hips up to meet yours. The sound of his balls slapping your ass is nearly enough to set you off, but when he reaches a hand down to place sloppy circles around your clit. The coil of heat building up finally snaps, and you’re thrown head first into the bliss of ecstasy.

Yaku groans feeling you tighten around his length. He continues fucking you through your high, and his pace begins to get sloppy before he pulls out frantically. Before he can ask you, you get on your knees in front of him and take him into your mouth. He hisses at the feeling of your tongue gliding over his swollen head and throws his head back in pleasure. With one hand in your hair, he pulls you lower onto his cock as he bursts ribbons of heat down the back of your throat. 

After removing himself from your mouth and tucking himself back into his sweats, he pulls you back into his lap. He places a gentle kiss on your lips, holding you tightly in his arms. “Mori, I’m cooooooold.” you whine into his shoulder. “Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed, huh?”

He moves you onto his bed and quickly disappears to the bathroom. You see him return with a damp washcloth and a cup of water in hand. You let him clean you off as you look around the room for your clothes. “I’ll get you some new clothes ok? Just relax and drink your water while I put these washing.” he says, motioning to the pile of clothes on the floor. He hands you some garments and you quickly get dressed as he moves about the house.

He later returns, only to see you waiting for him with the takeout you had gotten earlier. He plops down beside on the bed for the second time tonight and pulls you into a hasty kiss. “You’re mine, right? I love you so much. I’ve dreamt of this for years. Please stay with me.” he says as he looks deep into your e/c eyes, while cupping your cheeks with his hands. “How can I say no?” you giggle, smashing your lips into his once more before chowing down on your takeout meals. The rest of the night is spent with the two of you cuddled up watching terrible rom-coms. The history report, long forgotten. That can wait for tomorrow.

- again, i’m so sorry at how trashy this is written lmaodfadfj 

- if u did read it tho, tysm! ily & maybe send me some suggestions on what to write next. i’m down for whatever rlly. i’m trying to write more often so this is kinda just a warm up for now.

[haztory]

𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝. (2)

-chapter two: the story of us; warnings for this chapter include a brief discussion and mentioning of sexual assault. it is not described in detail nor does it happen to anyone in this fic. i will not ever be using sexual assault as a plot device as i think that’s unnecessary. however, because it is prevalent in female culture, or at least the discussion of it is, it is briefly mentioned.

if this makes anyone uncomfortable, please skip over! i will not be offended at all! 

-summary:  His eyes are a sea of green that you can't seem to stop drowning in.

a/n: this chapter is a doozy yall, im so sorry. this is mainly to serve as complete exposition of reader and iwa, so it’s hella long. i had an original idea of how i wanted this to go and then i started writing and this happened. lmfao. thank you all for being patient and loving and your comments are so wonderful! i had midterms all last week and all i could think about was writing this! so thank you all and i hope you all enjoy! next chapter will be pure chaos and fun!

i was listening to “cloud 9″ by beach bunny for this chapter! so that might help you understand how i see reader and iwa <33

(w.c.: 8,662 words)

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You’re ten years old when you meet Iwaizumi Hajime for the first time. 

He’s an inch shorter than you, skinny, hair set in an unorganized mess of spikes, and he smells of sweat. It’s the least enticing first impression you’ve ever encountered, wondering briefly if this is what all of Miyagi Prefecture has to offer.

Because if so, you’re not looking forward to it.

He’s blocking the entrance to the neighborhood park with his bike, back facing towards you and an arm stretched outward-pointing at something across the park. The same park that your mother has forced you to attend, kicking you out of your new home filled with moving boxes, a warm smile on her face and a simple request to “go have fun”.  

A request that was starting to seem like more of a problem than you anticipated. 

You’re halted in front of the gates to the area for a solid minute, the boy in front of you being less than aware of your presence as he continues to shout from across the park.

“Grab all of them, Oikawa!” 

There’s another boy roughly the same age holding several items that look to be action figures close to his chest. His face is scrunched up and his shoulders slouched as he takes exaggerated sluggish steps while crossing the courtyard. He’s sweaty too, just like the boy in front of you.

“But there’s so many, Iwaaa. Can’t you help me?” 

“You’re such a baby, Oikawa.” 

The one named Oikawa is about to respond when he stops his movements altogether. He merely points his finger, eyes fixated on something behind his black-haired friend.

You realize a bit too late that he’s pointing at you.

The friend, Iwa as he was called, turns his head with a questioning hum, green eyes meeting yours. A sea of emerald. 

“Oh,” he breathes out, voice high in timber and flooded in awkwardness, raising his hand in a shy greeting, “Uh, hi.”

“Hi,” you respond in equal awkwardness, the kind that only a new kid can embody. Uneasiness has been settled into your bones ever since the move was announced, and now, as you stand before two physical embodiments of your displacement in this area, the feeling seems to sink even deeper into your stomach. “You’re blocking the entrance.”

“Huh? Oh! Sorry ‘bout that.” He begins a cumbersome shuffle of pushing the bike he was sitting on backward, small grunts escaping his mouth as he tries to make space for you to enter. It’s a slow process, considering he teeters from side to side and struggles to smoothly retreat from the space. Oikawa snickers in the background, some teasing words being aired that you are too far to hear, but they must be irking enough considering Iwa mutters a “shut up, idiot” in response.

The friendship is formidable, you don’t need to know them for long to see that. Envy and all its bitter acid coat your tongue.

“Are you the one that just moved in?” Oikawa speaks up.

You nod.

“How old are you? Are you going to Kitagawa Elementary? Have you already—”

Iwa interrupts the ferociously excited boy with a gentle scoff, “Calm down, Oikawa. Give her some air. Geez.”

“I just want to know more about the new girl, Iwa-chan!”

“Yeah, well you’re doing it wrong.”

Oikawa rolls his eyes and clutches the toys in his arms tighter, “You do it then!”

“Do what?”

“Introduce us! Make friends!”

“I think you blew it already.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun. If she’s going to the same place as us, she might as well join us! What do you say, new girl?”

You’re shaken from the brief exclusion of the conversation— realizing they’re including you this time—  when Iwa tears his eyes away from his friend and meets yours once again. Upon connection with the emeralds, your throat constricts your throat and the relief of ease washes over. The hesitancy that was bubbling in your stomach starts to dissipate when he looks at you— almost comforted by his dark yet steady stare— but the sense is quickly replaced by something else that shakes you. Your skin prickles, like fire ants marching up the pattern of your skin, and your palms start to sweat despite the cooling temperatures and the light breeze blowing against your skin. 

You’d have to tell your mom about this, just to make sure you weren’t getting sick.

“Would you like to join us?” Iwa asks. There’s no trace of a smile on his face but the invitation isn’t lacking in warmth. It’s a subtle kind, almost imperceptible if it weren’t for the look of curiosity residing upon his features. He speaks gently, like there wasn’t a distance between you two and another person listening in on the conversation, pointing his question and attention solely at you. There was a center of his gravitational pull and it was in your direction.

He’s waiting for your answer, and not the kind that results after courteously asking someone a question; You can tell he is really waiting, wanting to know what you say because his eyes hold onto yours in a way that is much more mature than a boy at the tender age of ten should be looking at someone.  

He’s sincere. He doesn’t even know you and yet he waits upon you as though your response were one he was to weigh considerably with his agenda. He’s a stranger, only said two things directly to you, and yet you feel weightless in the most minute of his attention. 

The rocks of anxiety that were sitting heavily in your stomach for the past month have disappeared and the answer that he waits so intensely for comes rather naturally. It’s the surest you’ve felt in a while. You don't know them at all, aren't even sure if you'll like them, but what would you be other than a fool to not follow the path of certain safety laid out in front of you, disguised as a black-haired boy with the spiky hair? How can you be sure unless you don't see for yourself?

“Yeah,” you sigh out, burdensome weight lifting off your shoulders at the answer, “Can I?”

“Yeah. You can.” He affirms with a nod, the corner of his lips quirking upward. Oikawa, rather befittingly, shouts a cheer, resuming his incessant chatter in throwing an onslaught of questions your way but you’re not listening. Pulled elsewhere you find your gaze being drawn back to the calm and steady boy, with the sea of emerald in his eyes.

“I’m Iwaizumi Hajime, by the way. And that’s Oikawa Tooru.”

“I’m (Y/N).” 

“Cool.”

You spend the whole day with them, quickly finding a natural place in their relationship, serving as the happy in-between of the flamboyant nature of Oikawa and the pillar of stone that is Iwaizumi. It’s fun, the most fun you’ve had in the entirety of your move that you find yourself trying to make some kind of excuse to extend the day when the sun starts to set. 

But Oikawa has to go home, and so does Iwa, and the disappointment is more than apparent on your face. There’s the unmistakable promise of seeing one another again, that of which was affirmed when Oikawa held out his pinky for you to take and solidify the statement on.

“I can walk you home if you want.” Iwaizumi tells you after you both wave your goodbyes to the other brunet. It’s a godsend, a miracle from the heavens who heard your building plight and decided to spare your jilted mind with some form of comfort. 

“Oh, you don’t have to,” you tell him, purely as a formality. Your mother’s lessons of never burdening others kicking into gear at his offer, but you plead, secretly in the deep recesses of your brain that he disagrees. Hope desperately that he’ll take the initiative and stay with you just a moment longer. 

He shakes his head, bearing a toothy smile that is missing one of his canines. “I don’t mind. My mom always tells me to make sure girls get home safe.”

Calm, steady, comforting. You selfishly agree before you have half a mind to say otherwise, “Okay. I live this way.”

And as he trails beside you, holding his bike in his hands as he walks at the pace you set, telling you the details about his favorite monster movie, you find yourself incredibly enamored with the short, sweaty boy that hates green tea and loves summertime.

And not for the first time.

You’re thirteen when you realize that you have a terribly, horribly, deeply incessant crush on Iwaizumi Hajime. 

It’s lunchtime and while you’re usually quick to eat with the resident bickering duo of Sendai, they’ve ditched you for volleyball practice— and not for the first time. So you sit with your other group of close friends, the ones you made through the conventional school setting, and not because they impulsively adopted you into their routine. They’re the necessary and equal balance to the growing testosterone you religiously spend your weekends with, so ultimately you’re not too upset at being left behind for a sport. 

Besides, it’s nice to be surrounded by girls who talk about normal things instead of sweaty violent boys that only talk about volleyball and occasionally the things you like.

Mai, a girl with a short bob that frames her round face, shakes the table with her loud laughter, the curtain of her hair swaying in tune to her joyful movement. She was the first friend you made in this group, and easily the one you’re closest to. The complete opposite of Hajime if her unabashed, frantic excitement is anything to go by. But much like the spaces in this Miyagi heart of yours that’s dedicated to Tooru and Hajime, there’s one for her too. She grabs onto one of your arms and holds it tightly, seeking stability as her melodic laughter rings through your table. 

It’s hard not to laugh alongside her. 

“Please!” She begs Yua, a blonde girl in the year above you, and wipes her eyes free from the laughter-induced tears, “No more! I’m gonna pee!”

Yua huffs, shrugging her shoulders to say that Mai’s inability to hold her urine was beyond her control, “I’m serious! That’s how I found out Kaito had a crush on me!”

“And what did you do?” You ask, laughter lacing your own words at the tale Yua expertly weaved, describing in excruciating detail how Kaito from your third period wrote a love letter comparing Yua’s lips to that of a whale as if that was somehow a compliment.

“I ran away! What else was I supposed to do?!”

Mai howls with laughter, her body being thrown against yours and her arms flailing with the movements, unable to contain herself. You’re almost identical, finding that you follow Mai’s gesticulation in perfect countering. Where she pushes you left, you move in sync, allowing her to lean her weight on you as you both lose yourself in the story.

For as much seriousness as she tries to implement in her words, the quirking of her lips betray Yua, “Laugh all you want, but wait ‘til this happens to you! Then you’ll get it!”

“I don’t think Mai and I have to worry about that,” you tell her, the remainder of your laughter dying out of your words. Mai snaps upward, her body no longer slumped against yours, and instead of facing you with furrowed brows and an offended expression.

The two friends speak simultaneously, one with indignation and the other with confusion “Why not?”

The pointedness of the question makes it seem as though your words were wrong, a misstep in a direction that you have to apologize for. Regardless of whether or not you know why. “Uh, ‘cause no one likes us like that?”

Mai scoffs, crossing her arms and tilting her nose upwards, “Speak for yourself.”

“Sorry, no one likes me like that. So I don’t have to worry.” You say with a smile punctuating the statement with a scoop of rice into your mouth. It wasn’t a statement meant to be considered deeply, it was a simple fact. There were hardly any thirteen-year-olds looking your way, and even if there were, it wasn’t like your attention was focused on them either. All the boys in school were either too annoying or too stupid.

Except for Hajime. He was the only tolerable one. Oikawa fell into the “too annoying” category. But you still loved him—sometimes.

Yua and Mai share a glance, a fleeting look before they look back at you, “You’re joking, right?”

You look up from your food to meet their furrowed stares, “What?”

They share another glance, Mai answering Yua’s silent question with a shrug of her shoulders. You’re completely left in the dark. “Wait, what’s going on?”

“Okay, so what if,” Yua begins, the familiar teasing lilt that you’ve widely associated with the blonde returning, stressing on the ‘if’, “someone did like you. What would you do?”

They both look at you with waggling eyebrows, like they’ve cornered you into the exact hypothetical they want you to be in. While this isn’t necessarily an unfamiliar place to be in, it is a weird one, considering you and boys have never really been the topic of conversation unless Iwa and Oikawa were somehow brought up. But your friendship with them was well known and not exactly hidden at all. It wasn’t sensational, nor was it the topic of gossip. Neither was the fact that you aren’t exactly the kind of girl the boys of Kitagawa First were looking at if they were even looking at girls.

“But no one likes me like that.”

“Answer the question.”

You gesture in exasperation, “I don’t know! I’m not really into anyone like that, so I guess I’d say no?”

The two girls pause again, sharing another look. 

“Okay, can you two stop that?”

Mai speaks up this time, almost disbelieving, “You really don’t like anyone?”

“Am I supposed to?”

Yua sings, “Not even Iwaizumiii?”

The chopsticks that you held deftly in your hands go limp and a straight shot of shock runs down your spine. Time stands still in this cramped cafeteria and it feels like your head has been dunked into a bucket of cold water, halting the train of thought and highlighting every possible exit in this building.

The red lights of panic have turned on in your brain and they’re screaming at you to run.

“I— I don’t— what are you guys talking about?” 

Your two best friends, who now resemble Satan’s assistants more than anything remotely positive to you, share their third unspoken glance, and you’re about to lose it. 

“So,” Yua starts again, tearing her sly eyes from Mai’s excited ones, “You do like him?”

Code red. Abandon ship. Abort. R-U-N.

“No! He— I— We’re just friends!” 

“Oh my god!” Mai slams her hands on the surface of the table, her brown eyes boring into your widened ones as she leans over to invade your personal space and poke your chest.

“You like him!”

The brain that is usually so quick with an excuse, trained to be sharp-witted and smart from years of intense teasing from Tooru and Hajime, suddenly feels like mush in your head. Ooey, gooey mush that can’t come up with anything but stuttering, “N-No” at the idea of having some romantic inclination towards Hajime. The best friend you hang out with every weekend; The boy that always walks you home and always makes sure your comments are heard; The spiky-haired idiot with a sea of emerald in his eyes that you always seem to drown in.

But, that’s not— that doesn’t mean— No. 

You don’t like Hajime like that. He’s just a really really good friend. That you enjoy spending time with. That makes you feel comfortable with just a single look. The friend that you always want around, regardless of the kind of day. Yeah. That’s it. 

Hajime is just that kind of person.

Yua gives an unconvinced hum and taps her bright pink nails on the table surface, “When you think about another girl liking him, do you get jealous?” 

Mai backs up from your face to give a wide smile at the blonde, pointing at her wickedly and almost shouting, “Ooh! Good question!”

“Thanks, I read it in my sister’s magazine.”

Mai turns back, almost touching your nose with hers, “Well? Do you?”

The “no” is on the tip of your tongue as an instinctual defense against this personal interrogation, but it doesn’t come out. Partly because of the mush of your brain but also because you know any denial of that question just simply isn’t true; Because when Saran followed Hajime around all day in grade six, you distinctly remember being in a foul mood for a while.

A mood that could only be fixed when Hajime indirectly affirmed that he did not like her.

Oh god.

You like Hajime.

You like his stupid face and his stupid laugh and the stupid way he teases you and the stupid way he makes you feel.

Your friends laugh in your face for a solid minute while you hang your head in your hands, certain that your life was completely over with the new revelation. Yua is the instigator, teasing you relentlessly over the silent confession while Mai asserts that this is the beginning of a fairytale. 

She says it with such conviction that you’re almost inclined to believe her until reason kicks in, and the shamefulness of the situation kicks in. You push it down, fine with keeping the acknowledgment exactly where it is, right under your thumb. That is until Oikawa finds out about it and then suddenly, it’s no longer in your control.

You’re fourteen when he corners you after school. He’s walking you home, taking Hajime’s usual role when said boy and subject of your plight had to stay home with the sick. 

You don’t think he’s going to bring it up, hardly aware he even knows about it, but he does making you choke on your spit and trip over a crack in the sidewalk. He clutches his stomach in a guffaw. 

“Did you really think you could hide it from me?” Tooru teases, his finger poking at your heated cheek that you quickly swat away. 

“I’m not hiding anything, Tooru,” you mutter, keeping your head turned downwards. If Oikawa even sees a smidgen of embarrassment he would never let you live it down.

“Oh, please. You’re so easy to read, especially when Iwa-chan is around. You’re all, ‘oh Iwa, you’re so smart and funny. I want to be with you forever. Mwah, mwah, mwah!’” His hands are interwoven beside his head and he attempts a poor, high-pitched imitation of your voice. Again, Oikawa Tooru belongs in the “too annoying” category that most eighth-grade boys find themselves in. 

You lift your left leg, thrusting your shin outward to kick the taller boy in his behind, a move all too familiar. Really, Oikawa should have seen it coming, having had it done to him so often by Iwaizumi. He’s too swept up in the antics of teasing, though, that it surprises him and the pain in his bottom is sharp. His hands cover the stinging area. 

“Ow, (Y/N)!”

“That’s what you get for being stupid.”

“See! You even act him like him!”

You raise your fist upward and he raises his hands in defense, cowering at the threat of more pain, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

He lowers his hands, one eye closed and the other peeking from behind his lowering fingers, “Gosh, so violent. I’m only trying to help!”

“I don’t need help.” You grumble.

You continue your trek onward, desperate to put as much distance between yourself and this nightmare of a conversation. But it’s not that simple. There are now three people that have realized the truth of your crush in less than a year— all of which are your closest friends. It’s only a matter of time before the friend above them all realizes it too. 

Worst off, only a matter of time before someone tells him. 

You turn towards Tooru with a speed that has him flinching and thrusting his hands upward for protection again. A yelp echoes around the empty street and was it not for the intensity behind your desperation, you probably would have laughed.

“Tooru.” There’s a rasp in your voice, one that you aren’t exaggerating. It makes Oikawa uncomfortable hearing such a serious depth to your previously annoyed cadence. In his continuously growing height, he stares down at you, fear crumpling his face.

“Don’t say my name like that—”

“You cannot tell Hajime.”

He straightens his posture out, hand rubbing the back of his neck. A brow is raised quizzically, “Isn’t that the whole point of having a crush? So that you can eventually tell that person about it?”

It’s not like you expect him to understand, hell, you don’t even understand it yourself. All you know is that Hajime cannot know about it; There are too many factors, too many problems that can happen. Besides, you’re sure it’s just a tiny crush, one that will go away after a couple of months. 

And even if it didn’t, you still wouldn’t be able to tell him. Because you’ve been best friends for four years now, and if there was anything remotely remarkable about you, you’re sure something would’ve happened already. Because Hajime is strong, decisive, and steady. If he wants something, he goes for it; And if he wanted you, in any capacity like the way you want him, he would’ve said something. 

But he doesn’t because you’re his best friend. Nothing is outstanding about you, nothing that would make you more than just the girl he’s friends with. Nothing that would make you any different from “just one of the guys”.

He would never see you as anything but. 

So, it’s just easier to have Hajime as a friend than to risk it all for a likely rejection. You could swallow the feelings, bury them deep inside of you for the rest of time. It would be significantly easier than never talking to him again because you couldn’t be a big girl and not make things awkward. 

You try to tell Oikawa as much, “It’s— I just— It would be easier if he didn’t know. It’ll go away soon.”

The brunet tilts his head to the side, kind of like a pouty puppy. When he’s not being a teasing butthead, he’s rather gentle with you, considerate of your emotions, and above all, eager to understand.

“Do you want it to go away?”

“Like I said, it would just be easier.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

A quiet settles between the two of you and it feels like it’s oceans wide. You, stranded out at sea in the terrorizing waves of emotions, and he, the lighthouse built on the rocks. Tall and fixed, beckoning you towards his stable ground of reason. It’s a brief reminder that when Oikawa tries, he’s not that annoying. He’s rather kind and empathetic.

“Do you want Hajime to like you?”

The deep cocoa eyes dig into you and the waves crash even more ferociously around you.

Cotton dries up your mouth, and the ache that always pains your heart whenever you think about Hajime returns in full force, “He never will.”

Oikawa huffs out a breath, back becoming imperceptibly straighter while he crosses his arms. It’s hard to imagine him as anything but that sweaty boy you met on the playground, but he stands before you a giant, body filling out from all the volleyball practice and the baby features of his face evening out to become the handsome boy girls were starting to see him as. He radiates his kind of steadiness, one different from Hajime, but equally as comforting.

It’s admirable— he’s admirable— when it's not pinned against you.

“And how do you know?”

“Tooru,” you sigh, exhaustion suddenly creeping up your shoulders along with the overwhelming urge to cry, “Please.”

You don’t feel like explaining all the intricacies of your perceived inadequacy and thank the gods above he’s a good enough friend to know when to stop prying, “Fine, fine. I’ll leave it alone. For now.”

You stare up at him, searching his face for any notion of deceit or subterfuge, “You promise you won’t say anything?”

“Yeah, yeah,” He waves his hand in dismissal, rolling his eyes in that way that portrays annoyance but the love is there. He understands you, at least. 

You hold out your pinky for him, “Pinky promise?”

“What are we, ten?” 

You hold your finger out further, almost waving it in his face. It’s the staple of trust in your friendship, instituted early on between you and him, and only you and him. He can’t back out now.

He takes it with a sigh of his own, huffing out his breath, and twisting his long, slender finger with yours. You shake his hand in affirmation, letting go only when you feel comfortable in the validity of his promise and resuming your walk home. 

He throws an arm over your shoulder, squeezing you tightly to his body, “Eventually you’re going to have to say something.”

“I know.” 

“I hope you know I’m never letting you live this down.”

“It’s like you want me to hit you again.”

Maybe he’s right. Maybe in the future, when you’re more comfortable with the fact that it’s your best friend of all people that gives you butterflies in your stomach, you’ll do something about it. But not right now, not when he spends all his time in volleyball and especially not when you were barely confident in yourself. Or maybe, it’ll go away, and you can look back on this as a funny memory rather than anything serious.

You’re fifteen when you finally accept the circumstances and become resigned to it. Finally understanding that your crush is more than just a crush, but knowing full well that that’s all you can let it be.

Hajime sits on the floor, surrounded by your regular friends plus a couple of others at Oikawa’s birthday party when he says it. You’re not supposed to hear it from your place in the kitchen, but you do and it’s a dagger to both heart and confidence. He’s confirmed everything you knew and quelled any potential rebuttal of thoughts Mai or Tooru have planted in your head. 

You were stupid to think Hajime could ever see you as anything more than the girl he’s just friends with.

Your appetite quickly dissipates and you have to work extra hard to make sure pure despair doesn’t show on your face. Especially when Oikawa hears it too and he makes that face that looks like he wants to give you a hug, which makes everything ten times harder.

A kid named Matsukawa is the one that asks. You don’t blame him. He’s only fifteen, after all, asking what normal fifteen-year-olds normally talk about.

“What about (Y/N)? Would you date her?”

Hajime scoffs, a laugh on his lips as though it were the weirdest question he’s ever heard.

“She’s my best friend. That would be like dating my sister. I don’t like her like that.”

You’re fifteen and you’ve become resigned to it all, because it’s better to have Hajime as a friend, than to never have him at all. Because you would never have him; At least not in the way you want. 

You don’t blame him for that either.

You cry about it later on, after the party is over and after you deny Hajime’s insistence to walk you home. He has a weird look on his face when you tell him you’ll be fine, your house is only a few blocks away. He wants to fight you on it, can see the argument forming it in that storm of green. It’s a shitty feeling to deny him so blatantly, but you really can’t stomach being around him at the moment. Not when your heart pangs longingly for him and your insecurities increase tenfold at the confirmation of your inadequacy.

Not when all of this is happening at once, showing as clear as day on your face, and he sees it. Worst of all, not when he wants to solve it, hardly understanding that he’s the cause of it.

His eyes narrow, staring intently as he studies your features. The scrutiny is uncomfortable and if he does stares a second longer the tears will fall.

“Did… something happen during the party?” Hajime asks hesitantly. There’s a whirlwind of possibilities crossing his mind, all indicating rather unsavory and horrifying ideas that have his worry bubbling beneath his skin. You’re barely meeting his gaze, hands clasped tightly before you and body way too stiff. The complete opposite of your normal demeanor, especially around him.

Usually so open, so vibrant. And here you stand before him, the dark of night surrounding you and the fluorescent glow of the streetlamps casting a ghoulish light on your face, exaggerating your dejected features more prominently. 

He’s heard of worst-case scenarios when girls and boys get together, something mentioned in passing when his mother was on the phone with his aunt. He never really thought much about it, considering he would never do something like that and he doesn’t hang around many girls, to begin with for something like that to be an immediate concern.. 

In this stark contrast of a moment, however, he’s briefly reminded of the fact that he so often tends to forget. You’re a girl; A living, breathing, pretty girl. Everyone likes you, would be fools not to. And while he would never allow himself or anyone else to force themselves upon you, you weren’t with him for the whole party. Disappearing for a brief moment after he saw you enter the kitchen. The idea of something like that— something that horrible— happening to you under his nose has all of his instincts on fight mode, forget the flight. A shattering of the innocence he was so previously impervious to. 

The implication is clear in his voice accompanied with the fear-stricken features, so you can hardly miss what he means. 

“Did— Did anyone…?” His voice cracks and he hurriedly tries to clear it up with the clearing of his throat, but you heard it. It happens often when he’s wrestling with an onslaught of emotions, trying his hardest to remain calm and clear-headed and focused that sometimes his voice just gives out. Also, puberty.

The act doesn’t matter though, not when he’s silently amping himself up to fight someone if you were touched inappropriately. He would win; He’s been in a couple of fights before, usually off school property, he doesn’t mind getting into another one. Not if it was for you. And he would win; Would make sure of that.

The tussle for calm is transparent on his face. Lips struggling to stay in a closed, neutral line rather than the frown he has to hold back. His fists clench, blunt nails digging into the skin of his palms to alleviate the growing anger, only to prove futile. He so badly wants to grab you by the shoulders, shake you furiously, ask what the hell is going on because you’re never like this—

He doesn’t. He knows better. Even if the suspense is driving him up the wall and the tension that encapsulates the empty street is thick and choking him. 

Finally, you say something.

“No, Haji,” you say softly, “No one did anything to me.”

It’s what Iwaizumi wants to hear; Should be ecstatic to know that you are physically unharmed, free from the taint that comes with a foreign touch, the one he’s intent to protect you from. Your voice is too quiet though, and the smile you give him is too small for him to feel any modicum of ease. You're lying. Someone did something.

“I’m fine, really!” You try again, amping up the energy to convince him. It falls flat. 

“(Y/N).” That spiky head of hair tips forward, pushing himself in your averting line of sight, refusing to let you hide from him. He’s taller now, finally taller than you. While his hair is still that fluff of mess on his head, his eyes are still that piercing green that can always read you like a book and his favorite season is still summer, only this time he no longer enjoys going to the park, but instead the beach. 

He’s the same Hajime you fell in love with and the remainder is enough to cause a lump swell in your throat.

“What are you hidi—”

“Iwa-chan!”

The familiar melodious voice rings out in the empty street, its owner sauntering his way over to your departing figures. There’s that recognizable air of flowering confidence rolling off of him like a humid heat and the sly shining of his pearly whites that serves as a buffer from the thick air of tension between you and Haj— Iwaizumi.

Just, Iwaizumi. No added affection.

There's magic in Oikawa’s stroll, you’re sure of it. It looks perfectly coincidental, like he just so happened to stumble upon a tense scene, instead of the very much needed and purposeful intervention for his emotionally crushed best friend and worry-fueled other best friend.

And they call him the idiot.

He sighs that flowery breath of his, throwing his arm around Iwa’s shoulders and watching the desperation that filled your gaze wash away with relief at his intrusion. Iwa’s confusion only seems to increase, but truthfully, Oikawa isn’t too concerned with his hard-headed friend. He’s really only keen on getting you out of there— out to safety and away from the source of your heartbreak.

“Iwa-chan, you have to go set up the movie player. I have no idea how to work it.”

“I’ve shown you how to do it four times, Tooru.”

“But it’s so much easier when you do it. Don’t worry, I’ll walk our precious flower home while you set up for our sleepover.”

Iwaizumi hesitates, his eyes bouncing from the self-assured smile of Oikawa to your downturned gaze. There’s something wrong, he knows it. But it’s obviously a secret he isn’t allowed into. 

He won’t pry, he’s never been one to beg for secrets— never been one to want secrets told to him at all. However, there’s a particular sting at knowing that it’s you who’s hiding something and refusing to tell him. That there’s something Oikawa is aware about, that he isn’t allowed to know.

It’s not his business, he surmises. You’re not his business. He swallows that bitter pill, accepting Oikawa’s offer with a brief nod. He’s not happy, that’s plain to see, but he knows better than to insert himself where he’s not wanted.

Calm, steady, comfortable. Iwaizumi will fight for what he wants, but not when it hurts you in the process.

He bids you a brief goodbye, voice tight and rigid, clearly displaying his dissatisfaction but accepting it nonetheless. He doesn’t even look back at you. It’s what you want, you suppose. Some distance from him for your benefit, so you can at least try and forget about how you feel; Save yourself from the devastation of falling even deeper in love with him. 

He enters Oikawa’s house. It’s a place you’ve been many times, slept over on many occasions yet, when Iwaizumi crosses the threshold with a strain on his shoulders and a grimace on his face, you can’t help but wonder if he’s finally going someplace that you can’t follow. If you’ve spent all these years pining over him, wondering if you would ever be enough for him, only to push him away into an area of no return. 

Oikawa doesn’t give you a moment to think long about it before he’s ushering you away from the crime scene where your uncontrollable and childish feelings have brutally injured a fraying friendship and guiding you home. He talks the entire time, about everything and nothing, and you’re rather grateful for the background noise. To finally think about something other than your broken heart and Iwaizumi’s betrayed face. 

He leaves you at your door with the promise that things will get better, that it won’t hurt so much, and that he’s always there for you. He places a sweet kiss on the crown of your head, turning his back with a final wave and leaving you alone with your thoughts. The promise of meeting one another again is unspoken, instinctive. You know deep down, though, it’ll be different from here on out. You’ll have to be more careful, more guarded with the things you say and do.

You wonder if Iwaizumi has as much trouble sleeping that night as you do. 

(He does. He doesn’t sleep at all.)

Things do get better, which is a blessed curse. The tension eventually resolves after a couple of weeks of tiptoeing around each other. Normality returns in full-swing and you’re able to talk to Hajime without the overwhelming feeling of guilt and need to explain everything; If he holds any issues about what happened that night, he doesn’t mention it, following your lead and letting the friendship return to normal.

The problem lies in the fact that Oikawa was ultimately right, and he makes a point to show that he’s right. That things did get better, and the fragmentation of your splintering relationship with the boy you love eventually gets patched up.

Life moves on.

The feelings don’t go away, but you get better at managing them. It’s significantly easier to push the pining down and not think too much about any passing romantic comments in school that pair you and Iwaizumi together; Nor do you think twice about the harmless flirting that occasionally comes your way. You dish it back, continuing the joking nature of the friendship and after a while, it doesn’t hurt so bad. You exit the stages of puberty and things don’t feel as hectic as they once were. 

The turbulent waves of emotions finally die down to a steady roll, and for a while, you’re able to float. It’s safe, peaceful, exactly how you want it to stay. 

That is until you’re seventeen, almost eighteen, and Iwaizumi asks you to be his fake girlfriend. The waves pick up steam and you’re drowning again. You have the girls of Aoba Johsai to thank for that. 

This time though, you’re determined to protect yourself. The anxiety of it all starts to settle in between your shoulders and instead of falling victim to the whims of an unsuspecting Iwaizumi once again, the urge to protect yourself and your pathetic emotions takes precedence. You will not be reduced down to the unconfident, love-sick girl you once were; You’ve worked too hard to do that. You matter more than Iwaizumi’s stupid girl problem.

It’s why you don’t think twice when you blurt it out after agreeing to help.

“We need a contract.”

“A contract?” Hajime parrots back, broad arms crossed over his equally broad chest and the intense training you’ve instilled in yourself to not stare at him meets its limitations, lest you stoop down to the level of the girls he’s so desperate to evade. He’s grown so much, physically and personally, that it's hard to not look at him. You force yourself to glance around the crowded cafe, look anywhere but his veiny arms, and instead replace your view with the small restaurant you two frequent every Monday— the only day he has off from volleyball practice. 

It’s a small establishment that sells teas and noodles, a pleasant find to make one day when the both of you were hungry pre-teens and full of time on your hands. It’s usually rather empty during this time as it’s just out of the line of sight to avoid the after-school rush of students, but today the line extends outside of the door, all attendees eager to have a taste of miso ramen and pushing against bodies to do so. The people behind you are respectful enough to give you as much space as one can afford in the cramped venue, but you end up still having to press yourself into the stiff body of the boy— no, man— beside you. 

You have the decency to look at least a little uncomfortable in the tightness of the situation, but Hajime shows nothing. Whether it’s because he doesn’t even care that your chest is bracing against his arm or he’s too distracted with the complicatedness of his “girl” problem, his face betrays no embarrassment at the closeness. No frustration, no discomfort, not even annoyance. He merely exists, dealing with your body pressed against his as if this were a regular occurrence and not an awkward preemption to the farce that you’ve stupidly agreed to. This would surely haunt you for the rest of your years. 

This man of steel, this monolith of lean, corded muscle, was going to be your “boyfriend” for the next couple of weeks. You would be lucky if this arrangement even lasted for that long considering the confession of pure unadulterated adoration is crawling up the canal of your throat and tearing the fabric of your skin, sticking a middle finger at the rational parts of your brain trying desperately to hold it back. 

Your fate is signed, knowing full and well that in your inability to deny Hajime— especially when he’s so desperate, which is a rarity in and of itself— you’ve willingly agreed to have your dignity and confidence stripped from your person and your feelings thrown in a loop for the sake of his sanity. 

It’s annoying. Every potential hypothetical plays itself in high definition across the theatre of your mind and each one ends with you being brutally rejected once again. There’s no way you could handle something like that again, no matter how much you’ve matured. 

This is a bad idea, and you need to tell him that.

But then the sight of pleading jades enters your vision and you distinctly remember the permanent frown that etched itself on Hajime’s face these past three months. Remember how the feelings of deep discomfort forced him to confide in you on a late-night phone call when sleep evaded him and he detailed the dread he felt at the prospect of going to school the next school day.

If your mouth even opened a fraction to breathe, you’re sure the “I’m in love with you and have been since sixth grade” will come tumbling out, but even the fear of that happening doesn’t overpower the overwhelming desire to help the man you’re madly in love with.

There’s a limit to what would be forsaken in the name of Iwaizumi Hajime’s happiness, but your sanity isn’t it.

The situation worsens when the subtle shifting of the patrons behind you throws you off balance and forces you impossibly closer to him. The shuffling of feet knocks into your own, tilting you off balance despite your leaning against Hajime. A rebuttal is on the tip of your tongue ready to be released in rapid-fire when Hajime beats you to it. 

He quickly wraps his arm around your waist, allowing your unsteady feet to find balance against his lean body of stone, clutching you tightly to his side as if the accidental push against you were a personal offense. 

The protective nature that so often lies dormant in his personality rears its head forward and you swear your heart stops beating altogether. 

“Easy,” he mutters, a layer of strict dismay interweaving in his words as he casts a pointed side glare at the two boys standing behind you. You hardly hear it, much too occupied with trying not to drown in the sudden flooding of his cologne in your nostrils. 

Musk and spice. His usual scent, but even more addicting when it’s this close. 

This is a bad idea. This is a horrible, bad, awful idea. Bad, bad, bad idea.

You have to end this. You won’t survive this. 

“C-contract.” You, somehow, manage to spit out, shaking your head free from the waft of his scent and the strength of his arm across your back. 

Okay, not necessarily ending this but protecting yourself. Yeah, that’s it. Because there is no way you want him to keep acting like this, no. You’re just doing this to help and totally not to selfishly indulge in the delight of being his, even if it is fake. 

He tears his narrowed eyes away from the boys behind you to glance at you, the remnants of disapproval flickering in the sea of green that you swear only evens out when he looks at you, “Right. What’s in this contract?”

“The, uh, basics,” you begin, voice slowly finding its footing after the intense whiplash you just experienced. You're surprised you can even form words that aren’t resembling proclamations of desire, “What we can and can’t do, how long this is for, and so on.”

“That’s a good idea,” He breathes out. The line shifts forward, and the cashier finally enters the field of view. With a quick recoil, as though his skin were burned by the action, he removes his hand from around your waist. The warmth of his arm rescinds with it, and that thirteen-year-old girl that has fantasized for years about this, whines in desperation. You quickly tell her to shut up.

He clears his throat, awkwardness filling the cramped and stale air, “Uh, sorry. About that.”

He avoids your eyes and you quickly look around too, “It’s fine.”

A silence ensues. It’s not uncomfortable, per se, but it’s a far cry from the brief pauses in conversation that usually occur between the two of you. The comfortable silences that occur naturally between friends of five years. You wonder if you should address it, address the fact that if you two were to pull this off— and pull it off well— there were going to be more moments when he was going to have to touch you like that. 

He was going to have to hold your hand and give you frequent hugs and actually act like he was in love with you. Act. 

You swallow at the prospect. Not like that would be hard for you to do, you think rather pitifully.

There are two more couples in front of you when you say, “I’d like to institute the first provision.”

Hajime quirks an eyebrow, his lips lifting upward, an obvious sign of gratefulness at being able to brush over that weird moment of physicality. He doesn’t know why it was instinctual, or why he even thought that placing his hand that low around your waist would be a good idea. But, he did it; And it’s quite the revelation when he realizes he didn’t mind it. 

At all.

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” He glances at you to his right, the teasing smile gracing your features and the recognizable glint of mischief in your eyes. 

“You have to buy all of the food we eat together.”

He scoffs out a laugh, shaking his head, “I already buy all of our food.”

“I always pay you back!”

“You owe me at least three-thousand yen.”

“Okay, an addendum to provision one.”

“Shoot.”

“You buy all of our food and forgive my debts.”

He laughs louder tilting his head back as his teeth peek from his pink lips. It’s the bark of laughter that swells your beating heart with confidence. You may not have him romantically, but there’s no denial of the fact that he likes you in his life, especially when you can make him laugh like that, “I’m starting to think this contract is only beneficial to you.”

It’s your turn to raise an eyebrow at him, the body still tucked tightly beside his as feet shuffle forward in the line, “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m doing you a huge favor.”

“Trust me, I haven’t forgotten.” A silence befalls again, this one not as tense as before. A small smile plays on his lips and there’s a sincerity behind his gaze that reminds you of how appreciative he really is for this. Hajime isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to repay you for stepping in and helping him in the most intimate of ways that you most likely would rather not do. There wasn’t ever an expressed interest in the dating scene from you, always denying the occasional confession that came your way and never thinking twice about the romantic holidays that come and go.

He wonders why because if you tried, you’d have every guy within a ten-foot radius begging for your attention. Surely one of them would be worthy of your love. (He doesn’t agree though. There’s no one in this world who could ever be worthy of you. Not when you smile so brightly and tease so enticingly. No one would ever deserve that part of you. No one that he would ever approve of, anyway..) He’s not dumb in realizing that your willingness to engage in a romantic relationship with him— even if it is a fake one— is a large deviation from the norm. It’s not something to be taken lightly.

So, he owes you. Big time. Whatever you want, whatever you put in this contract, he’ll do. He’ll be the best boyfriend you’ve ever had. 

(Fake boyfriend, he has to remind himself. He swallows down the disappointment.)

“Thank you.” he breaks the silence, rubbing the back of his heating neck, “Again. For doing this for me. I don’t—”

“Ah, ah!” You interrupt, holding your hand upwards and wagging a finger at him, “I haven’t done anything yet, so don’t start thanking me so soon. Who knows? I might sabotage this whole thing, be the worst girlfriend you could ever imagine.” 

 The couple in front of you finishes their order, stepping to the side to allow the both of you forward. You step up, dragging him with you but you don’t miss the low throaty chuckle he emits when he says, “You like me too much to do that.”

He pats the top of your head, smoothing the fly-away hairs with a wink and a sly smile, and then, like nothing even happened, he steps up to the counter, taking the initiative and placing your usual orders. There’s both too much nuance and not enough to his statement to determine if you should be scared at his words. Does he know? Did Oikawa tell him?

You don’t even notice when he puts both food items on one bill. 

It’s then that you remember, with little humor like someone who’s forgotten a necessary step to an important project, that while you’ve done a lot of growing and building these past four years to fortify the walls of your heart, so has he. He’s stronger, more confident, more sturdy. 

Fourteen-year-old you built the walls for a fourteen-year-old Iwaizume Hajime. She didn’t even think to consider the damage eighteen-year-old Ace and Vice-Captain of the Seijoh Volleyball Team could do. Not with a spike those strong arms could make and a sea of green that you still drown in.

The first large crack in the barriers has been made. 

He turns to face you upon finishing the order, stepping to the side and bracing his body against the far wall of the restaurant to allow the next customers to the counter. That damn sly smile is still on his face, and it’s then you realize that he has to know. He has to know what he’s doing, or at least know that it’s doing something to you.

“So,” he tucks his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants, biceps bulging at the action “tell me about this contract, sweet girlfriend of mine.”

end notes: god damn glad that’s over. what did yall think?? too much? not enough? lemme know! i love reading all of your tags and comments, it fills me with such happiness :))))

tag list: @bruh-kill-me @owlnymph @airybnb @yukiilu-personal @cathwritestragediesnotsins @berna-dette​

[madlilsongbird]

Watching The Amazing Spidernan movies so that I’m all caught up before No Way Home. Will add my thoughts as I have them. Note I am not some big Spider-Man fan nor have I read the comics so if my thoughts sound kinda stupid they probably are.

First movie:

That’s a good trick with the broom. Making a mental note as we speak.

Actually seeing Peter say goodbye to his parents is horrible and I would like to never experience it again

SALLY FIELD IS AUNT MAY?! Why does this one have the good cast? (not good as in better but good as in more well known)

The sexual tension in “good morning flash…good morning Peter” (this is a joke I’m not shipping him with his bully)

Jesus roid rage much?

Shut your blinds! I don’t know who would be looking in your window at this exact moment but close them anyway!

First careful, you never know who is watching what you search (when did I become this person)

Second…curt connors is ableist.

Poor Rodrigo Guevara

Oh internalised ableism. And that is the only comment I will make going forward because my disabilities do not include limb difference and I dont want to overstep.

Stop following the man, you are not subtle…wait wtf how’d he do that?!

This is where he gets his powers right?

Okay but when would 5 men make that much of a fuss over a woman that only 1 of them seems to know?

Same. (This is in reference to smashing the alarm clock)

Oh my god is it really necessary to show all the different kinds of spider bites.

Actually just going back to the internalised ableism thing…he is allowed to feel whatever type of way about his own disability that is his right. But insinuating that all disabled people are weak and wanting to breed out the weakness is eugenics and just kinda gross. THIS is the final comment I will make on the matter.

No but seriously he is way more aggressive than regular teen boy aggressive so either he’s on something or he’s overcompensating for something

The way he looks at him doe (again all jokes am not shipping flash and Peter)

Why is this so awkward? And not like teens navigating a crush awkward just genuinely awkward. I feel no chemistry between them.

I like the song, it’s an interesting choice for this scene but I like it.

Stop does uncle Ben die now? Like I know uncle Ben dies at some point but I was really kinda hoping he just wouldn’t in this iteration. I was going for a ninth doctor moment “just this once everybody lives”

MOTHERFUCKER

God Sally is incredible

Don’t show me moments of Flash being human I might accidentally start shipping them for real and that simply can’t happen.

Oooh he’s a fashion designer

I just really enjoy how he takes the piss out of his victims? Arrests?

Is Gwen aware that the school nurse can’t cure everything? Both legally and just like generally doesn’t have the knowledge to cure everything. She suggests going to the nurse a lot.

This family gives me bad vibes

This is a long movie…it’s not even half way through

Well that’s one way to tell her

NOT GEORGE FOYET!

I think with what I remember of SpiderTobey and what I know of SpiderTom, Andrews Spider-Man is definitely better with the people he’s rescuing. Smoother, good bedside manner.

His sons name is Jack. Why does that make me angry?

So he’s just not gonna rescue the other people hanging off the bridge?

It’s almost poetic that the son of the man tried to stop him the first time will be the one to stop him now

Now how is he getting enough power in the sewer

No means no Peter

Does she die in this one or the next one? I don’t imagine her dying will help captain stacey see him as a good guy

Stan 🥺

This movie is exhausting and I don’t know if I mean that in a good way or a bad way.

MoThEr HuBbArD aRe YoU sErIoUs

He managed to get three whole words out and you didn’t think to ease up on the trigger a little to hear what those words might be?

She’s very clever and I will be sad to see her go

That wasn’t her scream. Or it was but from a different take.

Foyet about to be coming in clutch

I’m going to cry.

He’s so ugly. Some lizards are really cute but lizard + human, kinda gross looking.

Well shit. I didn’t know that happened. I guess what I said about him being upset with Peter about Gwen is irrelevant. Unless it isn’t, like if you believe in the afterlife, imagine how pissed he’s gonna be when Gwen arrives.

He finally got the eggs 🥺

As someone who’s boyfriend at the time didn’t go to her fathers funeral I feel ya Gwen. I mean I don’t care now but at the time it sucked.

Dr Connors was just in a silly goofy mood. He seems to show genuine care for the boy (this is mostly sarcasm).

Second movie

Oh we’re going back to peters dad.

How do they have access to a private jet?

Miss Honey is badass

Ngl I’m actually quite relieved they both died before the plane crashed. Stil devastating though.

Okay so this is first up on the list of potential mystery villains in No Way Home…he looks like a tool.

HeLLo PeDeStRiAnS

He really just let Spider-Man put his hand on his tongue. Sir do you know where his hand has been? Not to mention just in general the feeling of spandex on your tongue. I feel ill.

No respect for the proper care of plutonium.

Please don’t ever say “come to daddy” again 😂

I’m kinda sad Jamie Fox becomes a villain, his character seems kinda sweet so far from the 2 seconds I’ve seen of him

You mean to tell me he missed his girlfriend’s fathers funeral AND her valedictorian speech?!

Stan x2 🥺

Because you can’t lose me you’re going to lose me? 😂

I love her jacket

Why are they still pretending like she doesn’t know?

I may have spoken to soon about Max

See I would be speeding up daddy’s death if he told me he’d passed down a genetic disease and just decided not to tell me.

Friendship.

Okay max is still a little bit nutty but you gotta feel bad for the guy. He must’ve been so scared.

Don’t smile that’s not cute, if he was a regular boy you’d file a restraining order.

Oh I see Spider-Man is gonna fight him which will make him turn and become the “bad guy” whether he will actually be a bad guy is still unknown.

This scene is actually kinda just making me angry (the time square scene)

Cops suck man. Peter was talking him down just fine.

Did nobody teach these people not to touch metal when there’s electricity about.

Interesting that I didn’t pick up any chemistry from them in the first movie weren’t they an actual couple for a while?

Another good song with an interesting placement

I’m sorry did the caller ID not say Mary Parker? How was it Harry on the phone?

Run Gwen!

This version of Harry is kinda creepy I’m sure the actor is swell but the character is terrifying. Original version Harry was swell whereas the actor is…

“Maybe everyone has a part of themselves they hide” gives him the eye

This movies shorter or at least it feels shorter

An excellent show of what happens when you tell a rich daddy’s boy no for the first time.

This makes me very sad. She’s so excited for the possibility of Oxford.

As much as Harry disturbs me, I want him to burn his entire team.

His daddy really did love him!

I think it’s mostly his eyes, his behaviour can be explained by trauma (why I find Harry creepy)

Okay most of his behaviour. The taking joy in killing people that’s just him being nutty and not a trauma response.

This is fucked up. And where is Peter? he is off chasing a girl who has broken up with him twice now.

PLANES NEED THE POWER!

I really like SpiderAndrew, the movies are fine but as a character I thoroughly enjoy him

Sorcerers apprentice who?

Captain Stacy can’t blame him! She’s clearly stubborn as hell and her own free woman

I quite literally stopped breathing (in reference to the almost plane crash)

Is this why they made it Gwen and not MJ so that he could kill her and be an actual bad guy? From my little knowledge of the comics and what I’ve seen from the movies Harry would never hurt MJ so it had to be someone else important to Peter but not super important to him for him to a real bad guy

I like that Harry actually looks like a goblin.

What was the disease he’s supposed to have?

This poor family. I know I said they gave me bad vibes in the first movie but nobody deserves this.

He looks less like a tool with his suit on…but only slightly less

Baby you better get back behind that baracade!

Nobody talk to me I’m very emotional. This child looks very much like a magical mix of all 3 of my brothers put together and seeing him stand there so brave but so scared is doing something to me.

Final thoughts:

So I think SpiderAndrew might be a close second favourite for me. I like the relationships of the original the most, the comedy of the mcu version the most but this one was like a nice in between. Im a little disappointed there won’t be a third not cos I think I would have enjoyed it just cos the original had 3 movies, the mcu version will have at least 3 movies and this one is left out with 2. Don’t think I would have loved Shailene Woodley as MJ though so I dunno. I think the only thing I would have wanted from a third movie is to know who fedora guy is…and for Peter and May to acknowledge that they both know that he is Spider-Man. Apart from that it was fine and I now feel fully prepared for No Way Home.

[artificialqueens]

I Can Feel it Through the Screen, Chapter 1 (Branjie) - Kiyo

A/N: first time writing Branjie so, seeking criticism xD. This is a Lesbian AU. And hopefully I'll have chapter 2 done quick if you like it.

////////

tick...tock...tick...tock

The clock hung on the wall kept ticking, each of them sounding longer than the other whilst Brooke Lynn mindlessly walked around her living room whilst the tv played some late night show presented by another old white dude. Sighing deeply, she finally sat on her couch.

Brooke could already feel herself slowly falling asleep when she sunk into the cushions. The seconds passed by, the TV finally turning off on it's own due to the lack of interaction, finally her apartment was completely silent, nothing but her own breathing could be heard yet she found it hard to relax and fall asleep.

Not that she tried to relax or was able to, Brooke was hyper fixated on everything in the darkly lit room, she couldn't stop herself. The only source of light being the moon shinning through her open window, the curtains floating slightly by the cold breeze entering, sending slight chills down the blonde's spine...

Brooke finally layed down, her head resting on her firm couch pillow, already hurting her neck. Once again, Brooke managed to find something wrong and it stressed her out. "Ugh.." She groaned, sitting up again, her eyes barely able to stay open as she reached for her phone that was promptly set upside down on the glass table placed infront of the couch.

She switched her phone on, slightly blinded by the light coming from it, rubbing her eye's with her free hand before proceeding to unlock it, typing the very original password '100386'.

And too Brooke's expectations, she'd received no texts, which was the only releaving thing she'd seen tonight. Not having to deal with anybody, as of right now was truly a blessing, that was until she opened instagram, seeing '16 DMs' at the top right corner of her screen, sighing, not knowing why she hadn't expected this, clicking on the little paper plane icon, seeing that 6 of those messages where from Yvie. '45 minutes ago', moment's like these, Brooke Lynn realized that muting instagram notifications wasn't exactly the smartest choice.

'Well, great.' Brooke Lynn thought to herself, sighing before beginning to read them.

-

Yvie Oddly: Brooke, do you still have those rings you showed me?

Yvie Oddly: Damn, you must be sleeping.

Yvie Oddly: nevermind about the rings, I found soething

Yvie Oddly: ****something

Yvie Oddly: I suck at typing

Yvie Oddly: Tell Vanessa I'm too busy to come over tomorrow, thanks, sry to bother u lmao

-

Right, Vanessa had planned this little party with a few of her friends, calling it 'Vanjie night', Brooke wasn't invited to it because it was suppose to be just Vanjie and her friends, and apparently the reason Brooke couldn't come was that they didn't want Branjie to be acting all cuddly and lovey dovey if they we're to come over. Brooke found it stupid, really, but she didn't protest, it wasn't that deep anyway, not that she wanted to go to thay stupid hang out party anyway.

-

Brooke Lynn Hytes: Sure, I'll tell her.

-

Brooke replied before throwing her phone at the other side of the couch before realizing she probably needed to text Vanessa now. Great- with a loud huff accompanying the action, Brooke reached for her phone again. Unlocking it and going back on Instagram. Seeing Vanessa was online, thank god, she wouldn't need to wait forever for her to respond.

-

Brooke Lynn Hytes: Hey, Yvie said she'd be too busy to go to your little party.

VANESSA VANJIE MATEO: Oh, aight, she could've just texted me instead of bothering you, sorry boo <3, anyways, how u doing? I didn't get my usual hearts accompanying yo texts, u actin weird blondie

Brooke Lynn Hytes: Sorry, just a little tired, I forgot to put them. 💞💘💖💗

VANESSA VANJIE MATEO: I feel your negativity through my screen, whats up? I know this is not some tired story bullshit

Brooke Lynn Hytes: im just stressed, dont worry about it.

VANESSA VANJIE MATEO: wait... since when do u put ponctuations on ur texts- call me rn

Brooke Lynn Hytes: babe, im tired.

VANESSA VANJIE MATEO: And im worried, call me.

-

Brooke ran her fingers through her hair, sighing, already feeling her stress getting worse as now she needed to call Vanessa, she was well aware that her girlfriend was only worried about her but it still freaked her out, why did she have to be stupid? She could've just put the damn hearts and said nothing more but knowing Vanessa, she would've still known Brooke was out of it, she always knew.

-

Incoming video chat from VANESSA VANJIE MATEO

Brooke answered, looking at the screen with a tired expression, seeing Vanessa laying in bed, most likely the lamp on her bed side table providing the little amount of light shinning on her tanned features. "Hey." Brooke Lynn smiled weakly, standing up to walk next to her window, getting some of the moonshine onto her, trying to be bare visibly.

"Hey, twinkle toes." Vanjie giggled, squinting her eyes to try and see Brooke a little better. "I can barely see you, turn on a light or something."

"The light hurts my eyes, I've been trying to sleep for the past hour." Brooke replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Could've said that without the attitude but aight." Vanessa replied jokingly, hearing Brooke sigh. "Oh, you're stressed, stressed." She remarked, pursing her lips together and trying to think quickly of something to say but Brooke Lynn unexpectedly spoke up.

"I don't know, everything is stressing me out right now, even the dumbest things like my pillow's firmness." Brooke explained, earning another look of concern from her partner. "I just wanna sleep but I can't, like, the couch is uncomfortable but I don't want to sleep in my bed for some reason." Brooke didn't know why she felt like this sometimes. There we're moment where there we're strange things she suddenly couldn't do for a certain amount of time or else she'd get stressed.

"You're having one of those stress episodes again? You really need to go to a therapist boo, seriously, thats not normal." Vanessa pointed out but that didn't seem to help Brooke right now. "What if I came by and picked you up so you can sleep over at mines tonight? Would you like that?" She asked and Brooke stayed silent.

"I have mushy pillows, they're so soft, I know you love em." She giggled, getting a little reaction from Brooke, that sweet smile Vanessa loved to see. "Sure, pick me up." Brooke chuckled, walking over to the light switch, turning on the light so Vanessa could finally see her clearly.

"You look so pretty~" Vanessa smiled, sitting up in her bed. "I just wanna kiss you." She said. "You can kiss me later." Brooke replied, getting a knowing glance from her girlfriend, making Brooke laugh. "You need to make thay face again just so I can screenshot it and make it your profile picture in my phone." Brooke cackled, making Vanjie break out into laughter as well.

"When you're here, you can take a picture, it'll be prettier than a screenshot. Anyhow, I'm gonna put some pants on and come pick you up." Vanjie said. "Alright, baby, see you later." Brooke Lynn blew a kiss and winked before hanging up.

-

She felt excited to get away from her apartment, or maybe just excited to see her girlfriend, a mix of both...but that didn't really matter. She was excited.

Brooke power walked to her bathroom, looking at herself through the mirror, she actually looked decently good, maybe a little tired but that was normal after taking five 5 minute long naps.

And quicker than she expected, she heard a ring st her door bell, smiling to herself, Brooke made her way to the front door, unlocking it and opening the door to see Vanessa with a big smile in her face. "Hey bitch~"

"Hi baby." Brooke giggled, hugging the shorter girl tightly, pressing her face against her chest. "I know im short but that's no excuse to shove my face in your tits- not that I mind but still." Vanessa snickered. Looking up at Brooke Lynn who kissed her forehead. "Sorry, I was just happy to see you." Brooke smiled.

"I can tell." Vanessa laughed. "Oh, shut it." Brooke rolled her eyes before letting go of Vanessa, breaking the embrace. "Sure." Vanessa giggled, holding Brooke's hand. "How about i take you home now, malady." Vanessa winked. "You're painfully cringy." Brooke replied monotonely. "And you're a pain in the ass, let's go."

"I might be but you still love me." Brooke smiled smugly. "Of course, I love you, dumbass." Vanessa said. "Kiss me and then we can go." Brooke chuckled, receiving a quick peck on the lips from Vanjie. "Hey~ I said kiss, no lt peck." Brooke Lynn whined. "Fine."

Vanessa sighed, cupping Brooke Lynn's face and kissing her softly, feeling Brooke's hands go to her waist, pulling her closer but  Vanjie broke the kiss. "Not that kissing on your door step bothers me but I'd rather do that in a comfy bed." Vanessa giggled. "Right." Brooke chuckled. "Let's go."

[onceattwice]

TWICE’s Reaction: Sitting In Lap

Request: A twice reaction to their wife getting turned on after the girls sat on their lap pleaseee

A/N: This was really fun to write on haha, thanks for the request :D I ended up writing a small scenario for each member. It turned out super long, hope you guys don’t mind! Tell me whether you guys would prefer shorter or longer ones.

word count: 7,098

IM NAYEON

Twice had recently been given a two-week break off of all promotion work, a reward for all their hard work. Some of the girls had gone travelling, whilst others back home to visit their families. You hadn’t seen Nayeon in so long, despite your secret marriage to her. You would think that you guys would see each other more often but due to JYP’s insistent demands, she still lived in the dorms with her members, and as a result, you had moved into a small apartment near your workplace. Whenever you guys would plan a date, something would come up! There were just too many schedule conflicts, whether it was because you were getting called in for an extra late work shift or because she had to attend an important magazine photoshoot. Needless to say, you guys haven’t seen each other in a while.

You were sitting at home watching your favourite romantic comedy movie and playing with the small ring on your finger. Honestly, you just missed her presence. You had ordered some take-out food for tonight as you had absolutely no plans for leaving the house. When the doorbell rang, you slowly got off of the couch, picked your wallet off of the nearby counter, and went to unlock the door.

“Surprise!” She screamed as soon as the door swung open.

“Nayeon?” To say you were surprised was a huge understatement. “What are you doing here?” By this point, she had her arms wrapped around your torso as she deeply inhaled your scent. God, she missed you. You had yet to reciprocate the hug, but you could tell she hadn’t noticed.

“We got a break and I just really wanted to see you.” Her reply came out muffled as she tried to bury herself deeper and deeper into your neck. You chuckled at her adorable antics before wrapping her into a soft embrace. All you heard was a longing sigh at the gesture.

“Well, I ordered some take-out if you want to stay in?”

“Thank god. I love you but there was absolutely no way I was going to go out tonight.”

Soon after, the delivery boy had arrived and given you two the food. Nayeon had insisted on paying because she claimed to be the “bread-winner” of the house and that she didn’t want your wallet to look like an empty void. The fact that you couldn’t exactly disagree with her made it difficult when trying to argue that you should pay instead. In the end, she had paid.

You sat on the couch with your food sitting on the table, untouched. Why? Because you were currently pouting. Nayeon rolled her eyes before smiling indulgently, “You’re still plenty rich, honey.” A pause. “Just not richer than me.” She cackled as you sunk deeper into the couch. She didn’t know you could sulk even more than you had been before. You glanced over at her figure and saw her amused smile. Huffing, you crossed your arms and refused to acknowledge her presence.

You heard some ruffling on her side, and even though you were curious, you still refused to look over. Turns out, you didn’t even have to. Nayeon appeared in front of you, uncrossed your arms, and sat right in the middle of your lap facing you. “Stop pouting, it makes me want to kiss you senseless,” She whispered breathlessly as she snaked her arms around your neck.

You were suddenly conscious of every breath and every movement. She was pressed up against you, so so close, and you could smell her flowery perfume. You could already feel your face heating up, but you prayed that Nayeon wouldn’t notice. Slowly, as if you were enchanted, your hands found your way to Nayeon’s thighs and rested there. She raised an eyebrow at your wandering hands but otherwise said nothing as she stared curiously into your eyes. You couldn’t help but break eye contact with her as your breaths became slightly more ragged and irregular. You wanted to take her then and there.

She slightly readjusted herself on your lap, creating a slight grinding movement. You let out a deep groan in response. Suddenly, she halted her movements. You could see the tips of her ears turn a slight red, a clear indication that Nayeon was now aware of what you were feeling. She let out a raspy chuckle at this new-found knowledge.

“Mm, does this feel good?” She whispered in your ear before planting small kisses along your neck. You nodded slightly and angled your head to the side, giving her more space to work with. Nayeon continued on for a short while more before leaning up and taking your unsuspecting lips into hers. Without wasting any more time, she prodded her tongue at your lips and slipped it into your mouth. Kissing you felt like absolute heaven to her. A throaty moan escaped her mouth as you separated your lips from hers so that you could catch your breath. She had originally wanted to tease you a little but hadn’t thought that she would end up getting so turned on.

“Take me to your bedroom right now.” She groaned needily. And honestly, who were you to say no.

YOO JEONGYEON

After a long day of work, you had decided to go visit Jeongyeon at their dorms. Usually, significant others were not allowed in the building for fear of a scandal. But since you were a female and also married to Jeongyeon, JYP let it slide. If dispatch managed to catch a photo, they could always play it off as a non-idol friend visiting. Unfair, but alas that was reality. 

Knocking once on the door, you waited patiently to be let in. Surprisingly, Tzuyu was the one who opened the door. She greeted you with a slight bow before informing you that Jeongyeon was in her room. 

“I never said I was here for Jeongyeon,” You stammered indignantly. 

“Sure you’re not,” Tzuyu rolled her eyes playfully before lightly pushing you in the direction of her room. “Just go, she’s waiting!” Before you could refute and defend yourself, Tzuyu had already left the room. 

Sighing slightly at the youngest’s antics, you made your way down the hall to Jeongyeon’s shared room. You could clearly hear her bickering with Momo, something about a messy bed. A small smile stretched upon your face. Yup, same old Jeongyeon. Although on second thought, maybe you should try and save Momo. 

“I’m here!” You announced dramatically as you swung open the room door. Both girls stopped fighting immediately and looked in your direction. Jeongyeon had the decency to look embarrassed whilst Momo just looked relieved. 

“I’m going to go start a V-Live.” That’s all Momo said before she promptly ran out of the room. Jeongyeon looked at you exasperatedly but still patted the area beside her, prompting you to fill that space. You giggled lightly before making your way over to her, which proved to be a difficult task due to all the clothes on the floor. 

“Is it that difficult to hang up her clothes?” You rubbed her back comfortingly as she vented about Momo’s messiness. You couldn’t help but find her adorable at that moment, despite her obvious annoyance. 

“Cut her some slack, that’s just how she is.” You reprimanded her slightly but in a soft and caring tone. She nodded in agreement, although it might have also been a grimace. 

“I suppose so.” 

You two sat in comfortable silence, but you could tell that she was still a little upset over the whole interaction. A couple of ideas ran through your head but eventually, you just settled for physical affection. Leaning over slightly, you grabbed her hips and pulled her into your lap. You cuddled into her back and wrapped your arms around her waist protectively. Usually, Jeongyeon rarely took initiative to sit in your lap but you knew that she always found comfort in that position. 

What you didn't expect, however, was that you would get turned on. You two haven’t seen each other in a while and she was just so close to you. You tried to suppress the urge to start kissing the back of her neck and instead tried to focus on slightly rocking her back and forth. “Feel any better?” 

“Infinitely better, thank you,” She murmured. She relished the feeling of just being in your arms. However, when she turned her neck slightly to look at you, she saw that your cheeks were flushed and you were nibbling lightly on your lips. Of course, she immediately recognized this look. Jeongyeon was extremely amused by this and began to laugh freely. She winked before boldly exclaiming, “Maybe later when the other girls are asleep.”  

HIRAI MOMO

You were on the set of their upcoming MV. You made sure to clear your schedule for the day and even rented out a coffee truck for everyone to use. Although you didn’t tell anyone that it was you who rented it, Sana somehow found out and told everybody. And that’s how you found yourself sitting near the coffee truck, listening to Momo brag to anyone who would listen. 

“Isn’t she just the greatest?” 

“Yes, indeed.” Jihyo agreed in an attempt to satisfy Momo, though she threw you a save-me-please look just for good measure. She ordered another cup of coffee, mouthed a quick thank you, and hurried back on set. Although it’s unclear whether or not it was to escape Momo’s nonstop praising or because the director had called her over to film. Momo could only huff in response but quickly found another victim to interrogate. 

“Hey, Sana!” You watched as she dashed off towards her Japanese friend, who honestly looked a little petrified at her incoming figure. 

Shortly after, the director came up to you and quickly vocalized his thanks in regards to the coffee truck, as well as his congratulations on your marriage. Your eyes grew soft at the mere mention of your marriage. 

“Thank you, sir. She makes me very happy.” You shot him a toothy grin.

“Yes, well, she does tend to have that effect on others,” he answered, then proceeded to glance over in Sana’s direction. “Though perhaps not right at this moment.” You chuckled lightly, agreeing with his observation. 

The kind man soon left to go direct and shoot Chaeyoung’s part. By this point, you had lost track of your overly excited girlfriend. Thus, you resorted to playing games on your phone in a last-ditch effort to appease your evergrowing boredom. However, it didn’t take long for Momo to bounce on over to you. 

“Hi.” She giggled as she shyly dropped herself in your lap. 

“Hi, back.” You lightly probed at her sides, prompting another small giggle to escape. The conversation between the two of you flowed effortlessly and you soon found yourself placing small kisses between her shoulder blades, ones that eventually travelled to her neck. This seemed to backfire though as you admittedly, began to get a little too excited. You could feel an indescribable feeling growing in your stomach now, prompting you to stop before you took it too far. The noise around set had managed to increase, showcasing everyone’s excitement for a lunch break. 

You were still breathing a little heavily when you lightly tapped her thigh, silently communicating that you two should head over as well. However, instead of getting off as you had expected, she whined and refused to move. 

“Momo.” She didn’t respond but instead smoothly turned around so that she was now straddling you. Your eyes widened in surprise as you let out a small squeak. Ridiculously turned on now, you looked her in the eyes, noticing that her eyes had darkened and that she had adopted a look of pure seduction. You could tell that she knew exactly how excited you were to have her in your lap. 

“I want you now.” 

You guys practically ran to her dressing room.  

MINATOZAKI SANA

The sound of your oven’s relentless buzzing resonated through your apartment, signalling that the muffins were finally ready. You hurried on over and excitedly opened the oven door. When you told Sana that you would be off work today, she drove on over and stayed overnight at your house. You checked the time, noting that it was still early in the morning. Sana likely wouldn’t be awake until an hour or two later. You set up a tray and transferred the muffins over so that they could cool down.

Not even a second later, you heard small footsteps coming from down the hall. Groaning in disappointment, you quickly took off your apron and rushed down to meet her by your bedroom door. “Go back inside!” 

“Huh? What, why?” Sana asked, confused as she sleepily rubbed her eyes. She stood there in her bear pyjamas, hair unbrushed and slightly untidy. To you, she looked absolutely adorable. Your lips quirked up at the sight, before giving in to the urge to lean forward to peck her on the lips. She hummed in approval,  wrapped her arms around you and began planting kisses at random spots on your face.  

You chuckled at her clinginess, “Go back inside.” Lightly pushing her off of you, you once again directed her to go back into the room. She pouted but still obeyed your request. 

“But, why?” Her whiny and pouty tone resonated in the bedroom. “Come back to bed so we can cuddle.” 

“It’s a surprise so be patient!” Sana let out a loud and muffled groan before telling you to hurry up and finish so you can come back to cuddle.

You ran back into the kitchen, placed a couple of muffins on a plate, and ran back into your bedroom. “Ta-da!” You presented to her the freshly baked muffins. She gasped in surprise and almost tackled you to the floor had you not stopped her mid-way through. “Don’t even think about it.” 

She pouted once more but happily patted the area beside her, beckoning you to sit beside her. Wasting no time, you quickly walked over and offered her a muffin. Sana eagerly sank her teeth into the fluffy muffin and moaned in delight at the taste. “This is delicious!”

“I’m glad you like them.” Grinning at her obvious enjoyment, you grabbed one for yourself and dug in. 

“Yeah well, I like you better.” Sanake has hit again! You grumbled something about her being greasy but still kissed her cheek for the effort. She responded in kind by giving you multiple cheek kisses back. 

In no time, all the muffins were finished. Both of you wanted to just have a lazy day so Sana suggested watching a movie while cuddling. Of course, you agreed.

Halfway through the movie, she had somehow managed to climb on top of you so that she was sitting in your lap. It was comfortable at first, but Sana seemed to grow restless, frequently moving and shifting on top of you. You were starting to feel turned on by her actions. You patted her thigh, silently telling her to stop. Sana mumbled a quick sorry before stopping. However, not even a minute later, she started to move again. She was started to grow antsier, and as a result, was applying a lot of pressure to your... area. 

“Sana.” You let out a groan, “Stop moving.” Biting your lip, you gripped her waist, hoping to stop her movements. 

“I’m bored!” She stretched out the last syllable, once again producing a very whiney sound. 

“It’s almost finished, I want to know how it ends.” You whispered a quick excuse into her ear and gave her a small kiss on the neck, hoping to calm her down. She nodded slightly, apparently agreeing to stop for now. 

When she started moving again, you really could not stop yourself from lightly bucking upwards. When she felt your reaction, she started to press down harder, hands drawing circles on your thigh. You let out a small moan at her administrations. She swiftly turned around in your lap so that she was now facing you. Sana started to attack your neck with kisses, some of which you knew would leave a mark. Groaning her name, you dipped your hands under her shirt and trailed them up her back. 

“Sana,” you let out a breathless pant, “did you do that on purpose?” 

She giggled slightly, confirming your suspicions. Before you could protest, she captured your lips in a rough kiss and started tugging at the waistband of your sweatpants. “Take these off right now.” 

Needless to say, you guys had an eventful morning. 

PARK JIHYO

Out of all the girls, Jihyo was the most cautious when it came to dating scandals. A couple of the girls, such as Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, had dated back in their trainee days. It also wasn’t a secret that some of the members were currently looking for a significant other. However, Jihyo was the most secretive when it came to her private life. You two had only recently started dating and Jihyo really did not want to deal with all the drama that came with being an idol that was in a relationship. Not to mention, it could seriously hurt Twice’s reputation as a group. 

As such, you two rarely met up. When you did, dates were mostly limited to inside areas, such as their dorm or your house. It could sometimes put a strain on your relationship, but you understood where she was coming from. At the end of the day, you really could not fault her for trying to protect her career as well as her friends.

This was one of the rare times where JYP had personally invited you to attend one of Twice’s concerts. He knew that Jihyo was stressed about performing in Japan. She was unfamiliar with the culture and language. Being the perfectionist that she is, she just really wanted to make it a memorable concert for Onces. To help relieve some of the stress and tension, JYP proposed flying you over, all expenses covered. 

You were ecstatic to hear this and agreed immediately. So here you were, backstage watching the girls performing on a huge TV monitor. Of course, you would’ve liked to have been in the crowd but JYP said it would be too much hassle to have you run back and forth from the concert hall to the backstage dressing room. 

Twice had just finished performing their new remix of Feel Special. It included a quick solo dance from each member, lasting only a couple of seconds long. The remix ended with a big group dance, featuring around fifty or so backup dancers all dressed in black. The girls, of course, stood out in their sparkly white outfits. It was truly a mesmerizing sight.  

You congratulated each member as they filed into the room. They were panting and still high off of the adrenaline but knew that they had to change quickly for their next performance. You gave Jihyo a quick peck on the lips, wished her good luck, and exited the room to give them some privacy to change. When they came out, you held her hands all the way to the stage lift. She looked extremely tired but still grateful for your presence. 

“Do your best,” you whispered, just loud enough so that she could hear. 

She grinned back with her bright smile. “You better stay for the aftershow dinner!”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” And you meant it. 

The show ended in fireworks and tears, mostly from the J-Line. Everyone had split into different cars with Jihyo riding in yours. When everyone had arrived at the dorm, Nayeon immediately started to take orders from the other members. Momo said something about Jokbal but you weren’t paying too much attention. 

Jihyo looked exhausted. You walked over to the couch she was sitting on and plopped down beside her. “How’re you holding up, God Jihyo?” She let out a hearty laugh in response.

“Honestly? So much better since you’re here.” You blushed slightly at the comment and silently pulled her into your lap. 

“Oh shush.” 

You wrapped your arms around her torso and pulled her in close. She hummed in approval, relaxing slightly. It wasn’t anything she did, to be honest. Rather, it was just her presence in general. You two hadn’t seen each other much lately, as she’s been extremely busy with promotions. Despite your best efforts not to, you started to feel a little dizzy and breathless. It felt like there was an ingot of lead in your stomach, and as a result, your hands began to wander a little. 

She turned her head slightly to make eye contact with you, her eyebrows slightly raised. You shrugged sheepishly. Jihyo shakes her head slightly, a little amused and a little surprised that she could have this kind of effect on you even when she's not doing anything. 

She rubbed small circles on your arms and leaned back a little to whisper, “Come meet me in my room when we finish dinner.” Jihyo threw you a small shy smile but soon got off to go help organize the chaotic mess that the girls made in the kitchen. 

Let’s just say that you were extremely glad to have attended their celebratory dinner. 

MINARI MINA 

Despite what everyone else thought, you really didn’t mind the silence that came with dating Mina. You actually rather liked the silence. It was comfortable and not at all awkward. Maybe it’s because you’re a rather mature individual and don’t find pleasure in small talk. Either way, Mina’s quiet nature is what initially drew you to her and you wouldn’t change it for the world.

You were on a midnight stroll back home after your dinner date. A nice and comforting feeling enveloped the both of you. The street was lit up by yellow lights, glowing above the crown of your heads. It almost acted like a lighthouse, leading you home. Mina grabbed your hand and intertwined her fingers with yours. Swinging your arms slightly, you asked if she was okay. She nodded and that was all that was said before you guys arrived at your shared apartment door.  

After unlocking the door, you both proceeded to change out of your date clothes in favour of more comfy ones. She came out dressed in an oversized white graphic tee and grey sweatpants. You looked down and noticed that she also wore big penguin slippers. You raised an eyebrow at the sight, rather amused with her outfit. 

She shrugged and answered, “A fan gave them to me and my manager let me keep them.” You mouthed a small okay before telling her to settle down on the couch. 

When you came back out, you noticed she had buried herself under a pile of blankets. You thought she was cold, so on your way over, you sneakily turned up your heater. This was your new life. A domestic life with the one and only Mina. You have no idea what you did to deserve this but hell you’ll take it.

Settling in beside her, you stole some of her blankets, earning a small pout from Mina. Grinning mischievously, you began to tease her by taking all of the blankets away from her. She made a small noise of protest before giving up and just jumping on top of you. You don’t know how it happened but at some point, Mina managed to slip under them. 

You were both laying down, you on the bottom and her lying on top of you. She wrapped her arms around your waist and buried her face into your chest. Not knowing what to do from here, you pulled out your phone and began to scroll through your feed. Whenever you found something that you found even remotely entertaining, you would flash the screen at Mina’s face. At first, she would squint due to the unnaturally bright light, but then a small smile would spread across her face. She would then nod before returning to her original position. Honestly, you just liked seeing her smile.

Looking at the time, you noticed it was already 1:32 am and she had another photoshoot to attend to the next morning. You lightly nudged her, prompting her to look up at you. “We should go to bed, Mina.” 

She looks up at the clock hanging on your wall before letting out a small ‘ah’. “I was wondering why I was starting to feel sleepy.” 

You chuckled in response as she slowly got up and off of you. She made her way to the bathroom to wash up whilst you went to your shared bedroom. 

You were sitting on your bed, again looking through funny videos, waiting for her to finish. When she came back out, she immediately walked over and plopped down in your lap. You let out a small ‘oof’, more so due to surprise than her actual weight. Mina stayed in that position and refused to move, much to your confusion. 

“Someone’s clingy today.” You joked. She only nodded and smiled in response. 

“I just missed you is all.” 

Your heart skipped a beat. You don’t think you’ll ever get sick of her saying that. Mumbling a quick, “I missed you too.”, you decided to put down your phone so that you could focus all your attention on Mina. She wrapped her arms around your neck and placed a small feather-like kiss on your jaw. 

Against your own will, your body began to feel excited. You hugged her close and went in for a short kiss. You lightly nibbled on her bottom lip, eliciting a small breathless moan to escape. Growing more eager, you deepened the kiss and slipped your tongue past her lips. Mina eventually slowed the kiss down, pulling away but leaving a small peck on your lips to signal the end. 

When you opened your eyes, her face was flushed and her lips slightly bruised. She ran her fingers through her hair, an attempt to clear her foggy mind. “Tomorrow. I just want to cuddle tonight.” Her eyes darted away from yours in hopes of avoiding your lustful gaze. You nodded in agreement but tugged her closer so that she could bury her face in your neck again. 

You remind yourself to tell her that you love her tomorrow.   

KIM DAHYUN

“What’s the plan for today?” You rocked on your feet, excited for the date that Dahyun had spent the entire day hinting towards.

“It’s a surprise!” She looked at you, eyes sparkling with amusement. Grabbing your hands, she started leading you towards her manager’s black van. She playfully opened the door and held it open for you, bowing dramatically in the process. 

“Why, thank you!” You said in a haughty tone, deciding to play along with her. She quickly tumbled into the car after you and made sure that you were both strapped in before telling her manager to ‘hit the gas’.

The conversation flowed naturally between the two of you. Dahyun had an unexplainable aura to her, something about her just made you comfortable. Dahyun truly was a ball of sunshine, one that sometimes shines so bright you could barely see anything else. Loving her came just as easy as breathing. She would often joke around about the most random things. You often wondered what the inside of her brain would look like. You often wondered many things about Dahyun. 

She’s a mystery that you could spend the rest of your life, solving. 

Soon enough, you guys had arrived at the beach. You swear you could feel your insides melting. You spent the entire week complaining about how much you missed the ocean. Grinning cheekily, you exclaimed, “So you do listen to me!” 

She blushed lightly, smacking you in the arm in retaliation. “Oh, shut it. Now help me unpack!” 

Rushing to the back of the van, you opened the trunk to find a variety of stored items. There was a small picnic basket, a couple of beach towels, and a backpack, likely packed with items such as sunscreen or water. “Dahyun, how long did this take to prepare?” You asked in amazement. 

You could tell she was pretty proud of herself. “Not too long, don’t worry.” You figured she was probably lying so that you wouldn’t feel guilty. Giving her a quick kiss on the lips, you grabbed a couple of items and ran off to the beach. 

“Last one there has to set everything up!” Laughter trailed behind you, following closely. You heard a vague ‘unfair’ being yelled but didn’t turn around to check. 

Dahyun, of course, was last to the beach but you still assisted in setting up. When it was time to apply the sunscreen, Dahyun wiggled her eyebrows at you as one of her hands crept up your thigh. You rolled your eyes playfully and swatted the wandering hand away. She groaned in disappointment, but her grin never left her face. 

You didn’t spend too long in the water. After a round of trying to sink the other person, quite dangerous now that you think about it, you two trudged out of the water and back onto your beach blanket. You nudged her, eager to see what was inside of the picnic basket. 

She dramatically opened the lid with a small ‘ta-da’. Inside was a small container of fruit and pastries, and another small box that presumably contained your lunches. You two spent the rest of the afternoon joking around and munching on the food that Dahyun brought. 

Content and full, Dahyun mumbled something about exploding before she plopped herself down in your lap. Her hair carried the scent of the sea but also a hint of her signature lavender shampoo. You were honestly pretty drained from playing in the water but still felt a little excited from the skinship. She was wearing a dark red two-piece, something that she said she had only recently bought. Usually, she only wore baggy shirts or one-pieces. 

However, with her soft skin pressed against yours, you began to feel a little heated. She only noticed because your hands had begun to draw small circles on her stomach. “We’re in public,” she whispered. You hummed in contemplation but didn’t stop your administrations. 

Soon, you had begun to place small but intense kisses on her neck, some of which would definitely leave a mark. By now, Dahyun was blushing intensely but made no effort to stop you. You peeked up at her face, noticing that she was biting down on her bottom lip quite hard. 

“There’s a hotel nearby...” You trailed off, hoping that Dahyun would catch onto what you were suggesting. She gave you a jerky nod and quickly began packing up. You laughed at her eagerness but truth be told, you weren’t faring so well either. 

“We should come to the beach more often,” she mumbled quietly. 

You definitely agreed.

SON CHAEYOUNG

Seriously, what would you do without her? You were lying in bed, slightly sick with a cold. When Chaeyoung found out, she refused to let you go to work, regardless of how much you insisted on being fine. She immediately set up camp at your house and told you that she was going to be your ‘caretaker’ for the day. You snorted at that, earning a small smack to the arm. 

“Chae, no offence but you’re going to burn down the kitchen.” 

“I can buy you a new one.” She waved her hand dismissively as she pulled out some vegetables from her bag. You sputtered in confusion, trying to communicate that she couldn’t just order a whole kitchen. 

“Watch me,” she challenged with her hands on her hips and a raised eyebrow. Admittedly, it was an adorable sight but you would never tell her that. Mostly because it was due to her small height. She would always pout whenever you mentioned her height, which again, was adorable. You smiled at the sight and decided to just let the girl do her thing. 

“Okay,” You chuckled, “But I quite like my kitchen so please be careful.” She huffed in response, spun on her heel and headed towards the kitchen with an armful of various vegetables. You sighed, noticing that you indeed were a little exhausted. 

“I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes.” You mumbled drowsily. Before you knew it, you had closed your eyes and fallen asleep. 

When you woke up, it was to your fire alarm. Startled, you jumped out of bed, and ran out of your bedroom to go check for a fire. Your heart was pounding and your only thought was to grab Chaeyoung so that you could haul her out of the apartment. A little unreasonable, yes, but it was your first instinct to danger. 

When you slid into the kitchen, you noticed a huge cloud of smoke floating above. Coughing a little, you blindly called out for Chaeyoung. You heard a small response from the living room. You rushed on over and screamed, “We need to get out of here! It’s burning up!” 

When you finally found her, she was situated by the windows, opening them one by one. You looked at her in bewilderment. Laughter rang throughout the room, as Chaeyoung continued to open the windows. “There’s no fire, I just burnt... more than a couple of dishes. All we have to do is air out the room, I promise.” 

You sighed in slight annoyance. Plopping down on the leather couch, you pinched the bridge of your nose. “I think I have a headache.” She laughed at how dramatic she thought you were being, (you really did have a headache though), before dropping herself right into your lap. 

Wrapping her arms around your neck, she mumbled a quick ‘sorry’ before giving you a quick peck on the lips. You could feel a small smile growing so you planted a kiss on her cheek. Honestly, you could never stay mad at Chaeyoung. Not to mention, it would be a funny memory to look back on in a couple of years. You two sat there, content with just waiting for the smoke to file out your window. 

Although sitting there with her wrapped so tightly around you, you couldn’t help but feel a little hot under the collar. She perked up a little, noticing that you were breathing a little heavier. “Are you burning up?” She placed her hand overtop of your forehead, all while you did your best to avoid her gaze. 

When she finally took the time to observe your face, she noticed how flushed you had become. However, there was one telltale sign that always gave away when you were turned on: you were biting your lip. She smirked a little, brainstorming a myriad of ways to tease you. Finally settling on playing dumb, she continued to fuss over you, citing stereotypical questions such as: Do you need to lie down? How can I help? 

You spent an awfully long time observing your carpet and just robotically nodding along to her questions. She eventually rolled her eyes, placed a finger on your chin, and tilted it slightly up and to the right so that you would be looking at her. “You’re so boring.” That was all she said before she smashed her lips onto yours. At first, you were surprised but you quickly began to kiss back in fervour. 

She moaned slightly at the way your lips merged together. You were an extremely skilled kisser and she would almost always get turned on from your make-outs. Your tongue slipped into her mouth, slightly massaging the roof of her mouth before pulling back. She didn’t even realize when it happened, but she had started to lightly grind on you. Sucking on your tongue, she pulled away with a pop. Her eyes were darkened and almost glazed over. Without a word, she got off, grabbed your wrist, and pulled you back to the bedroom. 

The next day, you received a letter from your neighbour that read: Please close your windows. Sound travels. 

CHOU TZUYU

Tzuyu had a very pure and innocent outlook on a lot of things. Perhaps it was because she was still pretty young. Still, you couldn’t help but be surprised whenever she said or did something naive. It was one of the things that you liked most about her though, and you secretly hoped that she would always stay that way. However, it did make for a very awkward conversation when you sometimes had to explain things to her. 

She’s never really liked PDA, so you guys always held back in public until you reached the dorms. Even then, she would only become comfortable enough to cuddle with you when you guys were alone in her room. 

You were riding in the manager’s black van back to the dorms. Twice had just finished performing a show and was absolutely exhausted. When you guys arrived, Tzuyu immediately pulled you towards her room, mumbling a quick ‘goodnight’ to the other girls. They replied similarly and each went to their own rooms. 

Tzuyu was actually the only member that did not have a roommate, not because the other girls didn’t want to room with her, but rather because out of all of them, Tzuyu would likely appreciate it the most. Partly because you would sometimes come over and stay the night, and also partly because she liked the peacefulness and silence that came with rooming alone. 

Whenever you were over, you made sure to respect her space and let her do her own thing. When she was done, she would almost always cling to you. Tzuyu was actually quite affectionate, much to your own surprise.

You remember mentioning that fact to her a couple of months ago. She stared blankly back at you and you could practically see all her thoughts running through her brain. However, all she did was shrug and melt back into your arms, leaving the question unanswered. You assumed she wasn’t going to say anything so you pulled out your phone to scroll through your social media, but you heard her mumble almost inaudibly: “Only because you’re special.” 

Tonight was pretty normal. You guys had developed a routine. You would wait for her on the bed whilst she showered and changed. Then you guys would switch, and you would go shower. When all of that was said and done, Tzuyu would poke you until you gave in and cuddled with her. 

However, tonight instead of cuddling, she sat right in your lap before you could lie down. You wrapped your arms around her midriff in an attempt to balance her. “What’re you doing?” 

“Let’s just sit and talk for a while before going to bed.” Tzuyu was picking the lint off of her pyjamas, avoiding eye contact with you. You raised an eyebrow at this but readily complied with her demands. 

You waited for her to talk first, but you were getting a little restless in the meantime. She kept shifting, and unknowingly rubbing on your...area. You flushed a bright red and thanked the gods that she wasn’t looking at you. 

“I made a lot of mistakes tonight.” She finally whispered. You immediately paused, confused because you personally hadn’t seen any mistakes. “I wasn’t as energetic as I could have been and I think fans saw that.” She elaborated for you. 

You let out a small ‘ah’. You’ve learned that in times like these, it was just best to stay silent. Most of the time, Tzuyu just needed to let it out. You could try and reassure her but you’ve come to realize that she has her own expectations for herself, ones that will differ from yours. It’s always easier to notice your own little flaws. You rocked her slightly back and forth, trying to bring a little bit of comfort to her. That brought about an unexpected action: more rubbing. You stifled a groan and tried your best to push those thoughts away. 

She finally sighed, signalling the end to her overthinking. She turned back slightly to smile at you and thank you, but she noticed that your cheeks were a little redder than normal. She immediately started to panic, thinking that you had a fever. Tzuyu jumped off your lap, much to your dismay, and went out to grab a thermometer. What could you do though? She ran out before you could say a thing. You rubbed your face, silently wishing the redness to go away. 

When she returned, you noticed that she had also grabbed a glass of water, some pills, and a blanket for you. Feeling a little silly, you said, “Wait, I’m not sick. Just let me explain.” 

She looked adorably confused now. Still not completely believing you though, she placed the items on the nightstand beside the bed and waited patiently for you to explain. 

Your blush had travelled all the way down your neck when you were explaining. Looking up to check her reaction, you could see that Tzuyu had basically the same reaction as you. She stammered a little, unsure of what to say. You grinned at her nervousness but reassured that you guys did not have to do anything tonight. Sometimes you just could not control how your body reacted to her. 

She nodded, still a little hesitant, but crawled over to you and quietly asked for cuddles. You nodded and happily complied. Just as you were starting to fall asleep though, you heard her mumble something. Straining to hear her, you asked her to repeat it again. Tzuyu cleared her throat and then tried again. 

“I said, the girls will be out all day tomorrow.” You tilted your head in confusion. 

“What?” 

She rolled her eyes at you, a little amused by your obliviousness. She ran a finger down your stomach, trailing dangerously close to your core but still managing to avoid it. You gasped at the action, a little turned on again. 

“Tomorrow.” You gulped at the suggestive tone that she had adopted but quickly nodded before she changed her mind. She let out a satisfied hum at your response.

Perhaps she isn’t as innocent as you thought she was.