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#('course i can always just tag things for blacklisting so-)
buddyapologist · 9 months
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sry for all the txt posts but i just remembered that line from stranger things s2 where hopper is leaving a note for eleven that says "i'm not mad, i'm just sorry" and im just. fucking essay in the tags
#avery.txt#also you can just blacklist that tag if i'm insufferable i will not be offended#but anyway.#lisaposting#buddy does some irrational dumb angry shit bc she's like. a teenager. and that's what teenagers do#brad cannot handle the possibility of her getting hurt by the outside world so he panics and gets mad at her and makes things worse#but then later he realizes he was lashing out bc of his fear. of course buddy is gonna act rebellious; she's a kid.#he's not mad he's just sorry.#gghghghghhhgghh just fucking punch me so hard i explode into dust#listen as a former teen (who is/was very ND but even aside that) i know how i acted/thought & i can't imagine how difficult that is on#*parents. your kid who you love rejects your affection bc it's not cool & there's all this posturing abt being grown up & rebellious agains#*ur parents. for a while ur kid will just act hostile towards u & u really can't do much abt it. at least for me it was a phase i came out#*of when i was around 20-22 when i started to really see my parents as People and start to understand their actions when i was a teenager#so when i think abt brad i think abt how not only did he have to deal w normal teen stuff he also had to deal w how much his trauma affecte#*his relationship with his daughter & how she's responded to it. he can see her patterns & behavior & how she's used to it but now she's#asking questions that he can't answer bc he's terrified of what might happen if she knows everything. so she gets mad as a result#and things just deteriorate from there until all they do is fight and she yells at him for always being drunk and he yells at her that#*without him she'd be dead and that she's too young to know everything and she yells that she wishes he wasn't her father#and he doesn't have a comeback for that one because some part of him knows he's echoing some stuff from his own father#the addiction and neglect and anger followed him no matter how much he tried to run from them and what if it follows her too.#what if he ruined her the same way his father ruined him. what if he failed to protect this girl who he thought he was safe to love.#ok im gonna stop now bc i need to SLEEP but i have a lot of really fucking complicated feelings about brad#bc i sympathize with his trauma so deeply but how he treated his kids breaks my fucking heart
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joonipertree · 11 months
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Gang Leader Girlfriend Things™
Tags: Mikey x Fem!reader, Fluff, crack, no angst, he's only soft for you <3, love of his life
You know, I think the first rule of joining a gang should be 'don't piss off the leader'. Like, you wanna fight people who can whoop your ass? Go for it, that takes courage and respect. But you join a gang like Toman with 'Invincible Mikey' as the head, the one thing you should probably not do is make him mad.
(Nobody is stupid enough to do that though, much less Toman.)
Mikey personally didn't fight the weak, finds no joy in something that isn't a challenge. Two highschoolers that got recruited by Mitchy's crew? He could tell they were nothing from the back of their babbling heads.
"My god, there's no way a girl like that is here. She's so fucking hot."
"What's a girl even doing in a gang? There's no way she fights."
Mikey's eye twitched. Not only are you most definitely in Toman, with a gang jacket and everything (You had your own but you ended up wearing his most of the time, pretty in what's his.) One of Toman's strongest was Senju, someone who would kick their ass too.
"Do you think she's single?"
"She is not." Mikey drawled, eyes dead and head tilted. Draken came behind him, wondering why his captain was just standing there. Mikey was always friendly with new members but very evidently, those two were an exception.
"What a bummer. She could've been mine."
Draken wanted to laugh so badly but Mikey's hand was warning him into silence before he could.
Mikey couldn't see the dude's face but knew that he was too ugly for you. You weren't into pathetic fucks. And the only person Mikey was pathetic for, was you.
A lot of gang members' eyes were on them now, ready to bow to their captain but stopping when Draken raised his palm. They could tell something was off, looking at the two kids who just didn't bother turning. The aura around Mikey was practically tangible though, suffocating to anyone who took notice.
Yamagishi staggered towards his friends, ready to point out the very dangerous threat behind them. Of course, he was the one who recruited them. If he wasn't Takemitchy's friend, Mikey would've added him to his blacklist. Mikey's finger against his lip kept Yamagishi from saying anything. Their fates were sealed already.
"Man, I could probably take her boyfriend on. Easy win and I get her."
Draken choked, Yamagishi wanted to die, the few people who were close enough to listen stepped away. Mikey still didn't say anything, because the moment he was waiting for finally happened.
Chifuyu had let you know of the arrival with a nod of his head, pausing in his rant about a manga you guys had been reading. You saw Draken's head first, eyes lowering, knowing that Mikey would always fall close. And there he was, his blond ponytail the only thing you could see. Your heart filled up like it always did because fuck, you wanted to consume him in your love. His eyes peaked out and your smile stretched your cheeks.
You walked as if on auto pilot, feet having a pep in them as you did. He stepped out in full view and you squealed at his gentle eyes and outstretched arms. You practically ran to him, you missed him and missed him and missed him.
Your shoulder grazed someone's as you zoomed past and launched yourself into Manjiro's warm embrace. Strong arms encircled you immediately, his cheek squishing against yours. And before you knew it, your feet were off the ground as he twirled you around. Unabashed laughter left your lips, hanging onto him and letting his warm and wet kisses pepper your face. The swooping in your chest was welcomed, clinging to the boy you've loved for years. Your precious----
"Hi, Jiro~" You crooned, eyes open to catch his reddened cheeks and sparkling eyes.
He put your feet on the ground and pulled you close by the waist, noses touching each other's.
"Hi, baby." He said in a hushed voice.
You gave his cheek a peck, knowing one on the lips would result in him not getting off of you. There was supposed to be a meeting, so you decided to have him later. Being a gang leader's girlfriend was hard work.
"Did you have a good day?" You asked, knowing he woke up an hour ago, barely in the realm to text you a 'good morning, honey' ('Morning' in Mikey's realm was 1pm).
"Mhm." Mikey hummed, giving your cheek a kiss too. You relished in it.
"Where are you going?" Draken's voice came gruffly and you saw the tall man with his hands on two members' shoulders.
Your boyfriend's gaze fell on them, hardened and cold. It made you shiver, his arms tightening around you when you did. It didn't scare you, he looked hot but it never meant anything good.
You blinked at the two boys, confused and just now noticing the complete silence and the eyes of everyone on you.
I mean, you were a spectacle whenever Jiro was involved but weren't they used to it by now?
"You guys have really bad awareness if you didn't notice me even when I spoke up. I don't know if we want that in our gang." Mikey's words were sweet but dripping in venom, a grin to hide his clear rage.
"I'm so so sorry, boss! We didn't know she was yours, I swear!!" Dude no 1 got on his knees immediately, more so because his legs gave out.
"It's our first day, please have mercy." Dude no 2 shouted, bowing till his head met the floor.
Oh, you thought, they were actual idiots.
Seeing people bow and beg at your boyfriend was always surreal. You knew he had repertoire and respect because of years of being a gang leader. Personally, you never really understood gang things tm. But you knew your Mikey could kick ass and people looked up to him, so you always enjoyed the times he did gang leader things tm cuz it was hot.
"Yamagishi, you recruited them so you have responsibility. Have anything to add?" Mikey asked the frozen boy, who probably stopped breathing a long time ago.
"Uh, it was Takemitchy's idea?" The boy said, knowing who Mikey's kryptonite was.
"You're the one who asked me. Don't try to get me killed along with them!" The acting president hollered.
Mikey turned to his best friend, smile still plastered on his face. If Takemitchy didn't have the trauma to back up his biggest endeavour, he would be worried that the dark impulse would've possessed him from that interaction alone.
"Mitchy, normally I would let the head captain step in for any decision made about their division. But since they directly challenged me, we have to deal with it like all gangs do, right?"
"We didn't....we didn't know, promise!" Dude no 2 peeped out.
"Hmm, but wasn't it you who said that you could take her boyfriend on? It'd be an easy win? There's enough people who witnessed that."
"Oh, Lord Almighty." Takemitchy murmured, "nothing can save them now."
"Not even an hour in and they're going to die." Another murmur from the crowd. (It was Ran)
"I never said that, I am not a part of this." Dude no 1 threw his friend under the bus immediately. It was understandable.
"'She could've been mine,'" Mikey practically sang, taking off his jacket, "is what you said, right?"
"No I couldn't," you spoke absentmindedly, only looking at your boyfriend cuz you'd lost interest in the morons, "you're too ugly for me."
It was a blow that hit almost as hard as the kick they were about to receive. Mikey let out an affectionate snort as he covered your head with his jacket. The heavy material blocking your peripheral as he left your side within a second. A sick crack brandished the air, followed by two thuds.
"Welp, that fight didn't last. How boring, wanted to show off." Mikey sounded bored, the asphalt crunching under his slippers as he walked back.
"Are they--" Takemitchy's panicked pitch followed, a very common tone whenever Mikey was involved.
"Breathing." Draken called out, giving them a light kick on the side to check.
"Takemitchy, your crew is banned from recruiting." Their leader yelled back with his head only half turned, a flurry of 'yes sir!'s came.
"Thank you for holding onto my jacket, baby." Mikey whispered as he took the jacket off your head and draped it on his shoulders. His eyes were back to being kind and gentle, warm hand cupping your face in gratitude. You melted into him, eyes closing. He left a kiss on your forehead, keeping you close.
"Ah, I'm hungry," he whined, "let's go get mcdonald's. I didn't eat breakfast."
"You didn't?" You asked as he interwined your fingers together and tugged.
"I had cereal but that barely counts." Mikey started chattering on, waving a hand to dismiss the meeting that never began.
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traegorn · 2 years
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The uselessness of Witchcraft Author "Blacklists"
Every once and a while I see a "Witchcraft Author Blacklist" either in the tags or getting passed around here on Tumblr, and never in my life have I thought it was a remotely useful thing.
Because every single time, they lack and semblance of nuance. Like yesterday I ran across one that literally equated Scott Cunningham with Stephen Flowers. Yes, Cunningham, a person who wrote some things that need to be read critically is, apparently, as bad as a literal fucking Nazi whose books help fund the AFA.
Like are there Cunningham books I wouldn't recommend? Absolutely. Should most of his works be read with a critical eye and take into account the state of the community and available information when he was writing them? Yes. But... like... there's a huge fucking difference between these two things.
Also, this list claimed because Cunningham wrote about Wicca his works were somehow homophobic. Have there been homophobic Wiccans? Of course - but Cunningham, an openly gay man, was not one of them.
Additionally, there are people who get included on these lists where I wouldn't recommend anyone read their books to learn witchcraft per se, but their works have important historical significance.
Like Gerald Gardner - should anyone learn from Gardner? Fuck no. His works are full of misinformation and outright bullshit. But it literally is where the modern witchcraft movement was birthed, so there is value in understanding where we came from.
Aleister Crowley falls into this category too - harder even. Crowley was gross as heck, but how can you understand what in the modern community is still descended from his works or propagating his gross ideas... if you're unfamiliar with his works?
Also, he's super dead, so it's not like he's benefiting from someone reading his stuff.
It's just so deeply frustrating that people make these lists to start with. Like, I have written or talked about how certain authors should be avoided -- but I always do my best to include context, reasons, and explanations why. I will specifically explain why I don't think they're valuable to read. Making a laundry list where you make unsourced or unexplained claims about a huge list of people doesn't help someone understand what might be wrong with them.
Also, my recommendations are usually about how a new witch shouldn't read their work, because it's about not having the experience to see what is and isn't bullshit in what they read yet. They don't have that baseline yet. That doesn't mean that some of these books might not be significant or worth reading at some point in their journey. Just not at the start of it.
It's just... a complete lack of nuance. Like I don't recommend Silver Ravenwolf because her books are, frankly, poorly researched and bad. I don't recommend Stephen Flowers because he's a fuckin' overt WHITE SUPREMACIST whose publications have been used to fund the AFA. These are not the same. When we pretend that they are, we are doing a massive disservice to all of us.
It... it honestly feels like Christian purity culture repackaged. If you can't handle nuance, I don't think you can really handle that much witchcraft to start with. The world isn't black and white -- there are overt evils out there, but most everything else is a shade of gray and pretending otherwise is poisonous.
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kimsohn · 4 months
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even if the world caves in,
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pairing . chanhee x gn! reader (ft. vernon of seventeen) about . 13.5k words, fluff + angst, e2l fake-dating warnings . smoking, alcohol, cursing, suggestive (allusions to sex at the end), descriptive food mentions, y/n and chanhee are idiots chanhee lowkey doesn't deserve y/n, the plot kinda doesn't make sense but fuck it we ball ok, pls lmk if i missed things bc i probably did, also i wrote most of this at ungodly hours of the night and this is not proofread take this as your warning
synopsis . after your big break in cinema, the last thing on your mind is a relationship. unfortunately for you, the public has other plans, forcing you together with the journalist who's entire career is dedicated to your downfall. note . this is my submission for @deoboyznet's secret santa fic exchange! hihi @heemingyu i'm your secret santa!! (i'm so sorry this is like two days late and probably rushed forgive me) i went through like four different plots before settling on this one and writing it in one week 😭 i hope you enjoy!!! also thank you to @juyeonszn for staying up until 6am to beta for me what the fuck. ilysm. tagging . @invuwrld @gfksn @stealanity
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Lately, the only thing that seems to greet you is the buzzing sound of your phone, incessant until silenced by your tired fingers.
You reach over as you stir awake, the action almost second nature to you as your hand catches ahold of the sleek object. You hit random buttons until your desired effect comes into play, answering the phone call and putting it on speaker, and you already know who it is before their voice even drifts through the microphone.
“Y/N! Get your ass up, you’re on the headlines.”
“Again?” you whine, rolling over in bed. “Is it good news or bad news this time?”
The man on the other end laughs, bitterly, and you push yourself off the bed in response. Your manager laughing, especially like that, is nothing amusing, and you rub your eyes as you try to get yourself awake.
“Oh, it’s bad, alright. Open your fucking phone, Y/N.”
You do exactly that, immediately thumbing over to Twitter and seeing your name trending. Afraid of which one of your many stupid decisions has made the headlines today, you press the hashtag, cringing at the first picture.
“Of course, they got pictures of me drunk,” you mutter, scrolling through the list. “Wasn’t this Juyeon’s private party, like months ago? How did these photos leak?”
“It doesn’t matter Y/N,” your manager sighs from the other side, and you feel a twinge of guilt for always putting him through this situation, “you’re an actor. Nothing in your life is private anymore, especially you pole dancing on top of the bar.”
Your facial muscles twitch as you come across the aforementioned picture, seeing yourself busting out dance moves on the marble. You have to hold back a laugh, seeing how something so ridiculously insignificant is dragging your name through the mud right now.
“But Vernon, you have to admit, the pictures are kinda hot.”
He grumbles on the other side before he cuts the call, and you fall into bed giggling, scrolling through other pictures. You have a cigarette in one hand and a tequila glass in the other, and that explains why you remember absolutely nothing about that day.
A text notification appears at the top of your screen, and you swipe down to see none other than Vernon who you were on call with five seconds ago. He’s sent you the link to an article followed by a message.
This is the article that leaked the video. Check out the name.
You click on the link, and your face falls at the name of the website. It falls even more when you see the name of the writer, and you press your fingers to your forehead. You immediately call Vernon again, watching the phone ring twice before he picks up.
“Can we fucking blacklist him, Vernon?” you seethe, gripping your phone tightly.
“I’m afraid not. He’s just a journalist, not a stalker.”
“He might as well be with the way he’s always up to date with my private information.”
You punch your pillow, watching your fist pathetically curl into the bedding. It doesn’t have its intended effect, only reminding you of how weak you are physically and mentally. You don’t get into scandals often, probably because you’re a rare, good person in the horrible field that is Hollywood, but whenever you do, you have one journalist to thank for it.
“I told you, nothing is private in your life anymore.”
Vernon goes off on a tangent about how you should’ve been more careful, how you shouldn’t have drunk your ass off, but you can’t find it within you to care. There was technically nothing wrong with what you did (except for maybe the indecency, but it’s a bar for fuck’s sake), but as a famous actor with a huge fanbase, you understand why your manager is angry. Dancing on top of a counter and smoking should not be the kind of precedent you set for your fans, especially the younger ones, and your actions have a lot more weight to them now that you’re in the public eye.
It’s just stupid because you’re a regular person. At the very least, you deserve to have some privacy regarding decisions you make, especially ones that are so insignificant. 
“Vernon,” you interrupt, “it’s okay. My movie is coming out later this week, so I think it’ll die down quickly.”
“I know, but you’re lucky that this was a trivial issue. If you get caught in something truly fucked up, another movie won’t be able to save you.”
“I’ll be more careful. I promise.”
He hangs up, reminding you that you have a screening to attend later today and an interview. Your eyes drift back to the article again, reading the headline.
Hollywood’s favorite celebrity turned dancer.
You shut your eyes, breathing in and out so you don’t lose your composure. The universe is lucky you’re a rational, decent human being because if you weren’t, the writer who’s been practically harassing you would’ve been long eliminated by now.
Choi Chanhee, you read, familiar with the name. The infamous writer that’s always on your tail. It’s as if he dedicates his whole life to ruining you because he’s always the first to write things that make your crown slip. Almost all of your scandals, from particularly stupid ones at the beginning of your career to your most recent one, have been written by him. He’s practically obsessed with you at this point, and you don’t know what it is about you that ticks him off.
You toss your phone to the side, trudging over to the bathroom to get ready. Unlike Chanhee, you don’t have the time or patience to worry about trivial things like gossip pages. Choi Chanhee is just one, minor obstacle in your way. Just someone insignificant.
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A long time ago, the flashing lights of cameras would’ve blinded you. Now, as a seasoned actor, you’re quite immune to the brightness that surrounds you when you walk the red carpet. You smile and pose, reveling in the cameras and the interviews that follow, asking for details about your current movie and the process behind the scenes.
You’ve just finished off an interview about the movie’s wardrobe when a black-haired man comes up to you. The lens of his thick glasses shines against the cameras in the background, and you have to look down to avoid the glare from the reflection.
You read his name tag and your face drops. You immediately look up, putting on a forced grin.
“Choi Chanhee. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
He smiles, and the corners of his mouth curl as if he knows of your extensive distaste for him.
“It seems you know who I am already. Let’s get started with the interview then. First question: do you have anything to say regarding your latest scandal at the bar?”
You’re gritting through your teeth as you answer.
“No comment. Next question, please.”
“What are your opinions on the latest controversy surrounding Lee and Co., the production company behind your movie?”
He fires off a few questions, all as controversial as the last, and the only thing that keeps you from slapping him right there and then is your media training that Vernon had drilled into you while in the car.
“He will be there,” Vernon had said, fixing your watch, “don’t give him anything to work with. Just focus on promoting your movie.”
You’ve followed his advice for the solid ten minutes Chanhee has bombarded you, but even your patience is wearing thin. You’re tired of being asked about the same scandals repeatedly from different angles, and you have to admit that even if he’s doing an amazing job as a journalist, it’s not looking good for your conscience.
“Chanhee,” you interrupt, watching him pause in the middle of a question, “do you have any substantial questions about the movie, or are we done here?”
His face contorts as if he had just been thrown tomatoes at, and the devil in your brain beams from his expression. He flips through his notes, flicking through a couple of pages before landing on one that’s up to his liking.
“Okay, one last question then. Who was your favorite person to work with during this movie?”
You pause, mulling over the question. You watch as his eyes traverse his notes, and you wonder what trick he has up his sleeve. You guess that he will probably bring up something about the person who’s name you’ll recite, so you think carefully before answering.
“I don’t have one particular favorite. I love them all,” you answer honestly and safely, with no room for scrutiny.
He nods, shutting off the recorder before packing his bag and giving you a slight bow. The narcissist in your brain revels in how good he looks bowing down to you, but you pay your respects in return.
“Thank you for your time, Y/N.”
You watch as he saunters off, probably off to his crew, and you blink a few times before shifting your attention to the next reporter with an eager smile.
Hours later, you find yourself outside, exchanging the chaos inside for a fresh breath of air. Your director has indulged in an after-party, one you’re grateful for too, but after a couple of glasses of wine and many more hours of talking to fellow celebrities, you need a moment of solitude.
 The air outside is crisp and cool, and you find yourself wishing you’d brought your jacket out to accompany you. Your vision is slightly blurry and your stance is wobbly, but you find a bench nearby to take a seat at. You stare at the pond across from you for a while, throwing rocks into the water and watching how far they travel.
A cigarette accompanies you, and the puffs of air you release are visual representations of how relaxed you want to feel. You’ve just released a movie, and you should be thankful, but as an actor, your mind never rests due to the endless possibilities you can ponder over. Moments like these where you find yourself completely alone, with nothing to worry about, are rare, and you try to curb your mind from ruining the moment by overthinking.
However, your moment of peace is interrupted by a loud shutter behind you, and you quickly turn around, afraid of what the paparazzi would say if they caught you like this. A figure disappears around the corner, but as you hear the clacking of their footsteps, you know exactly who it must be.
“Chanhee, I know it’s you.”
Moments pass before he steps out from behind the wall, holding a camera in his hands. The object, in contrast to the suit he wears, is so uncoordinated that you burst into a fit of laughter, over-emotional from the wine you had earlier.
“Why are you laughing?” he asks cautiously, treading the waters.
“I didn’t know you were a photographer too! You’re an all-rounder for sure.”
“Look,” he whispers as if his guilt will excuse his actions, “I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay.” You pat the empty space next to you. “Here, sit next to me.”
He takes a seat warily, as if you have a gun in your hands, but relaxes once he sees you dangling your feet. It’s uncharacteristic for him to be sitting next to you, heck, even interacting with you, but you don’t seem to really mind as you throw another rock into the water.
“Why do you hate me?” you ask, staring at him with glossy eyes. “What did I do that was so wrong?”
“Are you drunk?” he asks instead, realizing this isn’t the pristine condition he saw you in a couple of hours ago.
“It doesn’t matter,” you sniffle. “What did I do to make you absolutely despise me?”
Chanhee sighs, staring at the ripples in the pond. He picks up a rock, swinging it as far as he can before it settles to the bottom of the pool. It goes way farther than any of the rocks you’d thrown before, and you pout miserably as you cease your ministrations.
“It’s my job. I get paid for writing about your downfall.”
“But… you don’t have to be so mean about it.”
Chanhee recognizes that he won’t get anywhere with this argument because you’re drunk, so instead, he turns to you, placing his hands on your shoulders so you look at him.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay? Here, I won’t even post the pictures that I took today.”
He deletes the pictures from his camera, showing you after it’s done, and you surprise him by throwing your arms around him. You’re too far gone to realize the weight of your actions, but he isn’t, so he tries to gently pry them off his shoulders.
“Thank you,” you whisper after he’s done, slumping across the bench half-asleep, “thank you for being nice. For once.”
He blinks once, twice, before he exhales, turning around on his heel and disappearing into the darkness. Later, when Vernon picks you up from the bench, you tell him that a pretty fairy saved you from disaster. He won’t believe you, but you know it’s true in your heart.
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You’re nursing your hangover when you decide to turn on the news. You settle into your comfortable couch, holding a bowl of hangover soup and trying not to succumb to the pain radiating throughout your forehead.
Not often do you watch the news, choosing to opt out because it’s usually annoying and gives you a headache, but Vernon’s somehow using two devices to watch his show on Netflix so you’re forced to resort to this. You think you might die if you don’t distract yourself from the migraine that’s been occupying your senses, so the news will have to suffice.
You flick through the channels, not interested in the politics or the weather, but your fingers pause when a bright pink headline catches your eye. It’s the gossip channel, and this is usually the channel you’re warned to stay far away from, but you can’t help but watch the video playing when the headline specifically features your name.
Y/N caught in a secret relationship, embracing a secret lover by the pond.
Your mood turns sour when the clip features events from last night, ones that are still fuzzy in your brain. You didn’t expect to be reliving this situation, but your heart all but drops when you realize the snippet features you and Chanhee in the frame, hugging each other as if you had indeed been lovers. The worst part is that Chanhee didn’t even reciprocate, but that isn’t featured in the headline, so it truly does look like you two have a thing for each other.
This time around, you call Vernon first instead of the usual.
“Y/N,” he whispers groggily as if you had woken him up, “what happened?”
“Please turn on the fucking news Vernon.”
You hear shuffling from the other side, a few minutes of rustling before you hear the blaring of the TV and a similar sound drifting through his microphone. You get a few minutes of pin-drop silence before all hell breaks loose.
“Who the fuck is that?!” he exclaims, and you hear his feet angrily pacing around. “Was this last night? I thought I told you to be more careful, to look out for your surroundings—”
“Vernon, it’s Chanhee.”
The only thing you hear from Vernon is his angered breaths, and it takes mere seconds before you burst into tears, fed up by this situation and the terrible migraine you still have. You just want to curl up into a ball and never step foot into the universe again, and your resolve only strengthens when the line goes dead. You can’t help the tears that come to bay, rippling through you like a shockwave that never seems to end.
Insistent knocking at your door a few moments later is the only thing that stops the tears from falling, and you quickly wipe them before opening the door. Vernon stands at the other side, his hands in his pockets and eyebags above his cheeks, but his gaze softens when he sees your puffy eyes and you hugging yourself.
He brings you into his embrace, your tears staining his hoodie, but neither of you can find it in yourselves to care. Vernon just caresses your back, knowing the only thing you need right now is a gesture of comfort, and you burrow into his chest further. Right here, in the middle of your entryway, Vernon provides you with the best version of reassurance he can offer: a simple, caring hug.
“I was drunk,” you mutter when you’ve calmed down, speaking through the sniffles that escape you, “and we were just talking. You know I get touchy when I’m tipsy.”
“I figured,” he says, unraveling himself from your embrace. “Does the press know it’s him?”
“No, but I expect they’ll find out soon enough.”
You follow him as he takes a seat on the couch, watching the headlines on the TV. The gossip channel has long moved on from your news, but you haven’t, and fear of what will happen to either you or Chanhee is killing you.
“We need to contact him before then,” he voices, grabbing his phone from his pocket. “I think I know someone from his office.”
“Wait, why?” you ask, trying to peer over at his phone, watching him scroll through his contacts. “Wouldn’t it just be best to let the rumors die down?”
“If this was a celebrity, we could’ve done that. But Chanhee is a regular human being, and this could potentially destroy his career.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” you murmur under your breath, watching Vernon deadpan.
“Look, I know you hate him, but he doesn’t deserve to be criticized for something he didn’t even do. Let’s just talk to him and see what he has to say, okay?”
You nod, falling back on the couch. The migraine still bothers you, and you rub your fingers across your forehead to massage it.
Five days ago, you would never have expected to be in this position. To you, Chanhee was just a name on a screen, a faceless figure haunting your dreams. How fitting is it that his very first encounter with you led to your worst nightmare?
You hear Vernon dial his contact, watching the phone ring several times before a line picks up. Vernon speaks gratefully, grabbing the pen and paper that you have lying around on your coffee table as he scribbles down some information.
“We have a meeting,” he says, showing you the piece of paper, “in five hours. Be ready by then.”
Just what exactly have you gotten yourself into?
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The bright lights and white walls in the meeting room make it look like a prison cell, and the atmosphere does absolutely nothing to calm your nerves. You’re tapping your foot anxiously, sitting in an unfamiliar space in an unfamiliar building, but Chanhee requested a meeting in his office building, and you have no other choice but to go with it.
You’d be lying if you said you were nonchalant about the whole atmosphere, but you try to keep yourself composed as you wait for him to enter. Vernon sits beside you, going through some papers in his briefcase that only a manager would know about, and his presence is the only thing keeping you grounded right now.
“Just let me do the talking, okay?” he’d said before entering, “The last thing we need is another argument on our hands.”
Even though the comment offended you, you honestly would be better off trusting his judgment. You and Chanhee don’t exactly have the best track record, and if either one of you says something even slightly off, the room would probably explode into insults. You honestly don’t even have the strength anyway to hold up a fight, so you slump into your chair, adjusting your jacket and reeling in your patience.
The doorknob twists and you and Vernon straighten your postures, trying to look presentable for your audience. Chanhee enters, followed by a blonde-haired who you’d assume to be his boss, and you rise so you can shake their hands. Chanhee ignores your attempt at waving a white flag, choosing to shake Vernon’s instead before sitting down at a seat, but his boss smiles and grabs your palm tightly in his.
“Hello, I’m Sangyeon. It’s nice to meet you.”
You exchange pleasantries as you sit down, and once you get over the initial awkwardness, you shut your mouth and wait for Vernon to speak up.
“So, I’m sure you guys have seen the news and are well aware of why we’re here.”
Sangyeon nods, urging him to continue.
“I understand what you might be feeling right now Chanhee,” Vernon follows, catching Chanhee’s gaze, “and we’re extremely sorry for the trouble that this has caused you. However, I have a proposition that might benefit both parties, if you are interested.”
Chanhee’s silence prompts Vernon’s explanation, and you lean in, curious about what he has to say too. Vernon had offhandedly mentioned that he had a deal to make, but you don’t have the slightest clue as to what he’s about to propose.
“I was thinking we play into the rumors. We can say Y/N and Chanhee met at a press conference and hit it off a couple of weeks ago. After we plan a few more appearances, we can stage a public breakup in a few weeks so that everything can go back to normal.”
You blanch, ready to refuse the idea, but Chanhee beats you to it.
“Why would I agree to a relationship with Y/N?”
“Hey,” you start, offended by his implications, “what’s wrong with dating me?”
Chanhee scoffs.
“Don’t even start, Y/N. This is all your fault after all. I didn’t know you liked me that much that you couldn’t keep your hands off me.”
You’re seeing blood red, crazed at the malice behind his words.
“I was tipsy! And how was I supposed to know that someone was stalking us? If anything, it was your fault for deleting those pictures and being nice to me.”
The room erupts into chaos as you throw petty insults at each other, similar to a catfight. It takes Vernon holding you back physically to get you to calm down, but even after you’ve calmed down, you’re still staring daggers at him.
“Look, Chanhee, I understand this is not ideal for either of you given the nature of your jobs. But if you think about it, when the press finds out that it’s you in the picture, how will you be able to resume your writing? Who will take you seriously if you write hate articles about the very person that you were caught with?” Vernon asks, trying to reason with him.
Chanhee falls into silence, and he looks at his manager. His manager offers him a pitiful glance, knowing that Vernon is right.
“You don’t have to be lovey-dovey with each other,” Vernon continues, hoping to ease the terms. “You just have to appear in public for a couple of dates. We can use your old articles to prove that you guys have had romantic tension, so we’ll have background evidence too. When Y/N breaks your heart in a couple of weeks, you’ll have the perfect reason to continue writing hate articles.”
“It’s like enemies to lovers to… enemies, right?” Sangyeon asks, humming after Vernon nods, “I think it’s a good idea Chanhee. You’ll gain a lot more exposure after the whole thing is over too. If we continue going as it is, the press will ruin your career, and I’d have no other choice but to fire you. I think this is the best decision for your future and the company.”
Chanhee sighs, rubbing his temples. As much as you despise him, you can sympathize with the fact that he has a difficult decision looming over his head. The fate of his career rests in your hands, the person he’s dedicated a lifetime to ruining, and you can imagine just how insane his internal conflict might be.
“I’ll do it,” you voice, watching the room’s reactions carefully.
Chanhee’s eyes shoot up at you, clearly not expecting your admission.
“I would hate to be the reason you had to quit something you love. Besides, I’ve been in too many scandals recently anyway; I think a relationship could do my career some good.”
You don’t know if your attempt at a joke resonated with him, but his shoulders relax and he bores his eyes into you. His eyes are sharp and feline-like, but his brown pupils are almost the exact opposite, thoughtful and deep. He’s a little pretty, you realize, when he’s not trying to sabotage your entire career.
You’ve tried to stay level-headed after your argument earlier, as a gesture to Vernon, but you can’t contain your surprise when he nods a few minutes later.
“Okay, I’ll go with your plan. But I want four weeks, not five.”
“Deal,” you say, reaching over with an open palm before Vernon can even say anything.
This time around, Chanhee does reciprocate your gesture, shaking your hand firmly. The white flag flies freely over your heads, and you can only pray that these next four weeks will be over just as quickly as they started.
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The news blows up fairly quickly after it’s published, even faster than any of the scandals you’ve been in. After the announcement your companies sent out confirming your relationship, you posted a picture of Chanhee to your Instagram story to show support from your side. Never have you garnered so many notifications in a single day, but you’re not complaining. You suppose your fans have also been waiting for you to get into a serious relationship, seeing that you’ve been single since your acting debut, so the update is received with a mostly positive reaction that you’re thankful for.
However, just the news and a picture alone aren’t going to cut it. Arguably, the hardest part of this whole ordeal is your interactions with Chanhee, making your relationship believable enough so your fans don’t think this is the PR stunt like it really is. Your first order of business is taking Chanhee along on a date tonight to a movie premiere, the first actual public appearance you two will be making.
To say you’re nervous is an understatement. The last time you saw Chanhee, it took Vernon’s presence to stop you from biting his head off. How will you even survive a whole event together, let alone act like a couple?
You tell Chanhee to show up a couple of hours earlier so you can plan out the details, unable to keep your nervousness at bay. You don’t know if Chanhee is as anxious as you, but Vernon always says it’s good to stick to a plan, so calling him over isn’t the worst idea you’ve ever had.
Actually, it might be a little bit bad.
“Wow,” you say, your throat suddenly parched from seeing his clothing, “you clean up nicely.”
Nice is the simplest you could describe his outfit. He’s wearing a black suit, indented polka dots scattered across the black cloth. Paired with a white shirt underneath and matching tie, along with those round glasses that are definitely growing on you, he looks just like another A-list celebrity in the crowd. Maybe even a model if you would care to admit it.
“Thanks,” he mutters, unbuttoning the jacket to strew it across your couch, “it’s kinda hot in here, no?”
You would agree, but your mind is currently occupied with how delicious he looks in just a simple white shirt and a tie. You have half a mind to tell him that he really should quit his job and become a model instead, but you settle for nodding instead.
“It’s probably because of all the facial stuff we did earlier,” your stylist Kevin says, walking over to place clips in your hair, “it’ll calm down in a little bit.”
Chanhee’s eyes widen when Kevin enters, his eyes staring at you in panic and moving over to Kevin before they travel back to you. You laugh, amused with how seriously he’s playing the part.
“He knows,” you reassure him, “most of my close staff know, so you don’t need to worry.”
Chanhee exhales in relief, his head drooping down into his arms. Kevin meets your gaze before quirking an eyebrow, and you shake your head, not wanting to indulge in his teasing.
“Okay,” Chanhee says after he’s calmed down, leaning into the couch, “what’s the plan?”
“Well, since this is our first time in public together, we can keep it simple,” you start, wincing when Kevin tugs on part of your hair a little too hard, “maybe holding hands, walking next to each other, maybe a hug if we’re up for it.”
Chanhee looks disgusted, and you honestly can’t even disagree with him. You’re not exactly happy about jumping straight into skin-to-skin contact with the guy you hate, but this is the bare minimum for a relationship and you intend to follow through.
“Don’t look at me like that,” you sigh. “You do know that we’re going to have to kiss at some point, right? This is probably the tamest we’ll get.”
“Hey, don’t haunt the poor guy,” Kevin says, pulling out a makeup palette. “Just take it slow, okay? It’ll be a while before you get to that stage.”
You disappear into your bedroom to change after Kevin is done with your styling, and Chanhee visibly relaxes once you’re gone. It’s not like he wants to murder you with every fiber of his being, but something about you puts him on edge, and he can’t tell what it is.
“Are you still stressed about the kissing thing, dude?” Kevin asks while packing up his supplies. “Y/N’s just saying that to scare you, so don’t worry. Besides, after you see them in this outfit, you might change your mind.”
Kevin leaves with a wink, and Chanhee is left to scramble for its implications. You can’t possibly look good enough to kiss, right? He’s seen you countless times, and the only time his resolve ever-so-slightly wavered was when he saw you in person about a week ago. That was because you were drunk, though, of course. Not because he was facing you, flesh to flesh, for the first time in his life.
His overthinking ceases though when you step out of your bedroom, and he can’t stop Kevin’s words from floating through his brain.
You’re beauty personified, he thinks, from the tips of your curled hair to the bottom of your glass footwear. The silver-length outfit you adorn is something to die for, heck, you are someone to die for, and Chanhee can’t even breathe because he just imagined you standing next to him and the room is suddenly very, very hot.
“Ready to go?” you ask, adjusting a couple of rings on your fingers.
Chanhee dumbly nods, now realizing why literally everyone is in love with you, and he stands abruptly. He follows you to the front like a puppy dog before you turn around and start giggling. He doesn’t even register you speaking because suddenly, your giggles aren’t annoying and all of your sounds are like songbirds from heaven.
“You forgot your blazer, silly. Here, I’ll get it.”
While you turn back around, walking to the sofa, Chanhee slaps himself. Gently, of course, because he doesn’t want to ruin his face before the red carpet, but just enough to remind himself of his position in this whole scheme. You’re a celebrity, obviously you look good, and he can’t lose his morals just because you look stunning after being dolled up.
You’re a celebrity and he’s a journalist. A journalist who gets paid to antagonize you. Realistically speaking, even just meeting you should have him seeing red. He should not of all things, be pretending to date you, and he definitely should not be reconsidering his life decisions after spending two hours with you.
He just has to get through these four weeks. You’ll be out of sight, out of mind before he even knows it.
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“When the cameras start flashing, just look forward. Don’t ever look at them straight in the eye, otherwise, you’ll feel dizzy.”
Chanhee grumbles as you continue rambling, but you can’t find it within you to stop. You’ve never had a public relationship like this, especially with someone who’s not a celebrity, so the desire for perfection is getting to you.
Any small thing could fuck this up and not only ruin Chanhee’s career but yours too. What would the public think if they found out you were lying about a relationship? Heck, you wouldn’t be able to trust your own self after that, let alone the public.
“Y/N, it’ll be okay. It’s just handholding and a hug, right?”
“Yeah, but we need to look like we’re in love,” you huff, your head drooping as you play with your fingers in your lap.
You feel a hand cup the side of your chin, bringing you up to Chanhee’s gaze.
“Look at me,” he starts, thumbing your cheek, “we’ll be fine. Just stare into my eyes like this, and no one will ever doubt us.”
You don’t get to tell him that you might be believing it too with the way you can’t stop gazing at the twinkle in his eyes and the fondness in how they crease. You’ve met many gorgeous celebrities in your life, but not once have you ever felt your heart beat so heavily until this moment.
“We’re here,” Vernon interrupts from the front seat, breaking your intense gaze, “get ready.”
The flashing blinds you as soon as the car door opens, but you’re immune to the glares at this point. Chanhee, however, is not, so your only focus is being by his side until you walk inside the venue. You exit first, waiting until he steps out beside you before interlacing your fingers together and offering him a chaste smile, hoping it’ll calm his nerves.
He grips your hand tighter as you walk, and you both ignore the press shouting from around you. The screams seem extra prevalent today due to his presence, and you hope he isn’t feeling bombarded by the chaos around him. You focus on Chanhee, watching as he stares back at you to ground himself. You walk quickly in unison with him, counting your steps and smiling for the camera as you finally step inside the entryway.
“Are you okay?” you ask after you’re situated, having a few minutes of peace before you’re off to star on the red carpet. “I know that must’ve been a lot.”
“It’s fine. It’s over now. It was chaotic, but it helped to just focus on you.”
A twinge of heat flutters across your cheeks, but you pay no attention to it.
“I’m glad. Don’t worry, we don’t have any more red carpets in our schedule.”
He unlaces his fingers from yours, something you’d completely forgotten about, but you don’t have time to mull over the loss of his warmth before Vernon pushes you to the red carpet to get ready for the pictures. You take deep breaths, reveling in the mere seconds you get before the flashing starts again and you are simply an object for the camera. You pose, striking a big grin for the camera and remembering your media training. This is what you do best, being a celebrity, and suddenly you find comfort in this familiarity after all the turmoil you’ve been through the past couple of days. No Chanhee, no relationship, no headlines, just you and the camera like always.
However, you can’t stop your eyes from wandering when you get a break, watching Chanhee converse with Vernon. You let your daydreams drift, wondering how he would look like posing next to you for the camera, how he would laugh and answer questions about your relationship so giddily, or even how he’d stare into your soul like earlier before, bearing his heart for the taking.
You know that he won’t even meet your gaze after the four weeks are over, but you let yourself indulge in your imagination anyway. You’ve been touch-starved for so long, so it’s only natural that you have these thoughts about affection, right?
You walk back to Chanhee after you’re done, joining him and Vernon as you travel the venue. The place looks spectacular, with intricate chandeliers and a whole buffet of delicacies, and you make it a point in your mind to compliment the mastermind behind this all, Juyeon, when you see him.
Vernon leads you guys over to the food, piling the spring rolls on his plate until you glare at him to stop. Chanhee restrains laughter behind a mouth full of cupcakes, but even you have to agree with Vernon’s eagerness when you take a bite of the macadamia cookies. You’re on your fourth one when Juyeon saunters over to you, his goofy grin ever-so-present on his face.
“Y/N! Long time no see, right? I haven’t talked to you since my party months ago.”
“It’s been too long. I love the venue, by the way. You always outdo yourself.”
“Don’t talk to me about outdoing things. Look at you with your new boyfriend!”
You glance over at Chanhee, who’s busy trying to see how many spring rolls Vernon can fit in his mouth. You grimace, turning back to Juyeon. You know Vernon’s your manager, but sometimes it feels like you have to keep him on a leash instead of the other way around.
“Yeah it’s… a recent development, but I’m happy.”
“I’m surprised you got into a relationship in the first place. After you rejected me, I kinda thought you weren’t looking for love.”
Juyeon clutches his chest in fake agony, and you roll your eyes. Juyeon asked you out years ago when he was the director of your film, and he never fails to bring it up whenever he sees you. You still aren’t looking for love, of course, but your recent news is probably a shock to Juyeon and the many other people you’ve rejected over the years.
“I’m not incapable of love, Juyeon,” you sigh, looking back at Chanhee again, “I just needed to find the right person.”
The word love has never meant anything special to you, but when you look at Chanhee, you feel your heartstrings pull at your chest. Finally having a boyfriend, even if he’s fake, means you have the ability to love and be loved, and maybe you’ve been denying yourself happiness far too long for the wrong reasons.
As you wave Juyeon goodbye, sauntering over to Chanhee, you walk with a change in mindset. The situation you’re stuck in isn’t perfect, but you decide that it’s best to make the most out of it.
“Y/N, watch out!”
Suddenly, your whole world turns upside down, and you brace yourself as you fall backward, watching the twinkling of the chandeliers above you. You shut your eyes as a reflex, expecting the hardness of the wooden floor beneath you, but instead, you feel a strong hand supporting your back. You open your eyes to see Chanhee, but as his orbs bore into yours, all words tie on the tip of your tongue.
This close to him, you can see his faint eyeliner, the slight curve of his nose, and the barely visible mole on his top lips. It feels like the world is spinning still, but as Chanhee breathes, exhaling a soft puff of air, your gaze remains grounded only on him as he cradles you gently.
The sound of a camera startles you both, and Chanhee pulls you up, staring at Vernon. You smooth down your clothing, clearing your throat as you eye the culprit.
“What was that for?” you ask, throat slightly parched by what happened mere seconds ago.
“Whatever practice you guys did together before coming here definitely worked, because this picture definitely looks like you’re in love. I’m gonna leak it to a local magazine, so good job for today’s work.”
Your cheeks burn as he shows you the picture, and your gaze flits over to Chanhee. His expression is indiscernible, and you have the sudden urge to know exactly what’s running through his mind. Was he just as affected as you, or was this just a mere act of kindness?
The rational part of your brain hopes it’s the latter, but the heaviness of your heart might have different aspirations.
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Your phone dings as you finish applying the last bits of your mascara, and you pad over to your couch, seeing Chanhee’s text message on the top of your screen.
Be there in five.
It’s been a week since Juyeon’s movie premiere, a week since your heart has practically gone haywire. You’re a celebrity, if anything, you’re the last person to be looking forward to a text, but you found yourself checking Chanhee’s chat every morning and being disappointed when nothing rolled in. Even when Vernon’s picture leaked and the internet blew up over your coupling, his message bar still remained dry and lifeless.
He didn’t have any reason to text you anyway, so you wonder why you always looked forward to one.
You were the one to reach out first, letting him know that you had a date scheduled for Saturday night according to Vernon’s schedule. A meeting once per week was mandatory, just to keep up the image, and today’s plan was a nice, fancy dinner at a restaurant.
Chanhee, like a true gentleman, offered to pick you up instantly after you’d sent him the message, and you let yourself feel elated for five seconds before you texted him the time and place. You don’t know why Chanhee reduces you to a middle school girl longing for her crush, but you suppose it’s just because you haven’t been on a proper date in so long.
You’re dressed in blue satin, a dress you’d had no real reason to wear until today, and you’ve tried your best to clean up without Kevin’s help. You send a quick picture to your stylist as you wait, asking for advice even though you know you always look good, but Kevin just sends you a string of heart emojis in return and tells you that you look perfect.
Three sharp knocks on the door indicate Chanhee’s presence, and you open the door. The words on your throat die down when you realize he’s wearing a similar blue satin to yours, and it only takes one flicker of your eyes to meet his for him to start laughing.
“Are you stalking me or something?” he teases, pulling out a bouquet of fresh flowers.
“What’s this for?” you ask, setting them on the vase inside.
“Vernon told me to. He said you always like getting flowers on a date.”
You haven’t been on a date in years, so you don’t know where Vernon got this information from, but you appreciate the gesture nonetheless. The arrangement of peonies, lilies, and daffodils looks stunning on the countertop, and you post a quick picture to your Instagram story before heading out with Chanhee.
“Do you want the aux?” he asks when you’ve situated yourselves in his car.
The wind blows freely as he drives, the night sky twinkling through Chanhee’s open convertible. The rich red color of his Toyota Solara stands out against the deepness of the blackness around you two, but you can only focus on Chanhee’s side profile and the glittering earrings he’s wearing. Up until this point, you’ve only ever been in spaces you were familiar with. Seeing Chanhee in his own car is a completely different atmosphere for you, and you’re not sure how it makes you feel.
“I’m good. Play whatever you like,” you reply, truly interested to see what type of music he listens to.
Paris in the Rain drifts through the speakers, and you have to fight back a smile at the tune. Of course he would play this song on a night drive, judging by its mellow atmospheric feel, but you’re not mad about it.
“Why did you choose this restaurant?” he continues after the song settles, looking over at you when he pulls to a stop in front of a red light.
You have to recenter your thoughts to answer him, bringing your vision back from how ethereal he looks against the red tones of the stoplight.
“It’s been on my list for a while,” you admit honestly. “It’s also not super high scale, so someone will definitely notice us being there.”
Chanhee nods before quieting down as the red light fades into green. You’ve noticed that Chanhee tends to sit in silence when he’s with you, not interacting as much as he had with Vernon at the premiere. You wonder if he’s just naturally silent and hit it off with Vernon or maybe if he’s just hates you.
“Are you always this quiet?” you voice when he slows down due to traffic, not wanting him to feel alienated by the question.
“Ah, not really,” he says, scratching his head, “I just didn’t know if you were comfortable with me talking since we’re technically just coworkers.”
“Oh,” you voice, not expecting his admission.
You didn’t foresee him being so considerate of your feelings, enough to stop talking completely, and the thought warms your heart. Maybe he’s not such a bad person after all, you think, staring at him expectantly.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have admitted that,” he expresses. “I can go back to sitting in silence.”
“No!” you exclaim, and he looks over at you with slight alarm, “I mean, it’s fine. You talking is fine. You don’t need to restrict yourself from speaking just because we’re in a work setting. I don’t mind you talking.”
His shoulders relax as he steps on the gas, maneuvering through the gaps of the traffic that’s slowly clearing.
“That’s good,” he mutters, flicking on his blinker, “cause otherwise, this would’ve been a very awkward dinner date.”
You fight back a smile as he pulls up to the restaurant, and you don’t even have a chance to open your own door before he’s unlocking it for you. You thank him politely before walking inside, side by side with Chanhee. You follow the receptionist to your table once she gets your section cleared, and you’re offered complimentary chips and salsa as you wait for your food to arrive.
“You said this place was not ‘super high scale’?” Chanhee questions, looking around at the décor.
Okay, so maybe it is a little bit classy. The mediterranean themed restaurant has a cozy interior, and you’re currently sitting on wicker chairs by a huge glass window. The setting feels very exposed, as if you truly are sitting outside with the stars hanging over your heads. Subtle things about the place remind you that it’s elegant, such as the intricate menus and the tons of cutlery that sits next to you, but you hoped that it was something more comfortable for Chanhee to acclimate to.
“Why, is it too much?” you ask, picking up a chip.
“It’s not, but this is definitely fancy in my world.”
You smile, watching Chanhee be starstruck by his surroundings.
“Just because I’m famous now doesn’t mean I always was,” you start, “before I got my big break, my version of fancy was a dine-in restaurant.”
He laughs, relaxing a little.
“I didn’t know we were so similar. I just always assumed you were a nepo baby or something like that.”
“Just because you hate me doesn’t mean I’m privileged. I worked hard to get here, you know.”
Chanhee nods as your waiter brings out your food, and the two of you immediately dig in. The appealing smells make your stomach hungrier than usual, and it takes a good few minutes for you to settle your appetite before you start conversing with Chanhee.
Now that the awkwardness is gone and that you have a simple understanding of each other, talking with him is easy. Putting aside all the hatred that’s spewed up these past few months, you find out that Chanhee is actually an amiable person, someone you could’ve seen yourself being friends with if you two weren’t so different. He shares stories about growing up and his family in exchange for yours, and you have to clutch your stomach in laughter when he slips in a joke that matches your taste exactly.
Being with Chanhee is natural, so much that you wish you had met him under different circumstances. In addition to being a friendly person, he’s also a gentleman, from the way he slips his card under the menu without you noticing (you definitely scolded him for it later) and opens the car door whenever you get in and out. As he walks you up to your apartment, you thank him honestly for tonight, regretting that your time together is already over for the day.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers suddenly when you’re outside your door. “I’ve written so much shit about you without being an honest judge of your character.”
“It’s okay, Chanhee. This is what you do for a living, I get it.”
“No, you deserve an apology. You’re an amazing actor and an even better human being. You didn’t deserve a single word I wrote about you.”
You’re not tipsy this time around, but you pull him into a hug anyway. This time, you actually mean it though, and you try to disregard the loss of warmth when he pulls away after a few moments.
“Thank you for tonight,” you murmur, stepping into your apartment. “See you next week.”
He smiles, and suddenly, the room is filled with sunshine.
“No, thank you. See you soon.”
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You woke up the next morning with a text from Chanhee. The texts have not stopped coming in ever since you responded, as if you’ve opened the floodgates of interaction. You wish he’d texted you sooner, because even though he bombards you with everything in the world from funny memes to just crying about his day, you love returning the same energy.
Where are you rn, a text flies in, and you smile when you see who it’s from.
on set. wbu?
Driving to somewhere special!
oooh spill??
I’ll let you know after I get there
You frown, not so pleased with his secrecy. You hate secrets, and so does Chanhee, so why is he indulging in one right now?
You don’t have time to mull over it as your director calls you back over, ready to continue with the shot. Your costar Younghoon stands before you, smiling as his assistant fixes up his hair before clearing his throat.
“Ready for this scene? It’s a lot,” he comments, reading over the script one more time.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” you sigh, watching for your director’s call.
The line starts rolling a few seconds later, and you immediately straighten your posture, preparing yourself for the scene.
“Hey,” you whisper, “what was so wrong about what I did?”
He laughs bitterly, pointing to the papers on the desk beside him.
“What was so wrong? You ruined my entire career!”
The papers fly around you as he wipes them off the desk in one sweep, and tears well up in your eyes once you look at his angry gaze.
“I’m sorry,” you plead, clutching onto his arm, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know this was going to happen, I swear—”
“You didn’t know?” he asks, although it’s more of a statement, “you’re the editor for the goddamn newspaper! Of course you fucking knew this was going to happen!”
He rips his wrist from your fingers, inching away from you.
“It’s my job to write the news, darling. You have to understand—” you cry, dropping to the ground.
The papers shift around you, and you watch your tears drip onto the headlines.
“We’re done,” he utters, one final phrase before he rips off his ring, throwing it by your feet. “Never speak to me again.”
“And cut!” your director shouts, “good work guys. Take 30.”
Younghoon helps you up from the ground, and you whisper gratitude before brushing off your ankles. The wooden floor was uncomfortable to kneel on, but you’re grateful that it was only for a short period of time.
“Y/N!” you hear from the other end of the room, and you peek over Younghoon’s broad shoulders to see a familiar figure waving.
“Chanhee?” you gasp, walking over to him once he register his voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Surprise?” he replies, giving you the bouqet of flowers he was holding. “I wanted to be a good boyfriend and surprise you on set.”
“Thank you,” you reply, grabbing the flowers from his hands before leaning in closer, “did Vernon put you up to this?”
“Um…” he starts, scratching the back of his head, “yeah, definitely. It’s the middle of the week, so why else would I be here?”
You roll your eyes, leaning back before you reach for his arm, squeezing it tightly.
“Thank you, regardless. No one’s ever visited me on set before like this. Even Vernon.”
“Really?” he asks, sounding surprised, “I thought you would have a lot of people around you like that.”
“I have acquaintances, but they’re all busy too. The most someone’s ever done for me is send me a food truck, and that was from my own mother.”
“Well, I’ll be here from now on, then.”
You feel a pang in your chest, and Chanhee must notice the shift in the atmosphere too because he clears his throat. You both know that this arrangement is already halfway over, so why do Chanhee’s words feel so comfortable, as if you both were in a regular relationship from the very beginning?
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that—”
“Y/N? Is this the boyfriend?” Younghoon interrupts, walking up from behind with an outstretched arm. “Hey, I’m Younghoon, the costar. Nice to meet you, man.”
Chanhee smiles, plastering a smile to cover his previous frown before taking Younghoon’s hand in his, shaking it firmly.
“Nice to meet you too. Y/N’s been telling me about you, so it’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”
Younghoon laughs, removing his hand from Chanhee’s grip.
“Yeah, it’s surreal working on this movie. It’s kinda funny how Chanhee’s a journalist because Y/N plays one in this movie too.”
Chanhee turns to you, surprised by this new piece of information. You’ve been pretty lowkey about the role, not wanting to tell anyone until the movie wrapped up filming, but Younghoon seems to trust Chanhee with the information because he’s your boyfriend.
“Really? I didn’t know.”
You nod in confirmation, grinning slightly.
“Yeah, we just finished up a heavy argument scene before you arrived. Wanna see the set?”
You and Younghoon parade Chanhee around, introducing him to other actors and cast on the set working diligently. Chanhee is in awe, starstruck by the unfamiliar environment and you can’t really blame him. The movie industry in and of itself is a dream, and witnessing it for the first time is probably exhilarating for him.
After your break wraps up, you lead Chanhee out, standing by the front of the garage. He still has stars in his eyes, and you have to nudge his shoulder twice before he pays attention to you.
“Sorry, I just… I wanted to be a director once, so seeing this all is kind of a dream come true.”
Your eyes widen. Whatever you were expecting to come out of his mouth was not even close to what he just said, and you’re still processing his words when you voice your confusion.
“Yeah, that’s how I learned writing and photography. I used to write screenplays and direct them, but I never made it big like I wanted to. Luckily, Sangyeon took me in when I was struggling, and that’s the only reason I have a job today.”
Suddenly, you know nothing about Chanhee. If events had played out a little differently, Chanhee could be standing right in front of you, not as a fake boyfriend but as a director. You wouldn’t be from two separate worlds anymore, and the thought is killing you.
“Do you still direct?” you ask uncertainly, unsure of what to even say after his confession.
“Nah, not anymore. I help my friends out with short films sometimes, but that’s about it.”
“If you ever want to get back into directing, I can help you out.”
Chanhee looks like his breath has been stolen away, staring at you dumbly.
“I don’t know if I can give you a position directly, but I can definitely link you up with fellow directors of mine and see if there are any film festivals looking for submissions.”
“Thank you,” he mutters hoarsely, “I don’t have an answer for you right now, but what you just said means the world to me.”
Chanhee does the unexpected, wrapping you in a hug this time around. It’s meaningful and tender, and he burrows himself into you as he clutches your shoulders tightly, never wanting to let go. The same shoulders that he once tried to pry your hands off are now encircling you, and you smile against his cheek.
“It’s no problem,” you voice honestly, pulling back to look at him. “I’m always here for you, just remember that.”
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You told him the last date would be a little different, but seriously, Chanhee was not expecting a van.
You wave from the front seat, putting aside your phone as he scrambles into the front seat. Chanhee quirks an eyebrow at you, urging you to spill, and you take in a deep breath as you struggle to get the words out.
“So… um, you know how celebrity couples usually have pictures of them making out in their cars, right?”
Chanhee stares at you incredulously, and you grimace, biting your lip.
“I know it sounds bad, but it was Vernon’s idea, I promise! We just need to kiss a couple of times for the pictures, that’s it. It can’t be too bad, right?”
“Y/N,” Chanhee sighs, massaging his temples, “are you crazy? We haven’t even kissed once before this.”
“Well, now is a good time to start, right?” you ask sheepishly, “Look, Vernon paid some guys to photograph us, so they’ll be here any time now. Let’s just get this over with.”
Before he can even blink, you clamber over into his lap, resting your legs on either side of his and holding onto his shoulders. Chanhee gulps, too loudly for the silence that settles between you two, and he’s close enough to you that he can feel your heartbeat thumping wildly.
Good to know that you’re just as affected as him too.
You guide his arms around your waist, securing them tightly before looking back up at Chanhee. The last time he’s ever seen you this close is from when he saved you from falling, and somewhere in the depths of his heart, he admits to himself how much he actually missed it. The fluttering of your lashes, the indents of your mouth, and the sliver of your jawline are all something he wants to commit to memory, to burn into his mind before he loses you.
Chanhee would write a whole article just about your lips if he had to.
“Ready?” you ask, so close that he can feel your breath on his.
He nods, and before he can even lick his lips, you lean in, meeting him halfway with yours.
Chanhee feels like he’s in oblivion, completely succumbing to the darkness that you’ve slowly been feeding him with. You’re like poison, and as he slots his lips against yours, he can’t get enough. You’re killing him with the way you pull him in closer, imperceptibly close as if you two aren’t practically molded together already, and as Chanhee uses one of his arms to tilt your neck, you reciprocate with just as much fervor.
You pull back, catching your breath and your chest heaving, but it takes Chanhee only one glance at your swollen lips before pulling you back in again. He’s addicted to the way your tongue swipes across his entrance, the way you shiver as he gently tugs your bottom lip between your lips, and the way you clutch onto his hair as the two of you exchange life through your kisses.
“Just a couple, baby?” he whispers, pecking down the side of your face, “I can give you a lot more than that.”
He tugs your sleeve down as you whine, tilting your head to give him better access to the area. He nips and sucks at your collarbone, biting hard enough to bruise in spots that you’ll probably scold him for later. He wants them to be deep enough, red enough that you won’t even be able to cover them so the whole world will know you’re his, and he knows it’s well worth it with the way you groan as he keeps going.
“I wish could stay like this forever,” you gasp, preening away when he nips behind your earlobe. “I never want to let you go. My boyfriend. Mine. Forever.”
He hums in agreement, pressing a kiss to your neck before he stops. You whimper, angry at him for pausing his ministrations, but as he processes your words, the hazy fog he was in moments prior fades away, and all that is left is the consequences of his actions.
“What’s wrong?” you ask when you realize he’s stopped completely.
Chanhee is shaking from underneath you, glassy-eyed, and his fingers tremble as he removes them from your body.
“Boyfriend,” he dumbly repeats, and you nod before realizing the mistake you made.
“Chanhee, I—”
“Get off me. Please.”
You stare at him incredulously, and when he doesn’t make any move to take back his words, you climb off him and into the seat next to you.
“This is all fake. Why do I keep forgetting that?”
He laughs bitterly, watching as your face morphs into a frown. How could he be so careless, to lose himself in you when this is all clearly just an act?
“Chanhee, I know this was planned, but the way I kissed you was definitely not fake.”
You sound hurt, and if he was in a better headspace, he would be calmer with his words, but the weight of what just happened is sinking down on him hard. Suddenly, he needs to leave, to never see you again and to not spend any more time in this stupid, suffocating van. He opens the door, climbing out before shutting it behind him firmly, breathing in heavily as he staggers away from the vehicle.
“Chanhee,” you cry, running up behind him and grabbing onto his wrist, “you don’t understand!”
“Then help me understand!”
“I like you,” you whisper, and suddenly, his whole world shatters.
“Of course you like me,” he laughs, running a hand over his face. “Do you not realize that you have an insane amount of privilege to be saying that? I can’t even like you in return because my career hinges on hating you! Don’t you get it, Y/N?”
You’re full on sobbing now, observing as he wrenches your hand away from his. Your fingers fall limply to your side and all you can do is watch as he walks away, shaking his head.
“Don’t contact me. I never want to see you again. Fuck you, for real, for playing with my feelings.”
You can only stare as the love of your life walks away, leaving your universe in shambles.
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Unfortunately, just because you encountered the worst breakup of your life does not mean the world stops moving.
You’re at another after party, one that you’d been looking forward to for months because it would finally mean you’d get to catch up with some of your old costars. However, after the chaos that had befallen you earlier this week, going to some stupid nightclub was the last thing on your mind.
Really, you’re only here because Vernon is sick and tired of you wallowing in your misery. He thinks that you’ll be getting a change of scenery by being here, but the only thing you’ve been getting is shots filled with the strongest alcohol the bar can offer. Your one goal is to successfully forget about the black-haired man that ruined your life, and your plan is effective until the bartender stops you from getting another round and tells you to get some fresh air.
You grumble as you stumble out of the bar, finding a home on the gray sidewalk in front of it. Your sequined outfit digs into your skin as you sit down, but in your drunken stupor, you can’t find it within yourself to care. You’re lucky enough that this is a nicer venue, because there’s no one around to bother you to find another spot. It’s just you and your thoughts, and you can’t tell if that’s more dangerous or not.
Your first order of business is to pull out your phone, scrolling through your recent contacts. You have half a mind to call Vernon, to curse him out from condemning you to the hell that is this place, but instead your finger hovers over a familiar contact.
You are so going to hate yourself when you wake up.
The line rings, once, twice, thrice, and just as you’re about to cut the call, a voice answers from the other side.
“Y/N, it’s three in the morning. I thought I told you not to contact me,” Chanhee whispers groggily.
“Well too bad! You’re the one that said all that shit to me and left, so how unfair is it that I don’t get my turn?”
The line goes silent before Chanhee scoffs, and you can hear the bedsheets rustle around him as he gets up.
“Are you drunk?”
“Doesn’t matter,” you answer, giggling from how similar this is to when you first met him.
“Where are you right now?”
“Outside a nightclub,” you sing, holding your phone out behind you so he can hear the EDM music from inside a little better.
“Send me your location.”
“Nope! I don’t owe you anything, you piece of shit!”
“Y/N, wait—”
You cut the call, laughing as Chanhee’s name disappears on your screen. He calls again, neverendingly, but you never once pick up, feeling glee from how he’s the one chasing after you now.
You play Candy Crush on your phone until a car screeches beside you, and you scoff as you recognize the familiar red Toyota Solara pulls up beside you. You’ve sobered up by now, but you still hate him just as much.
“Hell no,” you whisper, getting up as Chanhee steps out. You try to run, but the highness of your shoes make it hard for you to run properly, and you stumble as attempt to escape.
“Y/N, look, I’m just going to drop you off at home, okay?”
You stop in your tracks, turning around to see Chanhee behind you with his hands stuffed in his hoodie. You note the eyebags on his face and his chapped lips before speaking to him with a softer tone, grateful that even if he despised you, he didn’t make an attempt to grab onto your wrist and coerce you into something you didn’t want.
“How do I know you won’t kidnap me?” you ask, folding your arms over one another.
“I asked Vernon for your location. If you go missing, he’ll know it was my fault.”
You grumble, staring at him angrily before walking towards his car. He opens the door for you, but you stick your tongue out at him and find a spot in the backseat instead.
The ride is silent, but you feel him watching you through the rearview mirror as he drives. Usually, you don’t mind his silence, but now the stillness is bleak and uncomfortable, just like his presence near you.
“Why did you call me?” he asks, and it takes you a moment to register it because of how intensely you’d been ignoring him.
“I wanted to cuss you out.”
“Okay, so cuss me out then.”
You sigh, rubbing your temple.
“You know what your problem is, Chanhee? You’re self-centered. You think everything is about yourself, even down to our breakup. Who are you to even say things about my privilege when you know damn well how hard I worked to get here? Do you think I’m unaware how my feelings will affect your career? Hell, Chanhee, I literally told you I could help you find another job! I did so much for you to protect you, to support you, all for you to throw it away because you’re scared of the stupid future.”
“Y/N, I—”
“Let me finish. I love you for who you are. Even if we were destined to be opposites, I still found a way to fall in love with you. I was able to love you despite all that you have written about me in the past, so why can’t you love me for the person I am today?”
He pulls up to the front of your apartment, and you clamber out, not wanting to see his face anymore. The rain falls heavily as you step into the lobby, and Chanhee follows suit, shrugging the droplets off his jacket.
“Let me follow you up,” he asks.
You shake your head, but he trails you into the elevator anyway, watching as you press the button for your floor. He opens his mouth to speak, but you’re not in the mood, putting up a palm in front of him.
“Save it. I said what I needed to say. I might be drunk but my words are true. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say in return.”
Despite your words, you let him into your apartment anyway, throwing a towel at him so he can dry off. He pats his hair dry, wiping his glasses against the fabric, and suddenly you’re reminded of how devilishly handsome he is. You shake your thoughts off, chalking it down to good taste in men before wiping down your neck.
The thunder booms outside, startling you as your towel falls to the ground. When you pick it up, Chanhee stares at you, an indiscernible expression on his face.
“Thanks for the towel. I better get going.”
He spins on his heel to leave as the storm crackles, and against your better judgement, you call out for him to stop.
“It’s storming outside. You can’t drive in this weather.”
“What are you suggesting?” he asks, turning back around to meet your gaze.
“You can take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Chanhee laughs, as if your idea is so atrocious he can’t even fathom it.
“You’re funny. I’ll just drive home, don’t worry.”
“Chanhee, I’m being serious. I don’t want you to die, for god’s sake.”
Maybe he registered the concern in your voice because he exhales, contemplating in his head if this is a good idea or not. The loud thunderclap outside has him reconsidering, and soon enough, he shakes his head in agreement.
“Alright, but you have to sleep on the bed. I’ll take the couch.”
“Chanhee, I’m not fucking arguing with you. You know what? We can both take the bed if it makes you happy. A pillow between us should work.”
Before Chanhee can even respond, you’re walking into the bedroom, flicking on the light. You grab your pajamas from the closet and change in your bathroom, slipping into the sheets quickly once you’re done. Chanhee follows suit, taking the right side of the bed and placing a pillow between you two for added measure.
“Thank you,” he whispers after a few moments of silence. “I’ll be gone in the morning before you know it.”
“No need,” you grumble, shoving your face into the pillows, “just don’t roll over to my side, okay?”
He hums in agreement, and he watches as your eyes flutter shut.
“Good night, Y/N.”
You’re far too asleep to even respond.
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You wake up to the sound of your head pounding in your ears. You grumble, shifting around before you open your eyes, expecting to see empty sheets, but instead you see a man with a very familiar face.
You as the events of last night rush back to you, and you hold yourself back from groaning as you recollect your thoughts. You should’ve just let him leave when he wanted to, but you didn’t, and now you have to deal with his beautiful bare face and his deep morning voice as if you haven’t fallen enough for him already.
You don’t register his eyes fluttering awake until he pokes your side. You shake, startled by his actions, and he tries to hold back a smile.
“Good morning. Sorry I overslept.”
“It’s okay. I won’t be nice enough to let you stay for breakfast though.”
“Wait,” he whispers, clutching onto your arm as you attempt to get out of the bed, “can I say something?”
You nod, and his arms falls back on the bed as he sits up, clearing his throat.
“You were right. I was selfish, and the words I said that day were extremely uncalled for. They were useless too, because if I had just expressed my feelings to you, we wouldn’t have needed to have this conversation now.”
You cock your head, confused at what he’s trying to imply. He takes in a deep breath, as if he’s preparing himself to say something.
“I love you. I love you so fucking much that it hurts to breathe when I think of you. I love you so much that I’m willing to quit my career just to be by your side. I was scared then of ending up on the streets like I did in the past, but I was stupid enough to not trust your words when you said you would help me. I didn’t even like that job anyway, so I was an idiot for trying to fight for something I would eventually end up leaving myself.”
“Chanhee, you’re not—”
“No, I am stupid. And selfish. And self-centered. But I am also just Choi Chanhee, the Choi Chanhee who is irrevocably and utterly in love with you, and even though I can imagine a future where I won’t be working for Sangyeon, I cannot imagine a future without you by my side. I know you deserve better, but I’m begging you to just give me one chance to rectify my mistakes. We can take it slow and not rush things like we did in our four weeks. We can go on silly restaurant dates and I’ll practice getting used to the lights at red carpets. I’ll visit you on set every day with flowers and I’ll rent out five billion vans for us to make out in. I’ll do all this and even more because you deserve it, and because I love you. Will you please let me have one chance to make this fake relationship into a real one?”
You’re kissing him before he can even respond, letting him press you against the bed. He kisses you like he’s been starved, inhaling you and memorizing every inch of your presence as if you’ll let go of him again. Like before, you’re not restricted by the millions of voices against you and Chanhee, and as he lets himself go, you follow suit, dragging him down under until you’re writhing against him, begging for more.
“I love you,” he whispers when he kisses down your collarbone, “I love you,” he whispers when your clothes join the ground, “I love you,” he whispers when you shake against his fingers and mouth.
“I love you,” he whispers one last time, cradling you gently as he becomes one with you. “I’ll never let you go. Never again.”
As you lay against him, bare skin to bare skin, you trace the tips of his hair as you smile. You don’t know what the future holds for you two, but there’s one thing you’re certain of as you press another kiss to his mouth.
"I love you. Even if the world caves in, it’ll be you that I lie with. Endlessly, until my last dying breath.”
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This time around, you take things slow, not restricted anymore any more by four weeks, four months, not even four years. You have the entirety of your lifetime to spend with him, and you intend on using every single bit of it.
First, however, you let him make it up to you. Just because you bared your soul to him, figuratively and literally, after his apology doesn't mean you've completely forgiven him.
Chanhee doesn't disappoint though, reminding you every single day why he deserved the second chance you gave him. Once upon a time, he called you privileged, and that's exactly what you are now for having such a sweet boyfriend. One that doesn't leave the vase on your countertop empty by gifting you fresh flowers, one that always opens the door for you when he takes you on apology dates, one that sits with you in silence when you want to and one that chatters just as much as you do when you can't shut your mouth.
He visits you on set when he can despite his busy schedule as an assistant director. Surprisingly, you played no part in this, just the source of his determination when he finally decided to give the movie industry a chance again and bagged a job with none other than your close friend Juyeon. He surprises you for late-night drives and lets you have the aux even without you asking for it. He accompanies you to movie premieres despite hating the cameras and if you ever get asked questions that you don't particularly like, he'll glare at the reporters until they shoo away.
And god, the kisses. If the world counted kisses as an apology, Chanhee would be the CEO. Every slot of his lips against yours is like an unwritten confession from him to you, and every purse of his lips is a ballad from the depths of his heart. He kisses you for trivial things, like when you finally get that one specific line right as you're practicing for a script or when he's pecking you against the makeup trailer walls as he wishes you a successful day at work. He kisses you in the earliest of mornings, murmuring sweetness with his tongue against your hot skin, and he kisses you in the depths of the night, trailing his fingers down as you gasp against his mouth and exchange breaths through each swipe of his tongue.
Even after you do end up accepting his apology, he doesn't stop showering you with the affection you deserve. On nights you're feeling particularly insecure, Chanhee beats himself up and vows to never make you feel those emotions again, waking up the next morning to prove exactly why you're worth it. He takes care of you gently, the gentlest lover you've ever seen. He's the personification of a comfortable morning, the desire to stay in bed despite all the things you have going on. You never want to leave, forgetting all reason and staying in his embrace forever.
You're by his side when his first cinema blows up, when his first screenplay wins an award, when he gets his first nomination for directing, and today when he's on stage with an Academy Award in his hand and a smile you'll remember for ages.
You watch the twinkling in his eyes when he thanks his cast and crew, holding onto his assistant director tightly as he expresses his gratitude. What takes your breath away, however, is when he turns to you in the audience and whispers a confession that you'll never forget in your lifetime.
"And lastly, thank you, you know who you are, for being the best I could ever imagine. I will never regret the moment by the pond where you hugged me, the one that changed the trajectory of our lives forever. If anything, you deserve this award more than me. I love you, my Y/N."
You smile as the audience erupts in cheers, but as his assistant director hugs him on stage, his eyes only bore into yours.
"I love you too," you mouth back, watching as he grins when he recognizes your words.
"Forever and always."
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birdofmay · 11 months
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I will never understand how people can be so disconnected from the fact that all life is somehow connected, that they feel comfortable to write death threats or other things to someone online because they're angry at something the person said.
Words have meanings and actions have consequences and there's a real living person on the other screen.
Not everyone sees "kys" and shrugs and goes "Hah, yeah right *deletes ask*", there are rejection sensitive people out there who had no harmful intentions and actually thought they did something good! One sentence from you and they're shaking for the rest of the day because it hit them completely unprepared!
This is something you can't blacklist or trigger tag, and therefore it ALWAYS hits you unprepared!
And you never know how the person reacts, you never know if they're rejection sensitive or don't care about your comment. You never know if they have severe depression and low self-esteem or if they think "Well of course they didn't mean it that way, this is just an expression of frustration, nothing more."
You never know!
Like, I regularly struggle with extreme anger, but I don't make it someone else's problem. That's immature af. Of course being angry isn't bad and you should never feel bad for being angry, that's counterproductive as well. But... Find other coping mechanisms that don't make your anger other people's problems.
That actually was one of the first things I learned in therapy as a kid, you don't even need therapy for that from a certain age on. And for some reason there are adults who still don't understand this basic thing.
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spnfanficpond · 4 months
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New Member Spotlight - December 2023
The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family, along with a little info about them!
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Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!
@mayalaen -
Other SM names? - Mayalaen on AO3, Discord, Twitter, Bluesky, LiveJournal, Dreamwidth, etc.
OTP? - I'm a multishipper so no true OTP.
Other fandoms? - Mostly Stranger Things, OFMD, Stargate SGA/SG1, Star Trek, X-FIles, and Angel the Series/Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I'm interested in a lot of fandoms.
Looking for in the Pond? - I like to encourage people to write and create and I like to make friends in fandom. I was referred to the Pond for that by some members.
Something to signal boost? - I run a monthly writing/art challenge on AO3 called SPNColdestHits that you guys have already been boosting (THANK YOU!!). It's multifandom now and accepts art and original fic, not just fanfic. This is the AO3 collection link and of course, we're @spncoldesthits here on Tumblr, but we're also on Discord, Twitter, Bluesky, and Pillowfort.
Pairings you read? - I'll read pretty much any pairing, poly or otherwise. I'm not interested in reader insert, but I've read some.
Genres you read? - I prefer darkfic and/or kink, but I read anything.
Favorite writer(s)? - Xanthe Walter, but they haven't been active in fandom for about 2 years now.
What do you like to write? - My favorite is darkfic, D/S AU, and kink, but I also love writing crack and all other genres.
Masterlist!
Most underappreciated fic? - It's newer but it has the least amount of hits from the list of non-crack/non-gift fics and is an SPN/Blacklist crossover. Caging the Mongoose.
Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I really would like to write some SPN/HDM fusions. I keep toying with the idea, but have never posted any of them. I always work better when I have prompts or ideas from others to spur me on.
.@leatafandom -
Other SM names? - @leatawrites, Leata (AO3 and Discord)
OTP? - Sabriel
Other fandoms? - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel, BBC Merlin, Star Trek, Doctor Who
Looking for in the Pond? - I could use some help with tags and challenging myself to write different things.
Pairings you read? - Ships, Gens, Poly fics
Genres you read? - Angst is my favorite but fluff and smut are always wonderful
Favorite writer(s)? - Yes, @idabbleincrazy on Tumblr or Gabriel_is_my_guardian_angel89 on Ao3
What do you like to write? - Angst, Horror, Smut, Bittersweet/Sad Things
Masterlist!
Most underappreciated fic? - My most underappreciated story is probably one of my original horror short stories. My most underappreciated fanfic is probably Becoming One,Two, and One Again.
Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? -I really would like to write more horror however I feel like I struggle with expressing fear, scenery/detail descriptions, and word choice
@oganizediguana -
Other SM names? - Oganizediguana on Discord
OTP? - Destiel
Other fandoms? - I tiptoe through many fandoms, but SPN is my home. Good Omens
Looking for in the Pond? - I’d love to get encouragement for writing and the confidence to share my work. But I’d also love to just meet interesting people.
Pairings you read? - 99% destiel
Genres you read? - I read it all, but mutual pining slow burn is what makes me feel all the things. I love a good canon-compliant AU. I’m happy with anything that ends happily. Or at least hopefully.
Favorite writer(s)? - On AO3: NorthernSparrow, tenoko1, saltnhalo, there are so many amazing authors in this fandom!
What do you like to write? - Everything seems to turn into angst.
Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I’d like the confidence to share what I have written.
@dragonslayer-5fanfiction -
Other SM names? - Ao3- Dragonslayer5
Other fandoms? - haikyuu, daria, lotr/the hobbit, tmnt
Looking for in the Pond? - I just want to make friends and read good fanfic. I like to beta read. Maybe write some fanfic, but I have writer's block rn.
Pairings you read? - Reader insert
Genres you read? - Fluff, crack. One bed, and arranged marriage forced proximity tropes.
What do you like to write? - Reader inserts. Fluff.
Masterlist! AO3 Works list
Most underappreciated fic? - Do You Think About Me? (not SPN)
Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? -Honestly, writing two characters from the Fandom. I typically stick to reader insert, and I'm a little scared I won't get the characteristics right or the dynamic.
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That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @katbratsupernaturalwhore and @heavenssexiestangel!
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gumpistol · 2 months
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Munday meme!
What people make you happy when you see them on the dash?
What new addition would make your Tumblr experience so much better?
What are things you wish people would tag so you can block it?
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𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐍 / @enruiinas
What people make you happy when you see them on the dash?
ugh, i literally love everyone this one is so hard, but i will give a shout out to some people that i've talked to a good bit and get excited about whenever their stuff crosses my dash, i'm just gonna sneak it under a little read more though:
first and foremost, you saro!!! of course!
@chronocide, bebop beyblade bells i love her so much, she is unhinged just like me and we've been writing with each other for...3+ years now? so it's always a good time interacting and being unhinged together on the dash.
@ferromagnetiic, any time i see woodland i scream and drop everything and die a little bit of happiness! he puts a smile on my face and just makes my day better overall.
@enjomo, i weep, i flail, that's luffy's big bro! i love azz, he is just an amazing, warm, friendly, and supportive person and i love seeing his writing and graphics and art ALWAYS.
@belovedcorvid, the rabbit is just a soft bean that i love love love love love so much! to describe seeing rabbit pop up would be like floating on a gentle, calming river current on a sunny morning~
@ryusokcn !! PLEASE SHEEBS I LOVE YOU! and i get so fricken excited to see your writing no matter which blog it's from!!
@waxgentleman i always love seeing namae on my dash, his mr. 3, beautiful personality, and amazing artwork never fails to make me smile!
@hweyd (kiriage/swoonji) i can't leave out sev!! i love all of sev's takes and generally just really enjoy talking with him and writing with him, seeing his stuff on the dash makes me go !!!!
@godthread, seeing any of light's character portrayals and things that anger luffy is a fun, frustrating time!!
@mingos, i gueeesss, wilder you give me a headache [affectionate] but truly it's so much fun seeing them and getting to react to their stuff even if it's with pure luffy rage hsgjkfg (seriously i love you regardless of how much shit you put us through)
@climatact, must i say anymore? i love bunny, i love her cats, she brings me joy here and on her multi when perona is getting mad at kid for being kid
what new addition would make your Tumblr experience so much better?
adhd-friendly features please!! tumblr give them to me!! i want to be able to sort my drafts and mark my DM messages as unread!!
what are things you wish people would tag so you can block it?
honestly, if something is bad enough that i need it tagged, and it's on the blog frequent enough, i will not follow at all. i think the thing with tagging that i prefer though is when trigger tags are simple, this include n.sfw stuff. (things like [trigger] tw). when the tags for things like triggers get too fancy, the blacklist feature can't pick them up and i end up seeing stuff slip through and that makes it not a good time
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zeravmeta · 11 months
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Top 5 things you look for when choosing a new piece of media to engage with
5. Popularity
This is going to sound weird right off the bat but I think a solid initial litmus test for whether or not you want to get into a new piece of media is to take a look at the popularity surrounding it: Are people normal about it? Weird about it (good And bad way)? Is it mainstream? cult mainstream? cult cult mainstream where it has a dedicated army of hidden internet ninjas occupying the most remote forums of the internet for the past 20 years and if you ask a rando on the street they don't know about it despite it being a multi billion dollar franchise (cough cough nasuverse cough)? This is also partially important because this is the likeliest category from how you will find out about this hypothetical media: Maybe it trends, maybe you see someone comparing it to something you like/dislike, etc. Generally this is the least important thing to consider but it IS important to at least think about. You'll need to know if you have a group of people who enjoy it the same way you do, or if you need to blacklist every one of your tags about it and seclude yourself from everyone else whose ever touched it.
4. Engagement
Right off the bat, when you see something new, did it catch your attention? If, in reading that synopsis, you find yourself lingering, then that's that. You've already engaged with it, and it being in your head is not a simple matter of modern marketing practices (sort of): Something in that first impression spoke to you, something that you already feel you might want to enjoy more. This isn't truly all that complex, but a first impression truly does mean everything, and regardless of how someone else might sell it to you, you do need to have your own judgment about a piece of medias initial presentation, be it the summary, first episode/chapter, the whole shebang.
3. Thematics
Ah, the good ol "Why?" of the world. What is this work trying to say? What is the theme of this work? Are these themes things that I value? I pride myself on being able to eat words and then say what those words are (It's the whole damn reason there is a zeravMETA blog here in the first place [well that and. archival issues]), and it's something that I always encourage people to try and develop for themselves: Despite what you may have felt like as a teenager in school, Critical Thinking Is Fun. When entering something new, right off the bat you will be thinking "What does this mean?", and asking and theorizing that question is half the fun. Not only that, but this process also necessitates your actual big boy brain to think (scary) about the media as more than just "These are lines." There are all flavors of media out there, and absolutely not all of them will actually want you to engage with it in a deeply thematic level, but just the act of doing so is fun, and more than anything, being able to identify what exactly a work tries to say bleeds into basically everything else on this list. More than that, being able to identify how serious a work is about its themes also helps in determining how much YOU will care about it. Perhaps you'd want to watch something that does not require much thinking, or maybe you'd like to read something that does challenge you. Use that sponge in your head, I know it hurts sometimes like that scene in Akira but I promise you that it is there to help you.
2. Aesthetic
This may be a weird one to put above thematics, which would be the literal meat and potatoes of a media, but I think it's important to determine whether something vibes with you more than if it is entirely coherent. Of course, you should not blind yourself to the flaws in any work, and it's part of your responsibility as the audience to take the work on its own terms and actually think about it, but beyond that you need to be sure that you actually vibe with the media you will be trying out. Something can be masterfully made, horrifically grotesque, bring out emotions in you that you didn't even know you had... And all of it would go down the drain if it's just not your taste of work. This is incredibly subjective and everyone has their own internal criterion on what types of works they vibe with, and contrary to popular belief that is in fact a good thing: Not everything is made for the nebulous 'everyone.' Different works will speak to and appeal to different people and groups, and recognizing what it is that YOU vibe with in trying to find new media to enjoy is important. Don't make yourself sit through something that you could know, objectively, is good, but you will not like simply because it is not to your tastes.
1. Do you think you will enjoy it?
Throw out everything else on this list. This was the first thing I wrote on this ranking and for good reason: On first impression, do you think that you will enjoy whatever it is in any capacity? You're going into this hypothetical media completely blind, aside from maybe seeing the synopsis, a trailer or two or maybe you saw a mutual talking about it, or maybe you saw a review offhandedly. Right off the bat, you will make a judgment, you just will, we do it automatically as humans, and you'll need to train yourself to ask: Will I Enjoy This? There are so many fandoms and people nowadays who like, refuse to engage with media on its own terms, or give it the type of critical thinking it may need, or who still hold onto medias they hate but still watch it even if it causes acid to bile up into their skulls every time they so much as perceive it: You need to kill that demon. Above all else, you will be engaging with something new, and it is important that at least, in SOME capacity, even in the most double-faced cynical hate-watching way, you enjoy it. Otherwise you will be miserable, Sisyphus carving himself a new stone, and that is something we want to avoid. Maybe you will be engaging with this new piece in an intellectual way, or maybe you love eating the words, or maybe you'll be joke watching it, or hate-watching, or just pointing out all the shit that could have been better, LITERALLY ALL OF THAT hinges on whether or not you enjoy it, so ask yourself: Will I Enjoy This?
->0. Sex Appeal<-
Is there an exaggerated effigy of a human being, a parodied facsimile of reality which activates your neurons? A character of fiction which has spoken to your peculiar proclivities, something awakened deep within you that you yourself never realized? It is said that the ancient Greek Philosophers first identified and called attention to headaches, some theorizing that this is because this was a critical junction of human evolution, where the first ever utterance of "boobs in my mouth" haunted their twisted minds. Know that you shall be engaging in fiction, that which parodies, reflects, and ultimately enhances reality, and why would you not engage with some bitches while you're there?
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booasaur · 3 months
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You taking care of yourself Booasaur? I don't think I have the words to describe watching truly horrible things take place in this modern age.... but please don't forget to take time out for yourself.
Thanks, anon, for checking. It feels selfish to focus on myself in times like this when, really, everything is fine for me, but, you asked, and this is my blog, so...
I'm angry! I'm hurt and disappointed and, like, so sad, all the time, it feels like I've had this physical ball of grief in my chest for three months, but I'm just so angry at so many people. Governments and media, of course, but so many other people, including on here.
They say the best way to sublimate these feelings is into action, and to me that seems to use what platform I have here, but that brings its own pressure to get it just right. I already second-guess myself over everything, but this is so important. What can I post that's egregious enough that people won't think it's somehow deserved, is it from a believable source, is it from someone who isn't actually just antisemitic or pro-Russia or China/anti-West, what if it's too egregious or I post too often and people just blacklist the tags or start tuning it out? Should I post about myself because presumably my followers see at least me as a person and my anguish could reach them, even if millions of Arabs could not, or is that centering myself?
And so many remain seemingly unmoved. I've read, well, you don't know what they're doing behind the scenes, but this is the one time when nothing helps so much as boosting public awareness and pressure. Not even donations can help as much as every call for a ceasefire. Food and medicine can't help if people are still being attacked.
I try to distract myself with other things, watching stuff, giffing, but there's always this moment of guilt when I remember and return to reality. I've actually giffed more than I've posted, giffing is mechanical in a comforting kind of way, but my tags are where I really express what I'm feeling, and I haven't been able to really focus on them. It's hard to focus on anything for long, really...
I will say, what HAS really been heartening is the solidarity. From the start, it felt like so many marginalized groups and previously oppressed people immediately were willing to learn what was going on and stand with Palestinians and that's just grown. I was telling my friend from Belgium the other day, who's got a vocal Palestine supporter in her government, that it was like this emerging network of support across the world, individuals or whole countries, all uniting on the Palestinian cause. I just wish so many hadn't died or suffered so much to get here...
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ultraviolet-ink · 4 months
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20 Questions for Fic Writers!
I was tagged by @aawrightworth, thank you so much for this!! <3
How many works do you have on Ao3? 117, but I have four more on the roster due to @aaholidayrare!
What's your total A03 word count? 427,315 (OH WOW???)
What fandoms do you write for? Ace Attorney/Great Ace Attorney!
What are your top five fics by kudos? 1) Once Upon a Christmas (2019)- NRMT first kiss prompt 2) 12:26 AM (2019)- Forbidden Hospital Scene 3) The Talk (2020)- Greg notices that Baby Miles has a crush 4) Oh Shirt! (2019)- Phoenix can't find his shirt at Miles' place 5) Litigation in the Streets... (2021)- Miles and Phoenix become the subjects of tabloid gossip NGL, I'm not surprised that my top rated fics are NRMT, they're oldies but goodies! I've definitely grown as a writer (not to mention grown UP since these were all written when I was 18-20), but it really is lovely to see that they're still getting love! <3
Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? OMGOMGOMGOMG!! Yes!! I love doing it because it lets the commenter know that I've seen their comment, and that I really do appreciate them! No matter how old a fic is, I will comment back as soon as I get that email, haha! In all seriousness, it's my way of giving back a kudos, a sort of "kudos to the reader" if that makes sense. They really do make me smile and I like to print out some of the comments that made me cry happy tears and save them in a scrapbook so that I can read them when writer's block hits me. Also, commenting brought my some of my greatest friends <3
What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Ohhh DEFINITELY I Dreamed A Dream (2022)!! Not only is the title from the Les Mis song of the same name (where Fantine's life is just absolutely ruined), but I did the one thing I never thought I would be able to do... I KILLED one half of the otp!! It's a RyuuSusa fic, and of course, Major Character Death, proceed with caution!
What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Oooohhh this is a really hard one since I'm such a sucker for happy endings! I think the one that makes me the happiest now is from The Caterpillar Man (2022). It's a fic I wrote to sort of conceptualize Yujin and Susato's relationship when the former came home from the original study trip, and it takes place over a year and among other tragedies and growth. It's from the perspective of Susato, and I think it's one that still makes me tear up (and I got fanart based on it once!!)
Do you get hate on fics? I've never been John Phoenix'd which is very rude, am I not GOOD enough for you DaKoolGuy?? but in all seriousness, I don't really get hate on specific fics, but because I'm so vocal about a certain pairing (being Ryuu X Susato.... if I'm not supposed to ship, why game make so cute?)
Do you write smut? Not on Ultraviolet_Ink, but I do on Infrared_Quill! Fun fact, Infrared got put on a blacklist when I only had one work, and Ultraviolet wasn't on it, I found it quite funny XD
Do you write crossovers? The Journal of Dr. Yujin Mikotoba (2022-????) is just one giant crossover with ACD canon, and I'm planning on having Raffles and Arsène Lupin making an important appearance in the future! It's very self indulgent XD
Have you ever had a fic stolen? God I hope not
Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge, but I do have a blanket statement saying that I am a-okay with a translation of any of my works!
Have you ever co-written a fic before? It's always been in the "omg we should totally do this" phase, but given how I am with my own works, I feel like I would be a nightmare to work with XD
What's your all-time favourite ship? Honestly... It's between HomuMiko and RyuuSusa, especially since that's just what I've been writing recently XD
What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? That's a good question that I don't have a single answer for XD I have a notepad full of a WIP list, but I think one that intrigued me when I first started off was this sort of continuation of the JFA 2-4 bad ending, just kind of coming from the ashes and then De Killer eventually kills Phoenix for betraying Matt Engarde (just because of the principle). It's really interesting to think about, but I honestly don't know how I could workshop it, and I remember stopping because It made me too sad haha! If you come across this and like the idea, please feel free to adopt this bunny, no credit needed! I'm not the first person who came up with a continuation of Miracle Never Happen, and I'm sure I won't be the last!
What are your writing strengths? I think I'm getting a lot better at dialogue, especially since I have a very good friend who helps me workshop them through a sort of RP! I would say that I'm also good at making a sort of vibe/ambiance, I know how to dress a scene B-) (Yes I was a theatre kid)
What are your writing weaknesses? Dialogue is also something I struggle a lot with, but I would say I get into my own head too much, and I over think and try to over explain to cover up "holes" (Cracked.Com owes me reparations for this)
Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I'm a linguistics nerd, I love writing dialogue in other languages! I even wrote a fic entirely in Latin because I wanted to practice (Miles et Phoenix Romae Sunt (2021)). That being said, you have to use more than Google Translate, I've studied and majored in Spanish, so I'm confident enough in my own skill to write, but I don't really know German despite English being Germanic! So, while I do use Google Translate to get a base understanding, I try to run it by a native speaker, or at the very least, someone who has studied the language, to see if it makes sense haha. Or don't, I'm not your mom, and we're all just doing this for shits and giggles XD
First fandom you wrote for? ...... Oncest Those journals filled with Oncest have been burned since 2014 in the traditional "middle schoolers host a bonfire at the end of the year" that my friends hosted, and they will never see the light of day XD But then again..... how ba-a-a-ad COULD it have been? Tbh, I do regret getting rid of them, not because they were actually lost Great American Novels, but they were something I created and I could look back on and see how I've grown and what I've just stuck with over the years XD
Favourite fic you've ever written? It's honestly a tossup between The Journal of Yujin Mikotoba and The Caterpillar Man! I just love playing around with the empty playground canon left me haha
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themirokai · 11 months
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For my new followers: I’ve been watching Person of Interest really slowly and posting reactions to each episode with gifs. Check out the tag #miro does poi if you’d like to see more. Or, ya know, blacklist it.
POI 03x23: Deus Ex Machina
I thought some parts of this episode worked and some did not. Gonna do some big overarching thoughts, then call out some specific moments.
I generally liked Collier as a villain. Some of that is an affinity for Leslie Odom Jr., but as I said in a prior post I also really like villains who have a point but take it too far. And I thought Odom played him really really well. The guy is crazy charismatic and brought every ounce of that to bear in this role.
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So I felt a bit let down by the trial as culmination of his arc. It’s just… kind of dumb? Like did they actually believe that doing this show trial at gun point - of two political operatives and three people no one knew - was going to … what? Convince people to rise up against the government and demand greater privacy rights? Or was it to make themselves feel better about killing the people responsible for Northern Lights? It just seems pretty half-baked for a character who I felt had been previously set up to be intelligent and driven.
And I didn’t really like the reveal that Greer had been pulling the strings the whole time. It made sense for the broader Samaritan plot but it undermined everything about Collier. I think I would have preferred if they just had Decima influence how the trial went rather than have them be responsible for the entire Vigilance movement.
The trial did create the set up for Harold to be self-sacrificing. Again. Still. Some more.
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So much of Harold’s actions throughout the series seem to be motivated by guilt. Actually, remorse is probably more accurate. He only thinks he’s important in terms of what he can do for others. BRB my heart is breaking.
Another thing that got my wheels turning was this part with Control where she gives her experience on 9/11 as her motivation for undertaking the surveillance program, and I’m interested in how that reads to younger people and people who aren’t American.
I was 17 on 9/11 and it isn’t much of an exaggeration to say that you could feel the country change in real time. Control’s story of having the rest of her life motivated by that day isn’t at all rare. I know several people who signed up for the military on 9/12 or shortly thereafter.
Probably most of the people using this site weren’t even born on 9/11 and I wonder if Control’s story comes off as contrived or manipulative to you. I know that for me, I do feel the remove of 22 years. I know that 9/11 jokes and memes are pretty common now. But I don’t think that was the case when this aired. I think we were still too close to it then, and Control probably came off as sympathetic or at least doing the wrong thing for the right reason. I’m not sure this part of the show has aged well. But also Camryn Manheim’s performance is fantastic.
I find it super interesting that when I try to use gif search, the majority of gifs that come up, and the first ones, are ALL Shoot. I’m not sure if that’s because there’s just more of them or if Shoot fans tag their stuff differently or what. I didn’t embed any here because this was getting lengthy, but this scene was great, they have excellent chemistry, and I generally love how their dynamic is developing.
Fusco’s arrival was fantastic because I’m always happy when he shows up but also Root … apparently sent a message on??? with??? Bear? We’re not going to interrogate the mechanics of how Root got Bear out of the library while she was going after Samaritan but I was very glad Bear was there too.
Also! Fusco still doesn’t know about the Machine!!! 🤦🏻‍♀️
Oh look, Hersh ends up being great and I’m kind of attached to him now. Of course he’s dead at the end.
Let’s talk about the Rinchiness. As always, we have John’s single-minded determination to get Harold back for the majority of the episode.
But then there is this oh so gentle and affectionate scene that I suspect lives in every Rincher’s heart.
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Sigh.
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And the ending. Goddamn the ending was gutting. RIP Library.
That’s a wrap on season 3! Thanks for sticking with me, y’all. Reminder that my ask box is open if you want to share your thoughts!
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kwanisms · 7 months
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I'm back bitches
We have 12 days left of September, which means Spooky Month officially starts soon & you know what that means.
🌕 Kinktober 2023 Creature Feature 🌕
But it also means that the long overdue sequel to Did You Hear That? is coming! She's a hefty girl with just over 18k words so desktop may be the best option to read and reblog as mobile has issues with anything over 10k.
It also means, the three spin-off pieces for the Library of Illusion are coming as well as a little piece I've written for Joshua. All in time for Spooky Month!
Along with Kinktober I have a few announcements. See more under the cut!
First, I have made the decision to add NCT (all sub-units), Day6, Super Junior, & Wonho to my archive. I no longer feel inspiration to write for them and do not want anyone waiting for content for them. I hate to leave Day6's Creature Feature unfinished but, sometimes that's the way things happen. This decision is final but I reserve the right to change my mind at any time.
From now on, I will be writing exclusively for Seventeen, Stray Kids, Ateez, & TXT. My rules for Kai (TXT) remain the same: absolutely no smut. That is my son. My child. I will also only write for Yesung and Z.Tao when the inspiration comes. My brainrot for both of those men is insane.
In addition, as my masterlists for these groups continue to grow, I will be creating masterlists for individual members.
That being said, I obviously won't take down any of my posts for these new archived groups, but I will change the masterlists just a bit so navigation is a tad easier.
Second, I will start using my other blogs effective immediately. I have a lot of sideblogs.
I will be using my main to reblog everything but my writing. All pictures, gifsets, etc will be posted there from now on.
I will also be using my recs blog, which I plan to redo entirely with a new tag system.
Third, I want to remind you all that my inbox here is always open. I love receiving mail. I love talking & interacting with you.
The anon feature is on so feel free to use it however, if you use it for hate, I will turn it off again. Don't be a coward. If you're gonna be mean, don't hide behind the anon feature. Face me instead.
Fourth, I will be reviving ask games and I encourage you to participate! It can be a lot of fun.
On the topic of asks, all asks not related to ask games will be answered every Monday and tagged as ' mailbox monday 💌'
Lastly, a friendly (and not so friendly reminder respectively) that empty blogs, meaning blogs without headers, pfp, posts, etc will be soft-blocked.
Soft-blocking is blocking and unblocking a blog so it forces them to unfollow you. I will be keeping track of the blogs I soft-block in a Google Sheet and if you follow me again without at least changing your pic and reblogging a few posts, you will be hard blocked.
Hard blocking means you will not be able to interact with my content (liking or reblogging).
Now for the not so friendly reminder;
if your blog does not have an age indicator on it (i.e the year you were born, your age, etc) YOU WILL BE SOFT-BLOCKED AS WELL. IF YOU DO NOT ADD AN AGE AFTER THAT, YOU WILL BE HARD BLOCKED. I will also be keeping track of these blogs. Ageless blogs and minors are not welcome on my blog. If you have turned 18 this year, PLEASE CHANGE YOUR AGE INDICATORS ON YOUR BLOG TO AVOID BEING BLOCKED.
If I find out a follower has lied about their age, I will be adding you to a blacklist I share with Cult of Dionysus. Keep in mind, we do not seek out minors to add them to the list, we only add minors that have interacted with our nsfw content. MINORS: PLEASE DONT IGNORE OUR BOUNDARIES. If we say do not interact with our content, we mean it. We have these boundaries for a reason.
I hope you look forward to what I have planned this month and please enjoy the spooks, the thrills, and of course, the smut. Thank you for your continued support as always. See you soon~ ʕ ◦`꒳´◦ʔ — booki。
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failfemme · 10 days
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the NO-SKIP albums: a tag game 🎶
tagged by @sophelstien like a week ago oops
rules: share the albums that you can listen to nonstop. those lightning in a bottle-albums that scratch ur brain just right. every siuungle track, an absolute banger. u could not skip one if u tried. no notes. stunning, show-stopping, immaculate. ur no-skip albums. 🔎 bonus & optional (but imo, v fun) rules:1) add a track rec for us to listen to! AND2) share ur favorite line(s) from that track! 👀
tagging @charaznablescanontoyota @oatplant @kelpforestdwellers @tendercoretroglodyke
wee commentary and song recs below the cut
plans by death cab for cutie
(plans turns 20 next year. every night since i realized this, i have wished on a star that they will make one of those star-studded cover albums like tegan and sara’s the con x or the metallica blacklist. @ ben gibbard do you hear me!!!!!!!!)
song rec: summer skin is such a simple, evocative poem of a song
seven swans by sufjan stevens
(this album makes me feel like i am staring into a maelstrom. a banjo is something that can be so personal.)
song rec: for a good mood, to be alone with you. for melancholy, seven swans.
so jealous by tegan and sara
(baby’s first queer media. relic of my emotionally turbulent “girls kissing” youtube searches era and also of my later emotionally turbulent girl kissing era.)
song rec: speak slow kind of exemplifies what i love about this era of tegan and sara- so punchy and fun and fast.
be the cowboy by mitski
(if you haven’t grasped by now that i am basic idk what to tell you. the thing is, it’s good.)
song rec: it’s gotta be geyser. the way she talks about her relationship to her craft both in the song and in interviews is so real.
carly rae jepsen free space
(this was my solution to not fill up the whole entire meme with crj. both sides of emotion and dedicated are no-skips, and kiss and the loneliest time are like. one song away.)
song rec: go listen to crj’s critically acclaimed song store. right now.
pity boy by mal blum
(i’ve been a mal blum fan for a long time, and it has been such a delight to get to witness their musical growth, including their voice changing. their raw, crackly vocals compliment these songs so well. getting to scream sing along with a bunch of queer punks at their concert last summer was cathartic.)
song rec: if you have a large group of homos to sing along with, i don’t want to. if not, salt flats.
art angels by grimes
(do i have to give the disclaimer that annoying ppl can make really good art sometimes. no. you understand.)
song rec: i haven’t actually listened to this album in ages, but i feel like pin was one of my faves. also venus fly with janelle monae.
talon of the hawk by the front bottoms
(tease me all you want. be the 10th person to send me the “i recorded myself calling ex-girlfriends on edibles and accidentally made a tfb album” meme. i am cringe, and i am free. hold my hand. let’s drive around doing our best brian sella impressions at top volume.)
song rec: are you an emotional baby boy? of course you are, you’re listening to the front bottoms. santa monica time.
tracy chapman by tracy chapman
(this album has everything. romantic ballads. politically charged slow songs. politically charged upbeat songs. nostalgic memories of listening to this cassette in my ex’s truck while we drove around our college town. there’s a reason i’m always screaming about how ppl should listen to more than fast car.)
song rec: for my lover is both politically charged and romantic. it is also: catchy as hell.
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impishsensei-a · 8 months
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hello all!! this is a roleplay blog for gojo satoru from jujutsu kaisen, written by milk. on my pinned post, you'll find all relevant links/info here for my blog. though i am not completely caught up with the manga (i've read up to around chapter 180), i have a general idea of what is currently going on up to the most recent chapters. if i'm not here, you can find me on one of my other blogs: @blastintriumph @muryonokansei
please be sure to read my rules before interacting/following.
carrd || interest check || pinned credit || promo, v2 || divider credit || wishlist || tags
header by @foraltruism
for ease of access, my rules are placed under the cut!
I will interact with mutuals only. If I follow you I want to interact, so don’t hesitate to send me asks or IM me with plot ideas! I’m willing to RP with OCs & characters from other series. Personal blogs, please do not follow/reblog/like my posts.
I’m okay with one-liners, crack, multi-para, novella… everything! Feel free to send in any ask memes if we haven’t roleplayed before. Ask memes are a great way to break the ice so I really don’t mind. If I follow you that means I want to rp with you so if you’re ever unsure and worried you might be bothering me, don’t. I’m duplicate friendly.
If I haven’t replied in two weeks (and I’m not on a hiatus) that means I probably lost our thread or it’s sitting somewhere in my drafts and I haven’t noticed it, so please message me to remind me about it. I won’t be annoyed or upset. I drop RPs sometimes out of a loss of interest but please don’t blame yourself. It is always a personal thing that has nothing to do with anyone else as a roleplayer. I’m always happy to start/write more regardless of dropping previous threads.
I have some ships i might gravitate to, but I prioritize chemistry above all where RP is concerned. For now, my blog is multi-ship, so any relationship my muse develops will be in a separate verse unless stated otherwise.
Don't involve me with drama or send messages telling me to reblog callout posts or anything like that. I don't care for getting involved with petty rp drama. If it's something actually serious, I've likely already seen it on the dash and have taken note. Seriously, I will hardblock anyone that pesters me with nonsense drama.
There will be NSFW content on this blog so if you’re uncomfortable with that just blacklist the the following tags, as i tag all my nsfw posts with the following: “cw nsfw”, “nsfw //”, and “( nsfw. )”. Additionally, I will cover dark topics. There will be mentions of murder, blood/gore, toxic/unhealthy relationships and so on featured on my blog. I will of course tag what I feel needs to be tagged. Feel free to ask me to tag anything you need tagged.  I am 26, so if a roleplay should ever come around to it I will only write smut with partners that are also of age & that I feel comfortable writing smut with. If you’d rather not roleplay smut publicly, I’m cool with continuing roleplays on discord. I’m also open to just private RPs (not necessarily smut) on discord too, just ask/lmk you’re interested!
Finally, I ask that minors DON’T follow my blog/DNI. I don’t want to be the reason anyone sees something inappropriate for their age. If you’re a minor & I accidentally followed you, let me know & I’ll unfollow you immediately.
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editor-flower-shop · 1 year
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do you have any tips for starting an edit blog + how to improve editing? i want a hobby and editing would be a nice one, but i'm not sure how to start. thank you for your time.
sure, we definitely do! editing is a lot of fun to first get into, so let's get started.
this got pretty long, so i'll put it under a cut!
Tips On Starting An Edit Blog + Improving Your Editing
tips for starting an edit blog -
you should start out thinking about what you want to offer. you don't have to offer every kind of edit from the start - you can start out with only a couple and then build up (or not!).
one of the first things you should do is create example edits. this'll show people your skills and encourage them to request. post a couple of these before you do a promo, and keep a few in a queue to post later.
one of the first example edits should be your layout! but you also should think about that.
do you want to use reply icons? do you want to have a dni image you add to posts? do you want no header? it's all up to you! you don't even have to make your own layout if you don't want to.
you should also work on your main post before you go onto the next steps! some people use carrd or rentry for all their information, but i'd suggest keeping it to your pinned post at the start.
what to include in this - what edits you can do, what fandoms you edit for, whether your requests are open or closed, your whitelist + blacklist, and your dni + rules.
promo's are highly encouraged in this community! a lot of editors are happy to boost smaller blogs and it's the best way to gain your first few followers.
some blogs don't allow promo's, but many do, so don't worry about tagging a bunch of editors! always specify in the post that people can message you to have their @ removed. It's just politeness, i guess? also, say please and thank you, and include a bit about yourself and what you do on your blog.
other than that, a lot of running an edit blog is complete luck! sometimes tumblr will show your blog to a lot of people, sometimes it won't.
your best bet for keeping up getting requests etc, is to post regularly, even when you don't have requests. self indulgent edits, gifts, etc, are a great way to remind your followers that they follow you and can request, and can also bring more people to your blog.
otherwise, just have fun with it! you don't have to be a perfect editor from the start, nobody is (we still cringe thinking about our early edits), so don't worry about that for now. just have fun making and posting edits and requests and notes will come your way.
tips for improving your edits -
follow tutorials! we have tutorials of course, but there are others around too!
ask your favourite editors for advice! a lot of nice editors are happy to give you a bit of advice if you shoot them an ask. ask them how they do specific things, or even how they feel about their own edits.
practice! i know, this is kind of obvious, but it really is just trial and error. you get better at editing the more you do it.
experiment! try to recreate cool edits you see, try new styles, try not to get too comfortable. it's easy to stagnate at editing, and though that can fine, it's a lot more fun if you try new things every now and again!
otherwise, honestly? it really does just come with practice and effort. you can follow all the tips and tutorials in the world and you still might not be happy with your edits. but that is okay. it's a common feeling across the community, and we all understand.
~ andromeda
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whump-n-comfort · 9 months
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🔪 this is a sideblog! if you see interactions from a blog called @halorocks1214 in your notifications, that's me :)
🩹 on that note, I go by Halo! I use she/her and he/him pronouns and am proudly aroace 💚💜
🔪 I'm one of those guys that has always been into whump as a kid—I REALLY enjoyed the kidnapping episodes in animated shows lol—but didn't have a name for that enjoyment until I got onto Tumblr and immediately felt at home with all y'all cool people 😎
🩹 as you may have seen by this blog's title and description, most of this blog's motif is sharing hurt/comfort content! I will be upfront and say that I project a loooot onto my faves, which is why I like to see them comforted so much (touch starvation is a bitch 😔) and in general prefer "soft whump" most of the time or explicit happy endings for the harder tropes i'm into
🔪 however, I still also enjoy whump because of its core foundation: being able to beat the shit out of your favorite character. sometimes, I will find something that does not have comfort in it that I want to share because it's simply too good not to! if all you're here for is that sweet sweet comfort, feel free to blacklist the tag #no comfort to avoid those sparse posts :)
🩹 outside of that, I tag art as #art and gifs as #gif as well as gifsets as #gifset when applicable; #whump trope for the posts that get more descriptive and #whump prompt for the posts that are more quotes/"fill in your characters here"-type interactions; #whump meme is self-explanatory and #whump community is for sharing love to all you lovely people out here browsing this corner of Tumblr; I occasionally tag #fave whumpee on characters that have stuck with me through the years (characters in the tag liable to change as time goes on); and of course, #~my stuff~ are the posts where I'm OP; #before whump was here is a cheeky tag I use for specific moments I remember feeling strong whumperflies for growing up but still had yet to learn about the term "whump" lmao
🔪 everything else is up in the air as tagging goes. I try my best to catch as many descriptors in a post as I can, but I'll admit some stuff could slip through. let me know if you think a post is missing something and I'll be sure to add proper tags 👍
🩹 my squicks are mainly things like pet whump, mind break, forced full-nudity, betrayal/broken trust between close characters (if it's because of a "twist villain" then that's fine), and heavy NSFW, so, for the most part, you won't see those on this blog, but my philosophy has always been that if it has comfort, I'm willing to give it a shot, so even if it's really rare, it could happen. remember to just let me know if I'm missing a tag!
🔪 my inbox is always open under the "💌 insert rambles here 💌" button if you ever wanna submit whumpy thoughts. I try to post everything I get, so feel free to hit me up! all answered asks regardless of what they contain will be tagged with #ramble tag
🩹 I will occasionally take requests in the form of "[A] replied to [B]" scenarios, sentence starters, or if you are feeling particularly nice, requests about my OCS! (questions and inquiries about them are always welcome regardless of request status) be sure to watch the "REQUEST:" blip in the description to see whenever they are open as I will switch "CLOSED" to "OPEN" to signify they are, and if they are open because of something like an ask game, I will convert the status into a link that will take you to the original game so you don't have to scroll through a bajillion things to get to it
🔪 as mentioned, this is 99% a SFW "soft" whump blog, but I still support my more NSFW and otherwise "dark" whumpers! I am a firm believer in that there is no "correct" way to enjoy whump. whatever your reason is that makes you enjoy it is valid and as long as you are properly tagging your content then keep on doing stuff that brings you joy :) we may not interact with each other all that often because of squicks or personal preferences, but just know that I will have your back and defend your right to write whatever you want ❤️‍🔥
🩹 I do believe those are all the topics I wanted to cover, so if you managed to make it this far, thanks for checking out my blog, and most importantly, the whump community in general! If you decide to stay, well, then hope you enjoy it to your fullest capabilities :D
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