#kim gets two halos

[stressfulsloth]

"Harry... it explains *everything*. The running around. The jumping. The *bicep girth*. Your *inexplicable* facial hair..."

"The fact you don't seem to know what homo-sexuality is... and how you're able to perform a 360-degree spin-kick too!"

- I always thought that the shading on Kim's face was a red birthmark and I love it.

[medusaesque]

Kim Kitsuragi and the pale-

Kim has a unique relationship to the pale, I tried dissecting it and making sense of it. Reposting with more thoughts after some good conversations with @binomech.

Warning- it's insanely long.

1. After life, death

One of the first thing you can learn about Kim is that he would hurl himself in death's way to save you. From the very first moment, Kim is related to sacrifice and death, it follows him wherever he goes-

The slaughterhouse.

He lost his parents at two years old. He worked a year in Processing (here's good post about that by @renmorris and @spilledkaleidoscope). He lost his partner, Eyes. People have taken a bullet that was meant for his more than once. His survivor's guilt is insane. He's killed six people. He's afraid of killing recklessly, and has a deeply unhealthy relationship with his gun (made another embarrassingly long post about that).

Kim also hears pale 'ghosts' on the police radio all the time, talks about it like it's normal, and says he doesn't believe in ghosts.

If harry is with Noid during the Moralist dream quest (more on it later), Harry can even wonder if Kim himself is a ghost, prompting this beautiful exchange-

And he's not entirely wrong. When Harry gets shot, after Kim fulfills Espirit's promise and stands in death's way for him, you can ask as you fall into darkness what will happen to you-

It's the living who are ghosts. You can leave them behind and rest. Go into the wild pale yonder, along with everyone else Kim has ever cared about. Or at least you can try to.

When death is at the door, you have two options-

2. After death, life again

Kim might associate himself with death, but Harry associates him with life again and again- Death is darkness, Kim has a light bulb halo. Death is a sunset, Kim is a sunrise. Death is where you are when the game start, it's ready to take you, and then- a clarion call, the sound of a motor carriage, a detective arriving on the scene, and you open your eyes.

Of course Kim is no actual saint, no guardian angel, but it's really telling that even in harry's deification the symbols of Kim's holiness are worldly, almost mundane, the matters of every day life- a celling's fan lightbulb, the engine of a car..

Or the way @binomech said it when discussing Kim's portrait: this is the only thing keeping you from the full brunt of the world in your mind #but truly you are already in the world #and he is just a man #and that's just a car and that's just a ceiling fan

The game is very clear about Harry being a ceaseless agent of the world, but he's not the only one. Harry stands at death's door twice, and Kim is his way back to the world both times.

3. After the world, the pale

So what is Kim's relationship with the pale?

As casual as he might try to appear, Kim is clearly uncomfortable with the pale, afraid of it even. When Harry brings up the pale, he intervenes, genuinely worried for the fragile stability of his mind, trying to protect him-

It's no more terrifying than water or death or that we're stuck behind our eyes for all eternity?? Sounds pretty terrifying Kim...

I think the key is in the moralist vision quest, When Harry attempts to reach the Committee of Responsibility, and he hears the pale crosstalk coming through the radio, when suddenly-

"Pale is a shroud of memories and it doesn't really distinguish to whom those memories belong to. You could hear anything." You could hear anything, but you hear Kim. Soona even says that the odds of us hearing him, out of all the voices in the pale, are astronomically low.

We know the past has not been harmless to Kim, we know it's full of ghosts and cold winters, but that's not the thing that's eating at him-

Kim is afraid of forgetting. He's constantly writing, he thinks through his notebook, always recording, so he wouldn't lose anything. That's why the pale is so terrifying to him.

4. After the pale. the world again

The world is what it is. God is in his heaven. Everything is normal on Earth.

That leads me to the expeditions through the pale-

Volta do Mar is a skill unique to Kim, according to the stats of this pilot jackets, and it's a Physique skill.

It's driving me crazy to think how Kim wanted to be revolutionary pilot as a kid, and is walking around dressed like a pilot as an adult, to give himself the ability to navigate the pale. To return from the sea-

DISTANT ENEMY OF HIMSELF?? kim....

Seeing how Volta do Mar is strengthened by his jackets, and the items' descriptions point out that most of the people who used to wear this jacket are long gone (alongside what they represented) and considering that the only real advance in pale transit is the speed with which an aerostatic craft can pierce it, is seems fitting that returning from the 'sea' requires the kind of armor that ghosts wear- the ghost of who you wanted to be but never could, of a home that was never yours. Glory to them.

@binomech said it best in this conversation we had about Kim's skills: "your traitorous race. your traitorous job. your traitorous parents. your traitorous senses. distant enemy of yourself: seolite, communist, cripple, faggot. and you wear it as armor"

Kim is equipped for Volta do Mar, he armors himself for it every day, for the thing that makes it possible to return sane, and discover a new world-

This is one of the most touching Kim moments in the game to me- putting his hand in the rain, looking up to the sky, mouth open, welcoming the spring rain, even knowing it'll bring death and destruction with it. He is devoted to this world and the role he has to play in it, or at least the role he thinks he has to play-

But we know Kim has a bigger role to play, he's trying to do his part right there, getting Harry to stay-

His connection to Harry can keep him on this world once again- keeping the two of them together. Their real work is down here, him and Harry are Revachol's only hope. If they stick together they might be able to keep her on this earth.

UNITY AMONG THE RANKS IS PARAMOUNT.

I NEED YOU. YOU CAN KEEP ME ON THIS EARTH. BE VIGILANT.

I LOVE YOU.

[duck-in-a-spaceship]

The deification, the religious trauma, the queer experience and the holy repression of Kim Kitsuragi.

This is another page for the zine I'm working on!! Sort of. The words will be different, but the original didn't make sense out of context so I just slapped a quote in there. Chatting about art selections + no words version under the cut.

All of these images (except Kim!) were taken from the National Gallery of Art's website. I believe the filters I had on were Baroque, Renaissance, Rococo, and Romantic, but I don't entirely remember. Feel free to ask me about anything that catches your eye! The halo is taken from the Gothic work of 'Saint James Mahor' by Simone Martini. My main goal was to just find classical or renaissance paintings that I thought looked related to the Dolorian Church or just kind of had those vibes. My own personal favorites are the gutted pig (ha. get it), the dog and the bird, and the haloed lady in the top right. I found a lot of good stuff though!

The true unsung hero of this collage is its background. This is 'Berlin Abstraction' by Marsden Hartley. My main criteria in finding a background were that I wanted it to be abstract and I wanted it to be by a queer artist. (Also not too modern.) The messier parts of Kim that he keeps under that veil of composure. As an added bonus, 'Berlin Abstraction' depicts a lot of military imagery as well, specifically showing the overlap of these two identities of being queer and a soldier or RCM. I was really pleased to find it!

[concord-and-cliches]

(roleswap) i think kim should forget straight people exist

[id in alt and below the cut, sketches also under the cut!]

[ID: Disco Elysium fanart featuring a "Role Swap AU" between Kim Kitsuragi and Harry Du Bois. Kim is wearing a black "Speed Freaks FM" t-shirt, and his orange jacket is tied around his waist. There are golden necklaces around his neck--one is adorned with a lung charm. He isn't wearing glasses, but there are orange sunglasses pushed up onto the top of his head. His hair is long enough to be tied back into a short ponytail with an orange hairtie. His gloves are fingerless, and he is holding a cigarette. He has a focused expression. Behind him, there is a dark brown rectangle with a white circle behind him, reminiscent of a halo. The white circle has numerous cracks in it. Harry is wearing a green suit and green dress pants. He is smiling and winking, and holding his ledger. His tie is yellow and his shoes are a dark brown. He is clean-shaven and generally well put-together. Behind him, there is a rectangle with yellow and blue, similar to his profile image in the game. Unlike the game, the yellow and blue are stacked neatly on top of one another instead of being diagonal. His other arm is behind his back.

A Disco Elysium fancomic featuring the "Role Swap AU" versions of Kim Kitsuragi and Harry Du Bois. Kim is either holding a cigarette or keeping one in his mouth in each panel he's present in. Panel One: Harry and Kim are talking to Titus Hardie, while Elizabeth Beaufort stands outside the room with a focused expression. Titus says: "We partied. She's been here for a few months." Panel Two: A close-up of Hardie, arms crossed and smirking, saying: "Some tits you just have to see to believe." Panel Three: Kim watches Harry and Titus end their exchange with a confused expression and a "…?" Harry says: "Thanks for the chat, we'll be back later." Titus replies: "Whatever, coppers." Panel Four: Walking away from the Hardie Boys, Kim says: "Hey," which prompts Harry to pay attention to Kim. Kim continues: "The Hardie Boys. Why were they talking about women like that?" Panel Five: Harry, with a somewhat confused expression, asks: "…D'you mean in a feminism sense?" Panel Six: Kim has a halo behind his head with Physique-coloured (red) cracks coming out from it. He says: "No, like. Y'know." He cups his hand as if holding a breast to emphasize his point. Panel Seven: Harry looks at Kim with a thoughtful expression. Panel Eight: Harry says: "Are…" Panel Nine: From off-panel, Harry continues: "Are you talking about sexuality?" Panel Ten: Kim looks blankly at Harry. Panel Eleven: Kim has a frazzled expression as he looks off to the side. Harry, drawn extremely simplistically, looks on at Kim's crisis. Text in the panel reads: "Thought Gained: The Hetero-Sexual Aboveground". The accompanying symbol is orange, and features a pilot's headset.

Various drawings of "Role Swap AU" Harry and Kim. One drawing is of Harry holding his ledger, alongside text that reads: "SO normal about his ledger <3" One drawing is of Kim with a cracked halo behind him. The cracks are yellow. This is accompanied by text that reads: "Perception - You can't see shit." and "skills/thoughts represented through cracks in halo" One drawing is of Kim looking thoughtful, saying: "How did you get so nice, Harry?" One drawing is of Harry holding up a speed bottle with a thumbs up and a smile, accompanied by text that reads: "limits himself to one speed bottle a day (JOKE) (or is it)" One drawing is of Harry looking thoughtful as he holds his ledger. Text reads: "Logic - There is something so wrong with the lieutenant. Electrochemistry - It's kinda hot." One drawing is of Kim with text that reads: "'how do you do, fellow kids' energy" and "still has trauma-and-stressor but doesn't remember anything about it and talks to 'delinquents' more freely as a result". One drawing is of Kim looking at his gloves with shock as they say: "C'mon gege, let's fuck shit up!" A halo behind him has purple cracks. One drawing is of Harry smiling and giving a thumbs up, saying: "Good job, lieutenant!" /end ID]

[palms-upturned]

Tbh it always makes me laugh how much of our perception of Kim is filtered through Harryvision. He sees Kim with a halo bc his patience and kindness feels downright saintly after the spectacle Harry’s made of himself, but then Kim will literally let you sleep in the garbage instead of loaning you 20 reál on day two 😭 There’s a skill check that says something like “This man does not buckle under pressure. Stars will collapse before he succumbs to any manipulation.” But then if you get really sad about him saying he doesn’t wanna share a sandwich with you he’s like “n…no… wait… it’s okay… here look I’ll have a little bite…”

Harry thinks Kim is like the most devastatingly cool guy ever but then you get to know him and he hates teenagers and is a sore winner at board games and prefers cars to people and pinball is his literally government assigned special interest. Which he hates with every fiber of his being btw. He’s proud of being a killjoy and corrects your grammar. He’s scared of the ice bear fridge and wants to shoot it so bad.

You try to explain your amnesia to him and he’s like “have you considered simply getting over it?” He canonically (and literally) hides from dealing with “matters of love, not violence or deceit,” he’s “even more repressed than you are,” and let’s be honest, he’s probably just as friendless as Harry. People make jokes about everyone at precinct 41 falling in love with Kim when he transfers but tbh he’s such a prickly bitch I bet it takes him forever to even slightly befriend anyone. Someone tries to start a rapport by calling him Kimball as a genuine friendly gesture and Kim gives the entire precinct the cold shoulder for a week over it.

[scoutpologist]

i wanted to take a brief moment to look at jean and kim's portraits and how they show the difference in how harry views the two. here i'm going to be operating on the theory that the portraits are how harry in particular views the world and aren't objective descriptions.

[ID: A portrait of Jean Vicquemare from Disco Elysium. The portrait has a painterly style, with large brushstrokes. The colors are all black-and-white, spare for his skin, which is pale and cool-toned with hints of red. Half his face is obscured in black shadow. Behind him, a square, black halo frames his head. End ID.]

one of the most notable details here is that jean has a square halo. according to this article here, square halos are a rare piece of christian iconography to distinguish a living, regular person from a saint. in other words, this halo carries "no implication of sanctity".

[ID: A portrait of Kim Kitsuragi from Disco Elysium. Compared to the previous, the painting is noticeably more detailed, though still carries a traditional texture. The colors are warm, orange and red in tone, besides the skin, which has a slight cool tone. A pure white halo is positioned behind his head. End ID.]

meanwhile we get the classic circle halo in kim's portrait. not only that, but the details in kim's portrait are much sharper - we can see most of his face, and there are clear lines as opposed to jean's more broad strokes. round halos "indicate holy or sacred figures", according to the wikipedia page on the subject.

side note: dolores dei (both as dora and not) does not have a halo of any sort. she does have a crown, but only in the sprite - harry does not see it on either the glass window or in his dream.

that's not even getting into the differences in color scheme. jean's portrait is dark and moody, with a very "noir detective" type of color scheme. the colors are almost entirely devoid of pigment. kim's portrait, however, is bursting with color and warmth. there's a nearly egregious use of red that, from a distance, looks like blood or bruising. the background is a black tinged with red. his jacket is bright orange.

it's just. so. interesting. because every little detail (down to HOW MANY DETAILS THERE ARE), is an indication of how harry feels about the character.

[wannaeatramyeon]

Word quantity: high. Word quality: low. You have been warned.

Goo Kim x Reader: School Days with Princess & the Delinquent

Chapter 9 - Please read chapter 1 first!

Index: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Epilogue

Shin Saimdang is apparently a notable historical figure for something or another. 

Fact of the matter is, Goo doesn’t care. He couldn’t give a shit about her achievements and who she is. But he just wants to keep seeing her face all day, every day. The more of her the better.

Goo holds the 50,000 won note up to the sunlight, admiring the way it halos this Saimdang woman. Bringing it up to his lips, he presses a loud smooch to the 50,000 unmissable in the bottom left corner and then to her face printed in all its black and white glory. 

Maybe he’ll do the same to the wad of bills sitting in his pocket later.

“This could be you and I’d still kiss it,” Goo grins, wiggling his eyebrows and nudging Gun Park with his elbow.

“Shut up.” 

.

.

It is oft repeated for good reason, but here it comes again: Goo Kim fucking loves money.

Lives and breathes it. There’s very little he would not do to get his grubby little mitts on some.

That’s not to say Goo is not loyal. Of course he is, his loyalty just goes to the highest bidder.

And boy has Charles Choi gone all in with Goo, almost guaranteeing him a lifetime of luxuries and finer things in exchange for him getting some blood on his hands. That's fine with Goo, he is absolutely rolling in it with the Four Crews and his position in HNH.

Even having a partner like Gun Park is worth it for the bed of cash he sleeps on, his penthouse he lives in.

What can he say, he’s not a complicated guy. All his dreams have come true.  So what if he needs to sacrifice his morals and ethics?

How does he sleep at night? On a handmade imported mattress and 2000 thread count sheets, thanks for asking.

He can picture his younger self, a little Goo Kim with his head full of natural black hair overgrown and ungroomed, wearing threadbare brandless scraps. Squinting and clumsily bumping in life until he saved and scraped enough for his first pair of glasses.

Goo wishes he could give this version of him a little assuring pat on the head to say there’s a lot of good things to come. And then probably kick his ass for getting dirt on his designer suit.

Later that evening, when Goo sinks into the obscenely oversized bathtub of the presidential suite, listening to Gun Park mutter to himself as he recounts the bags of cash, he thinks:

‘This is it. This is everything I need.’

.

.

But every now and then, a memory, clear as day, causes him to stop in his tracks.

Someone’s hair, who is just the right tone, catches his eyes.

A laugh, that is almost but not quite, turns his head.

Goo is still as two faced as ever. Happy to utter flatteries to someone’s face then stab them in the back.

Sweetheart, cupcake, handsome, beautiful, cutie flows from his lips like it’s nothing. Because it means nothing.

Yet he can’t bring himself to call anyone else Princess.

.

.

“What’s wrong with you?” Gun’s voice cuts through the blonde’s pensiveness.

Playing the role of bodyguards and with a little time to kill as they wait for Crystal (which in all honesty is a waste of Goo’s amazing talents but he doesn’t mind, he gets paid all the same), they both sit outside a cafe. Gun, occupied with his phone and Goo, occupied with his thoughts.

Goo snaps his mask back on, pasting on a smile that is pulled too wide, “Wouldn’t you like to find out?”

“If it’s about that girl,” Gun returns his attention to his screen, “Get over it.”

The directness of Gun’s words catch him off guard. It cuts him straight to the core. Has he been that obvious? 

Goo swallows down any misgivings, instead stretching his grin impossibly wider and looking unhinged. A clear warning sign as any. “There’s no girl.”

Gun peers over to his partner, arching a single eyebrow and not saying anything more.

.

.

Another day, another dollar. Or another boring-ass corporate event.

Charles seems to be having the time of his life, mingling and schmoozing with some old corporate fuddy-duddies.

Goo thought it was surprising getting the CEO of HNH to some shitty little ribbon-cutting ceremony at a shopping mall, but apparently it’s something of a big deal; celebrating a new store opening of a very prestigious partner of HNH.

(Gun was sorely tempted to beat this fact into his thick skull. Clearly the four other times he had explained this to the blonde didn’t sink in.)

Alas, they are finally here. And it’s every bit as boring as Goo had thought it would be. He lets out a yawn, not bothering to cover his gaping mouth, which earns a glare from Gun and Crystal.

Goo nods his head towards the bathroom, signalling to his partner that he’s off for a comfort break.

Gun frowns, as if to say 'Don’t you dare leave. We’re on duty.'

Goo volleys with a smirk that communicates his response loud and clear. 'What? So you want me to piss all over the floor?'

Gun grunts in displeasure, giving a little shake off his head. 'Go. You’ve won this one.'

.

.

At the disappearance of Goo, your other friends start to reappear. 

Really, you couldn’t blame them for holding you at arm’s length. You probably would have done the same looking in from the outside, if they had chosen to spend all their time with a delinquent too.

And they really have been sweet since they’ve been back, noticing your heartache and the constant cloud hanging over your head.

In an attempt to get you out of your funk, they’ve dragged you, kicking and screaming, on a day out. It should cheer you up as you wander store to store, hearing their laughter and banter again, offering to buy you little gifts as a pick-me-up.

It doesn’t work.

It actually does the opposite as you start to shrink in on yourself, guilty that you’re ruining what should be a very pleasant trip.

“What’s going on there?” One of your friends point out, and you don’t have the energy to care.

“That’s the big boss of HNH!” Another one chimes in, and they ooh and aah wondering if they should approach and ask for an internship.

You continue wandering on, leaving your friend group to debate the merits of that approach. Whether they’ll get tackled by security or lauded for their initiative.

As you move further and further away, you can’t help but feel eyes burning into the back of your head. 

.

.

Gun watches you leave. He stays quiet when Goo returns.

.

.

In time, you begin to feel more like yourself.

The worry turns to anger and finally fizzles out to acceptance.

You try to move on but don’t forget Goo Kim. How can anyone truly forget Goo Kim, that whirlwind of a human being?

He entered your life, left behind a shine, and now has disappeared as mysteriously as he appeared.

You miss him in ways you didn’t know possible.

He haunts your days and nights. 

You dream of bleached hair, sharp eyes behind glasses, and a sardonic smile.

.

.

You’re back at the top of the class again with your grades, though inside you miss being second best.

Exams come and go. 

You do well.

With your results, your first choice university accepts you with a full scholarship.

You look forward to the future yet everything feels hollow without that presence in your life.

It pains you to even say his name.

[kpop-kitkat]

Attention | Kim Sunwoo

pairing | dom bf!kim sunwoo x sub f!reader

genre/cw | smut(minors istg do not interact or you're blocked), fluff, a bit of crack/humor, explicit language, gamer!sunwoo, established relationship, slight degradation, praise, dirty talk, pull out method, daddy kink, use of whore and slut, pet names, teasing, sunwoo is a whiney dom(omg can you imagine ahh), slight moan kink, aftercare, fluffy end

wc | 2.2k

notes | who doesn't love gamer boy smuts, I mean come on

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧  

Y/n smiled to herself as she got the very much needed text. After waiting a whole day, it was a sight to see.

Sunwoo💕: finishing up practice. home soon baby girl

Y/n: yay, see ya soon

She squealed before tossing her phone onto the couch. In any normal relationship, nobody would be that excited when their lover returned home from a normal day at work. And in Sunwoo’s case, he was an idol, staying a bit later for extra practice for an upcoming comeback. But Y/n and Sunwoo were only three weeks into living together. Who could blame her?

On an impulse of energy, she began cleaning the apartment, every nook and cranny. Coats on the coat rack, dishes in the dishwasher, books in the bookshelf, everything in its place. She didn't even realize how fast she was doing it until she felt sweat, sticky on her forehead. She sighed before collapsing onto the sofa, wanting nothing more than Sunwoo cuddles, and maybe something a bit more. She couldn't help but imagine all the filthy scenarios in her head.

The sound of keys jangling as the front door was unlocked and opened, made her jolt upwards, off of the sofa. She ran over to her boyfriend and jumped, arms and legs around his neck and waist.

 "Whoah, miss me that much baby girl?" Sunwoo smirked, holding her body close to his as he kissed her cheek.

 "I was alone all day," she pouted with her bottom lip stuck out, raising her head up from his shoulder to look up at him.

 He chuckled before kissing her pouty lips. "Sorry. I'll have to make a daily reminder: don't be late or girlfriend gets moody," he teased. 

 "How dare you," she playfully smacked his chest before untangling herself from his grip. "You should wash up, dinner is almost ready."

 "What? You cooked?" Sunwoo's jaw dropped.

 "No stupid, the Uber Eats driver is ten minutes away. Now go," she laughed, shoving him towards the stairs.

He eventually went up to take a shower and change his clothes. When he came back down, Y/n was already enjoying her ramen without him. "Hey, you should've waited for me!" He exclaimed, running to the kitchen island, digging through the brown paper bag, sighing in relief seeing how Y/n left him a bowl. She had actually eaten his food once after the two had gotten into a silly arguement. "Thanks for not eating my food."

 "You're welcome."

Sunwoo chuckled with a shake of his head as he took a seat besides her at the kitchen island. He licked his lips as he took the lid off of his food, twirling his plastic fork in hand. He took a bite and sighed in satisfaction before turning to his girlfriend. "So, what did you do while I was gone?"

 "I cleaned, aren't you proud of me?" She replied, also taking a bite of her food.

 "I did notice the apartment was cleaner when I got back. I'm surprised you did it voluntarily," he explained, earning an elbow to the stomach from her.

 "Well, at least I was productive. I even took a walk and did our laundry," she added.

 "Look at you," he laughed, swallowing his food so he wouldn't choke. He was about to say something when his phone buzzed.

 "Who's that?" Y/n wondered.

 "Chanhee and Changmin. They want to play some Halo in fifteen," he answered. 

 "Can I see?" Y/n tilted her head.

Y/n and Sunwoo were currently building trust in their relationship, so looking at each other's text messages was something they always did. 

Sunwoo nodded and handed his phone over to Y/n. 

(On Sunwoo's phone)

Chanheee: halo in 15?

Q: ya, gotta finish this birthday card for jaehyun. count me in. hbu sunwoo?

Y/n smirked to herself, and Sunwoo understood her plan.

 "No, babe, please let me reply," Sunwoo reached out for his phone, but she leaned over, out of his reach.

 "I promised I'd play with them earlier!" The boy protested. 

 "Whatever," she handed the phone back to its rightful owner, hesitantly. 

Sunwoo(actually Sunwoo): JK y'all, I'll be on in less than fifteen ;)

Y/n pouted. "You don't want to watch a movie or something?"

 "Maybe later babe, I made a promise," he smiled, holding the back of her neck to pull her in for another kiss, a lasting one this time. He pulled away after awhile. "I love you."

 "I love you too," she sighed. "But I want cuddles."

 "You're literally a human koala. You can live without me for two hours. Entertain yourself," he playfully rolled his eyes before ascending the stairs.

She huffed and looked around. "But there's nothing to do," she thought aloud.

~~~~~

Y/n quietly entered the bedroom as Sunwoo was immersed in his games. She decided to scroll aimlessly through TikTok as she lay on their shared bed, attempting to cure her boredom.

 "No no! He's by our base!" Sunwoo shouted, following a loud mashing on the keyboard and loud clicks on the mouse. "I swear I'll kill you if you suicide one more time Chanhee hyung."

Y/n looked up and almost laughed at how Sunwoo was a whole new person in the world of video games.

 "I'm going to kill you!" Sunwoo raged. Y/n guessed Chanhee committed suicide again, I'm game of course.

Y/n was deprived of her boyfriend. Even though he promised it'd be two hours, it was coming up on four. "Baby..." she whined, but Sunwoo couldn't hear through his headphones. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, not earning any response other than a shake of shoulders. Unsatisfied, she moved in front of him and put her legs on either side of him, sitting on his lap and leaning her head into his chest.

 "Hold up," Sunwoo moved the headphone mic away from his face. "Baby what are you doing?"

 "Cuddling with you, I'm bored," she answered truthfully.

 "But-" he paused, seeing how the next game had already started. "Fine, just no distractions, okay?"

She nodded. But it didn't mean she wasn't going to distract anyways.

He moved the mic back to his mouth. "Aight, let's go."

Y/n clutched his warm sweatshirt and breathed in his scent, finding it very calming. It smelt like ocean water and new books, two of her favorite smells. And while she was comfortable in her position she was still bored. And not to mention, getting horny from sitting on his lap for some time.

Deciding on causing mischief and a distraction, she began to move, rubbing her clothed heat against his sweatpants. It was painfully slow, but also pleasuring. Sunwoo seemed unfazed by her actions, still shouting at his friends as they played an intense match. But when she began to move faster, causing the friction she wanted, he began to fidget as he played, even stumbling over his words. "Y-yeah it's..." he took a deep breath. "B-by that fountain by the fountain, I-I mean mountain." Y/n smiled. Her plan seemed to be working. Taking it a step further, she leaned over his shoulder and quietly moaned into his ear, silently turning him on.

 "What was that?" Asked Chanhee through the game.

 "Nothing, it's nothing," Sunwoo brushed him off. But oh, it was definitely something.

Y/n smirked to herself. Everything was going according to plan. She grasped Sunwoo's shoulders as she allowed herself more room to move. Back and forth, back and forth, at the perfect pace. And she didn't contain her dirty little noises.

 "Okay Sunwoo, something is making noise on your end," Changmin concluded. 

 "It was the wind," Sunwoo chuckled nervously as he bit back a moan of his own.

"The wind?" Y/n thought to herself. Nonetheless, she played her final card. Moving away from Sunwoo's chest, she reached down to feel him through his sweatpants. She was pleasantly surprised to find him already so hard for her. It turned her on even more. She began stroking his length, causing him to shut his eyes tightly and bite his lips to the point of them bleeding.

 "Guys, Imma head to bed, I'm," he took a deep breath, trying not to moan. "Just tired after today."

 "That's fine. See y'all tomorrow," said Chanhee.

 "See ya," Changmin said before going offline. 

Sunwoo ripped his headphones off and threw them onto the ground beside him before tightly grasping her wrists. "What do you think you're doing, baby girl?"

 "Pleasuring daddy, because I know he wants me to," she said, acting all innocent as her eyes sparkled.

He quickly stood up before sweeping her off of her feet, carrying her to the bed before throwing her onto it. She loved it when he was rough. He climbed on after her and pinned her hands above her head before kissing her roughly. She tugged at his blonde tresses as he held her jaw tightly. He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes. "Such an attention whore, aren't you? Couldn't wait another thirty minutes to have my cock inside you, hmm?"

 "No, I missed you daddy," she whined, feeling herself getting wetter, to the point of it being hot and uncomfortable.

 "Tell me what you need, baby girl," he continued to kiss her, tasting her as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. "Tell me what my pretty little whore needs so bad."

 "I need you... to fuck me," she breathed out, biting his bottom lip.

 "Like always... you fucking whore," he smirked. He began kissing his way down her neck feverishly, as Y/n held his shoulders tightly. He then began to pull his own shirt over his head, revealing his well toned body that never ceased to amaze Y/n. His attention was then on her clothes. "We don't need this, do we?" He hummed, lifting her shirt over her head. "What about this? No, don't need this either," he smirked, tugging down her silk shorts, revealing her completely soaked panties. It was even dripping with her arousal. "Oh baby girl, you're soaked," he pouted as he touched her through the thin fabric, eliciting a loud moan from her. "Do you need my help?"

 "Yes daddy please, I need you," she whined aloud, moving her hands to his abs. 

 He tugged down his sweatpants and underwear in one swift move before turning around to pump himself before turning back to her. He licked his lips before slipping down her panties. "Take it like a good girl, my little slut. You asked for it."

 There was no time for her to verbally respond before the head of Sunwoo's cock invaded her entrance. She gasped, holding onto Sunwoo's shoulders as the pleasure overwhelmed her senses. "Feel good baby girl?"

 "Yes Sunwoo... oh fuck," she whimpered, arching her back as her head fell backwards.

 "Keep moaning my name, lovely," he ordered, beginning to thrust deeper into her, if it was even possible. 

 "Sunwoo!" she screamed, feeling him hit her g-spot repetitively. She then pulled him down to kiss his lips again, savoring his taste. He responded and with one hand, he held the side of her face. The other was keeping her hips in place as he thrusted a bit harshly now.

 "Sunwoo, I'm going to... ahh," she cried.

 "Not yet baby girl, wait for me," he ordered, afterwards letting out a bit of a high pitched moan. And Y/n couldn't explain it, but she loved the sound of it. The way his hair fell messy upon his forehead as his thrusts got sloppy and he became a moaning mess, despite being the dominant one... she just loved it all. She loved knowing she pleasured him as much as he did her.

 "Sunwoo, I can't," she begged, her pussy already becoming sore as he hit her spot. 

 "Alright, come with me," he said, moaning once more as he pulled out, his white hot liquid dripping onto her stomach. She moaned as well, her liquids pouring out onto the sheets. Sunwoo sighed before collapsing beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Great job baby girl," he smiled, kissing all over her face. He then sat up. "Let's get you cleaned up." He left for the bathroom and speedily returned with a rag wet with warm water. Carefully, he wiped his cum from her stomach and tried to wipe some of hers from the sheets as well. He tossed the rag in the dirty laundry basket before slipping on his underwear and sweatpants again, Y/n also putting her clothes back on. He and Y/n moved into their spots in bed and looked at each other. "I love you," he breathed out, moving hair from her face.

 "I love you more," she smiled, snuggling into his chest. 

 At the end of the day, she got what she wanted. Sunwoo cuddles.

[siren-serenity]

sunsets in two different ways

characters: jake kim, sinu han, gn!reader warnings: none a/n: - one of my fav arcs is definitely the golden days of big deal!!! they are so lovable <3 - JAKE KIM THE GREEN FLAG!!! THE BEST LEADER!!! (i'm sorry eli but you got issues) - I LOVE SINU HAN HE IS ADORABLE AND CUTE AND DELIGHTFULLY HANDSOME AND- (it gets a bit, cough cough spicy in his part with the brief make-out session) - feedback is appreciated!

Jake Kim savors the moment he can step into your home and away from the mess that Big Deal is trying to crawl out of. Sinu's abrupt and hurtful betrayal left his heart in pieces and his mind torn apart in what to do next. But whenever he crosses over the threshold and into your home, he immediately feels the weight of the world dissipate into thin air and for the next couple of hours, he can forget that he is Jake Kim, crew head of Big Deal. Now, he's just Jake Kim, your devastatingly handsome and stunning boyfriend.

"Honey, I'm home!" He teasingly shouts and a smile blossoms on his face upon hearing your reply. "Dinner's finished! Hurry up!"

"Yes, your majesty," Jake skids into the dining room before almost slipping and falling on his face if it weren't for his quick thinking to grip onto the doorframe like it was his lifeline. "I'm here!"

You laughed, coming closer to give his cheek a light kiss before gently tugging him to his seat. The aroma of homecooked dinner immediately wafts into Jake's nose and his stomach lets out a loud grumble that makes him blush sheepishly and makes you giggle.

"Say 'ahh'," You hold out the spoon and Jake immediately latches onto your spoon. The flavor bursts onto his tongue and he couldn't help but snatch the offered utensils and gobble everything down.

"You're going to choke!"

"Noh wreally [not really]!" His muffled voice makes you almost fall out of your seat in laughter. The way his cute cheeks bulged outwards like a chipmunk and the way his fork is halfway towards its destination makes Jake Kim look absolutely adorable.

You place your chin in the palm of your hand, humming as you took your own bite. "You're so cute."

Jake blushes but notices the way the setting sun casts a glorious ray of light onto your face. The way you're sitting, it seems as if there is a halo behind you - like you are an angel. In a way, you were. You were Jake Kim's angel, the sunshine to his brightness.

"Nah, you're beautiful."

"Y/N!!"

A loud call of your name ignites a round of laughter from the other girls in Big Deal and you roll your eyes fondly. A giant force from your back hits you and you stumble before righting yourself. You recognize these hands, hands that have held you tight every night, hands that wander all over your body in heated moments, hands that you entangle fingers with whenever you walk...

"Sinu, love?"

In response, Sinu buries his face in your back and nuzzles you slightly, making you chuckle at the feeling. "Mhmm, you smell nice."

"That's what you always say," You pat his head, waving Yeonhui and the other girls goodbye before awkwardly waddling out of the shop with a giant teddy bear latched onto you.

It's getting late and the sun is setting over Big Deal street. The street that both you and Sinu made many memories on, both good and bad. It holds a special place in your heart-

A light nibble on your ear made you jump and shocked you out of your thoughts. You whirl around to face an innocent-looking Sinu before laughing.

"Wait until tonight, Sinu. You have everything," You stepped forward, Sinu stepped backward and this continued until you cornered him to a wall on the street. You slammed your hands on either side of his head, leaning in with a playful smirk on your lips. "and more."

His eyes widened. His pupils dilated and his mouth was open in a slight gap as he breathed in and out to calm his racing heart. You looked absolutely divine. The way the sun set behind you illuminated your features and made them stand out even more- Sinu Han was obsessed with you.

"Omph-"

His hands shot out to tug you by the collars and pulled you in, crushing his lips against yours. You responded with a low groan that made shivers go down Sinu's spine and he only tugged you impossibly closer. He felt his tongue running along his lips and he opened them willingly to let your tongue in. He felt something stirring down there and let out a tiny moan as your knee shoved his legs open and pressed against it.

You were the sun in his life and Sinu Han was the mortal that fell in love with your rays. He was Icarus and you were his Sun.

[jun-of-love]

gorgeous - kim mingyu

summary: you were never the one to enjoy parties, until you came across the gorgeous Kim Mingyu.

genre: romance (?)

trigger warning: extremely handsome dude, alcohol consumption

words: 1.5k

pairing: mingyu × yn

a/n: reputation is taylor's best album.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ✧  .✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ✧ 

“I should’ve just bailed out last minute.”

You think as you look at the flashing neon lights coming from the flat. You wondered how much retinal damage the lights could cause. Plus, it was full of people, who were most probably sweaty and horny. Should you report it to the police for disrupting covid regulations? That way you wouldn’t have to attend the party for valid reasons. Unfortunately, covid regulations were far gone, and even if they hadn’t, you were not that mean……yet. Your heels were already painfully digging into your feet and you were genuinely thinking of turning back and ghosting Yeri, right then she comes up to you, dragging you inside with her. Its done, you’ll have to stay here at least for an hour before you could leave. Fine, let’s do it, how bad can it get?, is what you think.

It indeed got very bad. Specifically when Yeri introduced you to the guys who had organized the party, the owners of this humongous flat- Lee Dokyeom, Jeon Wonwoo and……..Kim Mingyu.

Your breath probably got stuck in your throat the moment your eyes landed on the man. Was it the lighting of the party, or was there a literal halo above his head? Kim Mingyu looked so perfect, everything about him was just right- his face, his body, his smile, his laugh, his aura, and the way he carried himself. God was in fact real, and he has made this being with his own holy hands.

You never considered yourself to be one with rizz, and your interaction with Kim Mingyu proved you right. You refused to look at him for more than three seconds, opting to talk to anyone but him. Your heart threatened to jump out of your throat, making you clutch on your cup for your life. You befriended Karina, Jennie, and Joy- all of them looked like literal goddesses. Was there anyone here who represented the general population? It was probably you, you realized.

The group decided on playing beer pong, which you opted out of, because a) you didn’t want to drink ao early on and b) you didn’t know how the game goes. You only told the first reason though, to which Mingyu replied that he will drink for you (!!!) You only laughed awkwardly and brushed him off, hoping that you were subtle with the panic he caused in you. Zero points in the flirting department for you.

The game was interesting, mainly because it was played by hot people. You maintained the 3 second rule of looking at Mingyu, settling on cheering for Wonwoo instead. He was cute too, in a nerdy way. He was the kind of guy you would usually go for. He was also very built, under the plain black tee he wore, because he kept flexing his biceps, every time he landed a ball in the cup. So was Mingyu, to your happiness and dismay. Happiness because well, he was a work of art, and made you drool, dismay because you could only look at him for three seconds, and he was too good to be true. Mingyu’s team won (obviously) and you hugged the girls of the team and Dokyeom and decided to give a small thumbs-up to Mingyu (it was either that, or completely ignoring him. You were proud of your choice.)

You could’ve left by now, but unfortunately you were having fun, enough to down two drinks and agreeing to play a drinking game. You sat besides Wonwoo and Yeri, and noticed that Mingyu would sit between Jennie and Dokyeom, the way they had left a space for him. It made you feel weird for some reason, but you wouldn’t blame him- Jennie was beautiful and charming, and if you could, you would like her too. Mingyu rushed towards the group with blankets in his hands, dropping one in each girl’s lap, and sat like it was nothing to him. It was nothing big, just a kind gesture- but it made you breathless in a way that you prayed that your nostrils don’t flare up as you make up for the loss of air in you. He was handsome as well as thoughtful, how unfortunate for you.

The game consisted of a stack of cards and everybody had to take turns picking up cards. It would either be a truth or a dare- classic high school dumbassery but slightly unique (?) It was quite fun, especially when Yeri called up her 9th grade Math teacher who she had a crush on (why did she have his number, you’d never know) or when Dokyeom put up a picture of his armpit on his story for an hour. It was Mingyu’s chance and his card asked if he was committed or single- and to do a stripper dance if the latter.

“please be dating please be dating please be dating please be dating please be dating please be dating” you muttered because all of this would become very easy for you if he was dating someone. You wouldn’t have to see him flex his body and worry about drool on your mouth. Also, you were a person with morals, you would never steal someone’s man- and the thought of someone being committed removes any and all attraction you have towards him. Kim Mingyu having a girlfriend was the best possible outcome.

“I guess I have to give a show then.” Mingyu smirked, removing his shirt with one hand in a go. The girls squealed, the guys hooted and all you could think of was how long the chorus of the song ‘Unholy’ was because you couldn’t physically handle it. You covered your eyes involuntarily and chose to look through the gaps between your fingers because you were not strong enough to miss the show either.

You winced as Mingyu ran his hands on his chiseled abs and grabbed his muscular, perfect thigh. His facial expressions were sultry, he was acting as if this was paying his rent. You were probably delusional, but it felt as if he looked at you too much during his performance. Maybe its because you were acting like Virgin Mary, but it still made you flustered.

Thankfully, the guys pulled him away as he was about the grind on the floor, god knows what would’ve happened to you then. In this commotion, Wonwoo ended up sitting next to Mingyu, and you next to Dokyeom. You were quite drunk by this time, and it was your chance to pick the card again.

“Kiss the most attractive man in the room.”

Your luck was in your favour or not, you couldn’t really decipher. The answer to the dare was obvious to you, probably to everyone else as well. You shifted in Mingyu’s direction, slowly because you were drunk enough to enjoy the attention on you, and the look of anticipation on Mingyu. Maybe you backed off, or maybe this was planned by you, your thought process was a little hazy, but you turned your head away from Mingyu and kissed Wonwoo instead. Your friends cheered, Yeri damn near losing her mind screaming. You held on his biceps, and he deepened the kiss, making a shiver go through your spine. You broke the kiss and smiled at him, returning to your seat. Jennie patted on your back, giggling cutely. You could see Mingyu completely flustered, and staring at you every now and then. Ha! You had avenged for all the awkwardness he had caused you this entire night. But if you had won, why couldn’t you stop wondering how much better a kiss with Mingyu would’ve been?

The screaming and hooting probably drained everyone’s energy, making people pass out like deflated balloons. You picked up Yeri, trying to wake her up enough to walk to the Uber. You held both of your purses and heels in one hand, and Yeri in the other. As you managed to put her in the cab and struggled to get inside, you heard a yell of your name. It was Mingyu?

“I thought you passed out.” You said, trying not to look at his shirtless form.

“I almost did, but I couldn’t just let you go.”

“Huh?”

“I thought we had something going on tonight.” He said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“We did?” You asked incredulously. To you, it was just admiring his flawless form in a borderline creep, did he interpret it in a positive way?

“I hope you think so too, because I kind of fought off Wonwoo to ask you out.”

You would have thanked God if you weren’t an atheist. You were living your dream k-drama life with two incredibly hot men fighting over you. So, like every female lead ever, you choose the hotter man.

“Sure, Mingyu, I’ll go out with you. Text me the details later.”

For the first time tonight, Mingyu showed off his full smile, with his eyes scrunched up, showing off a little dimple near his nose.

Ah, you were so glad you didn't bail out.

[yoonglespringles10]

All That We Love | JJK, KMY | Part One

TITLE: all that we love

PAIRING: jeon jungkook x fem!reader | kim mingyu x fem!reader (jungkook, mingyu and mc are best friends)

GENRE: angst, fluff, best friends to lovers, love triangle, college au, non-idol au

SUMMARY: love blooming from close friendships can both be the most beautiful feeling and the grandest mess ever.

WORD COUNT: 3.5k words

WARNINGS: love triangle, jungkook is emotionally constipated, mingyu is pathetically in love with mc, everyone's emotions are all over the place, good amount of angst, fluff in the later parts, jungkook and mingyu are athletes (volleyball), mc and mingyu are both sociology students, jungkook majors in music.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: hiii, i'm back yet again. this fic was inspired by three things. one, my newly growing love for seventeen, two, jungkook and mingyu's two-minute live and three, all the angst i felt while watching the second season of single's inferno. the title has been taken from the drama "all that we loved" not because the story is identical but because the show has a love triangle as well and is based in school too so i thought it fit the fic. hope you guys enjoy this one!!

lowercase is intended

TAGLIST IS OPEN, COMMENT OR SEND AN ASK TO BE ON IT!

Series Masterlist

Next Part

--------------------------------------------------------

2004

"ow!" 7-year-old mingyu falls into the sandpit with a thud as a boy much bigger than his size pushes him, everyone around him laughing at him.

"i asked you to take out your lunch box, didn't i? what's your problem you freak?" the scary senior spits as he bends down and grabs mingyu by the collar of his shirt, about to throw a punch at his face. mingyu closes his eyes and winces, anxiously waiting for the evil senior's knuckles to make contact with his face.

"hey!" a shrill but firm voice echoes through the playground. you appear out of nowhere and push the bully off mingyu with full force. mingyu opens his eyes and looks at you, he is mesmerized. even if his young 7-year-old self wasn't aware of the concept of love at first sight, he felt it. he feels his heart beat loudly inside his chest, he rubs his eyes twice to make sure that the bright halo he's seeing around you is not just a figment of his imagination. he has never felt like this before, the feeling extremely alien to him but he likes it. no, he loves it.

"stop bothering him. bring your own lunch if you're that hungry," you scream at him as he stumbles back, not expecting anyone to stand up to him. especially not a girl half his size. his stance slightly falters but he is quick to regain it, not ready to look startled in front of you.

"what did you just say?" he threatened walking towards you. once the adrenaline in your system settled and you became aware of your actions, you did get a bit scared about what's to come. but you were not going to let yourself show that to that boy. you kept your head high as you watched him come closer, not breaking eye contact with him.

"you heard what i said. go away" you said with as much confidence as possible.

"is this how you talk to a senior, you brat!" he shouted in your face. he grabbed a handful of your hair and tugged at them. you yelped in pain, shouting for him to let go. tears begin to form in your eyes from pain and the fear of what's going to happen next starts to creep up. mingyu gets up from the sandbox and is about to intervene when suddenly the bully is yet again pushed away from you.

this time it was a boy, mingyu had seen him before. the boy is in his class but they've never talked. mingyu is not that good at forming friendships, it takes him time to get comfortable so he prefers to just stick to his own thing. but he knows this boy enough to recall that his name is jungkook. jungkook is a popular kid, even at 7 years old. he's kind and loves making his friends laugh. however, the reason why he's always in the limelight is that he is the younger sibling of seokjin, a senior who is extremely famous for his broad shoulders and handsome face.

"get away from her!" jungkook screams. the bully looks at jungkook and immediately retreats when he realizes who the kid is, running away from the playground without a single word, his friends running after him.

"are you both okay?" jungkook asks you and mingyu as he turns around. the both of you look at each other, checking to see if the other is okay, and turn back to jungkook nodding. awkward silence loomed over the three of you for the next minute. that one minute was enough for any third person to see what the three of yours equation is going to be like in the years to come.

mingyu is unable to move his eyes away from you, his young and innocent self is captivated by your adorable but fiery personality. he is grateful to you for saving him from the bullies and is sure that he wants you in his life for a long time. in that one minute, his naive brain goes as far as wanting to marry you when you grow up. the same goes for you too, you can't help but keep your gaze targeted on one person. but unfortunately for mingyu, that person is not him but jungkook.

meanwhile jungkook just looks around the playground, thinking of what to do next. suddenly all of you hear the familiar bell-like sound coming from outside the park's entrance and you immediately look at each other and smile. it is the ice cream truck.

"you guys wanna go get ice cream?" jungkook asks. mingyu and you nod with excitement. the three of you run together towards the sound, excited to eat the cold dessert on a warm summer evening.

and that is how you find your best friends ever and possibly the love of your life on the same day.

-----------------------------------------------------

2020

"ew, jungkook get that thing away from me!" you scream as you run and hide behind seokjin's broad shoulders. jungkook has a giant stinking sea bass in his hands whose eyes you feel are staring directly into your soul. he knows you hate seafood, especially the smell of seafood but of course he gets a kick out of it, that cheesehead.

"come on, y/n look at it. it's so cute and it wants to be friends with you." jungkook giggles as he advances towards you again. the only barrier between you both is a very unamused seokjin, who is clearly tired of this constant back and forth.

"you fucking clown, get away from me! jin please help me out here." you plead to the older man from behind his tall frame as you continue to use him as a shield.

"yes, that's it jungkook stop it. please stop it before y/n rips my shirt off. i just bought it." seokjin finally says. jungkook obviously does not want to stop, but how can he deny his precious jin hyung's request. so, he sighs, nods, and finally retreats. you hug jin from behind and thank him before moving towards jungkook and hitting the back of his head.

"ouch! see hyung, this is why I bother her." jungkook whines. you giggle as you make your way towards the kitchen counter and take a seat on one of the bar stools. you continue to look at jungkook, he rubs the back of his head dramatically as if you had hit him really hard. you smile to yourself as you remove your gaze from him.

you really don't know how you do it. hell, you can't understand how you've done it for over almost two decades now. every time you look at him, your heart bangs against your chest like it's going to jump out any second. he's your best friend, you know him inside out and that somehow makes it worse because you've grown to love every single habit of his. not just that, you have the know-how to entertain his flaws too. when you were young, you didn't understand your emotions. you thought he was your best friend ever. so was mingyu, yet you didn't understand what it was that was different when it came to jungkook.

as all three of you grew up stuck to each other with an imaginary glue, you began to realise how jungkook was definitely more than a friend to you. if not then there's no other explanation for the weird feeling you get in your stomach every time he smiles at you, or the urge to kiss him every time he acts possessive over you.

somehow over the years, you've managed to keep your feelings at bay. you don't want to ruin your friendship with him, having him in your life is the most important thing for you and you prioritise that over your own emotions. that being said, it really doesn't mean that it's easy. you've struggled a lot over the past few years. jungkook definitely sees you only as a friend. hell, he probably doesn't even look at you as a woman.

lately though, it has been harder to remain still inside the box called "friend zone". ever since high school jungkook has dated around here and there but all of always stayed as casual flings and nothing more. as much as he loved to deny it, jungkook is a hopeless romantic. he loves the idea of "one true love" and so as soon as he feels that the girl he's with is not "the one", he steps back from the relationship. some may call him a player, but that's never been his intention.

however, this time it feels different. it was four months ago on this exact day when jungkook met chaewon for the first time. they had the most perfect meet cute which was something jungkook had always wanted. they bumped into each other in a hallway at college which made chaewon drop her books. apparently, according to jungkook's narration of the incident (which you think might have been a bit exaggerated), they both bent down to pick the books up and their hands touched while accidentally going for the same one. jungkook had felt sparks that day, the exact ones they show in romantic dramas. ever since that fateful day, both of them have been inseparable.

earlier, jungkook more or less used to keep his love life out your friendship group. no matter how serious his relationships got, he still always made time to hang out with you and mingyu outside and only used to bring his dates to certain plans when it wasn't too much of an intimate setting. it's been a different case with chaewon though. since day one, she was there in all the plans. whether it was movie nights, weekly arcade visits or a simple hang out at the cafe you part-timed at, chaewon was always there. not that you minded her company though, honestly chaewon is a really nice person who's also really fun to hang out with. although, the only problem remains is the fact that watching her and jungkook get all cozy with each other makes you sick to the stomach. thankfully, mingyu is always there to keep you company. god, you're grateful to that giant puppy.

"guess who?" suddenly you are startled out of your deep train of thought as two large hands cover your eyes from behind you.

"mingyu, my man" you laugh as you take his hands off of your eyes and turn around to pinch his cheeks. "thank god you're here, kook's being a menace yet again." you say as if you're super annoyed by jungkook but mingyu knows. you've never said it out loud but he knows how utterly in love with jungkook you are and have been for years now. honestly, anyone with a pair of eyes would know, you think you're sly and hide your feelings really well but the moment your eyes fall on jungkook your face literally turns into the real life human version of the heart-eyes emoji. literally everyone and their mother is aware of the crush you have on him and so, the fact that jungkook himself can remain this clueless about it is bizarre to mingyu.

a deep sigh leaves his mouth as he settles into the bar stool next to you. maybe he's wrong. maybe it's not that obvious to anyone but him. maybe he's the only one who's able to see you yearning for jungkook's love because one, he can read you like an open book and two, he gets it. he gets it because he feels it too. he too, feels a very similar kind of yearn you feel, but his object of affection is not jungkook. it's you.

growing up, mingyu was always the kind of person who cares for everyone around him. he has always been a giver by nature. ever since the three of you were babies, mingyu had always been a softie. always being the one who was there for everyone was his way of feeling happy. when it came to you, however, there was always something more to it. mingyu is a nice and kind man, but he's definitely not a pushover. when the person in question is you though, he somehow feels like he's ready to give the world.

"so guys, wonnie and i were planning to go to the new amusement park that's just opened up tonight. do you guys wanna tag along?" jungkook asks as he leans on the counter across you and mingyu. you do everything in your power to not let your fall at jungkook using a nickname for chaewon. mingyu turns to look at you and raises his brow indicating that the ball's in your court.

you ponder over it for a couple of moments, contemplating whether you would be able to digest jungkook and chaewon acting all lovey towards each other. your emotional side knows that it's going to be hard but the rational side wins and decides for you that this is something that you can't escape. chaewon makes jungkook happy and above everything, he's your best friend, you truly wish for him to be happy. sooner or later you would have to get over your feelings for him and take whatever form of relationship you can get.

you smile your best casual smile and nod, "sure, sounds good. what time?" even seokjin, who's busy deboning the stinky fish notices how the smile does not reach your eyes.

------------------------------

"do you all wanna go on the merry-go-round first? it's so pretty!" you ask the three in front of you excitedly. yes, you are bummed about the fact that jungkook is practically glued to chaewon's side like someone had tied the two together with an invisible rope. but that definitely does not mean that you are going to ruin the night for yourself in only the world's most fun place ever. you've always loved going to fairs, you love everything about them; the rides, the food, and just the overall vibe of warmth and happiness the place radiates.

you're also determined to at least start the process of trying to get over your feelings for jungkook. you are almost 100% sure that he does not feel the same way and you want to stop feeling so restless and sad over it all the time.

you continue to look at them expectantly as they all agree one by one. you're quick to catch mingyu's hand as you drag him to the ride while skipping like a child. he sprints along with you as he laughs at your goofiness. he finds it super endearing. however, the both of you miss the way jungkook's mouth falls in a faint frown for only a split second when he watches the two of you running away from him, almost forgetting that he was even there. though, he's so quick to regain his composure and himself deny his own feelings that even he does not seem to notice his own mood going down a notch.

"you okay, babe?" chaewon asks him, quick to catch on to the slight shift in the air. her small voice brings jungkook's awareness to the present. a small sigh leaves his mouth, as he unconsciously shakes off the weird feeling before he turns to her. he smiles at her and nods,

"yeah, i'm alright. just zoned out for a moment." he chuckles.

time flies as all four of you go around the fair, riding various rides, eating all the junk in the world, and laughing your asses off when mingyu almost pisses his pants during the haunted house. when it starts to get late, you all decide to end your night by enjoying the majestic view of the city on the ferris wheel. the carts of this ferris wheel are big enough to fit two people in one, so it only made sense for chaewon and jungkook to go on one and you and mingyu to go on another one after them.

there was a comfortable silence between you and mingyu during the ride. you look around, enjoying the peaceful vibe of the night and the breathtaking view of the lights twinkling around the city. as your cart makes its way down your vision moves from the view to the cart in front of you where jungkook is sitting. biggest mistake ever. unable to move your eyes, you watch as both of them cozy up to one another. jungkook whispers something in chaewon's ear and she throws her head back laughing before she leans against his shoulder. jungkook moves his head just enough to look at her before he also leans against her head.

suddenly your chest begins to feel extremely tight and you feel like your heart is going to explode. mingyu notices the sudden change in your mood.

"y/n, you okay?" he asks as he gently places his hand on your arm, wrapping it around your wrist when he sees that you have your hands balled into tight fists, your knuckles almost turning white. he quickly learns the reason for your behavior when he follows your gaze and looks at the cart in front of yours. you release a huge breath that you had possibly been holding in for ages. your breathing suddenly becomes heavy and tears start to form in your eyes.

you thought you were doing okay, you thought you could handle the man you loved with your entire heart being with someone else. for the most part, you did okay the entire night. then what was this? why are you feeling this now? you don't want to feel like this. you just wish you could become numb to any feeling at all, that would be better than feeling this way. you feel so betrayed by your own self. you feel pathetic for acting like this but you can't help it.

"y/n, my love?" mingyu tries again as he gently shakes you, trying to get you out of the trap of your own emotions. his heart aches for you. he doesn't even, for one second, think about the fact that you feel so deeply for jungkook and not him. instead, he wants to do everything in his power to make you feel better. he just needs you to be okay.

"i'm sorry i need to get off this ride, please." are the first words that leave your mouth when you finally break out of your trance. tears are rolling down as you wear the most pained expression mingyu's ever seen on your face. he nods. luckily, your cart is about to come towards the ground. he acts quickly as he turns and waves his hands, motioning for the operator to stop the ride. the wheel comes to a halt and you both get off. jungkook watches the whole thing, confused as to why the ride suddenly stopped in the middle. he's only able to see you run off, mingyu running behind you before the wheel starts moving again.

after coming a good distance from the ride, you finally stop to catch your breath. you realise that you have ended up in the parking lot of the fair. you turn around when you hear footsteps behind you to see that mingyu has come after you.

"thank god, you finally stopped. my lungs were going to give out if i ran any longer," he said, trying to lighten up the tense mood. you continue to look at him. a moment passes by and he realises that you are very close to having a breakdown. mingyu gives you an expression that speaks a thousand words without actually saying anything. it means that you're safe, it means that he's here for you and it means that it's okay to feel how you're feeling. that's all that it takes for you to break out into a sob. you cry your eyes out as you run toward him and hug him as tight as you can. you feel safe and warm as his arms wrap around you.

and for the first time, you admit it to someone verbally. you admit the feelings you have kept hidden in a small dark corner of your heart for as long as you can remember to mingyu.

"i love him, gyu. i don't know how to stop. i have been trying for years. it hurts so much. he doesn't feel the same way and i know that. i'm aware of it but i can't stop no matter how much i try. i'm so scared it's going to ruin everything for us and i hate that i feel this way but i can't help it. i just can't. i'm just so in love with jungkook that it's impossible for me to st-" you don't even get to finish your monologue and lighten the weight you've constantly been feeling on your chest the entire night before you hear a very familiar voice.

"what did you just say?" jungkook says.

god, you're fucked.

------------------------

Taglist is open, comment on this post or send in an ask to be tagged in the next part!

aaaand that's it for part one. leaving it on a bit of a cliffhanger hehe.

thanks for reading, see you in part two!!

[medusaesque]

Lt. Kim Kitsuragi and the pale-

Warning- it's insanely long.

1. After life, death

One of the first thing you can learn about Kim is that he would hurl himself in death's way to save you. From the very first moment, Kim is related to sacrifice and death, it follows him wherever he goes-

The slaughterhouse.

He lost his parents at two years old. He worked a year in Processing (here's good post about that by @renmorris and @spilledkaleidoscope). He lost his partner, Eyes. People have taken a bullet that was meant for his more than once. His survivor's guilt is insane. He's killed six people. He's afraid of killing recklessly, and has a deeply unhealthy relationship with his gun (made another embarrassingly long post about that).

Kim also hears pale 'ghosts' on the police radio all the time, and talks about it like it's normal, and says he doesn't believe in ghosts.

If harry is with Noid during the Moralist dream quest (more on it later), Harry can even wonder if Kim is a ghost, prompting this beautiful exchange-

And he's not entirely wrong. When Harry gets shot, after Kim fulfills Espirit's promise he'll stand in death's way for him, you can ask as you fall into darkness what will happen to you-

It's the living who are ghosts. You can leave them behind and rest. Go into the wild pale yonder, along with everyone else Kim has ever cared about. Or at least you can try to.

When death is at the door, you have two options-

2. After death, life again

Kim might associate himself with death, but Harry associates him with life again and again- Death is darkness, Kim has a light bulb halo. Death is a sunset, Kim is a sunrise. Death is where you are when the game start, it's ready to take you, and then- a clarion call, the sound of a motor carriage, a detective arriving on the scene, and you open your eyes.

The game is very clear about Harry being a ceaseless agent of the world (here's a good compilation by @junawer) but he's not the only one. Harry stands at death's door twice, and Kim is his way back to the world both times.

3. After the world, the pale

So what is Kim's relationship with the pale?

As casual as he might try to appear, Kim is clearly uncomfortable with the pale, attempting to protect Harry from it. When Harry brings up the pale, he intervenes, genuinely worried for the fragile stability of his mind.

It's no more terrifying than water or death or that we're stuck behind our eyes for all eternity?? Sounds pretty terrifying Kim...

The key is in the moralist vision quest, When Harry attempts to each the Committee of Responsibility, and he hears the pale crosstalk coming through the radio, when suddenly-

"Pale is a shroud of memories and it doesn't really distinguish to whom those memories belong to. You could hear anything." You could hear anything, but you hear Kim. If he isn't with you, Soona even says that the odds of us hearing him, out of all the voices in the pale, are astronomically low.

We know the past has not been harmless to Kim, we know it's full of ghosts and cold winters, but that's not the thing that's eating at him-

Kim is afraid of forgetting. He's constantly writing, he thinks through his notebook, always recording, so he wouldn't lose anything. That's why the pale is so terrifying.

4. After the pale. the world again

The world is what it is. God is in his heaven. Everything is normal on Earth.

Volta do mar is a skill unique to Kim, according to the stats of this pilot jackets-

It makes sense, seeing how the only real advance in pale transit is the speed with which an aerostatic craft can pierce it.

His Black jacket is a bit more complicated-

DISTANT ENEMY OF HIMSELF?? kim.... The connections to Seol is intriguing here, considering how Kim tries to distant himself from it. I'm also not sure what 'sitting down for volta' would mean in this context, would love to hear some of you guys' thoughts.

It's driving me crazy to think how Kim wanted to be pilot as a kid, and is walking around dressed like a pilot as an adult, to give himself the ability to navigate the pale. To return from the sea and fulfill the role he has to play in the world, the thing Harry thought about a million times-

But we know Kim has a bigger role to play, he's trying to do his part right now, convincing Harry to stay-

His connection to Harry can keep him on this world once again. Keeping the two of them together. Your real work is down here, both of you-

Kim was right, each of them has a role to play in the world, but it's not a minor one. Him and Harry are Revachol's only hope. If they stick together they could keep her on this earth, stop the end of the world.

UNITY AMONG THE RANKS IS PARAMOUNT.

I NEED YOU. YOU CAN KEEP ME ON THIS EARTH. BE VIGILANT.

I LOVE YOU.

[changsbin]

[9:17PM] kim seungmin is not a morning person. every sense is overwhelming when he first wakes up. he opens his eyes, and it is immediately too bright. he can hear the routine drone of the crow that has seemingly nested right outside of the bedroom window. the feeling of sweat beading on his forehead has him shoving the covers away from his body, closer to you. as he tastes his morning breath, he almost gags—and the smell does him no favors either.

the fundamental components of morning are simply too much for him; seungmin is a night owl through and through. every day, the sun casts beautiful, gold-tinted shadows across the planes of his face, and you find him alluring as he settles into the evening’s peaceful embrace. seungmin has told you before that nighttime is relaxing—the day’s happenings have passed, his stomach is full, and he gets to spend time with you. and, in this regard, seungmin is a maximalist; he makes sure to watch at least 3 episodes of a drama with you before transitioning to your customary gossip sessions. after, he shuffles around in his backpack and digs out his ancient wired earphones, and the two of you trade song recommendations for so long that hours pass by like seconds.

you know and understand seungmin’s quirks like the back of your hand. he loves to have pop music playing through the speakers while you’re talking about your days. he hates the heaviness of the fluffy blanket while you’re watching tv, but tolerates it because he hates being separated from you even more. above all, however, he is adamant about health and cleanliness; seungmin refuses to sleep anywhere other than the comfort of your shared bed.

which explains your genuine concern for his well-being when you enter your living room only to find him comatose adjacent on the couch. his arm is hanging off the edge, and his fingers are brushing the carpet—you have to give him a once-over just to make sure he hasn’t stopped breathing. but, after your initial panic, a warm smile dances on the corners of your lips.

on a normal day, this is around the time when the two of you would turn on hometown cha cha cha. tonight, however, your knees press into the floor as you settle near seungmin’s head and gently fold his discarded arm over his chest. tilting your head to rest against his shoulder, you make yourself small to admire his natural beauty for as long as you are able. you watch the perpetual rise and fall of your lover’s chest, accompanied only by the quiet snore he produces on the inhale. in this unusual quietude, you swear the subtle beating of his heart is all the more audible.

“kim seungmin,” you murmur while tracing the bridge of his nose, “what happened to our hometown cha cha cha screening? don’t tell me you’re bailing ... ” you continue along your path, and the pads of your fingers make it to his plush bottom lip before his eyelids begin to flutter open. you feel him smile under your touch, and the lighting of the room grows dim at the mere conceptualization of seungmin’s happiness.

he hums, and the vibrations tickle your fingers. “i would never,” he chuckles through sleep, “i was just waiting for your glorious return.”

“mmh, glorious indeed,” you giggle before standing from your spot on the floor.  “oh, also—there’s leftover seolleongtang in the kitchen. you know ... if you need some comfort after realizing that you’ve just napped someplace that isn’t under our covers.”

seungmin shudders at your words and pries himself away from the drooling jaws of exhaustion. his eyes are slightly swollen, and the hair at the back of his head is visible as he looks up at you. the glow emanating from the lamp frames his bedhead to create a halo, and for a moment, his lips move but you don’t hear anything—too enraptured by his presence.

“[y/n] ... you okay?”

directing your lovesick gaze back to his eyes, the amount of adoration held in your heart for kim seungmin hits you tenfold. craning your neck, you place a soft kiss on the top of his head and card your fingers through his wild, likely-still-gel-ridden hair. “more than.” pausing, you offer him a stupid grin, “so ... dinner and a show?”

seungmin scoffs to hide the sincere laughter threatening to spill from his mouth, “obviously.”

[bangtanwritershq]

BangtanWritersHQ Presents: “Bangtanstrology"

The magic surrounding the creation of BTS is a story that is the same, yet different for each of their soulmates in ARMY, since we are all born under the same Milky Way but in different stars.

You look at the spread of tarot cards on the cloth-covered table, surprise filling your eyes in the low light of the psychic’s room. Despite having this recurring dream since childhood about seven men and the providence of the universe, you try to argue with him.

“You’re insane. How can I be yours? And also be fated to 6 others?”

“Yes, my moonchild, you are destined for great things,” his voice is deep, full of sex and smoke. “This card may say ‘Death’, but it symbolizes not your actual death, but the death of who you were before me, before us. This card here tells me that this death and rebirth will happen almost instantly. In the dark nights, we’re each other’s lights. Once you leave this tent, your life will forever be changed.”

You can’t speak, so shocked by his words, so you nod as you stand up, depositing the few bills you had previously readied as a tip as you gather your bag. Eyes looking back at the man, you feel more than hear his next words straight to your core.

“You can’t fight fate, and you are our destiny.”

Back outside the psychic’s building, as you walk to the bus stop, you sense something is off, but are unsure if you’re in danger. You safely board and the trip home flies by so quickly that you’re already off the bus and that much closer to safety. As you enter your neighborhood, the feeling returns. Speeding up, you turn the corner by the convenience store, running smack into a broad chest before bouncing backward and onto the ground.

It feels as if the Earth has shifted. The setting sun has the sky lit up in hues of lavender and violet, a gorgeous purple halo surrounding the seven sets of eyes looking at you.

“This can’t be a coincidence!” you gasp, confused at how they could manifest from your slumber to reality. “I dreamt of you.”

The one you ran into steps closer as the others behind him peer around to get a better look at you. His hand is open, palm up stretched between your bodies.

“Take it,” he says, and the others around him echo the words.

“Take it.”

You recognize one of the voices, sultry and smokey; he smirks at you as if to say ‘I told you so’.

“My hand reaching out to you is my chosen fate.”

This June marks the 10th year of BTS, the fated soulmates of ARMY. Because we are the two, who found our destiny. And to outsiders, the story is so incredible. It must be a myth, a thing of lore. No such thing could be true! But we know the truth.

KEY:

🔞 - nsfw (mature themes) ✅ - sfw (no warnings) 💖 - smut ⚠️ - other warnings

SET UP - emojis: Title (if link is to another platform) | Author [parts] pairings, genre/aus, rating, word count

🔞 💖 ⚠️ Masks & Merlot | @colormepurplex2 [2/2] Pairing: ModernLegacyHeir!Kim Seokjin x Servant!Reader AU Type: Long-time Pining | Drunken Love Confessions Rating: MA WC: 13,961

🔞 💖 Closer | @downbad4yoongi [1/1] Pairing: Namjoon x Jimin AU Type: Mutual Pining | Dinner in Rome Rating: MA WC: 2,571

🔞 💖 ⚠️ If It's Our Last | @moonleeai [1/1] Pairing: BondedPistil!Jimin x Stamen!Jungkook AU Type: Strangers to Lovers | Pistilverse Rating: MA WC: 2,404

🔞 💖 ⚠️ College Nights, Diner Fights | @hisunshiine [1/1] Pairing: waiter!Jungkook x waitress!Reader AU Type: Diner, e2l | angst, smut, fluff Rating: MA WC: 9,664

✅ ⚠️ What if... | @mrsparkjimin18 [1/1] Pairing: Production Director!Yoongi x Art Director!Hoseok AU Type: Mutual Pining, Hidden Feelings | fluff Rating: PG-13 WC: 2,884

All stories copywritten of the specified author. The authors provided consent for their stories to the network to be shared by submitting their stories. Stories posted in the order of submission to the event.

[dysiver]

So I finished The Earth is Online.

Lemme start by saying that I started this novel because a lot of ORV fans were saying that the MCs were similar and also their relationship was similar, let me say that this is all bullshit. The two MCs from The Earth is Online and the two MCs from ORV are completely different. They aren't even close to being the same in the slightest. Unless people think that smart people = all similar. So if someone tells you to read this novel cuz it is "similar" to ORV then you'll be highly disappointed.

With that out of the way The Earth is Online was great and a very fun read!

Tang Mo is a very easy-to-follow MC and the kind of guy that doesn't like dealing with bullshit. He is here to do one thing and one thing only: Survive. And he does this very well and in very entertaining ways. He isn't the kind of guy that likes to fuck around unless he's fucking someone over. He is also very serious most of the time and is only playful once he gets into a relationship with Fu Wendou. Without a doubt, he is following the stoic-cold and logical MC trope and I think he fills that role extremely well.

Fu Wendou is a cool and powerful ML and the secondary MC. He is calculating, smart, and very powerful. He is without a doubt busted, OP, and the one that highlights the MC Golden Halo the most, sometimes more than Tang MO. He is very tactical due to his military background but he also has an awkward fun side to him in which he likes to tell jokes but no one ever gets them or seems to understand that he is trying to joke. He is also a stoic-cold face and logical MC but add that to the fact that he's busted.

Honestly, when I first started reading this I wasn't sure how these two were going to get together when both of them pretty much share too many character tropes to the point that they feel far too similar at times, but that's the point. The two are very similar and that's why they work so well together and know how to fulfill a role that the other might be lacking and that's because they know each other so well.

Now, I say that I wasn't sure how the two were going to get together but to be honest, that isn't the point of the novel at all. The Earth is Online might be BL but it is obviously a novel that wishes to be a story first and foremost and not a romance or a trope of the BL genre. The Earth is Online cares more about the story than any of its characters and relationships and it shows. The novel is the strongest when they are playing deadly games, or when they are fighting the tower and the bosses and to be honest, that's what I was the most hyped about.

Yeah, sure, I wanted Fu Wendou and Tang Mo to develop their relationship but midway through the novel, it was obvious that this was gonna be a deadly, and hot slow burn. In fact, the relationship between Fu Wendou and Tang Mo starts very slow, and then steps on the gas and runs off a cliff cuz as it turns out the two are already into one another and once they find out who they are, the relationship develops even faster. Fu Wendou and Tang Mo aren't romantic either, and they aren't big on words, they have a few moments here and there but nothing that's praiseworthy tbh.

But I was having the most fun when reading the games they were playing and the deadly battles and that's why you should read The Earth is Online, because the core plot is amazing. Some of this shit was too high IQ for me and my pea brain but I was still so invested that I couldn't put the book down until I was done.

A solid 9/10 as a Shonen story, and a rough 6/10 as a BL. Finally a solid 8/10 as a whole. The reason why it isn't higher is cuz of the lack of character development and also the relationships in between characters felt too fragile at times, which I understand makes sense due to the setting but it still left you feeling thirsty for some kind of development or attachment.

If you read this expecting the gay Shit Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk have got going on then no, this isn't it chief, in fact Dokja and Joonghyuk are more romantic and gayer than these two gay men.

[discobrainrot]

swap harrykim??? im Interested

COMIN' RIGHT UP

Ms. theamazing! Great to have you back. Pull up a chair - can I get you some tea? Coffee? Perhaps some terrible headcanons? Because I got those in SPADES.

Also, I do realize that these are more like... general headcanons instead of specifically shipping ones, but uhhhhhhhhhhh... idk, I hope they're still fun?

1. Kim didn't chase off his own coworkers. He chased off Harry's.

This one takes a lot of inspiration from stuff @concord-and-cliches has done for the Swap AU! I love their stuff 10/10 would recommend checking them out!

Kim isn't an unrepentant spoilsport. He's a fucking bastard. The 57th sent him because he'll stop a Cop Off before it starts. You do not fuck with Kim Kitsuragi and live to tell the tale.

(It's only gotten worse since Eyes died. No one at the 57th says his name. No one has cleaned out his desk. Nobody dares touch it.)

The 41st sent McLaine and Torson on Saturday. They were back at the station in three hours. Jean, Judit, and Trant came in on Sunday. There was the hope that having an external consultant would help ease the tensions, but... No such luck.

When Kim sees them, he laughs. They sent A Satellite Officer, a Patrol Officer, and some idiot who isn't even a cop? Oh, Kim knew that the 41st was understaffed, but this? This is gold! He stoops low. Real low. Jean gives as good as he gets, but Judit and Trant decide it's time to depart. This won't end well.

And it doesn't. Kim celebrates sending them off.

(Eyes didn't celebrate like this. Kim doesn't think about him.)

He plays music too loud and doesn't sing along. He drinks the fucking Whirling dry. Throws bottles at the staff. Tears shit off the walls. Breaks a window in his room. Wrecks the tape player.

He stumbles across the water lock and parties with Idiot Doom Spiral and the boys. He calls himself The Last Dance. He staggers to the church and falls to his knees, haloed by a 2mm hole in the universe.

(He weeps. He screams his throat raw. And no one hears. And no one hears. And no one hearsandnoonehearsandnoonehearsandnoone--)

And he gets in the Kineema. Fuck it. Let's have a joyride. Only it doesn't work out like that. He crashes. Through the fence by the Whirling. Into the tree with the hanging body. He skids. It rolls. It takes the fucking gardening shed out. The residents of Martinaise watch in horror. They watch in awe.

Kim staggers back into the Whirling. Sylvie won't come near him. He needs help. She knows he needs help, but more than that, she knows he'll hurt her. So she watches as he stumbles to his room.

And on Monday, Kim is woken up in a room he doesn't remember by a knock at the door.

2. Harry isn't that kind of animal.

But he got close to it. When he first joined the RCM he pushed himself to be the best he could be. For himself. For Dora. He wanted to give them a better life.

Some things stay the same. His skills still chatter. Dora still leaves. He was the Can-Opener. Was.

But something changed. Jean knows about it, I think. He was beside him during the worst of it. Harry carries the shame of his actions like an albatross around his neck. But he's better than he was. He takes it a day at a time.

He's only a lieutenant - not a yefreitor, and certainly not a double yefreitor. He doesn't clear two cases a week. He doesn't drink, even though he wants to. He doesn't think about his sexuality, even though it plagues him. He has so many questions, but he stops himself from asking. He's trying.

The 41st sends him on Monday because he's their last option. He's unsure of himself these days. Unsteady. Second-guessing every choice he makes. Going into his own world. It worries the rest of C-Wing, but they don't have the time or energy to spare.

Harry goes to Martinaise and waits downstairs for the detective from the 57th to show up. And he waits. And he waits. And he waits. But it's 09:45, and his temporary partner isn't downstairs. No one in the Whirling wants to talk to Harry, especially not about the damages.

He goes upstairs and knocks on the door. And he sees Kim. Bloody. Exhausted. Confused. He doesn't understand where he is. Doesn't remember the RCM. Doesn't know his own name. Harry's skills are going haywire - there's something wrong with this guy.

But the blood in the bathroom is Kim's. And so is the MC in the yard. And the people here recognize him and-- oh god, he's telling the truth. He needs a guide to the world. Someone needs Harry.

So, Harry helps, and he feels his lungs wither in shame. He loves feeling needed. Loves feeling wanted. He loves feeling seen. Old addictive tendencies are surfacing, but he's not reaching for a bottle. He's reaching for an amnesiac's hand.

3. Kim takes a bullet for Harry. 

The second Kim sees Harry, he knows that this motherfucker would die for him. He can't figure out why. At first, he doesn't really care, either.

But the thing about Harry is that even if he can put on a performance of being passably stable, he's still a lot to experience. He still has a big laugh and a lopsided smile. He's still wildly creative and wants to explore everything he can. He looks longingly at the Man from Hjelmdall shirt, but he doesn't buy it.

So Kim buys it for him and tells him to wear it. He gets Harry a shoutout on SadFM and watches as his partner's eyes well up with tears. They dance in the church together. Sing karaoke. They talk and talk and talk.

Kim asks Harry how he's so nice to people. Harry looks ashamed when he says, "I'm... not nice." There's an echo of a long-held sadness in his voice. It tugs on something in Kim's lungs. They're mirrors of each other, but he doesn't know how to say it. He doesn't know how to prove they're worth each other's time.

Kim remembers that moment as they stand between the mercenaries and the Hardie Boys. His vision is terrible, but Harry is distracted - trying to talk people down. He doesn't see the shot coming.

But he hears it. The bang. The creation of the universe. The end of time.

He feels Kim shove him out of the way, pressing his gun into his hands. He sees the square awash with red. He tries to stop Kim from bleeding - applying pressure with big, shaking hands. He's crying. He shouldn't be crying. Kim needs him.

He listens when Kim tells him to look out. He shoots when he's told to. He watches Kim pass out and rushes him upstairs. Harry's big, clumsy hands wash Kim's wounds. He makes a shitty field medic. He sobs while Kim sleeps and shakes at the side of his bed.

No one from the 57th comes.

No one from the 41st comes.

But against all odds, they survive. The sun has been up for hours, but it only rises when Kim opens his eyes. He sees Harry crying again and wipes away a tear. Dizzily, Kim thinks, "so, this is love."