#me when im. coping with ensemble

[81folklore]

helpless - GR63

pairings: george russell x hamilton!ensemble!reader (fc: ella kora)

summary: george ends his softlaunch with a cast member of hamilton on the westend

authors note: sorry for not posting in forever but ive had no motivation and i cant find the want to finish some of my drafts so have a brand new smau thats been BREWING in my brain ever since i saw hamilton the other week. its literally one my favorite musicals so you know i had to incorporate my two interests, you dont need to have seen hamilton or know about the story for this!

important: rg63 is george’s private instagram

masterlist

georgerussell63

liked by alex_albon, yourusername and 366,450 others

water, sports and sunsets☀️

view comments

user7 shirtless george is back!!

user10 hes so…

user45 THE SOFTLAUNCH HAS TO END SOON RIGHT😭😭

user12 i miss when george wouldnt make me feel single every post😔

yourusername oh myyy🫠

yourusername

liked by jakeh_j, lilymhe and 235 others

smiles (mostly) all round this summer☀️

tagged: rg63 and jakeh_j

view comments

rg63 miss you darling🤍

yourusername miss you too love💜

jakeh_j dinner soon?

yourusername yes!! g is coming to a show soon so we can do it then :)

jakeh_j sounds good👍

user6 cant wait to see you in hamilton!

yourfriend cutie🫶

georgerussell63 and alex_albon have added to their stories

yourusername ahhh cant wait to see you all💜

f1updates

liked by user72, user1 and 2367 others

george, alex and lily with fans today in london

view comments

user1 im the one in the third photo, they were in a rush as they had to go to the theatre but they were all so sweet and took the time to sign a hat i had!

user10 was anyone else with them?

user1 there wasnt! i dont think george was with his girlfriend but she could’ve been waiting for them somewhere else☺️

user72 idk why them going to the theatre together is funny but it is😭

user5 right?? it feels so random😭

user53 i can’t believe they watched hamilton before me

georgerussell63

liked by alex_albon, yourusername and 872,426 others

i have been with you since the beginning of your incredible journey of living out your dream of being in the west end. i know how much getting this part in hamilton meant to you and getting to see you on stage brings me so much joy, forever proud of you darling🤍

tagged yourusername

view comments

yourusername george☹️i will love you forever and ever thank you soso much for being by my side💜

yourusername you have no idea how happy it makes me to know you are in the crowd

alex_albon thanks for being my friend so lily can see her favorite musical😁

georgerussell63 yeah no worries man👊

yourusername alex i hope you know its me she loves to see, not hamilton🤨

alex_albon your wrong.

lilymhe shes very much correct🫶

user7 WHAT IS HAPPENING

user5 HARD LAUNCH HARD LAUNCH

user25 WAKE UP GEORGE POSTED HER AHHHH user6

user6 OMG I LITERALLY SAW HER THE OTHER DAY😭

user10 this is so cute (im sobbing)

user8 wow the highway is such a good place to stargaze!!

user83 i cannot cope why is this so🫠🫠

lewishamilton 💜💜

yourusername

liked by georgerussell63, lilymhe and 6273 others

i look into your eyes and the skys the limit. georgie my love for you is timeless, each day i think about how lucky i am to have you by my side and how lucky i am to get to be the one to love you. you have changed the way i view the world and myself and my life will always be better now youve entered it, and no matter what this chapter in our lives will stick with me forever and always💜

tagged georgerussell63

view comments

georgerussell63 i am so grateful you have come into my life

georgerussell63 i love you so much darling

yourusername i will never stop loving you🫶

lilymhe when will i get posts like this☹️

yourusername yours is next lovely🤭

alex_albon babe?? i post you all the time

lilymhe and yet you havent used a lyric from hamilton🤨

user16 oh i love them so much😭

user45 my😭love😭for😭you😭is😭timeless😭

user12 hahhaa im so happy for you😭😭

jakej_h i hate people in love

yourusername you love us really😁

user9 MY HEART CANNOT TAKE THIS

user7 OH MY GOD GEORGE LOOKS SO GOOD🫠

liked by yourusername and others

user101 george is so boyfriend🤭

user62 that first picture😮‍💨

user99 they are so in love😭

[bramblepatch]

yeah im leaning heavily towards starting with icewind dale, i think itd be fun to start with seeing how drizzt is characterized before being designated giga series protagonist, without me already knowing a lot about the gang. but i suspect if i make it through one book at all, i'm going to read at least both of those trilogies eventually.

i've read a bunch of salvatore stuff as a kid (there was a thing with a nerd who lives at a library and then becomes the chosen of god and defeats his father and his father's boss or something? very aspirational. first time i heard "forgotten realms". and another thing with a guy who is raised by sword fairies to basically become aragorn i think. some other stuff. it's inexplicable i never got into drizzt books except maybe the local bookstore hated drow) so i feel like i roughly know what to expect in terms of tropeyness. i was present for i wanna say the latter half? second third? of the dragon heist thing but we didn't engage with jarlaxle much, in my mind he was just an inconvenient antagonist guy and being surprised that y'all are so into him is a good part of why i started paying attention to the drizzt posting. we did want to steal his hat though.

does all the drizzt stuff hold up or does salvatore eventually start phoning it in? is there like ongoing character arc things or do the character arcs happen in the first few books (i hate saying it like this) and the rest is kinda The Further Adventures Of style?

ty!!

Oh cool! If you've read his Cleric Quintet, some of the characters from that show up in the Drizzt books, too.

Personally, I think the later books hold up? This is kind of a controversial opinion in some parts of the fandom, and I won't deny that there are parts of the series that wallow a little, but it's not because Salvatore has run out of things to do with the characters, it's because he takes their trauma seriously and sometimes that means spending a while with a character who is straight up not having a good time right now. And this is compounded by the fact that Drizzt is a very young elf at the start of the series; around the middle there's an editorially mandated time skip and Drizzt goes from a traumatized teen who is coping through the Power of Friendship to a traumatized young adult who has outlived most of his mentor figures. There is a definite tone shift, is what I'm saying.

I think they're still really good, and Drizzt does eventually regain his equilibrium. The later parts of the series are also increasingly an ensemble act, with Jarlaxle and Bregan D'aerthe taking more of the spotlight. If you went up against the magnificent bastard (affectionate)(also derogatory) in Dragon Heist, you've had a taste for what it's like to be on the receiving end of his shenanigans, and yeah, that's frustrating. (My WDDH party actually ended up allying ourselves with him, and he still manages to be deeply annoying sometimes.) But he can be really fun to watch work when he's not messing with you, and he's a great foil to Drizzt. A lot of the time Drizzt just wants to be left alone to live a life that's not defined by his origins; Jarlaxle is all about drow solidarity and bringing what he's built with him.

[ackermanbitch]

Hello!! How are you??

I saw you wrote for anne with an e ^^ I honestly enjoyed watching that show sm, so I wanted to send this matchup if that’s alright! since someone did… so..

Could I request a (romantic) Matchup with any of the AWNE(anne with an e) Characters?? :DD

hehe anyways! My name is Joey! I’m transgender and lithromantic, I’m a Leo and I use he/him pronouns. I have shoulder-length-ish black hair. I have brown eyes and I’m at least 5’5

I’m honesty pretty silly when im interacting with someone either online or in person, i tend to make a lot of jokes (including sexual ones) I can also be pretty awkward when talking to new people but it’ll wear off once I talked to them for a good amount. And I love to talk about my interests and I don’t really like when people seem uninterested in my interests when I talk about them(it just makes me sad) , I can also be pretty punctual and fussy and I tend to have short tempers, im an over-thinker and lastly I’m pretty intelligent in many things (such as math, science, etc)

I love playing Rhythm Games (like Ensemble Stars, Project Senkai, Bandori..), I really like to play other games as well like Genshin, Mystic Messenger, FNAF, etc, I love musicals like Hamilton, I really love listening to music as well it’s my coping mechanism, i also love reading, and I love basically all my interests! (the ones I mention and that I didn’t mention)

I don’t like negitive mentions of my voice, comparing me to people/saying stuff like "you remind me of ____", i also despise spiders. And I hate getting sick bc I’ll get very cranky and emotional

also here are my comforts: cats, hajime hinata (danganronpa), a silent voice, albedo (genshin impact), lemon demon, felix kranken (twf), bread, sharks, christmas music/christmas in general, scp 3008 (roblox game), get a snack at 4am (roblox game), hotels, and my friends!

But thank you!! And have fun with this :DD

hey thanks so much for the request, i ship you with cole!

this is what i think your relationship looks like <3

[cinemasteves]

YAY!! Now I’m gonna give you the information about me. starting now😻

Could I request a (platonic) Matchup with any of the Stranger Things Characters?? :DD

hehe anyways! My name is Joey! I’m transgender and lithromantic, I’m a Leo and I use he/him pronouns. I have shoulder-length-ish black hair. I have brown eyes and I’m at least 5’5

I’m honesty pretty silly when im interacting with someone either online or in person, i tend to make a lot of jokes (including sexual ones) I can also be pretty awkward when talking to new people but it’ll wear off once I talked to them for a good amount. And I love to talk about my interests and I don’t really like when people seem uninterested in my interests when I talk about them(it just makes me sad) , I can also be pretty punctual and fussy and I tend to have short tempers, And lastly I’m pretty intelligent in many things (such as math, piano, science, etc)

I love playing Rhythm Games (like Ensemble Stars, Project Senkai, Bandori..), I really like to play other games as well like Genshin, Mystic Messenger, FNAF, etc, I love musicals like Hamilton, I really love listening to music as well it’s my coping mechanism, i also love reading, and I really enjoy playing piano!

I don’t like negitive mentions of my voice, comparing me to people/saying stuff like "you remind me of ____", i also despise spiders. And I hate getting sick bc I’ll get very cranky and emotional

also here are my comforts: cats, hajime hinata (danganronpa), a silent voice, albedo (genshin impact), lemon demon, felix kranken (twf), bread, sharks, christmas music/christmas in general, scp 3008 (roblox game), get a snack at 4am (roblox game), hotels, and my friends!

But thank you!! And have fun with this :DD

my brain is literally screaming Eddie Munson as your matchup.

I just feel like Eddie would immediately take you under his wing, just like he did with all the Hellfire kids.

He'd definitely defend you against Jason and the rest of the populars as if his life depended on it. Threatening to beat anyone's ass over you.

You two would definitely bond over games and music! Him teaching you guitar and you teaching him piano, him even letting you play at a Corroded Coffin show as an opener. In exchange for his kindness, you'd use your smarts to help tutor him so he could graduate, as you want to see him succeed. You both just believe in each other so much.

I could see you two playing pranks on the younger kids but also being their comfort figures. You two would throw a "Hellfire Christmas" party at the last campaign before winter break, having the room decorated for the holidays and Christmas music playing all throughout the game and even doing a secret santa exchange at the end !! It just so happens that Eddie was assigned as your secret santa, so he got you a cassette player, remembering you saying months before that you always wanted one.

Being an only child, he feels as though you're the little brother he's always wanted. You are the Dustin to his Steve !!!

I hope you like it 🥹 this was actually really fun to do !!

[bookcub]

Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Fire Island Character Comparisons (1/3)

my mind cant stop comparing fire island and the lizzie bennet diaries so here are some character comparisons starting with the bennet family (minus lizzie and noah, who will get a later post):

disclaimer, i love both these adaptations so i say all of this with love. i couldn't stop thinking about these two stories so i had to write something down.

while i absolutely approve of the merging of jane and charlotte into howie (very logical considering the time restraints), i did miss charlotte and jane from lbd. i like our mc having a wider variety of opinions they need to listen to and consider. however, the friendship chemistry between noah and howie was off the charts. i love how we see noah prioritize howie, while still ignoring his actual needs because it is very loving, but clearly a place noah needs to grow and learn from, setting up a nice arc for both noah learning to listen and howie learning his self worth. lizzie has a similar arc with charlotte in lbd but her relationship with jane is a little more stagnent from what i recall. all three of these relationships are at the core of the stories, an aspect other p and p adaptations often spend less time on. and while we have more time with jane and charlotte than howie, somehow howie feels just as fleshed out as them, a testament to the amazing writing and acting.

lydia and luke. .. heres the thing. luke is at such a disadvantage because lydia has sooooo much more development (she literally had her own set of video diaries!!). and her relationship with lizzie feels much stronger than lukes with noah does (again, movies have so much less time!). i connected to lydias emotions way more than i did with lukes. her motivations always made sense to me and we literally see her heart break on screen. i also found the end of her arc more complete than lukes, seeing far more growth on her end vs luke who doesn't really have the screen time to show how he has grown over the course of the movie. i did like how luke was clearly jealous of noah and led to some of his cattier moments, as well as all his moments within the found family (esp with keegan, they were adorable dramatic nerds). both of them ending up on unconsenting sex tapes felt like a fantastic and terrifying update to the elopement. i really enjoyed watching both those storylines play out in a rewarding manner, even if in fire island there was slightly less resolution on luke's emotional growth, the end confrontation with dex was cathartic to watch.

kitty and keegan. .. . look im a cat person but keegan was an absolute riot and much needed comedic relief. and his makeup???? a work of art, honestly. he made me laugh a lot and his casual intimacy and how he was always searching for fun and physical comfort, which really fleshed out a character who is literally reduced to a cat on other adaptations (i mean, i am all for lbd kitty bennet, i just can't pass up keegan making me laugh constantly)

again, with mary and max, i never liked in lbd how lizzie straight up forgot about mary although i didn't find her particular memorable. max made me laugh, but i really would have liked a little arc for him, i found him quite endearing. both characters were underused in the story (yeah yeah they ensemble shows) and more of each of them in their respective stories would have only improved. i wanted more of max, exploring the fatphobia and racism towards Black men on fire island some more, but again, only so much time in a movie.

erin was a shockingly well balanced combination of mr and mrs bennet. despite their contrasting personalities in p and p as well as lbd, one would imagine that the mixing of two characters would be cheesy, over the top, and simply a joke. however, erins theratrics instead felt like a protective cover, a coping mechanism she used as a front to prevent her from getting hurt. when she lets herself be vulnerable with noah. . .it feels authentic and earned to her character, instead of a heel face turn. while i love the costumes and imitations of lizzies parents, their lacking presence cant compare to margaret chos compelling and hilarious performance.

every place where i prefer lbd over fire island almost always has to do with time, since lbd had so much more than fire island. both were true to the heart of the story (the relationships) and put their own spin on an old and familiar tale.

stay tuned for parts 2 and 3!!!

[destinysbounty]

kai for opinion bingo?? <33

Kai is so underutilized imo. It oftens feels like the writers just....dont know what to do with him. Like he was a very notable presence in the first seven seasons, and i think those seasons pretty well balance his prideful dumbassery with his more serious and grumpy edge. But then he took a back seat in the Oni Trilogy, which wasnt necessarily a bad thing, per se, because with an ensemble cast this size its inevitable that some people will get more attention and others will play more of a support role. Thats generally recommended with ensemble casts, actually, as a way of keeping your audience focused. But I can rant about story anatomy some other time. The point is, its not necessarily a bad thing that Kai takes a bit of a backseat in seasons 8 and 9. They at least finished him off strong in season 10.....

And then Wildbrain happened.

Kai IS a dumbass, yes, but these recent seasons have a tendency to reduce him to that exclusively while neglecting all depth of character. His characterization in the Fire Chapter, Prime Empire, and Seabound made me lowkey kinda disappointed.

That being said, MotM and The Island (and so far Crystalized as well) are some really well-done iterations of Kai i think. MotM in particular brought back his grumpiness and i was absolutely delighted to see it, especially when paired up with Zane being an absolute little shit (yes im talking about the rock-throwing scene, you can pry it away from my cold oppositeshipper hands).

Anyway im gonna pretend bad writing doesnt exist and say that Kai's recent flanderization is a coping mechanism. Its hard to describe without making this answer longer than it already is, but like. The bulk of Kai's mischaracterization happens after season 7. After his parents returned. I think Kai places a lot of stock and self-worth in his role as the protector and guardian, as the guy who filled in his parents' shoes while they were away. And now that his parents are back, hes not entirely sure who hes supposed to be anymore.

See what i mean? Kai stans have to work hard for even the tiniest scraps of characterization.

[grimmichi-ao3-feed]

[New AO3 Fic!] Pretty bones

by nineteenseventythree

"Kurosaki’s voice hurt. His concern for Grimmjow’s well being hurt. His touch hurt. Looking at his eyes hurt. And the agonizing pain was the catalyst for him to have the single most terrifying realization he ever had in his entire afterlife.

He loved Kurosaki Ichigo.

And it hurt.

And to top it all off he was dying because of it. Fantastic.

Just for good measure, Grimmjow punched Kurosaki’s sternum when he tried asking another question."

In which Grimmjow has Hanahaki's disease and tries to cope. A story told from Grimmjow's perspective on love and loving as a hollow.

Words: 15227, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Bleach

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: M/M

Characters: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Kurosaki Ichigo, Urahara Shouten Ensemble (Bleach), Nelliel Tu Oderschvank, Tia Harribel

Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo

Additional Tags: songfic?? kind of??, Hanahaki Disease, watch a heartless spiritual being loving the dumbest substitute shinigami ever, Love Confessions, grimmjow and yoruichi being cats, Purring, Daydreaming, i dont know how to tag but im doing my best therefore god should submit to me, Author Is Sleep Deprived, they kiss, Angst with a Happy Ending, i hate my writing

Read it now on AO3!

[bestworstcase]

your analysis about volume 9 wonderland and neo’s role in the volume as a whole is very interesting, especially since all of the characters are there for a reason. rwby of course because they’re the main characters, but jaune and neo were the additions that really made me curious about what’s planned, especially since the show’s past the early v1/v2 point of awkwardly putting jaune in the main character position and neo isn’t a villain that’s really gotten a ton of spotlight (in the show at least) until now.

especially since the writers have said that volume 9 will be very focused and very character-driven. the word “trippy” has been used which definitely makes sense if it’s a wonderland-esque world, and it’s also a volume that’s been planned since way back when volume 1 was in development so whatever happens in it, it’s a critical part of the overall story so it’ll be interesting to see how jaune and neo especially fit into that.

in all honesty im not of the opinion that he was awkwardly shoved into a main character position in v1-2 at all? those first two volumes are rough around the edges and do kind of position rwby as main characters and jnpr as supporting players by dint of jnpr not getting involved with the torchwick/WF stuff… and then jaune in v1-2 is in the part of his character arc where all the obnoxious behaviors and toxic self-images and self-narratives he’s going to overcome need to be established, so it does feel like he specifically gets shoehorned into the story when he doesn’t need to be there. but then the core plot of v3 turns on pyrrha’s arc as a tragic hero in much the same way that v7-8 turned on penny’s arc, and once she’s gone and jnr ream up with ruby it becomes clear that all of them were main characters the whole time. they just. took a bit longer than rwby did to find their inciting incident.

(up ensemble casts)

anyway, jaune’s inclusion felt very natural to me when i watched 8.14 and still feels very natural now that i’ve had plenty of time to digest, because: this kid has since v3 been doing his goddamned best to carry the weight of his whole world on his shoulders, to be there for his friends, to keep pyrrha’s spirit alive (& i think, in a lot of ways, apologize to the universe for being the one who survived that night instead of her). he let go of whatever was left of his egocentric dream of Being The Hero and threw himself instead into selflessly supporting and protecting the people and the ideals he cares about. and by v8 two important things have happened: 1. jaune has come to terms with his grief and survivor’s guilt regarding pyrrha’s death, which allows him to achieve emotional stability and complete his transformation into his new support-oriented role, and 2. all of his friends have come to quietly rely on jaune’s support because he is now this pillar of unflinching and seemingly unshakable stability in a world that is falling apart around their ears.

he’s still got a few hints of vulnerability (“you cheated your way into beacon!”) but… for the most part jaune has by the time they reach atlas very much become the shoulder to lean on, the steady one his friends look to when they need encouragement, the mediator, the one who really truly BELIEVES that they can do this. in a lot of ways jaune becomes the inspirational embodiment of hope and courage in the face of evil that pyrrha was to him in v3 or ruby was in v1-v7 before she started to crack in v8. ren’s comment to yang about jaune’s faith when they’re trying to rescue oscar makes this clear

and well

that role is not a comfortable place to be, and that’s always been something rwby is interested in exploring. trying to fulfill that role is what got pyrrha killed. ruby’s arc in v8 is about how all the stuff she’s been stamping down and not dealing with starts to erupt once she hits the limit of what she’s able to cope with by hurling herself onto grenades for other people. and jaune--

ruby’s breakdown was a long slow boil of things simmering beneath the surface until the crust of hope on top finally cracked; jaune’s is a keg of gunpowder detonating all at once. because he’s the last one standing, you know? he piled all this weight on himself, rebuilt his whole identity around being there for the ones he loves, that’s the essence of him reforming his sword with pyrrha’s metals, that’s the essence of his semblance, and… it’s not enough! in 8.14 he’s forced to make a horrific choice between losing two people by trying to save the one bleeding out in his arms while cinder kills weiss before turning on him, or accepting that he legitimately cannot save penny and making her death a quick one so they can snatch a tiny silver lining from the jaws of this crushing defeat. and like. that shatters him. his sword breaks, his aura breaks, he falls.

so… now there are three questions we’ll see answered:

1. what happens when both ruby and jaune—the inspiring ones, the leaders—break? how do things evolve when the two characters everyone relied on to pick up the pieces when things went to hell can’t do that anymore?

2. how do ren and nora cope (or not) with losing another member of their team, the one who held things together after pyrrha died—especially with this happening right after nora realized that she needs time to figure out who she is apart from ren? what does grief look like when it’s competing against not just the cruel and unfair demands of an ongoing war that won’t stop just because their friends are gone, but also with a newfound need for some emotional distance from the person you most want to rely on to cope with the pain of loss?

and

3. who does jaune become after losing his faith? after hitting the limits of the role that ultimately allowed him to make peace with losing pyrrha? he needs to rebuild himself again, so what kind of person will he choose to be now?

…and that third question is exactly why he fell, i think, because it’s the same sort of questions that both rwby and neo will be grappling with in v9. who does ruby become after losing her hope? how do the dynamics of her team change in the wake of this loss, of yang’s heroic sacrifice, of blake’s failure to catch ruby, of weiss being the last one standing after the rest of them fall? how do they fall apart and come together again once they’re separated from the inescapable pressure of the war back home? and likewise--how does neo learn to define herself outside of roman, and if she’s able to find emotional closure who does she become afterwards? who IS she without her grief and vengeance?

there’s also like—one of the many reasons i’m hoping for wonderland allusions on void island isn’t just for the delight of wonderland but also there is SO MUCH material in wonderland to mine for this: alice’s confusion and sadness and fear about the changes she undergoes in wonderland and everything she knows being turned on its head, even to the point of reciting nonsensical corruptions of familiar poems when she tries to speak them out loud! the pointless frantic running in circles of the caucus race! the cruel inanities of the endless tea party! the looking glass flowers! the red queen having to run at impossible speeds just to stay in one place! the forest where alice forgets her own name! the white queen remembering things backwards! the white knights inventions! alice becoming a queen by moving across the board! i knew who i was when i got up this morning but i think i must have been changed several times since then!! i can’t explain myself because i’m not myself!! tell me which way i ought to go / that depends a great deal on where you want to end up!! never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise!! i just, i just--there’s so much they could do with wonderland allusions right at this moment of the story that i just vibrate intensely whenever i think abt it

[drivingsideways]

Misaeng review

Ok, it's been almost a week, so I feel like I can get my thoughts (somewhat) in order. As usual, I'm late to the party, given that Misaeng aired 6 years ago, and is already considered a kdrama classic. Still: thoughts!

(under the cut)

I came to this drama with quite a lot of expectations, both because I'd seen it on a lot of rec lists, and also because I'd watched director Kim Won-seok's Signal and My Mister, which are justifiably as beloved as Misaeng. I'm happy to report that Misaeng mostly lived up to those expectations!

The writing & direction work together to make Misaeng a very immersive experience, which is good, considering the entire run time is over 20 hrs. The level of seemingly mundane detail of the operational aspects of running a trading firm that they delve into (and other dramas might have avoided for sake of pacing) seemed odd to me at first, but eventually result in a world building that's incredibly well fleshed out. The (formerly unlikely!) high stakes of a misplaced piece of paper or octopuses in a shipment of squid end up being parts of an emotionally wrenching narrative whole fairly seamlessly. Still, at 20+ hours, Misaeng also does get into the kind of pacing issues that most of the slice of life kdramas I've watched so far have. And it didn't need to! I think it had a wonderful ensemble of characters, and if they'd maybe given a little more time and space to characters other than Jang Geu-Rae (Im Si wan) and Oh Sang-sik (Lee Sung-min), the mid portions may not have felt quite so, well, stuck.

But more than the strong writing and direction, it was really the actors who delivered. They made what could have easily been a dull-ish office drama into a heart warming story about human connection and the joys and troubles of leading an "incomplete life". I'd never watched Lee Sung-min in anything before, and about half way through the series I was like, HOW IS HE MAKING A SHORT TEMPERED, ALCHOHOLIC MIDDLE MANAGER SO SEXY? Like, serious props, dude. Lee Sung-min is by turns annoying and brash and too shout-y and stubborn and funny and so incredibly vulnerable as a man trying his best to live by his principles in a world that thinks they are an impediment to "success", that you forget that he's playing a fictional character-- he's someone you know, he's someone you've seen in the mirror.

His performance as Oh Sang-sik is very ably matched by Im Si Wan's Jang Geu-Rae. This series would not have worked if these two actors didn't have the chemistry they do, and play off each other in every scene. I had watched Im Si Wan recently- in JTBC's "Run On", in which I liked his performance quite a lot, but I absolutely loved him as the naive and endearing Jang Geu-rae. Misaeng, is in part, a bildungsroman narrative centered around Jang Geu Rae. Im Si wan brought a kind of vulnerability to the role that might have felt cloying and emotionally manipulative in the hands of other actors, but Im Si-wan manages to do it with a light touch. I feel he's one of those actors that uses his whole body in a scene, not just relying on facial or verbal expression, and it's a joy to watch.

Each of the other actors in the ensemble also bring that dedication and talent to their roles, even if it's in a single scene. There are lots of one-off characters that we meet during the course of the series, and every single one of them leaves an impact.

But! I'm going to pick a fave from the supporting cast and that's Byun Yo-han, whom I'd last watched as the broody, troubled (and very sexy) swordsman Lee Bang-ji in Six Flying Dragons. I can't imagine a character more in opposition to that one than Han Seok-yul in Misaeng, but Byun Yo-han just knocks it out of the park as the scheming, cheerful and mostly inappropriate clown with a heart of gold; Han Seok-yul is the definition of Chaotic Good, and you're equal parts horrified by his antics- which include sexual harassment dont @ me -- and yet charmed by him. I wish they'd given him a few more scenes and a larger plotline to work with, but I also suspect that he might have just walked away with the entire series if they did that. (Am I plotting that series in my head as I write this? MAYBE.)

Alright, this is getting a bit too long, so I'm going to get to the bits that disappointed me. That's really one major thing: the gender politics. I don't know how different the show is from the web toon it's based on, so I can't tell whether they made significant changes to the basic plot and characters. As in- I have no idea if the webtoon was as male dominated in every way as the show is, so I'm not sure how much of the show's treatment of women as a class, and its female characters in particular, I should lay at the door of the original writer vs the screenwriter and director. I'm also lacking the Korean context in which this was written and made and aired, so you may take my criticism with a pinch of salt, if you please!

That the show features mainly male characters is perhaps unsurprising and realistic, since we know that the kind of corporate life it depicts is very male dominated, top to bottom. The show also portrays the very real and horrific overt and subtle misogyny that women face in the workplace and out of it; mainly in the character of Ahn Young-yi, played with steely determination and quiet suffering by the lovely Kang so-ra. There are only 3 other female characters that have any sort of real speaking role- Sun Ji Young (played by Shin Eun jung), a senior manager at the company, Jang Geu-rae's unnamed(!) mother (played by the amazing Sung Byoung-Sook) and Oh Sang-sik's unnamed (!) wife (played by Oh Yoon-Hong, who's a delight in every tiny scene she has). There are other women who appear but in very minor roles, and often in "comedy" moments that often rely on sexist tropes to start with.

Anyway, right there you can see one of the problems- 4 women characters that have any kind of real screen time, and only 2 of them are named. Aigoo! Screenwriter Jung Yoon-jung is a woman, and like, I don't like putting the burden on any one woman to y'know fix structural misogyny, but I can't also help feeling disappointed that she overlooked even this "small" thing among the larger things.

But that apart, the main issue for me was that while the show doesn't shy away from depicting egregious sexism in the form of sexual harrassment, verbal and physical and certainly emotional abuse, in a manner that's clear that we are meant to be horrified by it--it falls short of depicting how women deal and work with it. It just doesn't give enough space to women or their worldview.

It's very comfortable depicting victimhood, but doesn't put work into depicting the ways in which women survive by finding solidarity with other women. We have a scene or two where Ahn Young-yi who is this show's poster child for female victimhood interacts with the older women who offer sympathy and understanding, but no real strategy or support. And yes, we see men also being targeted by their seniors for the grossest verbal and physical abuse; and it's men who help Ahn Young-yi strategise on how to deal with her situation. Real life experience tells me that it's the women who do this work for other women. I have certainly been on both sides of this equation, for one, and so has every woman that I know in corporate life. And yes, one of the show's core philosophies is that those who endure, survive--but it is none the less extremely painful to watch Ahn Young yi "endure" the kind of abuse she does as a coping strategy and a survival strategy.

At the end of it, when she slowly manages to gain the support of her sexist team, it's shown as a victory-- though naturally imperfect, because this show takes its Realism very seriously (right until the end where it makes a tonal shift into quirky that I was a little ?? about)-- and y'know, sure, it is a victory. And I absolutely understand the choices she makes and why she does it-- I guess I just got annoyed by the fact that other antagonistic figures in the narrative get a more straightforward comeuppance for their egregious behavior, but Ahn Young-yi doesn't even get a goddamned apology from her abusers. Instead, we have a half humourous, half serious moment where she comments on how she's working at turning herself into "someone cute"- because she understands now that sometimes the right strategy is to "go with the flow". Be the water that slowly wears away at the rock. It's an interesting moment- the men she tells this to are taken aback by her bluntness, but also a little clueless about what she means. It's the kind of nuance that I would and do enjoy. Unfortunately, it also closely follows one of the show's most annoying scenes at the tail end of the series- where it tries to play off workplace sexism and misogyny as comedy- boys being boys-Reader, when I tell you that I had to WORK to unclench my jaw--!

I'm not saying we should have a single and obvious narrative of female emancipation. I'm not against realism in fiction, but god, sometimes, please do remember that when we look for escapism, we are actually imagining a better world. The first step toward liberation is allowing yourself to imagine it.

And the show does allow other characters its moments of unfettered fantasy- Im Si Wan parkour-ing all over the rooftops of Amman- and having a semi mystical + Indiana Jones moment in the deserts of Jordan--so why, I ask, are the women not given that gift?

*looks into the camera *

Tl;dr: I enjoyed it, it made me cry every episode, and I cared about all the characters, and if you haven't watched it yet, treat yourselves.

PS. Yes, Han Seok-yul is a disaster bi, sorry, I don't make the rules. Yes, hotties Oh Min Seok and Kang Ha-neul are canonically naked in a hot tub six feet apart because they are bros. Yes, I will be writing the fix it in which they fuck like angry bunnies. Yes, I am going to put my shipper cooties all over this gen slice of life show, deal with it.

[love-bokumono-fics]

Tag Tuesday - First Fic

I thought it was only fitting that the first Tag Tuesday should feature the "My First Fic" and its related tags.

I think, in retrospect, writers tend to look back on our first works and cringe, but I also think there is a lot of love, joy, enthusiasm, and beauty to be found in first fanfics. The whole process back then was new and exciting, and I remember having a kind of almost manic energy and excitement while writing my first fic that I've never been able to recapture since then. So lets take a moment to shed some love on some of the fandoms' first forays into writing fanfiction!

Was your first fic in the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons universe? Send it our way! We'd love to see them!

Hey, see me after class? - by bluebird_lamentation; A New Beginning; >1k; Complete, 1/1

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: M/M

Relationship: Neil/Rod; Characters: Neil, Rod, Allen, Felicity

Additional Tags: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, One-Shot, May add more chapters idk, first fic, Modern School AU

Summary: Neil asks to see Rod after class, it may be better than what he expected...

A Chance to Start Again - by ChewyGirl12; Friends of Mineral Town; 2k; WIP, 2/?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Claire the Farmer, All Residents of Mineral Town

Additional Tags: cursing, Daily life of a farmer, Collection of events and stories, ongoing, Really just a way to practice writing, Maybe some drama, This is a Teen up but there is cursing and some mature themes so be advised, Just a happy story of life in a small town, Multiple chapters, Some Romance, Rival marriages are a thing with the correct pairings, You can date either gender in this game!, This is my first fanfic and time here

Summary: After news of her grandfather’s death, Claire receives his old farm in the will. Bored of the city life Claire packs up and heads over to Mineral Town to start her new life as a farmer. Hard work and many happy moments await her as she makes her living and meets new friends along the way. Although Claire is not exactly the sociable type, the residents of Mineral Town still find their way into her heart as she establishes new relationships in this small town, whether that be friendships or perhaps one day love among the many potential romantic candidates among her. This series will be an ongoing tale of a new farmers life in Mineral Town and those in it.

Refuge - by Genderfluid_Writes; Animal Parade, Tree of Tranquility, Stardew Valley; 8k; WIP, 3/?

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Multi

Relationships: Chase (Harvest Moon)/Elliott, Shane/Original Character(s), Renee | Lina/Toby | Tao, Anissa | Anise/Jin | Won, One-sided Chase/Owen, Candace/Emily; Characters: Chase | Chihaya, Elliott, Shane, Original Non-Binary Character, Renee | Lina, Toby | Tao, Anissa, Jin | Won, Owen | Ose, Chloe, Candace, Emily, Harvey, Kent, Lewis, Gus, Jas, Vincent, Luke, Bo, Pascal

Additional Tags: Assume the usual cast is here, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, M for Language and Themes, will I ever write smut? who knows, Crossover, Unrequited Love, First Love, Non-binary character, POV Multiple, no beta cos im a lazy coward, Fluff and Angst, May or may not be character deaths

Summary: With news of the Gotoro Empire closing in, a handful of residents from Waffle Island make the perilous journey over the sea, armed only with a friend of a friend's supposed assurance that they'd be welcome in Stardew Valley. For most, it means leaving family behind, but Chase only had unrequited love to run away from. However, reluctantly saddled with his best friend's young cousin and the informal leadership of the group, he has no choice but to get involved with life in let another backwater town. With the others missing their home and worrying about their families' safety, will he be able to stand with them in solidarity, or will he turn tail and run back to his old life? What if he misses the island more than he thought? What if these displaced souls find new life in a horrible situation? First fanfic I've ever written, let alone publicly shared. Hope its not too terrible. Also there's no beta-ing atm, beware of mistypes.

Here You Come Again - by SeasonSuite; Trio of Towns; 58k; WIP, 14/?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Relationships: Female Farmer/Wayne; Minor or Background Relationship(s); Characters: Farmer, Wayne, Frank, Lisette, Ford, Ludus, Trio of Towns ensemble

Additional Tags: Crushes, Falling In Love, Love, farming, Fluff, dolly parton references, Friends to Lovers, cowboy aesthetic. idiots to lovers, Day At The Beach, Flowers, Romance, My First Fanfic, Bonding, Feelings, Humor, Slow Build, Did I Mention Fluff

Summary: On the first day of her new life, June meets a handsome, smooth-talking postman. Caught between his seemingly earnest words and his philandering reputation, she writes him off as bad news. Over the year, as June struggles to build her new farm, Wayne proves her wrong—then right—then wrong again. or, Westown's charming postman is known for being perfect, and he's usually happy to play the part. But when a new farmer tries to get to know the real him, Wayne learns that to be loved, he has to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known. Trio of Towns made me FEEL a lot of things so here's a sappy romantic love letter to my favorite bachelor. Slow burn Wayne x Holly, fluff and romance and drama. Background ships and more to come. New chapter Fridays or your money back!

Sugar and Spice - by Chibimiie; Animal Parade; 18k; WIP, 15/?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences, Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Category: F/M

Relationships: Chase/Molly the Farmer, Angela/Luke; Characters: Molly | Hikari, Angela the Farmer, Chase, Luke

Additional Tags: first fic, Slow Burn, at least molly and chase are, oh god how do you tag fics, beginning is kinda rough, angela chapters tend to be shorter, mentions of eating disorders, ya girl was making it up as she went along, alternating povs, Friends to Lovers

Summary: Wanting to get away from past hurts of the city, sisters Molly and Angela decide to respond to a flyer advertising an abandoned farm on the faraway island of Castanet. Leaving behind their closest friends and brother Kasey, the two take a chance and move to the tiny island hoping for a new chance at life.

Lady Of Grasstrail Farms - by FromADenOfBeasts; Pioneers of Olive Town; 43k; WIP, 34/?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Relationship: Female Farmer/Lars; Characters: Original Female Character(s), Female Farmer, Lars, Laura, Angela, Clemens, Damon, Jack, Emilio, Reina, Victor, Gloria, Simon, Jesse

Additional Tags: My First AO3 Post, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, spoilers obviously, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Supportive Big Brother, honestly the best big brother ever

Summary: Pioneers Of Olive Town AU where Lars is single. That's not all that happens but it is the reason I wrote this. A young woman named Vallon quits her job and follows her heart to Olive Town, where her family has roots deeper than she ever thought. Now she has to contend with new neighbors, ancient magic, and getting the hang of farming a wild land. Can she cope on her own, or can she at least find someone to share it with? Formerly titled "Why Not, Lars?" (Please note that this AU was planned so that absolutely nothing has occurred between him and Beth.)

Siblings - by teamBLAZE; Harvest Moon (Friends of Mineral Town, Island of Happiness/Sunshine Islands); 6.3k; Completed, 6/6

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Other

Relationships: Claire the Farmer/Cliff; Chelsea/Mark

Additional Tags: Family, Hurt/Comfort, Reunions, My First AO3 Post

Summary: Left with only a photograph to remind him of the past, Cliff lives with the hope of seeing his sister again. Years later, a certain girl appears at Verdure Island with the task of reviving the other islands, wishing she would see that somebody once she accomplishes it. Will they find what they have longed for? An experimental fic based from a confession.

[joontier]

Patawad, paalam. | drabble

translation: forgive me, goodbye. 

pairings: jungkook x reader

rating: NC-17

genre: romance, angst | warnings: wholesomeness basically (one-liner implied smut),,,,,, until you get to the last line gklasjdfa bUT DONT SKIP 

word count: 1.3k

g/n: AHHHHH! my first release for The Paraluman Project!! might as well rename this angsty august (can i get an amen @mintseesaw​ this was meant to be posted in a few hours bUT IM IMPATIENT LIKE THAT kdsjfasfasf) anywho,, ‘Patawad, paalam’  is meant to be a prologue and an epilogue at the same time and if you guys want to have a lidol backstory well lmk okiiii,,,, yall know im ready to spoil my darlings EEEEP feedback is always appreciated!! ILY YALL

navi. | m.list

Today’s the big day. 

The church had been decorated just like the way you’ve always pictured it to be - your idea of the perfect wedding finally a reality. Just as what had been planned years ago by both of you, you have decided on celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime event in your chapel - the very place where you two first met. 

Four-feet tall pedestals crowned with bouquets of white hydrangeas stand tall and proud along the length of the aisle, while the sunlight passing through the stations of the cross depictions on the stained glass provided an extra burst of color on the snowy flowers. 

Jungkook has never been good with crowds, especially not when the audience included their relatives and some of their closest family friends. Yeonwoo, Jungkook’s best friend of many years, takes notice of the man’s palpable uneasiness, and approaches the nervous man. “You’ll do just fine, Kook. I believe in you.” After a pat on the back, Jungkook smiles at his best friend, grateful for the much-needed reinforcement. 

There’s a quiet chatter amongst the guests, remaining seated on the wooden pews as they wait for the processional. The benches have been newly varnished just for the occasion. While a number of the invited guests speak to each other to pass the time, the rest take photos of the immaculate venue as they praise the decorations. Perhaps he could mention your unparalleled efforts in his speech later at the reception. 

Pride swells in Jungkook’s chest as he remembers how much time and effort you had spent perfecting each detail of the church’s decorations, investing at least three whole days of planning for the interior alone. 

Jungkook stands by the altar patiently, big brown eyes scanning the crowd and silently thanking each one of them for having allocated a day from their busy lives just to witness one of the most important days of his life. The man continues to struggle with the event’s actuality, his stubborn nerves gnawing at him deliriously. In fact, he doesn’t think he’d been able to cope with reality for the past few days. 

He recalls having dreamt about you last night, unable to sleep a wink after seeing a vivid image of you in a white dress during his slumber. The restless man takes a stroll in the seminary’s garden in the hopes that the tranquility afforded by the grounds will bring him enough peace and quiet to lull him back to sleep. 

As he entered a secluded area only a few people knew of (you included), he found you on the swing, swaying yourself gently on the seat. He wanted to go back to his room, under the quite ridiculous belief that it was bad luck to see the bride just before the wedding ceremony. He watches you for a while, hiding behind a moss-covered wall. As he studies your features, he senses you’re just as restless as he was and shortly after, he finds himself walking towards you, unproven hearsay the last thing on his mind. You converse for a good two hours until you deemed it time to go back to your rooms and get some sleep. You both had a long day ahead of you and rest was important. With a final hug, you part ways once more. 

The musical ensemble brings Jungkook out of his reverie, the sudden sound of the violin playing making him jerk slightly in surprise. The soloist starts strumming the strings of her guitar to a familiar tune, giving the song more depth and emotion with the melodic sound resonating throughout the chapel. The crowd’s chatter immediately falls to a hush, the audience faces the entrance to watch the highly-anticipated processional. 

Wise men say, only fools rush in 

But I can’t help, falling in love with you

Your niece enters first, passionately throwing white petals from a large disproportionate wooden basket. Her tiny feet carry her throughout the length of the aisle, sending a half-toothless smile left and right. 

Her older brother trails after her a couple of meters away, his usually unruly hair now handsomely tamed with gel for this special occasion. The audience coos at the siblings, finding the duo most endearing. There’s muted laughter amongst the crowd as his small hands tremble, the ring pillow shaking lightly in his grasp. As they reach the altar, your brother, the best man, gives the siblings a high five before guiding them back to their pews. 

Like a river flows, slowly to the sea, 

Darling, so it goes, 

Some things are meant to be

The bridesmaids file in with bright smiles from the side, each carrying a mellow arrangement of baby breaths and lavenders. Your closest cousin, Cassie, who you chose to be the maid of honor has flown all the way from Canada just to witness your wedding. She walks the carpeted aisle slowly, dabbing at her cheeks with the back of her hand as she clutches onto a bouquet with the other. 

Next in line are Jungkook’s parents, who are both holding on to each other for support. When Jungkook’s and his mother’s eyes meet for the first time today, unspoken words are shared between the mother and son, small smiles gracing their lips in acknowledgement. Your parents follow after them with your father’s cheeks already red and wet with tears. 

As the entire entourage get to their seats at the front, the music stops. All bodies turn to face the entrance. The majestic wooden doors finally open with an audible creek, and the whole chapel falls quiet. 

Take my hand, 

Take my whole life too, 

For I can’t help falling in love with you

Jungkook’s eyes, previously scanning the crowd, finally fixate on you. God, you were so beautiful. He reprimands himself for using the Lord’s name in vain, but at the same time, there was no one else to speak to, or thank but the Lord Himself: for his life, for his family, for this day, and most especially, for you. 

You looked magnificent. Regal, even. 

He wasn’t familiar with how dresses were described in detail, all he knows is that the exact moment he saw you today, time just froze, as if the whole world paused in its entirety. You were the girl in his dreams. You were the girl of his dreams. 

A tiara adorned with crystals and pearls rests prettily on your head, the crown anchoring a sheer, long lace veil that flowed beautifully along the length of your gown at the back. The bodice of your dress accentuated your curves wonderfully and the endless number of baroque patterns sewn onto the fabric of your dress added up to the silhouette your wedding gown graciously gave you. 

Jungkook’s mind betrays him for a moment - the vivid memory of the single intimate moment you two shared - an experience of a lifetime that had been etched onto the back of his head for the rest of eternity. 

Jungkook subconsciously tugs at his sleeves, racking his brain for something to stop his trembling hands but achieves nothing. His palms are likewise getting clammy, only adding to the poor man’s nervousness. When he meets his mother’s eyes one more time and she sees the emotion swirling in his son’s eyes, she lets out a choked sob, resting her head against her husband’s shoulders as he places a consoling hand on her back for support.  Jungkook diverts his eyes before his own tears threaten to fall. 

As you finally reach the altar with your own hands trembling like a falling leaf in autumn, Jungkook gives you a small smile, one you reciprocate with a warmer one. Tears start to well in his eyes. Jungkook closes his eyes for a moment, gathering his courage as he takes a deep breath. With renewed hope, he takes in his surroundings and sets another smile on his face, this time more genuine than the last. He spreads his arms and speaks - 

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of God, to witness the joining of my very own brother, Junghyun and _________ in the holy covenant of marriage…” 

© hhyungz 2020. All rights reserved.

[lemonfezt]

tohru, kyo and yuki analysis

my two cents (warning: dramatic post and analysis coming thru...) *I reread the manga for the 4th time and I still have feels to share.

I know how overrated this post is but this is the only manga wherein the trio: Tohru, Kyo and Yuki are absolute favorites of mine (when I read shoujo, I always have this habit of liking the secondary characters more than the mcs coz they can be annoying sometimes) but not once have I felt annoyed or bored by this three. (this is also one of the rare mangas wherein I love almost all the characters except ren and the abusive parents in this series and im forever neutral with akito).

One of the reasons that made me drawn to the manga is how Ms. Takaya gave us these ensemble of characters suffering and trying to cope the trauma that had developed (whether the inhumane and disturbing living experiences of the Sohmas; being bullied by classmates; losing a parent; abusive households; etc.) . Focusing on the two zodiac mcs, Yuki never experienced love from anyone before. He was isolated, abused, and tortured multiple times. The thing that gave him hope was when he helped Tohru on her way home. And even though he somehow lived away from the main house, the isolation caused him the scare to reveal his real self and has the tendency to mingle with others coz he’s ashamed so he put on this princely act. Similar to that, Kyo was given the false kind of love from his mother (whom I also felt sorry for because she was also a victim of abuse) and was estranged from his father. While he began to experience love from kazuma and briefly from kyoko, he was still isolated and treated poorly by others. To add fuel to the fire, the guilt he experienced when he saw an old companion of his died before his eyes became too much for him. Because of these, both guys hold a tremendous amount of self-hatred. I applaud the mangaka for putting two characters who hated each other but share a similar burden despite the different root of their suffering. Maybe that’s why I kinda get sad when some compare kyo and yuki. No, I’m not pertaining to who is their favorite character or who they relate more or who’s the best boi etc. coz that’s completely fine and normal. What I’m disappointed is when they compare the two to the extent of downgrading the other’s problems (I remember a post years ago that he hates Kyo coz he was a contributer to yuki’s trauma during childhood and the recent one was when my friend thinks that yuki’s too cagey considering that kyo experienced suffering a lot more so he thinks that yuki’s a bit of a drama queen...in which I happen to find incredulous and quite shallow tbh. Both of these characters have such brilliant and realistic character development with the help of their support systems.

Now, Tohru. For me, she’s a hit or miss character to many readers/viewers (she's not particularly a favorite by many) coz when I read posts on her character analysis, the majority loved her but some say she’s flat or too selfless to the point of being unrealistic, boring or too weak to stand up for herself and the infamous “Mary Sue”. I know everyone has opinions but I really felt the need to defend her coz I really have strong opinions about her. It takes a tremendous amount of bravery and courage to be able to smile like that and be positive when the most important person in your life is gone. Yes, you may look at her like she’s too much of those kind airheaded chicks you commonly see in shoujo manga but some fail to realize how much of a broken character she is. I feel like we're so used to a character with a tragic past to be represented as angsty or dark that will take a few chapter or arcs to thaw the ice but it's so refreshing to see a protagonist who chose a different approach and always looks at the bright side of things, which can be both inspiring and destructive. Behind that smile hides a deep sadness. She has that deep obsession with her mother to the point of copying her father’s language and antagonizing him because she thinks he will take away his mom (which hit me so hard). So while some think how unrealistic Tohru moved on with such a carefree and positive outlook, if you look at the entire manga, Tohru’s development is not just a “girl who has fallen in love”, or like her kindness came out of nowhere like some deredere characters. She, too is still dealing with a lot of grief and pain to the extent of having developed her fear of abandonment and after losing her mother, she made a vow to always keep her as a priority to avoid losing her in her memories. Her grieving process did not end at the start of the manga, in fact, you can see how she still hasn’t moved on from her mother (she’s still treated her like someone who is alive despite acknowledging that she died) Her kindness was due to her upbringing and not just she was designed that way. Tohru's approach of bringing hope to the Sohmas is because of the way she grew up in a loving environment and has so much love to give. It's also a way to keep the memory of her mother alive (some subtle hints that were overlooked was when she advises them with the wisdom kyoko taught her). Tohru's high emotional intelligence is her best asset and something that I applaud for throughout the whole manga. There was never a time wherein I thought that Tohru being the light to others was overdramatic and unrealistic. It speaks how she was raised with so much love and she spreads this unconditional love to them. So yeah, she’s not your typical shojo girl who is automatically an angel sent from above, she is just as broken as the Sohmas and other characters and the way how she developed to be more confident and sure of herself while remaining that shining tohru that we all love made her earn the spot as best shojo girl for me. I'm really emotional when I talk about Tohru or even other characters coz they speak such a personal level to me.

I also might do analysis on some characters but for now these three deserve love. Words won’t suffice how these three and fruits basket made an impact to me and I always re-read this during the lowest points of my life.

----------

[overthinkingkdrama]

Exit Review: Be Melodramatic

Synopsis

This is the ensemble workplace comedy about a group of friends in the entertainment industry who all move in together after one of them suffers a personal tragedy and becomes severely depressed.

Im Jin Joo is an aspiring drama writer with zero filter, trying to get her first project onto the screen after years of struggling as an assistant writer. She becomes involved with an equally idiosyncratic, successful television director looking for his next hit.

Lee Eun Jung is a documentarian who became an overnight success with her first documentary. However, after the tragic death of her boyfriend, she gives away all her money and enters a two year depression. In order to cope she begins to hallucinate her late boyfriend while she embarks on a new documentary project.

Hwang Han Joo handles marketing for a production company, a job which requires a great deal of running around begging actors and directors to honor their product placement agreements, She is also a single mother with a shitty ex who became a popular television personality after they broke up. She forms a friendship with a new member of her team, a soft hearted young man who is entangled in a toxic relationship.

Review

Story: As is often the case with ensemble comedies, this isn't a terribly plotty drama. However, where it excels is in scenecraft and dialogue. This is one of those wonderful dramas that you regret having to experience though subtitles, because you know you're missing out on some wonderfully witty jokes by virtue of not being a native Korean speaker. But that's not to say this drama is just nonstop gags (although it is very, very funny).  It's equally capable of giving us really poignant character moments, some of which brought tears to my eyes. This drama has a unique point of view and interesting things to say about women's lives, relationships, about love and about grief.

There were one or two minor story missteps, in my opinion. And one pretty major one (and yes, if you've seen it I am talking about the resolution--or lack there of--of that relationship, yikes). But none of it was enough to take away from my overall enjoyment, and for the most part I was satisfied with how everyone ended up.

Acting: I don't have a ton to say about the acting except that this group of people is wildly talented and they play off of each other so well. The comedic timing alone is fantastic. I cackled while watching this drama. I would never have pegged Chun Woo Hee and Ahn Jae Hong as making such a cute and effective screen couple, but they are a wonderfully well matched pair of weirdos.

My favorite performance of the drama goes to Jeon Yeo Bin, who has only had a couple minor drama roles before this, but absolutely owns the role of the deadpan, sarcastic documentarian carrying around a deep emotional wound. She carries off most of the emotional heavy lifting in the drama and makes it look effortless. I am dying to see what she does next. She is lead role material and I will absolutely check out her next project, even if it's only half as good as this one. (Maybe something with Son Seok Koo? Pretty pretty please?)

Production: The production of this drama is exactly what it needs to be. It's bouncy and light with a lot of little visual gags. I especially liked when the drama got more and more meta toward the end of the run (as you would expect it to do, given it's a drama about making a drama). The way they incorporated PPL with a nudge and a wink was both some of the most shameless and most tasteful PPL I've seen in a drama.

Feels: It took me a couple weeks to get on the Be Melodramatic train. It wasn't on my radar as something I needed to see, and if my roommate hadn't started watching and telling me about how good it was I probably would have continued to sleep on this one. I knew it was something special because my roommate, who typically will not watch slice-of-life dramas, was in love with it and had me laughing with her just recounting things that happened in the drama. When I did start watching it I finished 6 episodes in a day and I knew that I had found one if 2019's best.

Honestly, aside from one character arc misstep, which I mentioned above and could go into but it  would count as spoilers, I have basically no complaints about this drama. It just made me feel good to watch it, it was also hugely relatable to me as a writer and as a working adult. I never wanted it to end.

Would I recommend Be Melodramatic? Absolutely, yes. Go watch this drama. Watch it now.

8.5/10

[macbookpro-hard-drive]

control [jeremy h. x squipped!reader] pt.4

i arise from my grave to post this

so uhhhh consider............... im a tired college student-

anyway uh

i swear this part is shorter than i intended but i guess i’ll die

warnings: squip. thts it. the squip. manipulation, abuse, everything that kinda comes with writing about the SQUIP. also horror movie mentions but nothing explicit (although a kill is mentioned from one of said horror movies)

             Halloween day finally comes, and thankfully lands on a Saturday to give you maximum time to hang out with Michael and Jeremy (who, upon learning you’d be joining the two of them during a lucky moment between classes, had stared at you for a moment with furrowed brow before commenting he didn’t know that the two of you were friends again). Your nerves were getting the best of you as you flipped through your clothes, slipping into a comfortable pair of black jeans. The entire time, your SQUIP lingered around you, talking you through some game plan. You stripped off the large shirt you used for pajamas and slipped into a plain black t-shirt, before fishing your jean jacket from your bed. 

            Finally, you turned to your SQUIP’s form standing behind you. “Maybe I could, y’know... do this myself?” You suggested, before following it up with a quick, almost apologetic, “I don’t think I should be depending on you for every interaction... right?”

            At first, it didn’t respond. It stared at you, lips pressed into a thin line as it gave you a once-over. After letting out a small hum of approval at your ensemble, it shook it’s head. “I’ve run the numbers and that will result in your failure, [y/n]. It’s best to stick with the original plan,” and then it paused for a moment, “I’m beginning to detect that you don’t trust me.”

            “I do!” You responded quickly, before you nervously pushed past the intangible figure to look in your mirror. Combing your fingers through your hair, you let the question weigh in your mind before you finally looked back to your SQUIP. “Is... Is there any way to get rid of you?” 

            “No.” The response was sharp, quick to shoot down any and every idea you’d been formulating. 

            “Oh. So...” You trailed off, before crossing your room and fishing through your dresser to find a pair of socks, “I’m stuck with you, then.”

            “Stuck implies you no longer want me here, [y/n].”

            “It’s not that I don’t want you here...” You mused aloud, before snagging a pair of shoes and sitting on your bed. “It’s just... I don’t think I want you around when I’m, like, thirty.”

            “Plenty of world leaders would kill to have a SQUIP, [y/n]. Consider yourself lucky.”

            You merely shrugged at the sentiment before your phone chimed with a text from Michael, almost as if on cue to end this awkward moment between you and the voice in your head. Quickly, you finished getting ready and shoved your keys and phone into your pocket, and you raced out to Michael’s car. Jeremy was already in the passenger seat, forcing you to retire into the back - which, you immediately sprawled out and absolutely enjoyed the space as Michael took off, launching into a list of the contenders for the evening. Scream, Halloween, A Nightmare On Elm Street, specifically the remake of Friday The 13th (and, for a moment, you heard Jeremy exhale sharply at the title), Final Destination...

            “And Terrifier-” Michael began, eyes cutting towards Jeremy for a split second. 

            Immediately, Jeremy smacked Michael’s arm. “Dude, I told you I’m not watching Terrifier-” He shifted, “fuck that clown.” 

            You looked between the two of them. “What’s Terrifier?” 

            Michael’s beaming at your question. “Jer. We have to. They don’t-”

            “No!” He retorted, “fuck you, I’m sparing them, then-”

            “C’mon, Jeremy,” Michael teased further, “it’s just one kill-”

            “HE SAWS HER IN HALF, MICHAEL.” Jeremy’s voice went up an octave, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “that’s horrifying-”

            You rose a brow in response. “What’s so bad about that-”

            Jeremy turned to face you, “okay.” He shut his eyes for a moment, composing himself, before he opened them once more, “there’s this girl that gets kidnapped, right? She gets... suspended spread eagle, and cut down the middle.”

            “Okay, but-”

            “She’s upside down.” When you winced at the mental image, Jeremy looked back at Michael, “see? Any normal person would find that disgusting-”

           “Alright,” Michael conceded, “no Terrifier. Got it.”

           If there was one thing that became apparent extremely quickly, it was that the Friday The 13th remake was fucking awful. Without Michael’s constant quips (plenty having to do with Mr.Supernatural being in the movie), you weren’t sure how you survived - especially during a sex scene until the poetic line of “you have perfect nipple placement, baby” was spoken and immediately the three of you are choking on laughter - Michael more than happy to mock it. And thank fuck for that, because you’d been uncomfortable watching the scene up until that line - to say nothing of how awkwardly silent Jeremy had gone. The moment the movie was over, Michael began to queue up Netflix with the promise of watching something actually good. The opening moments of Scream had been enough to prove that.

          From beside you, Michael lowered his voice, looking at you and Jeremy, “what’s your favorite scary movie?” 

          You playfully nudged him with your elbow, “fuck, dude, that wasn’t even a good impression-”

          “I think it was great, actually,” Michael looked to Jeremy, “don’t you agree?”

          Looking between the two of you, Jeremy debated for a moment before finally giving his answer, “I, uh, kinda have to side with [y/n]-”

          “Unbelievable. Betrayal.” Michael leaned back into the couch, looking back to the movie, “I let you come into my house, eat my snacks-”

          “-That I helped buy,” Jeremy cut in.

          “That my dear friend Jeremiah helped buy,” Michael smirked a little, “and this is how I’m repaid.”

          “C’mon, Mikey,” you nudged him once more, “Jeremy’s not gonna lie about your shitty impression.”

          “He would if I was Christine.”

          “That’s because Christine’s talented,” Jeremy looked away, “it wouldn’t have sucked if she did it.”

          For a moment, you faltered. “Yeah,” you halfheartedly said, and pretended not to catch Michael’s concerned glance at your sudden change in behavior, “he’s got a point.”

          The moment Michael went to say anything, your phone began to ding relentlessly. With the intention of turning it to silent, you pulled it from your jacket pocket only to freeze the moment you caught a glimpse of the screen. Tweet after tweet, text after text, all of it came in rapid-fire, whether they were directly to you or not. You pulled yourself off of the couch, ignoring Michael’s call after you as you head upstairs to open up your Twitter.

          Rich set a fire. Jake’s house was burned down. Rich was in the hospital, and so was Jake.

          A hand landed on your shoulder, and you almost jumped as you turned to face Michael. He stared at you for a moment, giving you a once-over before finally speaking, “you okay?”

          You shrugged it off, stumbling as you took a step back, “yeah-”

          Michael’s gaze goes soft as he picked up on the fear that was racing through your blood and shining on your face. “That’s bullshit, [y/n],” he said, “look, I won’t push you to talk, but-”

          Swallowing your nerves, you forced yourself to stand tall and get your emotions under control. “Can you drive me home?”

          He glanced back to the door, where Jeremy had been coming up the steps, “uh, yeah- just let me grab my phone-”

          And then he left you alone with Jeremy as he retreated downstairs. Biting his bottom lip nervously, he tore his eyes away from you, before finally appearing to gather some courage to speak to you. “Is everything okay?”

          You nodded quickly, “yeah, just...” You trailed off, looking down at the floor, “something came up.”

          “What?”

          Immediately, you panicked. Something about saying Rich Goranski is in the hospital and I’m worried felt too heavy to drop at the moment. So you just stayed silent as Michael came back upstairs with his phone.

          The moment you were back in the sanctuary of your room, you found your phone once more. Flipping through tweets, you felt your stomach drop further. He burned the house down because he knew he was gay and couldn’t handle that, that he was dead, that he was high and drunk, that Jake had broken both of his legs while escaping the fire, and you saw a few tweets from some pissed people about how they’d been slightly burned while escaping the fire. But Rich received the worst of it. 

          “But-” You mused aloud, “how did he - why would he-” 

          “Rich lacked the proper coping mechanism. His SQUIP was most likely disabled due to the alcohol he consumed that night,” your SQUIP stepped into existence in front of you, and you lowered your phone as you looked up at it, “and with everything else he’s been dealing with...”

          Your blood ran cold at the implication. “You don’t mean he-”

          “Perhaps it was just an accident.”

          You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, completely disheveled from your worries. “I should go see him.”

          “He won’t be awake.” Your SQUIP crossed it’s arms as it looked down at you, “besides... he most likely won’t be having visitors yet.”

          “I don’t care-”

          “[y/n]. You need to rest first. You can visit Rich tomorrow...” You finally gave into what it was saying, sitting down on your bed for a moment, “besides.” You looked up, “you did well tonight. You deserve a break.”

         “I... what?”

         “I let you control the conversation. Instead of giving you the correct things to say, I decided to watch. You performed amiably. Congratulations.” Your SQUIP smiled at you, “you’re learning. Of course, we still have more work to do, but it’s progress.”

         “Oh.” You stood, stripping off your jacket, “thank you, then.” You paused for a moment, “I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep.”

         “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Don’t forget,” it said, and you turned to look at it, “you have me.”

         Over the next few days, you’d been relentlessly going to the hospital - borrowing your parents’ cars whenever you could. After several days of trying, you were finally able to get in to see Rich, and your heart sank in your chest when you finally saw him. He wasn’t awake, as your SQUIP had said, but he was alive and that was enough for you in that moment. He was broken and bruised, sure, but the fact his heart monitor provided a steady beat to break the silence in the room was almost like music. You stood at his bedside, looking down on him as he slept. You hugged your arms close to your body - what would have happened to you if you had gone to the party? Would you be here, alongside or instead of Rich? Would you have been able to stop him from... whatever he had been trying to do?

         “Rich,” you finally say aloud, and your tears choke you, “fuck - Rich, I’m sorry-”

         “You have nothing to apologize for,” your SQUIP’s touch grazed your shoulder, “this wasn’t your fault. There was nothing we could have done.”

         “I should have been there, I could have stopped him-”

         “It was for the best that you were with Michael and Jeremy, [y/n].”

         For a moment, you’re quiet and afraid. But you finally asked the question that had begun to weigh down on you: “is this going to happen to me?”

         “Of course not. Now... let’s get back to work,” your SQUIP said, “it’s important you don’t dwell on this for too long. Let’s visit Jake while we’re here.”

         Going along with it’s idea, you’d easily found Jake’s room after a few minutes of searching. The TV had been on with some cooking show displayed, and you were more than glad to see Jake awake and as well as he could be for someone with two broken legs. When you cautiously walked in, he brightened up immediately - and for a moment, you had assumed it was because you weren’t a nurse coming to check on him.

         “[y/n]!” He called out as you walked in, “how are you?”

         Caught off guard by the question, you stammered for a moment, “I’m - uh, I’m fine,” you said, “how are you?”

         “Great!” He said, “I mean - the whole broken legs thing is, y’know, not that great, but I’m glad to see you.”

         “You... you are?”

         “Yeah!” He said, “Rich always talks about you, y’know.” The moment you flushed, Jake chuckled, “he said you’re a lot cooler than you seem.”

         “Oh.” You looked away for a moment, “that’s sweet of him-”

         “Do you still do the art stuff?” He asked, and immediately you looked back at him.

         “How did you know that I-”

         He cut you off, “there was this project back in freshman year that you did with Michael Mell, and, uh, Jeremy-something. You did the art for it, right?”

         Nodding, you slowly remembered the piece you’d been repressing due to how rushed it had been. “Right. Yeah, I still do art stuff,” you smiled at him, “do you know when you’re getting out?”

         “Nah,” he sunk into the bed, “shouldn’t be long, though. We should hang out!”

         “Oh. Uh. Don’t you hang out with Chloe and Brooke...?”

         “Yeah,” he admitted, “but you came to visit me, so... we should still hang.”

         You couldn’t help but smile at that. “Sure,” you said, fiddling with your hair, “that’d be great, Jake.”

         Jake reached out for you, and immediately pulled you into an awkward hug. “Fuck, dude, Rich was right about you.”

         “About me being cool, or...?”

         “He said you’re really fuckin’ nice, since you helped him out with something.” He shrugged, “are you two... not friends?”

         “I, uh - we are, sorta-”

         “Good.” He said, “Rich is a good dude to his friends, y’know.”

         “What about your house?” You asked.

         Jake’s smile fell, “I mean... I think it was an accident. Since, y’know, Rich wouldn’t just burn my house down, right?”

         You nodded. “Right.” Stepping back away from the bed, you smiled once more, “I hope you get out of here soon, Jake.”

         On your way out of the hospital, you stood in the gift shop for far too long, occupied with your own thoughts. So Rich had been talking about you - and, whatever he said aside from you being nice, helpful, and cooler than you seem, it had been enough to make Jake Dillinger think the two of you were friends. You almost smiled at the idea, but the underlying feeling that Rich would wake up and immediately ditch you lingered within the pit of your stomach. Shaking your head, you dismissed the thought as you headed out to your car. You had things to do. 

          After all, you shouldn’t dwell.

        Over a week later, there’s this uneasy feeling that’s stuck with you from the first moment you saw Rich in that hospital bed. Uncertainty? Fear? You weren’t sure - but it dwelled within the pit of your stomach, making you doubt every move no matter whether you or your SQUIP made it. You’d just gotten home from hanging out with Michael and Jeremy at the mall, your backpack swung from your shoulder to the foot of your bed, and you nearly collapse as you sit down. Slowly, you sank your head into your hands, warm against your face before you finally let go and fall back onto your bed. When you uncovered your face, your SQUIP had materialized before you.

        It leaned over you. “Is there a problem? You should be happy since you spent time with Jeremy-”

        “I am, I just-” You paused for a moment, “I just don’t feel like I’m.. me anymore.”

        “You are you, [y/n].”

        You nodded slowly in agreement, before propping yourself up on your elbows. “Right, but... I feel like you’re taking control of everything and I’m - I’m just... fake.”

        It raised a brow at the mere idea. “You’re far from artificial.”

        Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you couldn’t help but feel... off. “But you don’t let me control things-”

        With a heavy sigh, your SQUIP shook it’s head before pacing around your room. “That’s because we’re still in phase B of our plan. Once we get to phase C, you’ll have more control-”

        “And when will that be?”

        It looked back at you, slowing to a stop. “Once we pin down Jeremy’s feelings for you, you can be more yourself.”

        After a moment, you sank back against your bed, shutting your eyes for a moment. “I hope you’re right.”

        “Of course I’m right. After all, relationships are like this...”

        You opened your eyes again. “What?”

        “Faking it until you get it? Revealing yourself when you have them? It’s very common, [y/n].”

        When it said that, you couldn’t help but feel skeptical. But when you tried to remember your last relationship (or, rather, a weak attempt at one), it felt so distant that you were unsure of how it had went. Yet you nod along nonetheless. The feeling of of dread stayed with you.

        And it continued to stay attached to you like a shadow over the next few days. Even when you found yourself sitting on Michael’s bed, a pillow hugged against your chest as he and Jeremy were ecstatically talking about one of Michael’s latest finds from the guy at Spencer’s. You’d zoned out for the time being, thoughts more preoccupied with what was to come. How much longer would it be until you had control over yourself again?

        But your SQUIP’s voice jarred you from your thoughts. “We need to go.”

        As Michael pulled out a bottle of red soda, a slightly faded plastic label reading MOUNTAIN DEW RED crinkling as he did, you held back a frown at your SQUIP. “[y/n],” Michael said with a smile, holding it out, “you want one?”

        “Hell yeah, dude-” You had began as you reached for it, barely getting it within your grasp before a shock rang through your hand, a small hiss of pain emitting from you as the bottle hit the floor. “Shit, sorry, Michael-”

        But a flash of pain cut you off before you could try to explain anything away. Your voice was distant as you heard yourself speak, bullshitting some excuse as you lost control of your body - it moving on it’s own despite your desperate attempts to take back what was yours. You managed to take control back the moment you got outside, knees weak and the following shock was enough to send you crashing onto your knees.

        “What the fuck?!” You snapped, speaking aloud as another shock ran through you. “FUCK-”

        “I told you we need to leave.”

        “I didn’t want to-”

        “[y/n], we-”

        “No!” You snapped once more, “no - this is still my life - I want to-” Your speech devolved as you struggled to word your thoughts, “it was just a soda!” Another shock ran through you. “What the fuck- come on - I just- it was just-”

        And then it all made sense. The panic. The sudden change. How close had you been? How fucking close had you been? When you tried to get back up and turn yourself around, you found yourself fighting for control all over again as your body turned away from Michael’s house, every step forcing you farther and farther from salvation.

         “[y/n]!” Michael’s voice rang clear out across his front lawn, and before you could try to do anything, he was running up to you - catching you by the wrist. “Hey - what the fuck, dude? Are you okay? What just happened-”

         But he stopped, staring at you. You, completely terrified and shaking and fighting for control of your own fucking body. You were, to put it simply, a mess. Disheveled, hands twitchy, breathing labored as you forced yourself to stay planted where you were. You broke through, “get the Mountain Dew Red” slipping past your lips in a hiss before another shock of pain sparks through you, and you’re pulling yourself away from Michael once more. 

         A door slammed. Before you could go anywhere, Michael’s footsteps pound against the pavement as he tackled you to the ground. Your body fought against him. He managed to grab you by the wrists, pinning you down, his knees at your abdomen as you continued to thrash against your will against him.

         “[y/n]-” Michael began, before his nails dug into your skin, “what the literal fuck is going on?”

        Tears streamed down your cheeks as you fought for your voice. “I-” You managed to force past your lips, “I - I took this - pill,” your voice strained, and you kept fighting for control, “I thought Jeremy would like me but - but I fucked - I fucked up, Michael-” You were straight up about to breakdown, voice wavering with every forced syllable, “I’m so sorry, I just - I can’t-”

        “[y/n].” It’s voice cut clearly through your mind, almost afraid for a second. “I promise - I’ll do better for you. We’ll scrap this plan and make a new one. You just have to let me try again. I promise-” 

        The door slammed once more, and Jeremy is rushing over, questioning everything along the way.

        It turned nasty. “You’ll never be the same, [y/n],” it hissed, “think about it - if you keep me, you’ll be normal - you’ll never have to hurt again. If you get rid of me, you’ll never be accepted - you’ll be an outcast all over again, and Jeremy and Michael are guaranteed to hate you-” 

        The last things you remembered were the faintly fruity taste on your lips, a thousand questions flying around you, and an intense pain that seemed to completely split you in two as a scream tore it’s way out of you.

        And then everything went black.

[blackaquokat]

92 and 95 Acting Attorney I could use some good fluff while writing this angst heavy part of a story

Well, I was looking for an excuse to

work on my AU where Actor!Mark ends up with the DA instead of Celine, so THANK

YOU, you beautiful beta, you! This could be considered an alternate universe to

my Acting Attorney origin story “May You Always be Satisfied” where things would go

AU mid-chapter 2. Sometime in the future this may turn into a longer work, or

just a series of one-shots, but not now.

92. “You

make me happy.”

95. “Come

cuddle.”

Oo00oO

It takes Mark almost three months to

officially grieve his parents and cope with being the sudden heir to a big,

lonely house.

That is also around the time he finally

decides to officially put to the test Damien’s “theory.”

“I’m not in love with them! And, well, they are definitely not interest in…me.”

Damien’s tone made his implication

blatantly clear.

True, it wasn’t exactly the best

conversation to have at his parent’s funeral, but…Mark was glad to know, even then.

It gave more context for why his

dearest friend had seemed so uneasy around Celine when she first arrived.

But could that really mean that they…?

Could they really see him as…?

But he’s getting ahead of himself. Figuring

out once and for all whether his feelings are requited or not is a task he’s

set for himself tonight.

His friend is hosting a dinner, which

isn’t a new development, true. They are the only member of their trio that can

cook and their home is within driving distance of both Damien’s dorm at

University and Mark’s manor.

The wild card tonight will be Celine,

who also has been invited.

This is going to be

interesting, Mark thinks with a grin as he chooses one of his more dapper

outfits for the occasion.

He won’t lie and say he’s never dressed to impress his

favorite aspiring law student. He is fully aware that a fancy ensemble would

never attract their attention, not really, so his efforts in the past were more

to hear their inevitable snarky but kind compliments on his color choices.

Tonight, however, he’s pulling out all the stops.

After all, they have mentioned that red is his best color on

more than one occasion.

Oo00oO

“Damien has told me that you’re studying to be a lawyer?”

Mark watches his friend swallow a bite of chicken before

answering Celine’s question. “That is my goal, yes.”

“Do you plan to open your own practice when you pass the bar

exam?”

Their fingers tap against the table. One beat. Two. Three.

“That’s my back up plan. I’m hoping to become District

Attorney one day.”

He can see the tense anticipation in their shoulders. His

friend’s career aspirations always elicit rather polarizing reactions from

others. Those reactions tend to be negative more than half the time.

Celine is better than that, but his friend has no reason to

know this.

“That is a very admirable goal,” Celine commends with her

lovely smile. Her hand reaches over to pat her brother’s hand. “You two would

be quite the team on the political scene.”

“That is my hope!” Damien grins at the law student, and they

return the gesture.

Mark still sees a sad kind of shyness in their expression,

despite Celine’s positive response. When they meet his questioning gaze, they

force a reassuring smile.

“What about you, Celine? What do you see yourself doing?”

And so the conversation goes back and forth for another

hour, give or take, and Mark can’t help but notice the melancholy tainting the

law student’s behavior.

The gathering is nearing its end when he catches the way

their eyes flit away when Celine grabs his hand with a laugh after he cracks a

joke.

He thinks about what Damien said for about the millionth

time and nearly swears out loud as the weight of the confirmation hits him like

a baseball bat.

They spare another look at Celine before dropping their eyes

to their food, only half-eaten.

Well, shit. Mark needs to clear up a few things.

When Damien and Celine announce their departure for the

evening, Mark offers to stay and help the law student with the cleanup.

As he escorts the siblings to the entrance, well, he does

his best to ignore Celine’s intrigued gaze and Damien’s delighted smile.

Oo00oO

This is not Mark’s first time doing dishes with his friend,

with them cleaning and him drying. This is, however, the first time that the

pair of them have done this with such an unhappy…tension between them.

Mark is on the verge of saying something (he’s not sure what, exactly, but it was on the tip of

his tongue), when the law student says, “Celine seems nice.”

They hand him a soaking plate. He doesn’t take it immediately,

his mind trying to catch up with their sudden observation. He clears his throat

after another beat and takes the dish from their hands. “What brought that on?”

he asks as he dries the plate.

They shrug. “You’ve mentioned her once or twice in the past,

but now that I’ve met her…well, she seems great.” They still haven’t made eye

contact with him, instead reaching for a stained glass to scrub. “She seems like

she’d be good for you.”

Mark’s brow lifts. They sound as if they watched that ship sail into the distance.

He reaches out and touches their forearm.

They stop scrubbing.

Wordlessly, he hands them another dishtowel. Despite their

obvious confusion, they accept the item and dry off their hands.

He hadn’t quite expected to have this conversation like

this, but as long as the two of them are alone and the subject is here…

First things first:

“That’s nice that you think that, but, I’m not interested in

Celine like that.” When their expression doesn’t change, he admits, “At one

point, yeah, I thought she and I would end up together, but…in all honesty, I

haven’t felt like that for a while now.”

Their mouth twists as they lean against the sink, arms

folding over one another. Always on the defensive when it comes to matters of

the heart. “You sure about that? You looked pretty happy when she first arrived.”

Okay. It’s now or

never.

Mark takes a step closer to them, and, when they don’t step

away, reaches out his hands and lets them drift down the law student’s folded

arms before stopping at their elbows.

“You make me

happy.”

Straightforward, to the point, there is no possible way they

can misinterpret this moment.

Again, he hadn’t quite planned making any

confessions tonight, but any time he spends with the law student leaves him

more honest and vulnerable than he ever lets himself be around anyone else.

They stare at him with those wide, century-old eyes and,

before he can second-guess himself, Mark kisses them.

He fully intended to pull back right away, give them time to

acclimate to the moment, but suddenly their hands go for the back of his neck

and they respond.

Holy shit.

Oo00oO

They end up snuggling on the couch, sometime later. He can’t

remember exactly how they ended up here, them lying half on his body and half

on the couch, his fingers tangling and untangling their curls, their thumb

stroking his side.

When he asks, the law student says he just asked for them to,

“Come cuddle,” like he was half-drunk.

Which, considering the high he’s riding right now, is not an

untrue comparison.

“So what happens now?” they ask. They sound oddly dream-like

too.

He hopes they aren’t trying to talk themselves out of

believing that this is actually happening, because he’s still fighting the idea

that he’s going to wake up any moment too.

“Well…” he starts. “I guess I could pick you up before your

classes tomorrow and we could go to Amy’s Planet for some coffee?”

The possibility of a more thorough “talk” over coffee is

heavily implied, but he’s hopeful that the most the talk will entail is

groundwork and possible boundaries for whatever this is turning out to be.

This is one area of his life that he wants no

miscommunications, and he’s sure they feel the same in that regard.

He can feel them smile against his chest. “Sounds perfect.”

Oo00oO

Angst/Fluff

Prompt List: Send me a number and a pairing!

@starcrossedforever87 , @dontworryaboutanything , @falseroar , @intemperantiae , @ren-mon , @memetoyoko , @soul-wolf , @marki-dumb , @withjust-a-bite , @raimeyl , @beereblogsstuff , @silver-owl413 , @sassy-in-glasses , @chelseareferenced , @sketchy-scribs-n-doods , @axolittle-boi , @im-also-dead-inside , @timelords13 , @ur-fairy-god-dragon , @conceitedink , @unknown-maned-wolf , @ohnoimshook , @mayazen , @skyewardlight , @gabs-ink , @purple-anxiety-blog

[kookmint]

wwaaaaaa im so touched jin joon and jimin got the opportunities to visit grotto!! when i watch the other team swimming, i was like ugh this is such a missed for them :( it just reminds me of bv1 when namjoon wasnt there for camping. i want them to experience what others had to, idk why i feel like traumatise from bv1 incident lol. and i think those 3 team are quite rare and interesting combo xD two tall guys with petite jimin ^3^

Yes yes! That was very nice! I’ve been out of the house for pretty much 12 hours every day so I havent had the time to fully watch SP :/ Oh yeah i really missed joon in BV1, that made me so sad :( I agree! that trio doesn’t happen often? fjdlskjf the tols and the smol

anon said: Can I just say that in the beginning of that “fishing for JK” video when Jin is messing with Jungkook while JK is sleeping, that when Jungkook just turns away and puckers his lips is... the cutest thing... evER?? Like, I want to protect him from anyone and everything like that, he’s such a cute little bunny. Also, I am so excited for this comeback. I feel like a lot of “fans” of BTS who don’t like this new comeback will leave and then we can kind of go back to the nice group of fans... -•:•

I ACTUALLY CRIED WHEN HE DID THAT! *punches air* jungkook is the cutest human being and idk how to cope. I’m excited too! And, well like we haven’t even heard their music. I’ve been seeing people saying that they don’t like their outfits for the concept photos, which you can’t force ppl to like ‘em, they can have their opinions. I havent’ seen anyone judging the comeback tho other than random knetz. So I’m not sure who we are expecting to leave the fandom here cause I’ve seen nothing of that sort. I havent seen people threatening to leave. I think we are still going to have plenty of bad eggs unfortunately. As nice as it would be, we probably will never go back to that with all I’ve seen on twitter

anon said: I’m really happy with these new comeback photos. I especially love their outfits which give me Elton John/Beatles kind of vibes which I love because my family love those two artists so I grew up knowing this kind of outrageous, highly colorful ensembles. I’m hoping this new concept will basically just be BTS letting go and kind of just going “you know what? Fuck it!” And doing what they want. It’s what they deserve after all they’ve worked for and achieved... at least I think so -•:•

I’m glad you are! I like how out-there they are! I def think they will let go and have some more loose fun with it! But be careful, because a lot of people are wrongfully assuming that they said they were going to do something controversial, but they never said that. I mean we can’t really say that off of concept photos :/ BTS have always talked about controversial things anyways~ They just said that we will be shocked and that’s all! I think we should just wait and see!