#oh yes this one's Filipino too

[noxtivagus]

ARGHHHH WHY DO WE HAVE TO SING FOR ATTENDANCE

[finelinefae]

home (doctor!harry)

synopsis: y/n is homesick and harry wants to help her

word count: 7.7k

contains: fluff, Filipino y/n, doctor harry, medical talk, homesickness, brief moments of discrimination, workplace bullying, rude co-workers

a/n: happy soft girl sunday!!! this is such an interesting and personal topic for me because so much of this was inspired by my mama and her own personal experiences of leaving her home in the Philippines and moving to an entirely different country to create a better life for herself. this one is for all of my girls who are struggling with homesickness, who work in a job because they have to not because they want to, who try to support their families, who work in healthcare, whose first language is not english, who feel as though their identity is muddled up and so much more- this is for you and this is for my mama too.

. . .

‘You have just as much right to be here as everyone else.’

That’s what Y/N had been telling herself since she had left for work in the early hours of this morning. She had barely slept a wink last night, tossing and turning as her mind was riddled with things that hadn’t happened but weighed so much. 

Her backpack was filled with the things she listed weeks before. Her scrubs, a packed lunch, water, a few snacks to eat throughout the day and a couple of things loose at the bottom that jangled with each step she took towards the tube station. On her feet was a new pair of trainers her mother had bought her before she took the plane to a country she had never stepped foot in before the beginning of this month. 

“Mahal kita, mamimiss kita.” I love you, I will miss you. Her mother had said as she dropped her off at the airport. No tears in her eyes because they were all in Y/N’s as she clenched her fingers around the handle of her small suitcase that was just enough to last the first few months out of the three years she’d be living away from her family. 

“Mama,” Y/N cried, her family weren’t criers but today she was. 

Y/N’s mother shook her head, refusing to allow herself to cry when this was meant to be good. “Gagawa ka ng mga magagandang bagay.” You will do such good things. Her mother wiped away her tears, “Mananatili pa rin ako dito sa loob ng tatlong taon at magiging mas mahusay ka.” I will still be here in three years and you will be someone better. 

Y/N was homesick as soon as the plane lifted off the ground of her home country. The trouble with planes was the window was always too small and she could only ever look down and not behind. Once they flew over her country of the Philippines, she took in everything she possibly could - the bright colours of the sea and the sand on the beaches that stretched for miles. 

She would come back and she would be better, for her family. 

As she stepped off of the tube train and walked up the steps towards the light, she took the sunshine peeking through the gaps of the grey clouds in the London sky as a good sign. Even though things weren’t easy, it doesn’t mean they were bad. 

The hospital was huge in comparison to the hospitals where she had done her training back home. It took her a while to find where the entrance was without going in through the emergency department but eventually, she found her way to the front desk. 

"Hi," Y/N said softly, feeling unsure. Even though she was good at English after years of studying it during school, she still doubted herself, especially around fluent speakers. It made her feel embarrassed and more of an outsider than she already was. “I’m Y/N, I’m here to pick up my ID badge.” 

The woman at the desk, peered over her glasses and smiled, “Is today your first day?” 

“Yes, I’m a healthcare assistant,” Y/N offered a smile, as best as she could despite her nerves. 

The woman’s fingers clacked against the keyboard, “I’m afraid your ID badge has yet to be delivered so I’ll have to give you a temporary one.” 

Y/N’s smile faltered, “Oh okay,” 

“Let me print one out for you, I’ll be right back.” The receptionist slid off her chair. 

Y/N stood to the side, her eyes darting around the hospital. There were many healthcare workers already at work, pushing patients around in wheelchairs or walking in pairs down huge corridors. She gripped the strap of her backpack, her palms sweating. 

Suddenly, a man stepped up to the desk beside her, reaching over to grab a clipboard and a pen. He was wearing a white shirt with a stethoscope around his neck. Y/N’s eyes narrowed on his badge, seeing the word ‘Doctor’ written in bold. 

"Can I help you?" he asked in a detached tone, his attention elsewhere.

Y/N hesitated, noticing his lack of focus. "Um, no, I'm just waiting," she stammered.

He scoffed dismissively. "Typical," he muttered, setting the clipboard back down and finally turning to face her.

Y/N was taken aback by his striking appearance. Her breath caught as she met his gaze, momentarily forgetting her surroundings. His features were chiselled, framed by dark hair that fell effortlessly across his forehead. But it was his piercing eyes that held her captive, a mesmerising shade of green that reminded her of the leaves off the mango trees that grew in her hometown. 

His gaze found hers, and she noticed the subtle parting of his lips as his eyes settled on her. There was a softness in his gaze, a gentle relaxation evident in the way his shoulders eased down. Maybe it was from how frightened she looked as her gaze landed on everything around her but his voice was softer now, a hint of concern evident beneath the initial hardness, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Y/N blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly as she regained her composure. "Uh, no, I'm fine, thank you," she managed to reply, feeling a flutter in her chest at the unexpected kindness in his tone.

He nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “Well alright then. I know how hard first days can be so if I see you around, don’t worry about asking me for help.”

“Oh uh, thank you…Doctor,” Y/N replied, taken aback by his kindness. 

“Y’ can call me Harry,” She noticed a dimple appear when he smiled. His eyes were fixed on her for a beat before he pointed to his name badge and continued, “S my name y’ see.”

Y/N couldn’t help but smile and a little giggle escaped her, “It’s a nice name.”

“What’s your name?” Harry asked but was interrupted by the receptionist returning.

“Good morning Doctor Styles,” She greeted as she sat back at the desk.

“Good morning Hannah,” Harry replied, his eyes darting from Y/N to Hannah.

The woman slid the badge over to Y/N. It was a printed-out copy of the badge she was supposed to have gotten, laminated and whole-punched to a lanyard. Y/N took it between her fingers and read her name on it, her eyebrows furrowing. “Um, I think my last name is spelt wrong,” Y/N said, it would be fine if it was a small spelling mistake but it may as well be a completely different name with the way it had been spelt. 

“Sorry?” Hannah’s smile faltered. 

"U-um, my last name is spelled wrong. I-I'm sorry, I don't want to be such a pain," Y/N stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she handed the lanyard back to the receptionist.

The receptionist glanced at the name badge, and then back at Y/N. "Oh, it must be because it's such a complicated name. I must have spelt it wrong on the computer. Are you sure you can't just use it? Only until your ID comes in?"

Y/N felt a sinking feeling in her chest. She hated confrontation or being an inconvenience, but she had already given up so much for a better life here. She couldn't give up her name too. "But it's my name," she insisted softly, her voice trembling with a mixture of frustration and determination.

Just as the receptionist's mouth opened to respond, the Doctor, who had been silently observing, cleared his throat. "Hannah, I think it would be better if we give Y/N the correct name on her own ID badge, don't you think?" He interjected gently, coming to Y/N's aid without hesitation. “The whole point of it is to let people know who we are, we wouldn’t want people getting Y/N’s name wrong on her first day would we?”

Hannah frowned and Y/N could tell she wasn’t happy, “Right, I’ll be right back.” 

Y/N released a sigh, putting a hand to her forehead, “Thank you, Doctor Styles.” She said even though she was extremely embarrassed. 

“Hey it’s Harry,” He smiled, “And you were right to argue with her, ‘s your name which is beautiful by the way.”  Y/N's cheeks flushed even deeper at his compliment, but she managed a shy smile in return, feeling a sense of gratitude for Harry's kindness and support. “Don’t let these people push you around. You have just of a right to be here as everyone else.”

Y/N’s lips parted as he spoke the words she had been repeating to herself since she woke up. Y/N watched him go, her heart still racing at the unexpected encounter, a newfound warmth spreading through her as she resumed her wait in the bustling hospital corridor. 

Hannah soon returned with an annoyed look on her face as she handed Y/N her temporary badge with her name written correctly. She thanked her and walked away already having gained a possible enemy but maybe a possible friend too. 

 . . .

“I don’t want her as my nurse,” An elderly patient said midway through the day as they were serving lunch. 

Y/N had been in her scrubs for five hours, with another seven to go. Her feet ached from standing all day, attending to the patients that had been assigned to her at the start of the day. While some of the other healthcare workers had been welcoming, she couldn't ignore the clear divide between them. They tended to gather in separate groups and have their own cliques going on amongst them, but Y/N appreciated their support as she adjusted to her new role, minding her own business as she did. 

“Margot,” Layla, another healthcare assistant, spoke to the eighty-year-old woman who was laying in bed waiting for her lunch to be fed to her, “Y/N’s a new healthcare assistant, she’s just going to be feeding you lunch.”

“I don’t want her,” Margot protested, “I want someone else.”

Y/N's gaze dropped, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach. She had been expecting this to happen at some point but she didn’t think it would happen so soon. "It's alright, Layla. I'll take over your tasks," Y/N offered quietly, not wanting to make a scene.

Layla's eyes softened with sympathy. "She's not usually like this," she whispered.

Y/N nodded, her resolve firm as she gathered her belongings to assist elsewhere. "No problem," she replied with a shrug, masking her hurt.

"C'mon, Margot," Layla urged gently, collecting the tray of hot lunch.

"I don't want a foreigner feeding me," Margot muttered sharply, her words stinging the air.

Y/N’s eyes stung as she left the room. She thought she had been lucky with her patient’s today and the majority of them had been rather lovely. They’d been interested in Y/N’s life, noticing her olive-toned complexion and black hair and asking her where she came from. The question allowed her to reminisce on her time back home and describe the foods and the environment she grew up with but it was only so long before she came across someone who didn’t care - seeing her as nothing more than a stranger in a foreign land that never quite felt like home.

Y/N took three deep breaths before stepping into the wing to cover Layla's shift for an hour. She knew she needed to shake off the hurt from the recent encounter, hoping that immersing herself in work would help ease the discomfort. 

Three other women were working on the ward when Y/N entered the room. They were sitting in the corner on plastic chairs, sharing a phone screen as some show played. One of them turned when they noticed Y/N was in the room which caused the other two to follow. 

“Hello,” Y/N spoke, timidly, “I’m here to help out Layla for a little while.” 

The women exchanged knowing glances, their expressions morphing into smirks. One of them, the apparent leader of the group, sneered as she replied, "Oh, great. About time someone else did some work around here. Layla's been slacking off all morning." 

“Really?” Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed, Layla had been very kind to her just moments ago. 

“Yeah,” The leader replied, her lips smacking together as she chewed on a piece of gum, “You can start by feeding those three their lunches.” She pointed her finger towards three patients lying in their beds. 

“All three?” There were only six beds in the room. 

“Is there a problem?” The woman folded her arms, the other two trying not to laugh behind her. 

“No,” Y/N shook her head, “No there is not.”

Y/N rolled up her sleeves and got to work, trying to spoon-feed all three patients as the other girls sat in the corner continuing to watch their show. Despite the mocking gaze of her co-workers, Y/N was fully determined to prove to herself that she could get through this. She needed to just put her head down and remind herself that this was for the better - the money would be worth it at the end of the month and she’d have enough to send to her family back home too. 

As Y/N sat with the last patient, one of the ladies stood up to go and tended to another one. “Janice,” She cooed, walking over to the side of the bed where an elderly woman lay asleep, “Janice wake up love,” She squeezed her hand, “Janice?”

Y/N’s head shot in their direction, her eyes falling on Janice who wouldn’t wake up. She dropped the bowl of food on the side table and rushed over, “Hello Janice? Can you hear me?” The lady asked as Y/N put her ear to her mouth to see if she was breathing. 

“She’s unconscious,” Y/N stated, “Her throat is blocked, did you feed her?”

The woman’s eyes were wide, “I-I-”

“Call the doctor,” Y/N instructed one of the other girls who immediately pressed the red button to alert the emergency services. 

“We don’t have enough time,” Y/N muttered, “Get me a tracheostomy tube.”

“We don’t have authorisation to-”

“I can do it, I’ve done it before, please.” Y/N’s adrenaline was running high but she remained calm on the surface, it was what she had been trained to do. 

The woman hurried over with a tube, and Y/N wasted no time. With steady hands, she performed a tracheostomy to create an emergency airway for Janice. Time seemed to blur as Y/N worked quickly and efficiently.

Minutes later, as Y/N finished, the doctor entered the room, taking in the scene with great concern and alertness on his face. “Where’s the emergency?” It was Doctor Styles, Y/N recognised him by his voice. 

She squeezed her eyes shut, even though the patient had been saved and was able to breathe better, it wasn’t protocol to allow Healthcare assistants to perform such an intricate procedure that could so easily go wrong. She could be in big trouble for this and it was only her first day. 

“Janice was unconscious, she was barely breathing,” One of Y/N’s co-workers explained.

Harry approached the patient, his eyes widening in disbelief as he realised what Y/N had done. "You did this?" he asked his tone a mix of astonishment and concern.

Y/N looked up, her stomach churning with dread. She could already picture the disappointment on her mother's face for potentially jeopardising her job on the first day. "I was trying to-"

"Do you realise how dangerous this procedure is?" Harry's voice cut through her explanation.

Y/N's gaze fell to the ground, her throat tightening with guilt. "Yes, I do."

"She could have died," Harry stated, his tone grave.

"I know, but I-" Y/N began, her words faltering.

"You saved her life," Harry's interruption caught Y/N off guard, her head shooting up to meet his gaze. For the first time, she saw the awe and shock reflected in his eyes.

“How did you know how to do it?” Harry asked, genuine curiosity evident in his tone.

“I learnt it during my training,” Y/N explained, her nerves still on edge.

“You just learnt it?” Harry chuckled softly, his gaze drifting to the other women in the room. "And what were you three doing when this happened?"

“W-well, we've yet to learn that procedure, Doctor Styles,” one of them spoke up, the rest nodding along in agreement.

Harry rolled his eyes, his attention returning to Y/N. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Truly remarkable,” he said, his gaze fixed on her. 

. . .

Y/N was exhausted at the end of her shift. Her bag was still packed, her lunch and snacks untouched, because she had been on her feet all day. Her skin felt sticky underneath her sweatshirt, she couldn’t wait to shower once she got back to the house. 

As she left the hospital, she inhaled the fresh air and felt the cool breeze against her flushed face.  She needed to get the tube station back to her boarding house but she was grateful to finally have a few hours away from the scent of disinfectant and rude co-workers. 

“Y/N!” Y/N spun on her heel as she heard the call of her name, turning to see Doctor Styles pacing towards her. It was the first time today she had seen him wearing glasses. 

“Doctor Styles, I thought you would be at home already,” She smiled as best as she could despite feeling much too tired to do so. 

“No, I still have a few hours to go.” He replied, that dimple and sparkle in his eye returning to his equally tired face. “I caught you walking out and left my office to come speak to you. I was really impressed by what you did today. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a healthcare assistant do that under such pressure.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Y/N was terrible at taking compliments, even more so when she was tired.

“It was everything. You saved a woman’s life.” Harry stated. 

"Right," Y/N murmured, her mind still reeling from the events of the day and Harry's constant acknowledgement.

A brief moment of silence fell between them as Harry looked as though he was trying to speak but didn’t know how to word it properly, “Listen I…forgive me if I’m being too forward but would you maybe want to grab something to eat with me one night, maybe, I don’t know. If you want to of course, no pressure, and if you have a boyfriend that’s okay too but is it okay if you don’t tell me because that would be incredibly kind towards my pride.”

For the first time today, Y/N released a genuine laugh as he finished his rambling. “You’re not like the boys back home.” She said after she had composed herself. 

Harry frowned, “Is that a good thing?”

“It’s refreshing,” She told him, it was nice to experience something new and it be a good thing for once. “I will go out with you Harry.” 

A smile tugged at the corner of Harry’s lips, despite his attempt to suppress it by biting his bottom lip. He rubbed his hand over his mouth in a futile effort to conceal his grin, but the crinkles around his eyes and the dimples on his cheeks betrayed his amusement. "Okay," he chuckled softly, unable to contain his delight. "That’s good."

“I have an afternoon off in three days time, is that okay?” He asked eagerly, wanting to see her as soon as possible.

“I would like that,” she says, her voice filled with anticipation. “A lot actually.”

Their gazes locked for a brief moment. “Well, I should probably get going,” Y/N said, breaking the silence.

“Yes, of course. Can I give you my number first? I can text you the details later if that’s okay,” Harry asked, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

“Oh, sure,” Y/N replied, taking out her phone, which only had her family’s numbers saved in it.

Harry quickly typed his number into Y/N's phone before handing it back to her with a warm smile. “I’ll hopefully see you tomorrow?” Harry asked.

“Yes, I’m here tomorrow.” Harry walked backwards towards the hospital entrance, smiling and shaking his head before turning his back to her.

Y/N was in disbelief as she began her journey home. She couldn't shake the feeling of surprise that someone like Harry would want to go on a date with her. Dating wasn't even on her radar when she arrived; she had suspected that no man would find her attractive because of how she looked - she wasn’t really deemed the stereotypical female in Western society. But Harry's genuine interest had shattered those doubts. As she navigated through the bustling streets, a newfound sense of confidence began to bloom within her. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something wonderful and a new distraction from her overwhelming life. 

. . .

Harry had been eyeing the clock all morning. 

“Have somewhere to be?” Niall, his co-worker, asked, having seen him glued to the clock. 

“Something like that,” Harry mumbled. 

With just an hour left of his shift, Harry couldn't shake the anticipation of taking Y/N out for dinner tonight. She had been occupying his thoughts incessantly for the past three days. The golden hue of her skin and the soft, round features of her face had etched themselves into his mind. He found himself mesmerised by the almond shape of her eyes, their deep brown colour reminiscent of a shot of espresso in the morning. 

He loved the melodic, soft tones of her voice and the way she spoke with an accent that brought life into the usual boring words people spoke to him every day. He thought about how her cheeks would tinge pink whenever she’d start speaking, how shy she was whenever he’d praise her or how expressive her eyes were whenever she wasn’t talking. 

He was a Doctor and knew all the ways in which the mind and body worked but he was beginning to question his beliefs since he had met Y/N because he was pretty sure he had fallen in love at first sight. 

Everything about her had been on his mind and he was desperate to find out all that he possibly could about the quiet, shy healthcare assistant who saved the life of a woman on her first day. 

Interrupting the images of Y/N that had been playing in his mind, was the sound of the buzzer to the emergency department. Harry sat up at the same time as Niall who was already standing to his feet to go and see what the problem was. He sighed, hoping for time to hurry up so the evening would arrive much sooner. 

“Hey it’s me,” Harry sighed a heavy sigh into the phone as he held it against his ear, sitting in his car in the staff parking area of the hospital many hours later. His forehead was pressed against the steering wheel as tiredness and guilt laced within him.

“Hello Harry,” Y/N’s soft voice rang through the speaker, soothing a piece of him that was just so tired, “Is everything okay?”

Harry’s eyes squeezed shut, “You’re probably going to hate me for this but is there any chance we can reschedule? Something came up at work and I’ve only just come out.” He was five hours overtime after a family had been rushed into the emergency room after an accident. 

He swallowed as he waited for her to reply, “Oh,” She said and the small remark made him feel even more guilty than he already felt. 

“I’m sorry,” He hated himself because it was all he had been looking forward to.

“Harry,” Y/N said his name, “It’s okay. I’ve worked in enough hospitals to know these things happen. Of course, we can go at another time but are you okay?”

He released a long breath at the question, “No not really,” it was the truth and another reason why he needed to reschedule the date. He had seen some pretty tough things today and it weighed heavily on his mind. 

“Have you eaten?” Y/N asked, concern in her voice. 

His eyes stung, his head falling back against the headrest, “No I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” 

Y/N sighed over the phone, “Do you live close by?”

“I live about ten minutes from the hospital,” He told her, wondering why she would ask. 

“Is it okay if I come by?” She asks, “I mean it’s okay if not.”

Harry’s shoulders dropped, “That actually sounds really nice.”

The fact that Y/N would be visiting him at his home seemed to ease the weight of the long day from Harry's shoulders. With a faint smile playing on his lips, he leaned back in his seat, feeling a hint of anticipation at the thought of her company.

When Harry got home, he saw how messy his apartment was. Feeling a sudden jolt of energy, he quickly picked up his laundry off of the floor and threw dirty dishes into the dishwasher. He took a moment to straighten up the living room and fluff the cushions on the couch. Trying to make everything look cleaner than it actually was in order to impress her. 

His buzzer rang and he quickly went to answer it, allowing her to come up as his heart raced in his chest. With one last glance around the room, he swiftly nudged something under the coffee table before reaching the door just as she knocked.

Harry felt all the tiredness from his body lift when he opened the door and found her standing there with a plastic carrier bag in her hands. She was wearing leggings and a sweatshirt, her hair tied up in a ponytail and her face make-up free. 

“Hey,” He breathed, a piece of him settling when he laid eyes on her, “Thank you for coming here.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” She smiled and walked past him after he moved to the side to let her in. 

Her eyes were wide as she took in his apartment, “This is a lot better than the boarding house.”

His eyebrows furrowed, “You’re living in a boarding house?”

She nodded, “Only until I can find my own place to live. It was what the company who transferred me here offered when I applied.” 

“I see,” Harry realised he was still in his uniform except his shirt was untucked and his tie was loose around his neck. 

Y/N placed the plastic bag on the kitchen counter, “I bought some things to make you since you didn’t eat. How about I start cooking and you can get changed?” 

Harry scratched the back of his neck, “I-I hope you don’t think I invited you over to cook for me Y/N. I actually really just wanted to see you.”

Y/N’s cheeks flushed, “It’s okay, I enjoy cooking and maybe it’s my excuse to see you too.”

He took a step forward, “If I had known you had been waiting to find an excuse I would have invited you over much sooner.” 

She shifted under his gaze, biting her lip to stop her smile, “Go get dressed,” She ordered and Harry grinned, it was the first time he had seen her act so assertively. 

He took a thirty-minute long shower, scrubbing off the remains of the day from his skin. He wore a grey sweatshirt and sweatpants, drying his hair with a towel as he re-entered the kitchen to find Y/N already plating up the food she had made. 

The kitchen was an aroma of fragrances Harry had never smelt before. His mouth watered as Y/N spooned rice onto plates and picked up the saucepan to bring to the kitchen island. “This smells amazing,” Harry sat on one of the stools, picking up a knife and fork. 

“It’s called chicken adobo,” Y/N informs him, “It’s a traditional dish of the Philippines, my mama used to make it for me and my sister when we’d come in from school.” 

Harry listened intently, “That’s where you’re from?” 

Y/N smiled, “It’s my home.” She took Harry’s plate and spooned some of the chicken on top of the rice before doing the same for herself, “I hope you don’t mind but I use my hands to eat,” 

Harry lowered his knife and fork, “Really?”

“Mhm,” Y/N picked up some of the rice and chicken with her fingers,  “It’s called Kamayan. It’s meant to help appreciate the flavours and textures of the food we make or are served.”

Harry looked genuinely interested as Y/N ate the food pressed into her hand, “Can I try?”

Y/N paused chewing on her food, not expecting him to want to try something that in many Western cultures might be considered bad manners. She quickly swallowed it down and nodded, “Of course.” 

Harry pursed his lips as he concentrated on gathering the rice and chicken into his hands. He felt the stickiness of the rice as he pressed it with his fingers. It wasn’t as graceful as Y/N had done as he attempted to put it all into his mouth. He chewed on the chicken, his taste buds tingling at the new flavour. 

Swallowing it down his eyes brightened, “It’s delicious!”

Y/N’s eyes crinkled, “Yeah? You think so?”

“I’ve never eaten with my hands before but it feels quite liberating.” He chuckles.

Y/N laughs, “My mama always told us to eat with our hands.” 

Harry repeated the action, scooping the perfect serving into his hand and eating it, “Where did you live when you lived in the Philippines?”

“I grew up in Roxas City- it’s on one of the many islands and it’s beautiful. The beaches stretch for miles and the water is so blue and clear you can see your feet walking along the bottom.” Harry watched as Y/N explained animatedly what her home country was like. Her words brought the images to life in his mind as he pictured her walking along the beaches. 

He was happy to see her relax into conversation the more questions he asked about her home, “What made you want to come here to work?”

Y/N’s smile faltered and Harry wished he could take back the question but she answered, “My family aren’t wealthy and I always knew I would have to leave at some point to go out and make enough money to bring back for them so we could have a better life. I trained in healthcare so I could come here and work.” 

Harry's expression softened, concern evident in his eyes. "Has it been difficult?" he asked gently. He knew it might sound like a cliché question, but he genuinely wanted to make sure she was coping okay. It must be incredibly difficult having to leave everything you know for something completely different. 

“I’m so homesick,” Y/N’s eyes watered, “Every day I go back to that boarding house and count down the days until I can go home again. I-I thought I knew English before coming here but it’s so difficult to understand when people are talking so fast and expecting you to know what they’re saying.” Harry grabbed a tissue and passed it to her. She took it in her hands and gave him a watery smile, “I miss my mama and my sister and the sun. London is so grey.” 

Harry reached out a hand and gripped her fingers, squeezing them gently, “Hey, you’re doing so good Y/N.” He started, “You’re so unbelievably brave for coming here and starting this new life. I mean I couldn’t do what you’re doing - I get homesick even when my mum lives ten minutes away,” Y/N laughs and the sound sparks something inside of him, even when she was crying she was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen in his life, “You should be so proud of yourself and I know your family is proud of you too.”

Y/N’s watery eyes looked into his, “Thank you,” She whispered, “This is the first time I’ve stepped outside my house other than to get that stupid train to work.” 

“Seriously?” Harry was shocked, no wonder she was feeling so trapped and cooped up. 

Harry glanced at their two empty plates before giving her hand a tight squeeze, “C’mon,”

“What-” Y/N watched as he grabbed his jacket and car keys.

“Let me take you somewhere,” He insisted, his voice warm and inviting. 

“But it’s dark outside?” Y/N slid off her stool and followed him to the front door. 

“That’s the best time of day,” He smirked and whisked her away to his car where he drove her through the streets of London, illuminated by the lights that lit up the streets. 

He parked on the side of the road somewhere and they walked for fifteen minutes until they reached a busier area of the city where people were still out with friends, “Hopefully it’s still there,” He mumbled. 

“What are you talking about?” Y/N frowned and her head lifted to see the bright lights from billboards that surrounded the square. Perfume adverts and models appeared on the big screens as tourists posed for pictures in front of them. 

“This is Piccadilly Circus,” Harry motioned to the place they were standing in. He intertwined their fingers and led her over to stand her in front of the biggest billboard of them all, “And that is your home.” He pointed to it and the billboard switched to a picture of a beach that looked almost exactly the same as the one she had grown up near. Big, bold letters with the words ‘Visit the Philippines’ were at the bottom but Y/N couldn’t seem to stop staring at the sea that illuminated the square, casting it in blue light. 

Her eyes glistened with tears, “I know it’s not the same,” Harry said, scratching the back of his neck, “But-”

“It’s my home,” Y/N gasped, a grin taking over her entire face, “That’s where I’m from Harry!” 

Harry’s grin mirrored hers, “It is!” He replies with equal enthusiasm. 

“Can you take a picture of me?” She reached for her phone and passed it to him. Y/N smiled like a kid at Christmas in front of the billboard and Harry quickly snapped a picture before it switched to a different advert. 

He handed the phone back to her and she looked down unable to keep her eyes off of that blue sea she had been missing. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me,” She murmured and looked up to see him already gazing at her, “Thank you.”

Harry smiled bashfully, shaking his head, “I know you don’t believe it yet but I think you were meant to be here at this moment in life and I think maybe I was meant to be here too.” He admitted. 

“You really think that?” She asked.

“I believe it wholeheartedly,” He stated. 

When the billboard returned to the picture of the sea, Y/N insisted Harry stand to get a picture in front of it. He pulled a face, pointing at the billboard and the picture came out all blurry because Y/N had been laughing too much. 

Late into the night, they stayed in Piccadilly Circus taking pictures of each other and with each other as the beach appeared on the screen. Harry swore his camera roll was now just pictures of Y/N squealing with excitement whenever the image of the beach appeared. 

In the moments in between, they sat and spoke. Comparing cultures and learning more about one another. Whilst Y/N had learnt about Harry’s family and living in the English countryside as a child, Harry had learnt all about Y/N’s time in the sun and how much she adored fishing in the spring and picking mangoes off her grandpa’s mango trees. 

It wasn’t a date, it was more than that. 

It was the converging of two paths in life that had now become one. 

. . .

Mahal na mama, Dear mama. 

I got my first paycheck today and I have sent you as much as I can. I hope it’s enough to buy you some new shoes because I know you are getting tired of your old ones. 

I have been working hard and I’m slowly growing used to the way things work here. I’d be lying if I told you it was easy, it’s been so incredibly hard. So many times I have been desperate to come home, wondering whether this was where I belonged or if it just wasn’t meant to be. 

But Mama, I’ve met someone. 

Don’t be upset. I know you always told me and sissy it should always be careers before boys but he has become my home away from home mama. 

He’s a doctor at the hospital and his name is Harry.

Every day he picks me up from work even though his apartment is right by the hospital and we walk into work together. He’s not embarrassed to hold my hand or kiss me goodbye either. 

I spend a lot of days at his home because it’s a lot nicer than my boarding house. He asks me to cook him some of your recipes and he tells me to tell you that they are delicious and he hopes one day that you can cook them for him. 

He loves to listen to me speak about home and I love to hear him speak about his. 

He’s introduced me to this whole other world of culture mama and it is so beautiful. 

I love you and I miss you but I am safe and happy and I am doing well.

I am still counting down the days until I can come home and visit you but just know I am no longer homesick because of him. 

Mahal kita Mama. 

. . .

“Ang pangalan ko ay Harry,”

“Ang… Pan-gaaa-”

“Pangalan,” Y/N tried not to laugh at the concentrated look on his face. 

“Pangalan,” She nods.

“Ang pangalan ko ay Harry,” Harry looks at her for confirmation and she nods, leaning forward to kiss him. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Harry, my name is Y/N.” She murmurs against his lips. 

She feels his lips curve against hers before he puckers them and presses kisses all over her face. She tries to pull him away but he keeps her in his grip until they collapse onto the bed. “Harryyyy,” She giggles as he presses kisses along her exposed collarbones. 

“What’s the word for kisses again?” He murmurs against her neck. 

Y/N’s hands run through his curls, pushing them back from his face. Her lips ghost against his as she murmurs, “Mga halik,” 

“Mga halik,” He repeats, his pronunciation improving. 

“Mhm,” She puckers her lips to kiss him to which he happily hums and returns her kiss. “I need to start dinner,”

“No,” He whines, holding onto her, “Stay.”

“But I’m so hungry and you need to help me with the lumpia.” She says referring to the spring roles she had taught him to make. 

“We can’t order a pizza?” He pouts, “I just want to hold you.” 

Y/N sighed but was unable to prevent herself from falling for the pouty look on his face, “Fine, we’ll get a pizza but only if we can get it with pineapple.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed, “Criminal,” 

“But you love me?” She grins, cheekily. 

“I do,” He kisses her before grabbing his phone, “I truly do.”

Since moving to a new country and meeting Harry, Y/N's life had transformed. He had brought back the sense of familiarity she had lost when she moved across the world. In him, she found not just love, but a true home—a place where she belonged and was cherished in return.

Her work and life in general had become easier because she no longer felt so alone. Every day they’d sit together during their lunch breaks at work and go back to Harry’s apartment at the end of their shifts. 

“Hi baby,” Harry greeted her whenever she’d get into the car with him. He’d lean over the console and kiss her. 

“Hi syota,” Sweetheart. She’d say in return and despite how tired he felt, he always managed to smile at the term of endearment she’d picked for him. 

Further into their dating, Harry had been desperate to learn her language. Even though Y/N told him it didn’t matter to her - they had their own ways of communicating that only they understood, bridging the gap between words that got lost in translation - he was instant on it. 

“But when our kids learn, I’ll be left out.” It was the first time he said I love you without even saying the three words. 

As they sat in his living room, which was slowly becoming hers too, eating pizza and watching Lord of the Rings, because Harry was insistent on making Y/N watch the whole series if she wanted to truly see the beauty of Western culture, Y/N realised that maybe Harry was right and this was where she was meant to be all along. 

“I love you,” Harry murmured as he held her in his arms on the couch. 

“Mahal kita.” I love you. She replied, feeling more at home in his arms than she did anywhere else in the world. 

3 years later… 

“Are you nervous baby?” Harry whispered in her ear as they sat side by side on the plane, their fingers intertwined. She was wearing his sweater and he had one of her rings on a chain around his neck, it was the physical representation of how they had interwoven their lives had become. 

“A little,” Y/N confessed, glancing out the window to see they were nearing the island she had left three years ago. “I’m worried they won’t like this version of me.”

“Hey,” Harry cupped her cheek in his hand, “They’re your family, they’ll love every version of you the same way I do.” 

Y/N’s lips turned upwards, “You promise?” 

“I’d never lie to you my love,” He kissed the bridge of her nose. 

The plane shook as it landed on the ground. Y/N could already feel the heat of the sun before she’d even stepped off the plane, just from looking out the window. Harry grabbed her duffle bag from the overhead compartment and took his own travel case as well. 

He was wearing a shirt that said ‘But Daddy I love him’ and white shorts with sunglasses buried in his dishevelled curls. They had been flying for hours, the both of them exhausted, but Y/N couldn’t seem to calm the jitters of seeing her home again. 

Harry pulled her into his side and kissed the top of her head, “Calm down, puso ko.” my heart. 

“Do you think she’ll be here?” Y/N was already craning her neck as they got to passport control even though it was impossible to see past the arrival gates from where they stood. 

She remembered what her mother had told her when she dropped her off to start her new life in England. 

“Mananatili pa rin ako dito sa loob ng tatlong taon at magiging mas mahusay ka.” I will still be here in three years and you will be someone better. 

She hoped she had done just as her mother said and she would be returning to her as someone better than the person she used to be. 

Once they got through the gate, Y/N stood on her toes and tried to spot her mother in the crowds. She didn’t expect to see her right away as her mother was rather short but she hoped she’d sense her presence somewhere in the room. 

“Do you see her?” Y/N asked, Harry was also looking around to see if she was somewhere. 

“Y/N!” A warm, comforting voice that echoed in the depths of her childhood and rang through her to this day, called for her amongst the bustle of people. 

Y/N’s eyes watered, “Mama!” She called, spinning around to find her. 

“Hey look baby,” Harry pointed and that’s when Y/N saw her. Her arms open, standing in the place she promised she would be three years later. 

“Mama!” Y/N dropped Harry’s hand and ran towards her mother, enveloping herself in her arms and feeling her soft skin against her own. She felt the hands that had held her as a child, cling to the back of her shirt. 

“Ang anak ko,” My child. Her mother held her. 

“I’ve missed you so much,” Y/N whispered, her eyes flooding with tears. 

Y/N pulled away, looking down at her mother and feeling a fresh flood of tears fill her eyes. A presence came up behind her, a hand on her shoulder. She put her hand on top of his and watched as her mother’s eyes widened in surprise, “Mama, this is my boyfriend, Harry.”

Harry cleared his throat, placing their bags on the floor, “Hello ang pangalan ko ay Harry. Ikinagagalak kitang makilala.” Hello, my name is Harry. Nice to meet you. His tone was slightly unsure as he spoke but Y/N beamed as he spoke the words to his mother, having spent the last few years teaching him. 

Her mother smiled, a tear falling from her eye. Y/N’s lips parted, having never seen her mother cry before. She took a step forward and then wrapped her arms around Harry, “Salamat sa pag-aalaga sa anak ko.” thank you for taking care of my daughter. 

Y/N covered her mouth to stop herself from sobbing in the middle of the airport. She wanted to take this moment and bottle it up as she watched her two favourite people in the entire world embrace each other. 

If there was one thing Y/N had learnt from her time away it was that home wasn’t so much of a place anymore but the people instead.

These were her people.

They were her home. 

[reiniesainyo]

IN BETWEEN. charlie bushnell x reader – 04

04 | I CAN SEE YOU previous | next | masterfile

SYNPOSIS. when a girl's co-star is good to her and now she wants it more than everything in between. (smau)

A/N. there's some filipino in this chapter, which I'll have translations placed in between the lines!

liked by iamcharliebushnell, leahsavajeffries, and 302,457 others. thelnarchives “oh percy, i think your battle’s just begun.” 🌊⚔️

user1 rina's conversation with percy before he leaves instead of it being chiron or whatever is so ... so . i'm gonna cry over those lines for days user2 the angst they're setting us up for is insane

iamcharliebushnell oh my muse thelnarchives oh my traitor iamcharliebushnell oh that's not! thelnarchive no, in the sense that–

user3 oh the charlie-yn chemistry my roman empire

user4 i'm gonna miss seeing her on screen so much i need something soon

leahsavajeffries it was such a pleasure working with you 🥹 can’t wait for more scenes together, thank you for being my ate thelnarchives leah my baby bunso i love you so much you're so amazing

user5 yn calling leah "bunso" ie youngest in an affectionate manner and leah calling yn "ate" meaning older sister is so cute this isn't right i have diabetes

dior.n.goodjohn IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY IMY thelnarchive i miss you too, dior!

user6 this cast is so smitten for her and i see why and i know why user7 she's such a sweetheart ik they said not to trust celebrities but like oh my god

iamcharliebushnell wait i just saw the whole post, yn the third photo is foul. that's foul. thelnarchive you love me still walker.scobell that's because you're the only one who will dior.n.goodjohn BRO GOT COOKED HAHAHAH

walker.scobell yn please come back they tied me to a pole last time please thelnarchive WALKER I WAS GONE FOR ONE DAY THEY DID WHAT???? iamcharliebushnell okay it wasn't like that walker.scobell YOU LAUGHED AT ME YOU CAN'T SAY THAT.

user8 THE THIRD SLIDE IS INSANE user9 she's real for that one though.......

user10 charlie not noticing is sus user11 bro was mesmerized with her beauty

liked by iamcharliebushnell, leahsavajeffries, and 201,498 others. thelnarchives what's this? catch me iamcharliebushnell walker.scobell and leahsavajeffries on the fangirlpediapod this valentines! we discuss not just PJO but also our personal lives :0

iamcharliebushnell for fun here's two snippets of some iconic lines: "the trauma never goes away, it just changes form." and "she's so "i can fix him" core coded yes" thelnarchives there's a reason i'm a debate champion user1 DEBATE CHAMPION???? thelnarchives hear more about my personal life this feb 14

user2 OH I'M SEATED I'M SAT user3 bro i'm sat anyways i don't have a boyfriend

user4 oh the quote she gave ate it ATE i can't wait

fangirlpediapod IT WAS SO SO AWESOME GETTNG TO TALK TO YOU

[agendabymooner]

who is kenough ! mick s. x ofc (filipino!nanny!ofc)

summary: a "barmacher" truther couldn't accept the sight of arthur leclerc and barbie blanco spending their time together (alone) in the netherlands after the summer break, and mick schumacher wasn't happy either.

OR the mercedes driver had to put his foot down on the rumours surrounding his "best friend" and charles leclerc's brother by simply... stating what he had to say.

content warning: use of explicit language, mention of fictional child (kimi vettel) tweets (literally just from one stan because why not), brief arthur leclerc x ofc content, stan hates arthur (with barbie), mick = ken, fluff, brief moments of "fucking finally", let's pretend for a moment that the f1 outro doesn't play at the end of the race everyone (mick wins the race)

note: i wish our delusions are just manifestations in secret... (i've been listening to ryan gosling's push while making this) anyways enjoy and let me know what you think xx

masterlist

arthur_leclerc posted a story !!!

tagged barblanco

liked by estebanocon, landonorris, charles_leclerc

user1 OH MY GOD?!!!

user2 someone check on that barmacherstan girl from twitter i think she's having a heart attack atm

barmacherslovechild you don't know that 🤔

belongvettel it's been a good eight years for me, seb and your parents ❤️🙌 liked by mickschumacher

mickschumacher i bet 😅

belongvettel i was really worried we'd have to come back from the dead before you two get together 😉

user3 YES BABY YOU ARE KENOUGH INDEED 😭

estebanocon i was ready to tell everyone about the two of you tbh 😕 liked by mickschumacher

mickschumacher it's a good thing you didn't - you're a bit of a loud mouth when drunk

landonorris awwww "besties" 😩❤️ liked by mickschumacher

oscarpiastri arthur_leclerc look what you made mick do

arthur_leclerc finally???

mickschumacher 😒

danielricciardo just how oblivious would you two have to be in order to get together??? liked by mickschumacher

mickschumacher we've been dating since february???

user4 what 😄

user5 you have a rizz?

charles_leclerc i almost pushed arthur off the road when i saw his stories with her tbh liked by mickschumacher

user6 charles is a barmacher truther confirmed !!!

barblanco i think the barbie and ken is overdoing it mahal 😭 liked by mickschumacher

mickschumacher it's not like i can say "she's everything and he's everything" now can i? it'll always be "she's everything and he's just ken" 💖

barblanco you've been watching too much barbie movie again and i love you for that 🤣😍

mickschumacher *cheers in victorious ken* no i love YOU schatzi!

mickschumacher posted a story !!!

bonus !!!

[kairiscorner]

now what if

miguel x filipino reader (silly and soft hcs!!)

• he'd have little problems understanding you, same with miles, in the previous x filipino reader, he'd understand the shared words tagalog and spanish have.

• involuntarily, i think mans would full on speak spanish if he hears you use just enough shared words to get him expressing his thoughts in spanish.

• "beh, asan yung sapatos ko? hala ba't malapit sa bintana, okay, ah, bibili ako ng leche flan, gusto mo ba?"

• "oh, claro, seguro que me gustaría un poco."

• "ano, ah, okay"

• you two would kinda just get by picking up random tidbits of spanish and tagalog, BUT YOU CANNOT DENY THAT YOU FALL APART WHEN HE SPEAKS SPANISH; HIS VOICE >>>>>>

• he'd also fear the slipper.

• you joke that if another spider person came crawling to you, crying because he yelled at them, you threatened to throw your own slippers in his face; you refused to let him just get angry whenever things didn't go his way.

• "isa pa, sinasabi ko talaga sayo, TSITSINELASIN KITA SA MUKHA, WAG MO KONG SUBUKAN"

• "PLEASE, I'M SORRY, PUT THE DAMN SLIPPER DOWN, QUERIDA"

• he got less angry at the spider people when you threatened him, he became more patient and understanding because of your guidance, too.

• you taught him to use "po" and "opo" when addressing his elders, especially towards your parents when he met them. he was initially confused as to why you used it on him when you two were practically the same age, but when you explained it was just your habit, he didn't ask anymore. in fact, he kinda found it endearing.

• when he learned how "ate" (ah-teh) and "kuya" were used, he called you that for a while until you told him you didn't want him to call you that and just refer to you by name.

• "ate/kuya, what's the update?", "ate/kuya, your report?", "ate/kuya, i want some, what was it? ah, ate/kuya, i want some tinapay (bread)"

• but when he learned about filipino pet names......... he used them TO THE MAX.

• he calls you, "mahal", "beh", and the..... "bebe labs" (cries) he used the "bebe labs" one because you kept using it for him.

• "bebe labs, what's for dinner?" now that was the first and last time he ever called you that. yes, lyla and you have a recording of that, it's your ringtone.

• your song with him is "panalangin" by apo hiking society, change my mind.

• he doesn't seem too interested in teleseryes, what with his hardass and stern look, but when he caught you watching one at home at night when he came back, he found himself sitting down with you and making commentary about the antagonistic bitches and how it'd be so satisfying for them to receive karma, tearing about a character's death, and clicking his tongue as he says, "i fucking knew they were gonna cheat/weren't dead/that character was the parent"

• he'd make an effort to learn tagalog and/or your local dialect for you, especially if you were more fluent in that than in english. he also wanted you to feel that he valued your culture and your roots, just as much as he valued his own.

• HE LOVES THE CHICKENJOY IN JOLLIBEE 🫂🫂🫂

• if you two ever got into an argument, he'd buy you jollibee as an apology and say he was really sorry and that the whole argument was stupid, he shouldn't have said/done what he said or did.

• MIGGY IN A BARONG TAGALOG >>>>>>

• he blushes when you call him "guapo/gwapo", you do it all the time :> he calls you "maganda" and "mahal ko" regardless of your gender <333

[lewis-winters]

I was just curious but do you have any recs for period dramas about the philippines? I want to expand my period drama watching and im not quite sure where to start

Oh, the monster you've unleashed. YES I do have so many period dramas from and about the Philippines. Unfortunately, not all of them might be accessible to you if you're outside of the Philippines. Some of them are found on Amazon Prime, Netflix, and MUBI though. I'll make sure to put a lil note next to each film if they are. Also! these vary in genre (meaning: not all of them are war films, and some of these are horror films-- because this is me we're talking to, heh). I also have copies of some of these and will make a lil note next to each film if it's available for sharing, though I'll only give the link via DM. Please note, however, that they are all either in Tagalog, Bisaya, and/or other local Philippine Languages and not all of them have subtitles!

I also have very nuanced relationships with all these films, since Philippine History was my undergrad of choice. But to keep this post as brief as possible, I'm not going to talk about them at length. Though I will be including trigger warnings. Also note... some of these movies kinda suck HAAHAHAHA but I had way too much fun watching them so like. Please don't tell me they suck, please. I love them too much.

Also tagging @emmylynnaa because I promised her a similar list.

This is sorted by eras in Philippine History. Enjoy! (under the cut because it got long):

Spanish Occupation Era (1565 to 1898)

GomBurZa (2023) – A film following the GomBurZa, the three native Filipino Roman Catholic priests Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora executed during the latter years of the Spanish colonial era. TW: period typical violence. Furthermore, this is a Jesuit produced film so like. Once again. Take it with a grain of salt.

Jose Rizal (1998) - Jose Rizal's life and works are recounted through a series of non-linear flashbacks which reflect on various aspects of his life - as writer, propagandist, lover, friend, brother, doctor, and the man that inspired a revolution. Available on MUBI. TW: depiction of sexual assault by a priest. I also have a love-hate relationship with this film because on one hand, literally shaped my love of history. On the other hand, it is the MOST idealistic depiction of Jose Rizal ever + very historically inaccurate in many places, please watch this with a grain of salt.

Maria Clara at Ibarra (2022 – 2023) – A series about a girl from the 21st century who is magically transported into Jose Rizal’s famous novels Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo (you know, the novels that helped spark the Filipino Revolution against the Spanish). The synopsis sounds cheesy but trust me, it’s very good. Available to watch on the GMA official webpage. I just don’t know if you can access it outside of the country. TW: rape, abuses of the Catholic church, period typical violence, abuses of Spanish colonialists. A personal favorite—the costumes? Divine. And the character arcs are also really lovely. Helps you understand Philippine contemporary culture, too.

Katipunan: TV Mini Series (2013) – A mini-series depicting the creation of the Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (or the KKK—no, not the white supremacist group; that’s unfair, by the way, we did it first), the revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by Filipino Nationalists against Spanish Colonialization. Available to watch on the GMA official webpage. I just don’t know if you can access it outside of the country. TW: depictions of rape aftermath by Spanish soldiers, period typical violence, torture, graphic depictions of a corpse. This is a personal favorite of mine.

Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis/A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (2016) - Andrés Bonifacio is celebrated as the father of the Philippines Revolution against Spanish colonial rule. This eight-hour epic examines this myth, undertaking an expedition into history through various interwoven narrative threads, held together by an exploration of the individual’s role in history. Available on Mubi. TW: it is literally eight hours long. But that’s Lav Diaz for you. I love him, but oh my god is he an acquired taste.

Ang Kababaihan ng Malolos (2014) - The saga of the 20 Filipino women who petitioned for the opening of a school in a time when women weren’t given the chance to do so.

Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976) – Set during the end of Spanish colonization and the start of American colonization. After his mother's death, the simple-minded and naïve Kulas (Christopher De Leon) begins his much-awaited trip to Manila. On his way to Manila, he mindlessly takes on the mission of retrieving a friar's son and bringing him to the friar's residence.

Mallari (2023) - A horror film chronicling the deeds of the first recorded serial killer in the Philippines. This film spans decades, all the way up to present day. It's kinda stupid. Like. Really stupid. That's ok. We watch it because we want to see Piolo Pascual and JC Santos covered in blood. TW: oh my god so many bodies and so much gore.

Filipino-American War and America Occupation (1899 – 1940s) (this era has the best films, actually, if you want a place to start and start strong? start here)

Amigo (2010) - A local leader of a small Filipino barangay must decide whether to keep the peace with the American troops occupying his village or join the insurgency with his brother and son. TW: racism, sexual harassment, graphic depictions of corpses, gore, period typical violence.

Heneral Luna (2015) - Set during the Philippine-American war, Heneral Luna follows the life of one of Philippine History's most brilliant soldier, General Antonio Luna, as he tries to lead his countrymen against colonial masters new and old, and to rise above their own raging disputes to fulfill the promise of the Philippine Revolution. Available on Netflix. TW: short scene depicting the aftermath of sexual assault, period typical violence, and graphic depictions of a corpse. Again, one of my favorites. I have so many happy memories of this film + the fandom it birthed! I miss it sometimes.

Angelito (2018) – The short film that bridges both Heneral Luna and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, depicting the brothers Manuel and Jose Bernal – Antonio Luna’s aides-de-camp – and their youngest brother Angel, two days before the General’s assassination. This film you can find on Youtube!

Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2019) – The sequel of Heneral Luna, this film follows the story of Gregorio 'Goyo' del Pilar, one of the youngest Generals during the Philippine-American War who fought in the historic Battle of Tirad Pass. Available on Netflix. TW: short scenes of torture, period typical violence, and graphic depictions of a corpse. Again, a personal favorite for the same reasons stated above. Though it’s not as strong as Heneral Luna, I gotta say.

Ang Larawan (2017) - In a musical tale about standing together against materialism, two impoverished sisters anguish over whether or not to sell a painting, the final masterpiece by their recluse father. A bitter struggle for survival against betrayal set in pre-World War II Manila. A personal favorite, oh my god. This film. Oh my god, this film.

World War 2 and its aftermath (1940 – 1950)

Quezon’s Game (2018) - In 1938, Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon, military adviser Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with other notable figures, set out to rescue Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. Quezon simultaneously deals with a relapse of tuberculosis. Available on Amazon Prime. TW: talk of genocide and short scenes depicting the murder of Jewish people by the Nazis.

Tatlong Taong Walang Dios (1976) - A woman falls in love with a Japanese soldier during the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines; the whole town turns against her. TW: rape. Think Malena.

Oro, Plata, Mata (1982) - Set in the Philippine island of Negros during World War II, it tells the story of how two hacendero families cope with the changes brought about by the war. TW: rape

Kusina (2016) – Her kitchen. The silent witness to the life and love of Juanita. It is her sanctuary, the place where she creates dishes for her family, friends, even enemies and strangers. Through cooking, she gets to know the people around her. TW: violent child birth, death of mother in child birth, sexual harassment by Japanese soldiers. This spans multiple decades, all the way up to Martial Law.

In My Mother’s Skin (2023) - Stranded in the Philippines during World War II, a young girl finds that her duty to protect her dying mother is complicated by her misplaced trust in a beguiling, flesh-eating fairy. Available on Amazon Prime. TW: body horror, gore, explicit depictions of a corpse, period typical violence.

Markova: Comfort Gay (2000) – A coming of age drama film loosely based on the life of Walter Dempster Jr., the last surviving Filipino “comfort gay” (male sex slaves for the Imperial Japanese Army) from World War II. TW: CSA, wartime systemic rape, rape.

Comfort Women: A Cry for Justice (1994) – The story of how two sisters and the rest of the women of Sta. Monica are forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War 2. TW: wartime systemic rape, rape, and period typical violence.

Seklusyon (2016) - In 1947, a group of deacons (aspiring priests) on their last week of training are sent to a remote monastery to live in seclusion for seven days to protect them from the devil, who on the last few days of training attempts to break the will of deacons to make them reconsider their choice of becoming priests. During their seclusion, a little girl named Anghela, believed by locals to be a living saint because of her healing abilities, appears at the monastery seeking refuge. Available on Amazon. TW: pedophilia, gore, body horror, Catholicism, religious horror.

Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012) - A psychological thriller film detailing the psychological breakdown of a woman struggling with infertility in post-war Philippines. If you want to see women go feral, this is fun.

Martial Law (1970 – 1980) (actually, you know what? I lied. This era is the era with the best films. God, these are CLASSICS and are the ones that’ll help you understand contemporary Philippine culture the most; definitely start here)

Manila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975) - Júlio Madiaga, a 'provinciano', arrives in Manila to search for his beloved, Ligaya. TW: coerced sex work, sexual abuse. Once again, a Filipino cinema classic.

Insiang (1976) - After a teenager is raped by her mother's boyfriend, she sets out to exact revenge on anyone who has hurt her. TW: I mean. It says it right there. Though it’s not actually shown on screen, it is very heavily implied. She doesn’t die in the end, if you’re wondering.

Dekada ’70 (2002) - A middle-class Filipino family struggles to survive in the era of dictatorship. This is a fucking classic in Filipino cinema. Available on MUBI. TW: sexual harrassment, discussion of torture, depictions of wounds and beatings, period typical violence. Martial Law was rough.

Aparisyon (2012) – A psychological drama film set in early 1970s, where the story about the nuns in the period immediately preceding the declaration of martial law by Ferdinand Marcos. The film’s director, Isabel Sandoval, is a transgender woman and an absolute visionary. Her other films Senorita (2011) and Lingua Franca (2019) are also very good, please check it out. All films are available for streaming through the Criterion Channel. TW: rape, religious trauma, period typical violence, Catholicism.

Lihis (2013) - Set in the 70’s during the darkest hours of Philippine History, we follow the story of two young NPA warriors who find themselves entangled in a web of frustration, despair and victory as they fight not only for democracy but also their love for each other. Available on MUBI. TW: Infidelity.

Barber’s Tales (2014) - In a rural town in the Philippines during the Marcos dictatorship, the newly widowed Marilou inherits the town's only barbershop from her husband- a business that has been passed down by generations of men in her husband's family. With no other means of support, she musters the courage to run the barbershop.

Dahling Nick (2015) - Dahling Nick is a docu-drama exploring the life and works of National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin, who only accepted the National Artist Award on the condition that the Marcos administration release a well-known writer who was being unjustly detained during Martial Law. I love Nick Joaquin. He’s shaped my understanding of the Magical Realist genre far more than any of his contemporaries have. This film is notoriously difficult to get your hands on, so I suggest going to read his anthology by Penguin Classics called the Tropical Gothic instead!

Respeto (2017) - Hendrix is a poor aspiring rapper who wants to make a name for himself in the underground rap battle scene and gain respect in the community. After attempting to rob a second-hand bookstore in the neighborhood, he is discovered by the owner, Doc, an old poet with a haunted past as a dissident. Not necessarily period, but definitely has its roots in Martial Law.

Liway (2018) – A film about the kip, a young boy growing up in a prison as the son of anti-Marcos dissident Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, better known as Commander Liway, during the waning days of the Marcos dictatorship. It is currently streaming on Youtube!

The Kingmaker (2019) - is a 2019 documentary film written and directed by Lauren Greenfield, featuring the political career of Imelda Marcos with a focus on the Marcos family's efforts to rehabilitate the family's image and to return to political power, including her plans to see her son, Bongbong, become President of the Philippines, and the alliance that Bongbong and Imee Marcos established with Rodrigo Duterte in his bid to win the 2016 Philippine presidential election. Available on Youtube! if outside of the Philippines, use VPN.

1980s – 2000s Philippines

Misteryo sa Tuwa (1984) - The fortunes of three impoverished friends and their families abruptly change after an airplane crashes in a nearby mountain.

Alpha Kappa Omega Batch ’81 (1982) – A psychological drama film depicting the titular fraternity's harsh initiation of new batch members as seen through the eyes of pre-med student Sid Lucero. TW: hazing, torture, psychological torture. It’s fucked up, actually.

Himala (1982) – During a total eclipse Elsa, a young girl from rural Philippines, allegedly witnesses an apparition of the Virgin Mary on top of the hill where, as an infant, she was found and adopted by Saling. Said visions change her life and cause a sensation hysteria in a poor, isolated northern village in the midst of drought. TW: rape, religious fanaticism, religious trauma.

Adela (2008) - The story of Adela, which takes place in the span of one day, is a heartbreaking story of a woman who longs for the company of her loved ones. This isn’t actually period. This film just breaks my heart. And of course, it has acting legend Anita Linda in it. How could I not recommend it?

Now Showing (2008) - Rita is named after a famous American movie star whom her late, former actress grandmother once adored. She lives in one of Manila’s oldest districts with her mother and aunt. Years later, she is still the same girl enamoured with television, now tending to her aunt’s stall selling pirated DVDs.

Elegy to the Visitor from the Revolution (2011) - A woman from the end of the 19th century visits modern day Philippines and observes three interwoven stories: that of a prostitute, a group of criminals and a musician. This is another Lav Diaz one. It’s long.

K’na The Dreamweaver (2014) - K’na is a young woman coming into her own in the mountains of South Cotabato, where the T’boli live, overlooking the majestic and mystical Lake Sebu. She is part of the royal family of the South bank of the lake, part of the clan that was banished from the North Bank centuries ago after what the elders call The Great Betrayal. At a young age, K’na, is trained in the art of weaving the T’bolit’nalak. The design of the t’nalak fabric comes from the visions granted by Fu Dalu, the goddess of abaca, only to deserving women who become dreamweavers. K’na’s grandmother, Be Lamfey, is the village’s last master dreamweaver. When Be Lamfey dies, the gift of dreamweaving is passed to K’na and her father, LobongDitan, decides to put an end to the warring clans of Lake Sebu once and for all by arranging a marriage between K’na and Kagis, the heir to the throne of North bank. Meanwhile, K’na has fallen in love with Silaw, a childhood friend whose family supplies the finest abaca fibers to the dreamweavers. Silaw leaves love messages for her by tying bits of abaca thread to a tree outside K’na’s window. As the marriage grows near, a revolution brews among those who do not believe in the union of the two royal clans.

Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017) - Two Jesuit priests, Gus Saenz and Jerome Lucero perform forensic work to solve the mystery revolving around the murders of young boys in Payatas, one of Metro Manila's biggest slum areas. While dealing with the systematic corruption of the government, church, and the elite, the two priests delve into criminal profiling, crime scene investigation, and forensic analysis to solve the killings, and eventually, find the murderer. Available on Netflix. TW: child death, talk of child sexual abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church and at the hands of teachers, graphic depictions of a corpse, film also triggering to folks who suffer from claustrophobia.

Billie and Emma (2018) – An LGBT coming of age story set in the mid-1990s featuring two teenaged girls Billie and Emma as they grapple with topics such as sexuality, family, religion, unplanned pregnancy, and the uncertainty of the future.

[pandoa]

"say you love me but make it sweeter"

you tell rook you love him. in a language he doesn't quite understand.

~rook hunt x gender neutral reader~

warnings: slight cursing; reader speaks tagalog. as i’ve said before, my tagalog is a tad rusty, so if there are any fluent tagalog speakers out there who can check my grammar, i’d appreciate it very much!! i’m too embarrassed to ask my irl filipino friends lol

just something short i wrote that’s purely self indulgent; happy birthday to meEeeEEEeEe~

“Mahal na mahal kita, Rook. Ikaw ang aking puso at aking buhay. Ang ilaw sa pinaka madilim ng gabi ko. Hindi ko kayang mabuhay nang wala ka, aking sinta.”

“(Y/n),” Rook’s voice rang throughout the golden-accented room of the Pomefiore huntsman. “What did you just say?”

You gave your eccentric boyfriend a knowing smile that reached the corners of your eyes in mischief, “Not telling~”

“Ah! You wound me, mon ange!” The shining blonde cried as he clasped his heart, feigning agony at your pixieish stunts. “How can one live in mystery after their beloved has spoken such lyrical words?” Rook, playing along with your indifference, sighed as his mind ran miles—pondering the meaning behind your native language. There was something so warm about each poetically bewitching thing you said. He could feel the sincerity and passion within your unknown words and was determined to pull the hidden meaning out of your wonderous mumbling. The man was curious, could you blame him?

“Well, continue to suffer because I’m still not telling you what I just said,” you laughed, beaming at the hunter.

The young man glanced at you anticipatingly, “Tell me what it means.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“What if I knelt down on one knee right this instant, reached out for your hand, and declared my love just for you?”

You paused for a moment, contemplating his tempting offer, “...Never.”

“Trickster, I beg of you!”

“Oh, Rook—I already said no,” you said, giving him a sympathetic grim—almost pitying Rook’s desperation. “It’s more fun this way; like a small little secret only I know out of everyone in Twisted Wonderland~”

Rook, giving you a subtle pout, then promptly placed a gentle grasp onto your unknowing shoulders as you both sat atop the cotton covers of the vice housewarden’s mattress. “Mon tresor, if you refuse to tell me what it means, then please at least say it again. I wish to engrave your lovesome, enchanting voice into my mind.”

You looked his way again, baffled at his surprising request. “But… You knew nothing of what I had just said? Why would you want to hear it again?”

“Because your voice alone is so beautifully ethereal,” he replied with a certain tenderness gracing his tone, “however when partnered with the harmonious words of your home’s language, I cannot help but adore each syllable that comes from your angelic self.”

“I could have easily just insulted you and called you a bitch, you know,” you jokingly commented.

“Even that is beautiful in itself, mon amour.”

“...”

“You're hopeless, Rook.”

“Aha!” The man you called your lover laughed at your amusing reactions. “But you love me just the same, do you not~?”

You stared at the blonde—deadpanned—before sitting up and making your way out of the Pomefiore dorm room, away from the said third-year. “No comment.”

“Ah—Trickster! Wait!"

✧ ･ﾟ : ˚ · . ✧ ･ﾟ: ✧.* .ೃ࿐.ೃ࿐ ✧.* ✧ ･ﾟ : ˚ · . ✧ ･ﾟ:

“I love you very much, Rook. You are my heart and my life. The light of my darkest night. I cannot live without you, my dear.”

✧ ･ﾟ : ˚ · . ✧ ･ﾟ: ✧.* .ೃ࿐.ೃ࿐ ✧.* ✧ ･ﾟ : ˚ · . ✧ ･ﾟ:

a/n: IKAWWWW LAMANGGGG ANG TANGI KOOONG MINAMAHAL~ ANG LAGI KONGGGG DINARASAL~~~ also yes that last quote is a translation of what reader said- i'm cringing lmao

[coridallasmultipass]

HAPPY 413! Here's more of the [non-Sburb AU] Filipino/multiracial Striders I write and draw. Bitter melon was on sale in the store, so I bought a ton, and I was like, 'How can I make this Homestuck content?' Lol. I like the taste, but I thought it would be funny to have Bro bully Dave into eating it as a punishment for being a sneaky vegetable-hating teen. (Good thing Lil Cal is always there to keep an eye on him when Bro is out.)

Idk, mostly wanted to draw the food, bc bitter melon looks so fun when it's sliced like that.

Bro and Dave are both trans men.

Image text below cut:

[Dave walks in on Bro cooking. Lil Cal is seated at the table already.] Dave: the fuck- what are you cooking Bro: Ginisang ampalaya. Heard you're not eatin' your veggies. Dave: cal... fuckin snitch Bro: HEY. Dave: seriously what is that alien dick Dave: ugh its all bumpy too Bro: Bitter melon. It tastes like cucumber skin, but has a better texture. Dave: fuckin gross Bro: What, are you a fuckin' pussy? Too white to try pagkaing Pilipino? ["Filipino food"] Dave: damn right if it involves warty dick-cumbers Dave: aint filipino no more Dave: gonna have to hog the white genes on this Bro: Here. Prob want some cock sauce on that. [The food has crisp bitter melon, melted tomatoes, and scrambled eggs.] Dave: ugh do i have to eat it Bro: Yes. [Everyone is seated at the table. 'Cock sauce' is Sriracha because of the rooster on the bottle.] Dave: oh its not bad Dave: ... [The bitterness sets in.] Lil Cal: HAA HAA Dave: is this even edible Bro: Sure is. [Bro eats it normally.] And if I hear you're not eating your vegetables... Well, I'll just have to cook more of the same thing dad used to make me. There's enough to last all week. Dave: ...fuck Bro: Eat up. It's healthy. Dave: please dont make me eat this Dave: ill eat any other vegetables ok? just not this Bro: That's what I wanna hear. But you're still finishing this one. For throwing out all that food. Dave: ugh END.

[squishi-bunni]

Sean Diaz x Reader HCs:

Reader is Filipina

Note: so sorry for not posting. First year of college and its kicking my ass a bit but at least i have As and Bs. This is a very obviously self-indulgent thing I wrote (b/c I think it is too often that the reader is assumed to be a white woman) to destress so uh… enjoy! Sorry again for falling off the face of the Earth.

fem!filipina!reader, fluff

-Yours and Sean’s family will get along pretty well

-Because Filipinos and Mexicans have such similar cultures (we in the colonized by Spain gang) your parent(s) warm up to Sean pretty quickly!

-You both share a mutual hatred for the Spaniard conquistadors.

-Comic misunderstanding of what the word “puto” means in Tagalog vs. Spanish

you bring some freshly steamed rice cakes (puto) that your mom made over to Sean’s house. 

Sean and Esteban are sitting by the counter when you come in. You excitedly say “Hey! I brought puto, want to try?”

Both Esteban and Sean look at you with wide eyes.

”Would we like to try WHAT now?” ”puto!” you hold up the rice cakes, “Filipino rice cakes!”

Esteban starts smiling, trying to hold back his laughter.

Sean says, “Y/n, that is not what that word means.”

”That’s what it means in Tagalog. Does it mean something different in Spanish?”

Esteban is snickering at this point. “Yes. It means something very different.” He laughs harder.

Sean pinches the bridge of his nose.

After they explain to you what “puto” means in Spanish, your jaw drops.

”Oh my God I’m so so sorry I had no idea; it genuinely just means ‘steamed rice cakes’ in Tagalog I swear!”

Sean and Esteban both laugh. “Está bien, hija. It at least makes a funny story.”

-You call Sean “mahal ko” and Sean calls you “mi amor”

-He brings you Mexican food and you bring him Filipino food

-Like every non-filipino, he instantly LOVES lumpia when you first introduce it to him

-You mom made an extreme excess of lumpia, so she gave him a freezer bag full of premade lumpia rolls. You help him deep fry them one day after school (he wants to share with his dad and Daniel) and his whole house smells like frying oil afterwards.

-Both of you talk about similarities and differences between Tagalog and Spanish for funsies.

-Playful arguments on which country does leche flan better

-You introduce him to ube-flavored sweets

-One time you bring ube Otap cookies to their house and Daniel ends up gobbling them all up (to Sean’s dismay)

-Cursing at him in Tagalog thinking it would be funny but he understands the gist of what you said

“Putangina mo”

“Hey!”

“Hehehe”

-He teaches you Spanish and you teach him some Tagalog

-Agressive pinoy pride >:3

-he makes fun of you for being short (not our fault that the average height is 5’1!!!)

-Bonding over cultural similarities

-y’all are such an it couple bc poc4poc relationships that are also interracial are such a slay

I realize that the LIS2 fandom is already very niche (even within the LIS community) so these HCs are even more niche but… idc! Writing this made me happy lol.

I’ll try to fulfill some of the requests I got back in September! Sorry for not getting to them yet.

Hope you enjoyed! :3

[20230323deactivated]

trey’s baking lessons is now in session!

— how does one bake if one does not know how to bake? simply go to trey clover!

characters. first years x gn!reader

warnings. author is not by any means good at english for their first language is filipino with that in mind please excuse the grammatical errors that has been performed on this fic. (not proofread)

an. late valentine cause fuyu was extremely busy this week!

tags. @cherrys-sweetness @rayisalive @moxxbox

Panic.

That was the only emotion felt by the first years. Ace didn’t truly know what to do when such a day is about to come near, deuce is even more confused. What would you like to have? do you prefer the classic chocolate and roses? or something from his heart.

Epel has confidence in his apple carving skills and knows he can make something out of it for you, why does it feel like something is a miss? Jack already has an idea on what to give you. A classic homemade chocolate, though the problem is how does he make it?

Sebek is in the same situation as deuce. all of them sigh, Yuu sees them. such a calm aura, how ominous, was today gonna be troublesome? “Oh wow,” they said aloud as the first year's eyes looked at the ramshackle prefect. The prefect sweatdropped as they went to their seat, “prefect… I’m your best friend,”

Ace started. Yuu is slightly concerned with how he started their conversation, “yes… what is it?”

“What kind of gift do you give if you had a valentine?” This raised a brow from the prefect. Though they shrugged it off, “well homemade chocolates and I think a flower that reminds you of them would be nice, why?”

‘So normal,’ they deadpanned though their mind went adrift on how your reaction would be if they gave you a flower that reminded them of you. You flustered as you looked down taking their gift. Yep this already has the boys mind in a fuse.

“what do you do if you don’t know how to bake homemade chocolates?” ace avoided the prefects question of how to invest in his own world, “well I’ll go to Trey for baking lessons, I mean he is good at baking,”

‘THAT'S RIGHT! TREY!’ all of the first year thought and before Yuu can even react. Ace walked out of the classroom followed by the 4 others who’s running on his tail, “OI!”

Yuu yelled but alas they turned deaf ears to this, they sigh as they hear the bell ring, “we still have classes…”

How troublesome.

꒰ ace trappola ꒱

One of the most troublesome of the five. while he can easily understand the simple instructions he seems to be very bad at performing them. It is expected of a beginner to be at least bad at what they’re doing, thus why they need to hone their skills to be able to do things decently. Fate says otherwise to ace.

Cracking eggs seems to be much harder to the red head as he either put too much strength on opening it successfully putting eggshells in his batter.

His first creation ended up looking like a suspicious poisonous concoction instead of a simple chocolate chip cookie. It terrified Trey to the bone as he saw it with his own two eyes. The second time he tried making chocolate chip cookies again it came off half burnt, it was a massive ego boost to the heartslabyul first year that he ended up bragging about it making everyone look at him in a deadpan manner.

It ended up tasting terrible because of how hard the cookie was. The third time he did it, he successfully nailed it, the cookie wasn’t too hard nor too soft, it wasn’t too sweet nor too bitter. it's good enough to be served to someone without making them end up in a hospital.

He ended up buying a cute transparent red wrapper decorated with small hearts on them, putting a small red ribbon to make it look pleasing. He brought a simple rose to give it to you.

The fact he bragged how “amazingly” he made those chocolate chip cookies to you. You only giggled as you believed whatever his words were. Though what you did next left him astonished, it was a simple kiss on the cheek and yet that left him flustered. He tries to act like that didn’t catch him off guard by acting cocky.

꒰ deuce spade ꒱

While he’s also bad, he's not that actually bad like ace. He’s surprisingly good at cracking eggs though that's it, the sweet treat he was planning on giving you is a simple heart shaped chocolate that's what his mother recommended him to do so he’s gonna make whatever his mom recommends.

Trey felt at ease when he first taught the heartslabyul first year for he easily got things right unlike a certain redhead. He truly wanted to remake his chocolate again solely because he thought you wouldn’t like it but with a simple comfort from Trey he got his confidence back.

Although his decorations on the chocolate might be too over the top same with the boy he used to it he hopes you love it nonetheless. The flowers he had gotten for you was a simple plastic tulip, he only chose plastic tulips, scared that you had any kind of allergies to a real flower.

The day he gave it to you he was a blushing mess and stuttering all over. He did manage to give it to you and everyone literally gagged at how lovey dovey the sight is. He was actually really happy when you accepted it.

꒰ jack howl ꒱

He’s very good at the kitchen. Surprisingly, Trey thought he wouldn’t know how to bake but Jack got the basics. Though he did need some few pointers on things as he mistakenly put wrong ingredients while doing the recipe he has done.

One of the many reasons he has to do his batter all over again. The sweet treat he was planning on giving was a simple chocolate donut.

Jack has no sense of aestheticism at all, that much is no secret to his friend group, thus the reason why everyone had to help him for his cover for the donuts, while he was originally planning on a simple box and just put it on your desk.

Epel said it will look like he has put something ominous for them, thus leading him too much as he gave out another idea which is wrapping the donut with plastic while its still on the plate and putting a paper saying ‘eat me’.

This has gained everyone's pity and just gave him ideas for it. He ended up putting the donuts on a cute brown paper bag with a red ribbon on top of it while a letter is attached to it.

The flowers he has given you were a simple orchid. He didn’t outright directly give it to you cause he felt shy thus leading to him putting it in your desk though the letter he had put in besides the bag of the sweet treat was filled with such genuine words from him.

꒰ epel felmier ꒱

Brownies. Those were the sweet treat he first thought once he was thinking of what treat to give to you. He is really good at baking since he has lived with his grandparents and a spoilt grandmother who would do anything for him, it was only natural that she would teach him how to bake.

He easily did the task in hand although with a little difficulty since this is the first non apple type dessert he will make. Trey commends him on how great he is in the kitchen especially in baking which of course skyrocketed his ego while earning some dirty glances(ace).

He too also has no sense of style and aestheticism thus leading everyone to help him how to cover up the sweet treat he was planning on giving you. He has takens Trey’s Idea which was putting it within the flower.

The flower he gave you was a simple chrysanthemum, as the box of brownies was inserted on it while he may have been flustered he kept his head high as he gave it to you not caring how shameless he was at saying how you will be his valentine.

Safe to say, you really were his valentine.

꒰ sebek zigvolt ꒱

He has followed the recipe book every instruction to the bone, how the sugar should be like this, how much flour should be put. While Trey appreciates the enthusiasm the green haired half fae given to him in these baking lessons, It’s not really that needed.

While it is good to follow the recipe, sometimes you just gotta let it flow. He had to cook the cupcakes again solely because of it being half burnt the first try, while the icing might be a little butchered up it was good to be given to you.

He also has no sense of style and aestheticism but does he care? no. So that ended up him putting the cupcakes on a random red box. Don’t get me wrong he truly does love you but he has put all his love to the cupcakes he had made just for you so why make such an extravagant cover when your love is all put on the sweet treat you were gonna eat?

That was clearly an excuse. The flowers he has given you was a bouquet or orchids showing it off to you with a smugness written all over his aura as if he wasn’t panicking on what to give to you.

While it is good to follow the recipe, sometimes you just gotta let it flow. He had to cook the cupcakes again solely because of it being half burnt the first try, while the icing might be a little butchered up it was good to be given to you.

He also has no sense of style and aestheticism but does he care? no. So that ended up him putting the cupcakes on a random red box. Don’t get me wrong he truly does love you but he has put all his love to the cupcakes he had made just for you so why make such an extravagant cover when your love is all put on the sweet treat you were gonna eat?

That was clearly an excuse. The flowers he has given you was a bouquet or orchids showing it off to you with a smugness written all over his aura as if he wasn’t panicking on what to give to you.

[fiberopticfrenzy]

I was looking at the Earthspark reviews and wanted to post my feelings about the show.

It's a simpler version of transformers than people are typically used to, if you can't enjoy cutesy things then it probably isn't for you. And that's okay, not everything is for everyone, but some of yall straight up have no motivation behind rating this show lowly because of bigotry and that's wild to me. But if there's one thing bigots will do, it's review bomb a show.

There was a huge call among bigoted fans to review bomb the show for its portrayal of a nonbinary character and the human family being black and Filipino. It was even on the news saying "transformers earthspark is going after your kids" and "transformers goes woke" there were forums about taking down the show. Bigotry being the main source behind many low reviews is an indisputable fact. I'll discuss this here because I hate to burst the bigot bubble but Transformers hasn't been supportive of your closed minded, white nationalist, America first, lgbtphobic ideals for a very long time.

There are many canon lgbt transformers (mostly in the idw comics): rodimus, breakdown, Knockout, starscream, whirl, arcee, horri-bull, needlenose, pipes, anode, getaway, cromedome, brainstorm, skids, first aid, megatron, perceptor, drift, ratchet, cyclonus, tailgate, swerve, lug, minimus, aileron, greenlight, prowl, rewind, lancer, blastoff, onslaught. fortress maximus, red alert, and cerebros are frickin poly. The list goes on. Transformers have been queer far before Nightshade

Edited 11/27 I put lancer twice on accident lol

On to the series itself: Overall the series has decent writing, good character designs, and fun characters. I'm a fan of g1, Animated 2007, Prime, the Alligned novels, rescue bots, the Bumblebee movie, and the IDW comics. So I've seen transformers in many different versions and I think this one is pretty solid. It's not perfect by any means, but it's entertaining and very genuinely sweet.

I was extremely apprehensive of the concept of "new transformers born right here on earth" as many other fans were. But Twitch and Thrash quickly warmed my heart with their personalities.

Is it simplified? Yeah! It's for CHILDREN. Does it also focus heavily on the family dynamic and what it really means to be a family? Yes. Does it deal with race? Yes. Does it deal with discrimination based on race? Yes. It still has serious topics that children need to learn about. And it teaches them in a very sweet way. It teaches kids about respecting other cultures, the dangers of war and standing up for what is right. It deals with the trauma of abusive relationships and how that effects victims of abuse (with starscream). The show tackles a lot of deep issues without feeling too unnatural.

But "Wehh it's not about decepticons fighting autobots!!!!!!" You say. Okay? And? First of all that's incorrect. A great deal of the plot deals with that subject. Yall are just mad it's not mindless fighting and instead focuses on how the war has negatively effected them and almost drove their race to extinction and that they need to reconcile and come together peacefully. Also God forbid we sympathize with the decepticons and show that they are, largely, being unjustly locked away foe the rest of their lives by an organization that wants to exterminate them.

Oh, that's another thing pissing off bigots. It's teaching the kids they can't always trust the government or authority figures!? How dare it teach them those very real and serious issue that are quite literally plaguing our society? Be for real? The show is on another level that g1 wasn't, meaning it's a lot more honest and no longer largely connected to sucking the boot of the American police force. And I'm sorry if you can't figure out how g1 is largely influenced by American military and police propaganda then this series will be entirely lost on you.

Gender swapped characters... Oh no! Feminism has taken over some of your favorite characters and ripped them from your grasp an-- wait what? It's only two characters? Skywarp and Frenzy? Frenzy is another thing, why do yall think they're pandering to gen z with Frenzy? The female incarnation of Frenzy who yall keep referring to as Rumble, further confirming you didn't actually watch the show and are just review bombing. Personally I love my girls, congrats on your transitions, ladies.

Then the Nightshade gender discourse. Some people are complaining about the show "forcing genderless politics on us" with Nightshade... Nightshade uses they/them pronouns and out of the 15 episodes Nightshade is featured in it is mentioned twice. So out of the (estimated) 374 minutes Nightshade exists in the series, it's mentioned twice. Be for fucking real. It is not being forced down your throats and shoved in your faces it is literally mentioned for a total of about 30 seconds out of 374 minutes of air time. Shut up.

And even if they did decide to dedicate an entire episode to it? GOOD cause the world is moving past your narrow minded views and it becoming more accepting of things like gender that have been SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN to be TRUE. But yall want to fall back on your little book that was written 2000 years ago, then censored to remove god's wife and the mention of other gods besides his egotistical ass, then rewritten, then re rewritten, then deliberately altered to change passages about pedophiles to homosexuals, and excuse slavery, rape, child sex trafficking, allowing strangers to rape your daughters, then dads having sex with their daughters, and genocide. Shut up????? The morals of your little book are way worse than anything transformers could do.

[thecynthh]

smartass - M.S pt6

synopsis - matt’s not doing to well with his schooling but is determined to get his degree and pass his classes. one essay which is a huge part of their grade haunts him with a bad mark, luckily y/n is willing to help him NOT PROOFREAD

notes - WARNING mentions of rape and trauma (read at your own risk) disclaimer! i am not a victim of any of the traumatic things that happened to the character in my story so sorry if anything is incorrect. 

a/n - there is the use of tagalog in this part ! all translations will be right here, i thought it would be cute to sorta insert a bit of my culture into my story because im actually really proud of this and i thought it would be nice :) 

TAGALOG KEY

(think about this in a filipino accent or it’ll sound horrible)

pogi - handsome

tita - auntie

kuya - brother

napakaganda niya - shes so pretty

lechon - roasted pork with a very crunchy skin and meaty inside. 

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matt’s pov 

my mind is fuzzy as i start to wake up. taking a deep breath in something so fresh and comforting. i hug a little tighter on my pillow feeing very comfortable with the pillow between my legs and one in my arms. i don’t disturb what’s happening around me knowing it was saturday and i had no plans. best sleep of my life. 

i feel my pillows stir a little, they move and start making noise. i slowly opened my eyes, seeing my clock next to my bed. 9:27 is what i read through my sleepy eyes. my lamp on my side table is still on and my tv has stopped at the end of a brooklyn 99 episode. 

y/n pov 

i try to move my legs, feeling my eyes open up, they widen a bit seeing a familiar pair of boxers. “matt?” i whisper to the man resting his head against mine as I adjust my head and attempt to move myself away from him but his arm goes around the small of my back and pulls me in. 

“just, don’t move right now. you’re too warm to let go off,” matt mumbles as he digs his face even deeper into the pillows that support his head. he was right it did feel pretty good, i allowed myself to just sink into him. last night was.. nice. we talked our asses off while watching brooklyn 99 and god the sex was amazing, matt was so kind and gentle with me. 

“hey y/n?” matt says with his morning voice, groggy and so hot. 

“yes matt” i say into his neck, nesting in the delightful moment. 

“can i take you out on a date?” he repositioned his head to look at me. 

“didn’t you get this a bit backwards? isn’t the date supposed to be first?” a small chuckle escapes my lips while i find humour in the very serious matter. 

“soo, is that a yes?” he asks, i’m welcomed in with his big doe eyes, now i really cant say no.

“yes matt, i’ll go on a date with you.” as soon as the words come out of my mouth he pulls me in even tighter spreading kisses all over my face. i get faint deja vu from last night as the little smooches pepper my face. he finishes with one over exaggerated kiss to finish it off. 

“so how about i take you on that date now?” his face glows underneath the sunlight that floods the room. 

“sure but on one condition, i'm still your tutor and no one knows yet, okay? i’m not telling madi and you aren’t telling nick and chris,” my finger jabs him in the chest. 

“yes i solemnly swear that i will not tell my brothers,” his hand envelopes my finger, he pulls it up from his chest and gives it a small peck before redirects it to my nose. 

“let’s get ready then,” i say sitting up, matt just pretends to be asleep again. “heyyyyyy” i pull at his arm before he springs up scaring me a little. he jumps out of bed to move to my side and pull me up. i swivel my body to face a waiting matt i hold my arms out as he pulls me up. as i get onto my feet my knees give out immediately. my core struggles feeling sore and used. 

“oh baby im so sorry was it too much last night?” matt says with pure sincerity trying to hold me up as my legs give up on me. 

“no i’m okay, just help me?” instead of trying to hold me up anymore he picks me and brings me to the bathroom, he tugs down on my underwear and puts me on the toilet. he goes over to the door, closing it but leaving a small crack.

“just call me if you need help with anything else.” his voice travels through the sliver of open space he’s left in the door. i finished up my business and started to walk out of the door just convincing myself that my entire bottom half doesn’t hurt. i put back in my sweats and grabbed a zip-up sweater and a white wife beater from matt’s closet, leaving my other sweater on his desk chair. 

“okay i’m ready when you are,” i sit down on his bed looking at him as he loops his key ring around one of his belt hoops and pulls me by my arms up into a hug. 

“thank you for last night, and this date, and for just being you” he whispers softly into my ear. 

i immediately reciprocate the hug “matt i wouldn’t have wished for anyone else,” i feel a red flush spread to my ears and cheeks. he pulls away, swiping a loose hair behind my ear and kissing my cheek.

“let’s go before the others wake up, yeah?” i nod and he leads me out the door. 

just after a little bit of driving we make it to a diner that appears to be in a strip mall that looks a bit old. a large rubber duck sign with the words “ducky diner” on it right above the yellow and white overhanging cloth that is just begging to fly away in the autumn weather. 

“i know it doesn’t look like much from the outside but trust me, the family that this is run by makes amazing food.” our hands have been linked together since we exited the car as he leads me into. 

“well, look who finally came back,” an asian woman comes up to us with a slight sway of her hips as she greets us. 

“hi tita!” matt says with a wide smile on his face. 

“ay, you look so pogi” the woman squishes matt’s cheeks between her fingers, i giggle at the sight. “matthew have you been eating enough? look at you, you need to eat more so skinny oh my gosh.” she places her hand on her hip and points her finger towards him while she scolds him. 

“tita grace, i wanted you to meet my girlfriend, y/n” matt says clenching on my hand in a reassuring way while he said girlfriend.

“hello miss ! it's nice to meet you” i say with a beaming smile trying to make as good of an impression as i can. 

“napakaganda niya, good job matthew !” her thumbs up seems very approving towards matt. “oh i bet you guys are hungry, i already have your lechon heating up matt, what would your girlfriend like,” she teases matt a bit by elongating “girl” in girlfriend. 

“just two orders of the lechon please tita, and say hi to kuya daniel for me please!” the woman sways off and matt pulls me to the seating area and we sit down at a simple two seater table. 

“wow you’re so close with the staff here, it’s cute seeing you like this.” i say holding one of his hands over the table. 

“yeah, nick, chris and i discovered this place on ubereats and absolutely adore it.” his head looks down a little as i see his face heat up. 

“so,” i pause before i continue, “i'm your girlfriend now?” his eyes stay glued to mine while i ask him. 

“oh god i hope that was okay, im sorry i shouldn’t be assuming anything.” my grip on his hand tightens a bit while he talks. 

“i am way more than okay with it, as long as you’re okay with being my boyfriend.” he nods excitedly while looking at me. the food comes not long after we finally make it official and once we finish up at the ducky diner matt takes me out to get ice cream. it was a very perfect first date.  

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

after being out for a couple of hours we finally get back to my apartment and crashed on the couch. i snake my arm around matt’s torso looking up at him begging for a kiss. “hm? whats up baby?”

“kiss please” i smile as our lips connect. matt places his hand on my waist and pulls me into his lap, my thighs wrap around his as i feel the kiss getting heated. 

i pull back by putting a hand on his chest. “wait, wait, I need to tell you something before this keeps going.” his eyes look up at me in worry. 

“im sorry did i do something wrong?” matt says with a concerned look on his face. 

“no, you’re perfect, it's just.” i sighed, i was hoping i could at least keep this from him for a bit longer but its better if i say it now rather than waste both of our time. “last night when we had sex, it was my first time in a while, because when i was sixteen-” my voice cracks and my stomach drops. 

“when i was sixteen i was a really bad kid, i drank and partied a lot and at a party–” my voice is thick and i feel tears threatening to spill. matt just keeps a firm grip on me, letting me talk. 

“at a party my drink got spiked by these gang kids,” i was slowly losing myself as i attempted to tell my story. “they spiked my drink and i was r-raped.” matt’s finger catches a tear before it can stream any further down my face and just tugs me in.

“y/n, im so sorry, i won’t think of you any differently.” his words are as warm as his embrace around me. 

“last night was the first time i had sex since then. im sorry i didn’t tell you before, i dont deserve you at all. im broken-” 

“no,” matts voice boomed. i felt the vibration of his words in his chest. “no y/n you are not broken.” his hands find my face and look me dead in the eyes. “i will never believe that you are broken, because you are the strongest person i know. you support yourself and work so hard to finish school and help others around you. you are lovely and you are not broken.” his tone was stern but his words were assuring and comforting. 

“come on, stay at my house tonight, please?” his eyes pleaded. 

“ONLY if it's alright with the guys. but yes, i’d love to stay.” matt pulls me in for another kiss, swiping away a loose tear. 

im glad i told matt that night. it would've been a lot more messy if he found out from someone else. 

[shina913]

Flowerworks | KNJ

Flowerworks

Pairing: Namjoon x Fem!Reader

Rating: M (SFW)

Genre: Exes; pure angst; fluff

Warnings: a lot of angst; pining; meet-cute; suggestive language; missed opportunities; vague infidelity

Word count: 4,241 words

Summary: “The love you had in your past...unfinished, untested, lost love...seems so easy, so childish to those who chose to settle down. But it’s actually the purest, most concentrated stuff.”

A/N: This story was inspired by an anthology series that I had binged while I had Covid back in January this year. For a while, I've been wanting to do a rendition of that but I wasn't sure which member to 'cast.' But Indigo has such a great inspiration so I've revisited this draft and thought Namjoon would be the perfect angsty main character here. Also, Kelly Price's rendition of As We Lay was a good inspo for this as well, except it's got none of the spicy stuff and you're left with all angst!

A/N2: I've never been to the UK or Europe 🤡 so a lot of this is just talking out of my ass hoping it would make for an interesting backdrop. I apologize for any geographical inaccuracies. This isn't the first time I've mentioned Juan Luna in my fics--I just thought, wouldn't it be cool if Namjoon studied Filipino impressionists🤪. Anyway, hope the story still lands! 💙

“Thank you so much for the presentation, Dr. YLN. It was so refreshing to hear a new take on a subject that’s so rarely…uhm, what’s the word…”

“Discussed? Thought of?” You finish their sentence for them. You smile warmly at a young journalist who was covering your lecture as part of a feature piece they were doing for a magazine. After the program ended, they decided to come up for a side conversation.

“Yes, that’s right,” the journalist says. “Your perspective is so fascinating to me. I mean–when we were in grade school, these lessons were just so repetitive and boring. It’s practically a bird course,” they chuckled.

“Right, because you’re supposed to just fly right through it?” You joked. You, too, had that impression when you were much younger. 

“Your research style is so much more interesting. I was elated to find out that you’re the historical consultant on that ‘Ilustrados’ series!”

You tried your best to stay humble but deep down, you were still pinching yourself about getting to work with a major studio and top-tier production team. “I saw it as a great opportunity for us history and literature majors to flex a little, you know?” Then you caught yourself and laughed. “Oh my god, that sounded so nerdy,” you flushed.

“Not at all! Don’t be too modest,” they giggled. “I think it’s great that we get to give stories like this a new angle.”

You smiled and mouthed your thanks.

“I’m curious, do you remember what or who inspired you to pursue history as one of your fields of expertise?”

You grew flustered then blew out a quick breath. “Wow, uhm…nobody’s ever asked me that!”

“I don’t have to include it,” the journalist adds.

Your brows furrowed. “Include what?”

“That story that’s written all over your face,” they say with a knowing look.

“Oh, well…I think I’ve always been on track to study literature in some shape or form. That was my chosen major in college. Pursuing a career in history, however…was a happy accident,” you recall fondly.

They smiled excitedly. “Please tell me more,” they urged.

You stifle a grin. It was one of, if not the most unforgettable time in your life. If you could ever capture lightning in a bottle–that was the moment to do it.

You began, “He was an art history major spending a year in France while I was a language and literature major spending a semester in London. I met him while on holiday at a cafe in Paris–” 

“Hang on! I think I’ve heard this story before!” They interject.

You give them a confused look. Up until this moment, you’ve only spoken about him to your former flatmate and a couple of close friends. “Y-you have?” You ask slowly.

They let out a soft chuckle. “I’m sorry, I’m kidding! Is that real?”

You laughed. “Yes, yes it is!”

“You know, most people are like–we met in college, lost touch for a while, then ran into each other on the street years later and had coffee.”

“Well…it does sound like quite the Hallmark movie plot, huh? The place we were at was certainly the perfect backdrop for it,” you smiled at the memory. “But, as unbelievable as it sounds, if it weren’t for him sparking my…” You cleared your throat, “...Enthusiasm in the subject and history in general–I wouldn’t be in this position today.”

It was indeed a serendipitous time in Paris, which began as a casual encounter over drinks, then eventually led to hours of exploring historic art districts with him. The day trips around the city certainly brought your interest in history to a whole different level.

“W-what happened to him?”

You shrug your shoulders. “After my break, I had to return to London. He wanted to come with me but he had some travel commitments with his fellow students. We agreed to meet at my place but–it just…didn’t work out for some reason.”

The journalist listened intently, indulging you in your story.

“I don’t know what happened. I thought we had a great connection. I mean, wasn’t that as perfect an opening to a relationship that you can get? Back then, I would go back and forth trying to think about how different it felt for me than it did for him.” 

For a moment, you felt yourself slip again. But as you had done for the past several years, you smiled and shook your head to brush the memory aside to lock it away. Then, at your most vulnerable, you can unpack it again. You wave them off, “Anyway, that was such a long time ago, though!”

“How long?” They ask curiously.

“10 years,” another voice answered.

For that fraction of a second, your heart drops to your stomach, and you’re afraid to look up. This has to be another figment of your imagination. Still, you couldn’t help thinking about the times you wished to hear that voice again.

The journalist steps aside to clear the path. You finally peer up, blinking a few times to assure yourself that this was real.

There he was, standing in front of you–your lightning in a bottle…Namjoon. He had the biggest smile on his face and it was just as warm and bright as you remember it. 

Suddenly feeling that they’ve intruded in a special moment, the journalist excuses themself and thanks you for the lovely conversation, promising to send you the initial draft of their feature via email.

As stunned as you were, you managed to string some words together. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

“Hello, YN,” Namjoon greeted you as he moved closer.

“H-hi.” You were shocked to hear how calm your voice sounded when all you wanted to do was melt into a puddle.

You both stand in front of each other not knowing whether to shake hands or hug. Before you knew it, you were throwing your arms around his neck to embrace him. You feel his warmth envelop you, hearing him sigh faintly into your hair.

“It’s been a long time,” you say after pulling away. “Weren’t we supposed to meet in London?”

//FLASHBACK

When you met in Paris, he was only one of the handful of patrons who spoke English at the cafe. You don’t know how exactly your conversation began, but he started spouting some facts about craft beer as opposed to wine–and tried to convince you that one was better than the other.

After a few spirited arguments, you agreed to settle things…back at his flat, which was a block away from the cafe. Your worked out your differences in opinions in bed, eventually agreeing to disagree after he made you orgasm.

He later confessed that the spontaneous debate was a pickup tactic from him. He thought he was being clever but never expected you to offer up some valid points. But you told him that you thought he was cute so you were all-too-willing to be reeled in anyway.

Though you were on break, he was in the middle of his school term and had to spend time traveling within the city to check out recommended sites to fulfill his course requirements. 

He invited you to come with him on a day trip to check out the former studio of an artist who turned out to be instrumental in their home country's rebellion. You were apprehensive but came with an open mind--and you never regretted it.

You spent the evening at his place once more...and a few more times after that. Your favorite thing was waking up next him in the mornings, exchanging innocent kisses in bed that always escalated to the point where one or both of you would end up moaning each other's name.

But when you weren’t in bed, you spent many hours just talking. He was so passionate about his studies as much as you were about yours. The way he spoke about art, its origins, and inspirations was so reverent, it was fascinating to experience a drop of his enthusiasm.

The day you had to return to London was difficult, not just for you but for him, too. He and a few of his fellow students were supposed to travel to Rouen and spend a few days there to check out some impressionist exhibits recommended by their teacher. He planned to take the ferry to visit you right after.

When you arrived at the train station, he noticed that he lost his phone somewhere between the ride from his flat to this point. You dug into your bag and retrieved an old receipt where you wrote your number and address down. He took it and slid it in between his book that he carried with him. Then, on the week that you were supposed to meet, the borders shut down.

//END FLASHBACK

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Mm-hm…you better be,” you respond wryly.

He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. “I, uh…missed my alarm then, got caught up in the border lockdown. Before I knew it, I was stranded in Normandy for a bit before the school managed to make arrangements to get us back to Paris then back home.”

You’ll never forget it, since you, too, were stuck in a foreign land so far away from family.

“How come you never called?” It was a question that niggled at you for years.

He chewed at his bottom lip helplessly. “In the midst of all the chaos, I misplaced my book–the one where I kept that receipt where you wrote down your information.”

That all sounded too easy and far-fetched. But in the week that you spent with him, it wasn’t that hard to believe. He nearly left his passport behind at the bar that first night before going back to his flat; Once, he got off at the wrong stop after mixing up north and southbound trains.

You sighed. “Well…you’re here now. That’s all that matters, right? How did you know I’d be here?”

He smiled wistfully. “I saw your picture in one of our e-newsletters I get at work,” he answers. “I normally send those straight to my trash but something told me that I needed to take a look at it and…I’m sure glad that I did.”

That made your heart flutter. You made a mental note to thank the university’s Communications team for convincing you to do a headshot to promote the lecture series.

“Do you live around the area? Are you local?”

He shook his head gently. “No. I made the trip out here because I wanted to come see you.”

Your mouth falls open at his confession. “O-oh.”

“I wondered if I could take you out for dinner? There’s a bistro that I passed not too far from here. U-unless…you’ve already eaten–”

You snorted loudly then interjected, “Oh, please–you know I could always eat!” He laughs hysterically.

******

“Have you ever gone back?”

His eyes flick up at your question but the look he gave told you that you didn’t need to clarify it further.

“Mm-hm,” he answered affirmatively before adding, “Not as often as I’d like, though. And you?”

“Yeah,” you reply. “Actually, a year after travel restrictions eased up, I went back right away.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Really?”

You nod and look at him enigmatically. “I went straight to Villa Dupont.”

Remembering the area so clearly, his lips twitch at the thought. “Luna’s atelier?”

You nodded again. He sat back on his chair then interlocked his fingers behind his neck before he tilted his head against them. “Wow. That’s…amazing!”

“What can I say? That’s where my career started,” you quipped.

“And here I was, thinking that I was such an idiot for taking this beautiful girl on the most boring, mind-numbing walking tour of Asian impressionist artists.”

You both laughed, but those walks with him were one of the best memories of your time there.

“Anyway, I came back a few more times after that for my doctoral dissertation. And now here I am, giving lectures on it.”

The look on his face showed pride and admiration. All those hours you spent talking, you both shared your dreams and hopes for the future. You both had your head in the clouds…just two kids trying to justify the relevance of your respective liberal arts programs.

“That’s amazing. Consider me envious,” he says in jest. “You’re traveling around the world…and living your dream.”

You wave him off. “It’s not so glamorous. These days, I’m happy if I get to squeeze in some personal time. Usually, I get to a place, spend most of my time working and…” Your eyes drift down to your left hand, picking up your drink, “...then I have to get back to my family.”

He follows your line of vision. It wasn’t the first time he’s clocked in the piece of jewelry you’ve worn for a number of years now. He noticed it when you took the menu from the host after they sat you down at your table. 

He hadn’t asked about it then, nor did you ask him about the ring that he wore on his finger when he moved his wine glass to the edge of the table when the server returned to pour him a glass of red wine.

You cleared your throat. “So, what else have you been up to these days? Are you just calling up former lovers?” You teased him.

A low laugh rumbled within his chest. “I’ve only ever had one former lover,” he held up one finger and stared. It was so unnerving, you had to break eye contact first. “Then, I got married. Really quickly…to the first girl that I met a year after I got back from France.”

You couldn’t hide the shock written all over your face. “Wow,” you managed to say. “That’s…” You try to think of a word that didn’t sound too reproachful. 

“Crazy? Impulsive? Yes. I was really young and I thought the world was ending. I just didn’t want to lose anybody again.” he trailed off. 

You and your husband were together for five years before you even thought about getting married. Maybe you were unconsciously holding out hope that you’d run into Namjoon again.

You swallowed the lump in your throat and smiled sadly at the thought, but that was quickly interrupted by the server bringing your dinner to the table.

******

You go through the rest of dinner talking about your most recent work and him sharing some of his more recent projects. When the server returns to dish out your plates, they ask about dessert. Namjoon declined but immediately looked at you.

“Oh, no thank you,” you declined politely.

Namjoon’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Who are you? I could have sworn that moelleux au chocolat was calling your name,” he teases, remembering your favorite treat that you indulged in while you were together.

“Shut up,” you laughed. “We’re not 21 anymore. You can’t…eat chocolate cake just like that.”

“Not even in bed?” The soft crinkle in his eyes deepened as he smiled cheekily. 

You try to put aside those memories of chocolate and him. You cock a serious eyebrow at him, his expression unchanging. “Nope, not even in bed.”

You fall silent for a bit. Then he asks, “How many kids do you have?”

“Two girls. You?”

“I have a son,” he answers.

“Must be blissful to just have one,” you commented, polishing off your wine.

“Oh, trust me,” he says, picking up the bottle to pour you another glass but you hold your hand up, feeling like you’ve had more than enough for the night. “He’s still a handful, though.” he laughs, proceeding to empty out the rest of the bottle’s contents into his glass.

“But he’s my handful, so…” he trailed off, setting the empty wine bottle on the table.

“Are you and your wife still together?” You thought maybe the question was out of line but curiosity was getting the best of you.

His expression turns wistful. “We live under the same roof, let’s put it that way. She’s a great woman, a good mother. And I don’t deserve her.”

You smiled sadly at him, then stared at him silently. You begin to question why you even decided to come with him. Perhaps it was all a big mistake.

And yet, even though it's been so long, your memories of him were so incredibly vivid that you could just reach your hand out and you'd feel them. Feel him.

“What are we doing here, Namjoon? Why did you show up at my lecture? What did you hope to achieve?”

“Honestly?” His eyes flicked downward and he began to fidget with a loose thread on the table cloth.

“When I found out that you’d be in town, I booked a room within five minutes.” He chuckled. “I didn’t even care if the rate was ridiculous…”

Then, his gaze lifted back to your face. “I was hoping that we could pick up where we left off."

Your hand instinctively clutches at your chest. Your heart was beating so fast, you were afraid that it would just burst out of it.

"For 10 years, I imagined what our life would have been like. And if I ever saw you again, would I feel the same way about you? Would you feel the same way about me?”

You purse your lips and lean in closer. “You didn’t need to book a hotel room to find out if we still love each other…” You paused, then gave him a small smile. “Because clearly, we still do.”

His lips curved into a smile and the dimples in his cheeks grew deeper.

“For 10 years…Just the idea of you, knowing that you existed and that you were in my life…I held onto those memories and they got me through some tough times.” Your throat tightens but right before your tears fall, he reaches across the table, holding his hand out, beckoning you to put your hand in it.

After some hesitation, you acquiesce. He gives it a gentle squeeze, then brings it up to his lips to kiss it. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

******

You took a leisurely walk by the avenue and into a small pub a few blocks away. You shared a few more drinks and stories. For hours, you caught up with each other’s lives. 

You excitedly talk to him about your new television project while he enthusiastically describes recently studying works by the late Yun Hyong Keun, even developing a friendship with his family.

Art was Namjoon’s pride and joy. His eyes, though the corners were now wrinkled with laugh lines several years later, still lit up the same way when he talked about his passions and the things that he loves.

When one pub closed, you moved into another. And when that closed, you moved your conversation to a park bench, right outside of your hotel by the waterfront.

It was a little after 5:30AM and daylight was breaking through the horizon. Most of the town’s commercial avenue was still asleep, save for the cafes that were gearing up for a new day for early-morning patrons.

When you sat down next to him, he lifted his arm up, inviting you to sidle up closer to him. And you did. You basked in his warmth and rested your head against his chest. You caught a whiff of him…cinnamon and coffee mixed in with faint traces of lavender-scented fabric softener. Even though you felt fatigue set in, you couldn’t close your eyes. You crane your neck up to find him sitting still with eyes closed while the sunrise kisses his face. Now, how could you possibly miss that?

******

You head back into the hotel and go up to your respective rooms only to retrieve your things so you could check out and head to the train station.

“You don’t have to take me, really–”

“I know I don’t have to but I want to,” he insisted.

You laugh at him. “You’ve gone and rented out a room that you didn’t even sleep in. Now you’re saying that you’re going to take the train with me, see me off at my stop, then transfer at a station that’s completely out of the way for you?”

He laughed in return. “It sounds so crazy when you put it that way but…yes, I want to do all that.”

You shook your head at how ridiculous that was. “Joon…”

“Please? Just let me do this,” he all but pleads.

You wanted to protest again but instead, when you open your mouth, a yawn escapes you.

“Look at you…that’s like, the fifth time in a row you’ve yawned,” he snickered.

“Spare me,” you chuckled with a slight eyeroll. “I know we barely slept when we were together. Now I can barely keep my eyes open.”

“Dawn is for lovers…and bakers,” he adds with a grin while his eyes peered up at a bakery that had just turned over its ‘open’ sign on the front door.

Your cheeks flushed with warmth. “You always had a way with words.”

“Things haven’t changed much,” he replied as you made your way out of the hotel to catch a cab together.

******

Hours later, the train approaches your stop, and you begin to gather your things.

“Thank you,” you say to him.

He smiled wordlessly then dipped his head down. You didn’t stop him and instead, met his kiss halfway. Warmth bloomed within your chest when your lips brushed against each other’s. In an instant, you had traveled back in time…back into his embrace. It was like coming home.

The train comes to a halt, making you bump against each other. Pulling away, you stare at each other with half-lidded eyes. Both your pulses raced but ironically, there was a calm that washed over you.

Neither of you said anything for a few beats until a smile broke through his lips. It’s so infectious that you do the same. He leans in again and plants a soft, lingering kiss on your forehead. You find yourself squeezing your eyes shut.

When he lets go of you, he looks into your eyes again. “We should do this again.”

His invitation was so unexpected that it knocked the wind out of you. You give him a small smile and a nod. “Sure, just call me.”

“I definitely will. You know, since I have my phone with me now instead of an old receipt,” he says.

You gather your things and off-board the train hand-in-hand. You put your luggage down then faced each other on the platform.

“So…have a good life!”

Your comment tickles him. “‘Have a good life’?” he echoed. “That sounds like something people say when they won’t see each other again.”

You didn’t really mean anything by it. You thought it sounded better than saying, ‘That was fun,’ or ‘Take care.’

You chuckled at him and shrugged. “You never know what could happen between now and the next time we see each other again. I could die; you could hit your head and fall into a coma; another border lockdown could happen, or…maybe one of us decides that they want something else,” you reply casually.

He took a step to narrow the gap between you. “I’ve always loved your wild imagination,” he says, tucking a few strands of your hair behind your ear.

You grinned at him. “So you’ve told me.”

His expression turned serious. “Well, none of those things will happen. We’ll see each other again.” he promises, keeping his eyes locked with yours.

You nodded softly and gave him a small smile. “Alright.”

His smile grew wider and you tilt your chin up to kiss his lips again before his train home arrives on the other side of the platform. You watched him board and saw that he sat by the window seat, his eyes still on you.

True love in its absolute form has many purposes in life. It’s not just about bringing children into the world; or romance or soulmates or even lifelong companionship. The love you had in your past...unfinished, untested, lost love...seems so easy, so childish to those who chose to settle down. But it’s actually the purest, most concentrated stuff.

For years, you imagined what it would be like to see him again. To learn that things hadn’t changed and that spark between you was just as bright and electric as when you first made eye contact.

And while you were happy to learn that he still felt the same way, just like any spark, there’s a brightness for a few seconds…before the wind blows it out. Like a firework that shoots up into the sky, bursting into different colors, only to fall back down as smoke and ash. Like a bolt of lightning, crackling through the storm clouds, followed by a loud thunderclap and a burst of rain.

Up until the last few hours, you realized that something this good can only last for so long. 

You had your beautiful moment with him. And that’s how it will always stay in your heart.

When the train rain pulls away from the station, you feel a twinge in your chest. You blew him a kiss and stood there silently until he was far enough away from you.

He waved at you through the window then turned to look straight ahead.

“Have a good life, YN,” he whispered to himself.

Crossposted on AO3 | Main Fic Masterlist

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Tagging: @internetjunkdrawer @deepseavibez @itdoesntmatterwhy @joonschocochip @yu-justme @e-cm

[juliawanag]

Decided to rewatch NATLA to properly form my own takes that’s been running through my mind: (I’ll have both things that I like and dislike.) Part 1

SPOILERS!

I like it like a friend from a hundred years ago: 

First and foremost, NATLA predominantly consists of Asian American Pacific Islanders. Good for them for creating a version that is more in their lens and creativity. 

The Bendiiing. All of the elements, except for Earth, are 10/10. I really want it to be more solid, especially on AangvsBumi. It’s not that bad though, so much better than…well u know. I’ll give it an 8/10. 

I rewatched it with a Filipino dub and it’s good, 9/10. Aang VO was convincing as a kid, so either they’re a great actor or a great kid actor. The jokes (Sokka’s sarcasm) hits better on my mother tongue

"You're my friend. You will always be my friend.” 

Avatar state under the ocean 

The costume. The only one that I do agree with everyone else that lacks is Zuko’s scar. They should’ve put prosthetics on the eyebrow. 

Zuko’s hair? Hello? They did a great job. Even though my sister and I sing Ariana Grande song whenever we see them swaying. It’s an integral part of his story, and I loved that they keep it. There’s an East Asian culture that indicates that kind of haircut as a punishment. I remember my History teacher taught me this in eighth grade but I forgot which it was, my bad. And the actor’s such a champ for having that hair IRL. 

My favorite actor performances: Gordon (Aang) superb acting. Liz (Azula). Utkarsh (Bumi). Justin Wong (Chong/SecretTunnelguy) sounds exactly like the character. Made up for my delusional expectation that Dee Bradley Baker would be in this. Ken Leung (Zhao) pisses me off so much, and that means he’s doing a great job. Dallas (Zuko) & Iroh (Paul). DDK's(Ozai) a natural idk if that's acting /j

Was it established in the OG that Katara's intro is a folklore/legend? Because yeah, I don’t mind that it is considered that way in this version. 

AAAAA, the Lieutenant Jee younger casting makes so much sense now! The 41st division is chef kiss. Zuko cryiiiing when he was being banished!? Dallas Lui ate! 

THE HYBRID ANIMALS LOOOK SO GOOD. The ostrich horse blended well with whoever rides them. It doesn’t look CGI to me. MOMO HIS MOMONESS, MOMO OF THE MOMO DYNASTY 

Any Zuko fight choreography (MY FAVORITE CHOREO DALLAS LOOKS FIIIRE). And Aang’s too (Oh hey).

Aang the Hype Man

The fallen Fire Nation ship behind Zukka fighting. (It’s in my notes idk why but I guess background details are a win) 

Aang and Iroh's interactions

NATLA Zuko (I don’t think there’s much of a difference though with the OG lol, and it’s probably because the NATLA directors/producers like Zuko) 

Camera direction 

The Found Family Hug™, what Netflix can do well.

End scene of Episode 1, is very cinematic. I can’t believe TV shows have come this far. I hope employees are paid well. 

The End Theme remains the saaame, and is added with cinematic effects as well.

The folly/sound effect at the start of Episode 2. Why is this the only episode with that flair? 

Creating a grave for Gyatso.

How Ozai’s forced unity/being totalitarian is represented. Reminds me so much of our own government, it amuses me. I know it’s not directly referencing that though. It’s good that they show it early on I guess. With the Fire Nation culty greeting as well. 

On a lighter note: THE AIR SPHERE/BALL whatevah, yes! More of this goofiness. How about instead of being inspired by GOT, NATLA should be inspired by Stranger Things in terms of fantasy + childhood simplicity balanced by this trauma they're going through. (Well, ST lacks worldbuilding cause it’s just normal Earth but anyway) 

Kyoshi Takeoveeer. I hope Roku gets more screen time someday though. Pls pls pls. 

They incorporated the OG character theme songs! Of course! The ones I noticed right away are the FireNation Siblings’. So if you watched OG Avatar and you watched the scene where a mysterious girl joins the infiltration of the FN Royal Palace, you’ll know who she is. 

Sorry not sorry, Daddy Dae Kim is daddying. (Although he did catch me off guard in Zuko’s Agni Kai lmao.) The plot.

The Aang VS Zuko fight! A reference to the Fortune Teller fight. The team did so well. 

Zuko The Master of Disguise Major In Stealing Clothes. Full-time Avatar researcher. 

A fourth wall foreshadows Bumi’s OOC for this version. Jet’s "he’s not like he used to be" in line. I mean they did warn us. 

Another 4th wall is the line “Things shouldn’t be here” referring to the prototype Fire Nation balloon. 

Nice animation with the retelling of Two Lovers legend.

Lu Ten Funeral scene ate. That single teaaaar. I recommend everyone who loves the animation to watch this scene. To feel something idk AHAHAHAH. 

The actors were convincing when interacting with CGI animals. Specifically the badger moles. 

ZUKO AND IROH SCENES! 

CGI’s great did not waste any money 

In Katara’s flashback. She experienced this in her present form. And when she was so scared to go to the place where her mom was killed, she immediately changed back to her young self. Like, I wanted that so bad when I was watching the flashback. I thought, this shouldn’t be the present-day Katara. There should be a moment when she switches back to young again. And they did. 

Big Iroh moment that makes you cry as an adult when Gyatso was reassuring Aang that the genoc*de wasn’t his fault, and shouldn’t blame himself. Ahh, and the subtle sadness as they say goodbye. 

Random eye drawing from Zuko. He’s an artist AHAHAHAH. Okay, I forgot which episode. Sincerely, unreliable narrator. 

Showing Zuko's scar when Aang says "Do you even know that lives are at stake". 

Basically every scene/plot they 1 by 1 copy from the show. Did not disappoint (well, maybe because OG showrunners were there). Blue Spirit, Siege of the North. 

Zuko’s room. I love me some character bedrooms. He’s like a TV Sitcom character for that. 

Gaang teamwork scenes! It works and it's dynamic. 

Hahn as an honorable man? Yes. I don’t like love triangles so much. I like me some camaraderie. And Ian (Sokka) acted well for feeling included and seen as Hahn recognized his value as warrior/intel. 

Zutara fight scene.

Two points that I don’t know if I like but it makes me realize some stuff:

Meek Katara. I know there are specific plot points that Feisty Katara is needed. But she was always nurturing, so I think it makes sense she’s…meek? That Jet scene explains it. Maybe because I relate to her being a log AHAHAHAH. But yeah, uh, I do not, ironically, have strong feelings against that water down.

Angry Bumi. IDK how to feel about him tbh. I always think Bumi is…harsh like that. Almost scary. But yeah, he never blames Aang. Still, it doesn’t feel out of place here. He will return anyway so he’s not this one-dimensional character that is only angry at his friend (hopefully). I never thought of how Bumi would actually feel. And that he will be upset, and now it’s sad because that’s like your friend when you were twelve years old and you wonder where he’s been all this time, and if he’s alive. And..war..never made it any better to process that emotion. So, we got two versions, one that is cautious and then eventually welcomes him, and another who's completely angry and blames a literal kid that he does not know the pain (from the war). Too real, and I personally don’t mind. 

[sheep-from-rad]

Obey Me x Filipino! Reader part 1 (Lucifer, Mammon, Asmodeus) Note: Tell me why I haven’t thought of this earlier? Tell me. Tears of themis is taking too long to load so I’m here typing the night away Warnings: long post ahead, food mentions, religion mentions (not much but yeah) Masterlist <Part 2: Leviathan, Satan, Beelzebub, Belphegor>

Lucifer

When he first read your file, he expected a scared religious person to come out of the portal. 

He has seen countless screaming religious people thrown in the pits asking why they are being punished even though they are clean and he expected you to be one of those. 

Instead you came out of the portal and stood there just waiting for an explanation as to why you were suddenly in a different place. 

For a while he is a bit unnerved with your behavior, freely mingling and befriending demons in your path even though you know the consequences of it. 

A part of him thinks that you might be on your way to destroying whatever hierarchy Devildom has and the other part of him mentally scolds you for being careless. 

The last straw was seeing you having lunch and giving a few lesser demons head pats when they complain about the day. He asked you about why you are not scared of demons and your answer made sense. 

“You know Lucifer, some people just come and go to church for their image. You should come to the human world and meet the demons there.” 

He knows hypocrites and faced hypocrites but he did not expect hypocrites inside churches. 

I have a headcanon that demons feed through sin and this boy is always full because of the Filipino pride. So if he skips dinner, chances are he already ate using sins and will just go for tea instead. 

[ps. As a Filipino, the pride thing is cute but it is very annoying. They legit take pride in everything even if it is bad. Philippines get mentioned on a thing online like a react video? Oh Pride to be Pinoy! Did Filipinos get noticed in online news? Oh Proud to be Pinoy. Bleh] 

Mammon 

Mammon said he is not happy when he was assigned to be your guide but he is screaming internally

Be careful with your wallet because this guy would love to learn about the betting games and might try to run an underground betting game with you

Chicken fighting? Let’s do that next week because Lucifer is not around. 

Beetle fighting? Sure, sure let’s schedule it at the back of the RAD because there are tons of students who want to participate. 

Spider wrestling? Sure as long as no students will get bit 

He might even try to go to human world because he heard that the lottery prize has reached P900m ($16m) and no one won it yet 

He’ll find it weird that people gambles at funeral wakes but will not make a comment for it 

One time the two of you actually went to the human world and he was torn between confusion and amazement because he learnt that you can bet on different types of lottery. (You and Lucifer had to pull him home at the end because he got so excited) 

Asmodeus

This guy thinks he knows romance until he meets you and learn about the hopeless romanticism that runs in Filipino blood

Like Satan, Asmodeus will read about culture and history, mostly for aesthetics at first until he came across the traditional courtships and it all goes down from there 

Before he knew about it he had fallen down the rabbit hole. He went from reading about traditional courtship to the fictional Bonifacio’s letter to Oryang to poets like Jose Corazon de Jesus

Oh it’s not finished yet, from literature he went to jump on music. Asmodeus listening to Eraserheads and making a cover of ‘Ang Huling El Bimbo’? Hell, yes. 

He might go on his job singing at the Fall with all the songs he learnt like Mundo by IV of Spades, Magbalik by Callalily, and on top of that he might even ask for the other brothers to play with him 

Asmodeus will also jump on television drama and this guy is addicted. He’ll prolly love those mistress thingy shows like ‘The Legal wife’, etc. 

This guy might go to human world just to binge watch those shows including korean ones 

This guy will probably see two demons in love and will just caught the famous line in Florante and Laura and everyone in the vicinity will look at him like, 'wut did the avatar said?'

And that line being 'O pag-ibig 'pag pumasok sa puso nino man, hahamakin ang lahat masunod ka lamang' which roughly translates to 'love when it enters anyone's heart, will go against all odds just to be fulfilled'

Don’t get me started on cliche wattpad stories, this guy has a collection starting from the classics like Diary ng Panget to the whole Jonaxx collection

Going back to the traditional courtship thing, he will not admit it out loud but he wishes that someone will do that to him. Wait..what do you mean harana has a whole ass structure and not just done by singing? TELL HIM MORE.

part 2 soon because I'm a bit too excited to write this.

[kairiscorner]

DO ONE WHERE MIGUEL RAISES HIS VOICE AT FILIPINO READER (she gon eff him up fr)

OH HE DID NOTTTT time for him to see San Pedro :>

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

miggy raising his voice (fem! filipino!reader)

"i told you, so. many. times. already, you need to remember who you're talking to." he seethed as he glared at you with reddening irises, his eyebrows knitting into one as he furrowed them out of frustration, angry that you have yet again defied his authority. "you... are such an embarrassment." the disappointment in his voice was tangible, it permeated throughout the room as his fury towards your stubbornness grew worse and worse as each and every second passed. and the worst part was... you did not care in the slightest what he thought.

"i've given you too many chances, i've gotten too lenient with you. you need to know your place here!" he practically screamed that last part as he looked at you dead in the eyes, your unyielding eyes that seemed to have a dancing fire in them the longer you listened to him speak like that to you.

you smiled at miguel. "i know. i know my place here." you told him in the sweetest voice you could muster, not wavering as the veins on the side of his neck and temples started showing. "pero alam mo kung anong mas nakakahiya?" you asked him as you took a few steps closer to him, showing no signs of fear, shame, nor regret.

before miguel could talk you down again, you got on the tips of your toes, and--smack! right across the face, you slapped him. you were still grinning, still smiling, still evidently unbothered by his asshole attitude. "tsitsinelasin ko yang mukha mo sa susunod. kakausapin mo ako ng ganyan? hindi mo inakalang lalaban ako sayo, ha?" you threatened him as you took your slipper off and wielded it with your dominant hand.

miguel felt over the side of his face that you just slapped, a little fazed you actually did that, not just the fact that it hurt. "huwag mo 'kong subukan. you're my boss, but i'm human, just like you. unless... aaminin mo na hayop ka nga." you huffed out as you threw your slipper back on the ground after he didn't say anything. you donned it back on and walked away.

miguel contemplated on what just happened. he knew he might have pushed you around a lot lately, and that you did your best to bear with him when nobody else can... and yes, he did feel a little ashamed he talked to you like that due to a bout of anger, but...

"she just had to use a chancla to threaten me. she knows my weakness..." he muttered as he rubbed his eyes.

a/n: YOU ENTERED FILIPINO MOTHER MODE