#they changed his name between books I guess lol

[skyscratch-wc]

[unproduciblesmackdown]

set out to create a serious, canonesque drawing with which to say "feel free to go in my lackadaisy tag and help me mystery speculate" but only got going when i made it bowling and the rarepair agenda

[hongcherry]

you're my tomorrow | j.ww

At first, you didn't think anything of it. Jeon Wonwoo was just a customer. However, his daily visits to your bookstore café started to become the highlight of your days. The little conversations here and there made you happy. It's because of him that you always look forward to tomorrow.

☕️ Pairing: customer!Wonwoo x cafeOwner!Reader

☕️ Rating/Genres/AUs: PG; Fluff with a sprinkle of angst, slice of life; Strangers to lovers, cafe au, non!idol au

☕️ Warnings: Reader is smaller than Wonu, ultra soft boi and supportive wonu *swoons*... can't think of anything else but ofc lmk otherwise

☕️ Word Count: 5k

☕️ Author's Note: Thank you to @justsomekpopstuff for giving me this plot idea! I def got carried away and wrote way more than I thought I would lol. I hope you enjoy it! Everyone thank JJ for the storyline ✨ Also, thank you Jess (@the-boy-meets-evil) for beta'ing and giving me amazing suggestions for some edits! 💗

Happy holidays to all (if you celebrate)! Stay safe and have a nice time 💖

seventeen masterlist | main masterlist

Monday

When the door chimes a little after eight at night, you know it’s him.

He strolls in, usual glasses perched on his nose and jacket layered with a few specks of snow. His hair isn’t styled, soft waves adorning his head. He looks like the average person who’s winding down from a long day at work. From the two and a half months you’ve known him, this is his usual state on Monday nights.

Wonwoo entered your cozy bookstore café nearly three months ago. His order rarely varies, and sometimes he orders a drink he could get anywhere else. Yet, for some reason, he always comes here.

And throughout those months, you’ve realized you always look forward to his presence.

“Busy evening?” he asks while stepping up to the counter.

You’re in the middle of packing a pastry for another customer and quickly hand off the bag to your coworker.

“More so than usual; it’s finals week,” you reply with a small smile.

Wonwoo glances around, nodding as he takes in the sight of many tables occupied by people with textbooks, laptops, and notes scattered around them.

“I don’t miss those days,” he chuckles.

“I don’t either,” you agree. “So, what can I get you today?”

Wonwoo peers up at the menu behind you. You wonder why he does so since he usually rotates between three drinks.

“A hot chocolate,” he replies.

“Oh?” You can’t hide your surprise.

He grins, tilting his head slightly. “Should I have ordered something else?”

“No!” you hastily say. “You can order whatever you want.”

He pulls out a bill that exceeds the cost of the order and slides it to your side of the counter.

“Just thought I’d try something new for the holidays,” he explains, then leaves to find a seat.

“Wait!” you call out, bill in your hand. “You paid too much!”

If Wonwoo can hear you, he pretends he doesn’t. He continues his journey and ends up in the corner next to a window by the bookshelves. He retrieves a book from his bag, opening it where his bookmark rests.

Your hand falls to the counter with a heavy sigh. You guess you’ll give him his change when you give him his order. Normally, you’d call customer’s names or numbers for pick-up. But Wonwoo is different.

Wonwoo’s one of the rare customers who gets his order hand-delivered.

After completing the transaction in the system and making his drink, you grab his change from the register and walk to his table.

“One hot chocolate,” you announce and set the cup down along with his change.

“I’ll take the drink,” he says and brings it closer, blatantly ignoring the cash next to it.

“Wonwoo,” you say.

“Yn,” he answers, eyes flickering up.

There’s a small smirk on his lips that makes your insides churn.

“You overpaid,” you simply state.

“So?”

You move his money closer. “So, take it back.”

Wonwoo slides the money back to you. “Consider it a tip.”

“You know we don’t take tips here,” you say, moving it again.

“You should. You all work hard.”

“People are already struggling as is. If they can find solace in a little place like this, that’s all that matters.”

Wonwoo rests his hands on top of yours, which is still on the money, and slides it back to you.

“Then consider it a holiday present. From me to you,” he smiles.

His hand feels warm on yours. Your eyes move down, but you wish you hadn’t.

His large hand nearly covers yours, making you feel small yet protected. You can tell from his build that he’s strong and fit. You wonder what it’d be like to get a hug from him.

“I—” you struggle to speak.

“It’d make me happy.”

You sigh, nodding hesitantly.

He slowly removes his hand. “Thank you.”

“N-No problem,” you say, gathering the change and pocketing it. “Enjoy your book and drink.”

“Thanks,” Wonwoo replies and picks up his book. He holds it up with one hand and uses the other to sip his hot chocolate.

You make your way back to the front, trying to ignore the lingering warmth on your hand and the feeling in your chest.

Tuesday

Wonwoo shows up at the same time but orders one of his usual drinks. It's a different book than yesterday and judging by the similar cover, it's probably the next one in the series.

Ever since Wonwoo “gifted” you money, you’ve been trying to think of something to get him. It’s a little tough considering you don’t actually know him. You know he works a duty-heavy job and that he lives nearby. You know he has a lot of friends despite him being so quiet. Although you’ve never seen Wonwoo and his friends in the same room, they often come with him to the café in duos or trios.

You also learned he’s an avid cat and gaming lover.

You were surprised about the latter.

“Is he also a student?” one of your new coworkers, Sebastian, asks thirty minutes after Wonwoo’s arrival.

You wipe off the cup in your hand and set it on the counter, calling the number associated with it.

“No, he graduated already,” you reply and watch him practice making a drink.

“You seem to know him. Are you two friends?” he wonders.

You lean against the counter. “I don’t think so. He’s just a regular here, so I’ve learned a few things here and there.”

“Ah,” he replies and hands you the finished drink.

You take the drink and start taking a sip to see how well he did.

“You should ask him out.”

You choke on the drink, eyes wide as you reach for a napkin to wipe your chin.

“T-That wouldn’t be appropriate,” you stammer.

He laughs and takes the drink from you. “He’s not working here, and it’s not like you’re paying for him to come by. I don’t see how it’s inappropriate.”

You sigh, knowing he has a point. It’s not that you’re not attracted to Wonwoo, but it feels almost out of line. Plus, you’re not sure if you like Wonwoo, or just like the thought of him. You haven’t been in a relationship in years and would be lying to say you don’t miss having a partner.

You miss being able to share life memories with someone.

Wonwoo’s handsome. He’s kind, funny, caring, and fit—not that that’s a big deciding factor, but it sure is a bonus. Though, do you just want someone with those attributes, or do you want him?

“Just think about it,” Sebastian suggests and greets a new customer.

Your eyes drop to your feet in thought.

Part of you worries you’d make it awkward if he says no. It’s not like you are friends, so you won’t be ruining a friendship, but you enjoy seeing his face every day. His simple presence is one of the highlights of your days.

Plus, you don’t even know if he has a partner already!

You groan, putting a hand over your forehead as you try to organize your thoughts.

“Bad night?” a familiar voice asks from over the counter.

You drop your hand to see who it is.

Wonwoo stands with his empty cup and saucer, book tucked under his arm.

“Ah, uh, not really,” you reply sheepishly. You can’t disclose the true reason for your state; you’ve never been the best liar either.

“Well, I hope whatever is troubling you passes soon,” he says and holds out his dirty dishes.

“You could’ve left them on the table,” you say, grabbing them from his grasp. Your fingers touch his, and it’s difficult not to feel like a silly teenager in the movies, especially with your current predicament.

“I know,” he smiles, “but I wanted to tell you bye, and you seem busy.”

You set the items in the sink before addressing him again. “Still… But thank you anyway.”

“The drink was great, as always.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he says, slowly stepping away from the counter.

You smile, nodding. “See you.”

His eyes linger on you before he turns and exits your café.

Wednesday

Wonwoo comes and goes as usual. It’s a busy night and you’re unable to speak to him much. It’s not the first time that has happened, so he doesn’t seem bothered by the lack of interaction. Regardless, you wish you could’ve spoken to him more.

That night was spent browsing the internet for the perfect gift for Wonwoo.

From gaming headsets to the top-rated books on Goodreads, you felt like you scoured every possible present for him. But none of them satisfied you.

It wasn’t until you came across bookmarks in your recommended section that you decided what to get him.

Maybe a bookmark was too boring, but you figured it was the safer option.

You spend over an hour searching for the right bookmark, but again, you come up short. They’re either too flowery, too plain, or too cliché.

In the end, you opt for making your own.

You find some DIY bookmark kits online and place an order. Trying not to second guess your decision, you call it a night—going to sleep as you brainstorm what to put on the item.

Thursday

“Do people actually read these books?” Wonwoo asks during your break, which you decided to spend with him.

Your gaze follows his to the wall lined with several bookshelves.

You chuckle, “Sometimes.”

“You said you got these books donated?” he asks, recalling an earlier conversation you had when he was a newcomer.

“Most of them,” you hum.

“Does your offer still stand?” he asks.

You turn to him with puzzlement.

He smiles. “You said I could take a book if I left one.”

“Oh,” you laugh out of embarrassment for forgetting. “Of course.”

Wonwoo nods and then stands up. He takes two steps to his right, then carefully plucks a book from a high shelf. He replaces the empty space with his own book.

Something about the simple act has your heartwarming. Or maybe it’s the way he’s so gentle with the books as if they’ll cry if moved too aggressively. You wonder if he’d touch you as carefully, if given the chance. Would you find comfort in his caresses the way you think the books would if they were personified?

Wonwoo sits in his seat again, perching his glasses higher after they slide down.

“Have you read this?” he asks, twisting the book so the cover faces you.

You analyze it for a moment, but the title doesn’t ring a bell.

Shaking your head, “Unfortunately not. I haven’t had the chance to read in a long while.”

“I guess running a business is time-consuming,” he teases lightly.

“How do you find the time? Didn’t you say your work is hard, too?” you ask.

He leans back in his seat, book resting in his lap.

“I make time,” he simply says. “I found it’s important to make time for things I care about.”

He’s staring at you in a way that makes you think there’s more to his words than he lets on.

“T-That’s a good habit, I suppose,” you say.

“When was the last time you did something for yourself, and not the café?” he questions.

Your brows furrow in deep thought. You thought the answer would come easily, but it doesn’t.

“I—I can’t remember,” you answer with your gaze down, a little dejected at the self-reflection.

Wonwoo sits up and leans toward you. He lowers himself until he can snag eye contact.

“Don’t be too harsh on yourself,” he reassures. “I know what it’s like to bury myself in my work.”

“You probably think I’m pathetic, huh?” you laugh awkwardly.

Wonwoo shakes his head.

“It’s good to be dedicated to something. Your efforts are clearly visible,” he gestures to your crowded café. “But at the same time, it’s also good to not burn yourself out.”

You nod in agreement. “I’ll try to be better.”

“Not for me though. For you,” he says.

You offer him a kind smile that he returns. “For me.”

Friday

Wonwoo doesn’t come at his usual time.

You finally finished his gift last night and are eager to show it to him. You try to suppress your excitement, but it’s difficult to calm your mix of emotions.

As you made it, you realized it was the first time doing something non-work related. Usually, you’d be researching new recipes, doing finances, or simply sleeping. Last night, however, you were doing something personal.

Wonwoo’s words from yesterday ring loudly in your ears.

It felt good to take a break from work.

It felt good to feel like an actual person and not some workaholic machine.

Some say people come into your life for a reason. Maybe you’d still be stuck in your cycle, if not for him.

You wish he were here. 

Wonwoo’s usually a punctual man, so being this late sends uneasy nerves coursing through you. But, the idea of him not showing up at all is even more worrisome. 

Perhaps he’s working overtime and will be here soon. He’s never missed a day.

Yet, as minutes turn into hours, you begin losing hope.

Excitement transitions into worry. This isn’t his typical behavior. You don’t have a way to contact him either.

Is he hurt? Does he need help? Did you say something wrong yesterday? Did he finally decide he doesn’t like your café anymore?

Perhaps you’re too caught up with giving him your gift that you’re overreacting. It could simply be a late, late night at work for him.

He’ll be here.

Even if he just grabs his drink to go, which he’s done in the past, he’ll be here.

The bell chimes as your last coworker leaves for the night.

Wonwoo’s present sat abandoned in your locker throughout your shift. There’s an odd discomfort in your chest as you stare at it now. 

You’re not sure if it originates from being unable to gift it and see Wonwoo’s reaction, or if it’s because he never showed up.

Probably a combination of both, but more so the latter.

It’s uncanny to not see Wonwoo every day.

You had never thought about how you’d feel if you didn’t see him constantly. He was just always there. Always so reliable that you didn’t feel the need to consider what if.

What if he stopped showing up? What if you never saw him again? What if he no longer was a constant in your life?

You swallow the lump forming in your throat.

It’s a harsh reality to know he’s not required to visit. He can leave any time he wants. He can stop visiting your bookstore café at any moment.

There’s a strange thought about you not being good enough for him. Though, you’re not sure what that has anything to do with his absence.

Why would it matter if you weren’t good enough for him? He didn’t come to the café for you.

Did he?

If it was you he wanted, couldn’t he ask you out? Perhaps not as a romantic date, but as friends?

He never has, so he must not want to know you beyond the café. Meaning, he doesn’t come to it solely for you.

But, what changed for him not to show up tonight?

Unsettled with your thoughts, you decide to distract yourself with the final tasks you have to do before you leave.

However, the ride home is filled with more endless thoughts about Wonwoo.

Saturday

You come to work with less bounce in your step than usual.

The world outside seems dimmer. It feels as if the skies are going to be consumed with clouds and rain is going to fall. However, a storm was not in the weather’s forecast.

“Are you getting sick?” Sebastian asks.

You force a smile onto your face for the customer in front of you, handing them their order before looking at your coworker.

“No, why?” you wonder.

“You don’t seem well. Did you not sleep well last night?”

You wish you had, but you tossed and turned constantly. You didn’t think Wonwoo’s absence would affect you so much, but your mind kept wandering to every possibility for his no-show. In the end, you just gave yourself a headache.

“No,” you sigh, “but don’t worry about me.”

You try to smile again, but you’re sure Sebastian can see through it.

“Want me to close up tonight?” he offers.

“Don’t you have a big essay due tomorrow?” you question, remembering how stressed he sounded a few days ago.

“Yeah, but—”

“I’ll be fine,” you insist.

Huffing, he nods and grabs the cup from your hand. “Then go rest for a bit while I finish these orders.”

You purse your lips, contemplating arguing. In the end, you relent, moving to the backroom’s couch and plopping down.

You’ve been scrolling through your phone for ten minutes when you hear a familiar voice.

“Is Yn not here today?”

“Oh, she’s not feeling well, so she’s taking a break. Is there something wrong with our service?” Sebastian answers politely.

You shove your phone in your pocket and head to the door. There’s a small window that you peep out of.

You catch a glimpse of Wonwoo’s frown before he speaks again.

“No, everything’s fine. Will you tell her I hope she feels better?” he asks.

Sebastian nods slowly. Although you can’t see his face, you can see the cogs turn in his head.

“Oh! Ooh! You’re that guy.”

Wonwoo looks confused.

“I’m sorry?” Wonwoo replies.

“The guy that always comes in—”

Not trusting Sebastian to keep his matchmaking attempts at bay, you push through the door.

“Wonwoo,” you greet, trying not to seem too eager that he's here today even though you are.

Wonwoo’s eyes drift past Sebastian to see you. Instantly, his mouth begins to lift.

“Hey, you,” he says lightly, sweetly. “I heard you’re not feeling well.”

“Ah, I’m fine. Seb’s just overreacting.”

Sebastian narrows his eyes at you in a glare.

“You’re supposed to be resting,” he scolds.

“I’ve rested enough,” you shoo with a hand.

“Ten minutes isn’t long enou—”

“Seb, do you mind attending to the customers behind Wonwoo?” you interject.

Sebastian eyes you before grumbling under his breath—something about you being stubborn—then greets the next customer.

You move down the counter to an empty space.

“What can I get you?” you ask Wonwoo.

He shakes his head. “Actually, I just wanted to talk today, if that’s okay. I won’t be long.”

You want to say he can take as much time as he wants, but you hold back.

Concern creeps from the shadows around you.

Is he going to tell you he’s leaving forever? Does he not like your drinks anymore? Did he find somewhere better? Someone better?

“O-Oh, yeah, okay,” you mumble and maneuver around the counter.

You lead Wonwoo to his usual corner, next to the window and the bookshelves. It’s a little quieter here.

You both take a seat from across each other.

You fidget in your seat, nerves making you angsty.

“Are you sure you feel okay?” he asks.

“Just tired, nothing to be worried about,” you smile.

Something in your chest warms at knowing he cares about your well-being.

“Hm. Alright,” he replies a little skeptically.

“Is everything okay with you?” You try to change the subject. “You didn’t come in yesterday.”

Your voice trails off, not wanting to show how concerned you were about his absence. However, Wonwoo can sense it regardless.

He smiles, though the small lift at the corner of his mouth tells you he’s amused with your attempt to hide your worry.

“Did you miss me?” he wonders.

Your eyes widen a bit. “I—Well. I just noticed you didn’t come because you always come, you know?”

He nods with a subtle smirk still on his lips, yet it fades after a few seconds.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come,” he apologizes sincerely. “One of my friends was in the hospital.”

Your heart drops and guilt kicks in. It’s not that you didn’t consider the possibility, but you had been more focused on him not liking you or the café.

“Goodness, I’m sorry to hear that. Are they okay?” you ask, frowning.

“He had to get surgery, but he’s fine. Just a little grumpy and whiny,” he chuckles.

You feel better hearing his small laughter.

“That’s better than being in pain, I guess,” you reply.

“Yes,” he concurs. He waits for a beat then continues, “I wanted to ask you a question.”

You tilt your head. 

A question. That sounds better than some statement about not seeing you again.

“Okay,” you say.

“When we last spoke, it was about you not having enough time for stuff outside of work,” he begins.

You nod to show you’re following but don’t cut in.

“Well, there’s this small event tomorrow. It’s nothing fancy, just some walking around. I wanted to know if you’d like to go with me?”

Your heart races as he speaks. You’re stumped for words. It’s as if you’ve subconsciously been waiting for this, but now that the time has come, you’re too nervous to answer.

“You can decline,” Wonwoo assures.

Although you’re anxious about the idea of meeting outside of the café, you don’t want to miss the opportunity.

“N-No! I mean, no, I don’t want to decline. What time? Where?” you hurriedly say before he can take back his offer.

He grins and holds out a small piece of paper.

You take it, turning it over to see scribbled numbers. You guess it’s his phone number.

“I can pick you up after work. You close early tomorrow, right?” he asks.

You nod, trying to hide your smile at him remembering your café hours. Though, since he visits frequently, you guess it shouldn’t be that surprising.

“Dress warm, okay?” he adds.

“Okay.”

Wonwoo stands from his seat, and you follow.

“Get some more rest tonight, Yn,” he says softly.

“Y-Yeah. I will,” you reply.

Although you’re no longer fretting over reasons for his no-show yesterday, you’ll be worrying about tomorrow now. Still, you’ll try to sleep—maybe even drink some tea or warm milk. You’ll try for him.

Sunday

Wonwoo comes to the café a few minutes before you close. He’s dressed in a fluffy hoodie layered with a light brown trench coat. He looks so…soft and warm.

Before you depart, you make a drink for each of you. He tries to pay but you profusely veto his offer.

The ride to the event is quiet except for the random music being played from his stereo. You’re unsure how long the ride is, but you don’t care. Even if you’re not speaking, it’s nice being with him in a new environment. It’s nice to see a different side of Wonwoo. And part of you hopes he likes seeing a different side of you too.

The event is free, but since donations are strongly encouraged, you and Wonwoo slip a few bills into the plastic reindeer before stepping onto the lit-up walkway.

People of all ages are enjoying the event. The walkway is wide enough to accommodate a couple of people at a time, but it’s still crowded. It forces you and Wonwoo to bump shoulders several times, and each time, you both apologize.

You notice a few minutes into the walk that he seems tenser than usual. You’re not sure of the reason, and he doesn’t seem inclined to disclose the answer.

You try to distract him by pointing out different features—from big blown-up Santas to mechanical reindeer moving up and down. However, it doesn’t seem too effective.

Wonwoo’s steps eventually begin to slow. He never comes to a complete stop, but with his slow speed, a lot of people pass by. Eventually, there’s a gap in the crowd and his body relaxes.

He must not be a fan of crowds.

“Can we sit for a bit?” you ask, not really needing to rest but there are picnic tables with fake candles on them nearby that are less crowded.

“Sure,” he says.

You guide him to an empty table and sit across from each other.

“Thank you for taking me here,” you smile while glancing around. “It’s so pretty.”

The area is filled with multitudes of holiday decor. There are so many lights strung that you don’t need streetlamps to see. It’s rather magical to see it all. It’s a shame you can’t see this all year round. But then again, it might lose its effect if you see it constantly.

“I’m glad you like it,” he replies.

His eyes drop to your hands clasped on the table. There’s a slight shiver in them.

Suddenly, his hands are covering yours—warmth instantly shooting up your arms from his touch. He says nothing as he rubs his thumbs along your cool skin.

You want to say something; however, it doesn’t feel like you have to, so you just stare at him, a small smile on your face while you bask in the warmth he’s providing.

“How does it feel?” he questions after a few minutes.

You open your mouth to say “good” and to thank him for taking away your coldness, but before you can, he speaks again.

“Getting out, I mean. How does it feel to get out of the café?”

“Oh.” Your face heats rapidly. Thank goodness for your slow reaction. “It’s refreshing.”

Wonwoo hums, nodding.

“Should we walk around again, or should we go? I don’t want you catching a cold,” he says.

“I’d like to see more if that’s okay,” you admit.

“It’s more than okay,” he reassures.

He starts to stand, but you grip his hands to stop him. He stares down at you bemused.

“I have something for you,” you explain.

He sits back down, hands leaving yours when you pull away to retrieve something from your bag.

It’s a small black box with a purple bow on it, albeit the decor is a little squished from being confined to your small bag.

“What’s this?” he asks and carefully brings the box nearby.

“Since you gave me a gift this week,” you say, referring to his tip on Monday, “I got you one as well.”

“You didn’t—”

“Need to? I know. But, I wanted to. And I worked hard on it, so accept it, please?” you say lightly so as to not sound too serious. 

He smiles and nods, lifting the lid.

Inside is the bookmark you made him. On the bookmark’s center is a cat with a game controller. It’s simple, but that’s the best you could do with your lack of drawing skills. Attached to the bookmark is a purple tassel.

“You made this?” Wonwoo asks in amazement.

“I’ll only admit to that if you like it,” you say out of nervousness.

Wonwoo laughs and glances at you. “I like it a lot.”

“Then yes, I made it.”

His gaze shifts to the item again, examining it closely for a bit. Then, he sets it back carefully in the box and puts it in his pocket.

“Thank you,” he says earnestly.

“Of course,” you smile.

You and Wonwoo walk around for twenty more minutes before you call it a night. Throughout the entire walk, he held your hand in his free pocket. The warmth from his body combined with his sheltered pocket made your hand clammy. You felt embarrassed at the fact, but Wonwoo refused to release his hold. Truthfully, you didn’t want to let go, but you also didn’t want him to be disgusted at the feeling.

Wonwoo drove you back to your café where your car was.

You tried to demand he stay in your car since he parked next to yours, but he still climbed out.

You stare at his eyes which are framed by his glasses; his cheeks are slightly rosy from the temperature. His dark hair dances softly in the wind. He looks so handsome.

Wonwoo leans forward and connects his lips ever so softly against your cheek. You have the urge to turn your face and capture his lips with yours, but you don’t.

There’s something romantic about going slow.

Wonwoo pulls back with a kind smile.

“You look beautiful tonight, Yn,” he whispers, breath ghosting your face.

You can’t stop the smile forming on your face even if you tried.

“And you look handsome,” you reply.

Wonwoo mirrors your grin.

“Get home safely, alright?” he instructs.

You nod. “You too.”

You unlock your car and climb inside.

Wonwoo lingers outside, watching with his hands in his pockets.

After starting your car and rolling down your window, you lean out and prop your head on your arm that’s resting on the edge.

He bends slightly to see you better, a small grin on his mouth. His face isn’t too close, but it’s closer than it should be for an average person. But, Wonwoo isn’t average.

He’s quiet for a while, and you take the time to observe his features again. Your heart is thumping loudly in your ears. The desire to kiss him resurfaces.

Maybe you’re starting to like Wonwoo. Not just because he’s attractive, kind, funny, and caring, but because he’s Wonwoo.

Wonwoo, who’s been a frequent customer at your café for months.

Wonwoo, who’s always been supportive and kind.

Wonwoo, who’s slowly capturing your heart.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asks with a smile still on his face.

“Yeah,” you say, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Because of Wonwoo, you’re always looking forward to the next day.

For my “shy/silent” readers, I’ve created a feedback form where you can share your thoughts on my fics in a more anonymous and private way. ^-^

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[kanmom51]

Dear. Army

I went to bed last night thinking that we won't be getting anything substantial on 7/6 even though we had a calendar showing us this:

Only to wake up this morning to discover this was uploaded to Weverse at 10pm KST on 7.6.23 (and an hour later to YT).

Where do I start?

By saying how amazing JM is, how much I love him and his voice and this song.

This man is an angel pure and simple.

What did I notice?

First of all the big ass miss out by releasing it at 10 pm KST and not 10:13 pm. All it took was a little more thought put into it. Just a little more.

Well, the next most obvious is of course the absence of a certain Jeon Jungkook in person, performing this song together with JM.

And why do I say in person?

Because even though every other single background sound and vocal was wiped from this performance, JK's background vocals, although subdued, were still there.

Do I admit that I am disappointed?

Fuck yeah.

I'm not only disappointed, I'm actually furious. Not at JM. Not at JK. But at the friggin company that isn't allowing those two to be in one frame, and has been doing this for months now.

And if you pipe up and say: "well that's not true, we've seen them in content together", stop for one second and think about what you are saying, what content that was. Ot7 content (no choice they are all there - and when they were, thinking of the last BTB JM was as loud as fuck, can't help but wonder why - or not) and JM's dance practice BTB, in which we got to see less than a minute of JK at JM's SMF pt. 2 practice. And about that one: first of all, we probably wouldn't have gotten to see that one if not for JM and JK's interaction in JM's live mentioning JK came to see him practicing, and second of all, go have a lookie what was shown to us in that BTB (we don't even get to see JK arriving to the practice - perhaps not to show us not JM's reaction to him arriving nor just how long he stayed there) and compare it to the Like crazy MV BTB and Jhope visiting JM.

And I'm sure I said this before, how stupid this all is, when it's as clear as day (well, thank god for JK and his rebellious streak) that these two are as close as can be. Couple or not. So wtf is the company so scared of? At this point, with everything that JK has been doing in the past few months (and it's not only JK, JM is part of it too of course, but admittedly JK is just not giving a fuck anymore, while JM is doing what he can within his own respectful and very intelligent way) it's bloody ridiculous not having them in content together.

You may think I'm over reacting here, but this is a long time coming, this angry rant of mine. And this here, as expected as it was, it pushed me over the line.

Like I said, It's not like I didn't see this coming. I knew in my heart that they will do this. Try to nullify Letter's importance to JM and JK. Whitewash it as a song for army. But somewhere, somehow, I still had some hope. Well, that one was a bust. And I guess knowing it's coming doesn't change that ache in the gut once it actually does come.

I ask myself, would it have been too obvious in their books? JM and JK singing this together? But why? If it's an innocent letter to army? A token of JM's love for army?

I guess we all know the answer to that.

So, then I am sitting here and thinking about what I said about JM.

How intelligent he is. How he does things within the 'allowed' limitations but still gets the message through.

He did it with the song's name for starters. It's not "Dear Army", which would make it addressed to army, it's "Dear. Army". By adding the period between the Dear and the Army, you literally have him addressing 2: Dear (which we know exactly who that is) and Army.

We have said this over and over again. This song is a song for JK disguised as a song for army. Dear does come first out of the two after all, lol. No, but this is just how things have to be, as long as they remain closeted, and that is totally understandable. This is how JM is telling us all what his feelings are for JK. He's telling JK and us. I know that there are those who believe that the song is talking to us in some parts and to JK in others. I'm not one of them. I believe this whole song (and the original lyrics say it all in my opinion) is addressed to JK. He is Dear. He is the one the Letter was written to. But in saying that, it was given as a gift to us. JM is allowing us to see what they mean to each other. And a gift that certainly is.

I also think about the fact that JM in this performance stripped the song down. No wave sounds. No harmonica. None of his own background vocals. The guitar, it's not him playing (unlike in the actual recorded song). All making it a little less personal perhaps (while singing it to army for Festa). But then, he made sure to leave one thing, and that's JK's background vocals, as soft as they may be, they are still there.

2 things I get from that (and yes, this is art and it's open to interpretation):

First of all, he's stripped the song of it's intimate setting (settings that were him and JK and what was between them).

Second of all, he left JK's vocals in but softer. JK isn't there with him, but JM is still telling us that JK is an inseparable part of this song. That the song can still exist without the waves and the harmonica and his own background vocals, but not without JK. JM even goes quiet at one point during that verse so we can hear JK's vocals clearer.

Maybe that's me being over melodramatic here, but that's what I feel at the moment.

Did you notice how JM doesn't look once at the camera, at us, while singing the song? Not once. The first and only time he looks at the camera, at us, and smiles, is when the song ends.

You know why?

Cause the man, he ain't singing that song to us. He's singing it for us to hear, but we aren't the recipients.

Oh, and did you see the smile on his face once he starts the verse with "baby", yes, that same verse where JK joins in?

I'm sorry, but you can even hear the smile in his voice as he's singing "baby"...

I apologize that this post isn't all filled with joy and gratitude that we got to see JM performing Letter (Dear. Army). But I have always been honest with you guys, and that is not going to change.

Don't get me wrong. I'm over the moon that we got to hear JM sing this live.

But I'm also sad.

I'm sad because I know how important this song is to both JM and JK. I know that JK would have joined JM in a heartbeat if only given a chance to, or more so, if allowed to. There is no way under the sun that JK was given the chance and declined. NO WAY. So there you have it.

[abbythewritor]

"Specimen." Connor x Venom reader.

Description: Y/n, a girl who's been alone her whole life, decides to change when an alien from the sky corrupts her body. Learning to cope with the symbiote named Venom, the two figure out a way to help put an end to disgusting humans who pick on the weak. But what happens when a certain Android detective is on her tail as if he was attracted to her all this time?

Warnings: Drama, blood, violence, stuff from the game, you know, the usual from Detroit become human.

Other things:

-I do not own Detroit Become Human; they belong to the owners and creators of the game.

-We will be following both Markus and Connors's side because the reader is with the deviants, while Connor, you know, does his cop duties, lol.

-Y/n is a human girl who is then corrupted by Venom; if you don't know who Venom is, then I recommend watching the movie about him, then that will sum it up for you.

-I really hope you like my second book, and I'm excited to share this all with you, so without further do, enjoy the prologue of my new book. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Venom.....?"

'Hm?'

"How long has it been? You know....since the incident....?"

'Five years.....why?'

"No reason...I think it's funny...."

'Funny? Funny how? You were in a living hell, and you're telling me that situation is funny? You're truly are fucking weird brat...'

"Heh. Guess I am...five years ago today, I finally got my drunk ass dad to jail, and guess where that got me? Living in an abandoned house, now looking at a murder scene of a Mexican guy, where his robot is hiding in an addict....now looking back, this like I have right now is no fucking Island dream; it's paradise, am I right?"

'If this hell hole is your definition of paradise, I don't know what your vacation will be like. Do you dream about Mexicans being murdered every night? Because that's a weird kink to have.'

Your eyes rolled. "Yeah, of course I do; the blood of Mexicans aroused my blood." Venom popped out of your back. "Really?! Hah! Who knew-OUCH!" Throwing a sandwich at his head, you glared at him. "Do you really think that this was my kink?! You are truly disgusting." He let out a low growl before putting the whole sandwich, with the wrapper in his mouth, having no effect on eating something not edible. 'Can you blame me? You watch crime documentaries and celebrate when a murderer or a rapist is sentenced to death; I can't tell the difference between your fantasies or your interest, so I fucking apologize.'

Sighing, your elbows leaned more onto the railing. Eyes looked down to a house, which police cars surrounded. This house holds a special event with codes and keys of importance to Jerhico. North Sent you and Venom since if things could go south, you can grab the deviant with ease, preventing the police from being able to access the information.

You and your slimy friend have been on the rooftop for hours, getting nothing from the enemy but standing and complaining about the gruesome smell. With Venom eating all the sandwiches, snacks, and fuel you brought for this mission, it didn't take even ten minutes before another car pulled up to the crime scene, a rather old, yet grumpy man coming out of it.

Intrigued, your eyes followed him, watching the fat officer shake the man's head.

"Venom, let's listen in on those two.' "Copy, but don't blame me when they're talking dirty to each other. You can't get that shit out of your brain for a while." Confused, you didn't think of Venom's comment as he went back inside you, giving you hearing a 100% upgrade.

"Ah, for fuck sake, I thought I told you to stay in the car!" Confused, you looked around, your eyes soon landing on someone unfamiliar.

Eyes widened, you noticed an LED on the male, notifying you that it was an android. 'Why the fuck is the tin can working with the police?' sighing, your eyes stared at the android, looking around his body for any clues. You noticed his suit had writing on it, the letters reading RK 800 and cyber life. You weren't surprised that the police would hire an android, which makes them not as stupid as you realise.

"It's not a devient...this mission is going to be a lot harder with him on their side..."

"Yes, but we do know where the stray is...if we can get to him now, then we can just grab the fucker and flee back to jerhico, simple as that."

"It's not that simple."

"And why is that brat?"

"This android they hired is the best of the best, able to sense, see, and hear any human, robot, and android hundreds and maybe thousands of yards around him. He's able to track down evidence, previous situations, and many devients in just under ten minutes. If we try and get the devient out, he will know we are there, and this whole operation is blown."

"Well, I guess our time limit is ten minutes then, do you fucking know who I am? I was able to make us as silent as a mouse when it was just us breaking into Jericho, this will be a piece of cake." Sighing, you threw your empty burger wrapper behind you while hopping back to your feet. Stretching a bit, you continued to eye the crime scene below, watching as the three went inside the house, the android stopping momentarily.

"Tin can, oi! What are you standing there for?!" The android sensed something wrong as his head looked around the area. Seeing almost no one, his sensors were acting weirdly, as his eyes looked to the building you were standing on.

Venom, who quickly pulled up your cloak, covered yourself as he looked straight at you, the long black cloth blowing with the rainy-mixed win.

Smirking, you were fond of the looks of this robot, as he was not like any moddle you ever seen.

His hair was a dark brown, slicked back as the rain didn't mess it up, his skin a medium pale as beautiful, yet perfect dotted freckles painted his face.

The suit he wore from cyber life hugged ever inch of his body, his jacket blowing with the wind as well, his brown eyes digging into your mysterious soul. "Earth to fucking Connor!" Not getting anything when he scanned you, he turned to Hank and the officer, who were looking at him confusingly. "The hell is wrong with you? Looks like you saw a ghost or something.." Shaking his thoughts, Connor took a deep breath. "Apologize lieutenant, the air just suddenly changed. But, to add to your comment, Ghost's do not exist, I was just simply scanning the area." Weirded out by him more, Hank let out a scoff before turning. "Fucking androids...just...don't do anything stupid alright, we don't want the crime scene to be messed up-AH CHRIST THIS FUCKING STINKS!" A large, uncomfortable scent aroused throughout the house, multiple scents hitting the human's noses as both of them cringed with disgust. "We gotta call from the landlord around eight to tell it that the victim hadn't paid his rent back for a few months. So I thought he'd drop by to see what's going on. This smell, to be honest was worse before we opened the windows. So, have at it you two, the victim's name is Carlos Ortiz, who has a record of theft and assault."

Hank looked down at the victim, with great disgust as blood ran down the humans mouth. Multiple stab wounds were onto the mans stomach, leaving indents from his shirt. Connor, started investigating behind the two, as the old man's eyes glared to the officer slightly. "Did the neighbors hear anything or say anything about him?" The officer sighed. "According to them, he was kind of a loner. Stayed inside most of the time, and they hardly ever saw him.." Hank bended down to his level "Well, the state he's in Wentworth calling everybody out in the middle of the night. He coulda waited till morning. How long do ya think he's been here?" The officer shrugged. "Probably for a good three or four weeks. We'll know more when the coroner gets here. There's a kitchen knife over here, probably the murder weapon." Hank took something from the officers hands, Connor distracted which gave you a chance to get closer to the house.

Making sure the officers around the house didn't see you, you leaped crossed buildings, the trees to the victims yard as your silhouette shined in the clouded moonlight behind, your cloak still attached to your head.

Landing simply on the roof, your feet was light, so no loud thumping was heard at all.There was a hole in the middle of the roof, you walking simply closer to it as you were able to see the android, hank, and the whole investigation easily.

Kneeling down, you were making sure to be careful, as you just listened in to the convo that is going on right now. "Any signs of a break in?" Asked Hank. "Nope. The landlord said the front door was locked from the inside. All of the windows were boarded up. The killer must have gotten out the back way." 'You know, for humans without superpowers, their pretty stupid.' Nodding, you sighed. "Agreed, but, I wouldn't know the deviant was still here if I didn't have you...let's see if they can figure it out first, don't want to be unfair to them hmm?" 'Right, but we both know the Rk 800 is going to figure it out, right? He's a police android for fuck sake.' "Yeah, but, let's just hope he takes a bit of time going through the crime scene, I always wanted to watch one in real life, it just gets me excited." "Your fucking weird, you know that?" Chuckling, you adjusted your position, while now fully sitting onto the roof. "Guilty as charged." Looking more to the operation below, you saw the man, who seemed to be named Hank, holding the light up more to carlos, Connor, or the android, still was looking around, Piecing the evidence and everything together. "What do we know about his android?" "Not much, the neighbors confirmed he had one but it wasn't here when we arrived....I-I gotta get some air." As the officer left, you weren't surprised with how weak his nose was, as the smell of dead, rotting bodies was pretty brutal. Looking around some more, your eyes landed on the Wall, which had a writing of 'I AM ALIVE' written on it. Getting out a pad of paper, you scribbled it down, then writing a note that the android turned deviant, probably from the attacker. Looking up from the pad of paper, your eyes landed on the android, who looked at some red ice, then made his way to the murder weapon. Kneeling down to it, his fingers touched the blood, soon putting it to his mouth. Cringing from the sight, you had to look away before Venom popped out. 'The hell is he doing?! That's fucking disgusting! Even I won't eat 4 weeks old of blood!'

"Oi! What the fuck are ya doin'? That's fucking disgusting!" Hank told him, as Connor simply turned to the man. "I'm sorry, I'm analyzing the blood, I can check samples in real time. I should have warned you." Turning back to him, you were impressed with his response, as you wanted to Jot that down under this robots abilties. You could sense Hank was still disgusted, but slightly impressed as well as he began to back away. "Well-alright, but put no more fucking evidence in your mouth got it?" Connor nodded. "Got it." Hank scoffed. "Fucking hell, I can't believe this shit." As Hank walked away, connor continued to look around, from the living room, to the kitchen, to the hallway, he even looked out the back, trying to see if the devient walked out the back.

But to his surprise, he found no Foot prints at all, notifying he's still in the house.

'Three minutes left, we need to get to the robot. Now. ' Nodding, you quickly got up, trying your best to be quiet as Venom told you the way, you ending up in the attic just a couple steps away.

The room was full of manikins and other storage stuff, you of course seeing the devient hiding behind boxes, while of course holding a metal pipe into his hands.

Sighing, you hopped off the roof, landing in the attic with a slight thud, which alerted the deviant.

Scooting back instantly, his eyes widened when he met you, who was just standing their. "W-Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Eyebrows furrowing, you could sense he was truly scared, and traumatized as dents, blue blood, and human blood were attached all over his body. He looked like hell, as the pipe that was in his hands shook with his body. Taking a step, you began to head towards him, in a calm yet caring manner. "Do not be afraid, I am not her to hurt you. I understand what you've been through, you were abused, correct?" Eyes widened with surprise, he held the pipe towards you, scooting back as you got closer. "H-How d-did you know t-that-" "I know all things-we know a lot of things. Carol Ortiz, hit you with the bat, almost ended your life as you just wanted to be free, wanted to be a better version of yourself. I know all the bad things he said to you, the brutal things he has done to you, you were only just trying to defend yourself." The deviants breath's became shakier, as you sensed more fear coming from him. "H-He was going to kill me...I-I d-didn't know what else to do-for the first time that night, I truly felt like myself, free, I couldn't let him do anything else to me..I-I didn't mean to kill him-" Smiling gently, you kneeled more to him, grasping the robots hands into yours. "I know..that's exactly why I'm here, to take you to a safer place." His eyes widened. "W-What do you mean by that? What could be safer, the humans hate me, how are you so willing to help?" "Because I know what your going through, androids and all humans alike deserve a better life, the weak and abused deserve to live freely without being in fear. I know your scared, and confused right now, but before the Humans find us, you need to come with me." Hesitant for a second, the android didn't know what to answer nor did he have time. You could sense someone else in the room instantly, as the RK 800 suddenly came into your view.

Eyes widened, you came in front of the deviant, Connor shooting his gun to you as Venom easily blocked it, pushing the android to a wall.

The Gunshot alerted hank, as he hurried to the attic stairs. "Connor! What is going on up there!?" Grabbing the deviants hand, he allowed you to lead the way, as both of you made a run for it towards the window. "IT'S HERE LUITENANT! HE'S ESCAPING WITH SOMEONE!" Hank let out a low growl, slightly cursing before sending more officers out side.

Connor bolted from the wall, heading to the window you hopped off of, before your eyes locked with his.

Stopping for a second, he got a slight glimpse of you, before your mouth formed a smirk, your hood still keeping your identity from being revealed.

"Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!" He asked, as the only response he heard was a giggle, your body fully turning to him with the deviant behind you. "The world needs to know the truth, and the cruelty humans bring. I am not who you think I am, but you, yourself will know the truth of freedom." Gritting his teeth, he saw you about to jump out of the window before he bolted, his arm reaching for your cloak.

But, before he could grab it, wind rushed in front of him, pushing connor back as you teleported away, taking the Deviant with you.

As his back slammed on the ground, his eyes instantly opened, him hopping back to his feet, his eyes and interface scanning for you.

You were gone.

Hank, who was outside witnessed the whole thing, his eyes winded with surprise as everything happened so fast.

Holding his watch up to his lips, he took a deep breath. "Tin can! Are you still there?! What the fuck happened? Do you have the suspect?!" It was silent for a second, as connor let out a slight curse, heading to the window.

No traces of you were found, as the remembrance of you and the deviant slipping through his fingers came through his mind, his LED turning a purple color. "I lost them Hank....."

"Someone took the deviant."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading the prologue, stay tuned for the first chapter, which will be uploaded Monday, July 3rd.

[death-himself]

ok episode 6 thoughts

decent episode, doesn't top episodes 4 or 5 for me but it was good

kronos being portrayed by his headmaster is an interesting choice

the iris message is so much blurrier than I always imagined i'm crying

144p iris message you would think it would be clearer but nope that's so funny to me

with how involved rick is with the show that means that's always what he imagined iris messaging looking like I can't iris messaging is ruined for me

we didn’t get percy talking to the zebra T-T it’s fine tho i forgot that even happened in the book until i checked after watching

their whole conversation while watching the animals escape i love them

their chemistry is perfect in this episode

THE LOTUS CASINO HAS A ROLLER COASTER WHAT

i get people wanted poker face, but the dua lipa song is perfect, it’s like a slightly more modern version

i don’t know fashion throughout the centuries so i can’t really say anything about the costume designs, but i kinda wish there were more obviously out of place outfits in the lotus

is augustus mentioned at all in the books? i don’t remember a satyr named augustus so i guess he was made just for the tv series?

luring grover in with pan is a cool change

grover slowly losing his memory was played pretty well

i keep getting impressed by how good these kids are as actors

i honestly don’t know why people hate on lin manuel miranda so much, i think he made for a pretty good hermes this episode

but also the way they’re portraying hermes feels a little bit off?? i don’t really know how but something didn’t feel right about his character

i do feel like he’s the most “human” out of the gods introduced so far, and i think that came through pretty well

“to be so close to someone you love, knowing neither of you has any choice but to keep hurting each other?” that line is just-

as someone with a really complicated relationship with my dad that line just hurt goddamn

the flashback percy had??? i feel like that line doesn’t 100% relate to percy and sally’s relationship, but i see how that’d be how percy would feel

unless i’m dumb and that was referencing his relationship with poseidon lol

ok the end of their talk with hermes i wanna talk about that a bit

parenting sometimes being watching your kid struggle and being powerless to stop it: completely true

“we’re all just doing the best we can” now that’s some godly bullshit

the difference between that first quote and gods being parents is that they’re literally capable of doing anything

they could be more present in their kids lives, they just CHOOSE not to, that’s how it works in the books

sure it’s coming from a place where he thinks interacting will only make things worse but???

i can’t articulate my thoughts, i liked this scene tho, my thoughts on hermes are mixed as they should be

ANNABETH STEALING HERMES’S KEYS

“i’m multi-talented” I LOVE HER

percy forgetting grover felt so unsettling to me

hermes driving a taxi so real

percy trying to drive, i’m not gonna lie, that scene went on a little too long for me, but i was laughing the whole time so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ok percy getting 4 pearls instead of 3??? idk why but that change pissed me off

i paused to get out the book, and i guess it makes more sense then hades just deciding to return her

but at the same time there’s the line in the prophecy, he’s supposed to leave her in the underworld for that part of the prophecy

are they just going to end up accidentally breaking one of the pearls or trading it or something? that’s the only way i can see that still working out

i feel like these episode reviews always turn out sounding more negative than positive, but i swear i’m enjoying the hell out of this series, i just have trouble articulating joy lol

[genericpuff]

Okay I need someone to know there is an equally bad Hades x Persephone story (it might've been self published? But I'm not sure. I read it years ago as a gift from a friend).

But the basic premise of the story is very similar to a touch of darkness and lore Olympus. The names are changed slightly - Persephone is now Persy or something and hades is Hayden.

Persephone works at an accounting firm or something as a new hire and guess who the new business partner is that her company is trying to strike a deal with? Hades who's Uber rich and handsome. Only difference is for some reason Persephone has the power to make people tell her their deepest secrets so like for example when she was a kid people would confess creepy things to her - like her middle school teacher blatantly admitting to being a pedophile and she does nothing about it. (Granted it's like what would she do even magic powers aren't admissible in court but still). And there's a love triangle with some random human guy? Who is immune to her powers through sheer will power (and masturbation. Yes this is a plot point).

At some point Persephone travels Hayden's domain (which is somewhere in Asia like Shanghai for some reason and not Greece). I gave up at that point. There was lots of creepy things going on in the story a la "young new girl Persephone is constantly almost assaulted at every turn due to her irresistible beauty and people's need to tell her their secrets").

Worst book I've ever read. It's so bad I cannot for the life of me remember the title but it fashioned itself as a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone.

Could it have been The Cursed God? That's what I pulled up from a google search at least LMAO

Here's the summary:

"Hades is coming for me. But that doesn't mean he can have me . . . He says he knows me. Who I am. What I am. I'm pretty sure my boss Hayden is on some sort of weird power trip. He's sexy as hell, but has an arrogance that spells danger. I'm only serving drinks in his seedy strip club until I can afford my own flower shop. I just have to avoid the inexplicable pull between us in the meantime. Then he claims I'm Persephone and he's Hades, the God of the Underworld. He says I was taken from him and now he's here to awaken my spirit so he can take me back to the underworld. That his position in the underworld depends on it. Either he's crazy . . . or I'm a mythical goddess. A queen of the underworld. His Queen."

There was another one I found called Descent. And its summary is equally crazy:

"He was my savior once. Twice. Now he’s become my tormentor.

Hayden Montgomery was my best friend’s big brother. The last time I saw him was that Halloween night. The night he found me in the ruin of the chapel. The night he carried me home through a storm that was the omen warning us all of what would come.

That was five years ago. Now, he’s back. But he’s not the same man he was.

Once upon a time, I’d fantasized about our happily-ever-after. Once upon a time, I think I loved him.

But that was before he stood in the wreckage that is now my life and offered me the solution to my problems. And the cost? My body and my soul.

There’s something dark between Hayden and me. It binds us for better or for worse. Mostly worse. Like the moth to the flame, we can’t seem to resist the draw.

I just don’t know which of us is the moth and which the flame, but either way, we’re both going to get burned."

That last bit about the moth and flame is just- it's so delightfully Twilight "the lion fell in love with the lamb" vibes.

Anyways. Those are the two closest ones I could find that matched your description, but this has me learning that there are ... a LOT of 'modern' retellings of H x P that involve Persephone being an uwu babygirl and Hades being some wet rag abusive dickhead named Hayden. This is a sub-genre I didn't know existed and now I'm wishing I could just scrub my brain of it LOL

On the one hand, part of me now wants to believe that this issue goes deeper than Rachel, that Rachel is just yet another side effect of a bigger problem... but then I spot all the publication dates on these H x P "dark romance" books are from 2019 onwards. Obviously LO doesn't exist in a vacuum either, it's clear it took influences from works that existed before it, it's not the first "modern" retelling of Greek myth. But I can't help but feel a sense of dread that really makes me wonder just how much LO's existence has subsequently oversaturated the market with these "retellings" of a story that was originally a tragedy and meant to sympathize with the mothers whose daughters were forced into marriage, the same way 50 Shades and Twilight oversaturated the market with the "dark romance" genre itself, which is really just a dog whistle for abusive relationships at this point.

Don't really have anything else to say to close out this post. It's just depressing and I desperately want us all to hurry the fuck up and outgrow it instead of dressing up the same abusive "relationships" with a new coat of paint every 5-10 years.

[melrosing]

MBO Robert's Rebellion: Episode 3

decided it would be funnier to call this MBO Robert's Rebellion (melrosing box office..... get it) but I can't be bothered to change the tag so that's staying the same

please check tags for content warnings!

anyway, this episode!! a completely made up tourney, because there are one or two canon tourneys I'm not gonna fit later on + at this stage it works in terms of assembling a few key characters for introductions and check-ins.

small time skip between this episode at the last btw - let's say it takes 3-4 months to plan a tourney Prev: Episode 1, Episode 2

Next: Episode 4

title for this one: Rhaegar: The Anime

A crowd of men and teenage boys cluster around the lists in the courtyard of the Red Keep, looking to sign up for the Kings' tourney. Standing in the background with his friend Jon Connington (12) stands Rhaegar Targaryen (14). Joncon encourages Rhaegar to enter the lists; Rhaegar wonders if his opponents would only lose to him intentionally, but Joncon insists they wouldn't need to. Rhaegar enters the fray to sign his name

opening creds I guess

Jon Arryn arrives at the Red Keep with his wards, Ned (10) and Robert (11), in tow; Jon's here for a bit of politicking, and to show the boys their first tourney. The three seem in good humour, and Robert, who has a new betrothal, wants to know if his wife to be is pretty. Ned asks how he's supposed to know, she's his sister

They're greeted by Tywin Lannister in the courtyard; as they approach Robert asks if that's the king. Jon Arryn says, may as well be lol

Arriving shortly afterwards, House Dayne. Big zoom on Arthur. Ashara is here too, and waves to Ned when she sees him looking

Later arrives Joanna with the twins. She wonders if it was wise to travel in her state, but King Aerys had specifically asked for her presence. Tywin observes the progression of her pregnancy, and looks the happiest he ever will about Tyrion. Aerys comes to greet Joanna, and, once again, manages to make it weird. This seems to grate on Tywin and Rhaella more than it did back in episode 1

With Aerys and Rhaella in their private chambers. Rhaella wonders if Aerys thinks she doesn't notice how he acts around Joanna. Aerys strikes her for the first time: Rhaella is shaken but not surprised - Aerys is surprised but not remorseful

The tourney grounds: everything's well underway. Rhaegar is competing, and Tywin (sitting beside Aerys in the stands) compliments his skill. Aerys says Rhaegar shouldn't even be competing, given this is a tourney to select a new member of the Kingsguard. Tywin wonders aloud if Aerys would allow Rhaegar to take on Jaime as a squire in a few years, and Aerys ignores this notion

Meanwhile, Jaime (7) is hanging around the stands with other kids, trying his hand against a few young squires. He's pretty good. Cersei sits nearby looking bored, tossing a wooden tourney sword between her hands. Rhaegar passes by, and she looks up distractedly

Robert and Ned approach Jaime to introduce themselves to the future Lord of the Rock. Robert laughs when he sees Cersei too, and wonders aloud which is which. Cersei (who has heard this joke enough by now) pulls a face at him and drags her bro away

More tourney scenes. Lots of crashing etc but none of that shit from HOTD as though every other guy is getting his head bashed in with the edge of a shield can we be serious

Rhaella & Joanna. Joanna wonders how Rhaella came by the bruise on her cheek. Rhaella is reluctant to comment, so Joanna changes the subject - she will be hosting their dear old friend the Unnamed Princess of Dorne at the Rock in a few months (GRRM I swear to god if she doesn't have a name by the next book). Rhaella tries to engage with this news but can't

Rhaegar and Arthur final two!!! I know u didn't see this coming. Arthur introduces himself to Rhaegar, and both seem to have the sense they've already met. Both mount their horses and ride at each other; Joncon losing his mind in the stands, Jaime discovering a new fanboy obsession. Arthur wins to great applause, but takes Rhaegar by the arm and raises his hand to celebrate the prince. The crowd roars, only Aerys looks pissed

Arthur made KG on the field. We get a sense of the gravity and acclaim that comes with this position. Arthur stands, but looks thoughtful rather than anything

Post-tourney bash!! Everyone enjoying a feast in the Great Hall. Aerys still looks kind of sour. Per obligation, he toasts Arthur. Arthur toasts Rhaegar. Everybody clapped :)

Aerys now in a big sulk, decides to take it out by aiming a few jokes at Tywin. Tywin does not prove responsive, so Aerys turns to Joanna and says (well I'm gonna have to type this out thanks AWOIAF) it seems feeding her twins has ruined her breasts. Joanna, lost for words, excuses herself and her children. Tywin shortly follows. Tension at the table

Tywin & Joanna in the Hand's solar. Tywin, in his anger, asks Joanna why it seems Aerys has such a preoccupation with her? It's an accusation, which Joanna furiously refutes, daring him to say more. Tywin doesn't, and nods his head in apology, leaves. Joanna alone, nursing her bump. She winces slightly

Aerys & Tywin alone in the throne room, where Aerys has been stroking his hand along the razor edge of the seat. He has a small cut, and hides it when he sees Tywin approach. Tywin says he will be departing in the morning to see his child born at the Rock, but perhaps Aerys would prefer he did not come back? Aerys like babe what u mean. Tywin like why were you so rude at dinner >:( Aerys says he was only joking w him. Tywin's like no about my wife!! Aerys makes some excuse, says he meant nothing by it. Tywin walks out without another word

In the coach home with the Lannisters. It's been kind of quiet. As they arrive at the Rock, Joanna is in sudden pain - but it's too early. Abruptly, she and Tywin realise what's happening; the children are rushed one way, and Joanna inside the mouth of the Rock

[killuwumi]

Jealous Bard~ Venti/Zhongli x Fem!Reader

a/n: i just wrote this random blurb from a prompt on pinterest..lol..

warnings: possessiveness, fem reader, jealousy, not proof read, all lowercase (lazy writer alert). 

"He is a weapon. A killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick but that will not change it's nature."

the wind in mondstadt was whipping, it felt like it could blow you over as you sit under the windrise tree. venti was sitting next to you as those words fell from between his lips. it was unlike the sweet things he would sing about at the bar. it was crude and honest, yet still poetic.

you knew who he was referring to, you both knew as you sat and recovered. you had just gotten back from a trip to liyue to attend rex lapis's funeral. it was a long way home and you nestled under the windrise tree to regain your stamina and health. but venti was never far from his followers..never.

"i know venti, i know. you warned me about him before i even left to meet everyone in liyue. but look, i came back, i'm here aren't i?" venti scoffs at your words, a bitter and ugly jealous feeling in his chest that he isn't sure what to do with. he's tried countless times to stop you from meeting zhongli. that man is dangerous, venti knows this, of course he knows this. not only is his human form handsome and charming but he's got a lovely nation and connections.

now, venti would never want you to not find your sibling, but he knows more than he lets on about your sweet, dearest twin. venti knows he could help you move on! you wouldn't need to worry about anyone but him if you would just stay. put. but for god's sake you can't seem to stop traveling.

"i know, i know dandelion. i just worry! it is safe here, our conflict in mondstadt has been quelled..i just prefer you be safe." yes, he does prefer you to return to him, safe and sound. which is why he pulled a favor from an old friend. xiao. the adeptus that had been secretly trailing you for the entirety of your journey into the mountains of liyue. not that you would notice of course, you've never even laid eyes on xiao.

venti had offered to do a favor for xiao if he did this for him, he promised xiao it was all for your safety, and luckily venti steered you right along the path xiao usually watches when doing patrols. so conveniently there was never so much as a hilichural even in your way.

"i have to find my twin venti, i promise mondstadt will always be my home. and zhongli said he might be able to help!" a sweet laugh tumbles out of your mouth and right on to venti's listening ears. even if he is caught up in thought, your laugh is the only song he ever wants to hear. until the grating sound of another archon's name registers in venti's head. ah, he almost forgot that zhongli was still the topic of conversation. that lying bastard, that awful lord obsessed with contracts. venti could wager to guess zhongli knew just about as much as he did when it came to your sibling. and venti seems to somehow be rarely wrong.

he swears up and down that one day he is going to sweep the tips of those peaks in liyue right off and send them straight into the deep waters. then maybe it won't be so pretty. maybe he will crush the harbor while he's at it. but his thoughts are interrupted by your movements..where are you going?

"dandelion, where is it that you're going?" he puts a playful infliction on his tone to ease the jealous feelings he's having. he too gets up and dusts his outfit off.

"i'm going to stay with mona for a bit while i'm back, and see if she can help me at all with a few commissions zhongli gave me. i also need to return a few books to lisa that i got from people in liyue. i think she'll appreciate it." so, so sweet you are. always doing things with other people in mind. don't you ever want to be selfish? oh well, no matter if you do or not, venti is selfish enough for the both of you. and more.

"ah, well be safe my dandelion." venti made sure to put extra emphasis on the my. maybe the wind will carry this conversation to zhongli..maybe.

in the following days, venti was conveniently wherever you were, enjoying you being around. but when he began to see you packing your things in mona's house he knew where you were going, liyue. ugh it left such a bitter taste in his mouth. that harbor, those mountains, and specifically that man.

"ah! is it time for you to go yet again my dandelion? oh how i will miss you, may the wind lead." were the last words you spoke to venti before setting off to liyue, where you were going to meet zhongli with this new information.

liyue harbor was bustling yet again, as you arrived right before the sun set, and headed straight for the teahouse. you were a little late for your meeting with the former archon. a hot cup of tea still waiting for you with zhongli watching over you as you approach.

"hello dear, how was your journey here? safe i presume?" zhongli knew who was watching over you, he knew about the deal between venti and xiao, he was an informed man after all.

"it was good, venti made sure to see me off!" you smiled and the atmosphere feels light. watching zhongli pick up his tea cup and sigh as you sit down.

"he is..quite the doting archon, isn't he?" the tea tastes more bitter when he has to talk about venti, he can't get enough of this alone time with you. even if it is just to piss venti off, he can see your appeal and why the anemo archon is so obsessed. you're pretty, young, adventurous and smart.

"yeah, although he tends to say some strange things, that seems to be a trend with archons." you laugh, zhongli nodding knowingly. zhongli did in fact, know what that bard had said about him.

"you are correct. and maybe he isn't wrong in what he said to you, whatever it may be, but do be aware that not everyone is who they seem to be." zhongli states in a cool, unwavering tone. careful to plant a seed of doubt in your mind the same way venti had.

zhongli might seem like a simple man, and he is, but he does enjoy playing mind games with a rival. and you better believe that this has lit a fire under venti, both of them trying to outdo the other. maybe one of them will get you to solely reside in their nation, their care. but only time will tell.

[kuraitsune]

NEVER CHANGE

PARiNGS - ...Mysta Rias x GN!reader

MENTiONS - ...Elira Pendora, Aia Amare, Aster Arcadia

SUMMARY - ...he decided to speak up after several weeks of hesitation. only then does Mysta realize that he was the one you chose to love.

READER'S PROFiLE - ...as a student in NIJI Academia, you were one of the top students and most liked person throughout the campus. you're also a childhood friend of Mysta's + you both are roommates.

DiSCLAiMERS - NIJISANJI school AU! in no way am i a professional writer, i just like english lol. please know that these writings are a work of fiction and are the appearance and persona of the character! not the person behind the screen.

IMPORTANT NOTE - this was supposed to be a little more different so i may make a prequel to the events of this work from what i'm thinking of 👀

"Mysta, get your ass up before I drag you off myself," you look at the ashen haired laying on the bed, still somewhat asleep.

"Nooo... It's the weekend though, [name].." he mumbled, turning over to face the other way and stuffing his head in the pillows.

"Ughhh, don't you remember? We're going on a study session with Elira, Aster, and Aia!" you sighed, "We've been planning this since last week."

He groaned before rubbing his eyes, "Fine. But only because it's you." He quietly mumbled the last part.

"Huh? I couldn't quite catch that... Mysta?" you set your hands on your hips.

"Oh, nothing important!" you shrugged and walked out of his room. He looked at your figure with a familiar yet strange feeling as you left.

Finally, when Mysta finished getting ready, the two of you drove to the campus library, the planned meeting spot.

Entering the library, you look around to see a purple-yellow haired boy, who we all know as Aster Arcadia.

"Hey, Aster! Where are the others?" you ask, creeping up behind him. He jumped very slightly before turning towards Mysta and you.

"Oh, hello [name] and Mysta! Elira's looking around for books and Aia hasn't arrived yet."

The ashen haired sat down at nearby table as you and Aster chatted a bit, "Hey, Mysta? Can I talk to you for a moment, by the way?"

He looked up at the celestial being, and shrugged slightly, "Sure I guess."

You quietly sat down at the opposite seat of where Mysta had previously sat at, him getting up and following Aster to a secluded part of the library.

"So, I've noticed something between you and [name]."

"Ah-! What do you mean by that..?" Mysta's ears perked up at the mention of your name, casting his gaze to the shelf next to Aster's head.

"I mean that you were staring at them while we were talking. And I've seen you do this several times already, Mysta," he crossed his arms, furrowing his eyebrows but still had a small smile by his lips.

"It really isn't anything weird, I assure you! It's just... something else I guess."

"And..?" the other slightly shorter male continued to question him.

Shocked, he stumbled along his words to answer, "I- err... what else is there to add?"

"Bro, you can just be honest. But you do have a talent for hiding it well, except for the fact that you were blatantly staring~" Aster teased the ashen haired as he sighs in defeat.

"Whatever... either way I don't even think they would share mutual feelings. Since after... well y'know, that incident," Mysta confessed, thoughts full of your ex and how he'd comfort you through it all.

"You can be really unsure of yourself however much, but it won't change who you are. Don't change, Mysta, okay?" the purple-yellow haired looked at his aquamarine eyes to deepen his words. "Elira and Aia must've arrived by now, let's go!"

The two boys walked out of the corner, seeing you, Elira, and Aia chatting away while waiting for them.

"Oh there you guys were! Now let's get this session done, shall we?" Aia "gently" slammed the table, clearly pumped up to start studying and not fail her classes.

"Ughhhh, how much fucking more longer do we have to keep doing these problems..??" alluded a very drained Mysta.

"We have about 30 minutes left until we're done for today, so you should at least pass the test when we're done today. Unless you forget everything we've been studying," you roll your eyes, a very small smile tugged your cheeks.

"That's so long though...." he groaned, his face stuffed in the pages of a book.

"Mysta, chill for like 10 minutes. We're almost done, then we can go get ourselves some lunch," Elira peaked in the conversation, attempting to convince the fox-like boy to stay for at least 10 more minutes.

"I'll get you some Magnum ice cream if you stay~" you lightly sung at the end, of course you'd know what the fox likes.

"Fine! I'll stay, but right after I'm going to fucking leave the place and go find a place to eat."

After the great dismay of a study session, it turned into a chill hangout, going to a local cafe to eat lunch, you getting Mysta his promised ice cream, and ending off with a walk in the park when everyone else went back home.

The birds were chirping, the evening orange-yellow skies turning to the blue-purple hues, and the chatter of you and Mysta's voices. You both decided to sit down by a hill and a tree, facing where the sun was going to set.

Soon enough, the two of you slowly were put into a comfortable silence, just you, your thoughts, and Mysta.

You let your thoughts wander to a very multitude of things. Ranging from wonders of what Aster and the very person sitting next to you were talking about earlier in the day, to everything about him.

"[-me]? [name]..? Hello? You good in the brain up there?" Mysta's such recognizable voice broke your train of thought.

"Oh-! Sorry, I was thinking about... things."

"Right... anyways, are you ready to head home now? The sun's setting, y'know..." he pointed at the sight in front of you guys, looking forward as well, taking in the scenery and relaxing his muscles, the two of you standing up to your fullest.

It was astounding, honestly. You couldn't help but stare at Mysta's facial features and the golden hues of the sun hitting them, especially his teal blue eyes, forgetting the question at hand.

He looked back at you, noticing a pair of eyes on him. Quickly looking at the sunset itself, you didn't want to explain why after all. You were really hoping that he didn't notice it was you.

"[name]...?" Ah, of course he would. Of course he'd notice. "If you have anything on your mind... I'm here to listen."

"...Mysta... Mysta Rias."

"Mhm..?" you took a deep breath in, you were going to do this now. Save for the fact that you were shaking very slightly. "Hey, what's up..?" he came up to your side, his brows furrowing and worrying that something was seriously wrong.

"You have no idea how much I... love you, do you?" you bashfully look away from him. His mouth was slightly agape, due to the shock of this sudden confession. He couldn't even find himself to say anything.

Alas, he needed to trust his guts. Mysta lifted one of his gloved hands under your chin, gently turning your head towards him.

You saw an expression full of adoration and love. You smiled, small happy tears forming at the corner of your eyes.

He cautiously leaned in, his eyes half-lidded until you swiftly connected your lips with his. It was a gentle yet passionate kiss.

After so many weeks of hesitation, how could Mysta ever believe that this was happening?

As soon as you separated, you held a comforting smile along the lines of your lips.

"I love you too."

NOTE - i feel so full of love and fluffiness in my heart after writing this omg i can't even believe i wrote this goodness- hope you mystakes enjoy this~

DO NOT: repost or copy any of @kuraitsune's works! sharing is fine with credits.

[highladyluck]

Season 2, Episode 2 Liveblog

Teaser:

Good lord the WLW Agenda on that girl! flawless, no notes

Oh Rand honey, your heart is in the right place but your hands are not

How long, Selene? How long EXACTLY?

Rand is here and he’s having a bad time

Rand made fun of Mat for wanting to pay rent by sleeping with the hot innkeeper, but here he is, doing just that!

Oooooh the Foregate! Oh, this is interesting! Rand the nerd is always researching, and I guess he’s researching madness.

Lmao Verin is such a smartass

Moiraine you are being such a regular ass right now

Eeeeey it’s the fly trap! That’s a neat little book cameo. Oooooh and the dead Fade too.

Oh yeah I was waiting for someone in Cairhein to give Rand shit for looking like an Aiel 😅 gonna give that guy even more PSTD

Ok, looking at this guy’s waffleknit bathrobe… Donal Finn is RIGHT, Mat has been wearing a bathrobe this entire time. I want him out of Liandrin’s weird torture basement and into some fancy duds immediately!!!

I bet this guy reminds Rand of Tam, assuming he knows Tam’s backstory

Wow who vets these employees?

Liandrin like ‘I’ll just pocket this deadly poison don’t mind me”

I am here to watch Nyneave Heal and to make snarky comments about Liandrin and I have paused the episode so I am temporarily out of snarky comments about Liandrin

Oh I like the Accepted sleeves

“Men who can channel are not a disease” You tell her, Nyneave!!!

I don’t think they should let Liandrin teach Accepted either >:( also lol @ thinking you could stop Nyneave from being a Yellow, that ajah has her name all over it

…honestly I’m with Mat, we just saw her palm a poison and Liandrin doesn’t give anything nice to men without an ulterior motive

Ok I laughed at Mat’s choreography

I really hope he’s breaking out and not breaking into A Secret Dagger Chamber or something

Oh Elayne you are about to get a shock

Oh Egwene’s face was PERFECT

“You know, some of the greatest pairings have been between novices in adjacent rooms” Good lord the WLW Agenda on that girl! flawless, no notes

I would also be like ‘yeah yeah’ if a Green told me the Last Battle was coming, tbf. They’re the Apocalypse Prepper Ajah, you gotta take it with a grain of salt.

Love the canon detail of Nyneave never giving Aes Sedai their honorifics

Watch Nyneave discover Mat’s oubliette but he’s already gone 😂 (my guess)

BIG FISH

Oh Verin :D

Uh oh, I remember this part with the Trolloc mask.

Oh Rand honey, your heart is in the right place but your hands are not

Lmao she does not ever stop

This is not femdom!!! Illegal illegal red alert 🚨 🚨 🚨 Robert Jordan is rolling unquietly in his grave 😡 although I guess Selene got what she wanted so maybe it is femdom 🤔

Hah, I was wondering how Elayne got away with fancying up her room.

Liandrin loves someone??? OH SHIT that’s her son.

Awwwwwww we needed Min and Mat bonding and this is giving!!! I love that the show really shows how these people are friends

Mat is sharing his spoon, my heart ♥️

Moiraine like ‘oh god shut up, fine’

I do love the pond story, straight from New Spring :D

I cannot wait for Mat and Min shenanigans!!!

I was not sure about Donal b/c I loved Barney, but he makes his eyes sparkle & the little half-smile is pure Mat, so I’m sold

Ah Mat, you’ll change your tune on knowing the shit headed your way, if only so you can better dodge it

Awwww stabby??? No no stabby!

Lmao Selene he absolutely can hurt you

How long, Selene? How long EXACTLY?

Oh my god Elayne making hooch in her dorm room is the canon I never knew I needed, she absolutely would

Accepted Test! Accepted Test! *bangs on the table in rhythm*

The music in this series is so gooooood

Lan don’t read that, it’ll give you nightmares

Moiraine like ‘I knew you were the one when I could abandon you and you’d survive’ but a) you could not, Lan’s deathwish is So Big and b) I see Moiraine’s mentorship strategy at play here lmao

Moiraine is absolutely trying her best to platonic lifebond break up with Lan

(And ‘we were never equals’ is not a denial)

The battle sequences feel very RJ- chaos, impressions, brief intense focus

I would NOT want to piss off Loial

Also I only JUST realized it was the Seanchan a beat before the damane showed up, b/c I recognized the Samuri-ish armor

They all have baseball bats!!! This is so funny to me, I’m sorry, but then again what is more American and Japanese than baseball bats? (Besides imperialism)

They look so scary!

Oooooh American accent! Not Texas enough but still

Damn Rand, did you intend to take his job? Yeah, ok, I see you did. Damn, that’s cold! On par with book 2 Rand tho

[branwendaughterofllyr]

What's the deal with these BNFs like JoLa and such lmao? Sorry I wasn't chronically online during GOT so I had no idea this was a thing until recently LOL.

Oh man, nonny, you are really taking me back. BNFs or “Big Name Fans” are one of the worst aspects of ASOIAF/GOT fandom in my humble opinion. I think the fact that there has been such large gaps in between books, a lot of fans are really desperate for content and thus BNFs are created to fill that need for new ASOIAF content, their word only being surpassed by George. Most BNFs have one or two good takes/theories that got them big and then are uniformally idiots in everything else they say, but the fandom takes them as gospel because they’ve been around so long or were right about one really important thing. A lot of the biggest of the BNFs originated on the westeros.org forums and actually interacted occasionally with George back when he still did stuff like that, and now are considered authorities on the series. The most successful BNFs are probably Elio and Linda who now actually work with George and co-wrote AWOIAF with him (and they’ve had their own very stupid drama that I cannot be bothered to remember. @starkmaiden probably remembers it though. She’s my go to fandom drama lorist)

A lot of the worst but most widely accepted theories can be traced back to a BNF, and since the books have been so slow in coming, these theories ended up just becoming part of the fabric of the fandom. It also doesn’t help that most BNFs are absolute divas that hate it when they end up being wrong or having pushback. I remember rolling my eyes at BryndenBFish who had particularly influential (but often very dumb) theories who I believe left the fandom in a huff and deleted all his stuff. The worst BNF fans in my opinions are the ones who made super long videos or podcasts about the most inane details (I’m taking specifically about Lucifermeanslightbringer here since I ended up listing to like ten hours of the Bloodstone Compendium trying desperately to understand why he was so popular)

On tumblr during GoT, most of the BNFs here were part of the asoiafuniversity account, (including the lovely JoLa) which branded itself as neutral but was decidedly not lol, and had particular drama with people who asserted the Dark Dany theory, which ended up being true, lol. I think they even straight up banned contributions that supported “Mad Dany” at one point. Most BNFs tend to be pro-jonerys, pro-Tyrion, pro-Dany, intensely into Targaryen history (and weirdly a lot of them were really into Stannis before he bit it. The Stannis the Mannis faction was crazy but also kinda fun lol) I’ve always been pro-Bran, pro-Catelyn, and pro-Sansa, so I never really got too into the BNFs, but I did accept that Tyrion, Jon, and Dany were the three heads of the dragons before I read ADWD because everyone else seemed to think that was the case.

And that to me is the biggest problem with BNFs, that a lot of them still espose theories and takes that they came up with before AFFC/ADWD were published and they refuse to budge even though there’s clearly been a shift. (This was before the show ended, which changed a lot of the fandom landscape)

(I also think that a lot of them couldn’t analyze their way out of a paper bag, but that seems to just be me lol. The POV trap is very real for most of these people.)

I’ve also noticed that a lot of BNFs are also Wheel of Time fans, and sometimes use that series to theorize about the end of ASOIAF, which is uh, a strategy I guess. (I know George likes it and all but I think the series have very different vibes, and George has listed series he was drawing on and I don’t think WoT was on that list. Somebody somewhere compiled it, and I think LoTR and The Dragonbone Chair were on it.)

The greatest hits of the BNFs in my opinion are that Tyrion, Jon and Dany are the three heads of the dragon and are going to save the world, which was widely accepted as the ending to the series, by pretty much everyone who was anyone. Season 8 killed that stone dead though, big lol from me. Some people still believe it though for some reason. Some three heads of the dragon propenents also believed it in conjunction with the “Tyrion is secretly a Targaryen” theory which has like one piece of actual evidence, that Aerys had a thing for Joanna, and the weight of Tyrion is Tywin’s son thematic narrative against it.

My favorite offshoot of the three heads of the dragon theory is the curtain of light one, which is simply *chef’s kiss* Basically the curtain of light that Bran sees at the edge of the world is entirely literally and in no way a metaphor, and Bran will have nothing to do with it. Instead, Jon and Dany are going to fuck in the curtain of light to save the world while Tyrion awkwardly watches, and the baby they conceive will be the messiah. AMAZING stuff right there. And because this brilliant take was thought up by a BNF, it actually gained a fair amount of traction.

Other highlights include screeching about the “Main Five” in which they only grudgingly include Bran in order to exclude Sansa from having any relevance to the big endgame, that Catelyn is an absolute bitch responsible for all evils in the world, that Tywin is the biggest mastermind in Westeros, that f!Aegon is definitely fake with no room to debate, Val will be plot relevant to Jon somehow (as his future Queen for those who aren’t super into Jon and Dany endgame), Stannis will take WF, Jaime is going to be redeemed, and Azhor Ahai is some eleborate metaphor for the nature of the universe.

Say what you will, but BNFs really did fill some of the content void while we all wait for TWOW but a lot of them were absolutely batshit and their insane takes were taken extremely seriously by most of the fandom. Some of them even did rounds at conventions I believe. There are some BNFs still around and kicking but a lot of them left permanently after the show ended, which fair enough. The meltdowns during s8 were spectacular and many. Almost makes up for how shitty the show’s writing was lol.

My pet BNF was JoLa, and I even had some civil interactions with her about non Jonsa metas, related to her one good contribution to the fandom, the Dead Ladies Club. She had some of the wildest takes about Dany despite her constantly claiming she wasn’t that invested in non-Lannister theories and ships.

The BNFs were a fascinating phenomenon that you really had to experience in real time to get the full breadth of insanity. The most crazy takes being taken as basically canon really made me feel like I was losing it, or straight up reading different books.

[mudefrau]

What made Nessa your favorite character? :3

THANK YO UFOR THIS ASK, I can distract myself from a couple of real problems by talking about my favorite fictional person rn <333

Since this is about how she became my fave character, I will write about musical Nessa (for a change) since I watched the musical first and already loved her there. She and Elphaba were my faves- I apologize to fans but I 1st found Glinda annoying :( so I focused more on the sisters. I also found Fiyero pleasant, but I never obsess that much over male characters, and Boq... I first found him so irrelevant I struggled to remember his name lol.

I know now Glinda is a very deep character, thanks to the fandom writes amazing things about her, and all while my initial annoyance I saw that she has a sad underlayer. Like, I get it. She is actually secretly alone because "no friend truly mattered besides Elphaba," etc. But still, she is liked. She has social and intellectual skills. She is able-bodied. She is pretty in the most conventional blonde way. She has... opportunities.

But Nessa, Nessa is the one truly alone AND disliked. The things she's told all her life that will be her saving grace (mainly, her beauty) are *never* actually valued by anyone. Not even she loves herself. She's super needy but totally incompetent at keeping people around. She messes up the only good connection to a person she had, Elphaba's (not Boq because that never worked; not Frex because he wasn't truly a good one + he dies). Her emotions drive her to a breaking point which, narratively, eventually give Ozians a valid reason to hate her. She dies and no one truly mourns (well, Elphaba did, which proves my point).

All of this is why I instantly loved her. Not upon immediate first appearance, of course, because my expectations with her showing up were like "oh, she's going to be Elphaba's one-dimensional protected sweet little thing, and then she'll die so we feel bad for Elphaba"; I was pleasantly surprised by seeing a dark arc, an arc that wasn't "women/sisters hate each other bc jealousy and looks," which is sadly how many men write women's relationships. The love and hate between Elphaba and Nessa is sooo more complex.

I caught all of this upon first watch because, again, I was focusing on her. Elphaba, while also hated by most Ozians, is liked by Fiyero and Glinda, but also presented to be liked (& successfully so) by the audience. The real people not liking Nessa gives her an extra meta layer of relatability to me (which also fucks me up because there are <10 Nessa stans spread through history and I'm the most active rn ;~;). The thing is, she's not even written as a cartoonishly 100% evil guy like Musical!Frex or Morrible; I see as much humanity in her as I see in myself. For all her musical self gets criticism (ableism + change of interesting book elements), it does a pretty good job of balancing "victim of the circumstances and a failure to boot" and "still, the consequences are her fault," which is so cathartic to me, when one knows themselves deserves punishment/karma and not forgiveness.

I don't think I miss out on the thematic aspects of the musical by not focusing on Gelphie because, as I've pointed out, there are many similarities in the arcs of Glinda and Nessa but temporally inverted, so to say, especially in relation to Elphaba, except, well, any romantic undertone I guess.

Adding a couple of superficial reasons:

In terms of character design (i.e. features that are consistent in how she's played- her outfits, her usually brown hair and hairstyles, mannerisms), I thought she looks the best. 💖

I thought it was adorable that she liked a cute munchkin boy rather than the popular hot prince haha.

[kuramirocket]

I'm on book 2 of Warriors, Fire and Ice, left off on ch. 18.

The brief moments we've gotten of Fireheart meeting his sister, Princess again and sneaking off to visit her; Sharing memories of her when they were kits and washing off her scent when he returns to Thunderclan. Thinking of how these are such happy moments for him, so much so that he feels confused and almost torn in his duties and loyalties to Thunderclan. Coupled with the resentment, bitterness and anger towards some of the cats within the clan who view him as beneath them for having been born a "kittypet."

And I just. Okay, where are my shipcest shippers at!! I haven't really been active in the fandom yet because I want to avoid spoilers (though I do more or less know what happens between them later. Lol).

And anyways, does this ship have a name? I tried looking it up, but didn't really find anything. If it does not have a ship name, how about Fireprincess? I think it sounds cute and is perfect because if I'm not mistaken Fireheart's name changes again later on to Firestar.

Anyways, Greystripe has the storyline I would have loved to see for Fireheart and Princess. LOL. I want to see the drama and more confusion of Fireheart having to be angry and defend himself seeing his sister who is a non clan member and worse for Thunderclan a "kittypet." I want more drama and angst of Fireheart having to choose where he would rather be - Thunderclan who accepted him, despite some of the cats attitudes and those he has come to care for or his sister who he just found and connected to again. Princess who is so kind and gentle and loves him for who he is. Warrior, Kittypet, it doesn't matter.

I don't know how it would work with the current storyline though - Bluestar being on her last life, Fireheart's apprentice in bad shape, Tigerclaw's shady character, Shadowclan and Riverclan's plots, Greystrip seeing a riverclan warrior. So much stuff happening. Lol.

I just want to see a fic that just focuses on that drama I mentioned regarding Fireheart and Princess. As for the actual shipcest. I'm not far enough into the series so I also don't know how the clans and kittypets would view a brother/sister relationship that is more than just sibling love. But for, sure I am all for the forbidden romance trope it could bring! Adds to the drama and angst!

It could make it even more better if imagine an au, where for his sister, Fireheart decides to leave Thunderclan no matter how grateful and how much he has come to love some of its members. I can see Bluestar respecting his wishes because she's a very wise and patient leader. Idk how Greystripe would react, guess it depends if his own love plot is still in this au. Lol.

But anyways, Fireheart decides to leave and imagine him starting his own clan made solely of kittypets. The ones he grew up with. Maybe like a best of both worlds scenarios. The kittypets can still live with and enjoy their two legs, but also have their own territory close to the two legs they guard and patrol. So they can be somewhat wild, but still have the comforts of a kittypet life. Idk how feasible this scenario would be, but I just think it's fun to think about. Especially, if Fireheart and Princess are sort of the "queen" and "king" of the clan and can eventually and finally be free to fully love each other and share a life together.

Idk what any of this is. I have lot of thoughts. Lol. I would love to hear everyone else's thoughts. Though, I would be thankful if spoilers could be kept to a minimum if possible cause I want to try and avoid spoilers as much as possible! I just had to make this post cause Fireheart x Princess (FirePrincess if it truly has no ship name) sounds like a cute ship xD

[thepagesofphia]

percy ep 3 thoughts

fav moments:

the wings being shoelaces

“she met a hero’s fate.” “she met a pinecone’s fate.” —— the way the joke gives us a little glimpse at a darker percy while also foreshadowing pinecone face

percy’s eyes when annabeth says “why are you so afraid of who you are?”

“I am impertinent”

“with best wishes”

“all day I’ve been trying to keep this quest on track without upsetting either of you, but maybe things need to get a little upsetting before they move forward”

“I’m feeling so alone”

the reveal of the 600 button in the elevator

thoughts:

love the moments above, love the casting

very dialogue heavy, pacing felt off

still haven’t talked about riptide or shown the lettering of the name on the blade

gabe in the smoke telling percy the prophecy looked really weird

they also didn’t call it a prophecy explicitly

so happy with how we’re pronouncing thalia lol

conflicted about the consensus song because while it does work well as a through line here foreshadow the many times grover will sing and play his pipes in the future, it’s just such a strange song

annabeth taking just a moment too long while holding the candies and then grabbing all the flavors was just perfect show don’t tell

also love that they are lost in the woods somewhere in new jersey and grover talking about satyr paths

I don’t love the changes they made to what happens with Medusa. If she’s only turning monsters to stone, then what happened with uncle ferdinand?

also if they’re trying to express the medusa story from the perspective that poseidon raped her, they are being ridiculously hindered by the pg rating. without the context that the show won’t give, the scene doesn’t quite make sense. if you want to make us question who the monsters are, then do it. go for it. be clear. show us how monstrous the gods can be. give us reason to sympathise with luke. give us reason to doubt our heroes. anyone can be a monster. even our protagonist (perfectly begins to set up the misery scene in hoh if they go there).

percy choosing annabeth because he thinks they won’t be friends feels so so weird. I would guess that they’re creating these misunderstandings and this distance between them in order to create a more natural version of the athena poseidon rivalry, but I feel like part of the point in the book is that that rivalry never really exists between percy and annabeth. it’s their parents, but it isn’t them.

hope that we move past these misunderstandings soon and go getting to a point where they are more of a team. they are very much friends in the books and that is so, so important

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki - Record of Curious Tales: Katana and Samurai #1, 11th Generation Izuminokami Kanesada

Well... guess who ended up spending their non-gaming time timing the first of Hakumyu Hijikata-hen's extras instead of translating? lol. even while splitting the work, timing is quite time-consuming... and my understanding of spoken Japanese only goes so far. Not that it'll be an issue with the final version since I'm not the only one editing the extras.

anyway, this translation is for one of five stories I have tl for concerning some of the Shinsengumi's weapons. Aside from Hijikata, I've got tl for Souji, Heisuke, Harada and Sannan... though I can scan the others as they were reprinted in the 薄桜鬼 十周年記念本 -桜花爛漫- book. Any scans I make however will probably be on the lower quality side since the text is smaller...

This story was originally published in 電撃Girl’s Style 2015年11月号. Special thanks to @koto-wari for translating the title since I didn't have it. Also, I'm fairly certain that no new images were published alongside these stories in their original printings since the 10th anniversary book doesn't have any graphic that I don't recognize alongside these respective stories.

Hakuoki - Record of Curious Tales: Katana and Samurai #1, 11th Generation Izuminokami Kanesada

Translation by KumoriYami

3rd year of Bunkyu——. After the political upheaval that occurred in the Imperial Palace during the eight month and the Serizawa Incident in the ninth month, the relationship between the Shinsengumi and the Aizu clan became even closer. However, at this time, the Shinsengumi and the Aizu Domain were not yet in a relationship with mutual trust, rather they were trying to secretly analyze each other's intentions and financial situations, and observing each other attitudes. It was precisely at this time, someone from the Aizu Domain, took a step towards the Shinsengumi. This person was the the ninth lord of the Aizu clan, Matsudaira Katamori, who at the time, was the Military Commissioner of Kyoto. During the fourth month, while watching a match and performance at Konkai Komoyoji Temple at Kurodani, he became interested in the Roshigumi, and heard about their swift actions during the imperial coop during the eighth month, which lead to him giving the name "Shinsengumi." Although there were many demands from the Aizu clan during this time, the Shinsengumi underwent a major internal reorganization and purged its opposition. When Matsudaira Katamori learned about this from a senior vassal, everything was already over. The vassal said that this would make the Shinsengumi easier to handle, but Katamori just listened silently, and did not say anything.

Thus a period of calm passed, and soon it was time for the autumn winds to blow. Kondou, the Chief of the Shinsengumi, and Hijikata, the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi, were summoned to Kinrenji Temple in Kurotani, the headquarters of the Aizu clan. The Aizu clan did not inform them of the reason for the summons, but only stated that they wanted the two of them to come alone. Kondou and Hijikata sighed softly as they looked at each other in dismay, as it was difficult to not feel uneasy. It was less than a month since the Serizawa incident, so what sort of difficulties would this summons present? On the following afternoon of the next day, the two arrived at the Kinrenji Temple at the appointed time and were led into a room facing a courtyard. As the two of them sat side by side, quietly waiting for the arrival of the Aizu clan's officials. After sitting for a while, Kondou looked somewhat nervously at Hijikata and opened his mouth. "Um... what are we going to be talking about today."

Hijikata, who had been spoken to, turned to look at Kondou and answered without changing his expression.. "Hmm… we already handled Serizawa's matters in accordance with the Aizu Domain's instructions, but it'd be a bit unreasonable to get one request after another. Right now, the main problem I hope we can settle quickly concerns the maintenance costs for maintaining the troop…” Hearing this, Kondou's expression became anxious. "Do-Don't tell me that they can't pay? Iya, that's a real problem! For the matter of the salaries, if they don't even give us money to pay for food, the troop cannot be maintained!" "No, calm down, Kondou-san, you can't just decide that yet." Just as Kondou was so excited that he wanted to stand up, it seemed like someone was approaching the other side of the soji door. The two then quickly shut their mouths, straightened up, sat back down, and waited for someone to appear as if nothing happened. Soon, the sound of footsteps approached, and as the door opened, Kondou and Hijkata bowed their heads at the same time. Judging from the gait and atmosphere of the other party entering the room, it felt as if the other party was different from the usual public official. (As expected, it's going to be something unreasonable again…) With their heads lowered, Kondou and Hijikata inwardly worried, but as the other person didn't speak for along time, and seemed to be preoccupied solely with putting something on the tatami… After a while, they finally spoke up. "Raise your heads, Kondou-dono, Hijikata-dono." "Yes." Kondou and Hijikata answered in unison as they liifted their heads, and upon seeing the two swords that had been placed in front of them, they felt a little sadness and disappointment. Their previous uneasy premonition had indeed been true, and they would be forced to do something bloody again… "....These are the words from our lord." The official spoke slowly, as if it was difficult to speak, which made Kondou and Hijikata's faces even more tense. It seemed that there were orders from the lord of the domain this time. "You've worked extremely hard. However for the Shogunate and the peace and security of Kyoto and its people, I hope the Shinsengumi will continue to support the Aizu Domain in the future. Therefore, it was decided that these swords will be awarded to you. Please continue to work hard in the future." After listening to the official's words, Kondou and Hijikata's eyes widened in surprised, and they were stunned to the point that they could not move. They had been told something they couldn't even dare to imagine. Kondou, who finally breathed out a sigh, squeezed his voice out. "Then, this is..." "Yes, these are katana for the two of you——for Kondou-dono, Nagasone Kotetsu, and for Hijikata-dono, Aizu Kanesada." The moment they heard the sword inscriptions, the two of them instantly felt like something had pierced them, which caused their whole bodies to feel overcome with excitement. "From now on, please continue to support our Domain… no, our lord." "Yes——!" The two shouted together in unison and bowed their heads at the same time.

Now, Hijikata would wield the Aizu 11th generation Izuminokami Kanesada. After experiencing a strange fate, the sword ended up in Hijkata's hands.

---end---

i kept the original breaks in the text so i guess the format looks a tad weird.

original title in the 10th anniversary book is:

異聞録 刀と侍一 和泉守兼定十一代

which I did not have tl for. the translation of the title I had was "Hakuoki Official Novel Shinsengumi Katana Side Story Hijikata Toshizou and the 11th Generation Izuminokami Kanesada".

also, to make this translation more accurate, i ended up checking the following sites:

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Hijikata_Toshizō https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsudaira_Katamori