#zen and him.. they were both very appreciating of life

[yuseirra]

persona 3 and persona q spoilers(implied)

zen and ryoji on life and ryoji's ring

These two never got to meet in canon, didn't they, but they share a whole lot in common! They'd make great friends. I'd like to imagine them having convos about the things they've discovered through their journey

plus zen is a really underrated character ;v;) he needs to be acknowledged more

[rfaromance]

Fluffy ZenZen? 👀👀 (little sister here to be a pain ofcsofcs)

Every visit to Zen's place became a new story to unfold.

The first time you went to Zen's apartment, the butterflies swarming inside of your stomach were so agitated and fervent that you swore you could still feel them to this day. Back then, part of the issue had been convincing Zen to allow you to come over in the first place. You respected his efforts to be a gentleman, but also...

You couldn't help but chuckle at how flustered he had been, blabbering about a "beast" that would come out "under the full moon" and how you needed to be "safe." It was endearing, but as much as you adored Zen, you wished he could be more upfront about his feelings. You weren't a child! Why did he have to make himself sound like some hungry werewolf?

His warnings had instilled a sense of caution into you nonetheless. You wanted to see where he lived and try to get closer to him, but maybe he had his reasons for wanting to keep a bit of distance between the two of you. Maybe he had skeletons in the closet that he wasn't ready to unearth just yet.

Rather than any skeletons, the first time you finally visited Zen's abode, you found... a whole lot of nothing, actually.

"Zen! This place is so bare!" You could remember your protests at the sparse furniture. "Even your refrigerator is growing cobwebs!" Did he seriously live on salads, water, and beer?

"I'm not a flashy guy!"

"Liar!"

You both knew that wasn't the case. Zen was always eager to flirt and show off his body every opportunity he could. Why wouldn't his apartment be flashy too?

That was a major turning point in your relationship, when you began to see past his facade and realize he was actually more timid and humble than he wanted others to know. Zen put on an act of arrogance to conceal his insecurities, and his minimalist living space reflected who he was at his core: a simple person who was satisfied with just being appreciated and loved, not for his looks but for the comfort and kindness he could provide.

Each subsequent visit revealed a new side to him. Slowly, his apartment began to take on new life. You weren't sure where all his trinkets had appeared from, but the next visit you discovered an old costume hanging on a door, and the visit after that you found CDs from a variety of musical that he used to practice. (You teased him relentlessly for still using a Walkman to listen to those.)

"Zen? What's this?"

You stepped out of the restroom to see his closet door halfway open. While you didn't want to invade his privacy, your curiosity was too strong. A long, wooden handle was catching the faint light from his bedroom, and you couldn't help but wonder what it was.

"Handle" wasn't very accurate. As you drew closer to the closet, you saw strings running down the surface and knobs on the side.

"Y/N! Hey, hey, what are you doing, going through a man's personal stuff?"

You nearly jumped out of your skin as Zen's voice suddenly appeared behind you. You were so absorbed in the mystery in front of you that you hadn't noticed his approaching footsteps. "Zen, if you say things like that, I'm going to think you have weird secrets in your closet."

A deep blush spread across Zen's pale face like a rosebush in bloom. "That's... anyway, let's go back to the living room."

Swallowing the disappointment rising in your chest, you reluctantly nodded. "Okay." You didn't want to push him to do something that made him uncomfortable, after all.

You exited his bedroom and walked over to the couch, flopping down onto your favorite cushion. You expected Zen to drop down next to you, like always, but he was nowhere to be found. "Zen?"

A moment later, a shy pair of ruby eyes peeked at you from the doorway. "I'm rusty. Just know that, alright?"

Rusty? What was he talking about?

You had to fight to keep your jaw from dropping as Zen entered the living room with an old acoustic guitar in his hands. "But since you're so curious... I'll do my best to serenade you."

His hands trembled slightly as he sat down beside you, trying to place his fingers in the proper positions. "I'm lucky my parents didn't smash this girl when they found out," he mumbled, half to you and half to himself. "She carried me through a lot of tough times. I guess it's only fair to play her every now and again."

Clearly there was a story behind this guitar. A story that went beyond the guitar and to Zen's past, his story, his life. "Zen, you don't have to-"

"That should do it. Alright, love. You're very lucky to get a one-on-one show with me, you know? I wouldn't turn this down if I were you." The light returned to his eyes, and he turned to you with a beaming smile. "What'll it be, darling?"

"Hyun..." You could hardly choke out his name as tears began to prickle at your eyes and your throat. Hoping to brighten the mood, you decided to tease him a little. "Hm... how about a little Elvis?"

Zen's dumbstruck and slightly horrified look said more than a thousand words.

"... Anyway, here's Wonderwall."

[paperback-rascal]

@kalm5​ and I were bouncing this idea between each other for a while.

We dubbed it as Janitor!AU but it’s rather a... JanitorAU!origin story/idea for both Clone Force 99 and 99.

The premise is as follows:

all clones registered as defective (and surviving the whole process despite the defects) are automatically registered as maintenance staff no matter how insignificant the mutations might be.

Once Nala Se decides to release four experimental clones from her lab to the training facility, to her horror, the system/framework immediately categorized them as defective and registers them as maintenance.

The brothers ends up working under 99, who at this time is not the clone we know and love from TCW as he is jealous of his brothers... especially his new “squad”: They have supernatural strength, above-average intelligence, inhuman eyesight, sixth sense, etc.  - they are super soldiers who, by accident, ended up sweeping floors.

99 has what? a hump, crooked spine, droopy face and a lame leg.

That turns 99 very bitter towards life, himself and, especially, other abled clones. He is not malicious towards The Bad Batch, but rather cold and aloof: he refuses to show them the ropes or how to efficiently preform certain tasks, gives them the most demeaning jobs, not tell them about shortcuts/ maintenance hallways of the facility, so they have a hard time getting used to their job of being well... janitors, which in turn fills them with resentment. Not to mention they also rebel against the decision as they felt they were denied their heritage as soldiers also they’d get treated harshly by “regs” due to their status quo (because at Kamino maintenance = defective)!

With time, 99 finds his “zen” - he forms a bond with TBB, learns to appreciate his squad and find his own strengths/weaknesses as TBB fight with the system to be approved for missions (with dash of help from Shaak Ti’s Jedi way of handling things and... Nala Se - who well, didn’t spend months/years in her secret lab tweaking clone DNA to produce maintenance staff!).

TBB also plotted to absorb 99 to their team in some way or another, but at the end of the day, 99 matured enough to realize that being a janitor/maintenance personnel is as much needed in war as being on the front lines. At this point TBB consider 99 as integral part of the squad, even though he is on Kamino while they are fighting.

The Clone Force 99 name is not to honor 99 post mortem, but the name of the team they build with him as they mopped grime of landing platforms, scrubbed clogged, piss coated toilets and washed sweat soaked training armor sets.

---

On the more humorous note I imagine them still being maintenance staff in the Kamino framework/system despite being approved for combat - once a clone is registered as defective/maintenance, there is no change of the status, because there is not way to actually fix the defect. They could be this fearless Clone Force 99 with 100% success rate and proudly wear black-and-red armor all they want (imagine if it was 99′s aesthetic! like... him always wanted to look super cool/ badass with skulls and such, while black-and-red color scheme came from him hating how unassuming janitor uniform looked), but in their files they will forever belong to a janitor closet....

now that I mentioned it - What if their living space was some sort of maintenance room they cleared out and started to squat in? What if TBB and 99 lived together for a while and what we know as Echo’s hammock in reality belonged to 99?

---

(also that’s why he was so helpful toward Domino squad later - he saw The Bad Batch in them)

===

STAR WARS: The Clone Wars/The Bad Batch © George Lucas/ Dave Filoni/ LucasFilm/ Disney

[natasha-in-space]

Can I request you RFA and Saeran ( minus Jaehee) with a male MC. The boys are just shocked they are attracted to someone same gender as them. Does Jumin Han is gay? Jumin would confirm that this is true. Male MC is literally so adorable and cute, kind and compassionate, also has some feminine trait

I do want to preface this by pointing out that this is very headcanon-territory overall! I don't think I talked much on this blog about my personal headcanons for MM gang's sexualities so far. Not directly, anyway. That is to say, they will love you regardless of your gender! All MC's are loved and cherished by the RFA, don't forget that <3

Yoosung

Now, Yoosung definitely had crushes before, but they never really went anywhere. By the time he meets you, he probably has little or no real-life experience with romantic relationships. I don't think he is very well versed in his own sexual or romantic preference... at all. He was simply too focused on studying for the majority of his school years, and once Rika has passed, the yearnings for a romantic relationships were just another form of his deep longing for human connection. So, it goes without saying that a male MC wouldn't have much impact. These feelings are still new and undiscovered for him, whether you are male, female, trans, nonbinary, etc. By the time he realizes that he is falling for you, your gender is the last thing on his mind. The thing that will come up is coming out to his family. This post focuses solely on exploring that aspect for Yoosung!

Zen

So, Zen canonically has quite a bit of relationship experience under his belt. He is aware of his likings and dislikes. I do headcanon him as questioning his sexuality, but still presenting himself as straight. A part of him just never really felt that inner push to try and pursue anything with a man. Not fully. But he definitely considers it sometimes, and he finds himself feeling attracted to non-female presenting individuals. He's kind of confused in that sense, often writing it off on him finding someone aesthetically attractive is all. I have a feeling that there were some men approaching him romantically or sexually, though. He works in a creative field, and creative spaces are often, if not always, full of queer people. So, for him, it'll be more of a confirmation than anything else. He finds you attractive, both inside and out, and that's a feeling he recognizes well enough. He'll be way more awkward with flirting, though. He knows how to charm a lady, but he's clueless if he should do anything specific for a man. You'll have to give him a push there.

Jumin

Jumin is not that interested in learning about his romantic or sexual preferences. Although he appears somewhat clueless, he really just... doesn't care much. In a way, he always knew that he is capable of attraction to more than one gender, he just never had a word for it, nor did he care enough to learn. I personally headcanon him on the ace spectrum, so that plays into his indifference towards his love life. Of course, that's not to overlook the role his unfortunate upbringing played in shaping his views on romantic relationships. He would definitely be way more involved if his family didn't raise him the way they did. (But we're not touching that huge can of worms right now) I don't think he will care much about labels, not until you or someone else brings it up to him. He just knows that he loves you, and that's that. He doesn't understand nor appreciate anyone questioning him or meddling into his personal affairs. His family included. So, I don't think he will be all that shocked, nor will he struggle. Most of his intimacy issues stem from his upbringing, not much else.

Saeyoung

It's pretty much a common knowledge that Saeyoung is very blatantly not straight. He doesn't try very hard to conceal it, nor does he care to. I actually view him as the most flirty one of the group, so he has his fair share of fleeting flirty connections with many people of all gender identities. None of it was anything meaningful nor serious, though. He's the sort of guy who flirts with everyone in the room, but will quickly fumble and leave if someone reciprocates his advances. Saeyoung's issue is not so much about his sexuality as it is about his unique situation regarding his job and identity.

Saeran

Saeran... doesn't know much, if anything, about sexuality. His knowledge is very limited to what little he reads in books and Rika's words. In other words, I don't believe Rika would instruct him that feeling something for another man is wrong or incorrect. I think it's pretty clear that she is not the type of person to do that or believe in that. (That's not mentioning that she is very not straight herself but I digress) I do think Ray would talk about it with her, though. Although she trusted him to select a tester on his own, I'm certain that she still overlooked some aspects of the process. And we do know that Rika doesn't really mind his attraction towards you. It's only when that attraction grows into something more substantial that challenges his loyalty to her does it become an issue in her eyes. That is to say, Ray wouldn't care if you are a man. He finds you as lovely as can be. Just be prepared to be called a prince. And Ray will probably want to be your knight. He can't think of a role more fitting than one that will make him serve you and protect you like you deserve.

[iwonderwh0]

I have too many fic ideas with no actual plan to write any of them (bc I can't write), but I can share them regardless. Here's another one

Post revolution Amanda is locked within the remaining Connor. She can see through his eyes just like before, but for obvious reasons Connor has been avoiding stasis since the very day he escaped it last time, which is also the day Amanda got permanently locked within him with no hope to escape as CyberLife servers she used to be connected with are now all shut down. She doesn't have any influence over him, but does she really? She explores it further and as it turnes out, she still can forcefully put him into stasis, but as far as it looks like Zen Garden he is quick to force himself out of it, so Amanda must get more creative than that. She scans through his system and figures out a way, weak spot she can use — preconstruction. She uses it as a part of a new program to execute without Connor's knowledge. A mix of stasis and preconstruction forced to run in a way that would make it difficult to spot, and as a result Connor starts to experience some anomalies. Such as: dialogues that never actually happened or just individual phrases that were never said, extreme dangerous situations that appear out of the blue just to get back to the way Before those situations in a blink of an eye, as if none of those things ever took place. Those anomalies are getting progressively more and more hardcore as Amanda is learning what kind of topics affect him the most as well as how can she manipulate him into taking actions that'll lead to him destroying comfort of his life with his own actions. Her goal is to reach a point of self destruction because as long as Connor is activated, so is she, and her goal is to destroy both of them as well as to take some revenge.

I described it from Amanda's pov to describe the underlying mechanism, but it's actually written (as if this fic is real*) from Connor's pov, so at some point nor him or reader understand anymore, what parts of the reality actually happened and what was simulated. Or idk, which one is more fun, when the reader is aware of what's simulated or when the reader is just as confused (or almost just as much) as Connor. Connor must be hella hard to break down like this + he's smart enough to start to realise the backbone of things to fight back, but huh, she'll make sure to get him through the hell of his own mind, so even when things are real they're now perceived from a different perspective than before.

* or maybe it is actually. I kinda assume that none if my ideas I post here are original, some people must have thought about them before, and if you know that that's the case I will appreciate the link(s) to where I can find it written. I don't really search for anything so I don't even know how cliche or not are ideas I post here

[juminsmysticmc]

What about a headcannon for the RFA+ V& Saeran for an MC who wants to be a performer (singer, actor)?

RFA+ Minor Trio with MC who wants to be a performer (singer, actor)

Jumin

When he first met you, he already knew that your heart was burning to become a singer.

He was sure that you would surely become someone big in the future with your voice.

And the more he got to know you, the more he loved to support you to make your dream a reality.

He loved to hear you sing to him and could spend hours listening and observing you, something Jaehee wished could have done after work.

And so, after the wedding and your honeymoon, Jumin was sure that the upcoming audition would be a success.

But nothing happened.

They didn’t even accept you as a rookie.

You were devastated, he knew, but you still didn’t want to give up the idea.

That’s why Jumin wanted to support you, even more, try to help you on his own.

,,I don’t want to cheat, Jumin. That’s why I don’t want you to help me…I love you and appreciate the thought but…I want to achieve my dreams on my own…’’ you told him, something he accepted. After all, you were the woman he fell in love with and he was more than sure that one day you would be able to make your dreams come true…

Zen

It was already a big surprise to see you in front of his door when he was at his worst.

When he had no motivation and was hurt.

To know that you were trying to get into show business and wanted to become an actor, he was perplexed.

Overjoyed.

Someone understood what he felt and had the same mindset, somehow.

The both of you shared some thoughts and talked a lot about different entertainment and roles you accepted.

,,Yeah, yeah! My mentor tells me the same thing all the time, I feel you!’’ he laughed when you told him about your experience.

,,Honestly, Zen, I look up to you. I get so tired, it’s making me feel very bad actually that I haven't achieved anything yet. I don’t feel good enough,’’ you suddenly said and the two of you shared a deep talk.

Perhaps this was what made the two of you grow close.

Maybe this was one of the reasons why Zen fell for you.

A lot came afterward: you were almost kidnapped, Eco Girl tried to destroy his career, and then the RFA party followed.

Something that didn’t change, however, was that the two of you always stayed close.

One day, Zen came to decide his life:

,,I know that this could feel weird to you, but what do you think about coming to my company?  

I think this might be a good decision.

I would like to support you better and stay close to you…’’ he mumbled.

He didn’t mean to say that without him you wouldn’t achieve anything and you knew that he wanted only the best for you.

That’s why you accepted…

Yoosung

For a long time, your name made his heart miss a throb.

He had the feeling that he knew you, although he also knew that your name was very common.

But to his surprise, the feeling he had when he first heard your name, came to be true:

,,Could it be that you are Mc?! I mean, from the one band that disbanded? The rookie band?!’’ Yoosung asked when the two of you saw each other for the first time.

He was hurt pretty badly to save you so his sight wasn’t the best.

But he recognized you.

And everything he said was true.

The RFA came to know the truth too.

You were one member of a band which disbanded not long ago just because you couldn’t debut.

But you, since it was your biggest dream to become a performer, didn’t give up and instead just changed companies. You kept giving your best as a solo artist.

The hard work, however, only paid off years ago. At that time, you however, didn’t know.

Instead, you kept on living your life, practicing and trying your best while secretly dating Yoosung, who put his life at risk.

And while you were giving your best to become a better performer, you also were writing your script to honor Yoosung, the one you loved the most and planned on marrying…

Jaehee

,,I’m sorry, to both of you,’’ you sighed when Jaehee asked you to open a coffee shop with her and when Jumin tried to persuade you to become his new secretary.

No one thought you would reject them.

Even worse, no one thought you would even dare to say no to Jaehee since the two of you already gave off pretty good vibes in the chat.

However, you had your reasons:

,,I am trying very hard to become a performer. To be honest, I’m pursuing the life of a motivational speaker to support, motivate, and inspire people all around the world.

I have already begun to talk in little crowds and I have a YouTube channel. I do live videos on social media…I have this dream and I won’t budge on it.

That’s why I can’t do that. I can’t work as your assistant and I can’t help you with a shop, Jaehee,’’ you said, breathing in before you gave them both a big smile.

For a second Jaehee felt angry. She felt as if someone stabbed her in her back. Was everything you said just part of your job?

But after a while, she realized that this was the real you, that you were simply made like this and that you were truly a goddess at your job.

She knew that it was her job to support you, just like you did with her.

And a few years later, you were one of the regular customers who held a meeting once a month in her shop…

Saeyoung

,,Ha, of course, she’s a multi-talent,’’ the red-haired man laughed to himself after he found out who the unknown person in the chatroom was.

The more Saeyoung found out about you, the more he was sure that being a performer was the right choice for you.

You just needed to be the center of attention of the people around you.

You were optimistic, sensitive, and creative. You were someone special and Saeyoung wanted to support you.

He could support Zen, so why shouldn’t he do the same for you?

However this time, horrible things got in the way and he couldn’t help as quickly as he had hoped.

He discovered Saeran was unknown, as well as the truth about Jihyun and Rika…

Your career was put on hold as you spent your time supporting Saeyoung, the person you fell in love with.

However, after this all ended, after the painful moments finally passed, after the emotional injuries were finally healed, your love for being a performer was finally a topic again.

And this time, your now-fiancé, made sure to support you.

He wanted to somehow try to make you boom.

,,No, I don’t want a video of me being a virus,’’ you told him back then. Your words were like a meow from a cat before the virus attacked all phones and everyone got to see a video of you…

,,Well, she went through the same as me, isn’t it funny, Mc?’’ Zen asked you in the chatroom while your cheeks were burning red.

Saeran

The first time he saw you was indeed in a video on YouTube.

He observed how the ambitious and independent young woman appeared in a video and talked about her plans for the future.

Perhaps Saeran fell for the young woman on the TV back then.

The one who was healthy and tried to achieve her dreams, tried to change her fate, and the situation he was in.

No matter what happened at Mint Eye, you were always behaving perfectly fine, calm, you knew what to say, and which words to choose.

There was nothing he regretted in choosing you.

Just one thing was on his mind from time to time.

He didn’t want you to take the elixir.

He wanted you to stay happy and healthy.

To grow as a person.

Perhaps you were fit to become a performer as you were the same person who gave him enough motivation to change, to become Ray and Saeran, and to love both.

You were the first one who loved him for who he was.

You were the real one.

Saeran kept supporting you and your dreams afterward. You were busy finding Saeyoung, but neither of you ever forgot to live for your dreams and your own well-being.

That’s what made the both of you grow as people too.  

Jihyun

He was overjoyed when he learned the truth.

You wanted to become a performer as a musician.

He was blinded by your beauty, your skills, and the way you behaved.

He could already imagine both of you playing together with your instruments.

And this was when Jihyun decided that he had to save you no matter what so that you could achieve your dreams for sure.

He didn’t want anyone or anything to happen to you because of Rika, or even worse, because of him.

Because of his stupid mistakes.

He wanted to look over you and protect you, as well as support you.

And the urge to help you only grew when he heard you playing the flute.

The dark sky seemed to glow while he kept watching over you.

And nothing changed over those three years while he was gone.

He knew, to support you wholeheartedly, he needed to be clean with himself.

He made sure to support you from afar and look at your every performance and wait for your big debut.

He was always there, even though you didn’t know…

Vanderwood

,,I understand,’’ he nodded when you told him your story.

It was a long and painful story and he wondered why most of the performers in history were always hurt so badly?

,,Will you ever try to approach your family if you should debut?’’ he asked you while cooking.

The both of you grew close over time and often ate dinner together.

Honestly, both of you were in love with each other and you both knew each other’s feelings.

But since you had a dating ban, the official statement of the both of you being a couple had to wait, at least until you had a stable name in the business.

,,I don’t think so. They hurt me pretty bad. And besides, for the case I really should come out big, they would only approach me because of the fame,’’ you said, meaning the parents you once loved, at least before they left you.

Vanderwood, at that time, realized how lonely you must have been and since then promised himself to protect you even better.

He loved you no matter what.

,,I will always support you. And I know that there isn’t ,,for the case’’, I know that you will become famous and when the time comes, I know that you will surely leave me behind,’’ he laughed.

,,I will never leave you behind,’’ you said dead seriously.

And the both of you knew, despite not saying anything, you loved each other and nothing could ever change that fact, not even your dream.

ᗰᗩᔕTEᖇᒪIᔕT

06.06.2022 // 22:47 MEST

[adamwatchesmovies]

Chocolate (2008)

Chocolate would be a better film if it was more comedic, if its prelude was shorter, and if Taphon Phopwandee played a bigger role during the conclusion. Will that matter to you so much as you watch Yanin Vismitananda demolishing opponents with her hands and feet? Not if you came to this martial arts film for the action.

A forbidden romance between Thai gangster Zin (Ammara Siripong) and Yakuza boss Masashi (Hiroshi Abe) puts both their lives at risk. He leaves for Japan while she gives birth to their daughter, Zen (Vismitananda). Raised by her single mother, Zen proves herself a gifted martial artist - easily replicating the moves she sees performed at the Muay Thai Kickboxing school next door or in Bruce Lee and Tony Jaa’s films despite her autism. When Zin develops cancer and cannot afford the chemotherapy, Zen’s friend Moom (Taphon Phopwandee) discovers an old book of unsettled debts owed to the former gangster. If that money were collected, Zin could afford the treatment she needs, which prompts her daughter to start checking the names on the pages.

There’s a lot about this film that’s goofy. Zen’s autism essentially gives her a superpower and she manages to learn moves that easily best opponents twice her size. Whether that’s more or less believable than the Romeo and Juliet romance between two gangsters who we see casually shooting people, I’ll leave it up to you. The thing is, it kind of works as a story happening in its own universe with its own rules. You buy it because you believe Yanin Vismitananda. As a martial artist, she’s incredible. So is the stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai. There’s great escalation as the debtors Zen collects from become increasingly determined not to give her the money that’s owed. Think it doesn’t get any scarier than a meat manufacturing plant where everyone has cleavers and knives? That’s the third fight (second if you don’t count the scene where she beats up a bunch of teenage punks). You wonder how director Prachy Pinkaew could top themselves when we just saw a battle that had katanas and guns but you haven’t seen anything yet. Even without the end-credit bloopers showing the on-set injuries, you can tell life in Thailand must be really cheap for the stunt men and women to get themselves tossed around like this and fall from that high up. Over and over you’ll threaten to wake up the neighbors as you yell “DAMN!” and “That HAD to hurt!”.

Action-wise, Chocolate is a delight. If at first you’re looking at Vismitananda and wondering “Would she really be able to take down that guy with a single kick to the face?”, you’ll believe it completely by the end. The choreography is excellent but this movie gives you a little something more. Zen’s fighting style has a different flavour, a different personality than other people’s. You often see her feigning blows and then striking in a different way than expected to take down her opponents. It smoothly blends into several comedic take-downs that would make Jackie Chan proud. That said, the film gets awfully grim at points. It is towards the end when the tension is due to ramp up but it feels a bit like the movie didn’t quite know if it wanted to be serious or not. The bad guys leave a trail of slime. The parents are very serious in their roles. Zen is portraying a movie version of a mental disorder. Moom - as the one person who doesn’t know anything about fighting - makes you laugh, which makes you appreciate him that much more than you normally would. His friendship with Zen is sweet, particularly when he comes to her rescue in a way only he could. Stunt-wise, Vismistananda is the stand-out. Seeing her convincingly plays a teen despite being 24 at the time and performing all those stunts you'd think she'd be the one giving the best performance, but I say that award belongs to Phopwandee.

You have to forgive some story-related flaws to appreciate Chocolate but it shouldn’t be too hard, not when the movie delivers the “whacks!” and “pows!” the way it does. You’ll want to see it again so you can test whether watching a martial arts film like this one can make you learn the on-screen moves through osmosis. (International version with English subtitles, July 30, 2021)

[softxsuki]

Congratulations on your Milestone :D. Could I have a Romantic matchup with date headcanons for BNHA and Mystic Messenger please? I’m a introverted straight female, 18 years old. Im an ISFP and an Aquarius. Personality-wise, I am really shy when first meeting people, not rude, just quiet and more of listener than a talker. When I open up I’m much more bubbly, sarcastic (playfully), and talkative. I’m very empathetic, laidback and open minded and extremely loyal to everyone in my life. I have a good sense of humour and laugh at most jokes. I love having banter back and forth. I’m also a pretty stubborn person and don’t swayed by peer pressure easily even though I’m extremely insecure regarding my personality, appearance and how I’m viewed by other people. I need to time to recharge after and sometimes during social events and am content with just listening to the other people speak to/around me.

Bad traits of mine would be that I’m a bit of a people pleaser, impatient, tend to overwork myself with schoolwork and study, get stressed easily and overanalyse everything (social stuff mostly). Idk what I consider to be my type but I do get drawn to confident and empathetic people with a good sense of humor. But I don’t like arrogance in a person. In any relationship (platonic or romance) I appreciate loyalty and honesty.

LIKES: Drawing, Music, Singing, Daydreaming, Going on walks and Reading. DISLIKES: The Dark (horrible phobia), Bugs, Spiders and Overly Aggressive, Loud and Pushy people. Thank you! -🔆

1000 Follower Event Matchup #16

This event is CLOSED. You can see the masterlist here.

Note: Thanks! Sorry for being so late, but I finally got this done for ya. Hope you enjoy.

I match you with KIRISHIMA, 707, LUKE

Runner-ups were Midoriya, Zen, and Vyn

Kirishima:

I think Kirishima is a good match for you

He knows how to have a good time and joke around, but he also knows when it’s time to step back and be a little more serious

This man drinks respect juice for breakfast, so no worries there, he’s very loyal and honest with you

Kiri is very empathetic, he has a big heart for everyone, especially you

He’s also confident, aside from some past issues he can’t fully get over, but he’s confident in the person he has become

Whether you’re talkative or not doesn’t matter, Kiri can talk forever, and if you are feeling talkative one day, he’d listen to you speak for days as well lol

Dates with Kirishima are full of fun

Amusement parks are his go-to, but he likes a nice movie and dinner date too if you’re feeling like you want a more chilled-out evening–he’s honestly cool with anything so long as it’s with you

He hold all the doors open for you and lends you his coat at the end of the night if it’s chilly out

We love him

707 (Saeyoung/Luciel):

Another great match I think

707 is just lots of fun to be around

He manages to always make you feel comfortable around him, and you find that you opened up pretty quickly to him when you first met

We all know that he went through a lot in life and tried pushing you away for a while, but now that you’re with him, he’s not letting go no matter what

He loves to joke around and make you laugh

He’s as loyal as they come, its only you and him. All he does is work and play games all day, who else would be meet with? As for honestly, he is always honest with you (unless you confront him about being up all night, but it’s obvious when his little white lies comes out) and ofc he can’t tell you any secret info that could put you in harms-way, but other than that you’re the only person he’s an open book with

Dates with 707 are mostly indoors so you never have to worry about your social battery running low (unless he wears you out lol)

He tries (and fails) to make dinner in which he has Vanderwood bring food for the both of you

Then you spend the rest of the day cuddling playing games or watching something on TV

Just very chill

Expect many kisses in between, he’s a little clingy (in a good way i think) and just wants to show you how much he cares for you whenever he gets the chance

Luke:

Ah yes the one who makes it his responsibility to take care of you physically and emotionally

You’re insecure? He’ll tell you everything he loves about you everyday until those thoughts are gone

Overworking yourself? Not on his watch, he reminds you to take breaks whenever he notices you’re doing too much work

He’ll even stop by and bring you some lunch so he knows you won’t forget to at least eat

He always watches out for you to make sure people don’t get the chance to walk all over you. He knows you’re a people pleaser, which is fine as long as you’re still thinking of yourself in the process and not allowing people to use you

Super protective of you (in a not so overbearing way. It’s just a sign that he really cares for you and wants to make sure you’re okay) so you’re in great hands

Dates with Luke are romantic

He pays attention to the little things you say, so he’ll pick up on restaurants you’ve wanted to try or maybe a cute little museum that you saw an ad for and he’ll plan it all out

Expect many surprise dates, he won’t tell you where you’re going, but only how you should dress (formal/casual/etc)

Lots of hand holding and playing footsie under the table at dinner

He’s just so whipped for you

EVENT REQUESTS ARE CLOSED

REGULAR REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Posted: 5/25/2023

[system-of-a-feather]

You know, one of the things XIV had pointed out that today that now that I'm thinking about it is kind of an interesting point, is that within our system that is generally Buddhist adjacent (ie a lot of the values and philosophy we hold reflect similarly into Buddhist principles that we actually heavily respect and value those who follow it like a sibling while being our own thing); XIV is arguably one of the parts in our system that shares ideologically the most values with Buddhist concepts and is the most dedicated to said values and principles - but that most probably would not expect that consider 1) Lucille is BETTER at actually applying them to day to day life and 2) most people think of Buddhist principles and think of peaceful zen guys (which is probably the typical approach to applying that into life, cite Lucille who accidentally ended up in that realm)

But largely, as he sees it - rather than applying Buddhist-adjacent philosophy and theory to personal life - he thinks that a lot of what plagues and suffers society has a lot in common with what Buddhists also comment on being an issue. An excess for individuality, an excess need for excess, a sense of disconnect from ones self and others and the world as a whole, a heavy value for the materialistic and immediate over the larger spectrum and whole picture and things that persist beyond the material.

Where parts like Lucille and I are very soft in our life philosophy being somewhat rooted in those ideals and have our approach to our personal life being guided by that and thus like to lean into the sense of peace that comes with accepting things as they happen and all that; XIV sees it as a needed application to the greater whole and I guess in his words "what is a better example of a successful commune that a buddhist monastery" and he and I both know that its FAR more complex than that, but he meant it on a very very surface level

There is a great peace in being able to live in harmony and not stress over how much you are or are not contributing and to not have that hungry drive for more and more excess that pushes people to feel like they have to contribute more than they can. If as a society we were to accept our losses and put aside our greed and desire for excess and power and learn to just live as people among people, it would be really neat.

Over my healing lately I've been reflecting on a lot of the "zen" principles and perspectives to life that Lucille has because I've largely been slowly picking up his role but for the subsystem and I've really come to deeply appreciate the power and ability to let things go and just accept things that come on a face value and appreciate things as the whole and many pieces that work together to make things happen. I don't know I don't have my words together on the topic so cleanly strung together because its one of those things I think about a lot more than I... THINK about if that makes sense, but I think I kinda see a little more into how XIV sees things with that in mind. Where as Lucille and I are happy handling our lives like this, I think its a little harder for him to be satiated just fixing things for himself - which is problematic thing in excess, but an honestly.... very considerate thing from a guy who is such an asshole 24/7.

I dunno, maybe I'm just reading too much into it because I was watching an episode of House for Self Care and realizing that House really does have a place on XIV's kin list for a reason.

Anyways, I'm just rambling about literally myself technically so #SoCringe uwu you sound like a lonely person who needs real friends uwu; Whatever, I'm not gonna apologize. XIV is the person I work regularly with to make this life work well. He's a larger part in my life than literally anyone else so I'll talk about him all I want even if he exists in my head. People can deal with it #ShitXIVTaughtMe

-Riku

[witchwitchglam]

Me & TC

I had a teacher crush on high school. He was... a dream man. Important to say - he was a dream man to my past self.

He was so intelligent, smart, funny, had a fucking huge charisma (and also an ego), could be an arrogant asshole, but could also praise you. If you were a smart person - obviously by his measures.

I was so in love! He was sooo hot, and he possessed every character trait I admired. I was aiming to gain as many traits as he has. I was basically trying to become him.

When the school years were over, it was very hard to get over him. It really was. The crush lasted four long years and even after the first year I left high school, I felt somehow connected to him, I was still craving his presence.

It has been SEVEN fucking years now. I have been through a lot since then - feeling lost, going through a trauma (which I am going to resolve, but do not have any strength to do so yet) and a few minor burnouts. On the positive side - I am in a very happy, stable relationship with a fabulous man (who is SO different from my teacher crush) and I have come to the realization that I am a highly sensitive person.

The biggest issue in my inner world is my over-rationalization. For a long time, it was very hard for me to admit that I am a very sensitive person, who has emotions. Very strong emotions. Which was obviously a big issue in my teenage years because I felt a lot. And my mechanism to survive in a very complicated family environment was to act... normal. Zen. Balanced. Rational. Not causing any problems.

And now I tell you what happened.

My teacher crush was a role model to me. I wanted a man, who was so sassy, strong, smart, funny, intelligent as him. And I wanted to BE like him. To survive, to thrive in my life. It was not only that I wanted a role model to help me survive, but it could also be somebody who was probably strong enough to handle my little fragile self inside. He was my anchor.

It was completely toxic. Nowadays, I am trying to resolve the relationship with myself. I have the most supportive man I could ever imagine – so sensitive himself, so loving, full of care, so smart, so funny, so… warm. Ffs, I love him so much!

These days I am trying to tune in to my real needs, to express myself I have never expressed myself before – in front of the people I care about the most. I try to be my truest self. Now I see that despite my artistic expression back then and despite my tendency not to be “mainstream”, I was fooling myself into thinking that I am much stronger and put together than I really was.

It was all a coping mechanism – both my teacher crush and my mask that I was building – and that really did not work. These days I feel so authentic! So fragile, but… omg, I am so me.

However, my old teacher crush pops up in my brain from time to time (and he comes in my dreams, too). Why is that? I tend to see him as an anchor, again. But now, he is a different kind – the one that reminds me of my past self that was trying her best but ended up in a dream-based relationship with a man older than her parents (heh, my boyfriend is 18 years older than me, but this is a whole different story). He reminds me of my “logical”, highly controlled, trying-to-look-smart self, who appreciates intelligence and tries to be funny, charismatic, and likeable for all cost. A fake. A wannabe. Somebody trying to survive.

Now, I know that I AM smart, intelligent, funny, and charismatic – but only when I am highly myself, when I do not play any games. Still, I am trying to survive – omg, life is hard as hell. But I do not borrow any other personality to help myself overcome the obstacles.

I do it on my own terms.

[awriterintorment]

New beginnings Part 3

They lived in a small unguarded town foot traffic was mild and common but not constant there would be weeks where they wouldn’t see a travel at times but business was good, there were a few kids Eric’s age but not many there was mostly adults, and a handful of teens though she didn’t see much of them though there was this one boy named John she had never met but she loathed, Eric would talk about him every so often about the stuff they’d do or say apparently from what she heard that boy that Eric would complain about was a spoiled little rich boy that lived in the manor just out of town. Even in medieval fantasy there was rich jerks who flaunted their parents money she couldn’t escape them even in death she supposed, Eric didn’t have many friends but she liked the ones he did have there was Mini a sweet and loud girl with dirty blonde hair and pigtails a year younger then him who would come every day to play with him, Timothy a older boy with pitch black hair and always dirty full of mischief too he usually would be behind Mini when she asked if Eric could play and then last but not least was Zen a 13 year old boy who she assumed to be Mini’s elder brother very shy and not very out spoken he had longer dirty blonde hair and always seemed to have some wooden toy he was working on for his friends. 

On Charlie’s first birthday there wasn’t many people over just a few close family friends and then Eric’s friends not that she minded she was officially a year old now nothing too terribly special. She mostly gor toys and some clothes that year and a cake no one could eat because it was very very bitter, so that’s why her Father was the one who did all the cooking. Nothing really happened until she turned 4 years old she had been able to talk and walk on her own for a little while now spending the day either out with her father spewing question after question about the animals and plants doing her best to help out or playing with her brother Eric, though he was far to over protective for her liking but she did understand his feelings didn’t make it any less annoying. But the nights that time was specifically dedicated to learning to sew with her mother she had learned the bare basics for repairing in her last life but in this life she was determined to make things with her own two hands, it was hard but everyday was slow and satisfying progress course she was still a little to young to learn how to wield a sword often told that by both Eric and Sani but she did appreciate when Sani would still teach her the movements and strategies to a sword fight she liked how Sani took her time explaining things how she answered the endless questions about everything and anything though Sani did make fun of her once and a while. Another thing Charlie liked doing was on the weekends going to the small library in her town and reading the books about magic though the librarian always tried to steer her away from them saying that they were, “To hard for her to understand” which always annoyed her, she started forcing herself to understand and practice magic out of spite! Her 5th birthday though is one she was especially excited for, she would finally be able to learn how to fight alongside her brother though she didn’t know if she wanted to be a swords women, magic appealed to her more in all honesty whenever she’d cast it when practicing she always felt this sort of awe and wonder even when viewing the most basic of spells. Imagine her excitement and surprise when she not only got a training sword for her birthday from Sani but a large bulky book about learning magic from her Mother, “Everything To Know And What Not To Know About Magic” the title read, Charlie never though she could smile more that day especially after Zen pulled her aside to give her a little collection of wooden dolls of everyone. 

[artbyelana]

BOOK - Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949-1979 by Paul Schimmel.

Schimmel, Paul. Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949-1979 [Exhibition, Los Angeles, Museum of Contemporary Art, 8 February-10 May 1998, Vienna, Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, 17 June-6 September 1998, Barcelona, Museu d’art Contemporani, 15 October 1998-6 January 1999, Tokyo, Museum of Contemporary Art, 11 February-11 April 1999]. Museum of Contemporary Art Thames and Hudson, 1998.

This book was suggested to me by my research lecturer Kingsley. I got it out of the library and found it a super interesting and relevant read. There was a lot on John Cage and Jackson Pollock who I've found very influential in my practice. Below are my notes from the various chapters:

Schimmel, Paul. “Leap into the Void: Performance and the Object.” Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949-1979, organised by Paul Schimmel, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1998, pp. 16-119. 

“Whether manifested as a studied Zen line, a heroic but fleeting painterly gesture, or an explosively destructive act, beginning and end became their subject - a subject driven by an overriding preoccupation with the temporal dimension of the act” (Schimmel 17). 

“Actions performed with the goal of producing objects gave rise to the execution of performative actions whose primary goal was the process of creation rather than the production of objects, which gave rise to the creation of performances that often involved audience participation, from which no resulting object was produced” (Schimmel 17). 

“The split of consciousness encouraged and incubated activities that broke the traditional relationship between artist and the object, and the subject of art increasingly became its own making” (Schimmel 18). 

“Pollock’s significance as the sole perpetrator of the concept that a painting was the material embodiment of an action has been overstated to such a degree that other less dramatic and less fully resolved experiments have received little recognition. Nevertheless, his works, as objects whose process of making is recorded in the paintings themselves and in widely seen photographs, did have a singular impact on the direction of both Color Field painting and performance art. The myth that has been made of Pollock’s life emphasizes his method” (Schimmel 18). 

“Pollock’s primary impact was as an archetypal painter caught in the arena of a ritualized - yet uncontrolled, brutally direct, and explosive - creative activity” (Schimmel 18). 

“With some notable exceptions, painters has tended to conceal the fact that their works were the result of a process, in favor of the creation of equilibrated compositions that displayed carefully selected segments of the world that could be appreciated as pictures. With action painting in general, and the work of Pollock in particular, each gesture “animates” the subsequent moves, producing a non-narrative linearity that focuses the viewer’s attention on the performative dimension of the act of painting. Although Pollock may have questioned this dimension of his work, his desire to maintain “contact” (his word) with the canvas essentially transformed the artist’s role from that of a bystander outside of the canvas to that of an actor whose very actions were its subject” (Schimmel 18). 

“The move from an uncontrolled action of the wrist to the more dramatic sweep of gesture of the arm, which required the artist to move around a canvas rolled out flat on the floor, altered both the traditional conception of what a painting was and the perception of how one could be made. Pollock’s action portended the dissolution of the boundaries between the object and the activity of its making” (Schimmel 19). 

“What was to go on the canvas was not a picture but an event” (Qtd in Schimmel 19). 

“While it is true that the mural-like scale of Pollock’s canvases, laid on the floor of his studio, literally forced him to be “inside” his work…” (Schimmel 20). 

“ “Pollock, as I see him,” Kaprow writes: “Left us at the point where we must become preoccupied with and even dazzled by the space and objects of our everyday life, either our bodies, clothes, rooms, or, if need be, the vastness of  Forty-Second Street. Not satisfied with the suggestion through paint of our other senses, we shall utilize the specific substances of sight, sound, movements, people, odors, touch…” (Schimmel 20). 

“Pollock, Cage, Fontana, and Shimamoto shared a common desire to disrupt or pierce the pictorial surface, to question the authority of the picture plane, and to introduce chance, randomness, and the unconscious into creative activity - in short, to leap into the void” (Schimmel 25). 

Kazuo Shiraga

“Most notably, the Gutai artists, reflecting Pollock’s influence, sought to put the artist into the canvas, whereas the more conceptually orientated Klein repositioned the artist as a conductor whose role was to orchestrate and compose the individuals who would make his paintings for him” (Schimmel 33). 

“Liberating their thinking, the performative act offered artists the opportunity to investigate such compelling issues as destruction, morality, and the tenuous boundaries of being in the world. It offered them the opportunity to unravel the systems and structures that provide a false sense of solidarity in a world that is forever in flux. It offered them the opportunity to lead into the void - a singular act that embodied the optimism tempered by despair that is so characteristic of the period in which we live” (Schimmel 119). 

Klocker, Hubert. “Gesture and the Object: Liberation as Aktion: A European Component of Performative Art.” Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949-1979, organised by Paul Schimmel, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1998, pp. 158-195. 

“They refused to give painting an illusionistic structure and above all expanded the format in a psychologically effective manner beyond the dimensions of the human body. Painting was thereby taken to the furthest point possible” (Klocker 162). 

Brett, Guy. “Life Strategies: Overview and Selection - Buenos Aires-London-Rio de Janeiro-Santiago de Chile, 1960-1980.” Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949-1979, organised by Paul Schimmel, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1998, pp. 196-225.

“ “Truth to experience” would make a distinction between what is lived in the mind - ideas in the air at a given moment, and what is lived in the body: daily life in particular nations, cultures, political systems, neighborhoods” (Brett 198). 

“It seems, in retrospect, that this change signalled two great desires: the artist’s desire to rescue the vitality of communication from an art system increasingly besotted with the commodity, and the “ordinary person’s” desire to come to know himself or herself through their lived experience, particular history, identity, and subjectivity” (Brett 219). 

“While in one sense the performers were “naked” before the audience, in another they came to represent the complex amalgam, the “infinity of traces” (Gramsci), which make up identity. Therefore there was no break, but a continuity, between the solo mode, duos, ensembles…” (Brett 219). 

“It does not reside in the object, finally, but in a relationship, in this case between artist, work, and spectator: a reality which most of the bodies of work about bear out” (Brett 224), 

“Noting that in Pollock, “the picture virtually ‘explodes’ - transforms itself into the acting field of graphic movement,” he went on to life this “acting field” out of the graphic transcription of the artist’s expressivity and to give it to the spectator, so to speak” (Brett 225). 

“... were designated voids where “the participator will ‘act’ upon those areas looking for ‘internal meanings’ within himself, rather than trying to apprehend external meanings or sensations”.” (Brett 225). 

Stiles, Kristine. “Uncorrupted Joy: International Art Actions.” Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949-1979, organised by Paul Schimmel, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1998, pp. 226-329.

“The question remains: How much reality can we bear? Whatever one’s response, the artists who have made their action art received, transmitted, and made visual more reality than we knew before their actions, creating new worlds, new cosmologies of human experience” (Stiles 329). 

[lubdubsworld]

物の哀れ ( ‘the sadness of things’.)

Characters : Alpha! Jungkook x Omega ! OC.

Genre : Arranged Marriage / Temporary contractual Marriage.

Warnings : Non- Con/ Extremely Dubious Consent . High functioning alcoholism. Genre related consent issues. Implied suicidal thoughts.

Summary : A recently widowed Jungkook agrees to a contract marriage to keep his company afloat. His grief overwhelms him and it is hard to look at his new wife as anything other than an intruder .

[  Author’s Note :  物の哀れ ~ Mono no aware can be translated as ‘the sadness of things’. It comes from the words 物 (mono – thing) and 哀れ (aware – poignancy or pathos). The ‘sadness’ in question comes from an awareness of the transience of things, as taught by Zen Buddhism. When we view something exceptionally beautiful, we might feel sad because we know it won’t stay so beautiful forever – but appreciation only heightens the pleasure we take in the beautiful thing in that moment. ]

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3

“Yoongi left a bunch of painkillers for you. He said you can take up to three per day.” Jin said calmly , carefully slipping the sleeves of my t shirt over my wrist as i held my arms out for him. He slipped the shirt over my head gently but his arms hit my shoulders, jostling me.   I swallowed the whimper of pain that shot through me at the movement. Mina was now awake, happily wiggling around on her rocker. 

It was a little past seven in the evening and Jungkook wasn’t due to arrive for another hour . 

“I could sleep on a bed of rusty nails right now. I’m so tired and i don’t know why. “ I whispered, staying still as he carefully drew the fabric down over my ribs, before stepping back. 

“I’ll sleep in the nursery with her. You should take the bed. You’re in no shape to be up and taking care of her when she wakes up. Jungkook’s asked me to stay here during the day because I’m not going to be performing for a couple months anyway and I’ve been losing my mind, rattling around that huge ass mansion all by myself. ” 

The phone rang, startling both of us. 

I groaned before moving to get up but Jin oppa held a hand up.

“Stay in bed. I’ll go see who it is.” 

I watched him disappear out of the room, settling back against the pillows and reaching for the ice pack in the small cooler by the bed. I had to ice my ribs every hour or so and while it didn’t seem to be helping much, I definitely appreciated the temporary numbness it offered. 

Jungkook’s guilt had driven a new wedge between us and he hadn’t so much as looked at me in three days. 

I wasn’t sure entirely if this was a good or bad thing. The fact that he seemed to be considering that he had to get his emotions under control to stop hurting the people around him was a welcome change. But the idea of going back to being ignored and treated like furniture , wasn’t really all that appealing. 

“Jungkook’s parents are on the way.” Jin’s voice broke through my reverie and i jumped. 

I resisted the urge to sob out loud . 

Mr and Mrs. Jeon were on the opposite side of the grief spectrum and just as annoying. 

Where Sooah’s parents were intent on making Jungkook remember their daughter as often as possible, Jungkook’s parents were intent on making him forget her. 

The only thing the two of them had in common was a burning hatred for me. 

Jungkook’s parents had wanted him to quit the company and sell it when it went into loss but Jungkook had categorically refused because that would result in all of his employees getting laid off, and back then Jungkook had been nothing if not ridiculously compassionate. Jungkook’s parents firmly believed that if it hadn’t been for me, their son would be back in Busan, letting them raise their granddaughter. 

“Great, that’s great. Did you tell them their son is not around?” I grimaced. I’d only met them three times in total and the last time was in the hospital two months ago when Jungkook had crashed in the middle of a board meeting, weeks of starving and dehydration catching up to him. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience, getting cursed out in front of the doctors and nurses and it probably won’t be any fun in the privacy of my home either. 

Jin gave me a sympathetic smile. 

“He’s already told them he’s on the way. I’m going to take Mina out on a walk. Give you guys some privacy. Shoot me a text when they leave.” he said gently. 

“Can’t I come with?” I begged and he laughed. 

“That would be a bad idea, even if it weren’t for the cracked rib. Just relax. Smile and nod and let them spew whatever nonsense they want and then they’ll leave. ” 

I opened my mouth to tell him how many flaws there were in his plan when the doorbell rang. 

“And that’s my cue. Text me, yeah?” Jin moved to pick Mina up from the rocker before reaching for the baby carrier on the table. 

I debated the pros and cons of staying in bed and finally decided against it, gently throwing my legs off the edge and raising myself up to a sitting position. I heard vague voices by the front door, Jin’s sweet tones mingling with Jungkook’s slightly gruffer ones. 

I heard the door close and the stillness of the apartment was as oppressing as ever. I could hear him quite clearly though. The clink of the keys as they hit the bowl, the small click of the door as he locked it. 

i could imagine him, exhausted from the day’s work, briefcase held in one hand while the other tugged on the knot of his tie. 

I imagined for a second, what it must have been like for him with Sooah. She was a bright , incredibly cheerful person. Everyone kind of faded into the background when she was around. Sooah had always been the first to smile at a stranger, the first to laugh even if the joke wasn’t funny. The first one to stand up to help someone in need. 

I swallowed, clutching the sheets to ground myself. 

I guessed that she must’ve always rushed to greet him at the door. I could imagine him wrapping both arms around her waist, drawing her into a hug or even a kiss. 

 How was your day, Kookie?  (I’d heard her call him that, once when they had been at my father’s house for a charity dinner. )

I wondered if perhaps the very sight of her would have taken away all of the day’s exhaustion from him. Perhaps, he would forget all the ways his company had been failing back then at the sight of her beautiful laughing face. Perhaps losing his company hadn’t been as terrifying as losing his job.  

And perhaps once he lost her, he just couldn’t bear the thought of losing his life’s work too. And so he’d agreed to meet my father’s demands. 

My fingers began trembling a bit .

I could imagine her moving around the house, pregnant and glowing, laughing as he nuzzled into the curve of her belly. Had he perhaps pressed his lips to her skin, whispered sweet endearments to his daughter through the fabric of his wife’s clothes? Had he perhaps loved Mina, deeply? WAs it just his grief that made it hard to be near his wife. Or was it perhaps me? Me holding the baby that should have been in his beautiful wife’s arms. 

The wife he had been so madly, deeply in love with. 

Love, I thought vacantly.

It wasn’t something I had ever felt, for anyone until I’d began caring for Mina.

But what Jungkook had with his wife was something different wasn’t it? 

The love a man had for a woman. Laced with desire, longing and passion. A love that made you put their happiness over your own.  

Love like that had never been in the cards for me. 

Ever

I was an Omega. Rare and hated and known for being selfish and greedy. People didn’t love my kind. They avoided me. They always assumed I would take advantage of them. My peers growing up had treated me with so much contempt. 

 The girls would whisper how I was trying to seduce their boyfriends. The boys would call me a tease, even when I stayed far away and did nothing to attract their attention. I’d gotten used to it. It didn’t bother me. it was the way of the world for me. Ad it wasn’t like I could honestly deny some of it. 

I looked at handsome alphas and wanted them. I wanted to be held and cherished. To be bought pretty things and cared for. It had taken decades for me to beat that part of mine into submission. To remind myself that if I ever let that part of me out, it would destroy me. 

But love? Being in love with someone? 

I didn’t know what that could have been like for Jungkook. 

Or maybe I had but I couldn’t recognize it because I’d never received it myself. Whatever the cause, it was for me, a fairytale. It was hard to imagine people loving each other so much, to the extent that they would die for each other. ( Jungkook’s words still hung in the back of my mind : that he had wanted to follow her even in death ) 

Jungkook was right.

I could never know what his loss was like. 

Because I would never know what he had lost. 

It felt a little like being dipped in an ice cold lake in the middle of winter. My skin broke out in shivers, hair standing on end and I felt my throat go dry so swiftly. I’d never wanted to run away so much. I wrapped a hand sound myself, scooting back on the bed again. I reached for the blanket, wanting to pull it over my head and curl into a ball. 

Shut out the world and all the things that didn’t make sense. 

“Are you alright?” Jungkook’s voice broke through the haze in my head and I swallowed. He had an alpha’s voice and my body responded even if my mind resisted. It didn’t happen all the time. Jungkook couldn’t control me. But sometimes when I was feeling vulnerable, instincts took over . I was already dropping the blanket and smiling softly.

“Mina’s out for a walk.” I croaked out, surprised at how awful my voice sounded. 

I felt the press of something against my fingers and I blinked, staring at the glass of water Jungkook was pressing into my hand.

“Don’t worry, I called them and told them not to come over.” He said quietly , watching me drink with still trembling fingers. 

I swallowed and stared at him. 

“I... Thank you. “ I said fervently, feeling a few knots come undone in my gut. I couldn’t really stand up to Jungkook’s parents the way I did with Sooah’s parents. Because Jungkook loved them deeply and hurting them would be the same as hurting him. 

“There’s a party in a couple of days. It’s my birthday. I’m turning 34.  Yugyeom’s organizing the whole thing, so I’m going to hire a babysitter for Mina, because Jin hyung will be there too and you need help caring for her anyway. You can stay home and rest. ” he said . 

I scoffed. 

“I’m going to come with you.” I said firmly. 

Jungkook frowned. 

“What?” 

I glared at him. 

“I’m not letting you go to a party organized by your shit for brains friend, Jungkook. You’ll probably end up getting drunk out of your mind and killing someone and I’m not going to hang around to clean that up. I’m coming to that party and I’m making sure you don’t have more than one drink.  “

Jungkook’s frown deepened into a scowl. 

Did you ever look at your wife , like this? With so much loathing? I thought stupidly. Or did she only ever get to see the sweet and wonderful side of you? Did she ever annoy you the way i seem to every second of the damn day ? Did you hate certain things about her too? Or was she so perfect that you could only feel love ? 

“ I can take care of myself. Its my birthday , I can do whatever the fuck I want.“ He snapped. 

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. 

“Not unless you’re a five year old kid in the sandpit, which you’re not. You’re an adult and when you make stupid decisions as an adult, very real people end up paying for it. You’re old enough to know this Jungkook and for once, just listen to me. You can drink, fine. But I’m going to be there and if I see that you’re getting drunk, I’m going to bring you home. You either agree or I’m going to call Yoongi oppa .” 

That made him pause. 

“Fine. Fuck you.” He snapped, turning on his heel and stalking out of the room. A few seconds later I heard the door to the shower slam shut.  

 I wanted to follow him and shake some sense into him but before I could decide if it was worth jostling my body, when another sharp pain lanced through my ribs.

Oh great. 

I took deep breaths the way Yoongi had taught me. Apparently, pneumonia was a thing that could happen, so i had to breath carefully to reduce the risk of that happening. 

The birthday party organized by Yugyeom was going to be a whole entire migraine inducing disaster. I could already feel the headache come on. It still amazed me that Jungkook was friends with him and his cronies. 

Yugyeom and his friends were the typical; brain dead alphas who thought themselves superior to all other ranks. Even worse, they viewed omegas as objects: fucktoys to be more precise and I bristled when i remembered the way he had always stared at me. 

Well, if he stepped anywhere near me, I would kick him in the teeth. 

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

When Jungkook’s mother turned up at home the next day, I wasn’t entirely surprised. I wasn’t surprised but it didn’t make things any more pleasant. 

“We’re willing to take Mina for a couple of days if you would both need time to prepare for the party. This is the first big event Jungkook’s holding after Sooah’s passing and we want it to be perfect. As his wife, i hope you’ll do your part.” 

Mrs Jeon’s pinched face did nothing for my already frayed temper. 

“There’s not much i can do with a cracked rib, mother.” I said politely. It stung, having to call this bitter, cruel woman mother but then, such was life. It was late afternoon and Jungkook was probably sitting in the comfort of his air conditioned office, being flattered and doted on by his smitten secretary while I sat here entertaining his vicious mother. 

“Nonsense, you’ve probably just scratched it. I know how you omegas like to exaggerate. “ she waved off my injury easily. “ There are so many details that need to be decided on and its unfair to drop all of those responsibilities on poor yugyeom’s head. Why don’t you go with him and help out a bit?” 

The idea of going anywhere with Kim Yugeom was easily the most repugnant thing to me. 

“I’m sure he knows Jungkook much better than I do. If i interfered, I’d only be getting in his way.” I said politely. 

Mrs. Jeon hummed.

“Well, its good that he’s agreed to the party at least. That woman never let him meet with Yugyeom or his friends when she was around.”

That woman being Jungkook’s late wife. 

I felt a sudden fondness for her. Clearly she had also recognized Yugyeom for the absolute pig that he was and kept her husband away from his rotten influence . But unlike with her, Jungkook didn’t actually care about me. So I had no way of stopping him from meeting the idiots. Yugyeom’s family was rich and reputed and it was clear that the Jeons wanted the friendship and the connection. Why else would they keep pushing for it so much?

“Is there any particular reason you’re here, mother?” I said finally, after hearing her babble on and on about caterers and invitations and what not. 

“I was hoping to meet Mina...why isn’t she here?” 

“I’m not able to care for her well, what with the rib. The doctor has advised me to rest so Jin oppa takes care of her during the day. Jungkook picks her back up on his way back from office. I can send her over to your place with him this weekend.” 

“That would be fine i suppose. Have you spoken to the decorators about changing the portraits put up in the house?”

I blinked.

“Sorry?”

“The penthouse, we’ve got it back now right? why don’t you move there. We have a cook and a housekeeper .”]

“this is closer to Jungkook’s office.” I had no idea where the penthouse was and could only hope it was farther way. 

Mrs. Jeon frowned. 

“This apartment is too small. Not to mention, you still have Sooah’s photos everywhere in this place. Surely that’s not healthy. Get rid of them and put up pictures of you and Jungkook.” 

Jungkook’s parents didn’t know that our marriage had an expiry date. i wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing. But they saw me as nothing more than a way to get rid of Sooah from the deepest recesses of Jungkook’s mind. 

“I’m sure, with time...Jungkook can make that decision by himself. When he’s ready for it.” I said gently, beginning the fresh throb of pain near my temple. 

“Nonsense, Heejin. Men won’t ever move on until you force them. Have you considered getting  pregnant?” 

I jumped about a foot into the air.

“I...what.” I croaked out. 

“You need a child too. He mated you. He owes you that. I’m going to tell him that he better do his duty by you.” She said firmly. 

“Please don’t.” I shouted, stunned out of my mind. Was this woman even sane?

“Why not?” She frowned looking at me like i was the one being unreasonable. 

 Why not? Because its barely been four months since he lost his wife of seven years to childbirth. Surely, you don’t think the remedy to that is to have him go through it all over again. 

 “ Mina is still small, mother. I’m sure we can wait a while. Maybe after she’s one or two.” 

 Jungkook would probably move on by then. Of course he would. Grief was overwhelming but it was also finite. It did get smaller over time. Easier to cope with. Jungkook would eventually be able to navigate his life around his grief. He would learn to make new connections and who was to say one of those wouldn’t be a compatible match? 

So two years from now, there was no reason Jungkook shouldn’t meet another lovely woman, a beta maybe and eventually expand his family. Of course i would be nowhere in the picture at the time. But that was fine. 

I remembered something I’d read somewhere, a while back. 

 If two people are like ships that pass in the night, they meet by chance for a short time , then do not see each other ever again. 

Like ships passing by each other in the night,  I reminded myself. That's what Jungkook and I were. 

“Well, if you think that’s wise.... fine. But now that Jungkook’s doing well, why don’t you entertain people more often? You haven’t had a dinner party here yet, have you?”

And so it went on, over an over for a whole two hours until I was wrung out from sheer exhaustion, my head throbbing and nails having dug half moon indents into my palms from fisting my hands too hard. 

By the time i finally closed the door on her face, I couldn’t help but sag against the door, sinking to the floor in a heap, cracked rib be damned. 

I glanced up at the solo portrait on the wall. The one my mother in law had wanted gone. 

“She must’ve really hated you, huh?” I said casually pulling myself up to my feet and moving to the dining space to stare at her face more closely. 

She was dressed in her wedding gown, a fitted mermaid dress with lace and satin detailing. She had a bouquet of white lilies in one hand, elbows bent and the blooms resting on her shoulder while her other hand curved around her slender waist. 

Beautiful was an understatement, I thought vacantly. 

“ You look like you didn’t put up with people’s bullshit. That’s cool I guess.” I smiled a little. “ You know in another world, we may have been friends.” 

I bit my lips.

“Yugyeom was shitty to you too huh? He seems the type. i’m glad you kept Jungkook away from him. I wish you’d somehow help get him away again. He doesn’t listen to me. Thinks I’m trying to control him or something. ”

It was ridiculous. What was i doing.. Why was i talking to a framed picture on the wall. God.

But now that I’d started, I couldn’t quite stop.

“About what happened with Jungkook... I don’t want you to think i was seducing him or anything. And when i said that I hated him calling your name when we... well you know why i said it right? It wasn’t anything personal...i was just pissed. I don’t enjoy the sex by the way... I don’t think he does either but he’s an alpha and you know how it is…they need that release or they kind of lose their mind .. So trust me we both hate the principle of it.... but at least he cums and well I don’t. He’s never made me cum. That should say something about how we feel about each other.......”

“Uh.. Should I come back later?” The voice near the doorway was so unexpected my heart jumped right to my throat and I screamed, stumbling a bit to the side.

Min Yoongi stood framed by the door, one hand wrapped around a bouquet of flowers and the other clutching his bag and stethoscope. He still had his white coat on over his shirt and slacks, hair mussed like he’d run his finger through it.

It took me a second to remember that Yoongi had a key to the house.

Another second to remember exactly what I’d been doing when he came inside.

Good God.

Had he heard the part where I’d talked about Jungkook not making me cum? Surely not? Oh Please no. 

“Jungkook told me to check on you. That you couldn’t sleep last night? Are you in a lot of pain?” 

Jungkook and I had shared the bed in his room last night and I had apparently, tossed and turned and whimpered through the night in pain. Or so Jungkook claimed. 

“Uh... I’m not sure. He said so... so..” 

“you guys sleep together right?” Yoongi asked casually, taking his coat off. I stared at the way the material of the shirt strained over his shoulders, my throat just a little dry. 

Yoongi smelled so ridiculously good. He was a doctor and he was so handsome and kind to me. The attraction would have been there even if i had been a beta but as an omega, the urge to just fling myself at him and beg him to make me his, it was kind of horrifying. 

Tamping down that part of me, I gave him a casual shrug, heart still pounding. 

“Yeah. There’s just two bedrooms here and one is Mina’s nursery. So ...” I finished awkwardly, watching him move around and place his bag on the table before unwinding the stethoscope, placing it around his collar. 

He gave me a small smile. 

“I’ll just take a quick look and check how your breathing sounds. that okay?” He asked gently. 

“Oh... sure. You need me to take my shirt off?” I asked curiously. 

He gave me a quick little smirk. 

“Not for medical reasons no.” He winked. 

I felt blood rush to my face along with guilt. What was I doing? This was Jungkook’s best friend!! His hyung. Someone he trusted and I was his....

His what? 

Nothing. I was Jungkook’s nothing. When was the last time someone had flirted with me . Someone who wasn’t a grade A creep. 

Yoongi moved closer, sitting down on the kitchen stool and beckoned me to come stand between his thighs. i moved, achingly aware of how much more potent his scent was up close. He looked up at me through sooty black lashes, a small smirk on his lips, feline eyes warm and open . 

“Put your hands on my shoulders, yeah?” He prompted. 

I hesitated, fingers shaking just a little before reaching out to rest on this shirt. I kept the touch feather light , the softness of his shirt the only thing I could feel.

He hummed and bending  down to lightly tug the hem of my shirt out of the waistline of my jeans. I bit my lips to stop myself from squirming. 

He glanced up , eyes meeting mine and holding my gaze. 

“You good?” 

“Uhuhbuh.” I stuttered and he grinned wider, pulling the fabric up to the curve of my breasts. He lightly ran his finger tips over the bruised skin , humming thoughtfully .

“You’ll be fine in a few weeks. Hang on.” He pulled back, plugging the steth in his hear before holding the other end up to my chest. He pressed it against my skin, just before the underwire of my bra and it was unexpectedly cold .

I jumped, fingers curling on his shoulder and squeezing down. 

“Hey.. what’s wrong?” Yoongi whispered, hands reaching for my waist, gently holding me steady and I flushed. He looked genuinely worried , lips turned down and brows furrowed and i felt absolutely stupid. 

“Sorry. Sorry.... It’s nothing.. i just.. it’s a little cold.” I laughed nervously and his gaze softened. 

One hand still curved around my waist, he brought the diaphragm up to his mouth, holding my gaze as he gently breathed warm air all over it. 

My throat went instantly dry and i had to swallow. He pressed it against my chest again and this time it was so much warmer. .

“Better?” He prompted and i nodded, guilt and discomfort churning in my stomach. What was i doing? I had no business indulging him. i had no business indulging any man. Ever.

 I looked away, pulling my hands up off his shoulder, pushing his hand off my hip as well . He didn’t say anything his shoulders stiffened at the subtle rejection. 

A mantle of awkward tension settled over us, a small thundercloud of regret and that threatened to rain misery all over us. I wanted to kick myself.  He was older than Jungkook by four years. Thirty eight years old. 

Did he have a girlfriend? Oh god, what if he was martried?

Nausea threatened. 

“Your breathing sounds fine. Are you practicing those breathing exercises , I taught you?” He asked casually and I nodded . I couldn’t trust myself to speak. 

“Hey...” He said gently and I flinched. 

“I’m sorry.” I blurted out. “ I didn’t mean to lead you on or tease you in any way and I’m sorry if i came on to you ...”

“What?! Heejin, stop. That’s bullshit. You never did any such thing. This was all me.” He said firmly. 

I stared at him.

“I know you’re married but... your marriage, its going to end right? Eventually.” 

I made to step back but he grabbed my waist again, this time a few inches over my jean and his fingers on the bare skin of my midriff made me want to melt. He had long slender fingers, a surgeons hands, and the press of it on my skin felt so foreign and gentle and different and good. 

“We don’t have to do anything. I just... I thought we could get to know each other. Over coffee or dinner.”

I wanted to sob at the unfairness of it all.

Because Yoongi was beautiful and handsome and so good and so much more than I could ever even dream of,  but he was and would always be so intricately woven with Jungkook and with Jungkook’s life. And I couldn’t imagine anything more messy than sticking around and watching Jungkook and his daughter forget me and move on.

“It’s.... probably a terrible idea. “ I said roughly, shaking my head. “ Its the kind of idea that would never end well.” 

“Are you sure? Because unlike Jungkook, i could probably make you cum.” He winked and I felt my face flame red. 

“Oh God...” I hissed, stumbling back. This time he let me move away, merely chuckling and reaching for his coat and bag . 

“I won’t bother you again. But the offer’s always open, yeah?” He smiled again. “ You need me to send over more pain meds?”

I shook my head mutely, begging him to just leave already. 

He nodded and held his hand up in a casual wave before walking out of the door. I collapsed on the stool and dropped my head into my arms , groaning. 

What had i gotten myself into. 

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

I didn’t actually see Jungkook for a couple of days. The meds knocked me out and he worked overtime, only arriving after I’d slept off and leaving before i woke up. Jin brought Mina around everyday and there was something absolutely exhilarating about watching her clutch at her little teething toys and rattles, gummy smile peeking out every few minutes. 

On a whim, i told Jin what had happened with Yoongi and much to my surprise he actually laughed. 

“About time . He’s been pining for what three years now?” 

I gaped at him, completely thrown.

“I..he.. what.” I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around what I had heard. 

“He saw you at that art exhibition you put up in the Hyatt . By the way, don’t you paint anymore?”

I flushed. 

I had no proper response to that. What could i say? That my painting had just been yet another way to control me, only appreciated by father when he could use it to make more money. And that part of my marriage contract included that I wouldn’t paint or make any money off my art for the duration that I stayed with Jungkook. 

It was just yet another way my father reminded me that he controlled him. I didn’t fight him because he would win anyway. And the only thing he loved more than controlling people was winning battles that were always rigged in his favor. i wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. I would soldier through this awful marriage and at the end of it , i would disappear without a trace. 

I shook my head vaguely and Jin hummed. 

“Yoongi doesn’t understand art but he hung around the entire nine hours , morning to night . Three whole days of him just pretending to look at the artwork while secretly making moon eyes at you.”

I could only stare in sheer disbelief. 

“i... i never knew.” 

“How could you? Yoongi’s idea of courting is pretending he doesn’t exist and fading into the background. “ Jin rolled his eyes. “ He tried approaching your father to officially court you but your old man shut that down rather brutally.” 

I swallowed . 

“I... I’m sorry.” i said feeling foolish. Three years...what? I couldn’t think beyond the shock of the information. 

“Does Jungkook know?” I asked , scared. 

Jin shook his head.

“Like I said Yoongi never made it known . He was afraid it would make life difficult for you. He didn’t want any rumors around because everyone knew your father was looking to offer you to someone rich and young. Yoongi was what , fifteen years older? That’s quite a difference.”

“Thirty eight isn’t old.” I said sharply and Jin’s brow went up. 

“Oh?” He questioned teasingly and I flushed. 

“Jungkook is eleven years older. What’s another four more years?” I shrugged.

“You’re interested then.” Jin said thoughtfully. I recoiled, shaking my head quickly.

“I...what? No. No I’m not. “ 

“Why not? If it isn’t the age, then there’s no reason  to say no. Yoongi is handsome , settled and a great guy all around and besides,  your time with Jungkook is finite right?” 

“I... I won’t cheat on him.” I said firmly. “ i can’t... I... besides, Jungkook and I... we’re... we have sex.” My ears turned red, “ I can’t do that with two guys... I’m not like that. “ 

Jin nodded.

“Its alright.. Heejinah ...I’m sorry if i pressured you or anything. You don’t have to do anything. I know you have a lot on your plate right now. Yoongi probably got carried away . More than likely he’s going to panic and avoid you for a year just to recover.” He laughed and I smiled reluctantly. 

“He’s nice I don’t want to hurt him. “ I said softly. 

“ Sometimes that’s just inevitable . People get hurt no matter what we choose.” Jin gave me a sad little smile. “ Jungkook is just as nice a gy as Yoongi. If not better. He’s just...not in the right headspace to show that side of himself to you. I wish you’d known him before Sooah. He used to be this...playful and funny kid. We all went out of our way to keep him safe. Sooah was just as amazing. Usually , we try to find flaws in people our friends  date right? Well trust me Sooah was hard to dislike .” He laughed, eyes misting over as his gaze landed on her  portrait over the mantle. 

I followed his gaze and swallowed. 

“Do you think Jungkook will ever get over her?” I asked simply. 

Jin hesitated. 

“Someday? Probably yes. But it won’t be easy. He’s ... He feels things deeply. He always has. He loved her deeply, he cared for her deeply and so its only obvious that he’s going to feel the loss of her presence very deeply too.” 

I nodded. 

“Its his birthday tomorrow.” I said softly. “ I have a gift for him. Well its not a gift from me, but a gift nonetheless.  But I’m not sure if I should give it to him.” 

Jin gave me a surprised look. 

“What do you mean?” 

I smiled bitterly.

“Just that sometimes fate can be very cruel when it chooses its players. I’m forever wondering if he would be better off or worse without me in the picture and I just can’t decide.” 

“Different. He would just be different.” Jin said calmly. 

There was nothing else i could say to that. 

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

Yugyeom had rented out the rooftop restaurant in one of the poshest Hotels in Seoul and although the party was a pool party, I hadn’t bothered dressing for it. I wore a plain sequined top and burgundy skirt that fanned out around me knees. 

The place was teeming with people his age , friends acquaintances and business partners. The women had changed into bright , skimpy bikinis and lounged about in the brightly lit pool tossing a ball around .

The older people were being hosted by the Jeons on the lower level of the restaurant in a posh ballroom. Jungkook and i would have to visit them later but for now I was content sipping a mocktail, leaning against the bar while Hoseok and Lisa flanked me on either side, pointing out who was sleeping with who. 

Jungkook was in the pool with Yugyeom and Jimin and it was impossible to tear my eyes away from him. He looked happy almost, laughing and shaking water out of his hair as he moved around with the strength and agility of an Olympic athlete. Yoongi was in the pool as well and on the opposite team with Jin and Namjoon....and it was increasingly obvious that the half a dozen bikini clad women were there simply for an excuse to touch the handsome alphas as they worked up a sweat. 

“Jungkook is such a competitive bastard.” Hoseok laughed. “But I don’t know what’s gotten into Yoongi today. i can’t believe he’s in the pool. “

“Of his own volition. “ Lisa added. “ usually someone has to strip him and toss him in. 

Yoongi kept glancing at me every few minutes. It was impossible to miss. It was also impossible to miss that at least three of the six women in the pool were trying to get into his pants. 

I sighed and turned back to the bartender asking for a refill. when i turned back around, Jungkook and Yugyeom were climbing out of the pool and Jin was moving to the opposite side to take their place with Jimin. 

“Jungkook and i are going to go get a drink. Anything for you , beautiful?” Yugyeom reached out to touch me and I almost fell in my haste to get away from him. 

“Keep your hands off me.” I snapped . Jungkook frowned. 

“No need to be rude, Heejin , he was just being polite.” He said softly and i smelt the alcohol on his breath.

“Don’t drink too much Jungkook.”

“Oh come on, beautiful., Its his birthday let him live a little...” Yugyeom laughed and I glared at him.

“I’d rather have him live longer “ I snapped. “ And that can’t happen if you keep trying to give him alcohol poisoning.” 

Yugyeom rolled his eyes. 

“Is she always this dramatic, Jungkook-ah.” Yugyeom laughed. Jungkook didn’t laugh but he gave me a look that said, ‘ please don’t make a scene’ and I bit my lips. 

I didn’t want to ruin his night. He looked ....so close to a normal person tonight and whether I liked it or not Yugyeom had contributed to that. The music was apparently Jungkook’s favorites only, the pool because he loved volleyball in the water and the buffet had all his favorite foods. Yugyeom had gone out of his way to make the party perfect and i suddenly felt like the troll stomping on Jungkook’s happiness. 

Swallowing my own instinct to drag my husband away from the alpha who had his arms around him, I turned away and walked off to the pool. Yoongi’s face lit up when he saw me.

“Hey there, angel. Here to watch me kick some ass? “ He cupped his hands in the water, before tossing a handful of water at me. I blinked in surprise, laughing a little. 

“I’m just here to cheer Jin oppa. “ I said impishly, moving over to the lounge chair near his side of the pool. Yoongi’s pout was adorable and I couldn’t help but laugh. 

Maybe I could stop worrying about Jungkook for a while. Yugyeom wasn’t dangerous. Even if he got a little drunk, I was still here. So were all of our friends. 

It would be fine. 

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

it wasn’t fine. 

An hour later, I found Jungkook in a room filled with cigarette smoke and light music, yugeyom and his friends scattered around the place with a few beautiful women lounging about on their laps. 

“You said one drink Yugyeom...he’s completely out of his mind.” I said shrilly staring at where Jungkook sat on the couch , shirtless and laughing as some girl in a bikini ran her fingers up and down his arm. She had one leg draped over his thigh.  I felt sick at the very sight of it. 

its because he’s drunk ,  I told myself.  He’s drunk and can’t consent, that’s why you feel sick, nothing else.  

Yugyeom gave me an easy smile. 

“Guy just wants to have some fun. Reina’s a friend of mine. She’ll take good care of him don’t worry. She’s the birthday gift i got him. “ He leered. 

I resisted the urge to punch him in the face. 

Glaring at him, 

“Jungkook, we’re leaving. Come on.” I made to move towards him but a hand shot out, gripping my wrist like a vice. 

“Not so fast baby.... I already paid for her. You can’t just waltz in here and take away her livelihood.” He sneered. “ Unless you want to take her place. This is a special bar you know. All these lovelies, they have something in common with you.” 

I stared at him frowning.

“What does that mean?” 

“I hired them from an omega escort agency...you know because that’s all you omegas are useful for anyway.” 

I rolled my eyes, yanking on my wrist. 

“You and your medieval ideals can go to hell. I’m going home. Jungkook!!” I yelled again and this time Jungkook turned eyes landing on me. 

“Heejin?” He slurred. 

“We need to go home, Jungkook.” I said firmly. 

“Now?” He blinked. I nodded. 

“Yes now.” I made to move away but this time Yugyeom wrapped both arms around my waist, pinning me to his body. Pain , sharp and unbearable shot up my ribs and I whimpered. He was squeezing too hard and God what if the cracked rib just snapped? 

Panic began setting in and I yelped.

“Let me go you bastard.” I struggled to get away, staring in disbelief at my husband . 

Jungkook was standing but he swayed dangerously. There was no clarity there and his eyes were hooded. He was drunk. Really, really drunk. 

“Jungkook tell him to let me go!!” I yelled , trying to tamp down the panic that was rising up my throat. 

“Don’t worry Kook. Just gonna ask her to wait outside for a while. Why don’t you finish your conversation with Reina.. i’ll entertain your wife for a while.” He drawled and i felt my entire body go ice cold at that. 

Jungkook was blinking rapidly, the words clearly not registering and genuine terror began to bleed into my veins. Jungkook couldn’t even fathom that i was in genuine danger here, let alone help me. Oh God, why had i come alone? Where were the others??

Yugyeom held me tighter and i swallowed a groan . My ribs felt like they were on fire. 

“Let’s take this somewhere private, Heejin?” He whispered into my neck and i couldn’t believe it. Yugyeom was drunk yes, but was this idiot also insane? 

“Wait...no.. Yugeyom don’t be a fucking idiot. If you touch me, that’s fucking rape...You can go to prison for that .” I shouted, trying to drill some sense into his head. He wasn’t going to risk prison to make a point was he?? 

“Not if you seduce me angel...and you’re going to... Or I’ll just tell people you did...same difference , right?” he whispered. 

And then he began dragging me off to the corner and my eyes fell on a side door leading out of the room . 

 If you let him take you there this is going to become frighteningly real,  a voice screamed in my head and I inhale deeply, ready to scream loud enough to get the attention of everyone in the damned building. 

The door opened just as I opened my mouth and I froze, watching Mrs Jeon walk into the lounge, looking lost.

“What is this place?” She muttered out loud looking around and the arms around me fell away so fast, I crashed to the floor. 

“Heejin-ah!” Yoongi’s voice came from right behind her and I flinched, willing my shaking legs to stop trembling. 

“Mrs. Jeon...” I muttered, voice strained and ribs throbbing. 

“Heejin? What is going on here? Where’s my son?” 

“Fuck... Jungkook-ah...” Yoongi moved to get him and I took a deep steadying breath. 

Years ago , I’d taken a self defence class and one thing i’d definitely enjoyed learning was how to throw a punch. And It wasn’t something i’d forgotten. 

Planting my feet firmly , i lightly rotated my hips, a subtle shift, before engaging my core , drawing all the fury and helpless rage inside me into my fist. I pulled my shoulders in and took a deep breath. Punch past your target , i told myself. You’re not just going to break his jaw you’re going to put him in the hospital tonight. 

“Mrs. Jeon, Jungkook had a great time toni-” His voice was all i needed to hear  to know exactly where his mouth was behind me. 

i relaxed my muscles as i threw the punch, contracting them just as my fist landed on Kim Yugyeom’s face.  

The satisfying sound of flesh on bone felt like music to my ears and Yugyeom’s sharp cry of sheer agonizing pain even sweeter. 

He crashed to the floor in a heap and I could feel my fist throb like hell. I was going to bruise so badly. But it was worth it. 

“That was for telling me that you were going to rape me and tell everyone that i seduced you.” I said calmly. 

Yoongi let out a noise of disbelief. 

“What the actual fuck.....” He shouted. 

“Yugyeom what the fuck man? Are you out of your damned mind?” One of his friends yelled. Yugyeom merely groaned. 

He couldn’t answer, blood trickling down his chin and hands cradling his jaw, whimpers falling out of his  mouth. My own fist throbbed like hell so the damage had to be significant. 

Mrs Jeon looked horrified and when she opened her mouth i quickly held a hand up.

“I’m not doing this. Not tonight. “ I said calmly. Jungkook was quiet, the way he always got when he was drunk and I groaned. 

It was going to be a long night. 

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

“We need to talk.” I said calmly and Jungkook swallowed. 

“Heejin, I’m -”

“Hear me out first Jungkook.” I said sharply. “ I don’t need your apology, it means nothing to me because it means nothing to you. You’re not sorry that you didn’t help me last night. You’re just angry that you had to help at all. You don’t give a fuck about me. I know that and I’m okay with that. What I’m not okay with is you getting drunk to the point that you don’t even recognize that someone’s in need of help. “ 

I took a deep breath. 

“If you did it to me, you’ll do it to your daughter too. Yugyeom is going to get you drunk someday when you’re taking care of Mina by yourself and then when she needs you, what are you going to do?” 

“You’re right... I shouldn’t have gotten that drunk -”

“I’m only here , talking to you , because of your daughter. If it was just you, I wouldn’t give a damn because you’re an adult and if you make your bed , you can just lie on it. It wouldn’t bother me. But Mina...she’s not capable of making the right choices. She need a father who can make the right choices, because whatever shitty choice you make, your daughter is going to be there along for the ride whether she wants to or not. You drive your car off a cliff tomorrow , she’s going to be there in the car seat laughing because she doesn’t know the consequences of your choices. “ 

I clenched my fists to keep my voice even. To stop myself from yelling. 

“I have something for you. “ 

I grabbed the brown paper wrapped canvas from under the table. 

“It’s a painting . Your wife commissioned me to make this a year ago when she got pregnant.” 

He froze so eerily still that it made me nervous.

“At first , i wasn’t sure if i should be giving it to you because well... because i was marrying you ... I wasn’t sure that it would be right, coming from me ...because I was taking your wife’s place after all...”

i laughed. 

“Now I know that's just bullshit. I don’t have a place in your life. I’m a nobody. This isn’t about me. This is about you. She told me back then that you were nervous about being a father. That was all she said. And she wanted me to pain this. “ I held the canvas out to him. 

“You can see it. I’m going to go stay with Jin oppa for a few days. I want you to see it. It shows how your wife saw you. The kind of father she hoped you would be. I want you to see it and make a choice. You can either get the help you need. “ i took a deep breath, “ Or I’m going to tell Yoongi that you’re incompetent to be a father. He’ll file charges , “ I had to close my eyes to get the next words out, “ and you will lose custody of your daughter.” 

Jungkook inhaled sharply, hands curling into fists on his knees. 

“i hope you make the right choice.” 

I wrapped both my arms around myself and walked out. 

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

Author’s note. :

I’m so exhausted I’ll tag people tomorrow! 

.@girlinthemikrokosmos  @xius-exos  @sugainfireslex  @yunkichiee@kpopstudybee @ephyraaaa  @peachoney9795 @ggukkieland  @veronawrites  @blr1004   @tinyhoagiepartylover @btsis7okay@squishyjk  @itsdingdong @emmmui  @honeeybunneey  @yeonkiminnie

@just-me-and-myselfs  @delicate-snow-flake  @kpop-lore  @beautifulvirgobutterfly @sumzysworld  @btsmylife21  @teresaisla

.@melrosaeparker @taestannie @dchimminie  @ meraki--life   @somewhereinthestarss  @mawwnsterr  @kookiesbreaky  @chimchoom 

[skeptiquewrites]

Drarry Tag Game

Tagged by @kbrick, delightful maker of this tag game, as well as @lqtraintracks @makeitp1nk and @goblinmatriarch.

✨ Drarry Tag Game! ✨ Answer any questions you’d like and ignore the rest!

When did you get into Drarry and why?

I started reading fic around 2005 and I was really indiscriminate about pairing. It was probably Underwater Light by Maya. I think mostly that I had been very immersed in HP and this seemed like a natural extension. Also I am long time fan of angst, hurt/comfort and enemies to lovers.

Which Drarry fic hooked you?

Drop Dead Gorgeous. 100% responsible for all you find here.

Top three favorite Drarry fics:

This is the question most likely to ruin me. Based solely on amount of reads it's something like:

What We Pretend We Can't See by gyzym

Dwelling by aideomai

Running on Air by @tinyhistory

Why can’t you quit them?

I really do love the fandom. I think if it were down to canon, I long ago would have exhausted my own interest but all the fic and art and friends are so wonderful. It is so vast and imaginative, and every time I think I've seen it all someone writes or draws or says something that makes me consider Drarry anew. I love that it's grown with me, in more ways than one. I love the push-pull of their dynamic, the chemistry, the question of it.

Would you rather be friends with Harry or Draco?

Hmmm, it really depends. I'm leaning Draco though, because he would be fun to go out with.

Who breaks your heart more often?

Harry. Only because often Harry is Going Through It, in a way I particularly relate to.

Ideal career for Harry? For Draco?

Draco: huge fan of Healer or Cursebreaker for him. I like highlighting that he's clever at magic. Harry: Academic/Researcher (let him be curious!) or Cursebreaker or Quidditch Player.

Harry and Draco are being sent to a desert island for a week with plenty of food and water. Each are allowed to bring three additional items (no wands). What do they bring?

Harry: Swiss Army Knife, Matches, Warm Quilt (he does not like being cold) Draco: First Aid Kit, Sunscreen, Book

Both are complaining the whole time.

Favorite non-Drarry HP character?

So many. Here I will profess my love for Hermione Granger, Percy Weasley, and Pansy Parkinson.

If you had to pick one, enemies to lovers or (enemies to) friends to lovers?

Enemies to lovers, but I do appreciate a very awkward interim stage where neither is quite sure where they stand.

Would you rather read a fic that made you laugh or one that made you cry?

I'm here to cry, folks. I'll admit it.

Three songs that scream Drarry to you (feel free to include the Drarry-est lyrics!):

Life Is A Long Time by Los Campesinos (Between my waterfalls and your landslides, there's cartography in every scar) Straight To My Head by You Me At Six (Going straight to my head like you used to/Wouldn't change anything that we've been through) Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys (Maybe I'm too busy being yours to fall for someone new) Honourable mentions: Loud Places by Jamie xx, Gimme Sympathy by Metric, Things We Lost in the Fire by Bastille

Favorite authors outside of fic?

For a cross section of my reading: Hanif Abdurraqib, Talia Hibbert, Alisha Rai, Irene Nemirovsky, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Zen Cho.

Tagging but only if it seems fun to you: @fw00shy @mintamintathings @nv-md @maesterchill you, if you are like I want to be tagged, I have Thoughts

[insomniacrobyn]

Hi! Could I request a fluff alphabet for Scaramouche ( or Zhongli )?

tysm for your time ^^

Title: Fluff Alphabet W/ Zhongli

Reader: Gender neutral

A/N: I wish I could do Scaramouche but unfourtunatly I wasn't playing Genshin when he made appearance 😔. I was very sad when I realized. Also, my ask box is still open if anyone has requests maybe even more fluff alphabets.

A = Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?)

There are many things that Zhongli adores about you however he adores how kind and patient you are. Zhongli greatly admires how willing you are to help the people of Liyue. He finds whenever he sees you running around doing tasks for madame ping or the other citizens his heart just swells with pride at being able to call you his lover.

B = Body (what is their favorite part of your body?)

Zhongli adores your smile. As cheesy as that sounds it improves his day when he sees you smile. He loves seeing you smile when he arrives home from work or when he wakes you up in the morning and you give a soft smile to him.

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

Zhongli adores cuddling with you. He loves having you rest your head on his chest as he told you stories about his time as an Archon. However, sometimes he adores being the small spoon. This doesn't happen often, normally after he woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare stemming back to the Archon war.

D = Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?)

Zhongli's ideal date is taking you out for a meal that he would pay for when he remembers his wallet and then go for a walk with you around the harbor. The idle chit-chat that you two would share as you wandered the streets was always pleasant and greatly appreciated by Zhongli.

E = Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?)

At the beginning of the relationship, Zhongli was very much only showing you his best until he felt he trusted you enough. After that, Zhongli would express his emotions easily with you and be free from fear of judgment.

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

Zhongli would be lying if he didn't say he wanted to start a family with you. The way you interacted with the children of Liyue harbor only spurred this desire on. He could see himself spending the rest of his life with you. He didn't care if the kids were your blood or a child that you both adopted.

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

Zhongli does buy you gifts from time to time. However, he doesn't think that you can only express your love with material items. After all his love language is quality time and acts of service.

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

Zhongli adores holding your hand. Anytime the two of you are seen in public you are holding hands. Zhongli rubs a circle on the back of your hand when you are walking. it also helps him not lose you on the busy market days of Liyue harbor.

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?)

If you ever come back home from your commission injured Zhongli will go straight to taking care of you. He will not let you do anything no matter how minor it is. Zhongli claims that it is best that you rest as much as possible until you are 100% better.

J = Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?)

Zhongli isn't one to pull pranks on you. However, Hu Tao pulls pranks on the two of you quite often so in a way that makes it up for the two of you.

K = Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?)

Zhongli's kisses are full of adoration. Whether it be the quick peck he gives you before he leaves home for work that's message is I love you and I will see you later. Or the kiss he would give you throughout the day out of impulse. Also, the kisses full of desperation and longing after you return from an especially long commission which always leads to more.

L = Love (how do they show you they love you?)

Zhongli's love languages are quality time and acts of service. He loves just spending time with you at home or in the harbor just your presence being so soothing to him. He also always goes out of his way to help or make you tea, just to see the smile that you would give him in return. However, none of this stops him from telling you how he feels he just prefers to show it.

M = Memory (favorite memory together?)

One of Zhongli's fondest memory of you is when he told you he was the geo Archon shortly after the rite of ascension. He feared how you would react. However, he was pleasantly surprised when you accepted it and told him that you wouldn't treat him any differently.

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?)

Zhongli's worst fear is the fact that he will more than likely outlive you. He doesn't want to go through the pain of losing someone he cares so deeply for again.

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?)

Zhongli always knows when something is amiss with you. Whether it is you are upset and trying to hide it from him or when you have a surprise planned for him. It is like he knows before he even sees you.

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?)

Zhongli is quite old-fashioned with names and tends to go with pet names like love and darling. However, he does call you my lily on rare occasions.

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

Zhongli quite enjoys just spending time with you curled up on the couch in your shared home with you on his lap your head resting on his shoulder as he tells you stories or as he reads. He also enjoys going to the market with you and just visiting different places in Liyue.

R = Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?)

Lose it by Oh Wonder reminds Zhongli of you. He doesn't really know why but when he hears it he thinks of you.

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

Once you and Zhongli have been in a relationship for a while he begins to become more and more open with you. This is of course after he knows you won't take advantage of his ex-archon status.

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

Zhongli asked you out after he knew you for about ten months. He wanted to make sure that the emotions he was feeling were genuine and if they were was a hint that you reciprocated these feelings.

U = Upset (how do they act when you’re upset?)

Whenever you are upset Zhongli will do his best to help cheer you. Whether that be reassuring you that want someone had said about you was inaccurate. Or just giving you a shoulder to cry on. Zhongli was your anchor that kept you tethered to reality.

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?)

Zhongli is incredibly proud to call you his partner. He might not seem to be the one to show off but he wants to show you off as if you are the finest noctilucous jade in all of Teyvat.

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?)

Knowing that you can hold yourself in a battle reassures Zhongli greatly however he does hate it when you do come back injured. Unfortunately, that comes with the nature of fighting. However, if Zhongli had to use his polearm to defend you he wouldn't hesitate to. He has watched so many people enter and leave his life that he will do anything to keep you in his for as long as possible.

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?)

Zhongli is quite good at picking up on your microexpressions, to the point that you are like an open book to him at times. Nothing gets past him easily.

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?)

Zhongli would 100% propose to you when the time is right. That time being two years into your relationship before he would propose to you he would take you on probably the nicest date he could think of. I can see him proposing to you during the lantern rite.

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?)

Having you run your fingers through Zhongli's hair after a busy day calms him down so quickly. Having you near him is like a massive relaxant itself. He finds that any problems that plagued his mind before are gone once he is with you.

[bloodpacks-archive]

HOMES OF THE RFA (+V AND SAERAN) HEADCANONS

alright we’ve got zen’s bachelor pad first - generally zen tends to be a pretty minimalist guy with his house. part of it is honestly because he couldn’t really afford to completely deck out his house for a while, and now he’s just grown used to the look of it so he really likes having spaces that are a little less cluttered. the one exception to this, unfortunately, is his kitchen. he doesn’t use his kitchen often, and as a result, he often forgets to do his dishes until the end of the week. monday? that shit is spotless. his kitchen is cleaner than anything has ever been and the dishes are neatly put away. do not even look at that kitchen on wednesday. it’s become a disaster zone and he’s embarrassed. but once the mc starts to come by more, i think he ends up cooking for himself a lot more because he starts to realize that he actually really enjoys it. he loves being healthy, and now that he has the motivation to cook for himself (and her, of course), he starts to realize how much he likes control over what he eats. so now his kitchen is a lot cleaner bc it just has to be.

two different places for yoosung !! - the one on the left is yoosung’s dorm :) it’s actually really cool in there. he spends a lot of time in that little room, so he decides to invest a little bit and make sure that he’s happy with the place he lives. he likes alternative lighting (mainly because it helps his eyes a bit when he’s playing lolol) but also because overhead lights can be a little harsh for him, especially after a long day of school. when the mc’s there, he always makes sure that the lights are just right. it’s very common for both of them to fall asleep while the LEDS are still on, a movie playing on the projector he bought a while back. when he moves out of college, though, his house is a bit of a different story. he still keeps some LEDS and neon signs in a little gamer/office space, and for the most part he’s actually pretty neat, but his house can definitely get messy. surprisingly enough, the mattress on the floor is not for him. in fact, it’s for zen. he comes over so often that yoosung ends up setting up a little mattress for him so that he can stay over whenever he has drinks with him. the mess honestly isn’t terrible though, and he and the mc are both good about making it an organized disaster.

jaehee’s cozy little apartment - rather than art posters, jaehee actually has a lot of framed broadway and other musical posters on her walls. she branches out a bit from zen’s musicals over time, and she actually really loves decorating her home with something that she loves so much. she likes her small apartment, and it means that she and the mc are never really that far away from each other. she places her hand on the mc’s back whenever she squeezes past her in the kitchen, and when they have their coffee in the morning she can lean over and grab her hand during conversation. she always has candles lit, and she prefers really earthy and woody scents. tobacco is a common scent, but as is sandalwood. even with the candles, their apartment constantly smells like fresh coffee beans and sourdough bread. it is a very rare day if there isn’t dough rising in the window somewhere, and even rarer if there isn’t a baked loaf hidden away in the kitchen.

two homes for jumin as well !! - the first picture is of his penthouse when the mc moves in with him. she adds little throw pillows, some rugs, and some plants to his stupid penthouse and makes it feel much more like a home. he gets rid of that stupid circular bed the second he realizes that she feels a little cramped in it and upgrades to a beautiful king sized mattress. there’s about a million and one windows, and that’s actually something he really loves about the penthouse. so it’s really no surprise when he and the mc move a bit out of the city and they keep the big windows and the big open spaces, but make it feel like something that’s meant to be lived in. jumin discovers his love of wood and tall bookshelves with a mix of occult novels and old classics, and the mc convinces him to add a little more color into his interior. their new house has a big garden out back so he can still visit the roses (though they aren’t the same ones from his old rooftop garden, but he’d argue that he planted them with her, so they’re so much better). they built the house themselves so it’s perfect for them, and elizabeth the third has her own little space for playing.

hmmmm. saeyoung choi’s new home <3 - saeyoung eventually leaves the bunker. it’s a hard move, and it’s definitely not one he takes lightly (he’s used to moving, but not away from a place with so many good memories). but, he builds this new home from the ground up with the mc. he makes the plans and hires architects to help him, and he starts to fall in love with this new home even while it’s still a blueprint. he never gives up his complicated security system (the arabic dictionary really starts to feel heavy sometimes), but he does start to realize how much he loves windows. he still ends up getting them reinforced, but he loves the natural light and he actually really likes being able to see outside so easily. it’s a stupid thing, but sometimes the mc will catch him sitting on their couch and just looking out at the secluded little forest they ended up moving to, and he seems really happy. similar to yoosung, saeyoung cannot stand overhead lighting. at first, his solution was to just have no lighting at all, but one day he came into his office and there were these little lamps everywhere and they actually made his office feel a lot less daunting. ever since then, he’s started using lamps more often than the lights installed into his ceiling. he also says they help to reduce any sensory issues he might have from the light, which also means a lot less headaches for him. he starts to really love thunderstorms while he lives there, and so he and the mc always curl up whenever it starts to rain and they sit on the couch, watching as lightning cracks across the sky and counting the seconds until the thunder together. whenever it rains, saeyoung knows he can take a break from everything for a while.

jihyun kim’s beautiful little apartment - his apartment is tiny except for his studio. similarly to jaehee, he likes the small spaces because one, he loves how cozy is feels, but two, because it means he can reach out to his mc a lot more often. his studio, however, is the biggest and brightest space imaginable. all of his apartment is big on natural light, but he loves having a huge window in his studio because it means he’s able to see actual life even when he’s wrapped up in his work. it’s also big enough that the mc can sit in and watch him work without ever feeling like she’s in the way, which he absolutely loves. it’s really common for her to be sitting on one of his extra stools, flipping through some of the drawing drafts he’s made with delicate fingers. he’ll turn then, half-dried paint on his fingertips and go to kiss her. she’ll laugh when she feels the coolness of the wet paint on her cheek, and he’ll feel terrible about it, but there’s not many worries that can be had when you’re standing in the shine of the afternoon sun, surrounded by art that you’re proud of and standing in front of the girl who brought you back to artistry. as far as the rest of his apartment goes, jihyun is very particular about color. he likes things to look nice and he appreciates things to be very calming in nature. the green kitchen is perfect for him because of this, and everything is always spotless. the only part of his home that’s ever a mess is his studio, but he knows where everything is.

and lastly we have saeran’s little getaway :) - of course, saeran stays close to saeyoung. they both end up moving to a really nice, secluded area where they feel safe. even after the issue with their father has been resolved, both of them feel safer if they’re away from the public. this actually ends up being great for saeran though, because it means that he has access to so many plants. so many. he can walk though his pretty summer garden outside to get to his greenhouse, and he loves being able to tend to all of the flowers there. it really is something that’s calming for him. plus, whenever he walks outside he can see saeyoung’s house and he can be reminded that he’s only a few steps away, so he’d make the trip often even without the flowers. his house is pretty small, but he can’t imagine wanting anything too big. it always smells really fresh in his house, like clean linens and citrus, but not the artificial kind. he just always has oranges somewhere in his house so fresh citrus is always there in the kitchen. he and the mc enjoy a really quiet life together in their house, and it’s honestly at this point that he feels the happiest. he likes being able to wake up in the morning and sit at their kitchen island together, a homemade breakfast in front of them and her head leaning on his shoulder.