#or alternative title: watch me post three drawings in one day just to burn out and not post for the next month | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

therealjammy · 3 years

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The Lady of Half-Death

Hi, hello, posting this here for the Tumblr crowd, in case you don’t feel like venturing to Ao3.

This work’s alternate title: “Lucky One”

Content Warnings: Very NSFW, a brief but graphic depiction of violence. (This work is meant for 18+ only!)

It’s also told in first person POV, the Forbidden Perspective, so sorry if that’s not your jam.... Thank you for reading xx

November, 1937

On a bitter November day, early in the morning, I was roused by the tinkling of the bell hanging beside my bed. Being Mother Miranda’s most competent servant, I was long used to a summons during the small hours of the dark. She was night’s creature, bent over her studies and her subjects until a bitter sun lit the sky, almost unaware of time’s passage, while her servants kept in perfect time with every striking hour. I splashed sleep from my features with bitterly cold water from the basin on my dresser and wrapped myself in my warmest robe. I lit a candelabra, savoring its small warmth as I donned my silver mask. It had frightened me at first, how the servants wore these metal things elongated into an elegantly startling bird’s beak, but when serving the Lady of Ravens, one had to know to whom they pledged their loyalty, both inside and outside the house’s grounds. Though the metal was light, it still made one’s head ache after only a few minutes of wear, and was a constant irritation after many hours. But like a pain that was more a nuisance than anything, it was easily set aside.

I walked quickly through dark hallways and creaking staircases, passing through rooms whose furniture was covered in sheets and rooms whose contents were not. Each was quiet as the long-dead.

The doors to the laboratory opened on soundless hinges. Inside, there was only a spotlight on the latest occupied table and the stoic figure of Mother Miranda leaning over it, her hands coated in deep crimson, her subject unmoving. Her face was drawn into a deep, displeasured frown.

“What may I bring you, ma’am?” I asked carefully.

“Tea, Trudy,” replied Mother Miranda. By the ancient tiredness in her voice, I knew the kind I ought to fetch.

Staying true to her grief, Mother Miranda had a fondness for black tea, steeped for five minutes to be strong, made stronger with a dollop of Sanguis Virginis, a sweet but robust red wine made by Lady Dimitrescu. She kept the largest bottle for herself, but sent a smaller one to Mother Miranda every winter. The bottle was red and adorned with golden flowers crawling up its sides.

By the time I brought the fresh tea to her, Mother Miranda’s hands were washed of blood, and the subject on the table was covered with a white sheet, slowly turning scarlet. I set the teacup and candelabra beside her and gave a professional distance.

“The nature of science,” Mother Miranda said, picking up the teacup, “is to fail again and again.” She held it delicately. There was rage underneath that delicacy. “Every vessel thus far has been unfit, even if it’s accepted the Cadou, and with each unfit one I feel as if I am losing her more.”

“You might feel like Tantalus, ma’am,” I said after a pause, “with your goals evading your grasp, but I rather think you must be like Orpheus.”

“Attempt until death,” she murmured. “Yes, child, I believe you’re right.” A long sip of tea. Underneath her golden mask, her pink lips turned a deep red. She set the cup gently in its saucer and rose from her chair, black robes shuffling quietly. “Come. Let us begin anew.”

I lifted the mutilated subject from the table, wrapping the sheet about her carefully, and carried her fresh limpness to the courtyard with the others. Her cooling blood seeped from the sheet and onto my robes, and it dripped onto the bricks and my feet, leaving a sticky trail. It was cloying, but it was a sweet perfume compared to the rich decay that wafted from the courtyard’s cold soil. In the dark, I saw there was already a space made for her. I lay her carefully in it. A good sacrifice deserved gentleness once the deed was done, after all. In that sense, I was more merciful than Mother Miranda. Once a body was no longer of use, she would carry it out herself and toss them hastily aside, for only one body mattered above the rest.

“In life and in death,” I said over the grave, “we give glory to Mother Miranda.”

I sprinkled a handful of dirt over the covered girl and left her to the bitter, near-winter air.

Inside again, I scrubbed the table twice with soapy water and dried it thoroughly. I lit more candles, placing them around the table’s edges, away from the notes that Mother Miranda spread across the surface. While she organized them, I brewed another pot of tea, bringing it and the gifted bottle of Sanguis Virginis with me. When I had poured my own cup, Mother Miranda gestured to the wine. Pour that in, too. I obeyed without question. Grey eyes watched me drink, unchanging even when I made no face at the taste of wine and blood mixing with strong black tea. I’d learned long ago that reactions caused reactions. I remained impassive, though my stomach still curdled and rebelled at the taste of the sinful wine. To the others—Mother Miranda and Lady Dimitrescu— the wine was a sweet and prized possession. If ever it was sold, it would be incredibly expensive.

I brought a chair and perched myself next to Mother Miranda. It was always a thrill to be at her side, to study her volumes of notes and drawings and glimpse the way her mind worked. But more than that, I cherished the nights like this, when it was only the two of us. I enjoyed her company. I desired more of it, because I desired her. At times I believed she knew this, but then she would dismiss me so easily, brush by without a care, and I’d question if she knew at all.

Attraction, I reminded myself, was a science, too, and like an experiment gone horribly wrong, it was best if one didn’t share the results.

I cleared my throat and straightened in my chair. “We should begin where this one failed,” I said. “Pinpoint a reason, compare it to the rest.”

We pored over notes for hours, comparing observations, Mother Miranda writing furiously in her looping scrawl underneath a page titled Quinn. The candles burned low, and the sky lightened outside the laboratory’s several windows, revealing a cold, white-filled dawn.

“The conclusion is painfully obvious,” Mother Miranda sighed at last, pushing her nearly empty teacup aside. It’d turned cold hours ago. “I must find a truly unique vessel. The village is rotting with diluted blood and therefore cannot be used again. Three of the Lords—those children!—were ones I found outside. Diluted in other ways, perhaps, but strong enough.”

“Yet you declared them all unfit,” I remarked.

“Because they were too much,” Mother Miranda said stiffly, “and the rest have been too little. They served their miserable purpose and now I must find yet another clean slate! And to think I’d chosen so carefully…” A hand curled into a fist, clenched improperly due to taloned fingertips.

“Send me to the field, Mother Miranda,” I said. “I will search for you.” But it was the wrong thing to say, for her other hand darted quickly out and knocked her teacup and saucer from the table. They shattered on the floor, black-red tea pooling around their remains.

“Do not be dim, child; it cannot be done by you. It must be me.” She paused for a long moment, coming back to herself with a single, sharp shake of her head. “Please,” Mother Miranda said around a breath, “forgive my outburst.” She moved smoothly to the shattered teacup just as I did. We knelt out of time but reached for the same piece, her gold-plated fingers brushing my bare ones, sending a brief, hot shock through my being that ended in my chest.

“You need never ask my forgiveness, Mother Miranda,” I said, slowly withdrawing my hand and reaching for a different piece. “A woman in grief doesn’t know her own actions.” And it was her grief, I thought then, that made my heart ache for her. That made everyone’s hearts ache for her. Mother lost a child, they’d say. No greater tragedy exists. We must be kind.

“Grief is some people’s undoing,” Mother Miranda said. She had stopped picking up shards of teacup, a few pieces cradled in a hand. Her gaze was on the puddle of bloody, wine-soaked tea. “It festers like a splinter left in too long, or a piece of metal unable to be dislodged, and it consumes, until its host perishes with it. I’ve known it for many stretches, but rather than give myself to despair, I have chosen determination; for the parasite cannot fully live while its host fights it. So fight I must.”

Her face was a pale reflection on the tea’s surface.

II.

The next morning, a snowy one, Mother Miranda went for a walk. In her absence, her rule passed to me, and then to the Head Housemaid Vera, a stout older woman who kept the other servants in strict line. I was, however, only consulted for advice or for orders. Other than that, I was blessedly alone, a spectre haunting the laboratory while I organized Mother Miranda’s notes and gave into my own musings, letting my mind take up the cluttered space. Many things ran through it: thoughts of my former life, of the people I’d once seen and never would again, and if I followed that line, I knew exactly how I’d come to be here. Sitting alone in a tepid laboratory, surrounded by paper, rotting with attraction.

It’d been there from the beginning, for there was always attraction to a leader, and many reasons behind it. People were attracted to safety and to comfort, to promises and protection, but highest of all, a deity that preached all the above. People backed off their words more often than they gave in to them, but a deity never would; their word was given and kept. It was learned, it was ingrained, and so like everyone else, I held that same attraction. I gazed upon the same likenesses of Mother Miranda and prayed for protection, for strength. I prayed to one day work for her—the highest blessing of all!—and that prayer was answered. She came to my door in all her godly glory and the paintings held no candle to her real beauty.

The attraction molted once I’d begun to work for her properly. She was aloof and cruel and methodical, but there was talent and beauty, too, and soon enough I began to realize there was a person underneath the deity. And it was the person whom I thought of, now, wondering where her walk was taking her, who she was talking to, what she was thinking. I imagined her underneath a cold white sky, ashy flakes of snow sticking to her black robes and veil, the harsh, mountainous landscape reflecting her own desolation back at her.

I thought, as I filed the last of the notes away, that I would make her return easier. Oftentimes her walks changed her mood; one never knew the sort she’d bear when she walked through the doors. It could be the silent sort of rage, during which she’d seal the doors of her laboratory shut and refuse to emerge for days, or the one where she’d return with a deadly ice in her eyes and drag the nearest servant by the wrist to her chambers. Sometimes they’d be alive and shuffle from the room with their clothes barely on; other times there was an unfortunate mess to clear away.

During my luncheon, I called Vera to me and ordered the most frequented rooms be given a thorough cleaning, excluding the laboratory and Mother Miranda’s bathroom.

“And her dinner?” asked Vera, once she’d given the orders to four maids. “Something comforting, I assume, as the latest loss is still ripe in the courtyard.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “A shepherd’s pie with marmite in the gravy, and the bottle of Sanguis Virginis.”

“Very good, Miss Bevan.” Vera bowed her head and left.

I went over the bathroom myself, being careful to put every object in its proper place. I drew a bath, the water unbearably hot, but by the time Mother Miranda returned, it would be perfect.

I loitered for a long while in the bathroom’s silence, sat on the chessboard floor, gazing out the window to the snow-covered hills, the occasional drip, drip of the tub’s taps serenading me into a trance, filled with visions of blonde hair and grey-blue eyes and impeccable hands.

I wasn’t the first to think of her in this light. Far from it. Worship came in many forms, after all, and many people fell to this one. Except mine was to the woman I knew, not to the idol emblazoned on a shrine dangling from a peeling wall.

Unable to think of nothing but the bathroom’s suddenly stifling heat and the absent Mother Miranda, I left, unaware of where I was going until I collapsed on the chair I’d occupied earlier, everything about me aching for someone who saw me only as a servant in high regard—but a servant nonetheless. The fact, I thought, unbuttoning my uniform enough to feel cool air caress my chest, made me desire her all the more.

I propped a shoed foot on the seat’s corner to give myself better access and began my pleasure gently, my head falling against the back of the chair once the rhythm was established, my free hand indecisive on where it wanted to stay—a breast, the chair’s edge, the table; at least until my mind offered me a vision of Mother Miranda ordering me, from between my thighs, to keep it planted firmly on the chair’s edge. There it stayed while my other moved, and behind my closed eyes I saw a skilled tongue working me up, teasing, licking slowly as if to claim ownership to even that part of me; I saw intense eyes meeting my own, telling me to give myself over; in my mind I whispered my glory to her. I twitched erratically, my movements almost clumsy; a few moments more and I’d be tumbling into the blissful void—or would have, had I not heard the door open and the familiar, near-silent movement of the woman living in my head.

The silence that beat between us lasted only a moment and yet it felt like centuries. Mother Miranda’s eyes narrowed to deadly slits, and before I could manage to stumble out an explanation, she strode to me in five heavy steps.

“You dare defile this space with your musings?” Mother Miranda hissed, her grip on my wrist vicelike. “Do you not know how ill I find this gesture? How ill it makes me to think you care naught for the meaning of this room?” Claws slashed at my cheek, the first sting of it only surprise at first; it burned when I realized she’d cut flesh. I felt blood welling, but I could not bring a hand up to staunch its flow. Nor could I staunch the fresh wave of heat that pooled in my core at Mother Miranda’s fury. Cold eyes darted from my still-wet hand to my face. Mother Miranda scoffed, roughly releasing my wrist. “Attraction is a damned wicked creature,” she said. “It morphs perspective and thought. It makes one act rashly, makes one believe they’re subtle. You think I’ve not seen your lingering gazes, child? How you bask in my company the way you would underneath the sun? How you are afraid of my rage but it arouses you all the same?” She chuckled lightly, dragging gold-tipped fingers over my cheek, the metal blessedly cool against my heated skin. Having spent so much time in close quarters with this woman, I was no longer terrified by the talons. Their scraping made the coil in my belly curl tighter, and if she were to slip bare fingers against me, she would find me all too ready for her. I met her eyes with a steely look of my own, hoping she wouldn’t see shame, but Mother Miranda was wise in ways I couldn’t fathom. She saw through people as if they were cheesecloth.

She hummed, fingers roving lower, tracing my pulse hammering in my throat. “Is there any shame about you, Trudy? I should think so, as you are not my equal.” Moving lower still, to the buttons I hadn’t undone, hovering like she wished to tear them—and perhaps she did, for her hand gave a small twitch. “I am higher than you will ever be, yet you stand here, gazing at me so defiantly, trembling with your want of me… Do you think it will make you rise to my level?”

Her words were fog clouding the forests of my brain. I could think of nothing but how I wanted to serve her, to fall to my knees and pledge fealty, even if it was sworn with her hand guiding my mouth between her thighs. I said, “No, Mother Miranda.”

“No, indeed. But,” a taloned thumb slid over my lower lip, “it’ll bring me pleasure to see you try.”

When she kissed me, it was with a slowness that one could believe was care, but I sensed the possession. I opened my mouth to it, leaned into it, every nerve alight at the thrill of kissing someone I had once dreamed of serving under. Her hands drew me close to her, splaying across my back, bunching up my uniform, and her kisses became rougher, filled with need. I met every one with a need of my own, my shaking fingers undoing the rest of the buttons down my front. The movement caught Mother Miranda’s eye; she pulled back, her gaze intense, the color high in her cheeks, watching intently as the top half of my uniform parted and revealed bare skin. She reached out, two fingers gliding smoothly over my collarbones, my sternum, tracing the swell of a breast; gooseflesh rose in the touches’ wake, and my breathing trembled.

“You are practically untouched,” Mother Miranda said quietly. There was, to her, no greater sin than a specimen that remained unstudied and uncatalogued.

“Only practically, Mother Miranda,” I returned.

She leaned down, burying her face against my bloodied neck. Lips pressed softly, tongue lapping slowly— tasting me. “Have you not known love?” she said. “Or devotion?”

“Fleetingly.” There was the blacksmith, Cristian, in whose strong arms I felt safe. There was Tatiana, who made me feel at peace even after our desperate acts. But with this life, they were fleeting. To serve one of the Lords or Mother Miranda herself, it was until death. “The only devotion I know,” I continued, my voice growing thinner the lower her mouth travelled, “is to you.”

Mother Miranda hummed against my chest. “You worshipped well, then, Trudy,” she said, rising, taking my chin between two fingers and tilting my face up to hers, “but what of now? How shall you prove your worth to me?”

I grasped her unoccupied hand and pressed it against my breast, holding it there. I wanted her to feel it, to feel my heart underneath it, to know she could reach in and take it because I offered it to her. “Take what you will,” I said.

What was left of her resolve crumbled. Mother Miranda swept me into her arms with a low growl, lifting me as easily as she would a child and setting me hastily onto the table we’d cleaned the night before. Impatient fingers worked the rest of my clothes away. She tossed them aside and pressed me into the cold wood, impossibly dark eyes drinking me in, lingering on my neck, my breasts, my thighs. Places I hoped she would kiss. Places she did, in that order, her mouth untamed, leaving harsh love-marks behind. Throughout that act, she didn’t once touch me; I was strung so tightly that even one finger tracing me would’ve been my undoing. It was a sort of torturous study, I realized, clamping my tongue between my teeth when it nearly made me beg for release; she was seeing me as a case, testing my own resolve. How long could she make me wait before I begged forgiveness? Time ceased to exist. I could not tell how long she made me hang.

When she finally did touch me, I was relieved. Instead of a sigh, a long whimper escaped my mouth. Mother Miranda groaned in response, her fingers twitching and pausing against me, surprised at the slick want they found. Her second touch was heavier, more confident. My hands couldn’t help but cling to the back of her neck, which was covered by a thick cotton veil. I realized I’d touched her without her consent, but when I made to pull away, her free hand came to rest over both of mine, and together we slid the veil from her head.

Blonde hair, a darker gold in the dim light of the laboratory, fanned around her face, gracing my bare forearms, soft as silk. Without the veil, it was tantamount to seeing her naked.

“Cling to me,” Mother Miranda breathed.

It was as much permission as I was going to receive.

I buried my hands in her hair and leaned up to kiss her. I accepted her tongue when it slipped between my teeth. I opened for her when, at last, she slid fingers inside me.

And when she truly took me, she devoured me, sprinkling evidence of her use across any expanse of skin she could reach, uncaring if teeth dug in too much, if my back was rubbed raw from the wooden table, if her golden talons left angry scratches. I clung harshly to her during my crisis, my cries only winding her further, for when I was barely limp, she withdrew entirely and carried me to her own chamber. Deposited on her bed, I watched through bliss-filled eyes as she undressed.

Black robes pooled at her feet. In the blue-white moonlight, she was harshly ethereal. Everything about her seemed to glow, including her eyes. And sprouting from her back were five pairs of midnight wings. I wanted to catalogue it as a dream, a delusion caused by a mind still recovering from an intense crisis, but the wings, like Mother Miranda’s arms and legs, were very much a part of her.

“Look while you can,” she said. “Commit it to memory, for true revelations are rarely given so freely.”

She stood for study, allowing me to take in every inch. My eyes lingered where hers had lingered on me.

“Do you reject me, Trudy?” she questioned softly.

“No, Mother Miranda,” I replied. I offered her my hand. “I’d fall to my knees in prayer if I were not otherwise occupied.”

She accepted my hand and leaned over me on her bed, naked and otherworldly, and in my long, exquisite worship of her, I met death eye to eye and thought there would never be another equal.

#resident evil #resident evil village #fanfic #mother miranda #mother miranda x oc #mother miranda x reader

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clevercatchphrase · 5 years

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2019 year in review

So… The 2010’s are almost over. Huh. What a decade it’s been. Hard to comprehend how much has changed in 10 years. I can barely believe that I was in high school at the beginning of this decade, and now I’m a college graduate with 2 degrees who’s been working at the same job for the last 3 years. But trying to summarize the past 10 years in a single post is a good way to give myself an existential crisis, so let’s not do that! Instead, let’s just focus on 2019 because there has been more than enough shit that’s happened to me in this year to talk about.

PART 1 OF 2: 2019 AND 2020 GOALS AND RESOLUTIONS

Huh, looking back through my archives, I apparently didn’t make a tumblr post about my goals this year. I definitely had some, though. Lemme list ‘em off real quick, and then we’ll go through them point by point.

1) Pay off all my student loans 2) Finish some song comics 3) Make art for my Redbubble account 4) Finish the first rough draft/script of a game I wanted to make 5) Practice ASL 6) Sew some stuffed animals 7) Finish some fan fictions 8) Work on Ghost Switch 9) AMVs 10) Do some original writing 11) Make illustrations for my fan fictions

Okay, first off, the student loans. I was actually SO CLOSE to successfully completing this one bUT THEN MY CAR HAD TO BE A WHINEY PISS BABY AND HAVE ITS ALTERNATOR DIE ON ME WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THEN A BLOW OUT THREE WEEKS LATER.

GOD, if I had to summarize this year in two words, for me it would be “Car troubles”. I swear I spent more on auto repair in the first third of this year than I ever have just freakin’ OWNING a car. All four of my tires had to be replaced, my alternator failed and my car literally just SHUT OFF while I was driving, and I was barely able to coast into a gas station. Both my front breaks and rear breaks were worn down the metal and I only learned this when my car was barely able to stop after I had to slam the petal down full force! I went in for an oil change, and they found some problems and then I didn’t get my car back for three days! I don’t even like owning a car! I hate driving! I hate my country’s refusal to provide universal, free public transportation! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS!

Oh-kay… number 2. Finish some song comics. I didn’t finish any. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t work on them. I have made tiny progress, but that’s certainly better than no progress. One of these song comics I hope to be realizes is going to be a collab with one of my friends. It’ll be a long-time coming as it’s pretty low priority for the both of us, but if anyone else out there was disappointed with KH3’s ending, we’re gonna have ya’ covered… With SONG!

3. Make some redbubble art. I actually did this one! Not in the way I expected, but I added (technically) 3 new designs to my redbubble in the middle of the year. If you like butterflies and dragons, I got some product for you~!

Number 4, finish a script for a game I want to make. I… thought about this. I thought about this a lot, but I never put pen to paper, so… oops. It almost happened! I debated making this my main writing project for NaNoWriMo this year, but ended up having more inspiration for another story. Maybe next year? (god, I hope not. I don’t want to wait a full year just to write something)

Number 5, practice ASL. I just straight up didn’t do this and I only have myself to blame. Still keepin’ up that Danish Duolingo streak, though. 4 years going strong and not a day missed yet.

Number 6, sew some stuffed animals. Again, another one I just straight up didn’t do, but I have an excuse of trying to save money while my car crashed and burned in every other sense except literal this year. Hopefully 2020 will be different. I’ll definitely be able to pay off this last loan within the first half of 2020, and then I can start saving for whatever I want to buy.

Finish some fan fictions was number 7, and I did this! Well, I only finished, 1, but it was a story I’ve been working on for over 3 years, and it came out to over 200 THOUSAND words long, which is the longest thing I’ve ever written, and I’m quite proud of myself. Now that the big story is out of the way, and I’ve gotten into a good rhythm of working on Ghost Switch, maybe I can squeeze in some short writing sessions more frequently. (either that, or just wait for my car to break down again and then go on a writing spree in a pepboys. The lord and the fan fic discord know that’s solely why I finished my other fic this year)

Speaking of Ghost Switch, working on it was a goal this year too, and I did that! I kept it up all year and took a vacation in November and it was wonderful. While the major plot points have been in place since before I started drawing, I still need to script each arc beyond Snowdin, but hey, by the time we get there, it’ll be 2022 so I got time. (Note, don’t do this, kids. Script your stories and comics thoroughly before publishing. The road I’m on is paved with misery and pain and it will only end in tears unless I change lanes soon)

Number 9, amvs. Do people make AMVs anymore? Idk… the last one I made was... Jesus, 5 years ago? (it was a gravity falls/fall out boy crossover, if you were curious) I’ve been wanting to do 2 more for just as long, but in order for me to do that, I’d have to spend time re-watching the shows to find the footage, and then actually edit them together, and I just don’t…. feel like it. Maybe someday, but not any day soon.

10; do some original writing. I did this! For nanowrimo! I wrote the first draft of some original fiction I’ve been planning for a year or two now and it completely sucks! But it’s on paper now and I’m happy. Will I revise and edit it? Sure, but not for a while. I want to let it sit and forget about it and look at it with new eyes months from now so I can be sure I can make it better when time comes to rewrite.

11, make illustrations for my fan fics. Now that You Monster is done, I want to go back and add pictures to it. I didn’t do any this year, but I did keep a list of scenes I wanted to draw, so I have plenty of ideas to do as warm up sketches next year~ I kinda want to stream them~

So, that was 11 goals, and I successfully fulfilled 4 of them! That’s! Not a very good ratio… QmQ So, goals for 2020. Some I’m gonna keep from this year, some I’m gonna drop and some I’m gonna add. In short I would like to,

1) Finish paying off that last student loan 2) Put more stuff on my redbubble 3) Illustrate my own fan fics 4) Sew at least one stuffed animal 5) Make an enamel pin 6) Read one new book a month 7) Write one page a day/Complete at least one new fan fic 8) Learn Python or C# for the game I want to make 9) Finish fully scripting Ghost Switch 10) Boost my patreon

Most of these I think are pretty self-explanitory, but I’ll go into detail just a bit because I’m on a roll and typing my thoughts helps me feel less alone in the middle of the night when you’re super tired and you know you should probably go to sleep, but the toddler in you is throwing a tantrum and doesn’t wanna go to sleep just yet, but you can’t fight the progression of time either way.

Number 1- I should be able to reach this goal by the end of March. End of June at the absolute latest. Once that goal is met, my secret new year’s resolution will be unlocked as well!

Number 2- I want to put more art of my OCs on redbubble. These OCs are tied to the game I want to make. There’s already some art of them up there, but I want at least one piece for each character.

Number 3- Mostly for You Monster. Embrace the cardinal rule of fan fic and apply it to fan art. If you want to read about see art about certain ideas, scenarios, or what-ifs, you gotta make it yourself.

Number 4- I have 3 potential ideas to sew. One is definitely leagues easier than the other two and will probably be chosen if/when I have the time and materials.

Number 5- This year I got really, REALLY into the idea of making enamel pins. Unfortunately it’s a pretty big investment (like, $350 to make 100 pins you might not even sell). If this happens, it’ll probably be towards the end of the year, and if I get enough interest. I’m currently torn between making an original enamel pin and one based off Undertale. We’ll just have to see where this goes.

Number 6- Back in 2018 when I paid off one of my many student loans, I rewarded myself by spending over 200 dollars in used books. All these books had a theme; they were focused on dragons because I have a problem. I have not yet read a single one of these books I have bought, and I would like to fix that. I have, like, 20 unread dragon books, and even if I only read 12 out of 20, I would consider that an amazing accomplishment and money well spent.

Number 7- I currently have about 8 different WIPs I could work on. (well, I don’t know if I can even call them wips. More like, a general idea and a title written down.) I want to build good writing habits, and if I can write just 200 words a day, hell, even 200 words a week and just one of my 8 stories done, I would consider this goal met.

Number 8- I’m torn between making my game in unity or ren’py. I know jack shit about both. Ren’py is more user friendly, but unity will allow me more customization. (Lol, can you guess what kind of game I want to make yet?)

Number 9- I really just want the full story to be done and written incase anything goes horribly terribly wrong in my life and I find myself unable to continue making ghost switch in comic form. Then at least I can finish the story by other means, you know?

Number 10- It always surprises me every month when I get that patreon email saying I got paid. Sure, I don’t even make double digits on it, but it still awes me enough to know that people out there like my work enough to throw me a tip. I can’t thank my patrons enough for supporting me and I hope to one day be in such a good place I can update my comic/song comics/writing frequently enough without need for goals or milestones. But until that magical day arrives, money is always a great incentive for anything, I suppose. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ALRIGHT. PART 2 OF 2: SHIT THAT HAPPENED TO ME IN 2019

Cheesus crust what a year. This year started off great! Back in late January Kingdom Hearts 3 FINALLY released, and let me tell you a little story. Back in the summer of 2006 I was a 13 year old middle schooler with no way of making money other than by doing house hold chores at a rate of 25 cents a task. A few weeks ago, I had a sleep over at a friend’s house and they let me play this weird game called “Kingdom Hearts” and god, I was instantly hooked on it. That summer, I did over 800 chores, enough to earn myself 200$ and buy myself a playstation 2 (just in time for the ps3 to come out, gg me) The only games I had for the ps2 were KH1, 2, Re:CoM and Okami, and I beat them all… except Okami. Miffed that the PS3 wouldn’t allow for backwards compatibility, little 13-year-old me made a promise. I looked myself in the mirror and said “I will not buy the next playstation console until KH3 comes out, AND BOY that was probably a good choice for me to make with my level of gaming. I’m even less of a casual gamer than the average casual gamer, but I have been waiting 13 years for this piece of closure, and I even told my friends and family that “the day Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out is the day I will buy a playstation 4”. My dad apparently thought this was the funniest shit, because he literally took the day off from work that Friday to drive me on base to get the game and console (he thought it would be less crowded than a regular walmart, I suppose). I paid $400 on a ps4 pro while he bought me the game. Again, I have an impecible sense of timing seeing as the PS5 is now right on the horrizion, but just like before, I’m not buying a new console until the next KH game is released. See you in 2045, sony~. While I was at the gamestop on base, I also picked up Okami HD and The Last Guardian. For all of February and even early March, I took my time playing through KH3. And…! It was the best disappointment I’ve ever played. After a month away from gaming, I started The Last Guardian and finished it in a couple weeks. I love trico and would die for him, but trying to get 100% completion on that game is udder insanity. Okami, HD, however… again after a month break after finishing TLG, I started replaying Okami. I think I had only managed to get about halfway through the game before I just… stopped playing it on my ps2 version. I am currently SO CLOSE to getting a 100% on the ps4 version. In fact, I’ve beaten the game. I only (techinically) need 2 more trophies to be done; 1st, escape the water dragon without being eaten, 2nd, I need to beat that dumb stupid race with Kai, in order to get the last bead on my rosary, as well as the top dog trophy. I hate her so much. I hate this race so much. It’s awful and bad.

Flash forward to December! Earlier this month I was at Barnes and Noble, buying myself a planner for 2020. I exit the store and notice that there’s a gamestop across the street. For shits and giggles I go inside to look at their game selection, and I find KH 1.5 and 2.5. Now, my PS2 died a few years back (it just won’t read my discs anymore, I don’t know why) and I haven’t been able to replay any of my other kingdom hearts games since. If you had seen me the day I finished kingdom hearts 3, after the ending credits rolled, you would have heard me say “Man…. I wish I could play kingdom hearts 2 again”. AND NOW I CAN, ALONG WITH BBS which I had never even played yet, but knew the story of. I’ve restarted playing kh1, and I was so happy to hear that familiar music when I booted the game up for the first time. While at the game stop, I also picked up Rime and Tearaway, two games that had looked interesting to me. At the time of writing, I’ve finished Rime and am 25% done with tearaway. Rime was…. An interesting experience. I learned about it through Jacksepticeye’s channel a couple years back and thought the art style was enticing. For a super casual gamer like me, I found the puzzles just the right level of challenging and exploring was a blast! The music gave me VERY strong Princes Mononoke vibes, but the overall story left something to be desired. Overall I had fun, and enjoyed completing this game to 100%. Now for tearaway. Can I just say this game is super fucking adorable? I know the original was on the ps vita and the gameplay there was arguably more diverse and imaginative, but this game is just so fucking cute I don’t care?? ALSO, this game’s sound track is ABSOLUTELY incredible and I’ve only heard the first fourth of it! Listen to The Orchards, Pig Riding, and Gibbet Hill Pilgrimage for a taste of their wonderful beats and fantastic use of string and woodwinds! God, I’m so excited to get some more games in 2020. I’m proud to say I currently own more ps4 games than I ever did with my ps2 (and now the majority AREN’T Kingdom Hearts titles!), and I’m still hoping to play Journey, The Witness, and Abzu before everything becomes ps5.

What else happened to me this year. Oh, I went to a doctor for, like, the first time in seven years. I also had my blood drawn for the first time ever, and the nurse said the most disturbing thing to me while she did it. Now, whenever I get shots, I refuse to look. I did that here. So she thought it would be appropriate to say to me “Can you feel your blood leaving your body?” Lady… You can clearly see I am uncomfortable with what is happening here. Why, of all the things you could say, did you choose to say that. Unfortunately, while my doctor is nice, she keeps wanting to run tests on me, that I just cannot afford with my current salary, and my monthly insurance is about to go up to 200$ a month, so I’ve cancelled my next appointment with them, and don’t plan to go back until it’s absolutely necessary. Capitalism is fun, guys. Preventative healthcare is for wusses.

I started going to a chiropractor on a monthly basis. Story time- I don’t know when it started, but sometime late last November I began to notice that I had a headache that just... wasn’t... going away? And each day it was starting to get a little worse. It made it hard for me to find a comfortable position to sleep, it made it hard for me to be in bright areas or move fast. So I said to myself “Okay, if this headache persist through the month of december, then something is proooobably wrong and I should go see someone about it. And hoo-boy were thing wrong with me. By the time this January rolled around, I couldn’t even stay on my feet for more than a few hours without it physically hurting to just BREATHE. So I started going to this chain called The Joint (A+ name, I know). THey aksed me “How are you doing?” I said “I’m in pain” and they said “We can help fix that!”. I’ve only been to a chiropractor once before in my life a few years back after my freshmen year of college because I began to notice my hips weren’t able to support me? LIke, I would lie on my back, and I couldn’t push my hips up when my feet were flat on the floor. I also couldn’t climb anything steep, because my legs just couldn’t push me up if my knee had to bend more than 90 degrees when I lifted my leg up. (Turned out both my hips were apparently out of place). This time only one of my hips were out of place (which they fixed. they said one of my legs was an inch “longer” than the other because I had been leaning all my weight on one leg when I stand). But two of my ribs were apparently “Stuck” which was why it was hurting for me to just breathe, and one of my shoulders was missaligned too, causing one of my trap muscles to constantly be streched, which was pulling on my skull, and causing the headache. Anyway, after they popped all my bones back into place, I still felt terrible, but by god, that night was the first time in weeks I was able to sleep without a migrane. A chiropractor can’t magically heal your arthritis, or fibro, but I definately think they have merit to keeping your posture good and helping your body with things like circulation. 10 outa 10, would recomend. It’s all the fun of getting your neck snapped without the dying!

Earlier this month I got together with two of my friends and we baked Christmas cookies. It was a lot of fun, as well as a great learning experience. A member of my family has a gluten allergy, so we used rice flour for most of the cookies. We learned this is a bad idea! The cookies will just fall apart! A few member’s in one of the friend’s family have nut allergies. Other friend and I knew this and were careful to avoid cookie recipes with nuts, bUT THEN COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT ALMOND MILK AND ALMOND EXTRACT COUNT AS NUT. IN FACT, ALMOND EXTRACT IS PURE CONCENTRATED NUT JUICE AND WE FELT SO BAD FOR ALMOST ACCIDENTALLY POISONING THE FAMILY.

Earlier this year me and these same friends took a field trip to Hobby Lobby and just dicked around the store for a couple of hours. It was super fun, 11 outa 10, would recommend, a great date idea for your artsy S.O.

Back in May I went to a wedding for the first time in my life. (well, not true, but the first one I could remember) we left at 5am, drove 5 hours to get there, hung out at a zoo and spent the night in a la quinta before the wedding day. I slept on the bathroom floor because my mom was snoring too loud in the main room and keeping me awake, and the rest of the day was just spent me trying to keep myself together because I was pissed off and tired.

Other than all of that, nothing really major happened to me this year. I guess one more thing I’ve tried to do this year is started the process of breaking certain internet addictions so I can use my free time for more personal projects. Seriously, I found myself watching way too much youtube and following blogs that didn’t even make me happy. I had a personal intervention with myself where I sat down and asked myself, “why do you watch these videos and youtubers? Why do you follow these blogs? Do you really enjoy their content? Do you really care? If you stopped watching/following them, would you even notice?” After critically thinking it over, I’ve found myself unfollowing several channels and blogs and suddenly I feel so much happier. I thought I would miss it, but I realized I didn’t really care if I saw their content or not. I wasn’t missing much. And now I feel like I have more time to draw, read and write. If you think you spend too much time consuming and not enough time creating, I suggest you try and de-clutter your internet habits as well. It’s done wonders to un-fuck my headspace.

And… well, that about sums up my year. How are your holidays going? Anything fun, exciting, dramatic happen to you this year? I hope your new year is warm and safe! Good night, everybody!

#new year's resolutions #year in review #long post #(seriiously this think is like 3k words)

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popliar · 6 years

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bts canon compliant fic links

Canon compliant stories for @flywithturtles!

disclaimer - this is all a bit random, I bookmark so many things and sometimes I don’t remember what I actually thought about them… But they are all readable and worth a click imo.

other posts: fic links

sorted by ship. i support every ship in bts! but some ships i obviously seek out more than others. so sorry if ur fave ship doesn’t show up much!

2SEOK

'Cause Every Time We Touch - kuragecharms (BTS) Hoseok/Seokjin. "“Fuck, it hurts but it feels so good,” Seokjin mumbled. “L-lay down,” Hoseok instructed. With only a moment’s questioning quirk of an eyebrow, Seokjin complied, placing himself face down on the dance floor. Taking in a deep swallow that he knew was himself swallowing down his pride and his nervousness, trying to convince himself that okay, Seokjin is kind of really loud about when he feels good. It doesn’t mean anything sexual. Even though it totally sounds - and now looks - sexual. Hoseok slowly lowered himself down to straddle Jin’s hips, bending forward to bury the heels of his palms into Seokjin’s shoulders and using the leverage of the flat floor to deepen the massage. Seokjin let out an actual scream." 16,700 words.

The Totally Untrue Story of Kim Seokjin - greenet (BTS) Seokjin/Hoseok. "Seokjin is in love with Hoseok. So starting a fwb relationship with Hoseok is possibly not the best idea he's ever had." I'm so here for this. Especially all the stuff about identity and image creation. 8900 words.

JIHOPE

the spaces between the threads - ellievolia (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "When he reaches Hoseok, something catches Jimin’s attention, making him focus. There, just barely peeking out from the waistband of Hoseok’s low slung harem pants. It looks like - it looks like lace, and Jimin’s mouth was already a little dry but this makes it even worse. aka Hoseok likes lace." 5000 words.

lock step - ignitesthestars (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "“You--” Jimin swallows so hard that Hoseok can hear it, even over the sound of his own heartbeat thudding in his ears, too fast. “You really liked my dance, huh?” “I always like your dance.” It’s supposed to be light, reassuring. It drops between them like a goddamn love confession. * Or, Jimin catches footage of Hobi watching him dance. Feelings (and complications) ensue." good. 8700 words.

the one; jihope - joonphases (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "Jimin is it for him." 700 words.

We're Not Boyfriends - weakforjin (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "Everyone in the company, including Bangtan, assumes Hoseok and Jimin are dating. Their manager scolds them for being too obvious after a certain incident and the two are completely oblivious to the matter." a bit dumb but cute. 5500 words.

Open Your Eyes (I'll Be Waiting) - roebling (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. "Hoseok thinks it's equal measures adorable and horrifying that Park Jimin has a crush on him. Jimin is just a kid, and his crush invites awkwardness that Hoseok doesn't need while he's struggling to debut. It's not pretty, but he clears the air between them and things are fine -- until the day he looks up and realizes that Jimin isn't a kid any more." gets canon details flat wrong but has a really good vibe. 14,500 words.

it goes like this - Quettaser (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. "and jimin’s a little embarrassed, making vague noises of agreement and it takes hoseok turning his head to notice the way jimin is very pointedly staring at the ceiling and nowhere else. he reaches out to smack jimin on the arm, “yah, jiminnie, don’t tell me you’ve never kissed anyone.” “i’ve kissed people,” jimin mumbles, “just not a lot"" 1300 words.

Touch Me, Just Like That - runkairun (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "Hoseok craves physical affection, and Jimin's touch is just right." Soft! 5600 words.

Running Low on Know-How - Zee (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "Hoseok realizes a few things, but it takes him a while." 7100 words.

hold your breath (we'll be just fine) - undercoverjikooks (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "It was different. Deeper than that. Didn’t Jimin know? (or, alternatively, Hoseok has no idea what he's feeling and Jimin is there to listen and maybe help him out.)" 2600 words.

Maybe it Didn't Start Innocently - secondgrader (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "It was all innocent, platonic. But at what point do you draw the line between helping out a friend and doing something more?" 2100 words.

distant love - flowerstems (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. "When Hoseok says, “I thought you’d sleep better without someone lying awake beside you,” Jimin looks up at him, hand still in his, then slides his fingers between Hoseok’s. Jimin’s fingers are cold and clammy but his palm is warm, and in that moment it’s all very confusing, so Hoseok starts swinging their arms and Jimin helps swing them higher." 2300 words.

You're Right. - joonphases (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. “I can’t kiss my hyung,” Jimin said, wondering how it was that he could speak without oxygen. “That’s... weird.” “You’re right,” Hoseok said. A beat of silence. “It’s really, really weird.” Jimin has night terrors. Slow burn from experimenting to fwb. 82,600 words.

Mile High Club - notoverthatbityet (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. "Where Jimin is thirsty and just can't wait." 3300 words.

Nirvana - cupan_taetae (BTS) Hoseok/Jimin. One night after a win, they get drunk and later on start hooking up secretly (later revealed: not very secretly). Some great descriptions. 57,200 words.

the plan - wingedseok (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. "Kim Taehyung’s brilliant plan for Park Jimin to get into Jung Hoseok’s pants: Step One - Admit Your Feelings Step Two - Find Out What He Likes Step Three - Show Him You Can Take Care of Him Step Four - Meet the Parents Step Five - Seduce Him (Or, Jimin’s head over heels in love with Hoseok and Hoseok only sees him as his cute dongsaeng.)" 4100 words.

calm like you - phoarda (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. "Jimin already kind of knew that his home was more person than place, but for Hoseok, infatuation is a slow, frightening realization. Turning feelings into words is more for his benefit than Jimin's, but with the help of instant ramyun, a complimentary hotel face mask, and several massages, they're eventually able to work out some mutual peace of mind." 14,500 words.

Make You Mine - weakforjin (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. "Jimin's in love with Hoseok. He’s content with the affection the other gives him and settles for nothing more because why would Hoseok feel the same? Title is based on the song 'Make You Mine' by Us the Duo. Another one of those pining tropes with a ridiculous amount of fluff and a bit of light angst." 8000 words.

Responsive - RedKissAFF (BTS) Jimin/Hoseok. "What the hell? Hoseok thought to himself, resting a hand against the younger's thigh. Jimin's leg suddenly stopped bouncing. His muscle tensed beneath the touch, a slight shift in movement that would have otherwise gone unnoticed but for how hyper aware Hoseok was at the moment. "You okay, Jimin?" he asked, squeezing the muscle in his hands as he rubbed maddening circles into Jimin's thigh. "Y-yeah," Jimin replied, a little breathless as he shifted behind him. Hoseok leaned his head back, an upside down, cherry cheeked Jimin in his field of vision. Well fuck, he thought." Long languorous OTP wallow as they sort of slide into sex and a relationship. 38,800 words.

It's Just a Ride - im_your_hope (BTS) OT7, Jimin/Hoseok. "Jungkook’s mouth is hanging open, a bright pink flush on his cheeks, his eyes glued to the movements of Hoseok’s finger. Jin is leaning forward with his forearms resting on his thighs, his face more composed but clearly interested in the proceedings all the same. Namjoon’s eyes are so wide it would be funny in a different situation, his lips pursed together and his hands clenching his knees. Yoongi’s mouth is just slightly open, the corners of his lips turned up, close to becoming a full-blown smile. Next to Jimin Taehyung is leaning forward, a look of intense concentration on his face, studying every one of Hoseok’s movements. Jimin doesn’t want to think about his own expression. (Hoseok tries to come untouched.)" 3500 words.

It's Dead, We Killed It - prandcocaine (BTS) Namjoon/Seokjin, Hoseok/Jimin. "Bangtan's newest company-imposed torment drains their hearts, minds, and wallets." swear jar.

JIKOOK

feel a little more (and give a little less) - jellyfishes (BTS) Jungkook/Jimin, Hoseok/Yoongi. "Jeongguk spends a lot of time thinking about Jimin in the eight years following BTS disbanding for someone who isn't still in love." 18,500 words

Riptide - peppermint_wind (BTS) Jungkook/Jimin. "Jeon Jungkook is still just a kid when he sets out for Seoul. He knows about the tall buildings, the maze-like roadways, and dorm life he's signed up for. He expects the difficulties of being a trainee, finds it in the holes of his worn out dance shoes and countless sleepless nights. But what he doesn't expect, could never expect, is meeting Park Jimin. It's then Jungkook realizes that there's more to learn in Seoul than dance choreographies: about growing up, falling in love, and about himself. A three year story [2013-2016] of coming together, breaking apart, and putting each other back together again. Jeon Jungkook learns about change, growing up, and the hardships of falling in love with a friend." good, but it also made me sad about their lives as idols. 62,400 words.

Figuring It Out as We Go - peppermint_wind (BTS) Jeongguk/Jimin. "Jungkook never thought this would happen to him; eighteen years old and questioning everything he used to know. Staying up late watching gay music videos with wide-eyes, phone tucked to his chest, probably isn't helping him much, either, but what is he supposed to do when he realizes seeing two men together makes his whole body ache?" 4200 words.

Late Night, Early Morning - cest_what (BTS) Jungkook/Jimim. "Jungkook just wants somewhere to sleep." Bedsharing. 1500 words.

JINKOOK

Emeralds on the Pavement - timesuck2000 (BTS) Jungkook/Seokjin. "Sometimes when Jeongguk looks at Seokjin he feels like his body is made of bees. He knew it sounded dumb when he first thought it, but it’s the closest he’s been able to get to describing the feeling. The one where Jeongguk has a lot of feelings that he's bad at expressing." 8100 words.

Maybe He Snapped - merryofsoul (BTS) Jungkook/Seokjin. "Five times Jungkook tries to flirt with Seokjin, and one time Seokjin finally gets it." 4700 words.

stop, rewind - vppa (BTS) Seokjin/Jungkook. “We’re not dating.” Seokjin sits up on his elbows and stares Yoongi down to make a point. “Definitely not.” This is worth reading as a history of the group and Jin as much as a ship fic. The ship gives it it's arc but it's really good because of how it works with canon - so many references and callbacks!! 10,700 words.

JUNGHOPE

You Showed Me The Reasons - SevenSoulmates (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "Hoseok wants to leave. Jungkook does everything to stop him." this does kind of a nice swoopy thing where jk talks about the future and sees the future and it's his faith in that that makes hobi stay. 7000 words.

Like No One Is Watching - knjooniemoonie (inaweoftheirvoices) (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "With how fast their lives have become, Jungkook often feels the need to slow things down. There are moments that make him stop and think: This. I want to remember this. Because he knows there’s no way he’ll be able to remember everything they’ve experienced so far, and it’s sad. He wants to be 90 years old someday and sit on his porch and think back to the time when he had his first stadium concert, attended his first award show, sang live for the first time. He wants to be able to point at physical evidence and say “I did this. This was real.” Everything moves so quickly and is over way too soon, so sometimes all he can do is press record on his camera and hope to capture the moment he’s in. OR Jungkook decides to make a video for Hoseok's birthday. In the process he realizes his feelings might not be entirely platonic." GCF!!! 8200 words.

I'll be Home For Christmas (If Only in my Dreams) - babyboymatt (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "or the four times Jungkook hides and the one time he doesn't" very cute. 2700 words.

of white lies and autumn leaves - ffairyy (BTS) Jungkook/Hoseok. "“Fuck that,” Jungkook slurs. “I’m not less grown up just because I haven’t had a relationship yet. Right Hyung? It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make me uncool.” or the pretend dating fic where the boys make fun of Jungkook for being inexperienced and Hoseok jumps to his defense" VERY SWEET 34,000 words.

rehearsed steps, empty stage - bluestarlight (iridiumring92) (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "Hoseok has wanted Jungkook for what feels like forever. He can't keep his mind off Jungkook’s lips, his smile. Lips on the rim of a glass, teeth showing as he grins. His dyed hair falling over his forehead in those little waves. He’s so cute, so sweet. And he’s theirs, Hoseok reminds himself. He’s their maknae, not Hoseok’s to have." 10,000 words.

for you i would cross the line - starbrigid (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "'I've had a crush on you since before we debuted, but I've only just realized I'm in love with you.' The one and only J-Hope has acquired a secret admirer in BTS. He's in London, and it's time to play Sherlock Holmes. ...It goes about as well as one might expect." 9600 words.

not a booty call - ffairyy (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "They’re still themselves, still friends, still all those things they need to be during the day.Right now, they're also a little in love." 3700 words.

In Fear and Faith - im_your_hope (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "It's hard to shake something that is already under your skin." showers and bed sharing. 4800 words.

Like Snow, Like White Ashes - ashardoffreedom (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "“I’m not sure if there’s an easy fix.” Do you want me to help you fix it? Jungkook looks up at the ceiling. It’s very white. It’s very pure. “Hyung, maybe you’re not supposed to.”" asexual JK. 4500 words.

sparkles in his eyes - ffairyy (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "There are 20 hours left of the year and Hoseok spends them with a bunch of regrets, some nostalgia and his six favorite people. (+ pining after the boy with sparkles in his eyes)" 5300 words.

27 Kisses - lenaklx (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "Jeongguk developed a habit of giving Hoseok a cheek kiss before every performance. Hoseok was getting tired of not knowing what the hell that meant." 2500 words.

Bloodflows - mnsg (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "Sharing a bath at 3AM with all 178cm of Jeon Jeongguk is at least one of Hoseok's ideas of torture." 2200 words.

bored stiff (out of my brains) - loafers (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "Jungkook gets bored. The devil finds work for idle hands." PWP. 3800 words.

another life - Acavall (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook. "Jungkook and Hoseok talk alternate realities amidst fake kitchens. JungHope fluff from the day they went to Ikea in Sweden and then nearly got arrested for setting off the fire alarm." 2700 words.

notion - shikae (39smooth) (BTS) Jungkook has a crush on Hoseok. 1300 words.

Social Animals - nivo (BTS) Jeongguk/Hoseok. "For all his caution and common sense in most areas of life, Hoseok doesn't have a lick of self-preservation when it comes to putting his trust in people." Just Jeongguk being there for Hoseok. 1000 words.

all because of you - xxdevilishxx (BTS) Jungkook/Hoseok. "jeongguk frowns, ruffling his own hair, and whispers, "even if you’re j-hope in front of the fans, you don’t have to play that part in front of the rest of us. i like hobi hyung a lot, but i like hoseokie hyung even more.” (based off festa 2016 where the anonymous letter for hoseok stated how sometimes he made the members uncomfortable by being too happy and excited)" 7300 words.

the underlying rhythm - actualflowerhoseok (BTS) Jungkook/Hoseok. "When the hostess asks him, “Who’s your favorite hyung?” Jungkook knows he’s supposed to say Jimin. But he doesn’t." 1100 words.

MINJOON

hotel walls - deadmansbones (BTS) Namjoon/Jimin, Yoongi/Hoseok. “um,” jimin begins, breaking the silence, “hyung, should we--uh--tell them?” “i-i don’t think so,” namjoon stutters, “what would we do, just knock on the door?” funny and hot. 4500 words.

NAMGI

stop right next to you - brightlight (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi. "As the years pass, Yoongi can’t help himself from reaching out and holding Namjoon’s hand, when the others can’t see him frowning but Yoongi can. He can’t help himself from sprawling across Namjoon’s lap in the little sofa in the studio, when Namjoon looks so tired and so stressed and there’s only two weeks until the deadline on the next track. He can’t help himself from smiling, pleased, when Namjoon crawls into Yoongi’s bed late at night, muttering that he can’t sleep. They move dorms, gain privacy, change roommates, but Namjoon still keeps coming. Namjoon and Yoongi, through seven years of living together, rely on each other." good! 8800 words.

Play It As It Lays - almostblue (fictionalaspect) (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi. ""You said you've never gotten a blowjob," Yoongi says, slow and long-suffering, like he's speaking to someone who can't understand Korean. "And I said, what the fuck Joon, that's a fucking tragedy." "No," Namjoon says. His throat is dry as he stares up at the ceiling. Is Yoongi just fucking with him? He has to be fucking with him. There's no way he said what Namjoon thinks he said. "No, the part, um. The part after that." "Oh," Yoongi says. He has one arm pillowed behind his head. He closes his eyes, like Namjoon is the dumbest person in the world and it's physically paining him to force the worlds out. "I said, 'Since we're both stuck in here, you might as well let me help you out with that.' Jesus, Joon, do you even listen when I talk?"" 3100 words.

With You (Like Glue) - roebling (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi friendship. "With Hoseok gone for good and plans for debut in shambles, it's just Yoongi and Namjoon left at the dorm. Yoongi's not sure how much more he can take, but while he figures out what he wants to do, he might as well do something to cheer Namjoon up. That's what good hyungs do, right?" 5300 words.

Champagne Supernova - tiny_joon (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi. "The waitress returns toting a silver bucket and a bottle they didn't order. “Now, it’s customary to offer a complimentary champagne toast to anyone celebrating with us,” she says, setting the bucket filled with ice down on their table, “but I just think y’all are so sweet I pulled some strings. Congratulations, to many more!" When Bangtan wins their first big award in the US for their music Namjoon and Yoongi go out to celebrate." cute! 3200 words.

it's not far to go - pearl_o (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi. "Namjoon and Yoongi have been jerking off together occasionally since forever. It's super normal." 2200 words.

let the seasons change your mind - luminari (BTS) Yoongi/Namjoon. "Yoongi won’t pretend to understand Namjoon, but the way Namjoon pretends to understand him makes his skin crawl." really good canon stuff mostly. 16,200 words

i'll be the secret on your lips - cyrillic (BTS) Yoongi/Namjoon. "it hurts, that they’re keeping it a secret, because he wants nothing more than to scream it, when jimin comes into namjoon’s studio unannounced and they have to pretend their fingers weren’t intertwined, or when they have to pretend they’re just waking each other up and not cuddling in bed like the clingy assholes they are. or: namjoon and yoongi's friendship evolves, bit-by-bit, until it's something else entirely." 11,600 words.

All the Stars - bulletproof_bad_wolf (BTS) Yoongi/Namjoon. "The thing about Namjoon is he’s really good at drinking, until he’s not. If you blink, you can miss the shift. It’s that sudden. Yoongi’s blinked lots of times tonight, over the course of the last few hours. He’s had his fair share of the bottle they’ve all been passing around. It’s possible he may have blinked himself into a catnap or two. Either way, he’s awake now." 4300 words.

rocket - boozinos (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi. "Yoongi just wants to know how big Namjoon's dick is, okay." Pretty much! 2700 words.

A Joyful Phrase (I Do) - hapakitsune (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi, Jimin/Taehyung. "“Last question,” the interviewer said. “You’ve been to Las Vegas a few times now. What’s one thing you haven’t done yet that you really want to do?” “Get married,” Taehyung said. Later, at the chapel, Namjoon thought perhaps he should have tried a little harder to talk him out of it." 14,100 words.

NAMJIN

Celebrity Crush - bazooka (BTS) Namjoon/Seokjin. "Right now Namjoon was exhausted and he'd been saying rude shit and he kept snapping at Taehyung and then they'd had to sit through that interview ("Who's your celebrity crush?") and Seokjin had tried making a joke ("Rap Monster," he'd said, thinking he was being clever) and even as everyone around them cracked up the look that had flashed through Namjoon's eyes belied something that looked almost brittle." 16,500 words.

Back Yourself (Look in the Mirror) - KlavierRPF (KlavierWrites) (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi, Namjoon/Seokjin. "“What, does he think that now I’m out I’m going to start rapping about sucking dick?” asks Yoongi hotly, as they’re sat round the table discussing album concepts. Namjoon winces. “I mean,” says Taehyung, “you already do that.” Yoongi comes out first, but he's not the last. In fact, Namjoon's 90% sure he and Jin are the only straight ones." 7800 words.

It's Dead, We Killed It - prandcocaine (BTS) Namjoon/Seokjin, Hoseok/Jimin. "Bangtan's newest company-imposed torment drains their hearts, minds, and wallets." swear jar.

NAMKOOK

butterflies in my mind - misspamela, pearl_o (BTS) Jungkook/Namjoon. "Jungkook was twenty-two years old, he was an adult, a celebrity, and a performer. He had an accountant and a staff of people working for him. He’d been on Ellen, for god’s sake. He could handle having sex with his boyfriend. It was going to go perfectly this time." very sweet. 10,000 words.

now he callin' me nyquil - bazooka (BTS) Jungkook/Namjoon. "It was simpler than getting sleeping pills. It was more effective than taking a hot shower. It was faster than getting up and making tea or heating up some leftovers or whatever in a futile attempt at lulling himself to sleep. It was easier. It just made sense. It had stopped being weird months ago, even though sometimes Jeongguk still had an awkward flash of self-awareness - usually when he was straddling Namjoon’s hips with his face buried in the hollow between Namjoon’s throat and shoulder." 1900 words.

NAMSEOK

Bring Me Back Down to Earth - Katuize (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon. "Sometimes Namjoon needs someone to get him out of his head. When he needs someone, he goes to Hoseok." caregiving, hurt/comfort. 1100 words.

Like The Moon To The Sun - AttesTaetion (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon. "“Joonie.” It’s said softly. Gently and sweetly. Hoseok is speaking to him the way Namjoon typically speaks to the little animals he comes across during his walks in the park. In a way that’s meant to soothe them. To let them know that he doesn’t mean any harm. Because he cares for them. Because they’re cute and small and he thinks they’re adorable. Basically, Namjoon has a bad day and Hoseok is there to take care of him." 5800 words.

raise me up again - nebulia (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon. "[They have never talked about it. These are the most words either of them has ever said about it outside of sex. Namjoon has always put it in that place between them, the 2% awkward Hoseok mentioned that one time on Kkul FM. He knows silently fucking the only same-age friend in your idol group isn’t normal or anything, but he figured maybe it was just...what happened. They only did it when it could be done not talking, so hardly ever on tour. And Namjoon knows they should probably talk about it, but Hoseok is right that they’re only 98% close. Maybe the 2% is just weird sex.] Namjoon relies on Hoseok a lot, but he never feels like he gives anything back. (He's wrong.)" porn with feelings. good! 10,600 words.

prismatic - mahistrado (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon. "Hoseok takes care of Namjoon. It was the kind of care that hurt sometimes, sure. A spoonful of castor oil kind of love; nasty going down, good from the inside out." just really, really great character work. 6400 words.

Lemonade - rhythmsextion (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon. "In which Hobi intercepts Namjoon wielding a knife and comes to regret it. Or does he?" 3000 words.

Not Just You; I Need This Too - eightninetwo (BTS) Namjoon/Hoseok. "Hoseok wishes Namjoon can see just how beautiful he is despite his flaws." 8600 words.

Blue - hobipd (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon. "So Namjoon likes to poke and prod his bruises... that’s not weird, right? Lots of people do. Right?" mild painplay. pwp with feelings. good! 9100 words.

Within These Walls - Dribbledrabbledos (BTS) Namjoon and Hoseok. "Namjoon thinks about what was, is and will be and gets lost in between." 4000 words.

when i run out of road (you bring me home) - hobisthighs (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon. ""You can catch a quick nap if you want, the kids aren't due to wake up for another 10, and I can fend them off long enough for you to get at least 40 minutes." He considered the offer briefly, but ultimately decided against it, he got himself into this mess he wasn't about to screw up everyone else's morning for a measly 40 minute nap. (or; namjoon is just really thankful for hoseok)" 1200 words.

TAEGI

(I Probably Still Adore You) With Your Hands Around My Neck - mucha (BTS) Yoongi/Taehyung. "The new choreo was a little more than Taehyung bargained for." 4000 words.

Just Hold Me - Incadence (BTS) Taehyung/Yoongi. "This hand holding is for business sake, so they can really all shut the fuck up. If not for Taehyung, Yoongi would probably have long floated away into the crowd and gotten kidnapped or something. So yes, this is one hundred percent for business sake. And the fact that Taehyung’s stupidly warm all the time, and has the prettiest hands have nothing to do with it." 3300 words.

my heart flutters from the sugar high - hoars (BTS) Yoongi/Taehyung. "Yoongi and Taehyung sneak around together, cheating on their diets. The group? They've drawn different conclusions." CW: dieting/food. the story is otherwise very cute. 6000 words.

how can i make you mine? - hoars (BTS) Yoongi/Taehyung. "The five times the members interrupt or delay Taehyung's great confession and the one time a confession is spit out. Kind of." 5400 words.

TAEJIN

my best decision - madanach (BTS) Seokjin/Taehyung. "“You’re a menace,” Seokjin says. “You come here—you wake me up from my sleep—to do these things versus me. To do the things that you do, against me, specifically.” “All I did was call you pretty,” Taehyung says. “And say that when I was seventeen I wanted to kiss you.”" 3700 words.

TAEKOOK

love in the time of social media - abillionstars (BTS) Taehyung/Jungkook. "“You want me, an internationally famous celebrity living in a restrictive society that would tear apart any news of me dating, to set up a very public Tinder account under a fake name?” Taehyung cocked an eyebrow. “Just thought I ought to clarify.” “Yes,” said Seokjin, looking strangely determined. “Well, shit,” Taehyung said, exiting out of the Words With Friends game. “I’m in.” In which Taehyung doesn't swipe right on anybody at all (except in his heart), goes on absolutely no wild adventures, but ends up falling in love anyway." 23,300 words.

Know You Love Me Boy - arabellarosebts (BTS) Jungkook/Taehyung. "Jeongguk finally confesses something Taehyung's been waiting to hear" 7000 words.

Can't keep my hands to myself (no matter how hard I'm trying to) - sunshineandpixiedust (BTS) Jungkook/Taehyung. "the one where Jeongguk views sexting as a challenge and takes it a little bit too seriously." 11,500 words.

VHOPE

when did my heart become like this? - triplekimsquad (BTS) Hoseok/Taehyung. ""Come on," Hoseok urges gently, moving the pillow aside so he can see Taehyung's face properly. "We've got a busy schedule today." He meets Taehyung's eyes, feels something twist inside his chest at the hopeful pout Taehyung sends him. "Aish," he says under his breath, rolling his eyes — though it comes out fondly despite his attempt at being annoyed. "Yah, that doesn't work on me anymore. I've become immune to that face." It's a bluff really. Years later and Hoseok's heart still melts a little at Taehyung's imploring expression. "Kiss me then," Taehyung says, turning his face and presenting his profile to Hoseok. He taps his cheek twice with his index finger, (still pouting — god it's adorable), "Gimme a kiss and I'll get up." Or, the (5) times where Hoseok wakes Taehyung up by giving him a kiss, and the (1) time Taehyung returns the sentiment." super soft. 12,700 words.

Behind The Masks - mkim (BTS) Hoseok/Taehyung. "“I sleep best when I'm with you,” Taehyung mumbled shyly. A pause. “Is that so?” “Yeah.” “Hm, me too.” Hoseok sighed softly. Then, much more quietly, so faintly that Taehyung wasn't even sure he was supposed to hear it, he added: “What are we doing, Taehyung-ah?” As if being an idol wasn't hard enough, Taehyung of course had to go and fall helplessly in love with his straight bandmate." the author does their utmost best to fit in all the bits of canon into a narrative and it's very compelling and readable. 109,700 words.

i'd hold your hand and soak up the sun - monbon (BTS) Hoseok/Taehyung. "It takes Hoseok almost breaking his nose to start realizing Things. Fortunately, he's pretty chill with it. Unfortunately, Taehyung is confusing." adorable! 6200 words.

blue side - cutaepatootae (elysian) (BTS) Hoseok/Taehyung. "Everyone loves Hoseok. In particular, everyone loves Hoseok's bed, which always smells nice and is somehow softer than all their other mattresses combined. Taehyung knows this because he had taken it upon himself to investigate the vitally important issue of Most Comfortable Bed in Dorm, especially when he realised he could no longer settle for his own less-than-satisfactory bed after sleeping with Hoseok for the past two months. (in which taehyung and hoseok like to sleep together, and jimin is taehyung's no. 1 wingman. also: sexual tension)." 30,300 words.

Hey Jupiter - almostblue (fictionalaspect) (Bangtan Boys) Yoongi/Taehyung. ""Hyung couldn't sleep," Taehyung says, by way of explanation. He feels like some explanation is probably needed for why he and Hoseok are snuggling on the couch together. "Sometimes he can't sleep, and then he comes and gets me and we sleep out here. He says he doesn't know why, but having me around makes it better." Or: the one where Taehyung is completely and utterly oblivious." 6400 words.

through the lonely, through the other side - ronanov (BTS) Taehyung/Hoseok. "20170628 07:14 am" the vante studio photos. 1300 words.

your arms, your warmth, your heart. - capivara (BTS) Hoseok/Taehyung. ""...Taetae?” The dancer breathes out before he can think about it. If there is a time to say it, whatever the outcome, it is now, when they are both on the brim of bursting with the heavy silence weighing down on them, dazedly oscillating between holding onto the ground or sinking deep into the abyss. Because he knows they will forget all about it the next morning." living room confession. 8800 words.

Balsam - ishuku (BTS) Taehyung/Hoseok. "Logic tells Taehyung that the flavor resting on his tongue isn't actually fruit -- but that doesn't stop Taehyung from telling himself that it is." established relationship. porn. 3800 words.

Can't Hide Our Love (But We Can Try) - melecs (BTS) Hoseok/Taehyung. "Four people think Jimin and Taehyung are dating. (Hoseok knows they’re not)." 3900 words.

I’ve been trying (to believe in confiding) - freethedoncastertwo (BTS) Hoseok/Taehyung. "Hoseok struggles and Taehyung is cute and supportive and kissable." Also a cookie is seduced. 2500 words.

asymmetry in attraction - namgi (BTS) Taehyung/Hoseok. "Taehyung yearns for bright smiles, eyes crinkled up in laughter and measured, steady hands. More than anything, he yearns for Jung Hoseok." 3200 words.

VMON

Lovers From The Moon - Zee (BTS) Namjoon/Taehyung, various other pairings. "Namjoon has always kept himself apart from the casual sex that the rest of them have, and Taehyung keeps trying and failing not to let that bother him." WHOLESOME VOYEURISM. 7900 words.

VMIN

A Fault In My Structure - Zee (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "Jimin hasn't seen Taehyung in almost three weeks, and ‘missing’ is not quite the right word for it." 5800 words.

Your love was handmade for somebody like me - tangowithsuga (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "Park Jimin wakes up in Vegas, married to his best friend Kim Taehyung." Cute! 24,900 words.

kissing up on fences (and up on walls, i don't want to fall) - bonnia (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "the five times the other members thought they were dating, and the one time jimin starts to wonder if they really are" 8700 words.

Completely Platonic.... - Toshiba19 (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "The four times that Jimin and Taehyung said they were platonic and the one time they realize they've probably been dating all along." 7500 words.

the one thing that's real - syubnugget (BTS) Taehyung/Jimin. "Taehyung can hear Jimin's little snores, the soft snuffles that he always teases him about when they share a bed. He shakes his head as if he can physically knock the thought out of his own mind. Teased him. When they shared a bed. They're not supposed to do things like that anymore." 4000 words.

till the ocean is folded and hung up to dry (i'll love you, dear) - flightlessly (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "in the quiet aftermath of an on-stage live, jimin decides he's had enough. he takes a gamble. / Sometimes, Jimin finds himself thinking of another life. He exists to take the stage, but every so often a little part of him yearns for something softer, quieter." 1900 words.

(i'm a symphony of the world gone wild) - inthelookingglass (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "jimin and taehyung break out of the dorm to get drunk in a field." Slice of life. 1000 words.

friends help each other - claybunny (BTS) Taehyung/Jimin. "Taehyung has a problem and Jimin, the angel he is, helps him out. Taehyung doesn't know what to do with his feelings and things slightly spiral out of control." Epic fwb pining. 46,900 words.

if the world was ending (would you stay with me) - countingpaths (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "They're always too much and not enough - pushing the boundaries but not breaking them." Vaguely Halloween themed. This is cute because they talk about they'd do in a zombie apocalypse - they'd live for one another, aww. 2800 words.

all of your sides are good - knth (conditionally) (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "It's Jimin's birthday and Taehyung has to do whatever he wants. (Or where Jimin doesn't know what he wants, is what Taehyung wants too.)" Jimin has a fun time ordering Taehyung around but then he realises he wants more. 16,600 words.

A Guide to (Not) Keeping Your Relationship a Secret - skateboardsound (BTS) Taehyung/Jimin. "In which Jimin and Taehyung try (and fail) to navigate a secret relationship in a dorm with five other boys and Bangtan holds an intervention." Adorable! 4500 words.

4 Times Taehyung Fantasized About Jimin’s Thighs and the 1 Time Fantasy Became Reality - skateboardsound (BTS) Taehyung/Jimin. "Taehyung has a thing for Jimin’s thighs. It gets a little out of control." This is good. Includes shaving and a ton of sexual tension. 11,000 words.

Good things come to those who wait (and I've been waiting a while) - nieljoee (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "Jimin makes the unpleasant discovery that Taehyung sleep walks. To make things worst, it seems like he's actively seeking him out." Taehyung keeps sleepwalking into Jimin's bed. 9000 words.

Definitions - cest_what (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "“Have you ever –” Jimin says, and then stops. He lifts his elbow a little and peeks sideways at Taehyung, before he drops his arm over his eyes again." They've kissed plenty of times but Jimin is waiting for the one that actually counts. Really cute. 1000 words.

Sun and Sand - cest_what (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung. "It isn’t as though Jimin’s never thought about kissing Taehyung before." Beach time. 1900 words.

tell me how to make this better - kingenjolras (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung, Namjoon/Jin, Yoongi/Hoseok. Jimin is insecure and accidentally overdoses on anti-depressants, prompting everyone to hash everything out. Very melodramatic. 44,600 words.

YOONJIN

Worldwide Lonesome - loindexter (BTS) Seokjin/Yoongi. "After the BBMA, Yoongi starts bringing guys back to the house." Really good story about coming out and living in the public eye and idol life. Great Jin voice. 40,000 words.

the unreleased album - noctemlux (BTS) Yoongi/Seokjin. "Seokjin had never once believed that love existed in the idol industry, not when they're all hormonally charged young men who spend far too much time together in such close proximity. They had to have release in some way. So it wasn't love, Seokjin tells himself, even if Yoongi said it was." 5500 words.

the night is still young (and so are we) - pagdiwa (neko11lover) (BTS) Yoongi/Seokjin. "Summer 2012. They’re so, so close to debuting. Yoongi knows that he won’t be able to forgive himself if he let Kim Seokjin leave." 6100 words.

My Heart Has Grown Bigger - minvmin (BTS) Yoongi/Seokjin. "The fans have noticed that Yoongi and Seokjin seem to have grown apart and are blaming it on Seokjin; Yoongi wants to show them the truth. Or, five of the many times Yoongi cared about Seokjin, only five that he let the world see." established relationship. 5000 words.

Path/Road - misspamela (BTS) Seokjin/Yoongi. "“I don’t like parties,” Yoongi said suddenly, like he was confessing something. “And I’m pretty sure two people doesn’t really count as a party.” “Well, fine, if you’re going to get pedantic about it.” Seokjin threw his arm around Yoongi’s shoulders. “Then this is the best date I’ve been on in months too.”" early days! good! 2300 words.

YOONKOOK

one thing - darling (BTS) Jungkook/Yoongi. Jungkook has never been on a date so he asks Yoongi to take him on one and pretends it's real. quite sweet. 5800 words.

Past Midnight - jaqueenilini (BTS) Jungkook/Yoongi. “Hyung, where are you going?” he asks casually, positive Yoongi can see right through him. “Studio Jungkook-ah, you know this,” 3500 words.

space - misspamela (BTS) Yoongi/Jungkook. "Jungkook watches the stars and waits." 2300 words.

flower boys - siderum (BTS) Jungkook/Yoongi. "yoongi and jungkook take care of a plant together." 3000 words.

gay panic: the musical - softlyblue (BTS) Jungkook/Yoongi. "Jeongguk is a modern man, and that means he knows exactly who to go to for advice - the internet at large. Help me, he types, and then deletes it. That sounds like he's being held hostage. I think about my hyung when I jerk off Nah, too forward. My bandmate Nah, too identifying. My friend (24m) is very pretty and sometimes I (20m) think about kissing him. What do He deletes the what do bit, and then feels very proud of himself as he hits submit." My fave part was JK seeking advice from Namjoon. 4300 words.

YOONMIN

The 100-Day Love Challenge - jeosheo (BTS) Jimin/Yoongi. "For a variety show challenge, Jimin must tell Yoongi every day for 100 days that he loves him." 19,200 words.

YOONSEOK

simple + clean - jeonbenet (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "Hoseok looks at him, then at the water. “Uh.” “You don’t have to be weird about it,” Yoongi regards Hoseok’s crotch, then back to his eyes. Hoseok laughs, amazed at Yoongi’s ability to make a full-on dick scoping as casual as he just did. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” (Or: Hoseok gets seasick. Yoongi cleans him up.)" sweet. 5600 words.

you give me that rush - sobistars (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "the five times Yoongi goes for round two, and the five times he gets it. // “Hobi, Hobi,” Yoongi says again, grinning as he leans closer, and closer still. “You think it’s hot?” Hoseok nods slightly, still shy and small as he grasps the phone in his hand. “Yeah?” “Yeah, hyung…” Hoseok’s voice is small, the kind of small Yoongi loves when they’re like this. Suddenly he’s full of energy, ready to jump on Hoseok the second he says he wants it too." sweet. 4400 words.

until this cold winter ends - mariephantomhive (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "yoongi always makes sure to chase the cold away, somehow, and hoseok just wants to return the favour for once. or, five times hoseok was cold, and one time he made sure yoongi was not." super soft! 7500 words.

say what you want - ignitesthestars (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "There are a lot of reasons why Yoongi shouldn’t sleep with Jung Hoseok. “You’re always so stuck in your own head.” Hoseok leans in gently, gently, knocking their foreheads together. “It’s okay to just feel. Nothing bad will happen. I promise.” The huge, shuddering breath that Yoongi sucks in at that moment feels too big for his chest, like there’s more in him than his body can contain. I promise, Hoseok says, and Yoongi can feel the truth of that down to his bones." v nice. 7400 words.

show me more - billykaplan (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "Hoseok could never get tired of Yoongi—his words, his kisses, his presence. If his love is a sea, there is no land in sight. Not anymore. Alternatively, Hoseok loves Yoongi, Yoongi loves Hoseok, and they make it work." nice canonverse fic. 19,300 words.

Whirlpool - superrunnaturall (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "what happens on vacation, stays on vacation." 11,200 words.

and the sky's the limit - pearl_o (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "It's two thousand ten (twelve, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen…) and Hoseok has something on his mind." 800 words.

Counting Pandas - anonymousloris (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "He did this sometimes. Talked in his sleep. When he was extra stressed and tense that was. Yoongi always thought that sometimes Hoseok’s body was just so ready to shut down, that it forgot to turn all the lights off before it did. Sometimes it left his mouth on.Usually it was just nonsense mumbles about dolphin embraces.From time to time, he was pretty clear." 3300 words.

even if it breaks down, oh better - misspamela (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "The worst part about Jung Hoseok was that Yoongi had never been able to ignore him." 4500 words.

A simple question - ItsaShrillFeeling (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "Yoongi never imagined himself being in a relationship until he's questioned by an Interviewer about it. He then starts to wonder why the thought never occurred to him, up until now. Which leads Yoongi to start questioning his love life and his role as a friend." 46,200 words.

you were always my favourite - jnghsk (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "A young, 16-year old Hoseok joins BigHit and finds comfort in his new friend Min Yoongi. At time goes on, he knows he's found someone who will be there for him for the rest of his life." 2100 words.

Kiss Me - merryofsoul (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "It's National Kissing Day, so naturally Hoseok has to bestow a kiss on each of his beloved members." 3200 words.

Rub Your Feelings Down My Spine - Only_A_Fangirl (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "He doesn’t let up, his hands getting even firmer, heels of his palms digging into Yoongi’s skin. Yoongi controls his breathing forcefully, but Hoseok can see through him anyway. And this is exactly why Yoongi doesn’t do massages. Yoongi closes his eyes, doesn’t want to see the little smirk on Hoseok’s face. It’s stupid. This lack of self control. When Hoseok kneads the junction between his neck and shoulder, he can’t help the blood rushing between his legs. Just can’t help it." 8000 words.

Or; - malamyszk (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "“Wait – so, you want to have a threesome? With me? And your girlfriend?” Yoongi puffs out his cheeks before releasing the air in a long exhale and settling into a smirk. “Damn Seok-ah. Thought I broke you for a second.” “Shut up. I just – Seriously?” Or; I Want You to Fuck Me & My Girlfriend, a Love Story Or; Fuckboy Min Yoongi, A Study" messy emotions about loving but hurting one another! 37,700 words.

so i'll be your candle, and i'll be your statuette - pearl_o (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Yoongi isn't sure how long they've been talking, exactly, but it's long enough to have gotten pretty fucking deep into the topic, and long enough for his slowly sobering brain to suddenly deliver the message that that hot prickly twitchy feeling is arousal, Yoongi, you goddamn idiot." 3200 words.

still here, both of us, together - Yoonseok_af (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Basically Yoongi getting sentimental and thinking about his relationship with Hoseok. And then Yoongi's thoughts make things happen." Yoongi proposes in Vegas. 3900 words.

Your Voice (My Lullaby) - aloharussia (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "Hoseok starts to think of whatever might have caused this. There wasn’t anything specific bothering him. There weren’t any fights or disturbances within the group. All of it he could blame on stress, but even so the last times he’s gotten to the point of breaking down with stress he was still able to rest, albeit with small amounts. Or; Hoseok can’t seem to fall asleep, and the only thing that can ease him into it is Yoongi’s voice." 9900 words.

Smile For Me, Not At Me - dabbleinthedrabble (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Min Yoongi has a crush on Jung Hoseok. This is a fact of life for him, but not one that he is particularly ecstatic about having had to conceal it for years on end. Upon being on holiday in Thailand he realises something that ruins him further: Hoseok is fucking gorgeous without a shirt. (In which Yoongi is angsty and more than a tad at loss with what to do with his feelings and Hoseok is even worse, and may or may not have a kink for Yoongi's smile.)" 6500 words.

The Stars - bleeding_bangtan (BTS) Yoongi and Hoseok. "In which Min Yoongi wonders if he will ever debut, and Jung Hoseok holds on to the one steady thing in his life." 2200 words.

For you, who is my everything - superrunnaturall (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "“Come on, hyung,” he urged and stood from the couch. “This will all still be here tomorrow. If you really want me to leave you alone, I will, but you did invite me in…” Hoseok pointed out with a small smirk. Yoongi looked up at him from his swivel chair as Hoseok got closer and stood between Yoongi’s legs. “So, what do you wanna do, Yoongi?” (Yoongi, Hoseok, and the Genius Lab)" fluffy smut. 9400 words.

Again - sixtieshairdo (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. They're together and fighting, but reconcile. 2000 words.

it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy - Yoonseok_af (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "We all have those little secrets we’re to ashamed to reveal, even to the people we trust the most. Min Yoongi had two secrets. First of all, he had a massive crush on his friend and bandmate Jung Hoseok. Yoongi found a solution that became his second little secret. Every now and then he’d lock himself in his studio or lay in bed, covered with a blanket, and... read fan fictions." unexpectedly cute! 4400 words.

Little Prince - Sobioppa (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. ""You slept so well, you looked like a little prince." Hoseok is Yoongi's sleepy little prince." 2600 words.

if found please return to - misspamela (BTS) Yoongi and Hoseok. "“Sope forever,” Hoseok whispers, patting clumsily at Yoongi’s hat. “Sope forever until I kill you,” Yoongi agrees." Bon Voyage 2. 1100 words.

first nights - arysthaeniru (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. Version of their first meeting in the dorm. 1200 words.

Voice - sixtieshairdo (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "“Seok-seok, you’re so cute. Your ears, especially. So very, very. Cute.” A weaker man would succumb to the temptation to kiss Yoongi whose face is too close for any friendly endeavour, but Hoseok couldn’t possibly give in, not when Yoongi’s drunk." ASMR fic. hobi loves yoongi's voice. 2700 words.

Too Far Gone - skeleton_soups (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Hoseok has been creating a space for himself inside of Yoongi's life for years now, so Yoongi's used to it by now... isn't he? -OR- How to fuck in a room full of sleeping boys." 1700 words.

worked up - sweetlyblue (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "“I’m not doing anything!” “Yeah, you are.” Yoongi bites a chunk of the snack bar off. “Seok-ah, it’s nut flavoured. I know how much you like-” “Oh my god.” “No, but really, you gotta have some.” Yoongi cracks off some of the snack bar. “You gave yours to Jiminie. Just eat the fuckin’ thing. I’m being a cute boyf- a cute hyung.” They fall into awkward silence." 1900 words.

into the morning light - realface (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "Hoseok could stop himself. He could make something up on the spot, could save himself if he actually wanted to, before he opens his mouth to blurt, “Hyung, wanna go on a date with me?”" sweet get together is also good at dating while an idol aspect. 1600 words.

What Happens In Vegas (You Never Tell A Soul) - thisissuchbts (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "They didn't-- No, no. They definitely didn't. After all, Yoongi just established that Hoseok is a relatively trustworthy drunk. He wouldn't have agreed to something like that; neither of them would. Except, oh wait, they absolutely would." accidentally married. 2200 words.

I Thought That I Was Dreaming When You Said You Loved Me - teenuviel1227 (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Hoseok clicked the link in the DM by accident. He didn’t mean to read it, to keep reading it, to let it colour his interactions with Yoongi but--how could he not? Yoongi didn’t mean to start writing it, didn’t mean for it to get so much attention. But at 80,000 hits his worst nightmare had come true in the form of a DM: Author-nim, I sent Hobi the link to your fics! Convinced that Hoseok is a) straight and b) not the kind of guy to check his DMs, he left it up. However, he can’t help but notice the way that Hoseok’s gaze lingers on him longer these days, the way he smiles wider, lets a hand casually fall over his. Or the fic where a fan sends Hobi the link to a Yoonseok fic, Hobi gets hooked, and Yoongi is the fandom’s most famous Yoonseok author." 7000 words.

feedback loop - englishsummerrain (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "He thinks they were made to fit together like this, somewhere between the bright lights of the stage and their dormitory sheets." 1700 words.

Bangtan Party Night - valaidh (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Now Yoongi leans forward to set his drink on the coffee table, gently but with clear purpose. “Okay, then, let's go.” A chorus of soft oohs bounces off the walls, and Hoseok’s brow furrows. “Wh– What do you mean, ‘Let’s go’?” “Let’s play Gay Chicken,” Yoongi says simply, the faintest hint of a challenge playing at the edges of his words." 13,800 words.

Heavy Rotations - fruityblowpop (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "Hoseok just wants to get fucked, but Yoongi is a bit terrified of popping Hoseok's cherry." 12,000 words.

Holding Hands - robertpostchild (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "“God damn it.” Yoongi yelled. “Hold my fucking hand.” That sounds more like Yoongi, Hoseok thought, but he still couldn’t get his hand to release its grip on the roll bar." sweet confession on a theme park ride. 3300 words.

Hands On - fruityblowpop (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Inspired By Run BTS: COPS, in which Hoseok seems to have a neck fetish. “Seok-ah, none of us knew what we were doing –“ “No,” Hoseok interrupted again. Yoongi felt long fingers press against his throat and he swallowed hard. “I didn’t realize –“ The fingers tightened, and even though Hoseok’s grip was still delicate, nowhere near enough pressure to cut off air, Yoongi’s breath still stuttered. “Oh,” he whispered. “Yeah,” Hoseok echoed dully. “Oh.”" includes breathplay. 14,600 words.

Awkward - sixtieshairdo (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. “You really like kissing, huh?” He wonders, just for a second, if Yoongi’s making fun of him, but the blush on Yoongi’s cheeks tell him otherwise, alerts him that, perhaps, Yoongi’s unsure about his intentions and motives. He leans down, plants a kiss on Yoongi’s forehead, over his eyelids, his cheekbones, his upturned nose, his willing mouth. “Nah, I just like you.” He can feel Yoongi’s cheeks burn as Yoongi presses his face against his chest. “God, you’re so cheesy.” Awkward but very sweet first time. 2700 words.

Lonely Nights are Better with You - whenIseeUsmile (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Yoongi can't focus and he knows why. That's why he texts Hoseok. He's his rock, even though he shouldn't be. Or in which they both SHOULD JUST CONFESS ALREADY." 4700 words.

The Space between Our Beds - minvmin (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Yoongi and Hoseok become roommates. Talking ensues." 3200 words.

someday - sweetlyblue (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "In the build-up to their comeback, their biggest debut stage yet, tempers fray and relationships break and are built once more, stronger than ever." Quite good! 11,800 words.

The Quiet - Mindy (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "Four times Hoseok said I love you, and the one time he didn't." 2500 words.

inside his head - trash_yoongi (97_jiji) (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "There wasn’t a moment of realisation. It was something that slowly built. Barely present at first, maybe he felt a little more tired, a little more restless. But it was nothing out of the ordinary. Yoongi was an idol, dealing well with tiredness should be part of the job description." Yoongi has depression and anxiety. 2 stories, 10,800 words.

soft hearts, electric souls - lilacflowers (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "yoongi said he'd stay once and ended up staying each time after." 4600 words.

what's the world (without you in it) - narutoskage (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Yoongi and Hoseok have been dating for a while now and Yoongi still can't get used to how much he loves his boyfriend (and sex with said boyfriend, the sex is good). AKA hoseok eating yoongi’s ass, pwp with feelings, and yoonseok being very much in love with each other." Funny, warm sex scenes. 2300 words.

Pronouns - littleghostfantasies (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Yoongi is having problems gaining inspiration for a new song he's writing. Hoseok can help. After all, it's all about him." 2800 words.

What's in a Smile - dokyun (kissthesea) (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Rappers aren't cute, says Yoongi, and neither is Hoseok." 1400 words.

love is a place - deuxoiseaux (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi. "When Hoseok had asked Yoongi if he'd wanted to come to the cherry blossom festival, Yoongi assumed the others would be joining them. ... Together they'd caught the train and spent hours weaving their way through the trees and other people, alone. They stopped at various booths for snacks and coffee, and Hoseok slung an arm around Yoongi's shoulders, keeping him close. Yoongi didn't mind." 2400 words.

5 times Hoseok was afraid and 1 time Yoongi was - Phinphin (Hidlesworth) (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Hoseok was afraid of everything. That Min Yoongi and everyone else in the group had quickly learned. Now, while everything per say wasn’t correct, anything could scare Hoseok on a good day." Needed a good beta, but not bad. 10,900 words.

Soft Spot - nivo (BTS) Hoseok and Yoongi. "Yoongi doesn't particularly care for the well-being of the new trainee. It's just that he doesn't particularly care for prison, either, and leaving the kid to fend for himself would probably constitute criminally negligent homicide." 1700 words.

Six Kisses - imasinner (BTS) Hoseok/everyone, Hoseok/Yoongi. "It’s an unquestioned truth that Jung Hoseok loves physical affection. He’s usually the giver, brimming with love and the need to show it to his groupmates. But birthdays are about receiving, and Hoseok’s present is morning kisses. (established casual poly/ot7 ; not necessarily romantic, but not necessarily platonic either)" 2600 words.

and you did it for me - shikae (39smooth) (BTS) placeholder come and take mine Yoongi/Hoseok. "They're fine. They'll always be fine." Quiet moment and a late night convenience store. 2000 words. And the lovely companion story with the others observing and drawing their own (correct) conclusions. 2600 words.

sometimes i think that i know - shikae (39smooth) (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "The alcohol in his veins is beginning to sift the languor back into his bones. He allows himself to lean in closer, just for the leverage, and their shoulders meet easily, steadily. Hoseok’s fingers fold gently around Yoongi’s other shoulder." Yoongi realises he's in love. 1200 words.

Underneath the Starless Nights - sophia7 (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "Hoseok is in love and doesn’t know how to deal with it." Hoseok is in love with Taehyung, and Yoongi is in love with Jimin. In the closet, both sad, they turn to each other for release and comfort. Yoongi eventually wants to be boyfriends and they agree to try. It's not an epic love story and they both fuck up a lot (repetitiously, even) but they agree to try and they do love each other. 72,200 words.

Always Enough - thedirtunderyourskin (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. "To make a long story short, they argued. They argued for a long time, waking up Taehyung in the process, and to stop himself from strangling Hoseok with the dirty t-shirt he was waving in his face, Yoongi left the dorm with no coat, no phone and no money." pre-debut. 3500 words.

Funny - sixtieshairdo (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok. Hoseok has a girlfriend but he and Yoongi get off on sexts about her. Yoongi pov of triangulation. 4100 words.

OT3 & MORE, POLYAM, GEN AND OTHER

Outro - oliviacirce (BTS) OT7, Jimin-centric. "Jimin's room, 20 minutes, he texts the group chat, minus Jimin. Bring lube and snacks." 8500 words.

one plus one equals one - moonbabie (VIXX, BTS) Jaehwan/Seokjin. "4 times the boys witness something they don’t understand, and 1 time they discover everything. Or Kim Seokjin has been together and married to Lee Jaehwan for the past 6 years, and never quite got around to telling his boys. Oops?" 5900 words.

One by one - whalien_spence_52 (BTS) Jungkook. ""The hyungs filled me up one by one. And I think maybe that's how I became what I am now. I could be a manifestation of all their characters coming together." aka the one where you can watch our precious maknae grow up and mature through his hyungs' eyes." 40,000 words.

have not saints lips - monbon (BTS) Hoseok/everyone. "as seokjin stepped up, lifting his shirt to point to a bruise jimin had (accidentally) inflicted on his abs, jimin and taehyung were still arguing. “you live together!” taehyung was retorting. “his bed is twenty centimeters from yours! you spoon basically every night!” “stop trying to deflect, tae, the line is sacred and you know it!” “oh man,” said yoongi, “i dunno who lied to you you, but nothing in this house has ever been or will ever be sacred. not since i walked in on you in the bathroom after those sketchy kebabs.”" hobi is gonna kiss EVERY BOY. 1200 words.

An Experiment in Threesomes - Only_A_Fangirl (BTS) Hoseok/Jungkook/Yoongi. "Still. What does he have to lose? He’ll just tell them about his problem, like a proper dongsaeng to his hyungs, and maybe they’ll have a solution. And maybe that solution will be to have sex with him. Probably not. But maybe. So, he won’t just say ‘I want you to take my virginity’, he’ll just hope that they offer. He might also lose just a little bit of his dignity, but not much, because he’s sure they won’t make fun of him. Or, the tale of Jeongguk's virginity loss to Hoseok and Yoongi." open ending, but i felt it gave just enough and i believe in a happy future! 37,600 words.

Logical Thinking - Only_A_Fangirl (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon/Yoongi. "“What’s the favor you wanted?” Namjoon asks. “Right,” Hoseok says. “So, I drank a little bit yesterday, and I got this really good idea. And then I sobered up and the idea was still good, so… here I am.” “What is it?” Yoongi asks. Hoseok takes a deep breath, looks at Yoongi pointedly for a few seconds, “Let me suck your dick.”" WIP at 76k now.

A Wish Your Heart Makes - oliviacirce (BTS) OT7. ""This can't be the right translation," Taehyung says, before Jungkook can do something crazy like just ask to suck Jimin's dick. Taehyung has his phone out, and is frowning as he taps the screen. "But I looked it up on Naver, and there might be something called sex pollen? Sex pollen? Like, plants?"" 16,600 words.

and i'll smile upon you too - pearl_o (BTS) Hoseok/Yoongi/Jungkook. ""what is going on right now?" yoongi says, still staring at hoseok. "i'm trying to communicate with you! like adults!" hoseok says. "you're doing a really bad job," says yoongi. "how did you picture this conversation going?" hoseok slumps until he's half lying down, letting his legs hanging over the edge of the mattress. "i was gonna tell you that i love you and that i want you to be happy and that i could be happy even if it meant...you know. sharing."" 5900 words.

Wingman - Zee (BTS) Jimin/Taehyung/Namjoon. "Any time Taehyung feels that he’s taken flirting too far, any time he does something a little daring and then needs to chicken out, he turns around and repeats whatever action it was on Jimin, as if to say see? This is just how I am all the time, with everyone, please don’t accuse me of liking you please. Like Jimin emits magic no-homo rays just by being there, or something." 4400 words.

You were holding on to make a point - bambambams (phanjessmagoria) (BTS) Hoseok/Namjoon/Yoongi. "When he exited the bathroom, sweatpants slung low on his hips, Hoseok's shirt had been removed, Yoongi's lips closed around his collarbone. Namjoon stopped short, smirking, more amused that Yoongi had waited until he was absent to start anything. He was like that, Namjoon had found—enough of a brat, even though he was the oldest of the three of them—but he knew the agreement that they had, too. He wasn't supposed to touch or kiss or lick or bite or anything until they were all together. It wasn't that Namjoon was jealous. None of them were—they, and their relationship, had evolved beyond that. It was simply that the three of them had agreed to always be just that—the three of them. Yoongi hated being left out and had been the one to propose that particular stipulation for their relationship. So, really. He should have known better." 7600 words.

Lonely Night - realface (BTS) Namjoon/Yoongi/Hoseok. "It starts, as most things in Namjoon’s life does these days, with a tweet." 2400 words.

keep me in your back pocket - misspamela (BTS and Monsta X) Yoongi/Kihyun. "“Kihyun,” Namjoon said slowly. “That friend of Hobi’s?” Yoongi couldn’t see him, but he could hear the carefulness in his tone. This was Namjoon Working Up to Something, and Yoongi felt his heart beat a little faster in anticipation." It's the pre-debut trainees talking about music and flirting fic I always wanted. 9300 words.

Can’t Look Back, Can’t Look Too Far Ahead - teenuviel1227 (BTS) Yoongi/Hoseok/Namjoon. "It started as directorial help for their sex tape--but what’s a couple to do when their bestfriend is the best at directing? Or Namjoon helps Sobi film a sex tape and gets caught up in the action too." 2700 words.

hold me tight - hobipd (BTS) Jungkook/Hoseok/Yoongi/Namjoon. "Anyway, the thing Jeongguk likes... It might sound a bit strange for a 19-year-old boy, to be into something like this. This being BDSM. Bondage in particular." Kinky porn with feelings. 15,000 words.

Korean Spirit - sodanehobi (BTS) Namjoon and Seokjin, Yoongi and Taehyung, Hoseok and Jimin and Jungkook. "It's just another night, and the boys remember how much they rely on each other." canonverse found family. 2800 words.

got your back - bazooka (BTS) Seokjin and Jungkook. "Seokjin wasn’t really the mom. He knew he wasn’t the mom. Namjoon knew he wasn’t the mom. Everyone knew he wasn’t the mom. It wasn’t even a question; it was the roles they played, the concept for their group dynamic. He wasn’t anybody’s mom. Except, apparently, at one o’clock in the morning, when he’d been woken up by the tiniest of tiny sounds coming from the general direction of the kitchen." Jungkook has a panic attack and Jin is just playing the mom except when he actually is the mom. 2100 words.

#bts #fanfiction #fic links #2seok #jihope #jikook #jinkook #junghope #namgi #namjin #namseok #taegi #taekook #vhope #vmin #yoonjin #yoonkook #yoonseok

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themagiciansreccenter · 6 years

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Author Spotlight @cldfiredrgn

Every week we are going to be interviewing a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

I’m cldfiredrgn on Tumblr, Coldfiredragon on ao3

Well, I’m in my early-thirties. College consisted of a combination of political science, english, and psychology. (not a combination I’d recommend unless you want to take it to grad level or beyond), though it is useful for writing. I’m a gamer who grew up on comics and anime. I’m an all around geek who listens to EDM, electro industrial, jazz, electro-swing, and punk. We have 2 cats, no kids, and a spare bedroom dedicated to our toy collection.

How long have you been writing for?

I started posting fic in high school. I wrote a few original pieces for 4-H projects, because mom wanted me to participate but I wasn’t the ‘get dirty/hands on’ kind of kid. I made it to state one year for my writing. I floored the regional judges with something that was more anime inspired and adult, they loved it.

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

Watching the first episode, shortly before season 2 premiered, and my jaw hitting the floor that Quentin and Eliot seemed to be flirting! I was hooked from the first episode. I hadn’t written anything in a couple of years. It was so nice to have a fandom again.

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?

Eliot and Quentin, but Eliot is the character that hooked me. I kinda share his backstory. I’m the rural farm kid from a heavily Christian family who got out. Thankfully I still have a good relationship with my parents.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?

I prefer either season 1, or season 3. I’m absolutely dreading when ‘Shoulder to Shoulder With You’ reaches season 2 material and having to fit Eliot’s season 2 arc into that universe.

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?

I’m also working on ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ (StS). It’s my monster and my baby! We crossed 100,000 words together 2 chapters ago. Hmm, an idea about it? Well, I hate to give too much away, but a few things are coming up.

My version of the Virgo blade storyline is just a few chapters away! The resolution of that will be the end of the current ‘Fall’ arc….

Wait? You still want a Spoiler? I can I can give you one… Arc 3 is titled ‘The Chatwins’ and will focus on the group finding out about the time-loops and the roles that Jane and Martin play in their lives. Then they are off to Fillory!

How long is your “to do list”?

I have a lot of ideas on the back burner. Officially though:

The next chapter of my Queliot soulmate AU -- ‘My Hands Pass Through’

Never Ending StS chapters

My Trials project, which I’m not 100% decided on yet.

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?

“Shoulder to Shoulder With You’ is the story I’ve put the most work into ever. It has to be my favorite or I couldn’t continue it. I love the universe. I love how it’s already diverged from canon, I love where it goes and how I’ve been able to put my own spin on the arcs from the show so they will be fresh for readers of my story. Quentin and Eliot, the whole group, they continue to surprise me as the story evolves.

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

‘All Part of the Deal’ The summary doesn’t do it justice. The fic started as a response to a kink meme but truly is an exploration of Eliot’s relationship to his telekinesis. It explores how he quietly hates his powers even as he clings to them because they’ve given him the only family and home he’s ever had. It’s also a subtle commentary on his addiction and how he’s sought out this thing that he thinks he needs, even if inherently destructive.

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

Once I write something it tends to be written. I edit and tweak it once its on paper, but the majority of major edits are mental. I’ll think through a series of events a dozen times but the version that gets typed is usually the version I adhere to.

If something gets deleted on accident it tends to be gone. I’m never as happy with a document I have to recreate from scratch as I was with the original.

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

I write during the season and all through the hiatus. With ‘StS’ I watched season 3 while constantly editing how the events would shift the story. StS is at its core an alternate 40th loop, so the general rule of thumb has been ‘if it happens in the show, then some version of it will happen in StS’

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

“Shoulder to Shoulder’ because it has so many moving parts now. Every change I make to canon is a domino effect. Penny and Alice dating now effects Penny’s arc with Kady and Julia later, Eliot dating Quentin before Fillory impacts his ‘marriage’ arc(s). I had to completely change what happens with Loria because he and Idri would never end up engaged. I had to re-arrange who found certain keys because certain people are in different places. It’s a never ending cycle of cause and effect.

Are there any themes or tropes that you like particularly like to explore in your writing?

I like to use music when I can. I have a weird relationship to water and rain. I love the theme of soul-mates and chosen family. Exploring emotion is something I embrace, as most of you know I’m a great lover of angst.

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

Lev obviously inspired me. He gave me my current fandom, but he’s inspired my personal writing too. I love how he can breeze through large amounts of time in a few paragraphs. Herman Wouk is inspirational because of his scale. ‘The Winds of War’ and “War and Remembrance’ managed to put the reader into every phase and conflict of World War II.

J.K. Rowling, I was a huge Harry Potter fan writer for a long time.

Alan Moore for ‘Watchmen’ Dozens of comic writers

C.S. Friedman’s ‘Coldfire Trilogy’ (where my main username draws influence)

Fanfic writers: EdgarAllanCat ( @goddessjuliawicker) Lexalicious70 ( @all-hale-eliot) , Rays ( @under-the-shady-tree) @gwendolynflight, @oneeyeddestroyer, Sullyandlulu ( @highestkingbambi) , LadySilviana, @highkingfen , @echomoon , dozens of others. This has been the best fandom I’ve ever been part of, all of you make it amazing!

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I devour fanfic! I’m finishing ‘The Magicians Land’ I follow real world news despite how depressing it is.

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

That my whole body of work was horrible. I wrote for a comics fandom for several years, and found a rant post on a blog site that tore a lot of what I did to shreds, but ultimately at lot of points they made were valid. I wrote volume instead of quality, to fill challenge tables with poorly executed AU scenarios. They weren’t good, they were dark for the sake of the challenge prompts. It made me stop for a while, and get back into writing with focused projects.

Cringe time:

Are there any words or phrases you worry about over using in your work?

I’m sure there are, and you guys probably know them better than I do.

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

It was a Gundam Wing fic, and I don’t.

Rapid Fire Round:

Self-edit or Beta? -- Self-edit with an editing program

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes? -- Comments

Smut, Fluff or Angst? -- Angst

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn? -- Slow Burn

Favourite season? -- 3

Favourite episode? -- ‘A Life In a Day’’

Favourite book(The Magicians Books)? - 'The Magicians'

Three favourite words? ‘Symmetry, cacophony, sisyphean

Anything you want to add?

My ask box is always open, I love to talk about my writing, and I love user feedback

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

#author spotlight #author spotlight: coldfiredragon #the magicians rec center

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liannyeong · 6 years

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If you want to keep me (you gotta love me harder)

Summary: The mending of a relationship or...? // Part 3 of If happy is her (I’m happy for you) // Part 2 // Part 4 (Final)

Word count: 7147

Pairing: Jaebum X OC

Warning(s): fluff with a little angst :)

A/N: Title is from Ariane Grande’s Love Me Harder :) This should have finished the whole AU but... not just yet. I thought it’d be unfair for those who are waiting for the next part so I decided to post up the first half. It’ll be too long if I post the whole part at once though the second half is still not written yet. I hope to finish it in a few days’ time... I just gotta hope for the best. ^^

"Where are we, Jaebum?" Sujin asks when the male turns off the engine. Sujin still has no clue of what their date is supposed to be. Jaebum had driven them to a nearly full parking lot, where there is nothing but trees all around. There's not even a single building around. She wonders what could possibly be hidden in this forest.

"You'll see," Jaebum replies instead, a smile on his lips. He unbuckles his seat belt and nods outside of the car. "Come on."

Sujin shoots him an unconvinced look, but follows anyway. Donned in an oversized cream sweater and a pair of dark blue denim jeans, Sujin wonders if she picked out the wrong outfit for the occasion. Perhaps Jaebum wanted to do a sports activity in this forest. She glances at the male who's at the trunk of the car, getting who-knows-what from there. Jaebum isn't even dressed for a hiking exercise though: light grey shirt, black bomber jacket over it, paired with light-washed ripped jeans and sneakers. He didn't even style his hair, the same exact way when Sujin met him on their 'blind date' the week before. With those layers of clothes, there's no way he's going on a hike. There's no way any of them are hiking.

Jaebum pulls out a duffel bag then slams the trunk shut. He locks the car with the click of a button and beckons Sujin to follow. Dreadfully, Sujin trails behind him, praying hard that it's not what she thinks. Jaebum leads them up a pebbled trail and down, before Sujin finally sees an open field that stretches a few hectares, the perimeter lined with the dark green forests. She spots a pavilion in the center and a mass of people in front of it. Sujin expects Jaebum to lead them forward, but he stops at a spot further away from the crowd, near to the outline where the forest starts instead. He doesn't say anything as he places his duffel bag down and unzips it, pulling out a folded material. Jaebum lays out the mat under the shade of a tree, pinning it down with various weighty objects. Sujin just blinks at the male when he takes off his shoes and settles down comfortably on the mat. Jaebum pats down the space next to him -- an invitation for her to join him.

"A picnic?" Sujin asks as she toes off her flats, and takes the spot next to him, leaving a gap in between. Even though their position has no skin contact between them, Sujin still feels highly conscious of the male beside her. Very easily, they can transgress each other's boundaries if they want to. Sujin wonders if she even wants.

"Something like that," Jaebum says with a shrug. A little grin tugs at the corner of his lips. "You'll see soon enough."

Sujin just hums as a response and crosses her legs. She's unsure of what to do with her hands, so she places them on her lap, fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Jaebum has already gotten comfortable at his spot. His legs are outstretched, his body leaning back with his hands as the anchor point. He looks so carefree, as if there exists no tension between them. It seems as if there was no huge fallout between them. Sujin knows she shouldn't think of such things when they're trying to mend their relationship, but it constantly nags at her. How can Jaebum be so relaxed and confident? How is it that he can pretend as if nothing happened?

The sound of rustling snaps Sujin from her thoughts. "I've got some soda, if you want," Jaebum says as he places the canned drinks at the empty spot between them. "I also brought some bread," he adds, dumping packs of sweet buns onto the mat.

"Thanks," Sujin says as she grabs a can of soda. She tries to busy herself with the food and drinks in front of her, alternating between sipping slowly from the can and nibbling on the bread.

Sujin pointedly avoids looking at Jaebum, eyes trained on the pavilion in the distance. She considers how the mass of people are facing the pavilion, all comfortable on their laid out mat, happily buzzing about. It's like they're all waiting for something to happen and when a crew comes onto the stage to set up the audio equipment, Sujin finally put two and two together: it's an outdoor concert. She doesn't know how to react. For one, Sujin is pleased that he didn't bring her out on a luxurious and fanciful date at a fine restaurant. Despite being surrounded with mosquitoes and flies and insects, there's something therapeutic being with nature. However, at the same time, Sujin wonders if she'll enjoy a concert she doesn't even know about. She wonders if she'll enjoy the type of music that may not be to her liking.

"Sujin-ah," Jaebum says. Sujin flicks her eyes to the male's face. He has shifted his position: legs half-crossed, back hunched forward. He's peering into her face, and Sujin tries not to cringe away. "Do you not like it here?"

Sujin blinks, mildly surprised by his question. Jaebum lets out a sigh as he continues, "You haven't spoke a word since we came here. I'm guessing you don't like it here."

"No, I don't feel that way," she speaks. Sujin scratches the back of her neck. "I don't don't like this place. I'm just worried?"

"Worried?" Jaebum echoes, a frown etched on his face. "About?"

"Um..." Sujin trails off.

"Hey, if you don't like it here, you can just tell me, you know. I won't get mad. We can always go somewhere else."

"No, it's not that!" Sujin denies, hands up in front of her and waving desperately. She doesn't want Jaebum to get the wrong idea. She doesn't hate any of this. She drops her hands. "I'm just worried I wouldn't like the music here," she says lamely.

Jaebum looks at her with a blank look, and it feels like the world stops with that few seconds of silence. But then, her heart nearly stops when a smile breaks onto Jaebum's lips and he laughs. His eyes forming crescents, his teeth exposed, his laughter rings in the air. He arches his back, hands over his stomach, head thrown back.

"You're adorable," Jaebum chuckles when his laughter finally died and he's back in his previous position. Sujin is taken aback by the sudden compliment (if that is considered to be one), her cheeks burning. She lets her head hang low, hoping to hide away her face.

"You're red," Jaebum points out. Sujin doesn't even look up, doesn't want to look at Jaebum in the eyes, afraid she'd turn even a darker shade of red. But Jaebum reaches out for her chin, a finger tipping it up, eyes peering into her face. Sujin makes a mistake of meeting his eyes, flushing even more. She slaps his hand away as a reflex, burying her face into her hands. Now, she wants nothing but to sink into the ground and hide away.

Jaebum doesn't stop though as he comments, "Why are you so red?" Sujin wants to curse at the male for pointing it out again. But at the same time, she wonders if he's teasing her. She feels his warm hands wrapping around her wrists and pulling her hands away from her face. A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "Are you flustered from being called adorable?"

Oh, he's teasing alright.

"Ah, what do I do when you're so cute right now?" he teases, grinning.

Sujin wonders the same. What will he do? But the warmth of his hands are gone, and he's drawing back. His smile doesn't fade away when Sujin looks up, but his gaze are full of warmth and fondness that she swears her heart just melted.

"I won't do anything to you unless you're okay with it," he says, tone rather serious yet gentle. He smiles once more, and Sujin can't quite read it. It's as if he's disappointed that he doesn't have the same freedom as he used to in the past. It's as if he's restraining himself in so many ways just to make her comfortable with him again.

The sound of the tapping of a microphone booms over the field, interrupting their conversation. Jaebum doesn't spare her a second glance as he shifts himself to face the pavilion. Sujin does the same. She finally notices how the crowd has grown and she's thankful that Jaebum has chosen a spot far from the cluster of people. There's barely any space between two different cliques of people, no sense of privacy. The host starts talking about the concert setlist and the band invited, but none of the information goes into her head. Like a broken record, her mind just can't help but replay their close contact earlier and his words.

A band comes onstage, a group of five young men, each carrying an instrument: three guitars, one cajon, one keyboard. They bow to the crowd after they finished setting up, briefly introducing themselves before playing the first piece of music. Surprisingly, all of them take turns to sing, except for the drummer, and all of them have such beautiful voices. They performed a variety of genres, from upbeat music to slow ballads. Some songs are their original compositions, whereas others are covers of famous songs and singers.

Jaebum hums along to songs that he knows, softly singing to himself. It's a voice Sujin never realized she missed so bad. Jaebum had always sang in the showers, loud enough that she could hear whenever she was in the bedroom. Jaebum isn't a singer, but Sujin thinks he could easily pass off as one whenever he sings with emotions.

It turns out, Sujin doesn't even listen to the voices of the men onstage. Instead, with her knees tucked into her chest and her arms wrapped around it to keep there, Sujin has her head tilted to Jaebum's direction, listening to his voice. She watches in awe as the male sings. Her eyes wander from where his bangs nearly touches his brows, to the steep nose bridge, to the dip of his eyes, to the soft round nose, to his chapped lips. She watches as his lips form each syllable, focusing on the sound that comes out of it. She lets her eyes linger there for a few moments, before shifting her gaze back up. She traces the steep jawline of his, to the curve of his ear, then back to his eyes. As he sings, she notices how his eyes shut tight at certain parts. It's as if he's actually feeling the song with all of his heart, all of his soul. As if he means every single word that comes out of his lips.

She must have stared for a long time for it took her a while to actually realize that Jaebum has stopped singing, that the concert is already over, that Jaebum has turned his head to stare back at her. She blinks, letting their eyes linger, never breaking the contact.

"You sing beautifully," Sujin utters, eyes blinking slowly.

"Thank you," Jaebum laughs awkwardly, his skin a little flushed. He seems happy with the compliment though, his lips curled up into a smile that makes him look boyish. "Let's go home."

Sujin nods, helping the male pack up before heading back to his car. The drive back to her apartment is a quiet one. Jaebum doesn't say anything until they finally stopped at the drop-off point of the building.

"I hope you liked today. It isn't anything fun, but I still hope you enjoyed yourself."

Sujin smiles at him, assuring him as she says, "I really did. Thank you."

Jaebum nods. "See you soon?"

"Yeah, sure." Sujin unbuckles her seatbelt and pushes the door open. "Goodnight, Jaebum."

---

It takes a few more dates before Sujin finally relaxes herself and be comfortable around Jaebum. She has allowed herself to smile more, laugh more, and be more talkative with the male. She no longer gives him curt replies nor disinterested looks. Jaebum seems much happier too. Nevertheless, they don't go further than smiles and laughter. They don't hold hands, don't hug, don't kiss, don't touch one another. It's still a boundary that they set between themselves, and as much as Sujin thinks she's ready to break down that wall, she's still hesitant. Jaebum probably wants it too, but neither initiates anything, still thinks the other needs more time.

It's a date at a carnival, which unsurprisingly, is packed with people. Which, unsurprisingly, makes it easy for Sujin and Jaebum to lose each other in the sea of people unless they stick together. Jaebum walks in front of her, a leather jacket hugging his broad shoulders, a black cap on. He clears the path for her to trail behind easily, but the mass of people pushing about each other still makes it difficult for her to pass through. Jaebum constantly turns back just to make sure she's right behind him and something about him looking out for her makes her heart race. She briefly wonders what he would do if she disappears halfway. Find her, maybe. It proves to be a bad time to be distracted for Sujin gets shoved aside by the current, losing Jaebum who continues to move forward. She tries to catch up, eyes trained on the back of the male's head, pushing against the current. But in her attempts to move forward, she loses sight of Jaebum. Pulling out her phone to dial the man would be a bad idea, considering the jostling which can slap her phone out of her hand. So Sujin continues to go forward, straining her neck out to spot the male.

Out of nowhere, a hand shot out and wraps itself around her wrist. Sujin nearly jumps in shock, but when she turns around, she lets out a sigh of relief for Jaebum has found her first. "Keep close," he says. He doesn't let go of her wrist as they propel forward together, all the way until the crowd is less dense and they have enough space to breathe easy.

There's nothing much on this side of the carnival, only booths that sell the usual cotton candy, popcorn and drinks and a unpopular rides. There's a Ferris wheel just a little down the path, and Sujin suggests they ride it since the queue is short. Jaebum just follows along, taking the seat opposite of her in the small capsule.

As the wheel turns and their capsule goes up, Sujin marvels at the sight of the lights. The night sky is illuminated by the lights of the carnival. It's a mini Ferris wheel, not too high to see the whole city landscape but Sujin still thinks the view is beautiful. She can see people from all walks of life clustered in the heart of the carnival, enjoying their time together. She feels contented.

She sneaks a glance at Jaebum, but is flustered when she finds that he's already staring back. She hopes the poor light doesn't give her red cheeks away. "W-what? W-why are you staring at me like that?" she stutters, and she internally curses herself.

"Nothing, it's just that... you look really happy." The lights from the rest of the carnival illuminates the side of his face, allowing Sujin to see the fondness on his looks. He looks beautiful in this dim light, as if he's a sculpture made from marble.

"Of course I am!" Sujin says, her lips breaking into a smile. "It's fun here!"

"Here?" Jaebum repeats quietly though Sujin can clearly hear with the stillness of the air. He leans back, so that the darkness engulfs his whole face. She wonders if he's disappointed, if he expected a different reply.

She opens her mouth to speak, but the capsule stops and the door swings open. The usher is already politely smiling as he gestures them to come out. Once out, Sujin wonders if something has shifted between them. There's some tension in the air, some tension in his shoulders, that Sujin has no idea how to address. She knows it has something to do with their minimal conversation during the Ferris wheel ride, but has no clue of what exactly is the problem. Jaebum doesn't say anything either as he gets them two cups of slushies. They sip on their drinks, quietly going further away from any other people. Sujin spots an empty bench and leads them there, settling down side by side. No words are exchanged, only the sound of their slurps.

Fireworks start exploding in the sky, and Sujin is in awe of the colors. It's not often she gets to see the beauty of the pyrotechnics in person, so it's a wonderful moment and memory to engrave in her mind.

Sujin sneaks a glance at Jaebum, who is pointedly watching the skies. His hands propped on the bench, the empty cup on his right. Sujin is thankful that the space between them is empty, so that she can scoot a little closer. She turns her attention back to the skies as she timidly reaches out, inch by inch, until her little finger touches the side of his hand. She bites her lower lip hard, holds her breath as she braves herself further. She's afraid Jaebum would flinch and pull his hand away but is surprised when his hand stays there -- very still -- as if waiting and daring her to go further. Nevertheless, Sujin feels his fingers spread wider -- an invitation so that she could easily worm hers into them. He turns his palm up, so that their fingers can interlock. Just like that, Jaebum engulfs the whole of her hand with his large palm, like a fire spreading through forests. Sujin's body burns up, dizzy at the warmth of his hand.

She can't even marvel at the beauty in the sky anymore, her own heart bursting into flames just like the fireworks. It's been that long since she last felt Jaebum's warmth, she doesn't even know she missed it so much. She feels the male closing the remainder of the gap between them, their side of their thighs touching, their arms bumping.

"Shall we go home?" Jaebum says like a whisper to her ear. Sujin nods, and they head back into the parking lot. Sujin doesn't slip her fingers out of his, keeps it entwined all the way until they have to part to get into the car.

Contrary to their first date weeks back, this time, their ride back home isn't quiet. Jaebum plays a list of songs that she knows so well, singing to each and every song. They laugh whenever they get confused with the lyrics, every time they sing off key, every time they went a beat early. Finally, Jaebum stops the car at the drop-off point of her apartment, head turned to her, watching as she unbuckles her seat belt. The light atmosphere has dampened a little, and Sujin fiddles with her fingers, not making an effort to alight yet.

Jaebum looks at her expectantly, brows raised. Sujin clears her throat, then hesitantly asks, stuttering a little, "D-do you want to come up for awhile?"

Jaebum seems taken aback by her invitation, for his eyes are wider. She's nervous with his reaction and at the same time, flustered. The last time he was in her single apartment, it didn't end on a good note. But now, she hopes it'll be different.

Jaebum smiles, but shakes his head. "It's fine," he says. "You must be tired. You should rest."

"I don't mind staying up a little bit more..." she trails off.

Jaebum shakes his head again. "It's fine, Sujin-ah." Then he hums, thinking for awhile before he says, "Maybe another time?"

Sujin nods. "Okay."

"Goodnight, Sujin-ah." Jaebum smiles, eyes looking at her so fondly.

Sujin prepares herself to open the door, but halfway, she pauses. Then she turns around, ignoring the surprised look on Jaebum's face. She leans forward, over the gearshift, eyes focused on that one spot. She shuts her eyes as she comes closer. Her lips touch his cheek, then she applies some pressure. She hears a soft gasp from his lips. Slowly, she pulls away, a shy smile on her lips, her cheeks a shade of pink.

"Goodnight, Jaebum-ah," she says softly, taking in the surprised look on his face before climbing out of the car. She waits by the side, waving him goodbye as he drives off.

---

"Jaebum-ah, I have something to say," Sujin starts when she comes over to Jaebum's -- their -- apartment. The apartment hasn't changed a bit, still in the same way when Sujin left close to a year ago. Jaebum's shoulders tenses up, eyes on her like a preying eagle. He lets out a soft "Yeah?" and Sujin just had to reach out for his hand. She slips her fingers into his palm, rubbing circles on the back of it with her thumb. "I'm thinking of moving back in here. With you."

Jaebum's face light up, eyes gleaming like the stars in the night sky. He couldn't hide his joy, a wide smile plastered on his lips. "Really?" he asks excitedly.

"Yeah, really," Sujin replies, stepping closer towards the male. She takes his other hand, swinging their arms lazily. "I think it's time."

Jaebum smiles never fade, as he brings her hands up. He leans in and Sujin watches as he kisses the part where her fingers meet her knuckles. She blushes but doesn't pull away. If anything, she loves the way Jaebum is treating her like a princess. It truly is time for them to patch up and live under the same roof again. After all, Jaebum has been treating her right this time. Everything is falling into place.

Jaebum lowers their hands but pulls her even closer that she lightly bumps into his chest. All at once, he lets go of her hands and brings them up to wrap her body into a hug. Sujin swears she feels her pulse spike up, her ears pressed against where his heart is. She can hear the beating of his heart as rapid as hers. One of his hands around her waist, the other patting her head lightly. Sujin feels him tucking her head under his chin. Sujin feels her cheeks burn, and she hides her face into his chest, her hands bunching into the cotton material of his shirt on his back.

They stay like that for what seemed like an eternity, though Sujin would be more than willing to stay like that forever. When they pull away, the fondness in Jaebum's eyes is more profound. He brushes off her cheek then leans forward to kiss her forehead. Sujin lets out a soft gasp, surprised. If she thinks she couldn't turn any redder, she was dead wrong.

Jaebum pulls away a second time, ushering her to get comfortable in the couch as he prepares some snacks in the kitchen. He lets her take a pick on a movie to watch, but Sujin took way too long reading the synopsis of every movie listed on the screen so Jaebum ends up selecting one. They huddle up together on the couch, despite the large space left. Sujin keeps herself close to the male, linking an arm around his, head leaning on his shoulder. She can't seem to concentrate on the movie no matter how much she tries to. Perhaps the movie is a slow one, nothing to keep her at the edge of her seat, or perhaps she's more focused on the fact that Jaebum is right next to her. Or perhaps she feels finally at home, with the man she has loved with all her heart, in the house that they built together.

As if sensing that she's no longer paying attention to the scenes, Jaebum breaks the silence. "I'm thinking of a short getaway at the end of the month. Just like the Jeju trip you planned for us."

Sujin looks up from where she was resting her head. "So suddenly?"

"Well, I did promise you we could do another one," Jaebum says sheepishly, turning his head to look down at the female. "It'll be just the two of us again. What do you think?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Jaebum nods with a smile. "Alright, I'll be the planner this time."

"Okay, I look forward to the trip, Mr Im." Sujin chuckles at the use of honorifics, earning a tickle from Jaebum. She didn't even realize he had slipped his fingers to her waist until the tickling sensation comes suddenly. She shrieks which then blended into laughter as she wiggles her way out. The movie is forgotten as Sujin plays along, struggling to tickle the male. He's way too strong for her, and he doesn't even back down in the tickling battle, easily dominating and pushing her onto the couch. She laughs, oblivious to the way Jaebum's eyes have darken. Only when her eyes meet his, her laughter dies, that she realizes their position. Her hands are pinned next to her ears, Jaebum looming over her.

"J-Jaebum-ah..." she calls out, voice weak and powerless.

The movie plays in the background, the colors of the screen lighting the side of Jaebum's face. Sujin feels breathless from the weight of Jaebum's gaze and his body. She thinks things will escalate from here, but the heat in his gaze suddenly dissipates, as if the fog that blinded his eyes have cleared. He doesn't back away though. Instead, he frees a hand to cup her face. Sujin gasps at the warm sensation, his palm rough against her skin. His gaze softens as he rubs the pad of his thumb on her cheek.

"Are you really sure about moving back in with me?" he asks lowly.

Sujin gulps her spit, and she notices Jaebum's eyes following the motion of her throat. "Why? Do you not want me to?" she says back in a hushed voice.

Jaebum shakes his head slightly. He pushes himself off, sitting up. Sujin just blinks at the loss of the looming figure before sitting up too. Jaebum didn't shift away, seated where her legs are. "It's not that I don't want you to. I just don't want to pressure you."

"You're not. I want to," Sujin says. "I really want to."

It takes Jaebum a few moments, eyes darting about on her face as if searching for something, before he's nodding slowly like he finally understood her words. "Okay... But can you wait until after our trip? Just in case you might feel you're not ready yet. Besides, you've probably got a lot to pack. You will need the extra time."

"Okay. I can settle with that."

---

Jaebum never fails to surprise her. He didn't give her a clue about their short trip -- only smiling at her when she asks and only saying, "It's a secret" as an answer. She's left with a pout on her lips, arms folded across her chest as she looks out of the car, guessing out loud. Jaebum chuckles every time she tries, but doesn't shake his head or nod to it. Not a single damn hint were given.

The drive was a long one even though it's near the capital of South Korea, where they live. Apparently, it's just a few kilometers outside of the capital yet it takes them hours to reach. Sujin was already restless with no idea where they're heading, but it all ends when the road becomes a little bumpy and more winding, making her nauseous. Thankfully, when the car stops, Sujin didn't puke anything at all.

The moment she steps out, the fresh air hits her face, and she breathes easy. There's nothing much to see, only a vast space of land around, acting as a parking lot. Trees are all around the perimeter. It's almost like a forest trail as they navigate around the forest to get to their room. For a campsite concept, the architectural aspects of the buildings are modernized, nothing traditional -- the walls aren't made of wooden logs stacked together to form a cuboid. There are cabins of all sorts of shapes: trapeziums, domes, cylinders. Each cabin is so far apart from another that the silence that falls whenever they're not having any conversation is eerie. It's like they're the only ones in the area, away from any other single human being. There's no way they can hear their neighbors nor can they be heard by anyone. This thought brings a cold shiver down Sujin's spine. She's all alone with Jaebum.

Jaebum leads them to the direction of the trapezium cabins. Sliding glass panels make the door, with opaque curtains that can be drawn for privacy. A wooden bench is situated just outside of the cabin. A PVC canvas material forms the roof of the cabin and a canopy for the wooden bench. When they enter their designated cabin, Sujin marvels at the minimalistic concept: a bed pressed against the leg of the trapezium prism shape of the cabin, clear glass windows on the opposite. Any further in would be the washroom, a small kitchen counter and a wardrobe lined up side by side. Jaebum places his duffel bag against the window, and does the same to her luggage bag. Sujin looks around, exploring the interior of the cabin.

Only when her eyes fall onto the neat bed, did a thought cross her mind. What are their sleeping arrangements? It slipped off her mind as she was so absorbed in admiring the surroundings. Jaebum doesn't seem fazed as he moves around the cabin, organizing his belongings in the washroom and the wardrobe. Even though Sujin has decided to move in with the male, she's still not truly ready to sleep on the same bed with him. The thought of it makes her cheeks burn, her heart race. She wants to ask, but decides against it. It might make the air awkward if she brings it up now. Besides, it's not a concern now, is it? It can be dealt with later when they're sleepy.

Sujin doesn't unpack her stuff entirely, only places her toiletries into the washroom, before heading out of the cabin. She sits at the bench, eyes wandering into the forest.

"Do you want to walk around?" Jaebum's soft voice fills the air. Sujin nearly jumps up in excitement, nodding her head eagerly. Jaebum's gaze softens and he chuckles before nodding his head at the forest a few meters away.

Sujin easily slips her hands into his, the sides of their bodies touching as they enter the woods. They don't speak much as they stroll together. Even though their palms are clammy and sweaty from the walk, neither feels disgusted to pull away. It's early spring, the snow still thawing, flowers very slowly blooming into pretty colors.

There's a spot at the end of the trail, and Sujin sharply inhales, appalled by the scenery. Sitting through the winding road wasn't an effort in vain. Hiking up the mountain-like area wasn't a waste. The area is almost like the summit of a mountain. The high elevation gives a panoramic view of the capital.

"Do you like it?" Jaebum asks.

"Like it? I love it! This place is so pretty!" Sujin squeals hard, unable to contain her excitement. She barely hears Jaebum's soft laughter as she googly-eyes everything around her. She fishes out her phone and starts snapping away multiple shots of the same angle.

She's way too engrossed in taking the shots that she doesn't notice Jaebum being so close behind her, until she feels a hand on her waist and another sliding up to her hand that is holding the phone. Sujin nearly gasps when she feels his warm breath on her ear, heart thumping at the close proximity. Jaebum's finger grazes over hers, flipping the camera. He directs the phone higher to capture their waist and above. Jaebum wraps his arms around her waist, bending a little to rest his chin on her shoulder. Sujin tries her best to control the flush on her cheeks. Their cheeks pressed together, wide grins plastered on their lips, Sujin snaps a photo.

It happens almost in a blink of an eye, but with her eyes on phone screen, she can see it all so clear: Jaebum turns his head and leans in with his eyes closed, pressing his lips to her cheek. She freezes, shell-shocked at the sudden kiss. Jaebum's lips linger there before being pulled away. Sujin tilts her head to look at the male in person, blinking at him. Jaebum only shoots her a warm smile, before placing a hand around her neck, tipping their foreheads together. It's not the most comfortable position for her, with the way her hand is trapped between their bodies. So she drops her hand and turns her body. Their fronts pressed together, their foreheads still in contact, Sujin snakes her arms around Jaebum's waist. She lets out a contented sigh when Jaebum cups her face and kisses her forehead so softly.

Then he pulls away, breaking the embrace just so that he can hold her hand. He doesn't say anything as he leads them back to their cabin.

---

Jaebum seems restless after his trip from the nearest grocery store. They had bought everything they needed for their meals but they had forgotten the charcoal. They couldn't grill the meat without a fire, so Jaebum decided to head to the nearest store. Sujin didn't notice anything until she sees the way Jaebum has been glancing out of the cabin from time to time, as if afraid someone would come knocking. Sujin did ask, but Jaebum only shook his head as a reply so she decides to leave him be. They split the cooking: Jaebum doing the grilling while she makes the stew. Jaebum is already back to his normal mood as they eat at the wooden bench outside. It's already pitch black, only the sound of the cicadas can be heard whenever silence falls between them. Nevertheless, there's nearly no space for silence when they keep chatting away and cracking unfunny jokes. When their stomachs are finally full and the plates are empty, Sujin takes the initiative to clear the table and clean the dishes. She tells the male to rest instead, for he had taken the trouble to drive for long hours.

As Sujin washes the plates, Jaebum comes creeping behind her like in the woods earlier. He wraps both his arms around her waist, nuzzling his nose into her neck. Sujin hums in content, tilting her head aside to let the male nuzzle closer. Jaebum drags her hair to the other side so that he can access more skin. Sujin feels a deep inhale on her neck, as if Jaebum is breathing her in. As if she's the oxygen to his lungs. Jaebum starts peppering soft kisses on the exposed skin, from her neck down to her shoulder then back to her jaw. Sujin quickly finishes her washing, then ruffles Jaebum's hair with her dried hands.

She tears his hands away from her waist so that she can face the male fully. Jaebum's hands settle on the small of her back, holding her so gently. Sujin hooks her hands around the male's neck, and Jaebum lowers his head to press his forehead against hers. They sway slowly to no music but the rhythm of their heartbeats.

Sujin leans back a little, catching the way Jaebum's eyes wander on her face before it drops to her lips. He flicks his eyes back up, and Sujin realizes how dark and hooded his orbs are. A hand leaves her back and Jaebum's warm palm is on her cheek. Sujin revels in the way the pad of his thumb brushes the skin. His eyes gets even darker, the gaze dropping to her lips once more. It lingers there, and Sujin waits for him to close the gap.

But he doesn't, looking pained.

"Jaebum-ah," Sujin nearly purrs. "What are you waiting for?"

"I--" Jaebum breathes out. Impatient, Sujin tiptoes and leans forward, effectively sealing their lips together. She doesn't know when she closed her eyes for all she sees is black. But all her other senses are amplified. She can smell the smoky scent that stuck to his clothes from the grilling of meat, she can feel the weight of his hand on the small of her back and his rough palm on her cheek. She doesn't even realize she's exerting nearly all of her body weight until she feels Jaebum stumbling back. It's been so long since she last kissed Jaebum, and it just feels so good.

They pull away moments later, breathless. But Jaebum starts chasing her lips again as he twirls them around and pushing her backwards until she gets knocked down onto the bed. Jaebum peppers kisses all over her face, whispering, "I love you." Then he starts kissing down her jaw to her neck, heaving repeatedly, "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you--"

Sujin tangles her fingers in Jaebum's hair as he mouths at the area just underneath her ear before kissing her lips once more. As the night goes on, the kisses turn into wants, the touches turn into needs, the emotions inside spill out like an overflowing sink.

---

Sujin wakes to an empty bed, and voices in the distance. It sounds like an argument and Sujin just wonders who would be screaming their lungs out right in front of someone's cabin. She sits up, rubbing her groggy eyes, pulling on some clothes before getting out of bed. She glances around but there is no Jaebum so she slides the door open and finally sees Jaebum. In the distance. With a woman.

The woman's back is pressed against the bark of a tree, Jaebum's hands on either side of the woman's head, her fingers pulling on his collar, their lips touching. The voices from before are completely gone and it dawns on Sujin that it was from the two. She stares at the duo, utterly shocked and loss for words.

"J-Jaebum...?" she calls out timidly, hoping what she sees isn't real. Hoping who she thinks isn't who she thought.

That breaks them apart and only then did Jaebum snap his head at her direction. Horror is painted all over his face and with the way his eyes dilate, she swears his eyeballs could just pop out of its sockets and roll onto the floor. He hastily retracts his hands and turns on his heel, ignoring the woman underneath him earlier. "S-Sujin! It's not what you thi--"

It reminds her of the day she found out the truth. It reminds her of the day at the cafe near Jaebum's office building. It's way too similar to the past. It feels like she's living on loop, the same event happening again. Sujin barely registers Jaebum's long strides towards her, and the woman's yell after him, "Serves you right!" Sujin's eyes flick to the woman's face, and it's vaguely familiar to the one she saw back then. This woman must be Eunha, Sujin guesses. She's gorgeous, Sujin must admit, for her body is lean and all curves. Though she can't see her face upclose, she still reckons she's got a pretty face too. All at once, Sujin feels inferior and worthless. At the same time, she's confused and lost.

Suddenly Jaebum's right in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her into the cabin.

Her mind is hazy as it replays the scene and the many memories before it. Her mind starts piecing the information together, to arrive at a conclusion. The dates, the trip... It all makes sense. Just as how she recreated the memories back then, Jaebum did the same. Only that she was blinded with the thought that it's to rebuild the relationship that was broken. Jaebum had never wanted to mend their relationship, did he? It was all a plan to pull her down. A plan for him to get even. Jaebum had been looking out of the cabin throughout the day as if someone would come. To think he's actually expecting that Eunha to come... Sujin was too blind to see the truth but she does now. Her eyes finally focus onto Jaebum's face. Disbelief, hurt and anger all warped onto her face at once. "You're just trying to get back at me for leaving you, aren't you?"

Jaebum's mouth gape open to speak but Sujin cuts, "You wanted this to happen, didn't you? It was all part of your plan, wasn't it? You just wanted to hurt me again and again! What did I ever do to you for you to treat me like this?"

"I'd never--" Jaebum tries again, but is mercilessly interjected once more.

"I was that close to trusting you again. I was already accepting you back. But you just had to... You never wanted us to get back together, did you? You were so convincing about it, but all you ever wanted was to get even."

"No! That's not--"

"So how was it?" Sujin taunts. "Was it satisfying to play with my heart? Do you feel happy now? Have you had your fill of fun?"

"Is that what you think of me?" Jaebum raises his voice, hurt. "After all the time we spent together, that's how you think of me?"

"Then what do you want me to think?!" Sujin yells, nearly hysteric. "How could she come here if you didn't tell her where you are?"

"I didn't! I don't know how she did either! I bumped into her at the grocery store but she must have followed me here!" Jaebum retorts.

"Yeah, right," Sujin sneers, turning on her heels and to her luggage. "Of all grocery stores, you had to bump into her here," she mutters under her breath. She chucks all her belongings into her luggage bag, not bothering to arrange them neatly.

"Where are you going, Sujin-ah?" Jaebum's voice is full of desperation.

Sujin slams her luggage shut, snapping her head to face the male. "Away from you."

"Please believe me. I swear, I didn't know anything," Jaebum pleads. He grabs her wrist as she makes her way to the door, pulling her back. "I never had any intentions of hurting you. I love you, Sujin-ah, I wouldn't--"

Sujin wiggles her way free, cold eyes meeting his. "No. You don't love me. You never did," she spits. "I'm done with this."

"Sujin-ah--"

"Don't find me anymore. We're done." Sujin doesn't look back as she leaves.

#got7 #got7 jaebum #got7 im jaebum #got7 scenarios #got7 jaebum scenarios #got7 im jaebum scenarios #jaebum #im jaebum #im jaebum scenarios #jaebum scenarios

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redlightreflux-blog · 6 years

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Resistance/protest imagery in NCT’s Limitless MV: graffiti, Muhammad Ali, surveillance, arrest, complicity [analysis pt 1]

Man, so I’ve long thought the Rough version gets misunderstood as a faux-street, too-ugly-to-watch piece of low-res crap without either meaning or storyline. but I believe the MV and lyrics are full of nods to revolution, protest, and “fighting the unjust status quo” – let’s get started.

1. street graffiti as protest speech

What does protest look like? The “civil,” squeaky-clean-legal type can be voting in elections, donating to political parties, and in some countries and U.S. states, mass-assembling in public for “peaceful” demonstrations. Except sometimes people feel disenfranchised by all institutional modes of political participation. Resistance can also be illegal: violence, riots, obstructing traffic, trespassing on private property...and vandalism.

The MV begins with a blurry close-up horizontal pan across a wall of graffiti, and the boys are shown with aerosol spray cans again and again until the end – shaking them, painting with them, chilling with them in the background.

Right away, we’re faced with the puzzle of whether NCT are swaggering revolutionaries...or just angsty, privileged youths defacing public space to “rebel” against their "boring” lives. On one hand, it’s implied by the shabby warehouse littered with cheap goods – pizza boxes, a jumbo cheetos jar, posters taped over un-wallpapered walls- that they’re poor, maybe college students. Yet we see expensive luxury goods that look completely out of place: a glittering chandelier, iMacs, Sony camcorders, guitars, pro lighting kits, Doyoung’s audio mixing panel, the iPhones that they get caught on.

Are NCT 127 a gang that splurges on luxuries? Privileged college students who transplanted dorm items into an abandoned warehouse to film, edit, and produce an indie film? Or maybe they’re a resistance movement using graffiti “writing” as the only alternative media in a censored press, as El Salvador’s FMLN guerilla rebels used graffiti for recruitment, criticism of regime violence against protesters, and commemoration of their fallen from the 70s through the 90s against their brutal (US-backed) right-wing government?

I found NCT’s recurring use of camcorders to be strongly in favor of the (I think) intriguing resistance movement theory...but we’ll get to that later.

Graffiti can be a tool to alleviate boredom or gain fame (or a design career lmao), it can "beautify” urban spaces, and it can serve as gangs’ territory markers. But political graffiti is often the voice of the oppressed in cities where systemic poverty, economic and racial segregation, unemployment, crime, and police brutality ravage communities. In 1989, New York City and Los Angeles each spent over $50 million on graffiti cleanup, and other countries like Peru, Argentina, and Spain are also covered in graffiti that reflect the civil unrest among marginalized indigenous, labor, and student groups.

So is NCT hijacking or co-opting the protest speech of the oppressed? Or are they representing the resistance against injustice in the Limitless MV? I believe they’re consciously paying homage to revolutionaries and activists, as I’ll try to show below, despite the cocky Supreme outfits and sleek, pricey consumer tech.

2. homage to Muhammad Ali: the Greatest (1942-2016)

Who’s that on Mark’s shirt? Called “the Greatest,” the legendary Muhammad Ali was ranked the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time by Ring Magazine and The Associated Press, and the greatest athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated. Ali won gold at the 1960 Olympics at age 18, and is still the world’s only three-time lineal heavyweight champion. He was also a civil rights activist, anti-Vietnam War protester, and a prolific philanthropist.

Muhammad Ali is famous for his 1966 refusal to fight in the then-popular Vietnam War, which he was arrested, stripped of his boxing titles, and charged with draft evasion for – the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971, even though my President hilariously offered to pardon him just days ago. Ali publicly stated:

Today, Ali has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, two Academy Award-winning films based on his achievements, and has graced Time Magazine 5x, and Sports Illustrated 37 times. But his activism antagonized wealthy white America long before he became the mainstream icon that he is today.

Muhammad Ali’s protest to a then-popular war cost him 4 of his prime years as an athlete and landed him in jail, so it’s maybe not surprising to learn that the NSA’s “Minaret” program and FBI’s COINTELPRO operations had been illegally spying on him for years. In 1971, an (also illegal lmao) civilian raid on a Pennsylvania FBI office exposed over 1000 FBI records of surveillance, disinformation, and infiltration plans against civil rights and anti-war activists, and most damningly, of their 1969 assassination of 21-year-old Illinois Black Panthers chairman Fred Hampton in our boy Johnny’s hometown, Chicago.

I mention Fred Hampton and the FBI’s COINTELPRO (COunter INTELligence PROgram) because the whole Limitless MV is steeped in this...unsettling, sinister, you’re-under-surveillance discomfort that many civil rights activists felt in their resistance activities through at least the 50s and 60s. In many shots, NCT look like deer frozen in the headlights, caught off guard by the camera.

3. surveillance of activists & revolutionaries

Besides the general feeling of paranoia about being watched, there’s also shots that look straight-up taken without NCT’s consent or knowledge, as if by a secret camera, spy drone, or informant.

Which leads to the question: if NCT are just poseur revolutionaries partying with camcorders and Supreme streetwear in a warehouse, what are they so terrified of? Why do the members look scared out of their minds, as if for their lives? What danger are they constantly on the lookout for? what are they trying to hide?

I actually think this is the most important pattern to catch from the Limitless MV, even more important than the recurring imagery of resistance and protest that I’ve been writing a whole long-ass post about. If NCT fans remember nothing else about this MV, I hope they’ll remember the members’ reactions of fear, defensiveness, and hostility upon suddenly sensing the camera’s presence in each scene. Limitless is an MV with lots of “swagger” and lots of moments where NCT smiles knowingly for the camera, but there’s also these moments where they’re freaked out by the sudden presence of the camera.

Even if you don’t buy the “revolutionaries” theory, it’s still clear that there’s something profoundly, deeply wrong and disturbing going on in much of the VHS camcorder clips.

4. civil disobedience & riots –> arrests

Alright, so I’ve always thought the YouTube thumbnail for the Rough version looked like Taeil, Jaehyun, Doyoung, and Johnny getting arrested or “frisked” by police, and not just showing off their sculpted side profiles lmao. The image of an apprehended person being told to “put your hands up!” or “get on the ground!” or “put your hands up against the wall!” is burned into public consciousness.

Police want to check that the person is unarmed, or unable to reach for a weapon, hence the order to keep palms spread in plain sight.

As you can guess, unpopular peaceful protests are often labeled “riots” and result in arrests, like in the Sir William George “riot” of 1969 in our boy Mark’s own Canada, even if participants only started throwing objects to prevent their forcible removal by armed police upon their arrival.

Several other scenes also struck me as drawing heavily from the imagery of arrested protesters: while I can’t catch the hangul in the background signs (can you?), I get the vibes of police photo lineups and “mugshots” from this shot:

At least, I get that vibe from Doyoung and Taeil on the right. It’s made more discomforting because why the hell is Jaehyun upside down? he looks like he’s being...tortured? and why is Johnny holding him in that position? The boys look like they’re aware they’re being photographed, then catalogued.

In the final few shots, NCT are shown huddled together in poor lighting and throwing sparkler fireworks in arcs that remind me of “armed” protesters throwing rocks, bottles, gas canisters, or molotov cocktails at riot police.

The pose struck by someone throwing a long-range projectile looks the same no matter what the protest is against: a right-wing government, settler colonialism, locally harmful infrastructure like pipelines or military bases, strike-breaking, austerity, police violence, martial law, a verdict, state corruption, high-profile arrests and convictions, food shortages and unemployment under a left-wing government, an inauguration, etc. Anonymous graffiti artist Banksy even produced this meme-famous piece riffing on this iconic pose:

The images above are from Gaza, the Stonewall Inn in New York City, Paris, and Athens – and there’s plenty more to show from Baltimore, Standing Rock Indian Reservation, and outside of the U.S. too. But back to the act of NCT throwing ~lit~ fireworks into the air: how do we know if they’re punks who are celebrating or protesters who are rioting?

Since there’s never anyone else shown in the MV except NCT, we can’t tell for sure. But I’m inclined to take the maybe-protesting shots along with the maybe-arrested scene and the maybe-police-photo-lineup scene as belonging to one theme that also explains the graffiti, Muhammad Ali / boxing references, and the pervasive fear of being watched: the theme of resistance.

Also, intriguingly, remember how it was Taeil, Johnny, Doyoung, and Jaehyun who were maybe-arrested and maybe-photographed in a police lineup? Earlier, these guys jostle each others’ shoes in a circle, as if sealing a mutual pact with a secret handshake. Later, the same four are shown arrested.

By the way, there’s a couple of secret handshakes in this MV: gang signs? college boys antics? the identification codes of a legit resistance movement? no one knows.

If we believe Limitless to be the (sketchily told) story of NCT’s resistance, we might speculate that TI, JN, DY, and JH took mutually agreed-upon actions that resulted in their arrest and detention. Still, all of NCT lights their sparklers together, and all of NCT throws them into the air. What do you think?

It also makes you curious: what could they have done? Staged a sit-in? a walkout? a strike? a march? a riot? sprayed graffiti and got caught? or maybe, as I’ll half-seriously propose in Pt 2, they organized a forbidden film screening?

4. 🙈🙉🙊 & “monkey see, monkey do”

There’s a couple of old sayings about monkeys, human behavior, and morality. In the above shot, Yuta records as Mark arranges his body into the gold gorilla statue’s crouching position, and we’re shown this footage in the next scene.

That gold gorilla statue...can actually connect us to more meaningful interpretations of the MV. We see Mark bizarrely, weirdly, almost disturbingly, mimicking the position of the primate with great sensitivity to detail – why is it so unsettling? For me, it’s because he looks almost brainwashed or exploited while doing it. Mark is meticulously copying the example of an inanimate object, and he doesn’t laugh or show signs of having fun either. In fact, he looks almost anxious about messing up.

Later on, we see a highly symbolic shot of all nine boys placing their hands over their eyes, covering their sight as if to say, “see no evil.”

There’s no practical reason for all of NCT to cover their eyes indoors, so it’s not literal, it’s a metaphor. In Western culture, the act of deliberately impairing one’s sight evokes the idiom “to turn a blind eye.” That is, when a person knows evil is happening but doesn’t want to fix it, they can pretend the evil doesn’t exist by covering their eyes so they “see no evil.”

By the way, Kim Namjoon recently shared in a Billboard interview that BTS’s Fake Love choreo references the old “three wise monkeys” saying: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Here, Winwin covers Taeyong’s mouth while they both steadily meet the camera’s gaze. Their stillness and the camera’s smooth zoom in HD, in such contrast from previous low-res scenes that had almost spastically shaky camera motion, emphasizes this setup as another metaphor, instead of a literal action taken by characters within the story of Limitless.

NCT is trying to send us a message in this scene, it seems: that leader Taeyong, and thus maybe all of them, are being silenced for whatever reason and can’t speak the truth. They can look us dead in the eye, but there’s certain things they can’t say out loud –maybe because of the offscreen danger that keeps them living in fear.

I’ll add that I believe the “see no evil” part is meant to evoke the unsettling idea that people, especially youth, are ignoring the present-day evil or injustice in their own countries – the complicity of their willful blindness. The recurring lyrics “wake me u-up” and “open your eyes”( 눈을 떠 봐 오) in the chorus reinforce this association. Back to Mark mimicking the gold gorilla, the old pidgin saying “monkey see, monkey do” refers to the act of learning or mimicry without either knowledge or concern for the consequences.

Is this a critique of youth uncritically adopting the beliefs of their parents and mainstream society without thinking about the systemic injustices they condone and perpetuate? I think the answer depends on the viewer’s interest in politics and comfort with interpreting works that haven’t been explicitly explained by a creator lmao.

conclusion & lyrics.

I think I’ll stop Part 1 here lolol, since there’s still so, so much left. The plan is for Part 2 to introduce the origins of Third World Cinema and the Korean Independent Filmmakers Association (KIFA) as possible influences but, most definitely, amplifiers for the images of resistance used in the MV. Part 2 will address the...uh, limitless cinematic storytelling styles used in the Rough version, and the effects of editing them together into one MV to tell one story.

I also super-duper recommend @seasquared‘s “Direct Address” essay for a more complete idea of the viewer’s gaze as intruder into NCT’s world – though I sort of interpret the boys’ unpreparedness for the camera’s presence as more of a metaphor for resistance movements’ existential paranoia at being “caught” by the establishment than as a critique of fans’ objectification of idols:

Oh baby it’s you It’s only the beginning, the limitless me || 이제 시작이야 무한의 나 From the start of the East to the end of the West || 동의 처음과 서의 끝 쪽부터 The light gets stronger || 빛은 암흑 속 퍼질 As it spreads through the darkness || 수록 강해져 가 Open your eyes || 눈을 떠 봐 오 My song is getting louder || 점점 커져가 나의 노래가 Did you see? That hot and explosive world? || 봤니 뜨겁고 터질듯한 세계 Can you hear? We have become one || 들리니 우리는 하나가 돼 Baby I don’t want nobody but you

[trans from colorcodedlyrics.com]

If we choose to interpret “the light” as a revolutionary movement, which my eagerly politics-following ass thinks is a meaningful exercise, the lyrics and MV might suddenly start to paint a story of NCT as underground revolutionaries who meet and fall in love with a new friend, eventually begging the friend to join them in the resistance.

I absolutely love it – Limitless then simultaneously becomes a greasy recruitment message (”baby I don’t want nobody but you 😘”) and a desperate plea for a fellow citizen to join the cause against oppression. (”open your eyes”) But it’s also a passionate love song, and I’m a total hoe for the scorchingly intimate hunger the lyrics convey. The obvious “thirsty, thirsty, f-or love” bit aside, the speaker in the lyrics is urgently seeking intimacy: both a personal connection, and a sense of belonging within something greater than himself.

I need a connection, I want it like crazy I need you I need something to make us feel each other completely I need you

Help me so I can do well Sometimes, I get lost Eventually, we are all connected You know this Like finding a big ocean At the end of a desert Your existence is limitless

Change the heavy world Look how free we are, so free Inside, only you are allowed The one to take my heart, that is you

I think it’s interesting to ask: is Limitless more of a love song that borrows its ferocity from the metaphor of revolution, or a revolutionary manifesto that amplifies its fervor with the universal passion and frustration of youth?

I think it’s similar to asking if the MV is more of an “aesthetics” moodfilm that boosts its own glamor by appropriating the imagery of resistance movements (graffiti writers), activists (Muhammad Ali), and hardships (arrest)...or if the MV is itself a story of resistance against oppression, and only dons the gloss of expensive streetwear to add a spirit of youthful cockiness and anti-establishment swagger to the cause.

But in reality, aren’t things more complex than that? The spirit of any revolution and the passions and frustrations of its youth have always fed and strengthened each other, I think. It feels only honest and hard-hitting that a song about youth-led revolution would also be a hungry, impatient love song.

I hope you enjoyed reading this – I’ll die of joy if you decide you want to comment, discuss, message, or interact with me or other fans in whatever way about any of this!

~ masterlist link ~

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ennergetics · 7 years

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FILLED REQUEST: down with love, a fuckboi! seongwu au

(image credit)

pairing: ong seongwu x reader genre: fluff, angst wordcount: 3023 summary: Ong Seongwu is the campus’s resident type-A fuckboy. when you, an unknown writer, attempt to steal his spotlight, he tries to get revenge by making you fall in love with him. warnings: provocative situations, but nothing too steamy (inspired by the movie of the same name! same verse as the sungwoon prince au, but with a different reader + earlier time period. cross-posted on ao3.)

one | two

Each term, Ong Seongwu beats three of his own personal records: the number of features editors who’ve quit at the campus publication he heads; the amount of attention its social media has garnered under his editorship; and the size of his contacts list, the names of interviewees mingling with those of all the people he’s slept with.

Everybody on campus knows Ong Seongwu, and he wants to keep it that way. A consummate professional, he entered university knowing exactly what he wanted and how he was going to get there. After all, one doesn’t become an excellent reporter and social media influencer overnight; Seongwu built his brand through hard work, god-given good looks, and a knack for making people laugh. He flirts with all of them and fucks them without batting an eyelash, and none of them can say they didn’t know what they signed up for.

Yes, it’s easy to fall for Seongwu, with a story like his: a talented boy on scholarship with big dreams, eager to find someone to share his life with. The best lies are half-truths, after all. Seongwu does work hard, but he doesn’t think there’s a place in his life for love. Still, that doesn’t mean he can’t have fun, and he’s broken the many hearts of people who’ve wanted more.

PRODUCE, the publication he helped found as a freshman, is his current project and only love. He can’t help it if all the features editors up to this point have fallen hopelessly in love with him, tried to change him, and quit their jobs after failing. They were then banned from ever returning to PD101, the fond nickname for the publication’s office on campus. It’s been Seongwu’s home for his entire stay at college, and no simple flings would be able to drive him out of there.

Seongwu is at his usual spot in PD101, alternating between scrolling through PRODUCE’s social media accounts and editing the article queued for publishing within the week, when someone clears their throat.

“Boss, I’ve got an interesting piece you might want to look at.” The current features editor is a deceptively quiet boy with a knack for finding the best stories. Park Woojin quite easily turned down Seongwu’s early attempts at banter, and Seongwu’s glad to find an editor who might actually last till the end of the year and beyond. Woojin is clever enough that Seongwu might bring him onto the team when he expands PRODUCE beyond the campus, but that’s not important right now. If Woojin says a story’s got promise, Seongwu’s willing to bet on it.

He takes the tablet from Woojin and skims the article someone sent in to their submissions email. The sender, one L/N Y/N, doesn’t even have a picture up on their profile, which is a red flag for Seongwu. He gives it a cursory read-through, his expression souring as he gets further. It’s well-written, sure, but the article hinges on a tip for those lost in love: take control of their romantic lives ‘by not fucking scrubs more than once.’

He vaguely remembers what the word means: it’s a gender-neutral word for “fuckboy” that was popular in the ‘90s. Seongwu snorts. “Of course we’re not publishing this. It’s barely worth the minute I gave it my attention.” He doesn’t really think that, but PRODUCE is his magazine and he’s not going to publish anything so contrary to his own lifestyle. There’s something about this piece that feels like a personal attack, though Seongwu can’t quite place his finger on it. Before texting his next hook-up for the week, he gives Woojin a look; Woojin shrugs; and that’s the end of that.

Two days later, everyone on campus is talking about an explosive blog post promoted through the school’s online billboard system, titled “DOWN WITH LOVE.” Seongwu checks out the link and finds a more polished version of what had been sent in, complete with properly sourced memes and gifs. That annoys Seongwu enough, but now none of his regular fuck buddies will pick up his calls or reply to his texts—that is, except for the three who sent him a link to the blog post.

Seongwu looks you up and discovers you’re quite attractive, your photos tastefully shot and social media clean. He’s scrolling through your twitter when he sees a question about whom you think ‘the worst scrubs on campus’ are. There’s only one name there: his. “Never met him, but everybody tells me he’s an ass,” your answer says.

That’s the moment he decides he’s going to get his revenge. Ong Seongwu doesn’t lose, and it should be easy enough to make you fall in love with a self-proclaimed fuckboy like himself. You’ve never met him—in fact, you refuse to meet with him or any of the PRODUCE staffers—and his carefully curated social media means he can control his image perfectly. Seongwu puts on glasses, parts his hair in the middle, and borrows from his friend Jisung’s wardrobe, making himself practically unrecognizable, then sets himself up as a new student in your project management class.

Adopting a Busan accent that’s a passable approximation of Woojin’s way of speaking, Seongwu strikes up conversation with you. “Hey,” he says softly, “have you got a copy of the syllabus? I just shifted into this class.”

“I do,” you say, your tone oddly hopeful. “You don’t know who I am?” You look surprised that he’s talking to you. He imagines you must not be popular; infamous, yes, but you probably didn’t make many friends publishing and promoting your post like that. Your campus is filled with easily identified scrubs who probably didn’t take too kindly to having their beds suddenly empty.

Seongwu cocks his head in a way he knows makes hearts flutter, blinking at you. “No, should I?”

“No, no, not at all!” you say, a grin lighting up your face. “Here, I’ve got it on my phone.” You hand him your phone, and Seongwu makes sure your fingers touch his. He exaggerates his reaction, looking down with a sheepish smile, but he feels his cheeks turn warm. Seongwu shakes his head. It’s been a while, he tells himself, and that’s all it is.

The class starts and he has no chance to return your phone. You’re engrossed in the professor’s explanation—something about the various management frameworks, and Seongwu realizes he’s in over his head here as a communications major—but you glance at him occasionally, worrying your lower lip with your teeth.

Within ten minutes, the class is over, the first day a simple explanation of the syllabus. Seongwu doesn’t need to graduate with Latin honours, but he wants to. This class is beginning to look like an obstacle, and he curses how foolhardy he was with this plot. It spoke volumes about how much you’d shaken up his routine. Still, there was a way for him to kill two birds with one stone.

“Um, thank you for lending me your phone,” he says, scratching at the back of his head. “It’d be great if we could be study buddies?” Seongwu says, letting his hair fall over his forehead just so. “I’m Hong Sungwoon, but my friends call me Ong. They say I’m too much of an old man,” he says, chuckling. This way, you’ll use a name he’ll recognize, but won’t know it’s him.

You’re smiling up at him, then he sees a spark in your eyes. Bullseye. “Maybe I should get your number, Ong-sshi,” you say. “It wouldn’t be hard to study with a cute face like yours beside me.”

Seongwu covers his mouth with his hand. “Gosh,” he says, “I’ve never had anyone be this forward with me before, especially not someone as attractive as you.” Your eyes soften, and Seongwu admits it’s a look that makes him feel warm inside. He almost feels bad about how he’s going to break your heart.

“Then we’ll both be lucky,” you say, handing him your phone. Your fingers linger at his arm, tracing a light pattern on his bicep as Seongwu inputs his number. He ignores the shiver up his spine at your lazy smile, keeping the act up and trembling slightly when he hands your phone back.

Your first study session is in the following week, right before a quantitative quiz Seongwu has no idea how to answer. Hong Sungwoon is a man afraid of crowds, so the two of you study at the roof of the old biology building, a spot you’ve apparently been keeping to yourself since you got to university. It’s conveniently near PD101, so everything works out for Seongwu.

He’s sitting with his side flushed against yours, watching you push up your glasses every few moments while explaining the necessary diagrams to him. When he feels you shiver at the chill, he places an arm around you as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “You shouldn’t be cold,” he says, wide-eyed.

You grin up at him, snuggling closer and leaning your head on his shoulder. The hand with the papers you’re scribbling on falls onto his upper thigh, and when you show how the items flow from one department to another, he feels the pressure of your finger against his skin.

The rest of the session continues like this, with Seongwu finding excuses for innocent touches here and there, with you escalating each one. Your breathing becomes shallow, a cute flush beginning to show on your skin. Seongwu resists the urge to pull you into a kiss, internally reminding himself of the part he has to play. It’s when you’re done explaining the whole lesson, practically sitting in his lap, when you turn to him and place your hand on his chest.

You draw your face close to his and whisper against his mouth. “Ong,” you say, looking into his eyes, “how would you feel about lessons of a different kind?” And Seongwu springs away as if burned, sputtering while trying to hide his laugh at how corny your line had been.

“I couldn’t possibly do that, Y/N-sshi!” he says. “I mean, I’ve never really done that kind of thing before, and I want to save myself for someone special, you know?” But before you can say anything else, he adds, “I would certainly be honoured to take you out on a date, though. You seem swell, and I’d love to get to know you better.”

Seongwu sees you considering it, and for a moment he’s worried you won’t take the bait. “I mean,” he says, pressing his hand into the small of your back, as if he doesn’t feel you shuddering under his touch, “it’s hard for me to control myself when you’re so pretty, but you could be...”His fingers curl up, scratching lightly against your shirt in a way he knows you’ll feel. “…you could be my first.”

He’s got you there, and right after a grueling, fifty-point quiz, he takes you out to a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The auntie running the kitchen waves at him when he ushers you in, flashing both of you a big smile. “I’m not the most well-off,” he says, milking your sympathy. As you look around with wide eyes, though, he feels his throat itch with apprehension. In a way, this is an honest side of himself, one no one, especially not his hook-ups, ever get to see.

“I love it,” you say solemnly. He orders for the both of you, and you dig into the home-cooked meals with gusto. Seongwu makes sure to feed you once or twice, ignoring how your tongue slips out to lick the rich sauces off your lips. The whole time, you both talk about how you ended up at the university, Seongwu giving you a sanitized version of his history, omitting how cutthroat he’d been throughout the years while building his virtual empire. He finds out that you’re just as driven as he is, with a mind skilled at data visualization and a minor in publication management.

You insist on splitting the bill, but the auntie surprises you both by telling you the meal is free. “This young man is a regular customer, and I’m happy to see him finally out on a date,” she says, and Seongwu thanks the stars for having her back up the alibi he’s given.

He walks you home, and at your doorstep, you give him a kiss that tastes like auntie’s best tteokbokki, and Seongwu deepens the kiss for a moment before remembering the long-term plan. You’re breathing hard when he pulls away, your pupils dilated and your grip on his neck tight. “Come in,” you say breathily, your hand moving to stroke at his jaw.

“I-I’m not sure that’s a great idea,” Seongwu says, though every bone in his body—as well as all the blood that rushed south at the feel of your hips against his—disagrees. “I’ll see you in class next week.” He kisses you on the cheek before extracting himself from your grasp.

Numerous dates and study sessions go by, with your hands wandering his body more and more desperately and his famous self-control slowly but surely being eroded by your touch. One night he gives in and you make out on your couch, his grip around your waist tight as you grind against each other. He waits till you come and leaves with a terrible case of blue balls, insisting on being a gentleman all the while. Never mind how dirty his groans are when he jacks off later in the shower, your name on his lips. As he leans his head against the shower stall, his heavy pants fogging up the glass, Seongwu thinks something has to be done.

You’re at one of the smaller study halls, one rarely frequented by students, when Seongwu decides it’s time to enact the final phase of his plan. He ignores the uneasy feeling at the back of his mind, willing himself not to feel anything when you thread your fingers between his. For once, the two of you aren’t caught up studying, and he pulls you to a rarely visited section of the hall, where you crowd him against the bookshelf and pull his lips to your own.

Your lips are puffy and his hair’s a mess when he pulls away, stilling the gentle grind of your hips with one steady hand. “I’m not sure,” he says, putting all the confusion and turmoil he’s feeling into his next words. “I think—I think you’re the one for me, but I don’t know how you feel.”

Seongwu’s set up a hidden camera on the top shelf, ready to record your confession for posting at prime-time. Everything’s in place for him to succeed, but he can’t deny the apprehension he feels. He wants you to confess because it means he wins, that you’re a hypocrite who doesn’t walk your talk. But part of him wants you to confess because he wants to know how you’ve felt about these last three months you’ve spent together.

You sigh once. Seongwu holds his breath. “I’m in love with you. I wrote an article decrying love and its associated pains, but it all feels like a lifetime ago. You’ve made me so happy these past three months. It was impossible for me not to fall for you.” And Seongwu smiles, having won both your heart and the competition you hadn’t even known about.

“That is, if I hadn’t fallen for you already, Ong Seongwu.”

You stand on your tiptoes and reach for the camera, switching it off. Seongwu’s jaw hangs open, and while he’s staring at you wordlessly, you begin to speak. “A year ago, an impressionable junior applied for the features editor opening at PRODUCE magazine. I needed some experience for minor credits, and yours was one of the most-talked-about and better-run among the accessible publications. I was starstruck by you then, so smooth and suave and skilled. You knew precisely what you wanted and how to get it.

“I told myself that I wouldn’t sleep with you, even as your flirting got more intense. It’s easy enough to fall in lust with you, Seongwu, but the sides you showed during the magazine’s times of trouble, the rare moments you bared your heart—in the end, I fell hard. You took me to bed during the Christmas party and never talked to me again.”

Seongwu’s brows furrow. “So you wanted revenge by getting me to date you?”

“No, you silly boy,” you say, reaching out to touch Seongwu’s face. “I just wanted you to like me. I knew it’d be irresistible to you, the idea of making someone crack, to the point that you’d let down your cool exterior and be the you no one else gets to see.”

He’s floored. There it is, that feeling again, of being bested by someone else—the same someone, no less—but it’s overshadowed by the realization that everything you’re saying is true. Maybe he hasn’t fallen in love with you just yet, but he’s certainly getting there. Ironically enough, words aren’t always easy for him, and he hasn’t verbalized the meaning behind his enthusiasm as he checks for your messages in the morning; the energy he feels after laughing in class with you; the tenderness of your interlinked arms as he walks you home.

“I do like you,” he says, “more than I knew. More than I should. But we can be happy now, can’t we? I’ll release this cover story, we’ll go on dates for real, I’ll ask you to go steady, and we’ll live a good life, or whatever it is always comes at the end of romantic comedies.”

You look troubled for the first time, and Seongwu feels the seed of worry grow. “I can’t. So many people here on campus are better off because of me. No more awful ghosting, no more one-night stands that they expected more from, and no more silly attachments.” You shrug before pulling him close. “I’ll miss you.”

Taking the camera with you, you smile sadly, giving Seongwu one last chaste kiss. “I guess I’m a down-with-love kid, after all.”

#wanna one #ong seongwoo #ong seongwoo imagines #wanna one imagines #wanna one scenarios #para fic #mine #seongwu #seongwu fic #s: down with love #w1 #mywriting

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dailykhaleej · 4 years

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Coronavirus: 101 things you can do at home during quarantine in the UAE

Picture Credit score: Designed by Yousra Zaki on Canva

We get it. We’re bored too. However there are many things you can do at home. It is very important fill your days with as many alternative actions as potential reasonably than simply going from work to your favorite present. Altering it up will give you the vitality to proceed via this powerful time.

1. Sleep in.

Picture Credit score: Pexels

Now that there’s no commute, you needs to be having fun with much more sleep. That is the good alternative to make amends for missed sleep over the years. The standard of your sleep at night time has a direct impact on the manner your physique capabilities the following day. The beneficial 7-9 hours of sleep needs to be an integral a part of your general wellbeing.

2. Learn to code.

You can discover ways to code on-line totally free. Go to a free code-learning web site like Codecademy, Free Code Camp, Codewars, HackerRank, and CodeFights. Check out one among their many classes and challenges on daily basis so you can turn out to be a professional coder. That is one among the most wanted abilities in the job market at the moment.

3. Study to play a brand new instrument.

Decide up the guitar you’ve had mendacity round or order your self a keyboard on-line. Talking as somebody, who performs two devices, there’s nothing extra fulfilling that studying a brand new track. At the second Fender is providing Three months of on-line lessons totally free.

4. Convey million greenback artwork works to your front room.

What would the Mona Lisa appear like in your front room? Use the Google Artwork Projector to carry life-size paintings to your fingertips.

5. Cook dinner.

Picture Credit score: Pexels

I imply if you aren’t already doing this, then significantly, choose up a picket spoon and be taught a recipe or two. That is your time to trial and error your manner round the kitchen.

6. Study a brand new language.

Whether or not you select to be taught it in type of watching a information present, or by downloading an app, you can simply use this time to observe day in and time out. Obtain an app to assist you. Helpful languages today are English, Mandarin, Hindi and Spanish.

7. Spring clear your home.

Particularly with the present state of affairs proper now, having a clear home is essential to good well being. Binge watch Marie Kondo’s present on Netflix to get impressed to scrub.

8. Meditate.

Picture Credit score: Getty Photos

If you wish to get via this pandemic in one piece, strive a day by day meditation. It’s confirmed to do wonders to your psychological well being and can assist you get via this with a constructive angle. By making meditation part of your day by day routine, you will prepare your self to press the reset button, wipe away the stress of the day and strengthen your interior peace.

9. Play on-line video games with your pals.

There are many on-line multiplayer video games you can invite individuals to participate in. Select a buddy who you suppose feels notably down or affected by this pandemic and schedule a time and date to play collectively. I really like “Draw something” and “Skribble”.

10. Assist somebody by gifting a meal.

This yr Make My Meal, the UAE’s largest on-line tiffin service has additionally teamed up with the UAE Meals Financial institution to create their ‘Reward a Meal’ initiative. For Dh49 you can make sure that somebody has meals for 7 days.

11. Take a look at Google’s 360-degree Artwork and Cultrue cam

Encounter a Jurassic big, discover a House Shuttle or be part of a classical music live performance in Beijing’s Forbidden Metropolis.

12. Work out.

Picture Credit score: Shutterstock

Simply because gyms are closed doesn’t imply you should miss your exercise. Staying home means extra consuming and fewer transferring for many people, however you have to remain motivated. Exercise with your pals on video or comply with a YouTube class to burn these energy.

13. Order a particular meal to your home.

Picture Credit score: Equipped

Nowadays supply offers are in every single place. Deal with your self to a pleasant lunch or dinner. If you wish to go actually fancy, Il Borro, LPM and Indochine at the moment are providing supply.

14. Video chat with your pals.

Picture Credit score: Yousra Zaki, Options Editor Internet

With the ability to use video apps has been a saving grace for a lot of UAE residents who can now speak to their family and friends members totally free over video and audio.

15. Hold the children busy with arts and crafts.

Create a challenge to your children that they can work on on daily basis. Paint an image or bead units to make some jewellery. One other tip is to make use of potato reduce outs to dip in paint and stamp.

16. Hearken to an audiobook.

Picture Credit score: Audible

Audible has made tons of of titles obtainable totally free. Excellent for household listening or if you simply wish to really feel like you have someoe else at home with you telling you a compelling story.

17. Do a social distancing brunch.

McGettigan’s in JLT is now delivering Friday brunch to your door. The Irish pub are internet hosting a “live brunch” each Friday, the place individuals at home can order a two course meal that comes with blended beverage mixers and a few inflatable toys too. To go together with the brunch, log onto their Fb and Instagram lives to observe their resident band performing.

18. Participate in a pictures exhibition.

Maraya Artwork Centre in Sharjah is internet hosting a pictures competitors known as “The Place I Call Home”. The competitors invitations individuals to re-evaluate the which means of home, each close to and much, via their very own images and submit them through Instagram on a particularly created web site. The competitors might be open for entries till the closing of the exhibition on 31 Could 2020.

19. Take a digital tour of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi.

The museum has hosted greater than 1,000 faculty journeys, 5,000 guided excursions, workshops and masterclasses, and programmed 115 particular occasions Picture Credit score: Equipped

There are over 150 excursions and they’re supplied in seven languages, together with Arabic, English, French, Mandarin, Russian, German and Hindi revealing the fascinating tales behind the displays. The distinctive and common narrative follows the curators’ tour of the museum.

20. Bake one thing.

Picture Credit score: NYT

Why are we baking a lot during self-isolation, you would possibly ask? Are we stress consuming? Or is it extra the feeling of management that we want? That’s most likely it. Baking is the new stress reliever and there’s nothing fairly like measuring flour, sugar and butter. Then mixing collectively all the substances to get that last completely baked goodie.

21. Clear up your food plan and construct immunity.

By far the greatest contributors to power diseases is unhealthy vitamin, which incorporates plenty of sugar, unnatural substances, canned processed meals and white flour simply to call just a few of the high culprits. Make a brand new record of recent groceries and begin feeding your physique the great things.

22. If you like to sing, be part of a digital choir

Self-isolation shouldn’t cease you from singing together with a gaggle of like-minded individuals. Tonnes of choirs have gone on-line since the pandemic and would love others to hitch their ensembles.

23. Tie die your garments.

A giant because of the influencers for this one. Throughout Instagram, all I see are influencers carrying tie dye outfits. Like who knew that vogue tendencies can emerge when all we do is sit round at home? I made my very own bleach tie dye sweater and it was a enjoyable, however quick, exercise that truly made me really feel fairly completely happy and completed to have ‘designed’ my very own sweater.

24. Make a puzzle.

Picture Credit score:

I’ve to say, I completely obtained caught up with obsessing over puzzles. And no lie, I by no means even purchased a single one earlier than COVID-19. Now I’ve a robust urge to purchase a 1000 piece puzzle and use it as a productive exercise to maintain me busy.

25. Soar on the Dalgona espresso development.

This frothy DIY espresso drink is an affordable and cheerful viral development that everybody today appears to be whipping up at home. The sunshine as air drink is named Dalgona espresso. The newest Instagram meals development is supposed to be made at home and shared on-line. All you want is espresso powder, sugar and water.

26. Watch ‘Quarantine routine’ vlogs on YouTube.

“A lot of you have been asking me about my Quarantine Routine. So here it is.” Scroll via YouTube and you’ll discover that influencers have began posting much more of how they’re spending time at home. Watch it to chuckle at them, or to get concepts, nevertheless it’s a fairly enjoyable solution to move the time.

27. Make a Tik Tok video.

I admit that I fell for the development. It feels bizarre, as a result of I’m born in 1990 and I’m like one among the oldest individuals on the platform. However yeah, it’s a variety of enjoyable and the dances cheer you up like loopy.

28. Learn ‘Born a Crime’ by Trevor Noah.

If there’s one ebook I can advocate it’s this one. It’s a compelling, and galvanizing story that was additionally comedian sufficient to depart me laughing out loud alone. The approaching-of-age story of Trevor Noah is ready during the time of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that adopted. Belief me with this one.

29. Check out a brand new recipe field.

Picture Credit score: Equipped

Jones the Grocer have launched a brand new vary of Home Cooking Recipe Packing containers that allow you recreate their well-known menu dishes in a enjoyable manner with the entire household. Every recipe field comprises chef-selected produce and artisan retail substances with portions measured for every recipe.

30. Play golf in your front room

If you are a golf fanatic, then this might be a straightforward one. Use your golf equipment and your golf balls. Be happy to putt on the carpet in the hallway with a glass cup. There’s nothing fallacious with going as primary as that.

31. Plan a video meet up with a protracted distance relative.

Decide somebody who wouldn’t even anticipate to listen to from you. Somebody who haven’t spoken to in eternally. It should cheer them up for positive. Chat with them about how their life goes and the attention-grabbing ways in which they maintain busy. Merely seeing somebody over video, their facial expressions over video chat actually adjustments what quarantining alone seems like. Though you can’t bodily hang around, it comes very shut.

32. Use Google Streetview to discover the world.

Go additional by discovering collections and utilizing Avenue View for a walkthrough tour of a few of the high museums round the world together with the Museum of Fashionable Artwork, U.S.A,, the British Museum, U.Okay, Tokyo Fuji Artwork Museum, Japan and extra.

33. Flip your hallway right into a bowling alley

Picture Credit score: Pinterest

Bowling balls and pins aren’t precisely obtainable simply wherever. You can use water bottles as your pins and a heavy spherical object as the bowling ball. This would possibly require some creativity and digging to seek out precisely what you want. Professional-bowling alleys may have 10 pins, so try to recreate it as shut as you can.

34. Make a custom-made playlist.

There’s nothing extra enjoyable than making a custom-made playlist with songs that remind you of a sure particular person and sending it to them. Put collectively some cheerful music right into a playlist, title it after them and share the hyperlink.

35. Organise a digital banquet.

Sit all the way down to dinner with all your pals. Everybody has to take a stab at cooking the similar recipe and sit down and eat collectively. It’s a pleasant probability for you to really feel like you are at a restaurant. Speak about the totally different things you are doing to fill your days.

36. Take a free course.

At the second, 1000’s of on-line programs have been made obtainable totally free. My private favorite is Coursera, the world’s largest on-line studying platform. I just lately signed up for and am watching lectures for a Yale College Psychology course known as the “Science of Well Being.” A course that’s designed to extend your happiness and construct extra productive habits. One thing we ALL want proper about now.

37. Have a film night time together with your besties.

Picture Credit score: twitter.com/michalewiczz

Use Netflix Celebration. It’s a Google Chrome extension that you have to obtain that may give you a brand new solution to watch Netflix with your pals on-line. You guys can chat on a bar subsequent to the display screen and talk about things which are occurring in the film. Netflix Celebration synchronizes video playback and provides group chat to your favourite Netflix reveals. So if somebody wants to make use of the toilet, the video pauses for everybody, so you can keep in sync and have a film night time collectively with out really being collectively.

38. Play on-line Pictionary.

The web model is known as Skribbl. It’s a free multiplayer drawing and guessing recreation. The quicker you guess the phrase, the increased your rating level might be.

39. Declutter your home.

To successfully declutter your home, it’s best to take inventory of all the gadgets which are taking over area or inflicting a large number whereas additionally re-evaluating the contents of your cupboard space. Resolve what you can eliminate, what can be recycled or upcycled, what must be saved, and the way gadgets may very well be saved in a tidier vogue.

40. “Build” a cinema in your home.

Whether or not you are a father or mother who must maintain children busy, or you’re bored and dwelling alone, this enjoyable “Movie Theatre” challenge can change the feeling of your front room or yard. Simply made positive you add the proper snacks to the film ‘going’ expertise.

41. Watch one or two ‘Pandemic’ themed films.

WORLD WAR Z, Brad Pitt, Abigail Hargrove, Mireille Enos, 2013,

At this level in time, increasingly individuals are watching pandemic themed films. It does in a way alleviate stress we really feel from our present actual life state of affairs. We have put collectively an inventory of 25 pandemic themed movies that you can stream at home. To…. calm your nerves. Or to make you extra anxious maybe.

42. Flip your eating desk right into a Ping-Pong desk.

You have to just a few investments for this, however they’re comparatively inexpensive, since you received’t be shopping for a complete desk. Get your self two ping pong rackets and a ball. If you man can purchase the web as nicely that might be good in any other case, create your individual out of clear plastic cling wrap and two pencils. Set it up in your eating desk and begin difficult members of your loved ones to video games.

43. Take an internet cooking class.

Look via 1000’s of YouTube movies, which can give you nice classes on the best way to make simply something in your home. Some Dubai eating places have even launched on-line cooking lessons that they stream over their social media.

44. Watch theatre reveals out of your home.

Though you are caught at home, you can nonetheless expertise the spirit and pleasure of dwell theatre and luxuriate in the greatest seats in the home by streaming performances on-line. Typically TV reveals and films simply don’t reduce it. Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is providing free broadcasts of his biggest musicals. A special Lloyd Webber musical will stream each Friday on The Exhibits Should Go On!, a brand new YouTube channel dedicated to this challenge.

45. Hearken to ‘The Liar’s Daughter’ totally free.

Seventeen-year-old Piper was raised in a cult. She simply would not understand it. She does nevertheless know that father is a “Prophet”. Infallible. The chosen one. She would do something for Father. That is why she takes care of all her little sisters. That is why she runs end-of-the-world drills. That is why she by no means asks questions. As a result of Father is aware of greatest. Till the day he would not. Till the day the authorities raids the compound and separates Piper from her siblings, from mom, from the aunts, from all of father’s followers – even from the boy she loves.

46. Watch cult horror film traditional, The Shining.

On this Stanley Kubrick’s 1980-made film, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) will get a job in resort, which closes down during winter, and Torrance and his household are the solely occupants current in the resort, which additionally occurs to be haunted by the ghost of Mr. Grady, the former custodian of the resort who murdered his spouse and his two daughters.

47. Begin a digital ebook membership.

Six weeks into this self-isolation enterprise and lots of have hit their Netflix capability. The thought of a ebook membership would possibly sound just a little bit “boring” for individuals who do not recognize the surprise that’s studying, however realizing that you and all your pals are studying the similar ebook collectively is enjoyable. Then discussing it collectively provides you one thing else to speak about reasonably than the traditional “I’m so bored,” talks.

48. Digital completely happy hour with associates.

If studying and cooking isn’t your factor, why not get pleasure from some drinks with your pals after “work”. It’s identical to you’re assembly at a neighborhood Dubai lounge or restaurant, nevertheless it’s in your front room carrying some significantly cozy garments.

49. Take a digital tour of Dubai’s museums.

Midway via the month of March, Dubai introduced the closures of all their museums and cultural websites. If you are curious to discover just a few of them, they’ve made digital 360 excursions obtainable. From the consolation of your individual home, you can now stroll round Dubai’s hottest websites together with the Deira Fish Market and even Dubai’s Al Serkal Avenue. Excellent if you wish to maintain the children busy.

50. Do a gaggle crossword puzzle.

If you get the similar newspaper delivered to your own home as your buddy or you all determine to order crosswords at home, then deal with them collectively each morning. Whether or not it’s over the telephone or sharing your outcomes as soon as you are completed.

51. Do a deep oil therapy to your hair.

Why not strive the factor that Arabs name a “hammam oil”, a standard ritual from the Center East for hair therapy. Doing a deep oil therapy as soon as per week to deal with hair issues like broken hair, dry hair, and frizzy hair. After you wash your hair, apply your oil of alternative, then wrap your hair in a scorching towel and rinse after 10-15 minutes.

52. Livestream the northern lights.

Since you can’t really journey at this time, don’t miss out on a few of the world’s most stunning pure wonders. Take a look at Discover.com and live-stream the Northern Lights straight onto your laptop computer or TV. Their dwell digicam is at the Churchill Northern Research Heart in Manitoba, Canada, straight beneath the aurora oval. With the arctic darkish most of the day and the skies clear, now’s the good time to tune in.

53. Host or take part in a digital pub quiz

Similar to a daily pub quiz, however on-line over a video chat. A gaggle of individuals collect to try to reply questions posed by the quiz grasp. Reply questions by writing them down, and don’t cheat by googling the reply.

54. Look at an aquarium beneath water

Have to recharge? Reconnect with animals possibly? Take a break and have a look at this underwater dwell cam. Uncover the dreamlike patterns of angelfishes, wrasses, tangs and butterflyfishes over the dwell digicam located at the Shed Aquarium in Chicago.

55. Minimize your individual hair at home.

Since we shouldn’t actually be going to barbers or hair salons at the second, possibly you can give your self a trim, buzz or some bangs if you are feeling courageous. Take a look at tutorials on-line and take a look at a brand new look. Plus if you mess up, at least you received’t be seeing individuals for some time.

56. Flip to Harry Potter

Harry Potter is right here to save lots of the day. Wizarding World mastermind JK Rowling has unveiled an internet site, Harry Potter at Home, in an effort to offer a mystical escape from present occasions in the muggle world. “We’re casting a Banishing Charm on boredom!” the website writes on its welcome web page.

57. Filter your closet and provides some stuff to charity

Now that you’ve obtained loads of time to type via your stuff, don’t neglect about individuals who want and rely on donations to get clothed. Bag up the stuff you don’t want and distribute it in bins which are situated throughout the metropolis.

58. Obtain grownup colouring books

There’s nothing extra stress-free than colouring. Youngsters adore it, so why shouldn’t adults have enjoyable with it as nicely? Obtain some work sheets on-line and get colouring.

59. Stream via thought scary documentaries on Netflix.

Tiger King Picture Credit score: Courtesy of NETFLIX

Nothing like documentaries to get you via quarantine. A few of our favourites embrace Darkish Vacationer, Tiger King and Unacknowledged.

60. End any unfinished initiatives.

Now’s the time to finish something that’s lacking out of your record of to do’s at home. Whether or not it’s to lastly dangle up these image frames, or portray your partitions. Simply get it completed.

61. Enhance your mind/reminiscence

Play on-line reminiscence video games that may assist you strengthen your thoughts whereas there isn’t a lot stimulation elsewhere.

62. Tour America’s nationwide parks

How fortunate are we to dwell via a pandemic during the age of the web? Because of Google Earth, you can now take digital excursions of the 31 biggest nationwide parks.

63. Discover the native artwork scene.

Take a look at Google’s new Arts & Tradition platform, which permits you to take a look at on-line exhibitions from well-known artwork homes in the UAE together with the Barjeel Artwork Basis, the Atassi Basis for Artwork & Tradition and the Nationwide Archives of the UAE. You can additionally use the Discover function to find different cultural establishments close to you, wherever you are.

64. Wander The Netherlands’ most spectacular tulip backyard.

Get an eyeful of those vibrant flowers in one among the hottest gardens in the world. At this level in time, the tulips are blooming at their greatest. Test it out on-line over a collection of movies straight from the Keukenhof Flower Exhibit.

65. Use Google’s Artwork Digicam and zoom in on well-known artwork items

Get drawn into tremendous excessive decision imagery that brings you nearer to minute particulars in paintings and use the in-painting Tour to information you via a chunk of artwork by zooming in and out of its particulars, with insightful commentary.

66. Watch all the Shakespeare performs

‘The Show Must Go Online’ is a digital challenge led by classical actor and director Robert Myle, the place Skilled actors and skilled amateurs are encourages to participate to do a weekly studying, and the public can comply with alongside on YouTube. They’re going via all his performs from A to Z.

67. Go on a household journey.

Utilizing Google’s Household Enjoyable with Arts & Tradition and let a penguin information you via museums or discover themes corresponding to artwork, animals, science and area, historical past, music, books & films or world cultures.

68. Making fizzy tub bombs from scratch.

Simpler than you suppose and less expensive to make from home. These assist you chill out in the bathtub and it’s a pleasant challenge to do at home.

69. Take a free on-line pictures course.

Nikon is providing free pictures programs on-line that you can now watch to good your abilities.

70. Watch Saturday Evening Reside Social distancing

The present goes on their Instagram account and numerous celebrities make appearances. The solid movies their skits from the security of their houses or over video conferencing apps. The standard continues to be nice and it’s as humorous as all the time.

71. Binge take heed to a podcast about true crime

Nothing is as addicting as true crime podcast episodes, whether or not it’s Serial or My Favorite Homicide or Final Podcast on the Left. There are many things to take heed to whereas caught at home. My Favorite Homicide can be the best choice for me.

72. Write in a journal.

May sound a bit antiquated, but when you embrace journaling in your day by day routine, then you is perhaps stunned how nicely it opens your thoughts and provides you a lift in your self-reflection and encourages positivity.

73. Redecorate your home.

Clearly we don’t wish to encourage spending on extra furnishings, nevertheless it’s an awesome probability to maneuver tuff round and provides your home a straightforward make over that may make it really feel new.

74. Put collectively a care package deal for supply staff.

Most supply guys in the UAE dwell away from their households for a number of months at a time and don’t have entry to many things that we take without any consideration. Create a number of small (shoebox sized) care packages for them. Fill the care package deal with recent toiletries together with a bar of cleaning soap, hand sanitiser if you can spare some, a pair of latest socks, telephone credit score recharge playing cards, a sealed off packet of dates from the grocery store, a packet of immediate noodles and a bottle of water.

75. Wash your whole make up brushes

If you are a lady who loves make up, undoubtedly think about doing this. There’s a variety of product construct up in your brushes and a recent wash can get them prepared for use for once we can depart our home once more.

76. Clear your whole white sneakers

I personally have put this exercise off for years, however now’s the greatest time to scrub your sneakers, particularly your white ones. Google the best way to wash several types of sneakers and sneakers and get began. You’ll have recent kicks by the finish of self-isolation.

77. Have a Harry Potter marathon

I prefer to do this each few years and I often prepare it with associates. We undergo the Harry Potter collection from film 1 to 7. It’s so good escaping into the wizarding world and that’s an excellent 16 hours that you can move by watching these movies. Attempt to not do all of them in someday although. That will be exhausting and doubtless unhealthy.

78. Make lists of all of your favourites

It’s vital to determine who you are and what you like, so why not make a number of lists of all of your favorite things. Whether or not it’s meals, films, individuals or workouts. It is a nice alternative to have some actual you-time and perceive what you like and the way it makes you totally different.

79. Delete pictures off your telephone.

My telephone is continually reminding me that it can’t again up due to the 1000’s of pictures I’ve in it. I just lately downloaded an app that deletes all my doubled photos, to clear some area in my telephone. It makes every thing lighter and fasted.

80. Comply with a yoga class.

Picture Credit score: Equipped

One in every of the things that has saved me going during these self-isolation days is yoga. As a result of it’s not a excessive depth sport, I’ve been capable of do it on daily basis. Not solely does it tone your physique and make you really feel stronger, there’s something to calming and grounding about it. My favorite is a pleasant and sweaty vinyasa stream.

81. Watch a TED speak.

In case you do not know: TED, stands for “technology, entertainment, design” and it’s an organization that posts lectures on-line from many attention-grabbing consultants and thought leaders on all kinds of subjects. Whether or not you wish to know the best way to kill it at work, or be taught to like your self earlier than you can love another person. It evokes you to be higher.

82. Stretch.

Think about you added stretching to your day by day routine on daily basis since this pandemic began. You’d be the most versatile model of your self.

83. Take a shower.

Picture Credit score: Pexels

If you are fortunate sufficient to have an house with a tub, go forward and clear that bathtub totally then fill it with heat water and physique wash. It fully eases the stress in your physique and makes you really feel like you’re on a mini spa-cation.

84. Get into artistic writing

We’ll make it into the historical past books you know? Possibly you’re the subsequent well-known writer, who will speak about a dystopian world in which coronavirus received and killed all of humanity. They flip your manuscript right into a film and you turn out to be an awesome and celebrated writer. Or simply write some poetry or a track if you are musically inclined.

85. Watch a traditional movie that was made earlier than you had been born

Why not look at how individuals lived earlier than you existed? Take a glimpse right into a bygone tradition.

86. Play some good quaint board video games

Typically we have to step again from the tech and luxuriate in just a little little bit of primary enjoyable. Play some board video games with your loved ones to vary things up a bit.

87. Create your final bucket record.

Now’s a time as any to place collectively an inventory of every thing you wish to do earlier than you die. I imply, it would make you miss the outdoors world, however we’ll get there quickly!

88. Study vogue, artwork and tradition training

Study the intersection between artwork, tradition and vogue and uncover the tales behind what we put on, or uncover Kenya’s Masai vogue or uncover iconic types of the twentieth century over Google’s Artwork and Tradition part.

89. Feng Shui your home.

Who is aware of, it would permit constructive vitality to stream all through your dwelling area.

90. Attempt some energy coaching

Exercises are well-known boredom busters they usually maintain you sturdy. Power coaching burns fats and strengthens your bones, one thing we desperately want with an absence of vitamin D and lack of motion.

91. Attempt making origami animals

It’s the fantastic Japanese artwork of paper folding. Why not strive it out and add one other random, but cool talent (and dialog starter) beneath your belt?

92. Google your self.

Sounds actually egotistical for positive, nevertheless it reveals you what comes up when different individuals search you. This is perhaps the time to take down just a few photos or replace your social media accounts.

93. Replace your resume.

Even when you aren’t planning to depart your job, now that you have a variety of spare time, you can work on that resume and make it stand out from the relaxation.

94. Rank things

Most individuals love giving their opinions on things. If you are relaly bored, go to Ranker.com and share your ideas by rating actually, absolutely anything.

95. Electronic mail somebody you admire

If you’ve been round your trade for some time, why not attain out to somebody you type of know, however possibly don’t know nicely sufficient. Whether or not it’s an writer, speaker, CEO of an organization. Simply ship them a stunning electronic mail. It’s good to point out influential folks that their work is making a distinction to your life.

96. Begin a weblog

Even when you suppose that bloggers are lame, you would possibly end up a part of them someday. Begin your individual web site and get cracking on writing about things that you love, whether or not it’s journey, vogue or meals.

97. Declutter your social media

All of us comply with or are adopted by folks that we don’t really need in our lives. Get in your socials and eliminate folks that you truthfully don’t need all up in your online business.

98. Make popsicles at home

Actually seize any fruits out of your fridge mix them up with yoghurt or water and make wholesome popsicles at home.

99. Plant a kitchen herb backyard

Get your self just a few jars, grime and seeds. Taking good care of these crops on daily basis will give you one thing to stay up for and you can then eat your very personal natural herbs.

100. Discuss to siri or google

Discuss to your working system and ask them to present you enjoyable info, or the low down on the information of the day.

101.Play PUBG with your pals.

Picture Credit score: wiki

Numerous my associates are obsessive about this recreation. They’ve performed collectively nearly each night time during self-isolation. It’s principally form of a “Hunger games” sort recreation/universe. In the recreation, as much as 100 gamers parachute onto an island to search for weapons and gear to kill others whereas avoiding getting killed themselves. There are “safe areas” in the recreation however they carry on reducing in dimension as time goes by, directing surviving gamers into tighter areas to power them to come across.

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callunavulgari · 7 years

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SCRAPBOOK 2017 - TAKE TWO

Scrapbook for the second half of 2017, because tumblr doesn’t like it when you have a million links on one post.

Italicized titles = enjoyed muchly, bold titles = love, titles with an asterisk* = OBSESSION and titles in (brackets) are re-watches/re-reads. And lastly, strikethough = DISLIKE.

Goals are: read thirty-five new books this year (yikes, way behind), finish four video games (definitely on track here), finish writing and publish the Sabriel AU (eh heh), and write something original (does coming up with the idea count?).

MOVIES

June

Wonder Woman

(Doctor Strange)

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Bronson

Chocolat

Tristan and Isolde

(Moana)

Power Rangers

July

Spiderman: Homecoming

Mona Lisa Smile

Baby Driver

(Logan)

Ouija: Origins of Evil

(Star Wars: Rogue One)

Passengers

Atomic Blonde

King and I

Stranded

August

The Sixth Sense

(Armageddon)

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children

(The Princess Diaries)

(X-Men: Apocalypse)

Legend

(Silent Hill)

BOOKS

June:

Authority | Jeff Vandermeer

July:

Authority | Jeff Vandermeer

The Secret History | Donna Tarte

A Wrinkle In Time | Madeline L’Engle [Fin]

The Archived | Victoria Schwab [Fin]

Scythe | Neal Shusterman [Fin]

Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo [Fin]

August

Siege and Storm | Leigh Bardugo [Fin]

Less | Andrew Sean Greer

Authority | Jeff Vandermeer

A Wind In The Door | Madeline L’Engle [Fin]

PODCASTS

June:

The Bright Sessions Eps 31-32

Alice Isn’t Dead Eps 3-4

Welcome to Night Vale 1-3

July:

Alice Isn’t Dead Eps 4-5

EOS 10 Eps 1-3

August

N/A

TV SHOWS BY SEASON

June:

Grace and Frankie

American Gods

(Stranger Things)

How to Get Away With Murder s2

Black Sails s2

July:

Black Sails s2

Grace and Frankie

Stargate SG-1 s2, s3

Doctor Who s8

The Strain

Boku no Hero Academia

August

Westworld

Voltron s3

Game of Thrones s7

The Strain

Yamishibai

Jerry Springer (Vacation w/ boyfriend’s family. Brother and friends are awful.)

VIDEO GAMES

June:

LoZ: Breath of the Wild (Definitely more than 40 hrs; Fin)

Dishonored 2 (Corvo Playthrough, 7 hrs)

Witcher 3 (15 hrs?)

July:

Witcher 3 (15 hrs?)

(Final Fantasy XV, 2 hrs)

August

(Final Fantasy XV, 2 hrs)

DELIGHTFUL FIC

June:

Running on Air by eleventy7 (HP; Drarry; 75k; Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry is assigned the cold case and finds himself slowly falling in love with the memories he collects.)

Slithering by astolat (HP; Drarry; 27k; Draco found the nest down in the Manor’s cellars, while he was clearing them out.)

Bitter Honey, Green Night by Faith Wood (faithwood) (HP; Drarry; 14k; An inn, an Auror, a criminal, a mystery.)

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by waspabi (HP; Drarry; 93k; 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.)

Stately Homes of Wiltshire by waspabi (HP; Drarry; 57k; Malfoy Manor has mould, dry rot and an infestation of unusually historical poltergeists. Harry Potter is on the case.)

stranger things than polyamory by trepan (Stranger Things; Jonathon/Steve/Nancy; 3.5k; Somebody spray-paints NANCY WHEELER HAS TWO BOYFRIENDS on a wall she walks by on her way back from school in May. There are a couple of other students watching her as she passes. Nancy gives the sign a long look, then smirks at them politely.)

the heart its own rough animal by trepan (Stranger Things; Jonathon/Nancy/Steve; 21k; “Where’s her daemon,” says one of the boys urgently. “Guys, she doesn’t have one.”)

in the bone by patho (ghostsoldier) (Dishonored; Corvo/Outsider; 2.8k; It all began when Corvo started kissing the Mark for luck.)

The Sea and Stars Are Yours, My Dear, But the Moon Would Not Cooperate by NeverwinterThistle (Dishonored; Corvo/Outsider; 25k; The Outsider explores the murky seas of human courtship while Corvo watches in bemusement, and in the background Emily draws, Callista takes charge, Piero sulks, and Cecelia accidentally becomes indispensable. There's also a plague, a vase of asparagus, and about a hundred singing whales who randomly showed up in the harbour one evening.The squid is still wriggling.)

apocrypha by aerynlallaboso (Dishonored; Corvo/Outsider; 95k+; WIP; The Eighth year of the reign of Empress Emily Kaldwin, First of her Name, the second year without a whisper from the Outsider, is the year the Void chooses to mark the end of an era.)

a small soft death by patho (ghostsoldier) (Dishonored; Corvo/Outsider; 2.8k; “The finest steel,” the Outsider says, “is forged with true purpose in mind. Elements that enhance the strength of the weapon are carefully chosen, and those that make the metal brittle and weak are burned away. It is an exacting process. The most beautiful dagger will be of no use at all if the steel is not properly tempered. Do you understand?”)

in·car·nate by bygoneboy (Dishonored; Corvo/Outsider; 21k; The Void’s Chosen have loved him before.)

The Crown of the Summer Court by astolat (Merlin; Merlin/Arthur; 24k; "The king sent me to get you," Merlin said, with a tone that implied strongly that he wasn't rolling his eyes where Arthur could see, but just wait until his back was turned. "He said you're to get changed into formal clothes and meet him in the Great Hall, there's a delegation coming from the Summer Court.")

the king of oak by saltpans (HP: FBAWTFT; Credance/Percival Graves; 38k; The first thing Percival Graves does after being released back into the world is buy a new wand.)

Hi, You Were My Husband in Another Life, Professor by littlebirdtold (Star Trek; Spirk; 48k; Um, hi. I'm Jim. Jim Kirk. You don't know me, but I know you. Well, sort of. It's a long story.)

Bluebird by waldorph (Star Trek; Spirk; 7k; Jim whipped around so fast most of his drink ended up on Spock, who was reaching for the phaser that wasn’t there. The Enterprise crew was parting like the biblical seas before Moses, and Jim could feel the temperature dropping. “Mom,” Jim croaked.)

Misethere by astolat (Witcher 3; Geralt/Emhyr; 46k; Emhyr was looking at him for once, with a strange expression. “I have misjudged you,” he said, sounding irritated actually: how dare Geralt surprise him.“I get that a lot,” Geralt said.)

Blooded Crown by astolat (Witcher 3; Geralt/Emhyr; 24k; “You need not thank me,” Emhyr said. “I have an ulterior motive.”It annoyed Geralt to be surprised. He should’ve known from the start. “Yeah?” The words came out with a little bite. “Have another daughter you need me to track down?”“If I wished to hire you, I would hire you,” Emhyr said. “No: I want you to come to my bed.”)

Cursed by astolat (Witcher 3; Geralt/Emhyr; 8k; Geralt was reasonably sure this was the worst damn day of the worst damn month of his life, and it hadn’t hit bottom yet.)

July:

The War of Silver and Ash by astolat (Witcher 3; Geralt/Emhyr; 15k; He hadn’t come here with a contract. He’d come here to get the faces out of his head: the bloodless dead sprawled in heaps through the streets of Beauclair, the morning after the rampage Detlaff had unleashed; the blank eyes of the boy in the orphanage tilting his head to let Orianna drink from his throat, with the lullaby she’d been singing him still hanging in the air.Wasn’t working that well so far.)

A Year In Toussaint by astolat (Witcher 3; Geralt/Emhyr; 30k; Geralt had no damn idea what to do with a vineyard when Anna Henrietta gave him Corvo Bianco, but he figured it couldn’t be that bad.)

circling by xpityx (Witcher 3; Geralt/Emhyr; 5k; Emhyr sighed, as if Geralt’s lack of immediate understanding was a fundamental failure of his character.)

Running Behind by Asidian (FFXV; Prompto/Noctis; WIP; There's a tag hanging on his storage pod, instead of the clipboard that documents his progress. On that tag, there's a single word stamped in red: defective.)

Toys by astolat (Lucifer; Lucifer/Chloe; 2k; “You want to fuck me!” he said gleefully.)

Emblazoning by astolat (Merlin; OT4; 19k; Morgana turned away from the high, barred window and rubbed her arms, chilled and bare. Arthur was sitting in the dirty straw at the very limit of his chains, which kept him a few inches too far away to touch Merlin's limp body. Outside they were putting up the stake.)

Redemption Merry Go-Round by astolat (Lucifer; Lucifer/Dan/Chloe; 8k; Dan was deeply sorry for whatever he’d done in his life that had landed him in this mess, and also reasonably sure that despite all the shit he’d pulled in the last couple of years, he still didn’t deserve this.)

wild peaches by notbecauseofvictories (The Labyrinth; Sarah/Goblin King; 3k; The morning after Sarah Williams defeats the Goblin King, she gets up and makes toast.)

where the weeds take root by beenghosting (Supernatural; Destiel; 30k+; “Are you happy? Y’know. Just—being here,” Dean says, gesturing to the yard with his beer bottle. “Being with—I mean, you used to fight in celestial wars and—and save the world. Now you’re growing vegetables and talking about chickens.”)

damnatio memoriae by temporalDecay (Witcher 3; Geralt/Emhyr; 12k; “May I walk the estate?” Emhyr repeated, and his nose crinkled in that familiar twitch of displeasure that Geralt had always secretly delighted in causing, despite how downright suicidal it was to invoke it on purpose. “I'm not going to run away,” he added, with a slight glare. “I'm merely bored.”)

Heart and Home by lc2l (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 97k; In an alternate Paris, werewolves occupy the majority of the ruling classes, making and adjusting policy to suit their interests. The punishments for a human attacking a werewolf can be brutal, unless they have the protection of a wolf pack.How this translates to 'claim Grantaire as your mate to get him out of prison' is something Enjolras is still trying to get his head around, but he's never been one to give up on a cause even when it's sleeping on his sofa.)

August

How the Future's Done by barricadeur (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 12k; "Grantaire," he says slowly. "What do you have in that box?")

vocal ink by sarahyyy (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 3k; “Officially, we don’t have a leader, everyone here is equal,” Courfeyrac says, keeping his voice low as Enjolras starts his speech, “but if we did, and we don’t, it would be Enjolras.” He looks over to Marius. “Do not approach him. Let him come to you, let him be the first to initiate conversation, and for the love of God, do not mention soulmates.”)

Years Since It's Been Clear by lady_ragnell (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 10k; Grantaire really doesn't expect Enjolras to force him to move in with him when he hears how shitty Grantaire's apartment is. And he definitely doesn't expect Enjolras to want him to stay, or how easy it turns out to be, or the way Enjolras has a habit of doing his studying in the sunshine on the living room floor ...)

Tolerable (Inuyasha; Sesshomaru&Miroku; 30k; “The scent is not entirely unpleasant.”)

Silence Is the Speech of Love by lady_ragnell (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 50k; Grantaire's life has a pattern: he pays his respects to Aphrodite, he goes to work, he loves Enjolras and provokes him because he can't bring himself to do otherwise.)

The Five Year Plan by Neery (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 16k; Enjolras loses his memory. Thankfully, nothing unexpected seems to have happened to him in the five years he can't remember. Well, except for the boyfriend. The boyfriend's kind of a surprise.)

dance this silence down (the emergency room remix) by Fahye (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 54k; He's sitting in a car with all of his belongings in the back seat and his hands wrapped around the steering wheel, admitting to himself that a stupid, dizzy firework of a one-night-stand with a man he'd barely known is one of the only bright memories he has right now.)

World Ain't Ready by idiopathicsmile (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 185k; Enjolras presses his lips together. He already looks pained, and Grantaire hasn't even opened his mouth yet. That's got to be a record, even for them."I need a favor," he says at last)**

The Ghost of You by luchia (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 25k; Grantaire moves into an apartment inhabited by a poltergeist. Enjolras haunts him, and Grantaire should really win an award for most complicated relationship status ever.)

box of secrets by nightswatch (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 53k; Grantaire leaves his doodles all over the place. Enjolras collects them without knowing who drew them.)

Yes, Sir by mikkimouse (Voltron; Sheith; 8k; "Are you all ready to get started?""Yes, sir!" twenty voices answered in unison.Shiro's stomach flipped at the words. Oh, no.The soulmark on his right wrist burned, confirmation that his soulmate was one of the twenty people who'd just uttered the phrase.)

despite what you've been told by caseyvalhalla (Yuri On Ice; Yuuri/Viktor; 14k; When Victor falls, he goes down hard.)

these things take time by sonhoedesrazao (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 63k; He’s always wary of making assumptions; even more so when Grantaire is concerned. He knows he’s not the easiest person to deal with. People either like him or can’t stand him, and it’s easy to respond to those reactions, but Grantaire—Grantaire is hostile and mocking, Grantaire scorns his beliefs, and Grantaire stays.)

In the End We Have Each Other by samyazaz (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 50k; what startles Enjolras the most is that he manages approximately half a step through the door into the back room where they all meet before Grantaire rattles his glass down on the table in the back that he's taken for his own and drawls, "Is there something you forgot to tell us, Apollo?"That silences the room, predictably enough. Everyone breaks off their conversations and swivels to stare at him. At him, and at the baby carrier that he's got hooked over one arm.)

True Colors by lady_ragnell (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 4k; The first thing that catches Enjolras's eye when he enters the Musain Cafe for the first time is the walls. They're a dull black that it takes him a moment to realize must be chalkboard paint, because near the tables there are words and doodles, and all over, even the erased sections are stained with faint colored marks like the walls have soulmarks.)

Hit Me With Your Best Shot by tellthemstories (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantaire; 10k; Fourteen times Grantaire tried to kill Enjolras.And one time he fell in love.)

RSVP (+1) by tellthemstories (Les Mis; Enjolras/Grantire; 21k; When Enjolras is invited to Marius and Cosette’s wedding, he fully intends to ignore the ‘plus one’ on the invite. He’s busy at work and he has a lot on - he doesn’t have time for relationships. What he doesn’t expect is for Grantaire to invite himself along and then hit it off immediately with all of his friends.)

always there to remind you by estora, taywen (Dishonored; Corvo/Daud; 8k; Later, after he had killed a number of people for coin, but before he killed so many that he lost count, Daud was glad he had no mark. No soulmate deserved to have his words marked on their skin.)

( Watercast by Fishwrites (Voltron; Lance/Keith; 96k; WIP; Shiro has been a Galra prisoner for over a year; with his flight feathers clipped and unable to fly. Desperate to escape, he jumps overboard while being transported to the capitol on a Galran ship. Lance is a merman who saves him from drowning. Keith thinks Shiro is about to become mermaid dinner. Hunk just wants Lance to stop going to the surface all the time, dammit!))

DELIGHTFUL FANVIDS

June:

Multifandom || Tessellate (TYS: round2)

Multifandom || Bleeding out (collab w/ KatrinDepp)

Multifandom || Is this Real?

Multifandom || Insane Like Me (TYS: round1)

Multifandom │ Warriors

July:

the beast of america | percival graves

Get You Killed || Percival Graves

Percival Graves - Hit & Run

► Graves (+Credence) | Are You Insane Like Me?

Credence Barebone/Percival Graves || And I wanna fight, But I can't contend

[FIREFLY] - She always did love to dance

[Multifandom] - Dance with me

The Last of Us || Can't Pretend

The Walking Dead || Bottom of the River

Multifandom || Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight

Doctor Who (Logan Style)

Spider-Man (Peter Parker) // Everybody Loves Me

Iron Man (Tony Stark) // Gold

In The Flesh | we're gonna die, die, die

In The Flesh || We're Alone Now

Fantastic Beasts || Step into the light

Stranger Things|| Knocking On Heaven's Door

Jonathan & Nancy|| Tighten Up

Multifandom|| Stuck.Broken.Dead.

[Multifandom] - One Word

Marvel | Human

percival graves | can't hold us

August

Hela // Castle

grantaire & enjolras - help me kill the president

Game of Thrones || Blood of My Blood (for 60k)

(GoT) House Stark | The North Remembers

(GoT) Jaime Lannister | Oathbreaker

Jonathan Byers || I'm not like everybody else

Uptown Funk || Marvel Universe

MARVEL || Can't hold us

GLITTER & GOLD || Multifandom [HNY●2017]

I'M SO SORRY | Marvel Cinematic Universe

David Haller [Legion] | Dysfunctional

(Legion) It's Better When it Feels Wrong

unless you make it real [Legion]

not today [yuri on ice]

Haikyuu!! || not today

Multifandom | Tame Your Demons (w/SnowLightxx)

Six Of Crows - Trouble

marvel || battle royale

(GoT) Jon Snow | The Targaryen Wolf

Arya Stark // See What I've Become

(GoT) Jon Snow || The Wolf With Dragon's Blood

MARVEL/DC || BORN ready

DELIGHTFUL MUSIC

June:

Johnny Hollow - Boogeyman

Sia - To Be Human feat. Labrinth

Lorde - Green Light

The National - "Don't Swallow the Cap"

The Growlers - "I'll Be Around"

The xx - I Dare You

Phantogram - Fall In Love

alt J - In Cold Blood

And I Waited All Night For You To Come, But You Never Did

Sia - The Greatest

Hopeless Fountain Kingdom - Halsey (Album)

History - Monakr

Wildcat! Wildcat! - Relentless (feat. Wynne)

Ingrid Michaelson - In the Sea

Cities in Dust Lyrics- The Everlove

Prides - Messiah

ODESZA - It's Only (feat. Zyra)

Metric - Breathing Underwater

Purity Ring - Sea Castle

Hundreds - Fighter

Labyrinth Ear - Urchin

Rasputina - Dig Ophelia

Sóley - Fight Them Soft

Soap&Skin - Boat Turns Toward The Port

CocoRosie - R.I.P. Burn Face

AURORA - Nature Boy

July:

Hamilton Soundtrack

Karen O - I Shall Rise

Miracle of Sound - Lady of Worlds

Annie Lennox - I Put A Spell On You

Woodkid - IRON (Sara cover)

Peronal Yeezus By Chambaland (Atomic Blonde Trailer Music)

Kesha - Praying

twenty one pilots: Screen

Lemaitre - Higher

Regina Spektor-Blue Lips

Zaz - Les Passants

Katie Costello - Stranger

Arctic Monkeys - Knee Socks

Silversun Pickups - The Pit

If I Apologized - Mirrormask

August

Les Mis - One Day More

Les Mis - Red and Black

Les Mis - Do You Hear the People Sing

Les Mis - Epilogue

Sleeping At Last - Mars

Hozier - Take Me To Church

Lynrd Skynrd - Freebird

You - Keaton Henson

Radical Face - All Is Well (It’s Only Blood)

Valerie Broussard - Trouble

Erutan - The Willow Maid

Imagine Dragons - Gold

Imagine Dragons - Thunder

Which Witch - Florence & the Machine

Paint It, Black - Ramin Djawadi

Honor For All - Dishonored

Daniel Licht - The Return

Patrick Wolf - Teignmouth

Ballet Breakup - RvB

WRITTEN FIC

June:

it's warm, this skin i'm living in (SGA; Rodney/John; 1,170 words; When he is thirty-seven years old, John Sheppard thinks about the universe.

it's good to be in love, it really does suit you (KH; Sora/Riku/Kairi; 1,694 words; “We’ve done dangerous before.” Sora shrugs. “Getting a mortgage was dangerous, but we did it anyway.”)

a hazy shade of winter (Stranger Things; Steve/Nancy/Jonathan; 1,863 words; In November, they build a tree house.)

July:

can't deny your appetite (SGA; Rodney/John; 4,031 words; John finds out that there’s a vampire in Atlantis the day after they’ve stepped through the gate.He finds out that the vampire in question is Rodney McKay four weeks later, when they’re all hunkered down in the yawning shadow of some crumbling ruins and Rodney looks at him, his eyes eerily bright in the darkness, sees the blood on John’s face, and says, “Oh.”)

August

caught off guard by you (FFXV; Prompto/Noctis; 1,671 words; “I just got you back,” Prompto says quietly, words muffled into the curve of Noctis’s neck.)

take me to church (Teen Wolf; Sterek; 3,129 words; Derek scoffs. “You want to take me back to Quantico.”)

FANMIXES/GRAPHICS

June:

N/A

July:

the salt water sting: wor·ship | noun | the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

The Flash | Fire Fire [Vid]

August

love has no heart: A mix for those with no hearts.

i believe in you: You love him. The story still ends.

January.

February.

March.

April.

May.

June.

July.

August.

#heather says what #scrapbook #heather writes

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