#this one's for the jumin enjoyers out there

[natasha-in-space]

Mystic Messenger cuddling headcanons

The whole gang's here! I wanted to do this for a while now, and it was super fun to write out my thoughts on each of them in detail ^^

Yoosung

He has no particular preference when it comes to being the big spoon or the little spoon. It all depends on your mood when you two finally collapse into each other's arms at the end of the day. Whoever needs more comfort will get it! When it comes to his favorite position though, he definitely has a huge weakness for cuddling while facing each other and sharing long meaningful conversations for hours on end. His grip on you is not too strong or too weak - it's the perfect balance to make you feel safe and loved within his arms. Yoosung is prone to light snoring if he's in a very deep sleep, but it barely bothers you. You even find it cute! And you definitely did not record your boyfriend's snoring on more than one occasion- He's not picky and can fall asleep pretty much anywhere. Being a college student has taught him the importance of getting enough sleep, and he has no problems in doing that, aside from getting too immersed in his hobbies throughout the evening. Still, he has you to always remind him when he's getting too carried away, and cuddles with you will always be far more enjoyable than any tasks keeping him away.

Zen

He's mostly the big spoon because he really enjoys providing you with a feeling of safety and comfort you might need. Having you happily snuggled up inside his arms makes him feel so happy and content at the end of the day, and your cuddles are something that he definitely looks forward to throughout his exhausting rehearsals. His favorite position would be him happily napping on his back with a moisturizing mask plastered on his face, while you are laying sprawled out on his chest with your cheek pressed up against his collarbone. You're like a living weighed blanket, only ten times better because of how cute you are! Zen's ideal bed would consist of one thick blanket and a shared pillow. Though, he's not a picky guy at all, and if you have other preferences, he's more than willing to work it out with you as you go.

Jaehee

Deep down, she's actually a huge softie, and when it comes to cuddling? Yeah, she's definitely a little spoon. It takes her a while to get comfortable enough with her feelings toward you, since she never actually felt this connected to someone throughout her lifetime. She can still get just a tiny bit flustered whenever you hold her in your arms, so she'll press her face into your chest and hope that you won't hear just how fast her heart is beating right now. It's adorable, really. Jaehee has struggled with sleep for so long, and she'll make sure to let you know of every possible problem that could arise from you two sharing a bed. She may or may not overanalyze the tiniest of inconveniences in the process, but with your encouragement, you two will quickly figure everything out. She has nightmares occasionally, however, you'll never know about them, unless you're someone who is a very light sleeper. The only signs of Jaehee having a nightmare is her suddenly jolting awake in the middle of the night with quick shallow breaths escaping past her lips. She would never try and disturb your sleep because of her own troubles, but she might get out of bed to make herself a relaxing cup of tea if the nightmare was especially stressful. If you do wake up and ask her about it, she won't try to hide anything from you. She trusts you enough to share her unpleasant experiences and rely on you in times of need. She just needs a little nudge from time to time.

Jumin

Jumin can and will go both ways when it comes to cuddling. Being the big spoon? He adores the feeling of having you nestled up all comfortable in his arms. Being the little spoon? He never knew just how nice it is to have someone lovingly stroke your cheeks and kiss your forehead at the end of the day. He has no particular preference in that regard. Just being close to you is more than enough to please this man's soft heart. The thing he absolutely adores though, is the feeling of your legs crossed over each other. It's like you become one living being, and there's nothing more magical and comforting than that. Jumin will read you to bed every once in a while! This may come as a surprise to you, but he really likes to read and analyze classic fairytales. The process of reading something aloud relaxes him, and the sound of his voice lulls you to sleep. It's the perfect compromise. If you'd like it, he would love to start a book club of sorts with you. You'll compile a list of books you'd like to read, and he will gradually go through them all as the days go by. Reading is not a race, and sharing something like this with his loved one makes him really happy. Jumin is a huge softie when it comes to you, so expect lots of gentle touches and tender kisses both when you're falling asleep and waking up the next morning. Elizabeth does get a bit jealous from time to time, but she quickly calms down once you lay her down on the bed with you two and give her the attention she deserves. It's a small family of three, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

Saeyoung

Saeyoung mostly plays the role of the big spoon in your relationship, but there are occasional exceptions to that. He's a very affectionate guy, so it's not a surprise at all that he simply adores cuddling in all its forms. He's very similar to a needy cat in that regard. Sprawling out on your lap while you're trying to get some work done and he wants some attention from you? Been there, done that. Randomly hugging you from behind and staying like that for like half an hour waddling after you, as you go through your tasks? Well, he does that almost every day. Having you sit on his lap while he tinkers away at his new toys? Be prepared for some neck kisses and sweet nothings being whispered into your ears, because he loves seeing you blush and squirm at his antics. Still, this totally goes both ways for you two, so it's not an unusual sight to see him flushing as red as a ripe tomato at something you've said or done. You two are a silly couple who love each other to the moon and back, and everyone can see that clear as day. Saeyoung likes to hold you close as you lay on the bed facing each other. It's not rare for you two to talk for hours on end, bouncing from one topic to the next. When it comes to sleeping itself, he's not picky at all, but he prefers it when he can get two pillows and a light blanket to cover himself with. If you need a thick one, you two might need to look into getting two blankets for each of you, because he will sweat like crazy, especially with you nestled up next to him. This man is naturally very warm, so don't overheat him too much!

Jihyun

This man is a little spoon through and through. He needs to be held and kissed till he absolutely melts into your embrace. His touch is so incredibly gentle, sometimes it's hard to tell that he's even there, which amazes you up to this day. Jihyun is not used to being held and pampered, so it's a work in progress with him. It doesn't mean that he does not like your affections - quite the opposite, actually - but he can get overwhelmed sometimes and not know what to do for a minute or two. He's never even been hugged properly, so cuddling? It's a huge step, especially when it comes to him receiving the affection, rather than the other way around. He's so used to being the giver in his other relationships, that it's hard to allow himself to be the receiver this time around. Good and healthy communication is key, and he's more than willing to work on himself, both for your and his own happiness! Still, he suffers from nightmares quite often. His many regrets in life can weigh heavy on his shoulders even as many years pass you by, and sometimes, they follow him into his dreams as well. He may wake up gasping for air, anxiously looking over his body, only to tell you a while later, that he had a nightmare of the very fire that killed his mother. Or, he might call out someone's name in pure desperation and anguish, as his hand reaches forward to stop someone he can't see. He feels very bad whenever he wakes you because of his own troubles, but having you near him brings him so much peace, that it's practically impossible to push you away. Instead, you two go out for a short walk in the park, enjoying the quiet beauty of nature around you, and finding comfort in your hands, tightly laced together as you walk.

Ray

He wants to be the big spoon for you, but deep down? He's definitely the little spoon, no doubt about that. It's hard to get him to fall asleep next to you, but once you manage to convince him to do it... the longing to do that again will keep gnawing at him ever since. Ray is extremely nervous that he'll mess something up, so it'll be better for you to coax him throughout the process the first time around. Make sure to reassure him that he's not doing anything wrong! As long as you keep smiling at him and babbling away with no care in the world, he will gradually relax. You'll even notice him smiling softly in the corners of your eyes, because he finds you so incredibly adorable as you talk about this and that. He's way too embarrassed to admit it, but his all-time favorite position would be to lay there facing each other, with your arms gently wrapped around his torso to keep him safe and sound beside you. Especially when you eventually fall asleep and he can admire your beauty up close without any fear of you finding him staring this intently weird or unpleasant. He may or may not kiss your cheek while you're snoozing away. The other thing he loves is doing your hair before you go to bed. If you have long or medium-length hair? He'll brush it and braid it for you. You have short hair? He will make sure to put on any hair care products you use and give your hair a quick brush. His fingers are trained to take good care of his Saviour's hair, so you definitely don't have to worry about him pulling on your hair or messing something up. He'll even research your hair type in his free time, to make sure you get the best care possible! Whenever he's not having nightmares, he looks so incredibly peaceful and almost childlike in his sleep, it makes you wish you'd do this more often for him. His breathing is so light, you kinda get scared whether he's breathing or not, however silly this may sound. Ray is similar to a cat in a very deep sleep in that regard.

Suit Saeran

Uhhh... That's a hard one to crack for sure. This Saeran really needs to get held and pampered, but he'll rather break up into atoms than admit it outright. There are really only two scenarios when you'll get lucky enough to cuddle with him. The first one is if you've done it with Ray before. Saeran can and probably will try to 'replicate' the experience to toy with you and ridicule Ray's childish desires. So, that's how you will find yourself laying in your bed with your face pressed up against his chest. You will not get the privilege of seeing his face, and that is definitely not because of how warm his cheeks got from being this close to you. It's an awkward and confusing experience for both of you. Saeran is genuinely doing his best to keep up the act of total indifference, but he fails miserably, to his utter dismay and confusion. His hands are trembling as he tugs at your clothes, his voice sounds way too gruff and shaky for his liking, and his heart is beating so fast it's embarrassing. He does try to convince both you and himself, that it is because of disgust, but... it's not very convincing. Best case scenario: he'll eventually leave you laying on the bed in a hurry, and you won't hear from him for a few hours. Worst case scenario: you say something he really doesn't like, and that sets him off. He'll shove you off and scream at you for being so frustrating, for acting so arrogant, for messing with his head. He'll slam the door shut, and you'll hear his heavy footsteps slowly getting further away. Second scenario: you'll coax him to lay with you after his apology. He'll be very reluctant to do so at first, but if you'll gently squeeze his hand and reassure him that you do genuinely want him to stay with you, he just might cave into your request. He'll be extremely skittish and surprisingly tender with you this time around, and you will have to be the one initiating the contact. He's just afraid of hurting you again. This form of intimacy is so incredibly foreign to him, and it's hard to imagine that these hands of his can be the source of comfort to somebody in this way. You'll lay there, facing each other and gazing into each other's eyes. Saeran looks so incredibly exhausted, and all you want to do is hold him close and keep him safe inside your arms. And if you do pull him closer? If you start carefully caressing his hair and whispering sweet nothings into his ears? You'll eventually feel him start to shake slightly against you as silent sobs overtake his thin form. But, you will not let go of him this time. And judging by his tight hold on you? He doesn't want you to do that either.

GE Saeran

He's mostly the little spoon, but he doesn't mind being the big spoon every once in a while. Saeran is tremendously affectionate toward you, so daily cuddles are a total must! Casual cuddling is also important to you two. If you're sitting next to each other? You'll be cuddling, doesn't matter where you are. It's nothing explicit, he just loves being physically close to you and feeling your warmth flood his body. Prefers cuddling while facing each other. Having your arms hold onto him so securely, while you're talking about your day is pure heaven to him. Your voice has always been a huge comfort to him, which is why it's not rare for him to ask you to talk about whatever you want. He'll listen. Be it your special interests, how you're feeling at the moment, or what happened during your day - it will make him smile regardless of the topic. You could tell him the most boring story ever and he'll absolutely adore it because it's something important to you, and that means that he'll be fully engaged instantly. After all, he knows from experience how hard it can be, when nobody's interested in what you have to say, however small it may be. Unfortunately, nightmares are a common occurrence for you two. The difference is, with time, he'll stop waking up from them all together. He'll just get up the next morning as if nothing ever happened, although he's completely open to talking about it with you, if you'll bring it up with him. Instead of waking him from his slumber, you'll reach out for his hand, quietly assuring him that he's okay and that he's safe. He might not hear you, but your presence does bring him peace. His nightmares will get rarer with time, thanks to therapy and his own progress in life. It's a work in progress, but he's got a sturdy support system by his side to help him get through the hurdles as they go!

Unknown

Okay so, he's definitely not the cuddliest guy around. But, surprisingly, it's not impossible to get him to snuggle with you! Just don't say that that's what you two are doing right now. That's the rule. See, the room he works in is cold. And not just cold, it's borderline freezing cold. Your only saving grace is being plopped up onto his lap, which gives you the opportunity to try and cuddle up to him in search of warmth. Unknown is not that warm in temperature, but he's not freezing either, except for his fingers which are super cold to the touch. If you do that carefully enough to not disturb him from his precious work, you might get lucky enough to stay snuggled up next to your boss for the time being. For all his teasing, he's pretty oblivious when it comes to societal norms. If he knew that by having you pressed up against his chest, with him placing his chin onto your shoulder for a better view of his workspace, you're basically cuddling? Yeah, he wouldn't put up with that. But hey, he has no idea, and in his worldview, he's keeping an eye on you, so that you won't do anything stupid. What you don't know won't kill you. And... it's nice to have something, or someone, to help him ground himself whenever he gets so lost in his routine, it's hard to distinguish reality from fiction. He never mentions the reason behind his fingers absentmindedly finding themselves fiddling with your hair or drawing invisible patterns on the skin of your thighs. He just... likes it. There are a lot of things that you two never speak about. It's a two-sided blade, really. The other times when you'll be 'cuddling' is whenever any one of you is suffering particularly badly from the effects of the elixir. Oftentimes, it's hard to remember what exactly happened to you under the haze of the drug, which is why it's so easy to allow yourself to be just a little bit braver. You'll hold him close, rubbing his back and promising him that everything will be alright, as he feverishly clings to you in futile attempts to numb the pain. And Unknown will begrudgingly tuck you into bed whenever you're the one suffering through the same pain in return. Against his indifferent demeanor, he will stay by your side until you fall asleep, checking up on your temperature and making sure that nothing goes terribly wrong. You'll awake the next day with a wet towel draped over your forehead and a glass of water resting on the bedside table.

SE Saeran

It will take him a while to feel comfortable enough to try full-on cuddling with you. It's nothing against you, Saeran really enjoys being close to you, but he's just... It's scary letting someone share such an intimate experience with you. You'll sit side by side and you'll hold hands most of the time. Occasionally, he will carefully lay his head onto your shoulder, if he's feeling especially peaceful and content in the moment. It's the silent sort of closeness where no words are needed to understand each other. You know he loves you, and you don't need him to break his boundaries to prove that. When he does feel ready to share this new level of intimacy with you, he's going to be a little bit stiff. He'll be laying on his back with his arm carefully wrapped around your waist, while you tentatively nestle yourself close to his side, pressing your cheek to his chest and feeling his heart drum away right beside your ear. You'll rest like this for about half an hour, before you decide to pull apart and make sure that everything is okay. You'll see the tiniest of smiles stretch out the corners of his lips, but it radiates with so much warmth, you can't help but get a little bit choked up. It'll still take you two a lot of time before you finally decide to try sleeping together in a single bed, though. His nightmares cause more than enough harm to him alone, and the last thing Saeran wants is to hurt you, even if he does it on accident. You two make sure to speak about these things openly and come to a shared decision. Nevertheless, short naps on the couch are more than okay, which is why it's not unusual to find you two huddled up under a fluffy blanket in the middle of the day. He's not a heavy sleeper, but not a light one either. It really depends on his mood before he falls asleep. Saeran is the most vulnerable when he's asleep, so it's a huge representation of his utmost trust in you if he allows you to be near him in those moments.

Rika

Deep inside, she's a huge cuddle bug, she just needs a little encouragement to be open with her desires! Healthy and open communication is key, and she's more than willing to put in the work in order to make your relationship prosper. She has her good days and her bad days, which is why it's so important for you two to always keep in contact regarding your mood. Rika is doing her best in therapy, but the road to recovery is a bumpy one. She really enjoys being both on the receiving and giving end when it comes to cuddling, so she's not picky at all. It should be noted though, that it's pretty hard for her to be the big spoon because of her small size, but she's more stubborn than she might seem to you at the first glance. She will make it work one way or another! Rika adores it whenever you let her rest her head on your lap. Feeling your fingers gently running through her hair and being able to look up at you any time she wants is pure bliss to her. You look just like an angel in her eyes, and if you'll lean over to place a quick kiss on the tip of her nose? She'll turn into a blushy puddle in an instant. Sadly for her, she looks way too adorable whenever she tries to hide her burning face inside her blonde locks, which is why you'll never stop trying to sweep her off her feet. She's extremely doting on her partner, so expect a lot of kisses. In fact, her kisses are pretty much your new alarm clock, since she's an early bird at heart. The other thing she loves is having long meaningful conversations while cuddling. She tends to get carried away with her thoughts, but you're always more than happy to listen and make your own additions to her line of thought. Rika is pretty picky when it comes to how she wants to make her bed, and her preferences consist of two pillows and a thin blanket. She gets overheated easily under a thick blanket, which is why you might need to speak about that in advance.

Vanderwood

They're a self-certified big spoon, and it'll take you a while to convince them to try out playing the role of the little spoon for the sake of the experiment. And once they try it? There's no going back from that. They're a relatively silent cuddler, but you don't need words to convey the peaceful atmosphere that accompanies your cuddles. They'll place their chin on the top of your head and hold you close to their chest, drawing small circles on your back with their thumbs. In contrast to their bulky build, they're actually very tender with their touches. It's like they're afraid that they'll break you somehow if they press on you just a little too hard. Vanderwood loves to intertwine their legs with yours whenever you guys are snuggling. It makes them feel safe and connected to you on a deeply personal level. They often suffer from nightmares of their time in the agency, or of something horrible happening to you, so you'll need to be prepared for that. They might lash out the moment they awake since they're so used to seeing danger at every corner, but they'll never hurt you. It does upset them quite a bit whenever they see that frightened look on your face, but they won't push you away if you ask to stay with them. You'll make a warm cup of tea and talk about it once they're calm. Or, you won't. You never push them to talk about something they don't want to share. After all, you can only guess the horrors they've seen throughout their years in the agency. Some things are best left unsaid, and you'll stay by their side on every step of the way.

Bonus round!

Natasha

She's a little spoon at heart but prefers playing the role of the big spoon at first. She does have the tendency to care for her partner's needs before her own, and the notion of letting someone comfort her scares her a little. Some reassurance is definitely needed before she feels comfortable enough to relax in her partner's arms. Oddly enough, Natasha won't get that flustered when cuddling. Moreover, quite often she doesn't even realize that you two are actually cuddling till you verbally point it out to her. And that's the moment when her face will start to burn up with embarrassment as she stutters away in weak attempts to rationalize her behavior. She's a bit of a mess in that way. Will hug a pillow in her sleep, at all times. She won't fall asleep if she's not holding something close to her chest, her partner included. Natasha is an extremely deep sleeper. It gets so bad sometimes, that you have to actively shake her awake, and even that will take you some time before it works. It takes her a long time to fully wake up, so dealing with a very sleepy and drowsy Natasha in the morning is a routine at this point. She prefers sleeping under a thick blanket, but it's only because she gets cold very easily. As long as you keep her warm, she will fall asleep with no problems.

Chaewon

She's a big spoon, and there's no negotiation about that. And to her excuse, most of the time, it's hard for her to play the role of the little spoon even if she tries. Her big height, as well as her muscular build pretty much settle her as the one giving the cuddles in any relationship, and she's not complaining about that anyways. She likes the notion of providing someone with the feeling of safety and comfort in such a tender way. There's no need to put her life on the line, grit her teeth through the pain or tear down someone both physically and emotionally against her better judgment. She can just... hold someone, and that's more than enough for them. Sometimes, it's still hard to believe for her that something so simple could exist. When she gets further into a relationship, she'll start being way bolder with her affections. Her partner will have to be prepared to play the role of a huge teddy bear for Chaewon. She can and will pick you up, spin you around and carry you bridal style wherever she goes with relative ease. The other thing she loves is using her partner's lap as a pillow. She's quite similar to a sly cat in that way. It's not unusual for her to plop down onto your lap and raise an eyebrow at you expectantly. You already know what she wants! She does struggle with nightmares quite often, but she'll try desperately to hide them from her partner. After all, it's only dreams, they're not real. She's super stubborn, so you'll need to sit her down and lecture her about the importance of healthy communication before she grumpily agrees to talk about it with you. She's willing to learn, it just takes her some time.

[juminies]

How do you think Jumin dresses day to day? We see the kind of suits he wears at work? But what about at home? Out shopping? Sleeping? The thirst for Jumin lore is unending.

I feel like Jumin would probably take a bit of convincing to dress down! He's so used to business formal, even in the CGs of him as a child he's wearing a shirt and tie in some form or another. Then there's this, too:

I imagine the easiest way to get him to show up for something (pre-relationship especially) not wearing a suit is to tell him there's a dress code hahahah. He's a rule follower through and through.

We do see him dressed more casually in a few of the CGs, so I usually picture him wearing outfits along those lines.

Notes:

Definitely still tends to dress somewhat more business casual than the rest of the RFA

Layers and/or collars! It's what he's used to and what he's comfortable with. If he's dressed down he's probably wearing a sweater or a cardigan with something layered underneath

Prefers wearing long sleeves that he can roll up if needed

Would exclusively wear slacks outside of work, I honestly cannot realistically picture this man wearing a pair of jeans (desire as I may)

Also not very adventurous with shoes. Wears loafers or oxfords and doesn't see it necessary to branch out unless for specific purposes. He probably owns one pair of gym shoes and one pair of hiking shoes and wears them exclusively for the gym and hiking

I imagine he dresses similarly when he isn't going out, too, though sees layers as less necessary when in the comfort of his own home. He canonically owns sweatpants and doesn't wear them, but I reckon he would try them if you wanted him to and end up realising they are enjoyable to wear on occasion. It's your little secret.

I do think he would still usually sleep in pyjamas despite preferring his work shirts. The classic button-up pinstripe type. If it's warm only one half of the set, but whether that is just bottoms or shirt and briefs depends on his mood—sometimes he just likes the comfort of wearing a shirt. Once he gets into a relationship he won't wear the full set from time to time just because then he gets more skin to skin contact with his partner in bed.

He's also pictured wearing a robe in both his 2020 birthday CG and the webtoon, so he probably enjoys lounging in that 🩷

[cloudcountry]

EVENT TIME???? c. can i. can i um. so hear me out rfa party but theres mistletoe and um. yoosung. is this a cliche prompt yes but i DONT CARE

also apologies if i read the dates wrong !! i am blind and if im sending this too early then i apologize <333

SUMMARY: You can tell the RFA planned something for you and Yoosung. You're just waiting for him to make a move.

WARNINGS : none!! :D

COMMENTS: mistletoe kisses will ALWAYS be so cute DONT EVEN WORRY

Something is off.

You’re happy the preparations for the RFA party are going well, especially since it’s the last one of the year. A banquet of winter-themed desserts and savory snacks had been set out to the side, along with festival centerpieces on each table.

There had even been mistletoe hung around the room, much to Jaehee’s chagrin—she believed it was too unprofessional, and you were inclined to agree with her. But in this world, majority rules, and with Zen, Yoosung, and Saeyoung wanting to keep the mistletoe up and Jumin abstaining, they stayed.

But that wasn’t the part that was bothering you.

What was bothering you were the probing looks both Zen and Saeyoung had been sending you the whole party, and how Yoosung had been avoiding you entirely.

You weren’t dense. You had a feeling it had something to do with the mistletoe and the crush you’d long suspected he’d harbored for you, but he was still mourning Rika and you didn’t want to seem arrogant by asking him something as bold as that.

And so, you kept it to yourself.

Soon enough, Jaehee goes to get the guests and Jumin follows her. Zen goes to talk to the press, and Saeyoung leaves to go meet the Long Cat meme he asked you to invite. Before you know it, you’re left alone with Yoosung, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t find some twisted enjoyment in watching him squirm.

“Hey, uh...would you like to head over and grab some drinks?” Yoosung asks, pink dusting his cheeks as he jabs his thumb towards the banquet table.

Giving him your best winning smile, you nod.

“Sure, Yoosung.” you say, linking your arm with his and allowing him to guide you over.

Once again, you aren’t dense. You can clearly see the mistletoe hanging above the end of the banquet table that has all the drinks, and you don’t miss the shake in Yoosung’s arm either. He shakes even after you’re both standing directly under it, even after he's poured you a drink, and even after you’ve poured his (both of you had insisted—if any of the other members were around you, you’re certain they would have teased Yoosung.)

But you know him. And you know his confession is imminent, and that he will tell you how he feels when he’s ready.

Patience is key.

And that patience pays off when he whispers your name.

Suddenly, it's like the rest of the party disappears, because Yoosung has set down his drink and you’ve set down yours because you know, and he’s slowly taking your hands in his and staring at your intertwined fingers because he can’t look at you.

“Would you like to kiss under the mistletoe?” he asks, eyes finally meeting yours, and on his face you see his bashful, boyish smile.

“Of course. I thought you’d never ask.” you beam, and before he can allow the shock of you reciprocating to get to him, you kiss him right on the mouth, guiding his clumsy lips as they fumble over yours.

Yoosung doesn’t know how to kiss. But he can learn, and he will, because you’ll kiss him every day from now on.

[miyuskye]

VADD NOVEL SPOILER ALERT ❗❗❗

After reading those chapters (158-159), seeing this cover hurts like hell. Eckles was (mind the past tense) my favourite male to ship with Penelope. (My overall fave has always been Callisto but he's like PERFECT so) I knew Eckles was twisted, when he threw those tantrums because Penelope wasn't spending time with him in s3, I thought 'it's fine, he's like this'. I always liked the yandere character type, after all. But the way that scene it's written in the novel, the way he victim-blames Penelope for his crimes is... too much.

"I don't care if I have to become a traitor who sells out his kingdom and his people..." (...)

"I want you, Penelope Eckhart." (...) "That's what you've done to me. You made me this way, and every time you pretend not to notice what you're doing to me, wearing that innocent look on your face... It makes me lose my mind, but what else can I do? You're still so lovely..."

Those words are terrifying. He says he loves her, he says she's lovely but in the same sentence he says that he hates her. The description of the favorability bar being a combination of love and hate (emphasis on hate), and how Eckles goes from praising her to blaming her for things she has no fault of... (she used him, but she never told him to kill Ivonne or betray his people!) it's so well written. I like to draw the line between fiction and reality, and I always like, in fiction, some toxic dynamics I would never condone in real life, but... The way it's written in this novel is too realistic to enjoy in a "romantic" way.

I feel like sometimes yandere characters are written through lenses that make them enjoyable despite their wrongdoings. Allendis from TAE is first rejected from the FL and then he goes crazy. This doesn't justify him of course, but it makes you feel sympathy, in a way. Jumin from MysMes never actually blames MC in his bad ending.

I love the narrative in VADD because there's just no way to feel sympathy for Eckles. As much as I liked him, as much as I wanted him to be ~the one~ for Penelope, it just crashed down the moment he revealed his true self. It made an impact to me because I felt as she felt. I knew some spoilers about him, I knew he was the yandere, but I didn't know it was this intense. That's probably what Penny felt too. She knew he was sick in the head and she wanted to just use him to escape. He fooled us with his fake submissive demeanor and destroyed us in the end. Penny, because she couldn't escape through him, me because I actually thought his love for her would eventually turn out to be good-natured. But those words he said to her cannot be excused, not even in fiction.

They are still an interesting toxic relationship to explore! And I LOVE the parallels between this relationship and the one she has with the man the myth the legend Callisto. The author did such a good job with the romance description in this series, I feel that, probably due to the whacky translation, the brutality of some scenes mellowed out. But I can't wait to see this in the webtoon

[onlinekitsune]

Hello! May I request hcs of the RFA + minor trio for a reader who is a not so obvious metalhead? At first glance you wouldn't even notice they're into that music genre, since they usually collect merch, speak and even go to concerts of kpop artists, but after listening to one of their playlists on Spotify all of a sudden they get jumpscared by a heavy metal song. (It'd be funny if before that the most cutesy, cheesy, cheerful or relaxed song was playing ><) Thanks!

Just so you know, you can make the reader fem or gn, it's up to you. ^^

a/n: omg hi, of course!! i actually love this hc as a metal and kpop enjoyer! your brain is huuuge for this. I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING THIS DONE SO LATE!! thank you for requesting and for your patience!! i hope you enjoy! ;w; ♡

The Not So Obvious: Metalhead MC

♫ ₊˚.♡ — JAEHEE KANG

jaehee asked you to put on some music while the two of you cleaned up the cafe, you were a bit hesitant since your music taste was a bit... different, she had heard songs you specifically put on, having your music on shuffle and not being able to curate it made you a tad bit nervous, nonetheless you played your playlist, a handful of kpop and easy going songs played putting you in a false set of comfort, until all of the sudden an heavier song played right after, your face turned bright red and you turned to see jaehee's reaction, she placed a finger on her chin while giving you a look up and down, she flashed a soft smile as she continued to clean, while locking up you asked her about it, "I was surprised, at first. But it ended up being good music to finish up to. So, thank you."

♫ ₊˚.♡ — JUMIN HAN

you decided to play some music while making yourself a snack, you were in your own little world as your playlist echoed through the house, jumin was out seeing business at c&r leaving you to have the house alone, you loved jumin but you did appreciate the time to yourself as well, as you continued making your snack you were surprised to see jumin come home so early, his arms wrapped around you as he pulled you into an embrace, you leaned into his lost in bliss until the brashness of the guitar in the next song broke you out of it, you tried to wiggle out of his grasp clearly embarrassed from the song playing, he tilts his head as you tried to squirm out of his grasp so you could turn off the song, he was clearly surprised from the shift but leans into you, he says he'd never expected this from you but was intrigued. "Seems like you still have sides of you that I haven't seen before. Please, show me all of them."

♫ ₊˚.♡ — JIHYUN KIM (V)

while lounging around with jihyun you decided to put on one your playlists, you didn't realize it was one that you didn't organize until it was too late, an heavier song made its way on the queue list, startling the both of you, jihyun jumped slightly in his seat breaking him from his daze, you apologized and quickly went to switch it, but he stopped you, holding onto your hand as he took in the song longer, he pulled you into him, his chin rested into the crook of your neck as he continued to listen, the more he listened the more the lyrics drew him in, helping him heal parts of him that he didn't know needed healing, you spent the rest of the day showing him your favorites, "There's something about these lyrics... Would you mind showing me more songs from this band?"

♫ ₊˚.♡ — SAERAN CHOI

saeran was used to hearing you listen to your favorite kpop artists on repeat, and even went with you occasionally to pick up the newest albums and such, what he didn't expect was for you to be also in metal, when you played your music while in the shower, he could help but pause in front of the door listening in to the song playing, he asked you about it when you were finished, you were a bit embarrassed but he quickly followed it up with he actually liked it, even though he was shocked, he was also pleasantly surprised, especially since he wasn't a stranger to this type of music, he used to listen to it often, "I didn't know you also liked this type of music. You should have told me... I would have showed you some of my favorites."

♫ ₊˚.♡ — SAEYOUNG CHOI

while accompanying him on a drive, saeyoung suggested that you be the one to play your playlist this time, going as far as not starting the car until you played something, knowing his determination you ultimately gave in, as the first handful of songs played your guard got brought down, joking with him between songs and red lights, until after a cutesy song ended a heavy song played immediately after, you glanced at saeyoung nervously, you tried to read his face but failed, he quickly glanced at you squinting his eyes before returning his gaze to the road, he then dramatically asks why didn't you tell him sooner that you liked this type of music before rambling about this band in particular, "How could you keep this a secret from me! I have to show you their first album, but it's not available on any streaming devices.. I promise I got it morally!!"

♫ ₊˚.♡ — YOOSUNG KIM

you had spent the better half of the night gaming with yoosung, a daily tradition you guys shared most nights, as you went to grab a quick drink between games, he decided to surprise you when you came back, he cutely posed with your cat headphones as he waited for you to return, however you forgot to pause your music as you left, you were a bit surprised as you came back to see him be so cute but he got a surprise himself as the cute song transitioned into a much dramatic and heavier song, his expression was a dead giveaway, he slipped off the headphones and handed them to you, asking if you actually listened to that, he didn't mean any harm, he was just very surprised by your duality, "Sorry, ah! I didn't mean for it to come off that way... I was just surprised. What are your favorite songs from them? Maybe, I'll like some too!"

♫ ₊˚.♡ — RYU HYUN (ZEN)

while waiting for zen to be done with promotional stuff for his newest role, you decided to pass the time by listening to music, you were lost in your own world, admittedly you were half asleep, zen eventually joined you on the sofa in the lounge room, he gently pulled your earphone out, listening in to your music, you turned to look at him surprised, even more so when the next song to play was an heavier one, he quickly shifted beside you, zen's eyes widened as he smiled at you, he was thrown off guard but in a particular way, he teased you playfully calling you his 'sweet metal babe', though he was caught off guard only knowing your love for kpop songs, he loved seeing your duality, "This is why we're perfect for each other, my love. People have this idea of us in their mind but we're completely different in reality."

♫ ₊˚.♡ — VANDERWOOD

vanderwood entered your shared apartment as an heavier song played out from your phone, his eyes slightly furrowed looking at you, not in anger but as if he was studying you, you froze in place taken aback by his surprised arrival and being in a vulnerable state, you continued your stare off before he sighed and walked over to you, he pulled you in his arms, he muttered that he didn't really expect you to be listening to music like that, especially with the appearance you kept up, he joked that maybe you should of been a secret agent, "You really don't have to be embarrassed or ashamed. It's just music, nothing too serious. I do adore that look on your face, however."

[marshmallowprotection]

What do you think the characters’ opinions are on Nintendogs + Cats?

Finally. A great question that I didn't know I needed but I'm excited to think about. So, I think for starters, we have to be honest here. There is no way that Zen is going to play a video game with cats. So, we are going to put him out of the running. I think he might be okay with the original concept of Nintendogs, that is, if he was a gamer. After all, we all know that man only knows how to work a smartphone, everything else in his place is outdated.

Jaehee would like it if Jumin became invested in the video game from the get-go. She wouldn't have to babysit Elizabeth the 3rd all the time if she was a virtual pet, but I get the feeling that if Jumin were to pick up the game, she would be caring for the virtual cats and Elizabeth, which wouldn't help her enjoyment. If that wasn't a problem, I think she might enjoy the mindfulness?

Jumin would be interested from the standpoint of: "Would people enjoy a game where Elizabeth keeps them company? Is there some kind of market for virtual pets where they find one particular celebrity cat intriguing? I need to muse on this." I think you could get this man to fund Saeyoung's new game.

Yoosung would enjoy it. I mean, after all, he loves animals and wants to make a world where they're safe and comfortable. A lot of people would benefit from playing games like that before they think about adopting a pet. They're a lot of work, so that's the mental preparation for you! I think he would have a few dogs in his game, but... I feel like there's on in memorial of Sally.

Saeyoung would hack into these games and ensure that cats can do just as much if not more than the dogs. I never played this game as I noted the cats didn't get as much to do as the dogs, but I know that our boy Saeyoung Choi would make it so those cats basically get the run of the game to play, go on walks, and do competitions, too! Well, actually, at this point, he's making his own game, taking the core of Nintendogs to build his upgraded cat experience!

Jihyun might enjoy the mindfulness of games like these? But, to be honest, I don't see him as a huge pet guy. His cacti are his kids and the games he'd love to play are like, those unpacking games, sorting games, and puzzles. You could talk him into playing, though, if it's a favorite of yours! I don't see why not!

I think Saeran would be interested in playing because so many people around him love animals and he wants to understand why there's a charm about them. Elizabeth has always been sweet to him during the time he spent with her, so many he can learn more about animals this way! Dogs aren't like cats, so he could see what the fuss about them is all about since none of his friends have a dog!

Rika hasn't unpacked any of her feelings about Sally. I don't think she could handle a dog related video game. Maybe much further along in her healing journey, but not now.

Vanderwood: These virtual dogs are preferable to 707. I wonder if I could train them to take his place.

[xelasrecords]

Wedge the Knife Under My Skin

Han Jumin x MC

Kind of grotty. This is my vigilante shit.

I'd told myself to write fluff after the angst in Cold Wrath, but here I am with an even darker story. I couldn't get this idea out of my head after listening to High Infidelity by Taylor Swift. The result is a self-indulgent tale of infidelity on an unnamed deadbeat boyfriend with Jumin. Don't read it if you're uncomfortable with characters with questionable morals.

TW: NSFW, graphic depictions of toxic relationship including dubcon, blood, emotional abuse, physical abuse (not with Jumin); cheating (with Jumin)

Words: 3.8k

Masterlist Read on AO3

He finished inside her. She felt nothing, only her boyfriend's body going lax on top of her, his full weight crushing her ribcage. This sensation was nothing extraordinary; she felt it with him all the time.

He turned her jaw to look at him, empty eyes meeting his. "Do you always have to be this quiet?" he grunted.

"What do you want me to say?"

"You always throw things back at me." He tossed her head aside and lifted himself off her. Pulled up his jeans and buckled on his cheap synthetic belt, the belt he would slash across her arse when he was fuelled with liquor rage.

Did she like it? She never thought much of it. Her enjoyment did not matter in the face of his.

He tucked in his shirt and put on his grimy shoes. Checked himself in the spotty mirror and ruffled his hair, not once glancing at the reflection of her naked body behind him. In the dark, she didn't bother to cover herself with the blanket; it wasn't like he cared about her bare breasts now that he was done with her. She didn't bother asking where he was going either. No knowledge, no reason to be livid. It would be an achievement if he could get a rise out of her.

The door slammed close, and only then did she fold into herself. It gave her a rush of power that he could see her, touch her, take anything he wanted from her, but he could never see through her. Her vulnerability, she guarded close. She would never give up that privilege for him. Everything she let him access was an outer shell she had no use of.

The air was stuffed. Her skin was moist from the earlier fucking, sweat seeping into the rumpled bedsheet. She lay there until the humidity was unbearable, overflowing cotton in her ears and nose. In lethargy, she stepped into the shower, although she knew no amount of scrubbing would cleanse her from him. She stuck two fingers deep into her core and pulled out a string of white cum, letting the trickling showerhead wash it away.

Cleaning wasn't as much of a repulsion as it was a routine. Some things you could only do if you harboured a love long dead. She scrubbed hard, flakes of dead skin rolling away from her reddening arms and legs. The more of him gone, the better. Then she threw on a freshly laundered loose tee and pants and left his apartment. He was not the only one who could leave things behind.

One train ride later, she found herself in front of Jumin's penthouse. The security recognised her and let her pass without questions. She knocked on his door and waited, droplets from her wet hair sliding down her back, printing vertical streaks on her shirt. It was uncomfortable, but she liked that feeling, the feeling of feeling something real.

Jumin opened the door, bleary eyes and tousled hair, taking in her appearance in a long appraising glance. "Is it raining outside?"

"I took a shower."

"Under the rain?"

He was joking. She could detect it despite the utter seriousness in his tone. It was a skill she was secretly proud of and felt possessive about; she'd be jealous if anyone else could read him as well as she could.

She smiled at him, the first one in a while. "The rain must have a huge grudge against me if it only went for my head."

He smiled back with a slight frown etched on his forehead. "Please come in. You'll get sick if you leave your hair in that state. I'll fetch a towel for you."

She trudged behind him without questions. She excelled at following people, which she sometimes thought was the purpose of her existence. If someone had spent their whole life being told what to do, they would have two choices. They could either resist and make their own choice, or resign because they didn't know what they wanted. She knew she was the latter, a fact that she'd long accepted. It was an easier way to live. Why form your own will when it could be taken away from you at any moment?

They entered a spacious guest bathroom and Jumin procured a towel from the cabinet. He held it out to her. Her arms remained limp at her sides.

"Aren't you going to take it?"

"Dry my hair for me. Could you do that?"

She was studying her reflection in the polished mirror, but from the corner of her sight, she noticed Jumin's body tense up, a small tick in his jaw appeared and left in a blink. Eventually, he came up to her, careful to position himself at a distance behind her, eyes meeting through the mirror. It was gilt-framed and enormous, bigger than them combined. A powerful executive director, a girl full of nothingness inside. What a tantalising picture.

Jumin took a handful of her hair with care, gently wringing it one at a time and massaged her scalp, fingers occasionally brushing against her neck. She didn't bristle. She had even stopped looking at him. Something deflated inside him when he saw that he had no effect on her, and pushed this disappointment into the darkest nook in his mind. He had no right to feel hurt because of her.

To her, it was not an easy matter to restrain her arm. She wanted to enclose her fingers around his wrist. She wanted to lean back to feel his warmth on her, every dip and rise of his body an uncharted map she wanted to explore. She couldn't. She couldn't even hold his intense gaze, not when it could drive him away. She wouldn't be able to stand the disgust on his face if he knew about the foul thoughts running in her head.

Jumin was aware something had happened with her boyfriend, but he held back from questioning her. Their friendship was simple. She would come looking for him from time to time, and he would let her in every time. Loneliness could swallow his penthouse whole, but it would shrink back into his chest the moment she arrived. He suspected she knew of the power she held over him, and took great satisfaction in extorting reactions out of him.

Jumin could never compose himself around her, but what did he care?

He let her hair down and crossed the bathroom, approaching the hanger with a towel slung on his forearm. "Do you need to dry your hair? I have a hair dryer if you wish to use it."

"Why do you have one? You don't use it."

"You come here sometimes."

She trailed after him. "But I don't shower here."

"Occasions like this might happen," Jumin replied without looking at her, hanging the towel on the metal bar and straightening it out. "It's good to be prepared."

"No need for that. It'll dry on its own."

They were standing much closer now. Silence crept between them. Jumin wondered if she was doing it on purpose to get a rise out of him, if she could feel the burning heat beneath his cheeks and was fuelling the fire.

If that was what she wanted, then he'd help her see to her goal. He'd prolong her stay here.

"Would you like to eat? It's too late for dinner, but my chef left some fruits in the fridge," Jumin offered.

"I already ate cock earlier." She shrugged. "You know how flaccid and bland it was? So bland that I wanted to bite it off just to get a taste out of it. A literal Bloody Mary cocktail."

Under normal circumstances, Jumin would be taken aback by the crude remarks, but this was her. It startled him to know the things he could tolerate about her. Rather than finding it repulsive, it piqued his interest. Not that he hoped to be savagely mutilated, but her words made him want to crawl into her brain and dissect it, to study the wiring that made her the person she was.

Goodness, her ideas of mutilation had already got to him.

"So why didn't you bite?" Jumin asked. "He's hurt you more than that."

"I don't hate him enough to do it."

"Sometimes I don't think you can feel strongly for anyone."

She reached out to him then, scrunching the collar of his shirt. "That's not true," she said, steel in her voice.

"Then tell me." Jumin bent down, close enough to see himself mirrored in her eyes, but not too close that his vision would blur. "Is there anyone who occupies your every waking second and proves to be too great a distraction? Is there"—he moved closer and she almost leaned in—"anyone you're willing to do anything for?"

Her breath hitched in her throat, but she didn’t back down. Her hands slid down to his shoulders. "If I tell you the answer, would you hate me for it?"

His eyes flitted to her lips before returning to her gaze. "Would it be wrong if I say I wouldn't?"

"Does it matter? He's probably getting his sorry dick up some girl in a club anyway."

Jumin brushed his thumb over her bare lips. They were crusted with brown scabs, most likely courtesy of her boyfriend. She had told Jumin in an off-handed manner once that her boyfriend enjoyed hurting her and flaunting it like a prize to his friends, like, see, only he could leave marks on her. He got off on that, she claimed. The sole proprietorship of her body. Her frail frame a canvas bearing war wounds, a war that she never fought in. No matter how much he abused her, she just let him.

She never felt strongly for herself.

Jumin hated how she talked about her pain like it was a casual tea-time conversation. Sometimes she'd laugh even. Of course it hurts, but the sting never lasts long, she'd said. Doesn't that matter more?

It doesn't, Jumin had replied. Not when the scars remain. But he was powerless to get her out of the situation she was tangled in. All he could do was wait. She just needed time to come to her senses, he told himself. Time was money and he could afford it.

And yet, would she like it if he barged in and bought her way out? Would she even budge? He wanted her to be safe even if she hated him later. He wondered if this desperate, helpless need to help was merely because she was her friend. He didn't want to venture his thoughts further than that.

But now, her eyes were longing, desiring something from him. Jumin suspected his told the same secret. With his thumb, he dragged her bottom lip down and instinctively, she parted her lips, allowing him to slide into her mouth. In a slow, drawn-out motion, she pressed her lips around his finger, gently sucking on it while licking it, just once, to see his reaction.

He did not react. He couldn't even if he wanted to.

From his vantage point, Jumin could see her heaving chest that she tried to disguise, her collarbone exposed by her drooping t-shirt. She was irresistible and thrumming with need. He had been blind. How could he presume she didn't want him when she was hanging onto him like this, anticipating like this?

He pulled his thumb out, and she grazed it with her teeth, not letting go without resistance. His fingers that rested on the nook of her chin tightened their grip. "Should I take your bite as a sign that you hate me?"

She locked her gaze on him. "Don't taunt me."

But when did Jumin ever listen to commands?

Instead, he gave her what she couldn't ask for, what she couldn't speak into existence. Jumin dragged his lips across her shoulder, moving with purposeful nonchalance and leaving featherlight kisses on her collarbone. It was a brush, a ghost of mouth against skin. There was an invisible force that held him back from latching onto her, like if he did, it would cement the unspoken rule that they were toeing around, and she would wake from the trance and push him away.

He focused on her shivers instead, on her quickening breaths and the movement of her hands gliding down his arms, seizing his lean muscles beneath the sleeves. With his mouth, he charted his way up from her neck to the back of her ear. "Then what do you propose I do?" he muttered, his voice guttural.

It was her sweet provocation.

Half-relieved that Jumin wanted the same thing, half-contemptuous that he could see through her desire and use it against her, she raked his hair roughly. "Suck on my neck. Hard."

He toyed with the outline of her shirt, bunching it between his fingers. If she dared to buck her pelvis forward, he could graze her hipbone.

"Why?" Jumin's question was a challenge.

She turned her head to look at him. He was so close that their noses almost touched. "It would look good on me."

"Why would you want anyone to look at it?"

"It would be a mark from you. Why wouldn't I?"

Weighted silence hung in the air. Jumin was deliberating, assessing every little truth on her face. Give it all up, she seemed to say. It wouldn't be a real kiss. Our lips wouldn't touch. It wouldn't be real if we didn't let it.

"If that's what you wish." He swooped her in with one strong pull, an arm around her waist while the other hand buried in her damp hair, their bodies pressed against each other. He could feel the contour of her breasts, nipples perking through her thin shirt, and she could feel his hardened member against her stomach.

Jumin sucked hard on her neck and she moaned, a pleasant sting shot right down to her core. She hadn't felt like this for so long. It was as if the oxygen was cut from her lungs and fresh air rushed back in just as fast. It didn't make sense, but she could finally breathe again. He brought her alive.

Jumin trailed up, sucking on another spot. She gasped, her grip tightened around his arms and her hips ground against his bulge, wishing he would put it into her. His right hand was holding her head still, tilting it sideways to give him better access to her skin, but his left hand had slipped underneath her shirt and was roaming up, up, up, tracing the outline of her breast with his knuckle, never quite touching where she needed to be touched.

It was unbearable. She wanted him everywhere but lacked the courage to take one step further in this dangerous stunt. If she pushed Jumin to tarnish his integrity, he might loathe himself after he came down from his high. He might regret it and close the door in her face the next time she dropped by. Then she would lose her only friend.

She was selfish, and this was a dangerous territory.

"Jumin," she breathed out.

He stopped and pulled back slightly, his hand cupping the underside of her breast. The eyes searching her face were feral. For a moment, there were only rapid breathing and tension so magnetic that no force could have ripped them apart. It took everything in her not to chase after him, to give him a taste of her, to pleasure him back.

Jumin pressed his forehead against hers. "I wish I could lay claim on every inch of your body and soul and preserve them for myself."

His lips were so close, so close, but she couldn't lean in deeper than this. "You have me, you know that," she whispered.

Jumin closed his eyes. "Not really."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I will take whatever you give me. If this is all I could receive from you, then I will accept it."

But would it be enough? The question floated unspoken between them, but it was something they already had the answer to.

Jumin took his hand out of her shirt and she felt the loss of it like her lifeline being cleaved in half. She touched the marks he left and smiled. "This is good. I won't forget it."

"I doubt you will."

She walked back to the mirror and stretched her neck, inspecting the blooming violet bruises. He'd picked spots that would be noticeable, impossible to hide. It was intentional and they both knew it. Jumin was standing behind her again, this time resting his hand on her shoulder without hesitance.

"I finally got something from you that I can keep," she said.

You already have my heart, he wanted to say, but this wasn't the right time. One misstep and she could run. Would there ever be a right time with her? He wasn't sure, but he couldn't afford to gamble for it. Instead, he bargained with her. "You can ask for more, but there will be a price to pay. I don't hand out favours for free."

She clasped her hand on top of his, her heart wrenched. "I'm already paying for it."

Jumin blinked slowly as if to say, I know, I'm sharing the load with you, and squeezed her shoulder. "You should go home before it gets too late. I'll have Driver Kim take you back."

"I better head down then." She meant to say, I wish I could stay the night, but she knew he would let her, so she left without another word.

Dawn had broken when she arrived at her boyfriend's small, suffocating studio. She had not slept, but she was lit up from within. Her frayed nerve endings had been patched back together and were now firing with electricity. In this state, she could believe that the strength she needed to break through her empty shell was not so unattainable.

Her boyfriend was already asleep in his bed, smelling of sweat and cigarettes and vodka and floral perfume. It wasn't her scent. She hated flowers since he would occasionally bribe her with a bouquet of them when his outbursts got too brutal.

Fucking petals and thorns.

She crawled in beside him, watched him sleep, and carved her fingernails into his naked chest. She scratched down, hard, until small bubbles of blood formed. Unlike her, he hated being tainted. She watched the droplets burst into tiny scarlet pools, the cuts not deep enough for the blood to drip down the covers. She picked on the flayed skin around them before wiping the blood away with his abandoned shirt. Anything of his felt filthy if she touched it directly.

There was momentary joy in slashing him apart, but it was always replaced by more intense malice because she could never completely break him. She simply did not hold enough power over him.

Her boyfriend stirred awake. When he saw her, he grabbed her hair and forced her to look at him, making her slip and fall on top of his fresh cuts. She made a disgusted noise. "Where the fuck were you? I waited for you the whole night."

She kept her tone impassive. "While you were fucking another girl?"

"Not my fault I can't get it up with you." He sat up, pulling her with him and struck her cheek three times. He was still holding back, so it didn't hurt as much. "Fuck, you're a shithead. There's something wrong with you, seriously. Stop making that face."

"What face?"

He squeezed her neck and she gasped. It was tighter than she was used to. She couldn't breathe. "I bet you were whoring yourself out while I was gone. No man in his right mind would want your body, get that?" He twisted her nipple hard and she yelped in pain. "Answer me when I'm talking to you."

"Please." She clawed at his hand.

"Useless bitch. You should be grateful I still love you." He threw her aside, head hitting the headboard.

She was still coughing when he hovered over her, slathering detestable kisses and detestable hands all over her body before pulling her pants down and inserting his sloppy cock into her. It felt like grating on cardboard. It was the second fuck tonight, she thought. Or maybe the first seeing that it was already past midnight.

Tonight was a new day. She got a new day and a new soul so really, whatever her boyfriend did to her couldn't bother her. This could be the last time if she was brave enough. Maybe she could give him another head and just fucking off with it.

"What's this?" He stopped moving, his sharp annoyance breaking her out of her reverie.

"What?"

"You got two fucking hickeys on your neck."

She sighed. "You gave me them, remember?"

"I did?"

"Yeah, when we were doing missionary and you said I look beautiful."

He let out a derisive laugh. "I'd never call you that."

"True, but you did choke me and kiss me there after."

"Right, that I did."

"Yeah."

A fucking fool.

She turned her head away from him while he continued to pound into her. Another mindless, boring routine that she wouldn't miss. His grunts were the noise she wanted to erase from her memory. With his head beside hers, she wished he could smell Jumin on her, a proof that he did not have special admission to her body. If she were a better person, she would tell Jumin to find a better woman. And if she told her boyfriend about this thought, he would dismiss it as her childish fantasy. As if there was anything childish to being used like a sex doll.

You're a kid, you know that? You don't know what you're doing, he would say. If you did, you could've made me happy.

Outside, she would assent, but inside, she would cackle. This pathetic moron thought he had her wrapped around his fingers when it was the other way around. He could only hurt her because she let him, and on some primal level, she probably liked it. It gave her a kind of sadomasochistic pleasure to be wrecked without having to be responsible for it. She could make the person she loathed bear all the blame.

Her boyfriend was so easy to manipulate, a simpleton, really. How could he believe that he was the one who marked her skin? Nothing he did could ever be as lovely. He couldn't come close to anything Jumin was.

She did not deserve Jumin, but the bruise was beautiful, oh, so beautiful.

-

Footnotes because I'm obnoxious and a certified Hermione Granger:

MC referring to herself as a girl instead of a woman is a direct effect of her boyfriend belittling her. No matter how much she passively hates him, his words have skewed the way she sees herself.

Unreliable narrator. Despite MC claiming that she can't feel angry with her boyfriend in the beginning, it's shown through her actions in the last scene that she's repressing a lot of resentment.

Double usage of dirty/polished mirrors is intentional.

Just in case anyone gets funny ideas, what her boyfriend does to her is NOT BDSM or degradation kink etc. She never consents and he lashes out of anger so it's abuse.

Buy me a glass of something that's definitely not coffee because I can't stand it but it is the website's name if my story touches you in some way? No worries if you don't. I'm still grateful you've read all the way through here.

[ermbabyel]

Hey!!! I was looking over your profile after I got your second request, so I wanted to shoot you my info and see your matchups!! I love reading other people's work! If you are too busy or swamped, though, you don't have to do mine!

I would like to be matched with Mystic Messanger ( I just got into this) and Obey Me!

Your name/nickname

Luna, course, you can also make it a Y/N for other people's enjoyment, I do not mind.

Age

23 in June! Gosh, I feel old, but I am not that old, lol

Sexuality

I am Pansexual; I love them all with no specific preference; I am currently dating a man, though.

Pronouns

She/Her

Preferred age range for your ship

No one under 18, and also for Obey Me, no Luke. I read him as a child so he is a child in my head I know he's an angel and probably hella old but no.

Likes/dislikes

I love to read and write. I am big into celeb gossip mainly cause I like to psycho-analyze everything. I graduated with my bachelor's in psychology and love the human mind. Due to this, though, I have been told I am very manipulative and read people too well, so I am off-putting. I like people who love to help others and be reasonable. I love an open mind.

Hobbies

Studying especially psychology or technology. Writing stories or reading romance novels. Nature walks, especially in national parks. Magic the gathering. FPS video games.

Love languages

My most extensive love language is Physical Touch

The second would be Words of Affirmation

Ideal type

I don't have a 'type'; I love people for their personalities. If I had to hammer down who I am drawn to, it would be mysterious people. I think they are fun to get to know, and I love to be an outlet for them to express themselves.

A summery of your personality

I am a big goofball; however, I am very serious when I need to be. I work first and play later 90% of the time. I do take breaks, though, to allow myself to fully relax and just be me. I have lived in my mother's shadow my whole life, so I work hard to make a name for myself outside of the name she gave me and her name. I am driven to succeed and help those around me. I tend to be so overly considerate that I end up being walked on, however if I realize I am being walked on I will psycho analyze which is where the rumors of me being manipulative and off putting come from.

astrology sign

Gemini, I know they have a bad wrap, but some are good. I at least hope I am not considered bad.

Aesthetic/style

I have shoulder-length brown hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes, but everyone in my family says they are gray. My style depends on where I am; if I am at work, I wear jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes, and my hair is up in a bun. If I am at home, I wear boho clothes and have my hair down. If I am out on the town, I am super girly with heels, a skirt or dress, and full makeup with curled hair.

Anything else you can think of

I suffer from a speech impediment, and though I have managed to control it better with time and practice, I still lisp whenever I am angry or really, really tired. I also suffer from Dyslexia, so I have to use Grammarly to help with my spelling and grammar.

Thank you so much for your requests from me. I really appreciate them and love writing them. I hope to have your match-up within the next day or two!

Hello~! I’m so excited to do a match up for you as well! I hope you enjoy your matches :3 Also a fellow Gemini, how exciting! ♊️

Your Mystic Messenger Lover Is…Jumin Han~

You like mysterious people? Jumin is your man! Plus, Jumin is a libra and they are very compatible with Gemini’s. Jumin might be a hard nut to crack because of his upbringing and has been instructed to be the next heir to his father’s company since a young age. But, you are able to see through all of that, which might catch the CEO in line off guard…but he will definitely keep it calm and collected. No one has ever been able to crack right through him as easily as you have. And he’s impressed.

This intrigues you even more. It will take sometime, but little by little Jumin will feel much more secure with your presence around him. He feels confident in your ability to analyze situations and the human mind, which will come in handy when he needs consideration on a business venture/opportunity. “Luna, what do think about this new cat business I’ve been thinking about? I trust your judgment.”

Even though he seems cold and distant, this man gets attached very fast to most people’s surprise. And you’re not an exception. I get a sense of a calming presence while reading your description and I think that’s something Jumin would absolutely love about you. Being in charge of a company can be very grueling and draining at times. So, when he comes home to you after a long day he won’t say much but give you a sweet tired smile and gently lay his head on your welcoming shoulders. He just wants to feel your touch and presence.

I think you and Jumin are very similar too. He especially understands being in a parent’s shadow as well and would confide in you with that as well. I can see you two being each other’s support system.

Definitely the type to call you “Dear” and “Darling”…..”Darling, would you like to accompany me to a restaurant and wine for dinner this evening? I’ve had a long day and I just want to be in your presence.”

Jumin would also ask you to read him some of your stories you’ve been working on. Hearing your voice relaxes him so much to the point where it’s a nightly routine for you to read him to sleep~!

Jumin would find your speech impediment endearing and would be so loving and patient with you. He doesn’t want you to stress out about it and gives you all the time and support you need. Most of the time you think he reads your mind as well.

Also your biggest supporter. He think you are the most exquisite woman he’s every seen! He’ll even help you pick out your night on the town outfits. “Here Darling, I think this necklace will look stunning with your dress…you just look delectable tonight~.”

You’ll definitely be the one to loosen up Jumin with your bubbly, playful nature. He can help but crack a gentle smile when he see you and seven joking around with each other. The RFA are like a family to him are equally important as well. So seeing his love for his love and second family getting along with each other warms his heart~!

I love this pairing so much~! 😍

Your Obey Me Lover Is…Lucifer~

Honestly I was debating between Lucifer and Leviathan, since I think you and Levi share similar interests. So I think you can be a good match for him as well~

Another mysterious man for you. Lucifer is the eldest brother and with that comes with a sense of responsibility for his younger brothers. Because of that, he has to keep a stoic and harsh attitude when it comes to dealing with his brothers. Even though his brothers tend to be a pain in the ass and sometimes a burden, he still loves them with his whole heart and want to do his best to make sure his brothers are taken care of. But he only shows that side of himself to you~.

He’s also very shocked that a mere human is able to read right through him. It makes him feel puzzled, how were you able to do that? And in turn, that aspect of you intrigues him!

I can see you trying to convince Lucifer to show a little more warmth towards his brothers, but this man can be very stubborn! “I don’t have the time or interest of giving Mammon a cookie for getting a high score on his test, Luna”. But after sometime he comes around. With your help of course as being this vulnerable and sweet if very difficult for him.

He’ll be taken aback when you give him a hug for the first time or holding his hand on one of your many nature walks together. But Lucifer loves it, he’ll even gently reach for your hand when you least expect it and gingerly place a sweet kiss on said hand.

You are the only person in the whole entire Devildom to make this stoic man smile and laugh. And the brothers think you are some Devine creature because of it lol. They are SO perplexed and ask you what your tricks are to get him to smile. Truth is Lucifer just has a soft spot for you and can’t help but to smile when he gazes at you.

Definitely more of a private lover and prefers to show his love for you when others aren’t around. Only in private will he call you such sweet names like “Darling” and “My Love” being the main names for you.

I can see him being interested in a game you’re playing with Levi and wanted to try it out himself. I have a feeling Lucifer is very competitive and he started the game so confidently that he was going to win. But to his surprise, you were the only to beat him. He is DUMBFOUNDED LOL. He might even get a little pouty, you’ll just giggle and peck him on the lips and remind him to not be such a sore loser LOL.

He’s secretly super cuddly and will cuddle up with you in bed after a long day of babysitting his brothers lol. I can see him being passed out on your chest while you’re gingerly playing with his hair. Slowly lulling the most feared demon to sleep. Sure he’s the most powerful and dangerous demon, but in moments like this is when you fall in love with Lucifer even more~.

[moth--blood]

RFA with a scenekid MC

707, yoosung kim, jumin han, zen, jaehee kang

707/SAEYOUNG CHOI:

absolutely loves your style

lets you set up a work area by his desk for your jewelry / DIY projects!

not a huge fan of stepping on loose beads but hey, there's worse things to step on

thinks it's so interesting if you make kandi with can tabs or toys, or just general jewelry with stuff you find in the house. he admires all the creativity that goes into your projects

if you make clothes/masks with beads he is always so proud of you and the results, even if they're not as expected. he voices that very loudly; you're his 606, of course he's proud of your work!

if saeyoung has a lot of agency work, and you have unfinished projects, his favorite thing is both of you working in silence on your own projects, just enjoying the others presence. you being around always helps him focus and if its the same for you, he's more than happy to sit with you while you work

LOVES your music taste, especially if it's more electro

if you make him anything, jewelry or otherwise, he will 100% tear up and wear/use/show it off forever. he adores whatever you give him, regardless of what it is.

YOOSUNG KIM:

100% steals your clothes

kind of copies some of your jackets and hoodies, putting his own patches in similar places so you match (though if you do it for him he will never take it off. he's terrified of your work getting messed up if he does, so it's definitely a hassle cleaning it)

his apartment's not all that big, so you both manage to do your own things or work together on projects in his bedroom. when it's not being used, he'll let you stack bead boxes and supplies on his PC (though they will quickly get ((gently)) discarded to the floor when he decides its LOLOL time)

more a fan of "quieter" scene music, though he can absolutely get behind some hyperpop or nightcore

if you make him anything (and i mean anything) he will cry, on the spot, and keep it forever. if it breaks, or tears, he'll put it on his desk and refuse to touch it until you can fix it (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) poor boy feels awful even if its just string snapping from being worn too much

definitely tries his hand at Kandi making for a few months and ultimately lets it fade out like the majority of his intrests

JUMIN HAN:

not a giant fan of the music but he admires the effort you put into your projects

will beg you and beg you to make Elizabeth accessories, and after that it's

"well, she can't be alone, we should have matching bracelets - and colar, in her case - with Elizabeth. ....we should have matching ones, can we have matching ones (Y/N)?"

he will wear it everywhere and shows it to his dad all excited once you make them

"look at what my lovely (husband/wife/spouse) made us, they're very talented. Elizabeth has one too."

always adores anything you give him, no matter how small; it's still a gift, and he cherishes them

gives you a whole room in the penthouse for your work!

he sets it up while you're off with Jaehee or another RFA member, making sure to add posters from your favorite games/shows/movies/ext. he blows so much money on the set-up and is so pleased with himself when he gets your reaction

always makes an effort to resupply anything you're running low on, asked or not.

if you diy any clothes for him he will wear them out, reputation be damned

tries getting you to sell (or at least promote, c'mon y/n) your work at the RFA Parties with V's pictures

has never seen an episode of Invader Zim in his life, probably never will unless you ask, but he thinks gir is cute.

this just in jumin han is a Gir enjoyer

JAEHEE KANG:

like seven, enjoys the more electro side of your music tastes

",,,,if i can ask, can you make me something related to this play zen was in--" his biggest fan even through your work lmao

if you diy her any clothes, those are now her favorite home/sleep clothes

same with jewelry, though she'll find a way to incorporate those into her work outfits so she can subtly show them off

just like the others, admires all of your work every single time. kandi single? "that's so nice, (Y/N)! I love the colors" kandi cuff? "that's very impressive! i like the patterns :)" necklace with a toy connected? pearler? your spin on toy jewelry from a game you had as a kid? doesn't matter, she looks at all of your projects as a whole play of their own. she loves hearing the inspiration behind each peace

her favorite peaces are the ones where your spiel of inspiration is something really simple, like "haha i thought this would look funky, so i made it!" like- that little bit of thought made *this*? she's amazed.

if you make pearlers or things of that nature, and give some to her, she *will* put that on her lanyard. she will find a way.

ZEN/HYUN RYU:

god please make him something, little as it may be, he will never take it off

he has more sense than Yoo if it's clothes, though. just "be careful, (y/n), i know you know how to do it but be careful i really like that one—"

gets all flustered the first few times you give him something you made. some part of his brain cant wrap itself around the fact not only is he with such a wonderful creative person but you're using that creativity on him, he's honored

if you send him anything revolving around "rawr, i love you in dinosaur!! x3" he will seriously start saying Rawr. he wants to tell you he loves you in any way he can, wether that be in korean, english, or dinosaur, he's doing it

he'll humor all of your music, from the most whitenoise sounding hyperpop to stuff like Hollywood Undead. more a fan of nightcore/daycore though

if you make/give him any bracelets he absolutely wears them when he's acting, modeling, performing, exct if he can. he loves showing off your work :)

[asterjennifer]

Hi! Could I request a headcanon of the MC spying the RFA to find out what their favorite foods are and surprising them by cooking it up for them? (Plus, MC is a beginner cook who is trying her best) Fluffy humorous and sweet! Thank you so much!

🎀 Oh? That's a sweet idea, sunlight!

Jumin

You'd be around the villa while he's out working, passing the time as you agreed to stay over until Elizabeth has been found. And having all the time in your hands; you start looking around, which includes the kitchen.

Of course, Jumin has a cook and so naturally you come to have a conversation with him about the preferences of Mr. Han one way or another^^ So if you get told he enjoyes stake with wine a lot, and you're free to use the kitchen? You do it...!

If he's coming home and you prepared the table with your best attempt of making his extravagant food? Jumin will feel appreciated and won't stop the smile that creeps over his lips. He really doesn't care you're a beginner because you made it for him specifically. He'll enjoy it either way.

Jaehee

Jaehee's cafe has some of her favorite food on the menu, which also includes sushi^^ And now that she's having more free time, she can actually eat fresh fish instead of buying take out like before.

She might tell you about going to the restaurant together once the shift's over, but you have other plans! You want to leave earlier and prepare sushi for her with your own inexperienced yet determined hands.

When you manage to do it behind her back and she comes home; she'll be so surprised, her brown eyes wide and then she won't be able to repress the laugher leaving her. And you both get to enjoy the food you made together because she wants you to know how good you are!

Zen

Zen needs someone to cook for him as he's barely keeping up with his food because he's too busy with rehearsals TT And you know what he needs as an actor overworking his body at times? It's some good old salad full of vitamins.

Does it taste good with beer? You don't know but still put a can on the table in the kitchen with the bowls of fresh salads. And when he comes back from his play, all worn out yet satisfied with his performance; he'll hug you tight for the lovely meal you prepared.

It's probably not his favorite, but I'm sure he will still adore everything you make for him. Zen will insist you sitting on his lap while you both eat the salad from the same bowl because, you know, it's romantic and you're just so sweet^^

Yoosung

Yoosung's studies stress him out a lot, especially now that he's about to become a vet. And considering he loves cooking, you won't need to spy to discover what his favorite dishes are, once you're together in his house, the two of you will do them with each other!

But if he's out for once to the internet cafe with Seven and you feel motivated to try make a stew for him on your own; it's helpful to have all these recipe books he bought over the years. Things will turn out fine if you stick to the rules, right? You'll give your best and that's what counts.

He won't expect it, his excitement when smelling the stew after coming home will be so wholesome to watch it's already worth the trouble^^ Yoosung's going to thank you over and over for doing this, he's a deeply grateful person.

Seven

Now that he's free from the agency, he and also Saeran get to experiment a lot with food, a privilege they didn't have back then as they were trapped in their systems. But even now, Seven's not big on cooking. It's linked to stress in the back of his head, sadly.

So if you're up for a full dinner prepared by yourself, then it's game on; Seven once joked how he dreams about a three course meal with bread as appetizer, good old burgers with some fries as main dish rounded up by ice cream. And now you're doing exactly that~

Just imagine the shock he's under when coming home, how the glasses on his nose almost slip off because he's so stunned by the hours of work you put into the meal for today. He's going to pick you up and turn you in his arms; how are you real and how are you his? Unbelievable!

V

V's dishes depend heavily on his mood, I imagine. As an artist, even taste in food can become different in perspective to other people. So if he's craving something specific; he'll end up asking you if you'd be fine with that dish sometime soon in the week for one evening^^

If you prepare that meal for him, he will be stunned you went out of your way to cook the food he'd been looking forward to, even if you might not see it as your own personal favorite. You still put lots of work into it, hopefully it turned out to his liking since he'd been excited for it.

But V's going to love it for sure, even if it might not be 100% how you wanted it to turn out. You both are going to enjoy it on the balcony anyway and talk about the day~ It's a calm and happy time regardless how your cooking turned out.

Also quick side note: Vanderwood won't like chips for... Obvious reasons lmfao 🎀

[natasha-in-space]

What are your headcanons of Jumin having a significant other that’s from Daegu ?

Okay, I made sure to do some research, but I'm definitely not an expert, so do let me know if I make some mistakes. With that being said, Daegu is one of the largest cities of South Korea!

For Jumin, it doesn't really matter from where exactly you come from. He's enamoured by you as a person and your inner world, plus with everything going on around you two as his father keeps on trying to marry off his own son, the topic of your hometown never really properly came up until the events of the party. But, of course, once the peace has been successfully restored, he's more than happy to learn everything that you're willing to share about your life.

Jumin's intrigued when he finds out that you're from Daegu. His business trips allowed him to travel not just around the world, but throughout the South Korea as well. Still, it's one thing to visit a city for business and completely another to do it for pleasure. If your hometown holds a special place within your heart, he'll definitely become really fascinated with the idea of seeing this place from your point of view.

So, it's fair to say that a vacation is pretty much mandatory. Jumin's going to let you take the reins for the entirety of this trip, completely trusting your decisions and feeling open to new experiences. As long as you're by his side, he knows that it's going to be enjoyable no matter what you two do. Just seeing the excited twinkle in your eyes as you see your beloved hometown coming into view is enough to put a smile on his face as he gently squeezes your hand in his own.

If you're on good terms with your family, Jumin will definitely ask you to meet them. He'll be respectful and as charming as can be, so you don't even have to worry about first impressions when it comes to him. Your loved ones will be smitten with him, especially so after seeing just how happy he makes you. This trip might even transform into a family vacation if none of you would feel uncomfortable with that!

From visiting the Suseong Lake with its colorful views, various workshops and a skating rink for you two to enjoy to numerous small crooks and crannies you know personally - you'll explore it all. I also think he'd really enjoy the Daegu Dalgubeol Lantern Festival! Just imagine making your own matching lanterns, writing out your secret wishes and letting them fly into the beautiful sunset sky. What could be more romantic?

It'd be super fun to check out local food as well. For example, bringing Jumin into the Samsong Bakery and buying him their famous corn bread to munch on! Or visiting the local market... While he'd be pretty confused with how exactly it operates at first, it won't take him long to follow your lead and emerse himself into the lively atmosphere.

Overall, Jumin will be delighted to explore your hometown from your point of view. It might just become your new safe haven that you two will always make sure to visit every year from now on.

[antiochean]

hey! another rika and vanderwood enjoyer :-D! i love the semi-realistic way you draw MM characters (which is to say is an art style that is rarely ever seen in this fandom, unfortunately)! may i ask what are your thoughts on the other MM characters and/or their respective routes--or, instead, if that's alright w/ you, could you share more of your CMC Jake Park? so far, i'm interested in Bleeding Paint and I can't wait to see more of it :-)!

Anon I am kicking my legs around in my bed hugging my pillow like a schoolgirl bc this is the first ask I've gotten in this sideblog and it is literally so sweet and I'm so excited to have gotten it

Because of that you will have to endure me discussing every single topic you brought up in great detail

1. So glad to hear from another Rika and Vanderwood enjoyer. I get pretty self-conscious about liking Rika because of all the negativity, but the truth is that she's a major comfort character for me. When I realized what she meant with all of her talk about darkness after therapy one night I cried for hours LMAO it was a major milestone in my mental health journey.

And that event is actually what made me start writing bleeding paint, AND this is the part where I tell you that if you like Rika and Vanderwood, the good news is that they're the two love interests in the fic. But the bad news is that Rika and Jake's relationship is Extremely toxic. Radioactive. But the good news again is that with Vanderwood, it's the opposite.

2. Thank you for complimenting my art style :)) If my different background means I'm bringing something new to the table, then I'm ecstatic to provide.

3. My opinions on the other characters are!! Difficult to word, because until a couple months ago I hadn't played since Ray's route came out, and this year I've only replayed another story and Seven's route. I'll try my best to give you a summary, though.

Zen and Yoosung: my B plot KINGS. Where would I be without you. Adorable brotherly dynamic. A much needed wholesome break from all the angst. I would die for you.

Jaehee: her role as the Straight Man is executed extraordinarily, in my opinion, because of how often she's just tired. It's so realistic and it makes you feel for her so much. But when she's something else instead of tired, she absolutely slays, it really sticks out. AND I would like to say I think the way her voice changes when she starts fangirling about musicals is ADORABLE. I've been in love with this woman since I was 17.

Jumin: I HAVE THE MOST CONFLICTING FEELINGS ABT HIM OUT OF ANYONE ELSE. Okay stay with me for this one but I'm a hardcore anarco-communist. Which means there are multiple points in the game where, if he were in front of me, I would grab him by the neck and shake him like in that Simpsons bit. Shut up about the free market shut up about the free market. He's so privileged and his lack of empathy means he only alienates himself further and further. So on one side I feel extreme frustration and anger towards him. Then on the other, the emotional maturity of this character is unparalleled. He is, like, completely actualized. On top of Maslow's entire shit. While in Another Story, some of his dialogue has been having me awestruck. I think that IRL, Jumin and I would have the kind of dynamic where we would be able to talk until 3 AM and not realize it. So yeah man I don't know. He's on both sides of the love and hate spectrum for me at the same time.

707: what can I tell you about my bestest boy in the whole world? I would not change a thing about him. He can have my entire house and life and hand in marriage.

V: in my opinion. Okay look. God. I don't have any strong *feelings* about V. But I have very strong opinions.

If you asked me to list any other characters who display the level of emotional complexity his guy has going on, I'd have very few examples.

But the execution of the concept falls short for me.

How many days does the game have in total? Think about it: He's the MOST STUBBORN FRUSTRATING MAN TO DEAL WITH IN THE WHOLE WORLD for ALL but 3 of them, the 3 days at the end of his route. He's a goddamn broken record. Furthermore, his route is so focused on the backstory MC wasn't there for, that it forgets to tell you why you two should feel a bond at all.

It's hard for me to suspend my disbelief and look past all that to enjoy the potential he had.

Saeran: SE Saeran is one of my faves :)) he's not my type in his route, but his portrayal of mental illness matters a lot to me. I have talked to my therapist about Saeran.

4: IT'S JAKE TIME - GET ABSOLUTELY SILLY

Where can I start with Jake William Park. Well first off, he's a bitch. Second off, he had his bisexual awakening in a sasunaru forum post at age 12. Third off. See that picture? He has a septum gauge and, while shitfaced one night, put a silly straw in it. He then couldn't get it out, had a panic attack, and ended up in the hospital.

He was born in Canada. When he was 8, his parents got divorced and his dad moved back to Korea while he stayed. Now he's in Korea as an exchange student for his senior undergrad year.

He's a literature major. He's Extremely pretentious about art. He has a cat named Rodya (nicknamed Rascalnikov). He dabbles in writing horror, but is mainly aiming at becoming a professor.

His superiority complex is his most annoying flaw. He thinks he's so smart and his taste is the only correct one and he's a different grade of human being from most people. He can be mean about it (he bullies Yoosung).

The meanness ties into another flaw of his, which is that he thinks showing emotion is a weakness.

His first version was much goofier and careless and dressed a little bit differently. In Another Story, he becomes what I've come to refer to as Traumajake. The kidnapping and cult stuff really gets to him, he's almost killed or cleansed. And he decides that, if Rika wants a boytoy, then he will be the perfect boytoy until he can get out alive. He pretends to develop Stockholm syndrome - but he's not every worried about it, because he's FAR too smart to develop it for real. Right? Hilarity ensues.

By the time he's rescued, half of him doesn't even want to be. For the rest of the fic, he struggles to find a balance between emotion and reason.

There's a lot I'm leaving out, but this is already far too long and I doubt anyone will read it LMAO

5. I appreciate you mentioning Bleeding Paint a lot!! I have no evidence anyone ever read it and sometimes it makes me embarassed to keep posting sjdaskdjkjds but if just one person has given it their time of day, that's good enough for me :))

Tysm for the ask.

[bluejay-writes]

A sort of Fairy Tail - Chapter 13 (Ending)

Rating: T / PG-13, SFW.

Fandom: Mystic Messenger

Relationships: 707/MC (Jaena)/Saeran

Chapter 13 Wordcount: 1938

You can also read this on AO3! <- Also a good place to check tags.

The bell above the door jingled, and Jaena looked up to see an impeccably dressed Jumin Han walking into her coffee shop.

“Good afternoon, Jumin!” She said, slipping out from behind the counter to steal a hug from the man. ��He was still working on understanding the human concept of emotions and even platonic physical intimacy, but to his credit he was trying.

“Hello, Miss Jaena.” He said, smiling. “Have you seen Assistant, erm, Manager Kang lately? I gave her the afternoon off, but I forgot to give her something before she left the office and I haven’t been able to reach her.”

Jaena chuckled and just pointed to the couch that usually contained a Jaehee when she was in the shop.  It did in fact currently contain a Jaehee, her head pillowed on Vanderwood’s lap. Vanderwood, who was busy reading and petting Jaehee’s hair while she napped. The rest of the shop was practically empty at this time of day, which was the perfect excuse to make her dad take an extended break.

“Ah.” Jumin said, a light blush on his cheeks. “I would not like to interrupt her afternoon. Can I ask you to give her this when she awakens?”  Jumin held out what was very clearly a greeting card.

Jaena reached to take it, but was interrupted by Jaehee’s voice ringing out into the room. “I’m not asleep, Mr. Han.” 

“Oh.” he said quietly, and turned to walk over to Jaehee, handing her the card, with a quiet “Happy Administrative Professionals Day, Miss Kang.”

Jaehee sat up and took the card, her cheeks an embarrassed pink.  “I thought the afternoon off was my gift?”

Jumin shook his head. “That was a whim. This is your gift.”

Jaehee blinked, staring at the contents of the envelope, her eyes misty. “Really?”

“Yes. Zen’s off-broadway tour is coming here for your birthday. I know it’s still most of the year away, however I could not wait to gift these to you at the earliest opportunity.”

“Jumin…you reserved the entire Box.”

“I did. You may choose who can join you. The box can seat six.”

Jaehee looked around the coffee shop and grinned. “Sure. Myself, Vanderwood, You, Jaena, the twins. Six.”

“I’m Seven!” Saeyoung called from the register, and Jaehee facepalmed. 

“I don’t need to invite you.” Jaehee called back.

“Sorry, ma’am.” Saeyoung responded meekly.

Jumin turned back to the counter, a rare smile gracing his face.

“What can I get you, Jumin?” Saeyoung said, a smile matching Jumin’s making its way onto his face. Jumin smiles were contagious.

“Coffee.”

“Flavor shot?” He asked, despite knowing the response.

“Just coffee.”

“Room for cream?” Jaena asked, trying her best not to laugh as she poured Jumin’s usual cup of coffee.

“No.”

“Jumin, are you getting that famous coffee flavor ‘brown’?” Saeran said from the kitchen, causing the entire trio to break out laughing. 

For his part, Jumin just took his coffee and went to sit down, chuckling the entire way.

  “No one can stop Superman Yoosung!” 

The announcer’s voice rang out through the stadium as Yoosung once again wiped the floor with the enemy team.  His team, formerly the underdogs in the US LOLOL Professional Arena (LPA) had been entirely undefeated since his addition to the team. It would be an understatement to simply say he was carrying them.  He was clearly using their practice time to bring the rest of the team up to his level, and their dedication showed.  

Saeyoung and Jaena shared a grin, but couldn’t get Saeran’s eyes off the screens. He loved this game, and one of his best friends being a professional player for it only heightened his enjoyment.

After the game, handily won by Yoosung and his team, Jaena and the twins made their way backstage to greet him.  Yoosung of course wasted no time finding them, and throwing his arms around Saeyoung, then Saeran, and finally Jaena.  Also as usual, he’d forgotten that cameras and interviewers existed.

“You came!!!” He said, overjoyed.

“Of course we came, it’s your big tournament this week, how could we possibly miss it!” Jaena said, and Yoosung just shook his head.

“I didn’t think you’d be able to get away from the shop for that long.”

“Yeah, well, Dad’s watching the shop, and he’s been training Liz on the register, so he’s not alone.”

<<It’s so weird to think of Vanderwood as your dad.>> Yoosung muttered in Korean. <<Especially when I thought she was Seven’s maid this whole time.>>

Saeyoung just laughed his maniacal laugh, but then looked up suddenly as someone approached their little cluster.

“Superman Yoosung!” The pre- and post-game host for the arena was there, microphone in hand, pet cameramen behind her. “Would you introduce us to your friends?”

Saeran blinked, a light blush on his cheeks. Lightning was his favorite LPA personality, so seeing her in person was more than a little bit of celebrity shock for the poor goth child.

Yoosung, much better at both talking to people and talking in English than he’d been when the season started, turned to face her, his smile bright for the camera.

“Hey Lightning!  These are my friends from home, though they live in the states now.  Saeyoung and Saeran Choi, and Jaena Starkey.”

Jaena waved when Yoosung introduced her, and watched as who they were connected in the hostess’ mind.

“Oh! I didn’t know you were friends with Saeyoung, Yoosung!” Lightning said, and Jaena felt both of her boys instinctively tense.

“Yeah well.” Yoosung said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Who do you think taught me to play LOLOL?”  he gestured at Saeyoung with both hands, like a Will Smith meme.

“Wow, really?” Lightning turned her analyst gaze on the ginger, and grinned. “Will we get to see an exhibition match with you at some point Saeyoung?”

Saeyoung laughed and shook his head. “Yoosung surpassed his master a long time ago. I’m afraid I’d just disappoint you.”

Saeran snorted, but kept his mouth shut. Saeyoung could still give Yoosung a run for his money. The four of them regularly played ranked matches when Yoosung wasn’t practicing with his team, but they sure weren’t going to tell Lightning and out themselves in front of the entirety of the fanbase.  Yoosung’s stream knowing their voices was more than enough notoriety for the three of them, thanks.

“So, Saeyoung, just to sate my curiosity…” Lightning said, “Is Miss Jaena here the Perfect Scarlet you were looking for back on Noprah?”

“She sure is.” Saeyoung said, planting a kiss on Jaena’s cheek the way he always did when someone asked that question. “I mean look at this hair!!”

Jaena laughed, but at this point she was too used to the situation to even blush at the kiss on the cheek. It was too normal in her life.

“What are you three doing these days?” Lightning asked, and as usual, Saeran answered.

“Running Paradigm Coffee in Minneapolis.” he said, his usual dry tone especially jarring in comparison to everyone else’s energy, despite the color in his cheeks. “Come visit sometime.” The last bit was said directly into the camera, with an accompanying wink.

“Maybe after the finals, though.” Jaena said, elbowing him. “Since we’re all here right now, not there. Brat.”

Lightning laughed and closed out her segment, and wandered off somewhere else.  Jaena turned to Yoosung and apologized.

“Sorry, ‘Sung. I hate how anywhere we go people’s attention are always on us, when you’re so much more deserving.”

Yoosung just shook his head. “No, it’s nice to have a break from attention, to be honest.  Hey, I need to get a drink, do you want to meet my team?”

“Yes.” The twins chorused, their eagerness palpable.

Jaena rolled her shoulders, the weight from her Black Wing armor almost foreign on her shoulders after having missed two years of the con circuit she was used to.

“Doing okay, Scarlet?” Jellal asked from her right, and she laughed. 

“Yeah, just getting back used to my armor, it’s been awhile.”

“If your wings are anything like these staves….” Mystogan said, grumbling about the weight of the costume he chose.

“Oh!” Jellal said suddenly. “Is that Zen?”

Jaena turned over her shoulder where he was pointing.  Yep, that sure was Zen cosplaying as Daemon Targaryen. Her attention, however, was stolen completely by the Rhaenyra by his side.

“Lucy!” She said, turning the rest of the way, and half-sprinting towards her friend, with her blue-haired shadows following her.

“If this isn’t just a cosmic coincidence.” she said, winking. “Good to see you, Jaena.”

“I never thought I’d see you here, and as a Targaryen, no less.” Jaena said, laughing.

“Well, Zen really didn’t want to wear a wig, but I talked him into contacts, so…”

“Yeah, well, if there was anyone who could tame a dragon, it’d be the two of you.” Saeyoung said, grinning.

“Tell me about it.” Zen said, chuckling, and Lucy giggled.

“Jaena, we have some news for you.” 

“News?” The Mystogan to Jaena’s left said in Saeran’s voice, ducking under her wing so he could actually participate in the conversation.

Zen looked between the two blue-haired characters on either side of Jaena and blinked. “Wait. I thought this one was Saeyoung but…”

“You seriously can’t tell us apart just by voice?” Saeyoung said, his energy obvious at least to Jaena any time he spoke.

“Yeah, seriously Zen, that’s embarrassing.” Saeran’s calm almost-deadpan tone followed, and Jaena just grinned.

“Whatever, news!” Lucy said, and held out her hand, a sparkling ring on her finger. “We’re engaged!!!”

Jaena squealed, Saeran quietly applauded, and Saeyoung shared a high five with Zen.

“Congratulations!! That’s so exciting! Any idea when the wedding’s going to be?”

“Next summer, after my current show is over.” Zen said. “Actually, we’re going to be spending the summer in your neck of the woods - Jumin’s offered C&R’s Rooftop for our ceremony.”

“Wow.” Jaena said. “That’s going to be gorgeous.”

“Yeah.” Lucy grinned. “You wouldn’t be willing to be my maid of honor, would you, Jae?”

Jaena paused and blinked. “Me?! Really? Of course I will!!”

Zen chuckled. “See babe, I told you she’d agree.”

The wedding was a lavish affair, with a bigger budget than anyone would have expected - Lucy came from a family with Money, and they were happy to see their doctor daughter marrying someone with social status - even if it was entertainment industry status.

For her part, Jaena enjoyed wandering around the event in her emerald green dress. She’d walked down the aisle with none other than Jumin Han, Zen’s best man of course. Those two had become inseparable friends once they’d gotten over their odd rivalry in the messenger.

Dancing with first Saeyoung, then Saeran, made her heart sing. She’d have to come up with more excuses to get those two dressed up in suits, they looked amazing that way.

When the time for the bouquet toss rolled around, Jaehee grabbed Jaena’s hand and all but dragged her out into the crowd of women.  Of course, Tall Jaena in heels had no problem at all snagging the flying bundle of flowers out of the air, as if on instinct.  She shared a giggle with Jaehee, who had a look on her face like that was exactly what she expected was going to happen. In her joy and silliness, Jaena completely missed the looks on the faces of the rest of their party.

Zen looked smug. 

Yoosung was dumbfounded.

Jumin was smirking knowingly.  

Lucy looked like she’d planned this all along.

Vanderwood looked resigned to this eventuality.

Saeyoung and Saeran were looking at each other in a blind panic.

Author's Note: And that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed my little story. Likes are encouraged, Reblogs would be a dream. Thanks fam.

[aftergiow]

Imagine dating Jumin and him finding some free time so he could have some coffee with you between meetings;

Even doing everyday things feel so romantic when you do them with him, that's why you were so excited he had a little free time to go and grab a cup of coffee with you.

He suggested going to Jaehee's coffee shop, but you didn't want to stress her, so you suggested a cat cafe you saw online.

"Cat cafe? Elizabeth the Third would love that." "But the cats can't actually drink the coffee, honey." "Oh, really? Then what's the appeal?" "Having coffee next to the cats they have up for adoption." "Oh, well, I think that's nice then."

Jumin always orders a cup black coffee; he knows what he likes so he doesn't bother trying something new. However, you tend to try new things, so he always takes a sip of whatever you offer him so he can try a little bit of everything.

When you go out like that between meetings he doesn't like talking about his job; he prefers listening to you ramble about whatever you've been doing that day. It's his little break, after all, and your voice to him is the sweetest sound.

Even though he hesitated a bit when you suggested that place, he ended up loving it. He'll never think about bringing another cat home, since his heart belongs to Elizabeth after all, but he enjoyed being around the cats on the cafe.

After finishing your coffee and talking for a bit, it was time to leave for another meeting, so you two walk to the C&R Building, holding hands, talking about whatever comes up to your mind. Jumin is not a fan of public displays of affection, but he loves taking your hand in public. The warmth of your skin made him feel loved.

Once you arrived to the building, he would send you back to the penthouse with one of his trusted drivers and would call you to make sure you arrived fine.

"I'm glad I had some free time today. I miss you already." He would tell you. "I miss you too."

[marshmallowprotection]

"I'm afraid I don't understand why someone would think it's a childish hobby," Saeran admitted with a frown. It wasn't all that surprising given the fact he didn't have a typical upbringing. Everything you had experienced in life would never align with what his circumstances had been as a child, but that didn't mean he wasn't willing to listen and learn... and the same went for you.

You wanted to better understand all the things he enjoyed when he was a kid and he wanted to know what you enjoyed when you were a child. Even if he admitted that most of the things he enjoyed were... limited to paper and pencil, you were happy to hear his amusement. He kept the hobby of journaling to this day because of how much enjoyment he'd had putting his thoughts on the paper.

That's why you spared no expense to make sure he had every bit of stationary he could ever want.

You wanted him to be able to have some piece of his childhood. It wasn't like he got to hold on to many of the things that he had as a child. The only thing he had to show for many of his experiences were bushels of paper... messy ones that came with him after Mint Eye. If he left anything behind in that place, he never made a point of asking to go back to get it.

Of course, when you got around to explaining most of the things you enjoyed as a child, you had many more things to rattle off on your list. A part of you felt... guilty telling him that you had experienced so much compared to him, but his expression showed he was just as excited to be able to learn as you had been about him. Of course, you weren't used to the question. Most people left their childhood toys and games in the past, but you'd seemingly never grown past that.

You didn't want to "grow up" and let go of the things that made you happy. Where was the fun in that? It would be sad if everybody "grew up" and had to let go of the things that made them happy. It wasn't as if there was a switch that went off one day that fully transformed you from one state to another. It'd be a day like any other!

You wanted to bring them with you so you could always enjoy yourself. Even as you got older and your interests became different from what they were in the past, you couldn't just let go of those possessions. In fact, you were the kind of person that kept your favorite things on display no matter how childish they seemed. Perhaps it was the fact that you had so many things that led Saeran to ask you in the first place.

He wondered if collecting was a hobby of yours when you first moved into your new home. You had to admit that that was part of it. You did like to go and collect things that stood out to you and your interests... but, you weren't like Jumin who loved to collect old books and tomes... nor were more in the same vein as Saeyoung who wanted to have his big hands on a hot rod that could drive him for miles.

No, no.

You were enamored with dolls. From their careful sculpting and fine paint details, to the care that'd be put into their clothing and accessories. A lot of people found it creepy if not... so childish when you shared this interest of yours. It used to bother you a lot when you were younger; so, you stopped talking to people about it and kept to yourself and the few safe spaces you had!

if you didn't already know that somebody was the same as you with their likes, you figured it was a bad idea to bring it up. Too many people bullied you in the past for you to risk it. Your dolls were friends and seeing them shine made you happy. They were your friends as a kid and you couldn't imagine not having the same feelings toward them that you had back then as you were today.

You were delicate with your touch. You readjusted the positioning of your doll so she would be better suited for sitting on the edge of the table. Turning your head, you looked back at Saeran.

"A lot of people think you're supposed to become responsible and mature as an adult. Unfortunately, a lot of society thinks you're not allowed to have fun once you become a grown up. That means you leave behind all the things that belonged to your childhood and are determined to be a social pariah. So, a lot of people will internalize shame if they're caught doing childish things by other adults," you explained.

"It's kind of disheartening, actually. It's one of those things that's hard to explain out loud if you haven't experienced it firsthand so I really don't know how to put it into words. There are just a lot of people who won't let themselves enjoy anything because they don't want to be seen as childish, ridiculous, immature, or cringey. I don't share my collection with people all that often because I get a lot of... strange looks."

It was true.

Far too many people would give you strange looks and make assumptions. You knew Saeran wouldn't do that. He wasn't the type. He would never make somebody feel awful for something they enjoyed. That's why it made you feel bad that you hadn't really told him about this interest of yours before. He, out of anyone, would have understood what it felt like to have been judged for no reason.

Saeran frowned. Sometimes, you had to wonder if he felt disheartened by how much the world could be a cruel place. He never seemed to let it show if he thought it was that way, perhaps, it was because he was grateful to be alive to experience everything and anything the world had to offer. He wanted to be able to experience everything, and that meant good things and bad things.

"May I?" He asked.

You nodded, unsure of his goals this time around. Maybe he was curious? "Of course."

With a delicate hand, he touched the porcelain with immense care. His eyes were inspecting each and every element he could find. He was just like that. If he had the chance to learn about something that he didn't know anything about, he wanted to find out everything imaginable. It was one of the things you loved about him, actually.

"It must take hours for people to create one of these. These details were... hand sculpted and painted. It's astonishing, really. It's a work of art," he murmured.

His eyes never wavered from your doll. He was tracing the details to memory, at least, that's what you thought. He had the exact same look on his face whenever he was trying to learn how to piece together a recipe for the first time. He would look at the final product and guess at how somebody put it all together. "I think it's a shame that people would make you feel bad for enjoying something. They're like your friends, right?"

You nodded.

He continued, "I feel the same way about my flowers. They were there for me when nobody else was. I always had somebody to talk to and I never felt lonely when they were by my side. To me, I would say that our experiences weren't all that different. Sure, maybe the difference between us was the vessel we chose to have as our friends. But the comfort that we experienced from our friends? That's... something that nobody should be able to take away, my love. It doesn't matter what age you are, as long as you are happy with these friends, that's all that matters."

Without a single moment of hesitation, he placed your doll back in your arms and closed them around your dear friend. You looked down and then back at him. For some reason, that tingling feeling inside your chest was warmer than it had ever been. That sort of thinking could've been considered ridiculous by most people, but to you? It was Saeran through and through.

"I know, you're right." You smiled.

He took that as an opportunity to lean in and steal a tiny kiss from your lips. "So, why don't you tell me all about your friends? I mean, you've heard me talk about flowers for hours, but I haven't had a chance to hear you talk about these friends before. I want to know, my love."

Even if you were going to struggle with internalized shame about this your entire life, you knew you would always find safety in his arms.

[cheritzteam]

[MM] Update Announcement on Two DLCs and the Release of a New Merchandise

Hello, this is Cheritz.

We shared some very exciting news with you for our last notice, and we’re back today to announce the official release of the contents as well as the new merchandise! Please read the rest of this announcement to find out more!

< 1. Update Announcement on Two DLCs >

Ray’s After Ending and Jumin Han’s Bad Ending DLC, which you all have been waiting for, will finally be released! Update your Mystic Messenger app to v.1.16.0 and enjoy the new DLCs! *Depending on the country and the OS, the update may be delayed. *Mystic Messenger will be going under maintenance today from 10 A.M(KST) for approximately an hour in preparation of the update.

Ray’s After Ending can be found in the game by following the steps below! It is not required to first unlock the Good or Normal Ending of Ray’s route, as the content can be unlocked simply by using hourglasses! *Mode Select >  DLC > Ray After Ending or Mode Select > After Ending > Ray

Jumin Han’s Bad Ending DLC can be found in the game by following the steps below! If you have not yet unlocked Jumin Han’s Bad Ending 2, we recommend that you play the DLC after you unlock the bad ending! *Mode Select >  DLC > Bad Jumin & After ~ Life in the Mansion ~ or Mode Select > After Ending > Jumin Han

< 2. Voice Actors’ Promotion Videos >

As this new update marks the finalé of Mystic Messenger, the voice actors have left some comments about the game!

Please check the video uploaded on the official Cheritz YouTube channel to watch the interviews of the voice actors who have participated in the recordings of Ray’s After Ending and Jumin Han’s Bad Ending DLC!

We hope you will find the addition of new contents more enjoyable by watching the video as well.♥ Please click on the link below to watch the video now! :)

Cheritz YouTube :

www.youtube.com/user/CheritzTeam

< 3. Market Event in Commemoration of the New Merchandise’s Release>

In addition to the recent update, new merchandise can now be found on the Cheritz Market site!! Why don’t you join Ray and go on a romantic trip♥ after enjoying his After Ending?

If you purchase the new merchandise, you can take part in the random draw to be one of the twenty lucky people who will win 2 postcards signed by the voice actors that took part in Ray’s After Ending recordings! So don’t hesitate to come and get a signed postcard that could come with your new merchandise!

*March 10th event update: All signed postcards have been assigned to the winners of the event.

You can check out the new merchandise available for purchase on the Cheritz Market page right now!

Cheritz Market Link: http://asq.kr/DOywM2q8KcVraz

< 4. Adjustments on the Number of Hourglasses for Unlocking the In-Game Contents>

From the 1st of January, 2021, there will be adjustments made to the number of hourglasses needed for unlocking some of the in-game contents. So if you are thinking about unlocking new contents, such as the Deep Story or the Valentine’s Day DLC, this is your last chance to get them at their current prices!

For more information, please refer to the table below.

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That wraps up all the news we have to share with you today! We hope you would have an exciting day enjoying the new DLCs!

Best, Cheritz.

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*Update on server maintenance time : The maintenance time is currently being delayed. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

*The game can be accessed normally now(1:12 P.M(KST)). Please update your Mystic Messenger app to v.1.16.0.