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sshbpodcast · 3 months

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Character Spotlight: Tuvok

By Ames

It’s been a little while since we highlighted a Vulcan on the A Star to Steer Her By Character Spotlight Series. Like Spock, our pointy-eared Voyager crew member Tuvok has his best moments when he is making the audience consider just how human these green-blooded hobgoblins can be. Tuvok benefits from his pure logic so frequently on the show that he is usually the voice of reason in a quadrant full of chaos. But Tim Russ is just so good at the Vulcan nuance that he’s never just a walking rulebook but a living person with flaws and [repressed] emotions.

So join us in a game of kal-toh, which could take years to master, as we shine our spotlight on the Voyager chief of security and one of our favorite Vulcans of the franchise! You can check out all of Tuvok’s logical (and illogical) actions below and/or meditate with us on this week’s podcast episode (telepath over to 1:11:50). Live long and prosper!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Do not underestimate your own potential Tuvok’s role as mentor to other crew members is frequently nice to see during their long journey. He has the experience, temperament, and patience to guide his comrades through turmoil, especially someone like Kes who has fledgling mental powers. Watching Tuvok meditate with our Ocampan friend in episodes like “Cold Fire” and “The Gift” is very nice to see in helping ground characters.

If you can’t control the violence, the violence controls you Not only is it a genuine joy to watch Tim Russ acting his ass off with the sensational Brad Dourif in “Meld,” but the insight into Tuvok’s motives is also fascinating. In this episode and in “Basics,” he’s trying to rehabilitate Suder’s psychotic mind, which is commendable, but also to understand it in the first place, something that someone like my favorite Voyager character isn’t used to.

Logic in the court Let’s also give Tuvok some credit for agreeing to represent Quinn in “Death Wish” even though he doesn’t agree with the Q’s desire to use the ruling to end his own life. But Tuvok treats the matter fairly and with an open mind, which is only the logical thing to do. Quinn helps him to understand his side of the argument as best he can and Tuvok respects him throughout.

I won’t be afraid, not if you’re with me Just because “Innocence” is a generally terrible episode with awful child actors, really obnoxious aliens, and a deplorable twist, doesn’t mean Tuvok isn’t still great in it. He really is! He’s so patient with the horrible children that he should get an award, and it’s so sweet when he agrees to sit with Tressa when her weird backwards life reaches its natural end.

Computer, Vulcan blend, hot Janice Rand can shut her mouth when she tries to insinuate that young Tuvok is brown nosing when he brings Sulu his tea on the Excelsior in “Flashback.” It’s just plain adorable and his rapport with Captain Sulu is just a delight to watch. Sure, he also insists that Sulu not go save Kirk, but that’s exactly what you’d expect a Vulcan to do.

I’ve seen the way you isolate yourself even in a crowd of people Tuvok’s conversation with Morena about isolation in “Alter Ego” reveals a lot about his character as someone who represses the loneliness he feels while a quadrant away from his family. He connects with Morena in a way no one else on the crew could because they don’t let themselves get close to people. So when he agrees to teach Kim to play kal-toh, it’s so lovely.

8 Simple Rules for Dating my Ocampan Protege A lot of other crew members treat Kes’s dating a new boy in “Darkling” with some condescension. It’s an episode of people treating Kes like a child (which I’ll remind you: she is not) who can’t make her own decisions, but then you’ve got Tuvok being a straight up pal. He expresses to Zahir without judgment that all he wants is Kes’s safety, and boyface gets it.

Seska’s not the only one who knows how to cause a phaser malfunction Turns out, our buddy Tuvok writes a damn good holonovel when we come across his Maquis uprising program in “Worst Case Scenario.” And when the thing goes wrong, as it is wont to do, Tuvok is there to outsmart holo-Seska (the most scheming Seska of them all!) with an overloading phase rifle, like a badass. That’s sure one way to get around writer’s block.

Let’s just watch Event Horizon When Torres is about to get lobotomized in “Random Thoughts” because the Mari’s definition of justice is wildly different from ours, Tuvok leads the investigation and uncovers a black market for violent thoughts. And if that isn’t cool enough on its own, he mind melds with Guill, who can’t even come close to handling that much madness. That man is no Lon Suder, that’s for sure.

I am sorry. I cannot return your affection. Speaking of mind melds! Tuvok melds a lot in this show, and one beautiful example comes in “Gravity.” Noss is crushing on Tuvok hard, and who can blame her? It’s all one-sided though, so in the end, Tuvok melds with her to show her how he really feels. It’s a more intimate act for Tuvok than anything else he could have done, and it’s touching that he shares himself with her.

You’re Neelix. I’m safe with you. The development of the Tuvok-Neelix relationship is one of the best things about Voyager, full stop. And the best representation of this is pretty much everything in “Riddles.” Not only do we get some stunning work from Tim Russ, but we see Tuvok without the emotional clamps on, coming to terms with his situation and choosing to save the ship. Cue the waterworks.

Vulcans do not dance Which leads me directly into our final beautiful Tuvok moment. Because we here at SSHB are big Neelix fans, we welled up at Neelix’s farewell in “Homestead” when Tuvok performs his Vulcan interpretation of a dance for him. It’s no Macarena or anything, but it encapsulates perfectly what these two, who were such an odd couple all show, really mean to each other.

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Worst moments

My logic was not in error, but I was There’s something almost fascinating about “Prime Factors,” in that the Prime Directive shoe is on the other foot for a change. This is probably what the Bajorans felt when the Federation let Cardassia walk all over them! But Tuvok won’t have any of it! Prime Directive be damned, he’s going to steal the Sikarian spatial trajector against Janeway’s orders.

On your marks, get set, no Tuvok, despite many decades of living with non-Vulcans, apparently has no idea how to treat them. We see in “Learning Curve” that Tuvok is tasked with getting some ex-Maquis crew members in line, and his first impulse is to make them run a 10K with the gravity turned up. Weird flex. And let the Bajoran kid wear his earring, dude! We went over this already with Riker!

I have not always been particularly partial to your methods either What a weird and convoluted episode “Twisted” is, but perhaps that’s its point. What seems more off the mark is that suddenly there’s this polite rivalry for command between Tuvok and Chakotay while Janeway is out of commission. It just seems to come out of nowhere, much like the bickering between Spock and McCoy that we complained about in their character spotlights.

A non-emotional response would be more useful While we did like how Tuvok takes Kes under his wing in episodes like “Cold Fire,” he also can’t help himself in judging her expression of emotions all the time during her training. He constantly sasses her for giggling or feeling overwhelmed or otherwise not displaying perfect Vulcan logic. Uh, Tuvok, did you notice that she’s not a Vulcan? No wonder he gets his head boiled.

In a way, a mind meld is almost an act of violence, isn’t it? While I can fawn over the excellent work in “Meld,” how fixated Tuvok gets on violence is also severely screwed up. His Vulcan logic won’t let him accept that a psycho like Suder doesn’t need a reason to kill, and Tuvok goes way too far with it. And I won’t let him off the hook here: creating a holoprogram to kill Neelix is not okay no matter how you feel about the character.

Neelix in the foyer with the lead pipe The whole saboteur Jonas plot arc in season two was a convoluted mess. You’d think someone as logical as Tuvok would have figured that out, but no. In “Investigations,” he comes up with an even more convoluted plan to get Tom captured by Kazon, endangering the Talaxian ship he was on, and not clueing in people like Chakotay what was going on. And I still don’t know. What WAS going on??

Mom and Dad aren’t home – let’s have a Vidiian party! We joked a lot during The Original Series that whenever Spock was left in charge, things went wrong. Well the same thing happens when this Vulcan is left in charge when Janeway and Chakotay have to be abandoned on a planet in “Resolutions” and the crew is ready to mutiny right away until Tuvok gives in and calls the Vidiians: the one thing Janeway told him not to do.

This has pon too farr! I will never not rag on pon farr as a plot point because it’s too damn squicky. When TOS did it, it was one thing, but when Torres is suffering from pon farr and Tuvok insists that Paris have non consensual sex with her in “Blood Fever,” it’s not okay. Why the writers had to keep sweeping sexual assault under the rug for the sake of Vulcan bullshit is entirely beyond me.

There is little point in furthering this discussion Even the other people on the space elevator in “Rise” can see it: the whole episode long, Tuvok is dismissive and condescending towards Neelix until the Talaxian finally snaps. If we commended Tuvok for developing his relationship with Neelix throughout Voyager earlier, this was the nadir that required them to work towards a bond of respect later on in the series.

A deadly case of writer’s block While it was really fun playing Tuvok’s Maquis program in “Worst Case Scenario,” you’ve got to admit that Seska’s hologram nearly taking over the ship was all Tuvok’s fault. It seems strange for him to not finish the security training program once he’d started it, or at least to delete it from the computer when he accepted that the Maquis weren’t going to be threats.

Big Brother is watching, and mind reading It was nice of Tuvok to save Torres in “Random Thoughts,” but until it was going to affect his crew, Tuvok practically salivates over the concept of the Mari’s thought police. We couldn’t have been the only ones reading some sexual energy between him and Nimira, the Chief Examiner of the Mari Constabulary, right? Stop it, Tuvok. Only Odo may be a fascist on this show.

The call is coming from inside the Vulcan When Tuvok is put in charge of the investigation to determine who’s been attacking former Maquis members in “Repression,” it turns out he’s actually hunting himself! Sure, he’s being mentally hijacked a little bit, but dude, if you’re going to go full fascist in your investigation and inspect the crew’s mail for bugs, don’t forget to inspect yours too! What is with these fascists?

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Weird how almost all of those moments were heavily represented in seasons two and three? I wonder what happened in season four that sidelined Tuvok so much? We may never know. Let’s see how other characters fare as they progress through the series: come back next week to find out! You can also keep listening to our Enterprise watchalong on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast, mindmeld with us over on Facebook and Twitter, and have a logical day!

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drill-teeth · 8 months

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Sometimes I think about like. When I first really got access to the internet, so much of what I liked growing up suddenly became dirty.

I was raised as a girl. And I liked plenty of girl targeted media. Kim Possible and My Little Pony were some of my favorites. I also watched some media targeted more at young boys. Primarily anime. Like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto. Because my dad liked those, so he didn't really have an issue with me liking them too because it was cool to him to share some interests. Which was nice.

And eventually we got a family computer and I was allowed to use it pretty regularly starting mainly in middle school. And I wanted to draw all my favorite cartoon characters.

It was really easy to find reference images of the Naruto characters and Dragon Ball Z characters I liked. Most of the image results were screenshots from the show or cool fanart of them using their powers to blow stuff up. And I figured finding images to reference for Kim Possible and My Little Pony wouldn't be any harder. I had started watching Friendship Is Magic recently. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were my favorites, and I wanted to draw them. And Kim. And Shego.

And it did not take a long scroll down the Google image search results to see more than just a little suggestive or outright explicit porn art of all of them. And my curious mind wanted to know why that was in the search results. It didn't seem to me like that should be so easily available. But it turned out a LOT of people. Mostly grown men. Decided the ponies and Kim and Shego were sexy and decided to draw and post on many many non-adult catered websites a lot of porn.

And suddenly my pony figures and Equestria girls dolls felt like sex objects in my bedroom. And my Kim Possible fanart sitting in my sketchbook felt dirty. And the shows weren't as fun to watch anymore. I didn't end up finishing all the seasons of Friendship is Magic.

I sort of just threw myself into the boy things I was allowed to like since then. People didn't really have any questions about that, especially since I socially transitioned to male in highschool. I bet plenty of them just assumed I liked boy stuff to go with my new boy gender lol.

I wish I had still enjoyed Kim Possible and My Little Pony when I was younger though. I missed those medias but felt like I couldn't even touch them anymore. Especially after I went through a sexual trauma in highschool that I honestly don't want to publicly recount. I want to rewatch both series for fun. But I still can't work up the nerve.

And I think a lot about like. How I was lucky to have boy interests to fall back on because I know and knew plenty of people raised as girls who weren't allowed to watch boy targeted media at all. Who probably went through something eerily similar and then had nothing at all that felt okay to watch.

And sometimes I wish this was more important to people when they discuss media consumption and fandom. Sometimes I wish people were more interested in adult centered fandom sites for their horny art so at least some kid on the internet knows it's going to be porn before they choose whether or not to click. Sometimes I wish some of the first things I heard about when engaging with fandom centered around kids media weren't the top ten most disgusting porn fics. And even though I don't post explicit NSFW on my art Tumblr, I try to make it clear I find Transformers characters attractive so that people understand that before deciding to follow me even there or view more of my art. Because I actually think open and up front disclosure of "I am an adult who finds cartoon characters attractive so keep that in mind before you choose to view my work" is important. And honestly the least I can do.

And I'm not like. Saying you have to stop drawing cartoon characters sexy or whatever. I know I'm not going to stop finding Transformers robots hot. And I'm not out to advocate for censorship. I just think like. People are too used to pointing and laughing at sites pushing "kid friendly" fixes to their apps that don't do anything but frustrate users and just mean porn goes untagged. And are too used to just. Seeing cartoon character porn unfiltered cross their dash. That even well intentioned people don't really stop to pause to be like. Hey maybe I don't want my horny drawing of a kids show character to be at the top of Google search results. And maybe I should filter the image appropriately with the sites' filters or choose a more adult site for it in general.

Because honestly kids should be allowed to enjoy media without adults' sex fantasies being constantly inescapable to them.

#otto thoughts

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lettersfromandie · 3 years

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Guns, Glory, Sad Endings: My Thoughts on "Mr. Sunshine"

So I just finished watching Mr. Sunshine and I cannot emphasize enough how overwhelmingly great and gripping it is. To say that I love it so much and it's my new favorite just isn't even enough. It is by far the best I have watched. I AM BLOWN AWAY. I don't think there's any so far that can measure up to how freakin' outstanding this drama is. It's a masterpiece!

For the interest of all (if you are), the story follows on the life of a boy from Joseon who was born into slavery. After a tragic event that happened between his parents and the noble family they served, he ends up in America to survive. Years later, he returns to Joseon to station as a United States Marine Corps officer, and meets a noblewoman in an unexpected encounter. As she tries to figure out if they are allies or foes, their growing relationship places an obstacle to their separate goals for Joseon.

Hearing a satisfactory review from my kdrama-addicted mother + reading that some people on the internet have this on their recommendations + it being one of the highest-rated kdramas in history, I can already tell that this drama is so worth the watch. Truth be told, it hugely exceeded my already high expectations! Grabe ang ganda talaga that I'm sure it will take some time for me to move on and find another drama with the same calibre as this.

Excellent storytelling and absolutely well-written. Watching it was so compelling that I wanted to click next episode immediately. But at the same time, I wanted to watch it slowly since I hate to finish it so soon 😢 I loved how I think it's not just plot-driven, but also character-driven. It shows not only the tremors of the rapidly changing Joseon, but also the struggles of the characters. With its v beautiful cinematography, it captures elements that make the story more evoking.

It never failed to stir so much emotions from me. As a feeling > thinking person, I easily do get emotional but the feels were more intense especially when a song is placed on a scene perfect for it. Its soundtrack is so well-crafted that it made the scenes more beautiful, more enthralling, more soul crushing... I've been listening to its OST on repeat for days now. And I enjoy playing the music videos because the song accompanied with the scenes from the drama pierces me more 💔

But of course, it wouldn't pierce my heart as much if it wasn't for the phenomenal acting. The casting in this one is so superb 💯. Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-Ri, Yoo Yeon-Seok, Byun Yo-Han, Kim Min-jung, and many other renowned actors in their supporting roles. They definitely did justice to their characters. I was so convinced and drawn to their acting that when I was watching videos and interviews of them, I was surprised yet fond of their real personality. Also checking their filmography and the various characters they have played throughout their career, I guess it's telling how versatile they are as artists.

If you're a history buff, loved Scarlet Heart, fans of those actors, or simply enjoys watching kdramas, this is a must watch!! I highly HIGHLY recommend Mr. Sunshine. If you've yet to watch it, here's what you can expect:

1. Guns

"Shaking hands implies that one isn't holding a weapon in them." "I like its meaning. When do we let go though?" "When you wish to wield a weapon." "At least for now, I don't wish to."

2. Glory

"Those were glorious days. Each of us was a flame, all of us bloomed, burnt & wilted vehemently. We wish to ignite the embers left by our comrades."

3. Sad Endings

"Sad endings always leave a lasting impression, a sorrowful conclusion."

But aside from those seemingly vehement words, there are also:

4. Romance (even bromance included)

"What is 'love'?" "Why are you asking?" "Because I want to do it. I heard it's better than earning a title." "I suppose it is, in a way."

5. Sarcasm and Humor

"Can you slice a flower petal exactly in half?" "I could cut you in half." "Horizontally or vertically?"

6. Beautifully written thought-provoking lines

"His choices were always quiet and heavy. They seemed selfish and sometimes cold. However, he was always walking in the right direction."

There's also this line that really lingered in my head:

"This country you're trying to protect. Who is it for? Is there a life for butchers? Is there a life for slaves?"

Somehow, that line is something that makes us think for whom are the things we do and the causes we fight for. That, I believe, is what Mr. Sunshine wanted to convey.

It's the kind of kdrama that makes me want to forget the details about it, just so that I can watch it again for the first time. It's so good that there's still so much I want to say. But I guess that's it, for now.

Love, Andie

#kdrama

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consumeronionbulletin · 1 year

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Her Private Life (2019)

This show was the caramel latte of rom-coms. Warm, safe, and sweet enough to rot your teeth if you take in too much. This wasn't quite a new favorite, but I still enjoyed it, and will probably watch the show again at some point.

What Worked

This show was carried by the cute factor of the OTP. It was mostly kind to the side characters, but didn't really give them nearly as much attention. Overall, the chemistry of the two leads, and the premise of the show was so good that you kind of didn't care when everyone else disappeared.

That being said, the show did a lot of smart, subtle things in the writing. It played it straight with a lot of common tropes, so when the show had the ML (**Spoilers**) actually figure out Seon-joo was a secret fan-girl in episode five (**End Spoilers**), it surprised me, and I was hooked from there. The entire dynamic in that arc, with the ML being teasing in one scene, and then secretly supportive in the next, was so good. The other relationship stuff they did was also excellent, but this was what made the show interesting and unique.

What Didn't Worked

The show was very strong overall, so there weren't a lot of missteps, but it did have a few weaknesses. The way it was filmed at the start, with moments where it almost leaned into anime, really showed the web novel origins of the show, and was very different from typical dramas. I liked this lens, but not everyone will.

Also, the amount of cute relationship stuff from the OTP could quickly turn a little too sweet. It wasn't not really a problem, just something to be aware of. There were times when I started rolling my eyes at the level of cute, and that's when I knew I should probably stop watching for awhile and pick the show up the next day.

(**Spoilers**) The childhood connection thing they did in the final arc of the episode bothered me a little. I understand why they did it, but it still felt a little lazy. I liked the way the arc (which had Young-sook be the one that dropped Ryan Gold off, and talked about a young child that died in a car accident) recontextualized the beginning of the show. The arc really did make me rethink Deok-mi's parents and their relationship. I just wish they had started laying the groundwork for that earlier. It felt like something they introduced at the last minute, which kept it from having the weight it should have (**End Spoilers**).

The Performances

Park Min-young as "secret fangirl" Sung Deok-mi. I think this is my favorite show of hers since Healer. On the other hand, it's also the only show of hers I've completely finished since Healer. She was adorable, and pulled off the humor and the cute stuff pretty well. The writing gave her alot to work with, though the show rarely tried to challenge her (other than the huge endurance challenge of being in pretty much every scene).

Kim Jae-wook as "perfect boyfriend" Ryan Gold / Heo Yoon-je. Some people have complained about him being too withdrawn and even a little wooden in this, but I think he was just following the brief. When the show called for him to open up and be all emotional, he did great. When it called for him to be funny, or cute, he did good with that as well. A solid performance, overall.

Ahn Bo-hyun as "the real director" Nam Eun-gi. I hated the stupid love triangle thing the writers pulled with him, but when they turned the angst down and let the character just breathe and hang out with the other characters, the character was fun to watch. Which shows how good an actor Ahn Bo-hyun could be when they gave him the chance.

Park Jin-joo as "super BFF" Lee Seon-joo. The only other show I've seen her in was It's Okay to Not Be Okay where she was fun, but quirky as heck. She did a great job here, even with the stupid "joke" Lesbian relationship they did in the first few episodes. Just funny and interesting and it made me want to see what else the actor could do.

Im Ji-kyu as "worst Oppa" Kang Seung-min. Not really a standout character from a writing standpoint and the acting wasn't bad, but not really memorable either.

Kim Mi-kyung as "knitting Oma" Go Young-sook. Kim Mi-kyung is a legend for a reason. This is exactly her kind of role and she did a great job. She played a quirky character really well, and when the writers did the "big reveal" at the end, she did a good job with that as well.

Maeng Sang-hoon as "rock enthusiast Appa" Sung Geun-ho. He played kind of joke character through most of it, but it was a funny joke. He handled the dramatic final arc well enough, but it was easy for him to slip into the background compared to all the other actors on the screen.

Kim Bo-ra as "stalker fangirl" Sindy / Kim Hyo-jin. The writers gave her a pretty good arc, and she did a fine job with it. She was funny and annoying when they needed her to be at the start, but it was nice to see the (mostly believable) development throughout the series.

Kim Sun-young as "worst boss and worst Oma" Uhm So-hye. Every time the character walked into the scene, I had a moment of dread. And it was a relief when she left, which proved that Kim Sun-young did a good job with the role she was given, I guess.

Jung Jae-won as "the idol" Cha Shi-an / Sian. Jung Jae-won is a full time rapper & songwriter, so I think this was a case where they knew the limits of the actor and wrote the character to match. He looked and acted the part of an idol very well, but tended to fade in the background alot of the time. So a good job, but not a standout.

Lee Il-hwa as "Missing Oma" Gong Eun-young / Lee Sol. The actor did a good job with what she was given, but I wish the writers had given the character a little more depth. Still, that wasn't really the kind of show they were doing.

Hong Seo-young as "perennial third wheel" Choi Da-in. Again, the actor was mostly okay, but she was given a very thin character who was mostly there to stir up drama. Just like with Nam Eun-gi, when they gave her scenes where she was able to breathe and hang out with the other characters, it was fun to watch, but those scenes were few and far between.

The Kids. The young tyke who played Seon-joo and Seung-min's son, and did alot of judo was cute. The other scenes with children were mostly pleasant, though again the show liked to lean hard into the cute factor at times. Overall, they did good.

Everyone Else. The office people where there, and were mostly funny, but had very little development. The coffeeshop temp / future rock star guy had a few fun moments, but didn't really stand out. The guest stars (like the author guy, Eun-gi's mom, the fangirls, etc.) had mostly good performances, though the show kind of forgot about some of that by the end of it as it focused on the drama part of it over the romcom stuff.

TL; DR:

A fun, sweet show with enough angst and drama to keep it interesting. If you like Park Min-young and Kim Jae-wook (which I did), you'll enjoy the show. Otherwise, you'll probably stop watching pretty quickly.

#my kdrama notes #her private life #i hate love triangles #but this was okay

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slutdery · 3 years

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bloody valentine: a nct series.

immorality wasn’t easy, but these creatures had their own ways of having sex fun from centuries to centuries.

DISCLAIMER: They are kind of “connected” (you can read them separately!!), so don’t be surprised if another character shows up on other parts. Plus i don’t do gore and they’re a 100% smut, read it at your own cost.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m so sorry for not starting the other series, but i promise to really do this one! I’m so excited for it cos i love Kim Petras so damn much.

close your eyes; ten.

↳ “sometimes the best things kinda hurt”

↳ DESCRIPTION: Although people in your town believed with their lifes that vampires existed, for you it was bullshit. You were fearless to walk alone in the middle of the night, even though your friends warned you about the supernatural creatures. Turns out that just maybe you weren’t that brave when you met Ten.

↳ STATUS: bloody

massacre; jaehyun.

↳ “don't lose your head, love when you beg, love when you cry”

↳ DESCRIPTION: A valentine trip. Just you and him in the middle of the woods, being alone for the first time since you started dating. Everything was supposed to be perfect, but things got down bad when the full moon revealed his secrets.

↳ STATUS: bloody

death by sex; jungwoo.

↳ “you'll be missin' me in the afterlife”

↳ DESCRIPTION: Jungwoo has always been a mysterious boy, but still otherworldly gorgeous, he left you dying to have a taste of him. When he appeared in one of your realistic dirty dreams, guilty pleasure started to run through your veins. He surely put you to sleep in the best way.

↳ STATUS: bloody

in the next life; hendery.

↳ “your time is up, i’m your nightmare, i’m your omen”

↳ DESCRIPTION: He sworn everyone would remember him in the next life. They did. They feared Hendery, the fallen angel, the devil’s son. Lust was his middle name and he had been stalking you for a long time, wanting everything you had to gave him. You couldn’t be saved anymore.

↳ STATUS: bloody

wrong turn; yuta.

↳ “i am who you really fear, hold your tears, save the prayers”

↳ DESCRIPTION: Not the best night to go out, neither the best night to meet Yuta. His goddess features intrigued you, his mysterious charming aura had you all over him. The night was only beginning, but your blood was already coming to an end.

↳ STATUS: bloody

turn off the light; yangyang.

↳ “feelin' the pressure, the pain turns into pleasure”

↳ DESCRIPTION: Halloween was your favorite time of the year. Your friends loved to do spooky games on a forest house of your family, but with a new addiction to the group things turned a bit bloody under the moonlight. Midnight in the dark had all of your dirty wishes being fulfilled.

↳ STATUS: bloody

tell me it’s a nightmare; jaemin.

↳ “i'm a demon in the shadows and you stepped into the dark”

↳ DESCRIPTION: You should always be careful with what you wish for. Summoning an inccubus for entertainment wasn’t a good idea, as appealing as it sounds. You knew he’d be the end of you, but you still wanted more of him, which lead to a not so happy ending and your vitality being sucked out of your body.

↳ STATUS: bloody

there will be blood; jeno.

↳ “i've been dying to feel alive and your pain is my paradise”

↳ DESCRIPTION: A small town was very known for having supernatural stories, tourists always visited there to meet the creatures that lived around. You were amazed to finally have the chance to go there, but you never thought you wouldn’t leave.

↳ STATUS: bloody

#nct series #nct smut #jeno smut #jaemin smut #ten smut #yangyang smut #hendery smut #yuta smut #jaehyun smut #jungwoo smut #nct x reader #halloween series #neosmutcollective #so exciteeeed

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gelatomesomeironqrow · 2 years

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Okay, so my thoughts and opinions on Kinnporsche, the characters and stories, since I've literally spammed ya'll with my reblogging for literal weeks now.

I love it. It's different. It's mature. I wish I could read the book because apparently these characters are even more intense and sometimes more cruel than their live action counterparts.

Anyways.

I adore Porsche. I love Kinn. I am obsessed with Vegas. Tankhun and Pete must be protected at all costs. Porchay isn't my favorite but he is cute. Kim is too pretty to look at.

So. Let me delve into this intense, mature series that I am obsessed with.

They legit tried to convince us that Porsche was this cool guy who gets all the ladies he wants, has all the guys wanting to be him when in reality he is an awkward, chaotic, bisexual man who has no idea what the heck he is doing and is just trying to get through the day to support himself and his younger brother. I adore Porsche. I adore him for trying to understand Kinn and for trying his hardest to have a relationship with him.

Alright onto Kinn.

This openly gay man who holds everyone at an arm's length because he has major trust issues but still cares for his team, who legit won't let any of his one night stands kiss him on the mouth but kisses Porsche twice without thinking about it. This dude has anger issues aswell but it's legit just the trust issues he needs focus on right now. I love him very much thank you so please take your Kinn hate else where because this boy this last episode is so in love with Porsche that even though Porsche was snooping behind his back, there is no way in heck that he is letting Tawan convince him that Porsche is the mole. He basically says that he has a plan, did he fill Porsche in with that plan? Maybe, probably not. Hence why he said he needed to clear things up with him. Let the man figure out who the mole is before passing judgement on him okay? Remember this dude said he had a million enemies and that everyone wants him dead. His only somewhat serious fling ended up selling his family's information to the Italians and is now claiming they are holding his family hostage, which, any sane person whose boyfriend is the heir to the mafia would go to him and tell him what was going on instead of betraying him. So no, I don't believe Tawan in the slightest, I bet he even poisoned himself to garner sympathy. Kinn sure as heck doesn't believe him, he is playing along sure, he may also be reminiscing because this dude is also a hopeless romantic. Again, I love Kinn and anyone who slanders him will be ignored in this thread.

Moving on:

This motherf***er. This manipulative b*stard. I've heard about the shit he does in the books and while I'm glad they will most likely tone that down in the show, the shit he has done so far. He is one bad mofo. I am obsessed with the actor's portrayal of this character. I am just obsessed. *chef's kiss*

Tankhun, this guy was kidnapped as a child and whatever they did to him has traumatized him as an adult. He is "crazy" but is he just pretending just to get out of being the heir or is he actually crazy due to trauma? There has been several times when he has been smarter than everyone and then he acts outrageously crazy right after. It's interesting, at one time I even thought he was the mole because he was kind of suspicious in the way he acted but now... now I just think the guy got kidnapped due to his mafia connections and said, nope. This is not for me but also, I could probably do this better than any of you if I really wanted to. Which I don't. But I could. Just so you know. I'm smarter than you.

Pete. This precious cinnamon roll. Who is most likely already being tormented by Vegas due to how his character is slowly changing. He started off being all smiley and happy who didn't drink on the job and took his job seriously. But now, after watching movies/kdramas with Tankhun all night, he has come back to the room drunk af. He is staying more in the background lately and probably wants to tell Porsche what is going on but can't because Porsche is dealing with his own crap and no one else he is close with to tell. I'm scared for him because Vegas is so manipulative and sadistic.

Porchay and Kim. I'll talk about these two together because... personally Porchay is not my favorite character, I like him, I think he is cute, but honestly... his story so far... anyways, I'm not here to say negative things about him. Kim on the other hand. His story is complicated, he is clearly trying to play detective and uncover some great mystery set in place by his father, his father who let's him live away from the family mansion and therefore his protection. Kinn and Tankhun live at home, one terrified and one the next in line to the mafia throne as it were. His father lowkey seemed afraid of him in a way. But on the other hand, he has this cute little love story with Porchay that started because he was using him for information while simultaneously helping him.

Kim is also ridiculously pretty. I can't even look at him.

There are plenty of characters and overall the only one I truly don't like is Tawan, but only because it is so obvious he is only back because it's a plot against Kinn and his family. The series is amazing so far and I can't wait for the next episode.

#kinnporsche: the series #kinnporsche spoilers #gelato blogs #my thoughts and opinions #Kinn is my favorite but Vegas is just something else

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kira-fluff · 4 years

Note

Hi!can you do o. What would the RFA react if they know about Mc's dark past?(like family problems and being alone with no friends and getting cheated)

MC with a Dark Past

Sure! I’ve updated by rules list since you’ve requested so if I did not include one of your favorites please DM me and I’d be happy to include it! :) I chose Jumin, Saeyoung, Saeran as they are frequently requested and this ended up being kinda long!

TW: Abusive family/relationships, bullying, mentions of weight, eating disorders, cheating (not on MM characters part)

Jumin

this man is judgemental

when it comes to everyone else

but when it comes to you

he’d never, EVER judge you for anything

when you’d at last gained enough courage to open up about your family’s history of abuse

it felt so shameful

tears left marks down your cheeks as your face grew scarlet

trying to shield your tears from him only made you cry more

you could still remember the commanding voice of your father

the fear instilled in you

that made you flinch at the swing of an arm

or cower when another’s voice is raised

you couldn’t stand the thought of ever hurting Jumin in that way

but part of you feared

what if it was in your blood?

what if a part of your father still lingered in you?

were you capable of what he did?

while these thoughts engulfed your mind, warm arms wrapped around your shaking shoulders

snaking down to your waist as well-toned muscles embraced you tightly

his faint musky cologne drifted toward your nostrils

providing you with a sense of peace and security

your labored breathing began to slow

eventually dying down to gentle ins and outs

he’d whisper, “it’s alright, darling”

“i’ve got you”

“no one will hurt you now”

a part of him has to hold back the boiling anger in his stomach

that anyone, ever

would lay a finger on you in that way

but he knew that you were also so, so strong

fiercely independent

and always growing

so while he knew he wanted to protect you

and trust me, he will

he also knew that the real battle

you’ve already won

Saeyoung

you felt bad talking about your problems

especially knowing how deeply he struggled with his own

but he’d been adamant

“Y/n, you need to talk to me about this. Please.”

his golden eyes lay beneath furrowed brows, slightly raised in the center in concern

there was something in them you couldn’t quite place

you knew he’d never like you back because, well..

no one ever has

so when it had been eating away at you

confess, confess, confess to him!

you’d tried your best to shake your selfish thoughts out of your mind

looking back, it wasn’t hard to see where it all began

your mother

she was your worst critic

not that you had any friends at school to name of

“I didn’t raise you to be so fat”

“let’s go on a diet together”

by the time you were 10, you were enrolled in after school sports activities as well as rigorous academic tutoring

her screaming still rang in your ears

“YOU WERE THE WORST MISTAKE I EVER MADE”

your only ally – Papa – left you

he left you alone with that woman

who was supposed to be your mother

she never hit you

but her words felt like knives through your heart

you were so useless, you’ve known that since you were 4

“If you don’t place this piano recital well, don’t expect there to be much dinner for you tonight. you’ve practically gorged yourself already.”

you’d accidentally played a natural instead of a sharp

beads of sweat gathered as you began to panic, more of your sweaty fingers slipping of keys

just as your mother promised, you went to bed with an empty stomach

by the time you were 14 you were falling in and out of eating disorders, eventually resulting in a hospitalization

it was the first time you’d ever seen your mother smile

“you’ve finally lost a bit of weight. keep it up.”

your sunken cheeks and fatigue resulted in a long hospital stay

ultimately requiring liquid fluids

your mother tried to tamper with them until a nurse called a social worker

noticing your tired expression

an expression a 14 year old girl should never make

lifeless, giving up

at last, you were swept from your mother’s strings on you and placed into a psychiatric ward before being released for foster care

foster care wasn’t always great

but your luck at least brought you an adoption at age 16 by a single woman named Kim Ji-woo

you wondered how you ever were lucky enough to have her

Saeyoung held back for a while before at last interrupting you

“Y/n –”

nothing else came out

besides languishing tears before enveloping you in a tight hug

hiding his sniffles in the crook of your neck

he couldn’t manage to say just how much he knew

just how much he knew what it was like

but for now

he just wanted to hold you as close as possible

Saeran

“Y/n, you can tell me whenever you’re ready. I don’t want to push you.”

you never felt ready

so you dropped the subject

he willingly complied

but his gazed remained on you for quite a while

he knew the face of suffering, silent suffering, you carried

he wished he could heal it all away.

he waited patiently to tell him

it didn’t actually happen until one night you’d gotten drunk

he’d carried you home, you on his back

when he’d carried you into his apartment you were already crying, the sentimental drunk you were

“I’m such an idiot~~~”

feeling bad for you, he’d grabbed a cup of water and gently stroked your head

“he was a mistake”

saeran’s eyes grew wide, a twinge of hurt as he feared you were talking about him

“he.. he took my virginity.. and i let him. and- and- and –” you sniffled, heaving, “he cheated on me!”

Saeran looked at your eyes filled with such anguish

he’d never felt such a strong urge to wrap you in a tight hug

but respecting you, and fearing he’d be consider “taking advantage of your drunken state”

he opted to lightly stroking your head

whispering sweet words of affirmation

he’d sat down set to you

the next morning you both arose from the lumpy couch with sore backs

you realized you’d fallen asleep

and awoke to your shoulder asleep, Saeran’s light breathing tickling your ear

you’d brushed the hair out of his eyes, kissing his forehead

though you were hung over, you quietly whispered your thanks

Saeran sighed deeply in his sleep

he’d worry about you all over again once he realized you had gotten up and were no longer next to him

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hargrieve · 3 years

Text

hargrieve’s fic recs — september

happy unnaturally warm autumn! climate change is upon us! I am indoors and I keep reading and reading and reading. I'm kind of going through a kpop phase right now (three guesses as to who my biases are based on the fic below lmao). even though haikyuu did sink its hooks into me for like eight months, I initially started this fic rec series last year to keep track of my wandering hyperfixations, so here we are with my first major fandom swerve of the year! do not worry, haikyuu readers, I will be back for you so soon. season 5 when

(but seriously, txt blogs please hit me up, I am desperate)

@ravenclawboys <3

FANDOMS: HAIKYUU!!, BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Haikyuu!! recs:

zero to hero by sketchedsmiles

akagin; rated T+; 18.8k words; 1/1; gin pov

superhero au :) civilian gin is saved by masked superhero akagi

i’m a sucker for any and all superhero au’s but this one is especially well-done. i loved gin’s voice and akagi’s characterization and the way everything ties back together in the end :)

featuring miya atsumu who won’t stop chasing superheroes sightings on internet forums and kita shinsuke trying to shut down his posts

BTS recs:

let the waves chase us down by watchtheleaves @noctiluka

namjoon/seokjin/hoseok; rated T+; 5.7k words; 1/1; namjoon pov

summer camp counselor au. namjoon is sick in bed all day

a short but very complete au featuring ot7. one of my favorite things about this fic is that instead of the camp counselor setting being used as a get-together trope, each character (particularly hyung line) really has an established place in this universe

2seok are so sweet to classic overthinking namjoon

love is no big truth by venusghost

vmin, namkook; rated M; 3.6k words; 1/1; namjoon pov

in which an aghast and appalled namjoon can’t stop third-wheeling cosmic soulmates vmin. canon compliant, boy with luv era

“Be the leader of the group, they said. With your temperament, it’ll be easy, they said.“

SHORT HILARIOUS WONDERFUL READ that so captures the essence of both vmin soulmate behavior and kim namjoon’s philosophies on love. and also being in the wrong place at the wrong time

on earth we're briefly gorgeous by notyoongs

hopekook; rated T+; 17.8k words; 1/1; hoseok pov

hogwarts au in which charming hufflepuff quidditch player hoseok is a seventh-year and super shy ex-student jungkook is a ghost who has a big crush on him

as much as this is a cute hopekook fic, it is also a story about growth and spending time with the people you love and finding what makes you happy

kind of sad, as one would expect from a ship where one of them is a dead ghost, but it is very heartwarming. 10/10 cute

over + under by honeyboyyoon

vmin; rated E; 28.6k words; 1/1; taehyung pov

soulmate au where vmin are not soulmates

writer taehyung and the many painful ways in which he loves his not-soulmate jimin

my favorite thing was the imagery in the fic. I’m obsessed with the way the author writes weather and color and sensation into metaphor. pure prose poetry

TXT recs:

you wouldn't do it, but i just might by renaissances

yeonbin; rated T+; 17k words; 1/1; yeonjun pov

canon compliant trainee/pre-debut era. non-linear narrative where half the story is forward on the day that yeonjun’s introduction film was released in 2019 and half the story is in flashbacks

time-skipping narrative done extremely well. a yeonjun character study where he reconciles 1) the fact that he was bighit’s top-ranked legendary trainee, 2) the fact that soobin was named txt’s leader over him, and 3) his feelings for soobin

if any of you were around for when I cried over hatsuna’s “I wish to live in a world” back in march, I felt exactly the same emotions reading this. 10000/10 I love ao3 renaissance’s writing style and pacing and development so much

I feel like if you’ve been in the txt fandom longer than I have (and you definitely have), you’ve already read this

recs I received in my inbox (all for haikyuu!!):

a liar’s truth by internetpistol

sakuatsu; rated E; 50k words; 2/2

summary: “In which Sakusa Kiyoomi is raised to believe that gay people go to hell but then takes one look at Miya Atsumu and thinks, then why the hell did God make them so fucking hot?”

bound by internetpistol

sakuatsu; rated E; 68k words; 3/3

summary: “Miya Atsumu and Sakusa Kiyoomi get cast in a gay film together where they, in the words of The Great Philosopher Rihanna, fell in love in a hopeless place.”

one more time, with feeling by liliapocalypse

sakuatsu; rated T+; 15k words; 1/1

summary: “Kiyoomi has a crush, but there’s just one, tiny problem: he basically malfunctions around his senpai. So when he finds out that his high school rival and now college batchmate is actually a shapeshifter, he swallows his pride for a favor: he asks Atsumu to shapeshift as his crush and be his practice date.”

your ivy grows by sketchedsmiles

matsuhana; rated T+; 11k words; 1/1

summary: “When Hanamaki Takahiro shows up on Matsukawa’s doorstep after being fired from his second job in a row, it’s instinctual for Matsukawa to offer him a place to stay until he gets back on his feet again. // It doesn’t take long for the cracks in Hanamaki’s cheerful and upbeat exterior to appear, and it is up to Matsukawa to keep his best friend from falling over the edge completely.”

my twitter

past fic recs

send me a rec!

>> honestly, since these are no longer haikyuu-only lists, if you have any recent faves from your favorite fandoms, go ahead and pop them into my inbox and I will properly tag them when I post

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sope-and-shine · 3 years

Text

Written In the Stars: Finale

-> SFW // Soulmate!AU // fluff, // Mummy!Namjoon, Moon Goddess!Taehyung

-> Pairing: Namjoon x Reader // Taehyung x Reader

-> Word Count: 7k

-> Summary: Life after losing a loved one is challenging, especially when you’ve had the chance to see just how long the two of you have spent passing each other by. With it only being a few weeks since your loss, you’ve found your life has become dull and despondent. You can’t help but wonder if you’ll be able to move on, even with the help of friends.

-> Warning(s): mild language

a/n: I can’t believe we’re actually at the end 😭😭 I’ve put so much time and love into this story and I’m both sad and happy that I’ve been able to finish it! I hope everyone enjoys!

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Masterlist

“Ma’am, where’s the restroom?”

You turn and see a father holding a small boy in his arms, and you immediately jump into action, “Take a right out of these doors, down the hall until you see the blue traffic sign, and it’ll be on the right. There should be a Daffodil portrait on the wall right before your turn.”

The man heaves a happy - very relieved - sigh, “Thank you!”

“Of course!” You watch as he speedwalks out of the exhibit and takes off down the hall. You can only hope he actually makes it there.

The day shift has definitely been more exciting. It’s only been a few weeks, but your days have been filled with more excitement since you switched. You tried to continue with the night shift post, but the silence just became too overwhelming. Thankfully, Hoseok seemed to understand when you told him.

You switched back to the day shift in hopes it would help to take your mind off of Namjoon. You thought being surrounded by others would make you feel less lonely, but you can’t help but think about how your life has changed so drastically.

Adjusting to your new life hasn’t been easy. Everywhere you look, you’re reminded of Namjoon. You hear his laugh by the water fountains, you see his hair in crowds on the street, and you can still feel his arms around you at night as you lay in bed.

At first, you thought it was something you could handle. You thought if you embraced his goodbye, then you’d be content to live the rest of your life without him. But no one told you losing love would hurt this bad.

You’ve tried to do other things, like knitting and working out, but you’re not very good at either one - nor do you really like them. Cooking had seemed like a good idea until you realized that meant cleaning the dishes. With every attempt to move on, you seem to take 3 large steps back.

You find yourself going to places Namjoon would have liked. Spontaneous trips to the park lead to long evenings by the river. Extra hours at the museum have you wandering through the exhibits just to look at the art one more time. Even a quick trip to the store has you buying things you’ve never thought to try.

The one place you never go is the King’s exhibit. At least, not of your own free will. It’s only happened twice - once being today - because someone had to call out. And just like the time before, you find yourself at the aquarium.

A place where Namjoon was truly happy.

The touch tanks have quickly become a favorite of yours. They allow you time to think to yourself and drift off, to daydream about a handsome king with an endearing fascination for the world around him.

You like to visit the crabs the most. Mostly because you know Namjoon would if he could. He thought they were the cutest on your outing together, and holding the tiny creature in your palm you can see why.

“Ow!” You flinch at the small pinch from the crustacean. Your hands jerk, but you try to protect the crab the best you can without dropping it.

“Here-” A large hand reaches in front of you and plucks the crab from your hands, “These guys get a little finicky when you hold them up too high.”

You place your thumb over the pinch and turn to him, “Really? I can’t-” You pause mid-sentence.

Now, looking at the crab’s savior, you see him. Lilac strands poke out of the blue university hat he’s wearing. His khaki shorts are worn and just barely reach his knees, and his sneakers are all worn out. Even the socks he’s wearing have slightly lost their vibrance. His baggy t-shirt doesn’t hide the fact that he’s more fit than he was a few weeks ago, but a few weeks ago he had disappeared right in front of you. But there’s no mistaking that dimpled smile.

This is Namjoon.

You stare at him like a deer in headlights, and you must look exactly how you feel because his smile turns to concern, “Are you okay?” He asks.

You nod, “Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine…” You’re not. You’re absolutely stunned and he doesn’t seem to recognize you. They do say everyone in the world has 4 people that look just like them. How unfortunate that you’ve found his. “You just...look really familiar.”

“Really? Well, I guess that means I have a memorable face then.” He muses, chuckling to himself - Exactly like Namjoon. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” You take another selfish moment to look at him, admiring how gentle he is with the small creature in his hands. “You really seem to like the crabs.”

“Yeah, I do!” He nods enthusiastically, “I really only applied here as an excuse to play in the touch tanks.”

“Something easy to wind down from classes?” You ask.

His eyes widen in surprise, and he turns to you as if you suddenly grew 2 extra heads, “How’d you know?”

You giggle, “You’re wearing a university hat with your grad year.”

“Really?!” You nod and he pulls the cap off of his head, letting out a frustrated groan when he confirms he’s wearing his university hat, “No wonder my supervisor straight up ignored me this morning. This is the third time this month I’ve grabbed the wrong one.”

“At least it’s a nice hat.” You assure him, trying to remain positive.

He places the cap back on his head and sighs, “Tell that to him.” He brings the small crab still resting in his palms eye level, “This little guy knows exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t you, buddy?”

“Don’t tell me you speak crab.”

“Of course I do! You just have to know how to listen.” He says matter of factly.

“Alright then. Ask him how he’s doing.”

“I will.” He turns to the crab and stares at it as if they’re having a staring contest, “How are you feeling, little guy?” He moves the crab up to his ear and acts as though it’s whispering to him, nodding and humming disagreement, “I see...I’d be pretty frightened too.”

You narrow your eyes, “What did he say?”

“He said he was having a great day until someone came and held him up too high.” He teases.

“You’re taller than me!” You argue.

He looks you up and down, nodding, “You’re right…” He seems to contemplate for a moment before he shrugs with a sly smile, “He probably just likes me better.”

“Oh, really now?” You challenge. He nods proudly and you scoff, “Well, what’s your name? Resident Crab Whisperer?”

“No! That’s way too long.” He laughs. He extends the hand not cradling a crab towards you and smiles, “My name is Kim Namjoon.”

“Well…” You hesitate, trying your best not to react. You swallow your nerves and shake his hand with a smile of your own, “-It’s nice to meet you, Kim Namjoon. Any relation to the mummy at the museum?”

“That hopeless romantic from the Seoul Museum?” He jokes. He takes this moment to place the crab back into his touch tank, “Yeah, he’s like a great-great-super great uncle or something like that.”

“Well, you look like him.” You say. He gives you a confused look and you’re quick to back-pedal, “His portraits! You look like his portraits.”

“I do?” He asks.

“Besides the purple hair, I’d say you’re the spitting image.”

“I’ll have to check it out myself then.”

“Well, their hours are 8am to 10pm Monday through Saturday and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday.” He gives you a pointed look and you shrug, “I’ve been the night guard the past few years. I just switched to day shift.”

“Really?!” He asks in disbelief, “Isn’t it creepy working the graveyard shift? It must be way too quiet.”

“Not really.” You think back to the nights you spent with your Namjoon and how he made you laugh. You remember asking him the same thing one Saturday night after the museum closed. You two were much closer than his first Sunday there, but you couldn’t help but worry about how he must get through the night alone. But Namjoon was a king. He wasn’t worried about a bit of peace and quiet. “A friend of mine once told me that silence is more reassuring than anything. It means peace.”

“They sound wise.”

“He was...” You can’t help but think about Namjoon’s absence.

This always happens when you think about any good times you may have had, remembering how much fun you had and how you’ll likely never have it again. Being in front of this Namjoon does nothing to help you feel at ease.

“You know that movie-?! It’s-Oh...What was it called…?” The lilac-haired Namjoon suddenly claps his hands together with a proud smile, “Night at the Museum! Anything like that happen after hours?”

You chuckle to yourself, knowing better than anyone how Ben Stiller’s character felt during that movie. Of course, the Namjoon in front of you would never believe you, “I wish. It’d make some of the exhibits a lot more interesting.”

He nods, “I bet they’d be pretty interactive too…Could you imagine history telling itself?!”

“Please, I don’t want to hear about the love-life of a thousand-year-old mummy.” You joke, knowing full well you already have.

“Yeah, I guess that would get annoying after a while...always lamenting about love and what-not…” He seems slightly disappointed, but his smile comes right back, “Why don’t you let me show you around and I’ll tell you about our exhibits instead?”

You’re taken aback by his boldness, “Oh, are you sure?” He nods, “I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything.”

“Don’t worry about it! My shift ended like 30 minutes ago and this place is only open for another 3 hours.” He assures you, “So, what do you say?”

Maybe it’s because he’s the spitting image of Namjoon, or maybe it’s the similarities in their personas. Maybe it’s just the way his dimples appear every time he laughs and his laugh sounds just like his. No matter what it is that’s drawing you to this Namjoon, you find that your heart has taken over for your brain and it’s putty in his hands, “Sure. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Namjoon breaks into an excited grin, dimples on full display, “That’s the spirit!” He straightens his posture and holds his arm out for you as if he were a butler or an escort, “From here until the aquarium closes, consider me your personal tour guide for the rest of the evening. There won’t be a bench you haven’t sat on by the time we’re done!”

He’s confident.

But perhaps he’s too confident…

He takes you to places you’ve been before, educating you on every animal in great detail. He doesn’t miss a single species, and he takes great care to make sure you see what he’s talking about - guiding your head and pointing in the right direction. His enthusiasm is infectious, and you could listen to him talk for hours. He’s so well-spoken, and he describes everything in such wonderful detail. It comes as no surprise to you when he mentions himself to be a literature major.

He has such a unique personality and the most terrible humor. He tells you about his bike and how much he enjoys riding by the river and through the park. He tells you about his love for moon jelly and how it’s like looking up at the sky when you see them. Everything about him is just so uniquely him, but you can’t help but see all of the similarities he holds to your Namjoon.

His physical features are all the same: his eyes, his nose, his lips, his dimples, his height, and even his haircut! There’s no doubt that this Namjoon would look identical to your Namjoon if his hair were the same dark brown. His interest in the Moon and his love of literature. Your Namjoon would have excelled academically in this world just like this Namjoon. Even his love of small creatures and terribly out-of-date dad jokes is exactly the same!

He’s Namjoon.

But he doesn’t hold the memories of your Namjoon…

Taehyung had told you how Fate had tried to warn him several times. How Fate couldn’t change what would happen, and she could only hope to guide everyone to the best outcome without ruining the future herself. But how cruel could Fate be to have another Namjoon this close to you yet not be yours. To thrust this on you so soon without even a few months to grieve more.

How could someone be so heartless?

---

“And this would be the last bench of our tour.” Namjoon says as you exit the aquarium, extending an arm as he presents it to you.

“Oh wow...” You thank him and take a seat, playing along with his charade - as you have all night - as you pretend to admire the bench. You admire the dedication plaque for just a moment before you turn to him in mock disappointment, “I thought you said we’d see everything on this tour?”

He shrugs, “I may have rambled here and there...” He seems almost sheepish as he realizes how he went on and on over every topic the two of you talked about, “Sorry about that.”

“No worries here.” You assure him. You’d take 5 more tours just to listen to him ramble on and on for hours, “Now I know that fish talk through make sounds by vibrating their muscles against their bladder. Pretty weird, but I wouldn’t know that if you hadn’t told me.”

“Well, I’m glad I could educate you a bit.” He seems nervous, shoving his hands into his pockets as he shifts from one foot to the other, “Maybe we can do this again?”

“Uh…” You hesitate, “Yeah. Maybe.”

It’s just a tour. No harm in that.

“Maybe...I could take you to dinner too?” He asks.

There’s some harm in that.

He already seems nervous so you try to find the right words to say, “Oh, I-” But your face seems to give you away way too easily.

“You’re not interested.”

“No-!”

“It’s okay! I get it, I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” You stand up and try to explain, but he seems to already have your rejection in his mind.

“No, please, don’t feel like you have to. I’ve been told I can be a bit pushy.”

“No, that’s really not it! I’d love to go to dinner with you!”

That seems to catch his attention.

“Really?”

You nod, “Yeah! Just not now, or like-...anytime soon.”

The last of Namjoon’s hope turns into skepticism, “Are you sure you’re not just saying that?”

“I know how it sounds, but please-!” You stop yourself before you can blurt out the wrong thing and scare him off entirely, “I lost someone really special to me recently. His loss hasn’t been easy for me, and I don’t want to jump into something too soon. I don’t think that’d be fair to you if I’m still hung up on someone else.”

“Oh wow...I’m really sorry about that.” You thank him and take a moment to breathe, holding yourself back from the tears that want to break free, “I went through a loss not too long ago too! You’re taking the right steps, and I appreciate you thinking about my feelings.”

You smile, “Of course! Everyone deserves that.”

“Well, no dinner then, but maybe another tour next weekend? Same time?” He asks, “Strictly hanging out though. No dinner.”

You nod, “I’d love that.”

“Then it’s a date!” He says excitedly. Though, as soon as the words leave his mouth he’s stepping over himself to correct what he’d said, “Not a date! Absolutely not a date. No, ma’am.”

You can’t help but smile fondly at how endearing he is, “I can’t wait.”

You squeeze the strap of the bag on your shoulder with one hand and wave with the other, turning and departing from the current Namjoon. Maybe in time, you can fall in love with this Namjoon for who he is and not because he reminds you of your Namjoon. At that point, then this lilac-haired, crab-loving, literature enthusiast would be your Namjoon.

You can only hope that day comes sooner rather than later.

“So, that’s it then?”

“I’m sorry?” You turn around confused, only about 50 feet away.

“I can’t believe you’re just going to be nice to this me, but not the one that waited 1,000 years for you!” He explains.

You’re so confused that it takes a second to grasp what this Namjoon is saying, and then it hits you. This Namjoon isn’t just any Namjoon.

He’s your Namjoon.

King Kim Namjoon.

The Hopeless Romantic from the Seoul Museum of Art and History.

“Namjoon…?” You ask. You know it’s him, you’re confident. But it still seems like it’s way too good to be true.

He nods, “It’s me.”

In an instant, you’re running towards him. You fling yourself into his awaiting arms and squeeze him as tight as humanly possible, burying your face into his neck as the tears begin to form in your eyes. You let your hands thread through his soft, purple locks and allow yourself to relax with his arms squeezing around your waist.

You bask in this overwhelming feeling of being whole again. You feel light and complete for the first time in weeks and it fills you with so much joy that you can hardly contain yourself. The embrace feels like that first kiss all over again, and you just never want to let him go.

As you calm down and you come to realize that Namjoon isn’t going anywhere, you pull away just enough so you can see his own tear-stained face. His cheeks are red and his eyes are puffy, but his smile is unmistakable with those gorgeous dimples of his.

Looking at him, it’s now that you realize…

He remembered you this whole time.

You smack his chest - not enough to hurt him, but enough so he knows you mean business - and he flinches, “How dare you play with me like this, Namjoon? Do you know how hard the past few weeks have been for me?!”

“I’m sorry!” He apologizes. He runs his hands up and down your sides affectionately, trying to keep you close - and not angry with him, “Trust me when I say this wasn’t easy for me either.”

As much as you would love to be mad with him for pretending he didn’t know you, you can’t. You’re just happy he’s here more than anything. But that still begs the question, “How are you here?”

“I’m not supposed to say much, but I can tell you the other deities had a few tricks up their sleeves.” He explains. He takes a moment to admire your features and leans down to press a kiss to your temple, “But I think most of the thanks needs to go to Taehyung.”

Your eyes widen in shock, “You know about him?!”

He nods, “It was a shock, but he and the other deities explained everything.” He pulls you closer and uses a hand to cup your face, “They gave me a whole life to share with you.”

You lean into his touch, but you’re still reeling from everything that’s happened in such a short time, “And you just remember everything?”

“They gave me the memories back.” He corrects. He’s so close now and you want nothing more than to start where the two of you had left off before you broke the spell, “I guess Fate had a backup plan for him.”

“Thank Fate for that.” You say before giving in to your temptation and pulling your soulmate in for a much needed, long-awaited, proper kiss

* *

“You wanted to see me?”

You look up from your paperwork to see Taehyung standing in your doorway, wearing his favorite emerald 3 piece suit. His fist is raised to the door frame as if he knocked just before he spoke. You must not have heard him.

You wave him in, “Yeah, come in! I’m just finishing up with this finance report.” You expect him to come right in, but he seems hesitant to do so. “Are you okay?”

“Am I not in trouble?” He asks.

Your brow raises in confusion, “Why would you be in trouble?”

“Well, Jimin said-'' Taehyung stops. He remembers the other day after work when he’d come home to Jimin and Jeongguk, going at it in the kitchen for the 4th time in 2 weeks. He’d thought it would be funny to dump water on them - and so had Guk - but the Earth deity had apparently been unamused. Of course, him being the pettiest individual he would settle for a payback that would absolutely scare him. He sits in the chair across from you and throws one leg over the other, “Nevermind. I know what happened.”

You chuckle, “Well, I have a surprise for you. That’s why I asked for you.”

“Oh, really?!” He’s definitely surprised, “What is it?”

“Well-” You move your finance report to the paper organizer on your desk, grab your bag at your feet, and stand up, “-why don’t show you?”

He uncrosses his legs and stands, “We’re going somewhere?”

You nod, “If you’re up for it.” You hold your hand out for him, an action that’s become normal between the two of you.

He takes your hand and you both exit your office together, leaving the human way. You make your way downstairs hand-in-hand, passing patrons that still roam the halls or meander up and down the stairs taking pictures to their heart's content. It all makes you feel human, and feeling human makes you feel happy.

On your way through the lobby, you catch sight of Eunha talking to another security guard. She’d made a request to switch shifts, and you made sure to have Hoseok take over her position under the guise of someone else. She looks happier, but you know better. Thankfully, her shift will be over in a few more hours.

“She’s pretty strong.” Taehyung comments, seeming to already know what you’re thinking. “I talked to her this morning and at lunch. She’s holding it together.”

You manage half a smile, “That’s good.”

Seokjin spots you walking together as you get closer to the exit and his smile widens, “Goodnight, (Y/n)! Goodnight, Taehyung!”

“Have a good night, Seokjin!” You respond, offering a small nod.

“See you tomorrow!” Taehyung waves. Seokjin gives him an indiscreet wink and you pretend you don’t see it even when Taehyung gives him an even more obvious wink back.

You playfully bump him with your hip and he pulls you with him, raising your joined hands above your head and resting them on your opposite shoulder. You squeeze as tight as you can together to fit through the door frame and out to the open air.

“I heard you promoted him.” Taehyung mentions as you make your descent down the large staircase.

You shrug, “There was an opening available.”

“Was there?” He asks, nudging you with his elbow.

You nod, “Yes. There was.” You nudge him back.

“Are you sure~?” The blonde asks again, “I’d hate to see you fall victim to those silly human emotions~”

You let out an exasperated sigh, “Oh, you are something else!” You drop his hand and rush two steps ahead of him, but he’s right behind you.

“I’m just looking out for you!” He defends. He rushes down the steps to the bottom before you make it to the last step and he puts his hands out to stop you, “We wouldn’t want to upset the council, would we?”

“I think you’ve done enough angering the council to cover me.” You remind him, poking his nose with your pointer finger, “Besides, maybe I want to get under their skin.”

“All of them? Or someone specific?” He asks, already knowing the answer.

You sigh, “I’m not saying Seowoo deserves it, but that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“I can’t argue with that.” He agrees. He looks both ways down the sidewalk, “Which way?”

“This way.” You point towards the side of the museum where the street light is out, the darkness wrapping around the corner and making the perfect disappearing point.

You take his hand and together you both walk into the shadows, walking into the darkest section of the sidewalk before disappearing at the corner. You round the trunk of a cherry willow, a sliver of distant light shining through the drooping branches.

Taehyung runs his thumb over your hand and stops, “Are you wearing rings?” He pulls back to check and does a double-take when he sees you in the dim light, “Why’d you change?”

“We’re at a university.” You explain. You’ve changed from your work clothes to a university sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, “I’d rather look like a student than a teacher. You should probably change too.”

“Oh...sure.” In his own fashion, he changes into a white shirt under a baggy, light beige sweater vest, a pair of jeans, and orange converse. He looks himself over once before fashioning a pair of gold-rimmed glasses to finish his look. “Where are we?”

“Eunha’s college.”

Taehyung’s eyes widen in surprise, “Why are we here? She’s still at work.”

“I want you to meet a friend of mine.” You explain.

“You have friends?” He asks, earning an unamused glare from you, “Sorry.”

“This way.” You lead Taehyung off the grass to the actual path and walk under the lights back towards the main building. When you reach a fork in the path you make a left to go around the side of the building between another series of buildings on the other side of the path. You keep walking until you reach another large area with benches, tables, and a fountain.

Sitting on the side of the fountain with just enough light that you can see them, is a trio of 3 men with different hair colors. One with midnight blue, a pastel pink, and lilac. Of course, you recognize them all without a problem at all.

“Hey, guys! Sorry, I’m late, I just had to grab Taehyung.” You call out.

The pastel pink head turns to reveal Hoseok - who’s changed from his normal all-black outfit to a black t-shirt with the word obey in colorful letters, bright orange pants, layered necklaces, and a pair of black, yellow-tinted glasses resting on the top of his head, “No worries, we haven’t gotten started yet.”

“Yeah, Joon was just telling us about the assignment we missed.” Yoongi agrees, revealing himself to be the midnight blue head of hair. He’s wearing an all blue, leaf-patterned outfit with a TuneSquad jersey underneath his top.

“You wouldn’t have missed it if you made it to class on time!” Taehyung freezes as soon as he hears his voice, pulling you to a stop as well. He knows that voice better than anyone, knowing damn well it belongs to someone that’s supposed to be dead.

Hoseok shrugs and leans back, “What can I say? I had priorities to attend to.”

“I just wasn’t interested.” Yoongi stands up and takes a few steps to stretch, revealing Namjoon sitting at the end of the three.

Namjoon is wearing a pair of light wash jeans and a black belt with a white shirt tucked in and a light blue button-up over it. He sighs, “How you have the highest marks in the class I will never know.”

Taehyung looks between the three of them, going back and forth between the two deities and Namjoon before settling on you, “What is going on right now?”

You squeeze his hand, “Just don’t say anything.” You pull him with you to join the others, coming to a stop in front of all of them. You point to the blonde and then to Hoseok, “Taehyung, this is Hoseok-”

The walking gumball throws up a peace sign, “Sup.”

“-Yoongi.”

“Hey.” He gives a small wave

“-And Namjoon.”

Namjoon is the only one to stand and walk up to Taehyung to offer his hand, “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Finally?” He asks, shaking the old king’s hand.

“(Y/n) hasn’t been able to shut up about you,” Namjoon explains with a devious smile. You visibly freeze and that only eggs him on more, “She said you were annoying when she first transferred into our class, then she said she thought she was in love with you.”

Taehyung gives you a look and you completely ignore him, “Namjoon!”

“Of course, we all knew she was,” Hoseok adds with a teasing smile of his own.

“Hoseok! Shut up!”

“How interesting.” Taehyung chuckles, happy to know how you feel even as you pretend you don’t exist, “Well, it’s nice to meet all of you.”

“Why don’t we all move this way? Maybe grab a bite to eat?” You suggest, hoping to move on from your own embarrassment.

“Yes!” Hoseok jumps up and throws his arms in the air before dropping them back down to his sides, “I’m starving!”

Yoongi scoffs, “You’re always starving...”

“I’m growing. I need sustenance.” Hoseok defends, patting his stomach for emphasis.

You walk up beside him and pat the back of his head, “I think all of that food is going right to your head.”

Hoseok looks like a kicked puppy and Namjoon sweeps into his defense, “C’mon, guys, don’t pick on him!”

“Yeah! Don’t pick on me!” He pouts, crossing his arms.

“He can’t help it if he loses brain cells without food,” Namjoon says, turning and grabbing his belongings while you and Yoongi laugh at Hoseok’s expense.

“Do you want me to swear at you?!” The poor god of Death looks absolutely appalled and utterly betrayed by the lilac-haired man. He huffs, “You children have no respect for your elders.”

“Can I quote you on that?” Yoongi asks, walking past Hoseok to grab his own bag.

“Absolutely not!”

Taehyung watches the dysfunctional chaos before him, in awe that the 3 pillars of balance could act like humans. Not just with each other, but with someone he himself once called a friend. You’re all so different than you are at the museum and the council meetings, it’s like you’re not even the same people.

“Tae?” You ask, pulling him out of his confused state. You hold your hand out to him, asking him to join you as the others continue to walk ahead. He accepts.

The 5 of you walk together, further away from the buildings on campus to the fence that lines the end of the property. You all forego the sidewalk for walking across the lawn, getting further away from the lights as you go.

Hoseok comes to a stop in the middle of the grass and Taehyung almost walks into him, “Do you think this is far enough?”

Yoongi looks around and shrugs, “I don’t think anyone will notice.”

“Notice what?” Taehyung asks.

“Way to sound like we brought him here to murder him.” Namjoon jokes.

“Namjoon. Hold my hand.” You say, dropping Taehyung’s for his.

Hoseok and Yoongi hold hands across from you and Namjoon laughs, “Oh, are we having that seance now?” He looks at Taehyung and winks, “Sorry, I guess we forgot to mention this part.”

“Just hold my hand.” You demand. He does and Hoseok takes his other, creating a chain between the 4 of you.

Yoongi takes a deep breath and sighs, “Alright, let’s do it.”

You and Hoseok nod in agreement and Namjoon nods as well, acting as though what you’re all doing is just a practical joke you hadn’t let him in on. It’s only when a soft golden light starts to travel between your hands and to him that he starts to get worried.

“What are you guys doing?” He asks, fearful of what’s going on. He tries to pull away, but you and Hoseok are much stronger than the poor human. The light only continues to grow brighter, and the brighter it glows the more concerned Namjoon becomes, “Guys-?!”

The light washes over him like a wave and it’s like someone has opened his eyes for the very first time again. He takes a deep breath, and then he’s looking around at the others and at himself and at Taehyung and it’s like he’s experiencing life for the first time all over again.

“How did-? But I thought-” He struggles to find the right words to say, unsure where to start, “What’s going on?”

You step in front of him, placing your hands on his shoulders, “Namjoon, I’d like to formally introduce myself. I’m (Y/n), and I’m Fate.”

His eyes widen, “Fate…?”

You nod and Hoseok pushes you out of the way to make his own introduction, “I’m Hoseok, but you’d know me better as Death.”

“You’re Death?” Namjoon asks, obviously not able to believe that someone like Hoseok could be something as dark and daunting as Death.

“Death equals mercy,” Hoseok explains. Both you and Yoongi push him from both sides and he chuckles, “Sometimes…”

Namjoon nods, not yet believing it but going along with the information anyways. He turns to Yoongi, “Does that make you Life?”

“Was it my sunny disposition that gave me away?” The blue-haired deity asks, earning a laugh from the king.

You move in front of Namjoon again and gently take his arm, “And this is Taehyung.” You pull him to where the blonde stands, still in shock, “You two have already met before, but you might remember him a bit differently.”

You place a hand over Taehyung’s head and down his front, revealing how he looked the very first time he had met with the king, “Jihye…”

“Hey.” Taehyung smiles sheepishly, waving shyly as his old appearance morphs back into his college boy disguise, “It’s been a while.”

They both just stare at each other, one nervous and the other in disbelief. Taehyung can’t help but think of all the things Namjoon could want to say to him. How disappointed he is. How upset he must be. It comes as no surprise to anyone when Namjoon moves forward and pulls Taehyung into a hug. His arms cross behind his head and he pulls Taehyung as close as humanly possible without hurting him, “I’ve missed you.”

His words are like a breath of fresh air and Taehyung finds himself relaxing into the embrace and holding his friend back just as tight, “I’ve missed you too…”

It’s a special moment, one Taehyung never thought he would get. His first friend is back and it’s thanks to 3 very unlikely people.

“Why didn’t you come to see me after the spell worked?” Namjoon asks, pulling away.

Taehyung looks down, slightly ashamed, “I didn’t want to mess up again.”

“Again?”

“Like the first time. We’d been so close, but even if I had made it work you still would have-” He stops. He doesn’t need to say it. Not when everyone already knows what he’s going to say.

“But I thought once we broke the spell I’d have to wait until my next life?” Namjoon asks, reiterating what both he and Eunha had put together.

“Technically, this is your next life.” Yoongi mentions.

Life’s revelation comes as a shock to both Namjoon and Taehyung, “What?”

“You were supposed to meet in this life, but because you two just had to make it happen sooner-” Yoongi makes sure to glare so hard in Taehyung’s direction that his planet might even shiver, “-the spell tore your soul away from this one and placed it with your previous body once the spell took hold again.”

“With the spell broken, we were able to put your soul back in this body and merge them together.” You explain. The 3 of you have been sitting on this plan for weeks, and you’ve carefully crafted a friendship with this Namjoon since his soul left his previous body just to ensure you’d be able to make this change happen altogether.

“You’ve been able to do this the whole time? Why didn’t you say anything?!” Taehyung asks, completely shocked. You give him this ‘are you kidding me right now' look and he seems to get the hint, “Right. Fate’s strings…multiple outcomes.”

“I can’t believe this…I can’t wait to tell Eunha.” The modern king is still entranced with himself like he’s never looked at his body before. And then his words hit him and he realizes that Eunha isn’t here and has no idea that he’s alive, “I have to go see her right now-!”

He turns to take off in a sprint and Hoseok places himself in front of him with a hand on his chest, “Not so fast, deadman.”

“Huh?”

Yoongi groans, “You cannot just go hunting her down.” He’d spent far too much time conversing with young adults and various incompetent professors just for this plan to work and he was not going to let it all boil down to nothing.

Namjoon however, doesn’t understand exactly what’s at stake, “Why not? I need to tell her I’m alive and that I’m okay!”

“The magic that brought you back is still fragile. If you go to her now then the whole thing could blow up in all of our faces!” Hoseok explains in his own, dramatic fashion.

“So, what? I’m supposed to just wait?!” The king asks in disbelief.

“It will happen as Fate allows.” You remind him, “You’ve waited this long for a miracle, I think you can wait just a bit more.”

Your words are simple and still just as cryptic as always, but they put him at ease and bring him back to his senses. He nods, “Right…”

“Geez, why couldn’t you have been that easy?” Yoongi says, turning to Taehyung.

The blonde scoffs, “I am easy!”

Hoseok laughs, “I don’t think you actually know what that means.”

Taehyung crosses his arms, “I’m doing my best, okay?”

“Well, now that we got all of that settled-” Hoseok claps his hands together loudly and rubs them together, “-let’s go get some grub.”

Yoongi turns to Hoseok in disbelief and hits his arm, “Are you serious, right now? You don’t need to eat to survive!” The blue-haired deity reminds him.

“But Namjoon does! I’m sure Namjoon would love a nice warm meal.” Hoseok turns to the poor human with a look that resembles a kicked puppy and it’s like they’ve gone back to being undercover again.

“I wouldn’t mind a bite to eat I guess?” Namjoon caves, the god of Death breaking into celebration while the god of Life can only sigh in disappointment, “If we go to that one place downtown we can order drinks at the student price.”

The offer of a few beers seems to peak Yoongi’s interest much more than a measly human meal, “Hoseok gets to pay for everything.”

Hoseok shrugs, “I don’t care. It’s not like I can’t create my own money.”

He turns to get back on track for the gate to leave campus and Namjoon trails after him, “Wait you can do that?! How does that even work?”

“Oh, don’t get him started. Just blame magic like every other human and let’s get to the bus before it leaves.” Yoongi calls out, starting at a slower pace behind them. They leave you and Taehyung to take the back of the group, the both of you trudging along at a slow pace behind them.

“So, are you going back to your duties now that everything is done?” Taehyung asks. A part of him hopes that you’ll stick around or maybe even come to visit him on his own planet, but he knows that you have your own duties to attend to.

But you’ve thought about this as well. You knew that once Namjoon’s memories were merged and he’d be left to go and find Eunha on his own, that you’d be free to go back to how you were before this fiasco started. But things are different now. Now, you have Taehyung who’s snuck his way into your heart and made you feel emotions that you’d left reserved for humans. He’s helped you understand how to feel without letting it interfere with your job, and you don’t want to let that go just yet.

You sigh, “You know, I don’t have a planet of my own. I really just drift freely within space when I’m not doing anything.” You kick at the dirt, “Maybe I could stay here on Earth. Do what humans do.”

He’s shocked, “You’re staying on earth?”

You shrug, “Yeah. I heard there’s this museum with this ancient mummy exhibit.” With a mischievous, all-knowing grin you ask, “Wanna go check it out sometime?”

Taehyung can’t help the smile that breaks out on his face. He takes his arm and wraps it over your shoulder, pulling you into his side, “I’d love to.”

You may not be able to look at your own future together, but at least you know that the both of you can do it together.

Maybe Hui was right.

Maybe for Fate, the future is written in the stars.

~ Thank you for reading ~

43 notes · View notes

mclmora · 1 month

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✧ maaruutinaa’s profile (update) ✧

my outifts!⠀ ⠀

player since: 12/23/18

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currently playing castiel’s university life route

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name: martina | nickname: mora | nationality: italian

b-day: april 13th | zodiac sign: aries | pronouns: she-they

favorite flirts: castiel 𖹭 nathaniel 𖹭 priya 𖹭 kentin

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high school life ⠀› ⠀37th episode

nathaniel, 44%

castiel, 110% (💘)

lysander, 100%

armin, 80%

kentin, 100%

answering questions!⠀ ⠀⠀

which club did you pick?

i picked the basketball club! it’s a sport i quite enjoy and dajan is a very cool character too.

which is your favorite episode?

hands down episode 23. i loved the idea of going to nathaniel’s house and having him confess his problems to us, it’s the episode that got me completely focused from the beginning to the end.

which non-dateable character you like most?

that’s a tough one. tbh i love all characters, exept a few ones here and there. i’d die to have a rosalya in my life, she’s absolutely amazing, i love her personality so much. alexy as well, he’s the sweetest boy ever, i’m so glad he was written to be candy’s male best friend. however... i do have a very big soft spot for kim and violette. they’re so cute, i wish there would’ve been more scenes with them.

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university life⠀› ⠀13th episode

nathaniel, 100%

castiel, 110% (💘)

priya, 100%

hyun, 85%

rayan, -25%

answering questions!⠀ ⠀

what do you think of the removal of kentin, lysander & armin?

although i love them a lot, they’re not my first options, so, even if i was sad, i got over it quickly. it made me so sad, though, to see so many candies deleting their accounts because of this.

which one is your first episode?

since i didn’t complete the season yet, i’ll answer based off of the episodes i played since now. and the answer is absolutely the 9th!! omg the illustrations were such a sight lmao. but honestly the whole idea of the event was so nice, i loved it.

is there something you don’t like about this season?

err, yes. how short it is? i mean, high school season has 40 episodes. the build up was amazing, i think there was such a beautiful development of the relationship between candy and the chosen flirt. i think university life is rather rushed up, things could’ve been slower imo.

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love life⠀› ⠀to start

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alternate life⠀› ⠀playing all routes

lysander⠀› ⠀1st episode

answering questions!⠀ ⠀

how do you feel about his new design?

honestly, i don’t really enjoy his new graphic. i think his face was drawn in a weird way. however, he’s super cute in the illustrations so props for him!

what do you think of his character development?

i honestly don’t really have an opinion yet. he obviously grew up a lot but his growth doesn’t really impress me. he seems to have changed interests and passions, but in a way he kept static. i love the farm idea, it’s absolutely stunning, but... i don’t know about him. his story isn’t catching my interest as much as i’d want to.

kentin⠀› ⠀4th episode

answering questions!⠀ ⠀⠀

how do you feel about his new design?

it’s probably the ugliest of all the new designs. i’m so sorry, i love his character so goddamn much, but HIS HAIR IS HIDEOUS. it’s too short, i miss the fluffy puffy hair he had in high school!! and his face isn’t better (the new designs of chinomiko aren’t the best with most of the faces imo).

what do you think of his character development?

the best one so far about the three alternate life boys. the van life is something i would personally love to try, but overall, his personal growth is so nice to see. his self worth grew a lot, he finally feels better about his whole self, from his appearance to his character, and i’m so down for it. he’s always been the sweetest, he deserves it all.

armin⠀› ⠀5th episode

answering questions!⠀ ⠀

how do you feel about his new design?

the cutest of all the alternate life boys. i love his outfits and everything about his appearance. he’s super cool!

what do you think of his character development?

he... didn’t really change much? ngl, armin is probably the flirt i’m less attracted to, due to his personality and interests. don’t get me wrong, i love videogames and animes, but i prefer outdoors activities. i would get bored easily with him, i’d much rather see him as a friend. BUT, his first episodes were absolutely amazing, i loved the first one so much. it’s written so nicely. can’t say the same about the fourth/fifth ones unfortunately :/. they all feel too rushed up.

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here’s three non-dateable characters i like (hsl)!⠀ ⠀⠀

here’s three non-dateable charactera i like (ul)!⠀ ⠀⠀

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answering general questions!⠀ ⠀⠀

how did you discover the game?

through my sister. she introduced me to the game back in 2014/2015, i remember always knowing the game since i was around 10 years old and liking it a lot. but being the child i was, i had other things in mind and kept going back and forth to it, until i totally fell in love with it through the gameplays of a couple youtubers that made me install it when i was 13 and kept playing it since. i love it so much, it’s the game i’m most attached to emotionally.

which one is your favorite special episode (ex: halloween 2011, easter 2012, ect)?

i’m struggling so hard, i don’t know which to pick, if halloween 2012 or easter 2012. my 13 year old self had the biggest, fattest crush of wenka, but i love halloween more than any other festivity... yeah, i’m gonna stick with halloween 2012. love the illustrations, the cool witch and the outfit given!!!

have you played the spin-offs? if yes, which one was your favorite?

hell yes i did. and my favorite is hands down kentin’s one. love the illustration, the outfit, the whole episode was so wholesome. he’s such a dear, i swear.

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note: hey! i just wanted to update my profile, also because, considering i have many other accounts, i have played more than i wrote about and wanted to share some more infos. i’ll probably keep updating it as i go on with the game.

#dolce flirt #amor doce #amour sucre #my candy love #maaruutinaa’s profile 💌

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measuringbliss · 3 years

Text

I challenged @headgehug, and thus was challenged. My answer to those Disco Elysium questions that have been going around.

Who is your favourite character apart from Harry and Kim? Okay, that's a difficult first question. I did a Tier List after my playthrough and I mostly stand by it, though some characters would be different (Lilienne and Ruby would be higher since I actually got to interact more deeply with them). It's a difficult choice because I love a lot of them for completely different reasons. I think it would be between Evrart, Joyce and Gaston. Gaston is absolutely adorable, Evrart is a wonderful chessmaster I really like, and Joyce is Joyce. Maybe Joyce wins. (The Dicemaker is also very marking, oddly enough.) (Honestly going through my screenshots, Joyce definitely wins. She has a lot of great lines and she's also quirky af, going along with your weird answers.)

What is the one skill you would use to best describe yourself? If I let myself be defined by ADHD (and it is, honestly, a huge part of my being and conducts my behavior), probably Electrochemistry. I crave stimulation and I'm weak to sugar urges. I don't do drugs and that's mainly because I know if I started, I wouldn't be able to stop. Alternatively, Inland Empire and Conceptualization. Which, honestly, are still part of the ADHD umbrella, just less evidently so I guess.

Do you have a favourite Copotype and political alignment and if so, which one? Not really. I was pretty honest in my first playthrough and ended up being a Communist and a Sorry/Boring Cop. To be fair, it's hard not to apologize every five second when you see... how much stuff happened. 2nd playthrough I tried to be a capitalist but around the midway point I ended up being a Communist again. I was more of a Artful/Fancy Cop though. Next time I'll try being an idiot (fascist). I'd say my first archetype was my favorite.

What is one thing you don’t like about the story or that could have been done better? The true culprit, obviously. I've not hidden my distate for them one bit. Worst part of the game. Boring, uninteresting, they may fit the game's themes but----it's just. ugh. I've seen that kind of stuff, I got it.

What is a popular fan interpretation that you don’t like? I haven't delved into the fandom much so I don't have anything in mind.

What do you love about the game? What's not to love?

Is there any type of fan content that you wish there would be more of? See my answer for 5) but there's never enough meta. I hope my Underwear Meta contribution made a difference. DE needs more fanfic, more fanart, more everything. Gimme those sweet Lilienne/Joyce fics!

What is your favourite line from the game? Joyce before she goes away: "One last thing, Lieutenant Du Bois/nameless detective." She starts the engine. "I've given the matter much thought and come to this conclusion: You're not an amnesiac. You're *insane*. I know -- because I, too, am insane. I just hide my illness better. And I'm rich." 1. Harry: "How do you keep it together?" Joyce: "The same strict psychological regimen the eighth admiral developed when he crossed the pale and discovered this isola -- the *Volta do Mar*. It's used by interisolary travellers and other troubled souls even to this day." Volition (Easy): "You could use a little of it yourself." 2. Harry: "What do you have?" Joyce: "I'm over-exposed, baby. My travels take me through the pale dozens of times a year. I've got the longing -- and I've got it *bad*." She points to her heart. She would die to return to it. The pale. The past. Anything one can return to. 3. Harry: "Isn't *everybody* a little insane?" Joyce: "No, detective -- no one's as insane as you." +BONUS: Joyce: She smiles. "Watch out for yourselves. They will strike soon." I realize it's an entire scene rather than a line, but there's no line in particular that I can designate, it's the whole moment for me. I feel like I relate hard to this feeling of being, well not insane, but different in a lot of ways, and in ways that make my life difficult, and in ways that a lot of people simply don't/can't get. So having Joyce say to me that she not only can understand me but related to me felt very good to my broken mind. And she can't be fixed, she can only continue to live with it, like other "travellers and troubled souls". Not only that, but she's longing for it, and she has a yearning feeling of nostalgia. I'm prone to that too, or I would be if I hadn't forgotten most of my school years. "Anything one can return to." She needs her anchors. I'm still puzzled by her "on one's insane as you", but I feel like it's a compliment on Joyce's part. She's appreciating Harry (my)'s weirdness and giving it legitimacy, in some way. Appreciation with your issue, not in spite of. And then she asks Harry (and Kim if he's there) to watch out for themselves, before leaving. She truly cares, even though you're a sad excuse of a human being. She truly cares. So that whole exchange, really.

Do you have a favour political vision quest? I only did the Moralist one I think, and I couldn't succeed but it was, um, it had a very weird starting point and it was a mess, but I liked what little I did of it, though it felt really depressing.

What are your headcanons for what happens after the end of the game? Everyone is gay, gets married and lives happily ever after.

Do you want more official games and stories set in Elysium and if so, which ones? No, I think it works nicely as a single unit.

What are your headcanons for pre-Martinaise Harry? Definitely in a relationship with Vicquemare at some point.

What is your least favourite aspect of the game mechanics? Loading screens, though they got MUCH (90%) faster in the latest update on Switch. Also it's hard to be nuanced in that game. Also it's really hard to get into the Thought Cabinet because it just... isn't of much use. In my 2nd playthrough I decided to use it as much as possible, it wasn't particularly worth it.

What was the moment that touched you most while playing? Joyce's departure, as written above. It hit hard in subtle ways. It's rare that I feel understood this much by a videogame character (or even someone at all). The scene where you have to announce the death of a guy to her husband (and then, on a subsequent playthrough, finding that woman in the early days and talking to her knowing perfectly well what would happen. fuck.) is a hard scene, very memorable.

When playing it for the first time, did you go in blind or not? Is there anything you would want to change about your first playthrough? 100% blind. I just knew Kim Kitsuragi existed, and that you could die quickly or something. Wouldn't have changed a thing since my 2nd playthrough covered new stuff.

Wild Pines vs. The Débardeurs’ Union – what do you think of the Evrarts and who do you root for? Oh I absolutely love everyone in this conflict. They're all fascinating as fuck, I'm rooting for both camps at once because Joyce and the Evrarts are so interesting and charismatic.

What skill is the most fun/coolest/most interesting to set as your signature skill? Encyclopedia on 2nd playthrough was nice. I'll try a physical build next time...

What is your opinion on the Elysium lore? I don't think I really care about lore? But also the Pale is very interesting. It's a shame the one character who lived through a lot of moments in a very involving way (Culprit-san) is also awfully uninteresting. There's potential, but burying it in a looooooong ramble about how women are sl*ts and men are simps and the world is decadent and nothing matters or make sense and nobody's worth shit or whatever, I don't think it's particularly captivating. If I want to see an asshole I can just go to r/The_Don*ld or JK Terfing tweets.

Which character arc or piece of lore would you have wanted to be explored more in depths? Everything. I hate that once you've completed somebody's questioning, you don't really get more out of them. It's unsatisfying.

How would you position yourself politically in Revachol? Def Communist.

Is there something that you missed on your first playthrough that completely blew your mind and/or changed how you view the story when you found out it existed later? Not really, but the Church storyline really was an entire third of the game, huh? Spending more time with some characters was nice though. This game really isn't about blowing your mind.

What would your own stats be? Intellect: 4 Psyche: 5 (for the wrong reasons, hello ADHD) Physique: 2 Motorics: 1

What is a thing in fanworks that you eat up every single time? See above answers.

What is your interpretation of the title of the game? As a French person, Elysium immediately calls to mind the Elysée, be it the Presidential Palace or the Champs-Elysées streets full of shops. It's about opulence, grandeur, capitalism. And then you've got Disco. Disco was a major trend born not out of typical people, but from black and queer people. In this regard, Disco is fundamentally opposed to Elysium. Fire and water. The oppressed and the oppressor. And in the game, you're a cop, an official cop, investigating in a place where the locals neither acknowledge your official status nor want you there. Two conflicting forces.

Favourite piece of in-game art (graffiti, poetry etc.)? @headgehug rightly mentioned "Un jour, je serai de retour près de toi" which is absolutely beautiful. My favorite would be "Something beautiful is going to happen". I think it's an incredible sentence.

Just ramble freely about the game and let me know your thoughts.

I've talked too much already lmao.

#disco elysium

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btsqualityy · 4 years

Text

Heaven Sent; Part 1

Jin x Reader

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Warnings: Minor character death (nothing explicit or descirbed though), grieving families

Nothing felt necessarily different when you woke up this morning. You woke up in the same bed that you had been sleeping in for the past 6 years, in the same tiny house that you had fallen in love with years prior. You went through your shower routine as usual, and the same happened when you did your makeup and hair. You even struggled to wake your daughter Aera up this morning like you always did, because she loved to sleep in just like her daddy. By all accounts, it was a normal morning.

Except it wasn’t, because today was the day that you were burying your husband and Aera’s father.

“Mommy?” Aera called and you hummed in reply as you put the finishing touches on her ponytails. “Are you almost finished?”

“Just about,” you sighed heavily, grabbing two black ribbons and taking the time to tie each of them around the bases of the two ponytails that were in her hair. Once you were done, you picked Aera up and sat down on the edge of your bed, settling her in your lap.

“We need to have a serious talk really quick, ok Love?” You told her and she nodded her head. “You know how Daddy has passed away and how I explained it to you?”

“Yeah,” she mumbled softly.

“Well, today is going to be the last time that you see him for a long time,” you said and her face instantly bunched up.

“Not even when I’m a big grown up?” She wondered and you shook your head sadly.

“No, not even then,” you replied as you reached up and brushed back the baby hairs that framed her face. “But I want you to know that it’s ok to be sad or cry if you want to, and that you don’t have to be strong for me or anyone else.”

“Are you going to cry Mommy?” Aera questioned and you smiled sadly, choosing not to lie to her.

“Yeah I am, because I’m sad,” you nodded.

“Ok,” she agreed easily and you hugged her tightly, your chest tightening at the thought of what was to come.

........................................................

The actual service wasn’t that bad, which is something that you had anticipated. It wasn’t until you watched Hae-il’s casket being lowered into the ground that you finally broke down, and it took both your father and Hae-il’s father to haul you away while Aera sat in your mother’s lap, sobbing into her chest.

After everything was said and done, Hae-il’s parents held a small dinner back at their house and family and friends appeared to offer you their condolences.

“I’m so sorry Y/N-ah,” Yoongi whispered, holding his arms open and you immediately fell into them, hugging him firmly as you hooked your chin over his shoulder. You and Yoongi worked together at the same interior designing firm, and you had been at work with him when you had gotten the call that Hae-il had been involved in a horrific car accident. Yoongi, as well as Taehyung who was another of your coworkers, went with you to the hospital where you found out that Hae-il’s injuries were fatal.

“How are you holding up?” Taehyung asked after giving you a quick hug as well, and you shrugged lamely.

“I’m barely holding it together and that’s only because of Aera,” you confessed, taking a second to glance across the room, where Hae-il’s mother Eun Ae was trying her hardest to get Aera to eat something. “This is so fucked up for her.”

“Hey, don’t leave yourself out of that,” Yoongi said softly. “You lost someone too.”

“I know but it’s different for her,” you sighed. “She’s so young, I don’t think she really understands even though I’ve explained it to her the best that I know how.”

“It’s gonna take time Y/N-ah,” Taehyung said and you just hummed in reply. Suddenly, you heard a loud squeal and you whipped your head to the side to see Aera sliding down off of Eun Ae’s lap and running across the room. Your eyes followed her to the front door and your eyes widened when you saw Kim Seokjin standing there.

“Uncle Jin!” You heard Aera cheer, her squeals bouncing throughout the house as Jin picked her up and hugged her to his chest.

“Guys, give me a sec,” you said and after receiving a nod from Taehyung and Yoongi, you turned and walked over to the door.

“How are you, little heart?” Jin asked Aera and she shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m sad,” she answered truthfully and you saw Jin sigh heavily before nodding his head and gently patting her back with one of his large hands.

“That’s ok, because today is a sad day,” he told her. He then looked up and saw you walking towards him, and the same sad smile that had been on everyone else’s face whenever they talked to you today was now on his face as well.

“Hi Y/N,” he greeted you and you did your best to smile, leaning forward and giving him a quick one-armed hug. Jin and Hae-il had met in university, becoming close very quickly and remaining as such throughout the years. You had of course met Jin several times but with him living in Japan overseeing the chain of restaurant that his father owned, you and Hae-il rarely saw him over the last 3 or 4 years. He was Aera’s godfather though, and he loved her almost as much as you and Hae-il did.

“Hey, I didn’t see you at the service,” you muttered and the sad smile on his face turned apologetic.

“My flight was late so I only caught the tail end of it,” he explained. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s ok. Besides, Hae-il knows how much you cared.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss Y/N,” he said, and it looked like tears were beginning to form in his eyes. However, he quickly recovered and continued. “You guys meant so much to Hae-il.”

“Thank you,” you nodded. “There’s food and stuff here, so feel free to help yourself.”

“Alright.”

“Aera, why don’t you come with me so that Uncle Jin can eat?” You suggested as you reached out for her but she shook her head and snuggled further into Jin’s suit jacket.

“Wanna stay,” she muttered.

“It’s ok Y/N, I got her,” Jin told you and you raised an eyebrow.

“You sure?” You checked.

“It’s no problem. Besides, I missed my favorite girl,” he smiled, leaning down and kissing the top of Aera’s head. “Did you miss me, little heart?”

“Lots,” she whispered and Jin gave you a small nod as if to say “I told you so” before stepping around you and walking towards the kitchen. As you turned around to watch them, your mother walked up to you.

“Are you hungry Y/N?” Chae-won asked and you shook your head. “I can make a plate for you if you want.”

“I’m not hungry Mom,” you replied.

“You sure? I haven’t seen you eat anything today.”

“I’m fine,” you stated firmly and the tone of your voice showed your mom that you didn’t want to keep talking about it, so she let it go.

“Who was that man carrying Aera just now?” She wondered instead.

“That’s Kim Seokjin. He and Hae-il have been close since University and he’s Aera’s godfather,” you explained.

“That’s the uncle Jin that she’s always going on about then,” your mother chuckled. “He must be great with her, because he’s the first person that she’s let hold her today besides us and Hae-il’s parents.”

“He loves her,” you confirmed. A few seconds of silence passed between the two of you then before your mother sighed heavily, and you already knew what she was going to say.

“Y/N, I really wish you would reconsider our offer to let you and Aera move in with us for a while,” Chae-won said.

“No.”

“You’ve never had to raise Aera alone before and it’s going to be a tough adjustment,” Chae-won continued. “You’re gonna need the support.”

“Maybe so, but I can’t and won’t rip Aera away from the only house that she’s ever grown up in,” you explained. “So much has changed so fast for her, and I don’t want to make any of this harder than it needs to be. Besides, that’s the first house that Hae-il and I bought together and you’re crazy if you think that I’m going to leave it now.”

“Y/N, that’s not what I was trying to-” your mother began to say but you didn’t stick around to hear the rest of her sentence, walking off as you felt the anger coursing through your body. You understood your mother’s intentions, but you also don’t think she understood exactly what it was that she was suggesting. Your house was the place that held the most memories of Hae-il and you would be damned if you were going to leave it now; not when you needed it the most.

........................................................

Once the dinner was over and everyone had left, you took Aera back home to get her ready for bed after the long day. You wanted to keep everything as normal for her as you possibly could, so giving her a bath and struggling to get her to brush her teeth the way that she should went on as they always had.

“Mommy? I have a question,” Aera told you as you helped her into her bed, pulling her covers back and watching as she climbed inside before sitting on the edge next to her.

“Yes?”

“Does Daddy love me?” She asked and your eyes widened.

“Of course he does,” you nodded. “Why would you ask me that Aera?”

“Because he left us and it hurts,” she told you. “You said that if someone loves me, then they wouldn’t hurt me.” You sighed heavily, realizing that your previous attempts to instill some self-worth into your five year old were now backfiring horribly.

“Well sometimes, people hurt us even though they don’t mean to or want to,” you began. “Daddy didn’t want to leave us and if he had been able to choose, he would’ve stayed.”

“Really?” Aera’s tone sounded doubtful as she asked.

“Really,” you confirmed, thinking for a few seconds before deciding to try a different tactic. “Do you remember what your name means?”

“It means love,” she chirped. “That’s why you call me Love and Uncle Jin calls me little heart.”

“That’s right baby,” you smiled. “Did you know that your daddy chose your name?”

“He did?” She whispered in awe.

“He did and do you wanna know why?” You asked and she nodded her head up and down rapidly.

“Why?”

“Because he loved you as soon as he knew you were in my tummy,” you revealed and her eyes widened.

“That was a long time ago,” she muttered.

“It was,” you chuckled. “So even though we can’t see Daddy anymore, he’s still sending you lots of love.”

“Ok,” she agreed, all of what you said seeming to make sense to her. “I miss Daddy, and his hugs.”

“That’s ok to miss him,” you assured her. “And how about anytime that you want to hug Daddy, you come hug me instead?”

“Really?”

“Really,” you confirmed and you didn’t have time to prepare yourself before she sat up and launched herself into your arms, wrapping her little arms around your neck. You hugged her back, making sure to squeeze her tightly the same way that Hae-il would. “I love you Aera.”

“I love you too Mommy,” she said as she let go of you.

“Alright, lay down and go to bed, ok?” You told her and she nodded, laying down and you pulled the covers over her. Once she shut her eyes, you leaned over and kissed her forehead before reaching over and turning on her nightlight. You then stood up from her bed, walking over to the door and shutting the light off. Making sure to leave the door slightly ajar so that you could hear her if she needed you, you made your way down the hallway and into your bedroom, the length of the day beginning to weigh down on your body.

By the time that you had showered and took your makeup off, you didn’t have the energy to do anything else but flop down onto your bed and pull the covers up and over your head. You felt yourself beginning to drift off and you happily welcomed it, until you smelt a familiar scent.

Your eyes popped open and then widened when you realized that Hae-il’s pillow was right in front of your face. You had been very careful to avoid it over the past week, not wanting to make things any harder for yourself. This time though, you allowed yourself to drag the pillow towards you, burying your face in the material and inhaling deeply.

“Damn it Hae,” you whimpered, the tears quickly welling up and spilling over onto your cheeks. “Why did you have to leave us?”

271 notes · View notes

zhoufeis · 4 years

Text

Yay! The newbie (me) has finished 10 korean dramas

....... and here are my ratings.

Let’s rate from worst to best:

________________________

10) Romance is a Bonus Book. Rating: 2,1 / 5 stars - skip it.

- I kept seeing this show on my dash and since my first kdrama watch was W Two Worlds with the wonderful Lee Jong-suk, I decided to give it a chance.

- But hell, no one warned me how bad it actually is. I’m not talking about the acting (the cast is actually quite solid), but I’m referring to... the plot (or lack thereof), the love story (let’s rather call it one-sided obsession) and the wasted potential. Let’s start with the set-up. A company producing books, a single mother who needs a job, her childhood best friend who works for the company. Yeah, it’s not precisely complex or inventive, but it’s something to work with. Create nice dynamics at the working place, have some yearning between the two leads, give them heartwarming moments and a confession of how they’ve always been in love with each other. There’s just one problem: she really never, ever had any romantic feelings for her childhood best friend. She keeps calling him a brother and insists on him being her closest friend (which seems a stretch since she lied to him for a year about her separation from her husband and kept sort of creeping up into his house to eat and shower there without letting him know). Anyway, I could oversee this (even though I hate the trope of childhood best friends becoming lovers in adult life just because one is a man and the other a woman) if AT LEAST we actually get to see her falling for him slowly within the show. But we just.... don’t. He confesses his love to her - as she is actually starting to see someone else, and let me tell you, she actually seemed to be into the second lead -, then promises her not to push his feelings onto her... but that’s exactly what he does (I guess I don’t need to mention I ended up not being his biggest fan), and she ends up falling for him for unknown reasons. Eh. Okay. I started rooting for the second leads halfway into the show. Hae-rin & Eun-ho as well as Seo-joo & Dan-i appeared to me as the much more shippable pairings. I might have actually cried for Hae-rin & Eun-ho at some point of the show, but well... Moving on to... everything else. I enjoyed some scenes in the company, but not enough that I could tell you any right now because there wasn’t anything very memorable. The show basically thrives in some random scenes usually involving one of the two leads rather than in scenes with the two of them. That random author’s suicide has stuck with me as well as the letters that song hae-rin has wrote to our male lead over the years. The talk about fears between eun-ho and that author has stuck with me too, but other than that... there’s just nothing really happening. I was patiently waiting for a plot to come but nothing ever came. It just feels like a bunch of really uninteresting subplots put into one show. I don’t wanna judge it too harshly, but one of the other modern day dramas I will discuss further down this list also simply works with a bunch of subplots coming together - and it’s wonderfully executed (it’s ‘Run On’, for those of you who are wondering!)

SUMMARY

- Favorite character:

- Positive: nice friendship between women (dan-i & hae-rin); delivery of lee jong-suk, jeong eu-gene & park gyu-young; one strong scene involving a life lesson every few eps

- Negative: no main plot, dull subplots... nothing happens, very cheesy at some points, the protagonizing couple is quite problematic and unshippable, their chemistry is not strong enough to oversee that; i really don’t know why people like this show.

_____________

9) Radio Romance. Rating: 3,2 / 5 stars - it’s cute.

- Radio Romance is the show on this list that drives me into conflict with myself. Because some things about this show are very strong; others (many) very, very weak. I guess the main problem is that the show’s set-up mostly shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but it deals with some heavy topics that need to be taken seriously. And unlike quality japanese animes or some quality chinese drama that usually achieve to make you realize what can be taken as a joke and what can not, Radio Romance is sort of incapable of keeping that balance. You gotta figure it for yourself.

- While offering a quite enjoyable cast and some quite different personalities within the show, there is no one particularly standing out. As you will see as we go further down on this list, this is not my only Kim So-hyun drama, it was also not my first, and I can promise you that it won’t be my last. I simply adore this actress, she’s enjoyable to watch. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of her, which is why I checked out the show in the first place. Compared to her other characters though, Song Geu-rim is kind and nice and all, but not too memorable. She’s portraying a nice girl next door here with a dream to become a good radio script writer. And if not even her character stands out, as expected, none of the others will either. As for the plot... We don’t really have one, I suppose. If you count the plot making the radio show, I suppose then episode 3 or 4 is the last with actual development. I was hoping for more conflicts and plot twists involving Soo-ho’s backstory - and we got them, but very, very, very late on the show. Basically, getting through the first 7 eps felt very easy to me, due to the change of locations and relationship growth, and getting through the last 3 as well. Although the last was such a cheesy ending, you have no idea. The middle part suffered from a lack of plot and character development as well as it suffered from a focus on the love triangle - which I totally could have lived without. Like, istg, what was the POINT of this love triangle? Soo-ho and Geu-rim had to deal with enough things already, bringing in yet another obstacle through the tercero and putting the focus onto this love triangle was just soooo cliché. And don’t even get me started on how they also went with the problematic love triangle tropes rather than to at least make it somewhat adorable or funny. It was also boring. I kept pausing the episodes there and didn’t keep watching for days. It was only at the end of episode 13 that things finally got interesting again when we finally got to learn more about Soo-ho’s backstory. From then on, I was able to end the show within 2 days. So, no, the backstory was not the thing that drives me into conflict though. What drives me into conflict is how such a quite flat story was able to portray a very good, very realistic case of depression and PTSD. Like wow. This must have been one of the few shows, in which we have a canonically diagnosed character who does not fall into stereotypes and in which his depression isn’t used as a mere plot device to get the ship together and cure him by that. His depression is underlying at all times, sometimes more, sometimes less. He is told to get treatment (”no treatment, no medication.”), he has moments in which his depression mentally and physically restrains him from acting. It’s a very layered, realistic depiction and I adored every single bit of it. Meanwhile, the character isn’t defined by his depression nevertheless - there’s more to Soo-ho then just the depression, and after all, he was an outstanding character (to correct what I said before because I was lying xD). So... for all the lack of plot and development and predictable storytelling, the depiction of depression and the peacefulness of the protagonizing couple save that show.

SUMMARY

- Favorite character:

- Negative: unnecessary love triangles with unnecessary clichés; barely any plot; sheer boredom in the middle of the show; takes itself and its tropes way too seriously.

- Positive: complex character who is suffering from depression and PTSD; layered, realistic depiction of depression; adorable couple that transmits peacefulness.

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8) Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung. Rating: 3,5 / 5 stars - nice, but it is no must-watch.

- I feel genuinely bad for putting this right after Radio Romance and Romance is a Bonus Book, because Rookie Historian was, simply put, muuuuuuuuch better. I got invested in the characters and their backstories. The story is quite more complex in retrospect than it seemed at first, but the show’s issue is that this is rather less apparent in more than the first quarter of the show. I really don’t even recall what happened in those first few episodes because it is rather unimportant for the rest of the show, with minor exceptions. The story truly starts picking up around episode 9 and has a strong run until around episode 15. The last quarter of the show then is wayyyyy too fast-moving, too many things happening and we barely spend time on things I then wished to spend more time on. Unfortunately, despite having a good set-up and a quite fine cast, I don’t think I’ll remember anything in particular about this show in a year. It’s a nice watch, even though I sometimes really had to motivate myself to keep watching in the first eps, but it hasn’t lingered in my memory after I finished it.

SUMMARY

- Favorite character:

- Positive: rather lots of plot; positive female relationships; feminism; shin se-kyung; leading couple as well as the second leading couple, even though romance is not at the core of the show; nice messages about morality and truth.

- Negative: the first few eps are really.... slow-moving. To the point that I’d recommend putting the first 8 eps into 2-3 eps and giving more space in the end. Especially the last 4 eps of the show are way too fast-moving. Furthermore, there’s some plotholes. My biggest issue though is the glorification of europe's christianity during the 18th and 19th century. I was not expecting that in a korean drama but it seemed utterly wrong in my eyes, specifically because the show used it to promote that chrisitianity promotes equality of all races and genders. Not to be a bitch, but europe’s christian beliefs have never stopped europeans from discriminating women and non-white people, not then and not now.

- My general impression of the show is quite positive, but I’m not sure I’d willingly watch it again since knowing all the plot twists and storylines actually is enough to be watched once with that show. An experience that I haven’t made with the other kdramas that are higher ranked on this list.

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7) A Love So Beautiful. Rating: 3,5 / 5 stars - if you really don’t want to think at all and just watch a light, easy to follow show, that is your pick. However, NOT recommended for first-time kdrama watchers - it gives you a totally wrong impression of what kdramas are actually capable of achieving.

- I’d like to point out that this show has surprised me in a good way - but there’s things that need to be pointed out here, so let me make three paragraphs: the first will talk about my impression of the first 16 eps; the second will talk about the last 8 eps; and the last will talk about how this show was cute, but could have been incredible, but didn’t use its potential correctly.

- Episodes 1-16: Look, the thing about those eps is very easy to point out: it’s not quality and it is never pretending to be (unlike romance is a bonus book, which pretends to be some smart, adult quality show but is just trash). Those eps cannot be taken totally serious. You have to go in there knowing exactly what is awaiting you. I started it because when I saw the trailer, I immediately realized all the tropes that Extraordinary You (higher ranked, you will see later) was making fun of. What you see is exactly what you get: Clichéd characters, clichéd love story, average acting, average directing, simple dialogue, clichéd love triangle, predictable developments - a simple romcom put into a tv show format. It’s cliché over cliché over cliché put into a het high school love story. And you know what? After weeks of studying for and writing my uni exams, it was exactly what I needed. The show is so over the top with its clichés that it’s genuinely funny. The lightheartedness and the non-existing complexity just add to that. Basically, you could argue that it’s all so bad with its clichés, which is why it becomes hilarious. Unlike other kdramas, it has a straightforward plot: a girl is in love with a boy and wants to be with him. It’s as easy as that. The show clearly loves featuring every trope you could associate with het love stories, but honestly, it’s so light and breezy and such a fast watch (due to the fact that each ep is between 20-25 minutes), you will finish those first 16 episodes before you know you even started it (I made it in less than 2 days). I want to repeat here though, it’s not for someone who starts with kdramas and hasn’t watched other kdramas. It cannot be taken seriously - and you only cannot take it seriously when you have seen things like Extraordinary You or W or, I guess, a bunch of high school kdramas. But I’m telling you, this is the only Kdrama on this list that you can watch in the most stressful time of your life and it will make you feel better. It won’t make you cry, it will make you laugh, and the moment it is out of your sight, you will forget about it - at least, that’s the case about the first 16 eps. And then we get to...

- Episodes 17-24: guys, what have I gotten myself into? As these people finished high school and their problems actually also got more adult, I started to grow genuinely attached, specifically to the ship. When she got sick and he didn’t even know although he’s a DOCTOR? When she was sexually harassed and didn’t know how to talk to him about it because their relationship was filled with other problems? When he left for 3 years and later told her that he had hoped she’d follow him because she always has... and then she didn’t? When he said that everyone is under the impression that she is more dependent on him but that he is actually the one who cannot imagine a life without her? IT ALL HURT BADLY. Because 1) so many years passed in such a short amount of time on the show and it felt like someone was ripping my heart out. I got genuinely reminded of that stupid US movie “One Day” - and y’all know how that movie ended. And because 2) there was a very realistic notion in the adult relationship portrayed. Not only did it point out how differently relationships/friendships can develop once you outgrow your teenage years and start navigating your life by yourself, but the problems, the misunderstandings, the different perceptions of time, the different perceptions of how friendships and relationships are developing - I honestly could relate to it a lot, looking at it from a 24yo perspective because it is something I have been experiencing as well since I finished high school. You feel more lonely and tend to perceive some time as passing by quickly, other times, it feels like everything is going so slow. These last 8 eps completely differ from my perception that I had in the first 16 eps of the show, as the tone is much more serious and the things depicted realistic and relatable. I also sobbed a lot. I didn’t sob at all, ever, in the first 16 eps, but the last 8 were me crying a lot and feeling my heart hurt as the years passed by and these two just spent them apart.

- So, what do I criticize about this show? The show’s pacing. I genuinely loved the change of feeling between high school and adult life, between ridiculousness and seriousness, and I know the show wants to celebrate youth at the end of the day. But I honestly believe this show could have worked so much better if u cut the high school episodes down to 8 episodes and rather spend a few more eps exploring their young adult lives. It would have worked so much better because their young adult selves were genuinely relatable, as well as their problems. The growth within the characters, realizing that the way they acted as teenagers were often self-centred or that they didn’t think that much about the consequences or how other people felt was nicely done. The show had potential. The dialogues were bearable, the camera work had hints of something great. In other words, I believe that with more carefulness to directing and dialogue, the show could have genuinely been a quality romance drama. The potential was there, but it wasn’t used the way it should have been. In the last 8 eps, you simply get a whiff on what this show could have actually been. Because the realistic character and relationship writing was right there - and if it had been put together with awesome directing and better pacing, everything could have been incredible.

SUMMARY

Favorite character:

Negative: the show’s pacing; the waste of potential to be an actual quality romance.

Positive: the un-seriousness of the first 16 eps, which were just so clichéd that it all was hilarious, compared to the seriousness of problems and development depicted in the past 8 eps.

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6) Run On. Rating: 4,2 / 5 stars - recommend

- I’m gonna be honest here and tell you something about me you might have guessed by now: Modern-day shows with no sci-fi nor fantasy elements are not particularly my thing. I usually sort of hate-watch them. Romance is a Bonus Book, A Love So Beautiful and Radio Romance are all of such shows and while I was even capable watching two of them without ending up hating them, they’re far from being my fave. Objectively, they’re okay-ish shows, nothing to be considered quality tv according to my cultural studies though. Subjectively, they just suffer even more from the fact that I’m very keen on being critical of such shows. But what happens when I find a non-fantasy, non-scifi modern-day show that is actually... good? Run On is the answer. Run On has memorable characters, their funny, unique characteristics, and simple conflicts put into nice subplots that often talk real-life problems such as bullying or self-neglegance. At the end of the day, this show is a love poem. It’s a love poem to self-love, self-respect, to friendship, to character growth, to family bonds, to achieving your goals, to making new goals, to kindness, and to life itself. That’s really what it is. You will find yourself in, at least, one of the characters. You will see them struggle, fight, grow, become better, and at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you are capable of living with yourself. I personally got attached to all of the stories and I adored how nothing was ever done over the top. Everything was subtle, multiple subplots working together... to form stories of life. It’s more than just a simple “feelgood” show and less than a devastating tragedy, it truly shows you life and puts it into an aesthetic form, that never neglects its reality. Which leads me to something I should point out here: it’s creatively done. From the fact that Seon-gyeom is waiting for Mi-joo at the end of the track to the drawings of Young-hwa that have Dan-ah in them to Dan-ah realizing that people experience the same things differently due to the fact that experience itself is different to everyone to Mi-joo imagining movie plots with the people she surrounds herself with to Seon-gyeom starting to live with Young-hwa in a small flat rather than to live lonely in a big, fancy hotel room - the things the characters go through in this show are not only talked about, but they’re often expressed through art, in all its forms. And these characters, these dynamics, the art, the conflicts are all subtly but carefully put together into subplots that form the show and very nice messages. The most important take-away I had from this show is that the way we treat us and the people around us is the highest form of art. And the show is a love poem to that.

SUMMARY

- Favorite character:

- Positive: the cast (especically the core four), the characters (especially the core four); the wonderful messages about respect, kindness and self-love; the subplots working together, reflecting how life is also not just some simple chronological order of things but rather multiple experiences that we remember and that shape us; life is constant growth.

- Negative: i think the only thing i truly have to criticize is that you never really know what the plot even is. While I do enjoy how the subplots all work together, I would have wished for deeper inspections of some plots. And while it is easy just for some headcanons to come to mind, I still think the show could have incorporated more. Considering the treatment of art forms and how it takes a prominent role within the story (due to Young-hwa and Mi-joo, respectively), I also would have liked to have some cultural nods and references - and interpretations. I think the show used about 85% of its potential - and the potential was great, which is why the rating is still very good.

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5) Bring it on, ghost! Rating: 4,2 / 5 stars - recommend, especially good for people who want to have a focus on romance coupled with a supernatural plot and who want a happy ending

- While the story is pretty easy to follow, often seems to be predictable and familiar, the show still promotes nice messages about forgiveness and regret. The strong side of the show isn’t particularly that though - this show is entirely saved by the two leading actors. Kim So-hyun and Teacyeon portray two incredibly lovable characters you will see yourself drawn to. They furthermore have a chemistry that you just have to love and their bickering is just the best part of all. This is mixed with some tragic moments - in present time as well as in the past - and what you get is a romantic show with a bit of comedy, with a bit of tragedy, but with a very happy ending. If you exchanged the actors with two less skilled actors or two people who simply don’t have a lot of chemistry, this show simply wouldn’t work. Their performances are the shining light of this drama, mixed with some funny side characters that you get to enjoy as well. The reason why it ends up higher on the list than Run On - despite Run On probably having generally the better dialogue writing as well as better camera work and even more beautiful messages - is due to the sole work of the two leads who simply carry this show on their back and the fact that despite having some more or less necessary subplots, there is a main plot here that will take a faster, darker turn in the second half of the show. And I personally just enjoy having a main plot to hold onto as well as I always enjoy a bit of fantasy more than modern day real live shows. On top of that, add some devastating backstory and top-notch character development for Park Bong-pal, and a badass, slightly violent, sassy characterization of Kim Hyun-ji. This show will simply leave you with a huge smile on your face, despite being made for people who enjoy tragedy as well.

SUMMARY

- Favorite characters:

- Negative: subplots sometimes take the focus, a familiar story, stereotypical portrayal of ghosts (yes, ahre, i said it), no real plot twists (which can be a good thing, too, since the show rather simply unfolds each part of the story over the course of its run)

- Positive: the two leading actors, their incredibly shippable couple, a happy ending. If I was going to recommend a light-hearted, happy kdrama that has some tragic parts but ends happily and isn’t that hard to follow, I’ll recommend you this one.

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4) The Tale of Nok-du. Rating: 4,6 / 5 stars - strongly recommend.

- If you ever are in search for an unproblematic dummy as protagonist, watch this show. He’s a dummy you just have to love. You laugh about him, you laugh with him, you cry for him. He’s a puppy, you cry with him. And the best thing is, this puppy falls in love with a girl who can be quite rude and annoyed, but he always makes her smile and genuinely is attentive to her. The most frustrating thing about both of them is that each of them keeps a secret they cannot tell each other because they refuse to hurt each other - and this almost leads to tragedy. Better even, they’re portrayed by two very skillful actors. You’ll love them in the blink of an eye. And then there’s the cute second lead, portrayed by Kang Tae-oh. Yes, cute. Until he really isn’t. I’ve never seen an actor being able to turn around a character to 180° in no time. Some talent that is. And now let’s just say - the plot is nice. It is not the most complex one, but it is interesting to follow and you are always eager to find out new information to collect and put the pieces together. If you are searching for a show that is simply entertaining and nice to watch and featrures a great cast and nice characters and ranges from comedy to tragedy, this is your pick.

SUMMARY

- Favorite characters:

- Negative: the narrative change in the middle of the show that shifted the focus away from women to men (even though it made sense within the story, it was still a very sudden and harsh change, especially if you consider that these women were mostly slaughtered to death)

- Positive: CAST (specifically the three mains are just beyond amazing); an innocent, pure, absolutely adorable protagonizing couple that will steal your heart; feminism; male protagonist being a feminist who ends up working with badass women for his entire lifetime; directing; narration practices - this show is the one that draws the line between the ones i discussed above and the really great ones because it is the first on the list to be capable of telling a story by constantly keeping your nerves up while also not overstimulating the viewer with too much information at once. Only the other 3 shows which will follow now were able to do the same - and it’s what makes people watch or quit, and that’s why it’s so important: constant plot development, no unnecessary side plots, and handing your audience enough information to make them keep watching but not enough to guess the entire plot yet. The Tale of Nok-du was able to do exactly that and I honestly enjoyed the ride.

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3) W - Two Worlds. Rating: 4,8 / 5 stars - strongly recommend, must watch.

- I’d like to point out first that my top 3 are interchangeable. I sometimes tend to change my mind which one of the three I adore the most, and W is definitely in those top 3. Firstly, I’d like to let you know that W was my first Kdrama watch. And it blew me away. I was in awe with Lee Jong-suk, with Han Hyo-joo, with the narration of this drama, with the plot, with the direction, with the leading couple, the cast, THE DIALOGUE. Everything about this drama was excellently executed. The slow-moving narration in episode 1, the extra long scene of Chul holding the writer at gunpoint, the writer ‘becoming’ the killer (which he has always been anyway), the philosophy behind it, the creativity. I was blown away by literally everything about this drama and I believe it to be one of the strongest dramas ever made. Furthermore, what I also really adored, is that you don’t need to necessarily be into the couple in order to enjoy this show anyway because the plot takes the spotlight - but since the couple is always involved in the main plot, you get to enjoy plot, dialogue and couple at once. An interesting thing that I want to note here is that a few weeks after finishing the show, I stumbled upon reddits criticizing Lee Tae-hwan for his acting in general. I don’t know if he just perfectly suited the role of Chul’s bodyguard in W, but I highkey enjoyed watching him in this drama.

SUMMARY

- Favorite characters:

- Negative: I would have adored if Yeon-joo took a more prominent role in the resolution of the story (last 2 episodes) since the ‘hero arc’ went all to Chul there. And another negative aspect is that the show lives from very strong dialogues throughout all episodes, all incredible, all amazing and then - the very last scene. The last words spoken on the show, as a voice-over of Chul and Yeon-joo, are rather dull compared to the rest of the show.

- Positive: narration device, leaving out information to fill us in later and blowing our minds away (PEOPLE, I THOUGHT CHUL DIED), complex main characters, complex plot, no unnecessary subplots, no unnecessary romantic drama, no unnecessary cheesiness, DIALOGUE, direction, the cast in general*.

*I tried Memories of the Alhambra, as I found out that the same people who also made W were in charge of that drama, and I have to admit that I was intensely let down, specifically by the casting. Hyun Bin was alright-ish (not very memorable though), but Park Shin-hye was unbearable for me after episode 3. I stopped watching. If the plot was as interesting as the one of W though, I would have kept watching. But seeing as nothing really happened in those first 3 eps other than the lead killing his old best friend and playing video games that appear to turn into reality, I felt like I was wasting my time.

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2) Extraordinary You. Rating: 5 / 5 stars - strongly recommend for hopeless romantics, people who suffer from second lead syndrome and people who like getting into philosophical debates.

- Extraordinary You was the second kdrama I ever watched. And. And. And. And I almost gave it up after episode one. It seemed somewhat ridiculous to me, way too fast-moving. I would regret my entire life if I had given it up right there and then. Because PEOPLE, IT IS SO GOOD. Not only does it feature a very healthy main couple, it leaves you emotionally devastated because there’s a backstory that you only get to know in the second half of the show but which influences your entire perception of the first half - and jeez, by the time I reached half of the show, I was yelling and screaming and crying my eyes out. You ever want to see a love so deep that it transcends consciousness and universes? A love so deep that time and space become mere nothings? That’s what you get in this show. And one of the best parts is that the ‘’’’’actual’’’’’ lead (in the ancient story within the show, not the story of the show) aka Baek Kyung* does NOT get the girl. But that doesn’t mean you won’t fricking suffer with him. Jeez, I bawled my eyes out for him, too. But Haru/Dan-oh, guys, they’re.... everything. Oh and all of that is nicely mixed up in a strong, complex plot that leaves nothing unexplained. Not everything is explained through words - the show is high on symbolism rather than dialogue - but everything makes sense. And the ending, oh that stupid ending. As beautiful as heartbreaking. Since the plot is put into a philosophical perspective throughout the show, the show also raises questions about existence and being. Yes, I yelled when Heidegger was mentioned. So not only do you get to see a beautiful, heartbreaking love story; adorable, complex characters; time-and-space-transcending friendships, you also get to laugh, cry and think about your own existence and your own place in this world. This show is a delight.

SUMMARY

- Favorite character:

- Negative: you will cry and cry and cry and then laugh and then cry and cry and cry. It’s really not fun. Emotionally devastating. No, but for real... I wished we had a more complex depiction of the female characters that aren’t Dan-oh (specifically Ju-da, Sae-mi and Su-hyang), and a bit less focus on the guys therefore (I love them all but I thought the girls could have gotten some screen time of theirs while I would have accepted Jinmichae, Do-hwa and Nam-ju to get a bit less)

- Positive: Honestly? EVerything. Directing, casting, characterization, narration, love story, friendships, everything.

- *Let me say something about Baek Kyung, portrayed by Lee Jae-wook. That character could have simply been an asshole. The set-up was there, the writer of the comic also made him that way. But Lee Jae-wook has portrayed this character with so much depth that it is impossible not to feel bad for him. His entire life stages (hahahaha, I’m so funny) are a tragic mess. The fact that he eventually realizes that who he is and who the writer made him are eventually indeed two different people after all - but that they both share being in love with Eun Dan-oh - is as important as it is devastating. Cause it makes you realize that he can finally move his life more freely with that knowledge - become a better person outside of the stages (only if given the chance by the writer though) - while also never finding a happy ending. Firstly, because happy endings don’t exist in their world anyway because endings - if happy or sad - are always endings to these characters’ existences and because it is glaringly obvious his happy ending would include having Dan-oh by his side also outside of the stages. That is denied to him and will always be denied to him. And as a viewer, you understand that and you want nothing else, but the fact that he doesn’t even appear in the new story, not getting a chance at a new life this time, just adds a tragic notion onto all of this that no one asked for. I’d like to thank Lee Jae-wook here for such an incredible portrayal. I started Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol because of him and, unfortunately, had stop watching after 2 episodes because Go A-ra is simply... a terrible actress. I can’t put it any other way. I’m looking forward to other dramas with him and the rest of the cast though. Extraordinary You definitely had a huge advantage already by having a quite young, but incredibly talented mass of actors and actresses.

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*drumroll*

1) Hotel del Luna. Rating: 5 / 5 stars - strongly recommend, must watch.

- It wasn’t thaaaat surprising to me that I would love this show. It was rather.... obvious that this would happen because a fantasy show set in modern day with the involvement of other time eras and a badass, broken, strong female lead is simply my taste. What I did not expect was this to become my favorite tv show of all time. I don’t even know where to start. I guess Jang Man-wol is a good starting point. Because I live for such characters. Characters like hers are precisely of my taste (I had similar people to her before - Ámbar Smith from Argentina’s Soy Luna or Melody Paz from Argentina’s Casi Ángeles - and also after her - Seo Dan-ah from Korea’s Run On), but Jang Man-wol takes the no.1 spot in all tv characters ever. She’s so layered, so complex, so well-written. She’s not predictable, but she’s also not ever surprising. She comes across as one of the most relatable tv characters you could ever see because she isn’t just one thing. She’s very contrary, she can be soft and loving or harsh and ruthless, sometimes all at the same time. She can be forgiving, she can be arrogant, self-hating, self-loving, lazy, passionate, she is quite literally everything. And while in the show’s set-up she is punished for hundreds of years when other, much more problematic people were allowed to leave this world sooner than her, the narrative wants you to feel sorry for her. You see her flaws, you see she’s anything but perfect but it won’t make you conclude that her punishment was ever deserved. The more you get into this show, the more you will ache. Because you know that there is only one possible ending to the show - for her to finally find peace. And that... that can only be achieved if she finally is allowed to leave this world. And it hurts and pains because, obviously, there is a love story. A love story that goes back to when she was a child 1,300 years ago. A love story that reunites her with the guy who saved her these 1,300 years ago and who now finds her again, someone who makes her care about her life again. As deeper as you go into the show, the more you will cry, the more you will suffer. And you will feel conflicted. You will want her to get her revenge while you will want to protect her. You will want her to finally be able to leave this world, but you won’t want her to leave Chan-sung. You will want her to actually care about her own fate while you will also want her to make the mistakes that worsen everything. It is a beautiful character put into a story that mixes fantasy, comedy, tragedy, soulmates, life, death, revenge, a stunning cinematography and strong dialogues into one. And what you get is the probably best show ever made.

SUMMARY

- Favorite character:

- Negative: There is really only one minor thing I’d criticize. While all the chars are rather complex and all subplots and character arcs work within the main plot frame and round up the entire story perfectly, there is one subplot I personally got a bit tired of because it is definitely the most unconnected one to the main plot - this concerns the romance arc of yu-na and hyun-joong. I wasn’t hating it, but I just didn’t need it for this story.

- Positive: This show has everything. I told you above already all the things I like. On top of that, I’d like to add that it has a beautiful found family story arc, promotes wonderful messages, has gotten itself the most excellent leading actress with IU who just beautifully portrays Jang Man-wol in all her depth. The show leaves you with your heart aching while there will be a smile on your face. Emotional devastation is just how this show works.

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- Kdrama I'm currently watching: The Crowned Clown

- Kdramas I plan on watching soon: My Country - The New Age (watched 2 eps so far) | Signal (watched 1 ep so far) | Mr. Queen | Tale of the Nine Tailed | Moon Lovers

- Kdramas I abandoned because I didn’t get into them / disliked them: My First First Love | Goblin | Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol | Memories of the Alhambra

- If you have any suggestions for me based on my likes and dislikes, send them to me. I’m open to everything :)

#w two worlds #w two worlds apart #hotel del luna #extraordinary you #a love so beautiful #radio romance #romance is a bonus book #rookie historian goo hae ryung #the tale of nokdu #bring it on ghost #let's fight ghost #hey ghost let's fight #run on #mischa for ts #kdrama ratings

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kiirokero · 3 years

Text

Nepenthe (KTH)

Nepenthe: A drug used to induce forgetfulness of pain or sorrow; something capable of causing oblivion of grief or suffering.

Part of the “Protect the Village!” Oneshot Series!

Masterlist

Pairing: Baker!Taehyung x Reader

Genre: Fluff, angst if you squint, romance...? Reader has troubles with their emotions and TaeTae tries to help them, ft. a blonde smug Jimin,

Note: Time to sleep. Catch up on writing :)

Summary: Mama always said that sweets give you cavities. But she didn’t warn you about the boy who makes them. Or, having an insatiable sweet tooth has left you spending much of your time in Taehyung’s bakery. But nobody prepared you for the feelings your cold heart caught.

Word Count: 2.4k

Contrary to popular belief, you did have feelings. You felt happy, sad, angry. You were human. But people tended to forget that. Whether it was because you were academically intelligent or you were just an easy target, you were used to... Well, getting used.

You were often the cash cow. The dead horse everyone thought was entertaining to beat. The goose with the golden egg and no farmer would leave you alone before you popped out the next solid gold money maker. And when you gave in and gave them what they wanted, you were the one left behind, high and dry.

Years of being treated like this in college left you emotionally unavailable. You opted to protect yourself from the hurt you felt by not allowing yourself to feel at all. You had built up your walls so thick that you barely allowed yourself to even feel happy half of the time. Many people tried to break down the brick hell you’d banished yourself to, but gave up when the stone didn’t relent. But it's not like you care, right?

You didn’t care that you had nobody to voice your worries to late at night when the self doubting thoughts plagued your mind. You didn’t care that people avoided you because of your frigid nature that left the happy little people in Bangtan Village uncomfortable. So what if you didn’t have anyone to catch you when you fell? You didn’t need anybody.

You just needed your comfort foods.

Yes, maybe it was an unhealthy habit to drown your self hating thoughts in the taste of sugar and cinnamon. Maybe anyone looking into the state of your mental health would cringe at the way you personally dealt with it. Who cares? This was your life and you would live it however the hell you wanted to. You were tired of others dictating you.

So you often found yourself at “Kim’s Confections” sitting in the corner, looking out with window while you ate your danish and sipped your tea. Every single day, whether the sun was up or down, you sat in the same seat, at the same bakery. You changed up the pastry, of course, you could only eat danishes for 3 days straight at most. But the routine of visiting the small shop was one thing that never changed.

As leaves fells and winter came, you visited the bakery. As rain fell and flower bloomed, you visited the bakery. You like the atmosphere the bakery gave off. The aroma of sugar and bread that wafted through the air made your body feel like jello as you could easily fall asleep to the smell. The small wooden tables that were scattered around made the shop feel more personal. The food that never failed to melt in your mouth calmed any tension that seeped into your bones.

But one thing about the bakery that didn’t calm you down was the owner himself.

Kim Taehyung.

Nothing was wrong with Taehyung, per se. He was an attractive guy who always had a friendly, boxy smile on his face. He had beautiful brunette hair and majestic auburn eyes. His skin was always shining, 24/7, always looking like he walked off the cover of a magazine. Even if you gave off a cold, icy aura that screamed “Don’t talk to me,” he never once failed to give you a smile and a warm welcome.

No, you were never purposely mean to Taehyung. You never snapped at him or showed any sort of distaste towards him, because you didn’t have any. He just confused you. Normal people would stop trying to be nice to you by now. Most people would take your less-than enthusiastic responses as rudeness or dislike. Not Taehyung though.

You often asked yourself what was up with him. I mean, who would look at you and think, “Yeah, I’ll give the snow queen a shot,” Nobody. Except Kim Taehyung, apparently. Without fail Taehyung tried to initiate conversations between the two of you that would last more than a few one words answers (Mostly from your side,) He would ask how your day was or what you did over the weekend. To which you would respond with “Good” or “Nothing,”

It’s not that you didn’t want to talk to the guy. He just made you feel... Weird. His smile made your heart quicken. His laugh made your cheeks heat up. Whenever he had his eyes on you, your hands would turn clammy. It just made you feel... uncomfortable. You were used to feeling 2 things, “Bleh,” and “What am I doing with my life,” not some odd feeling of quickened hearts and clammy hands.

But alas, no matter how much you wished to banish the invasive feeling all together, your sweet tooth needed to be satiated. So here you were, standing in front of “Kim’s Confections,” Walking in and chiming the small little bell that hung above the door. The familiar sight of wooden chairs and the glass display case full of confections filled your eyes. But there at the counter was the man himself.

“Hello Y/n! Welcome back!” Taehyung said with a smile on his face, enthusiasm laced in his voice. “Hello,” You said, sounding dead compared to his lively way of speech. “What will it be today, sweetcheeks?” Taehyung smirked, resting his head on his hand as he leaned over the counter. “Don’t call me that,” You said, not liking the heat that made its way onto your face the moment he called you “Sweetcheeks,”

Taehyung chuckled, saying nothing, just gesturing to the glass case of goodies. Taking a look, you noticed your favorite was in stock today. Red velvet cupcakes. “That one, please,” You said, pointing at the mouth-watering pastry. “Coming right up, sweecheeks,” Taehyung smiled. You decided to ignore the endearing nickname, instead trying your best to cool down the heat on the tips of your ears and apples of your cheeks.

Taehyung grabbed the cupcake and put it on a plate for you, sliding it towards you as you handed him the money you’d already fished out of your wallet. “Thanks,” You mumbled, grabbing the plate off of the counter. “Anything for you,” Taehyung smirked. You didn’t say anything else to him as you went to your corner to eat your cupcake.

Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.

You’ve read The Iliad a thousand times before. You know how the adventure ends and what the climax of the story will be. You knew what happened to the characters, and you were well versed in the outdated way of speech. But that didn’t mean you appreciated the interruption of a certain blonde haired male. “What Jimin?” You groaned, putting down your well-worn book, glaring at the man in front of you. “Ah you wound me, Y/n. I just wanted to see you is all,” Jimin shrugged.

“See me? Dumb move,” You countered back, face unchanging. Jimin just chuckled, shaking his head with a smile. “You know, I was talking to Taehyung and he said you barely speak a word to him. That’s surprising since your with him every day,” Jimin smirked, swiping off some stray frosting that laid on your plate and putting it in his mouth. “I have nothing to say,” You said, turning to look outside the window.

Jimin scoffed, “I find that hard to believe. Tae can make anyone talk, do you not like him?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. “I didn’t say that,” Was your immediate answer, debunking Jimin’s dumb theory. “Well, you kinda did,” Jimin teased. “He makes me feel weird,” You admitted, unable to face the man in front of you.

“He makes you feel weird?” Jimin asked, confused.

“He makes my palms clammy and face hot. He’a like a witch or something,” You sighed.

You didn’t know Jimin, no. Jimin was one of Taehyung’s friends who tried even harder than him to get on your “Good side,” When in reality, there was no good side. You were just in a perpetual state of saying “Cool,” and throwing up peace signs at everything life threw at you. So no, you weren’t Jimin’s friend.

So the unimpressed, disdained face you gave him when he burst out laughing at your words wasn’t entirely unwarranted.

“Oh my goodness, you’re funny,” Jimin chuckled out. “What did I say?” You asked. “You have a crush on Tae!” Jimin whisper shouted. Your eyes widened, and you flicked his forehead. “What are we? Twelve? A crush? That’s preschool shit,” You seethed, not allowing yourself to believe what Jimin was saying. “Woah, calm down Y/n. Crushes are normal,” Jimin explained, right before Taehyung came up to grab your empty plate for you.

“Did you enjoy the cupcake?” Taehyung said in his deep baritone voice that made goosebumps rise on your skin. You nodded your head yes, avoiding looking right into his eyes. “I’m glad,” Taehyung whispered to you, giving you a smile as he walked back to the kitchen with your plate. You watched him go the whole way.

“Scratch that, your head over heels,” Jimin spoke up, and you whipped your head around to glare at him. “Shut it,” You spoke through gritted teeth, gathering your book and purse, standing up to leave. “I don’t have a crush. That’s childish,” You countered, but Jimin just gave you a knowing look, a smirk plastered on his face.

You never missed a day to visit the bakery. But maybe you should’ve today. It was pouring outside. Thunder rumbled through the air and lighting flashed through the sky. You were without an umbrella or anything to protect you from the rainy onslaught that was happening outside the shop.

Sighing, you flipped through the pages of The Iliad. You had just finished the story another time, and the epic was still too fresh in your mind to begin reading again. So you sat in your corner, listening to the pounding of rain that rammed against the shop windows.

“It’s pouring out there, huh?”

Taehyung’s soft, deep voice cut through the rain ambiance that filled the tiny shop. You nodded, tearing your eyes away from him and suppressing the thoughts of his muscular figure from your mind. “Do you have someone coming to pick you up? I don’t want you walking out in that,” He asked, coming to sit in the seat in front of you.

“I don’t,” You answered, avoiding his gaze. “Really? No boyfriend coming to sweep you off of your feet?” He chuckled. You shrugged, picking at the edges of your book. “I’m not girlfriend material,” You sighed, finally looking up to meet his gaze. “Not girlfriend material?” Taehyung asked, furrowing his eyebrows. “I just have too much baggage, I guess,�� You shrugged.

Taehyung chuckled, “Everyone has baggage, Y/n,” Was his answer, looking right into your eyes with his deep auburn ones. “I guess,” You mumbled. The two of you sat in silence for a couple of minutes, just listening to the sound of the rain outside as the two of you just enjoyed each other’s presence without the other knowing it.

“I think you’re girlfriend material,” Taehyung spoke up suddenly, startling you out of the thoughts that swirled around your mind. “Ha ha,” You sarcastically laughed, but Taehyung doubled down. “I’m serious, Y/n,” He said, leaning forward on the table. “No I’m not,” You argued, shaking your head at what you believed was a ridiculous claim.

“Why do you think that?” Taehyung asked, but you didn’t respond, feeling the walls you meticulously built start to crumble. That scared you. You’ve always been focused on others trying to force your walls down, but you never thought about what it would be like for someone to urge you to bring them down yourself. To want to willing talk about the thoughts that plagued your mind. To let someone cozy up with you inside your walls. It was scary how you wanted to talk to Taehyung.

You didn’t know what it was about Taehyung that made you want to let him in and turn your hell into a sanctuary. Maybe it was because he was always so nice. Or maybe it was because he made the best comfort food you’d every have. Whatever it was about him, he was starting to get through to you, and it scared you more than you’d like to admit. So you shut down.

Taehyung kept asking you why you thought that or what made you think that you were any less than amazing, but you just kept shaking your not wanting to open your mouth in fear that you’d spill out all of your emotions like a hangover full of regrets and puke.

You heard Taehyung sigh as he got up from the chair. You felt your heart squeeze at the thought of him finally giving up on you. You knew it was a bit selfish to expect him to stick around after you gave him no reason to, but it still hurt. You were so out of tune with your emotions that you had a hard time identifying what was what.

Was this disappointment? It’s been a long time old friend.

Was Jimin right? Am I in love? Is this what love feels like?

A hand placed a plate with a cinnamon roll on it in front of you. The aroma of cinnamon filled your nose, and you cracked a small smile at it. Taehyung sat back down in the seat in front of you, giving you a warm smile. “You don’t have to push yourself to answer,” Taehyung spoke up, “I don’t know exactly how you feel, but my friend, Yoongi, is like you.” He smiled as you took a bite of the cinnamon roll. “He says that talking to others about feelings is a monumental task, so don’t feel obligated to answer my question. You have your walls for a reason, Y/n. It’s up to you if you want to let me in. But I will say, I’m waiting at the door with cookies.”

At his words, you gave him a sincere smile. The first sincere smile he’d ever seen from you and you could tell by his huge, boxy one that it made him happy. “Thank you, Taehyung,” You said. “Anything for you, sweetcheeks,” Okay, so maybe your heart was a bit cold. Maybe the thick walls you built around yourself prevented you from properly processing your feelings. Maybe Jimin was right and the clammy hands and giddy feeling you got from being around Taehyung was love.

But right now, the two of you didn’t care.

Because you were in the middle of your first genuine conversation.

#kim taehyung #taehyung #bts v #bts #bts oneshot #taehyung x reader #bts fluff

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