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starseungs · 1 year

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➳ romeo and juliet is so overrated. lf

• pairing: lee felix x gn!reader (ft. kim seungmin)

blind dates are shit. and yet you're still roped into one by your wonderful mother who can't wait for you to experience "true romance." but what happens if you end up getting a second date? except its not with who your mom set you up with.

• genre: fluff, humor (romcom?), blind date au, strangers to lovers — 5.2k words

• warnings: mentions of food, blind date gone wrong, first date awkwardness, minor cursing, story is not actually inspired by romeo and juliet (incase the title gives off otherwise)

• note: this is in the same universe as this seungmin fic i also wrote! you can go read that after if you'd like, but this was mainly written as a stand alone, so its not going to affect too much if you decide not to^^ also this was a pain to proofread cz my laptop kept freezing- if theres any mistakes im sorry 💀

Blind dates are shit.

That was a motto you lived and breathed by—a belief you were very sure you'd end up taking to the grave. That's how much you detested the concept.

But like any sane person, you had a reason as to why attending a blind date was the last thing you'd ever want to do on a particularly good night—a time you could have used to relax from working the entire week. First of all, you'd much rather go on a date with someone you already knew. It saves the time normally spent trying to converse about the basics using small talk (you'd rather get to the more important topics, please.) And second of all—

—It never worked out for you.

Okay, maybe the second reason accounted for the bigger percentage of why you hated the process of blind dates so much, but who could blame you? Every blind date you've had so far has been either an "I'd-rather-not-experience-romance-in-my-life-anymore" bad, or good but with a catch that immediately turns you off. The only time the match you got vibed well with your standards, it turned out that they were already interested in someone else and were just forced on the date by their pushy mother.

Talk about relatable.

See, as much as you hated blind dates, your mother loved them to oblivion. The woman who birthed you was very determined to snatch you a person that would finally turn your "monochrome-painted single life" into one that had a significant other in it and give you a chance to finally experience bursts of color (her words, not yours.) The whole deal sounded like it came straight out of a fantasy book, one that had the concept of soulmates in it. Sometimes you wondered if she was doing all this so that she could finally leave you in the responsibility of someone else. Granted, you also did know the actual reason she desperately yearns to get you married soon was because apparently their children's lives were her friend group's only source of entertainment.

So when your mother called you out of the blue one night, telling you she'd gone ahead and set up a blind date with you and this other lady that she met in the market's son, you weren't anywhere near surprised. At that point, this was merely another normal day for you. Which was why, like an obedient child, you agreed ever so soullessly, just wanting to get the situation over with as soon as possible. If you had your way, you would have wished for nothing more than to laze on the couch with your roommate Seungmin, trying to watch whatever Netflix had to offer for this bleak afternoon.

But you couldn't—which resulted in you glaring heavily at the guy comfortably melted on your shared couch. He looked like he had not one care in the world, something you could probably trade your precious trinket collection for. "I hate you so much," you whined in defeat, pacing near the kitchen. "Why can't you go instead of me?"

Seungmin scoffed lightly in the background. "Yeah, right. Not interested," he shifted his position to make eye contact with your distressed form, "Just don't go? The world seems to give you bad dates anyway, so why not take fate's obvious advice and stop attending them?"

"But my mom would be so mad! It's also rude for me to stand the guy up after I said I would go…" Your roommate muttered something under his breath, but you had other things to worry about than what you would have guessed were his complaints about your indecisiveness. The date was set for two hours from now, and you haven't even stepped out of the apartment because of nerves.

Sure, you considered blind dates a waste of time for you, but that doesn't mean you don't get nervous when you're literally meeting new people who are expected to hit it off with you. At the end of the day, these were still strangers, and wanting to make a good first impression was a normal thing to feel. At least that's what you keep telling yourself as you tap your foot impatiently against the hardwood floor. You were very well aware of Seungmin's nasty side-eye directed towards your fidgeting, but he can take that complaint up with himself.

Deciding to suck it up and finally go, you called out to your roommate, who had already diverted his eyes to be glued to the TV screen. "Min, I have to go now," you informed him through your light pants, absolutely feeling the rush already even though you were still only trying to get your shoes on at the front.

"Sure. Enjoy," he waved you off quickly, not even bothering to spare you a glance. The show he's been waiting to watch was playing on the screen, letting you know Seungmin was already immersed in the story. You fondly rolled your eyes at his actions before heading out the door.

The outside world was a lot more welcoming today than you would have liked. With the temperature being perfect and the sun having mere hours until it says its goodbyes, casting a dim shade over the streets almost like a filter—it felt too perfect for a day you were expecting to go home and feel sorry for yourself once again. You clicked your tongue at the pitiful reminder and started picking up your pace. The sooner you got this over, the sooner you could return and mope around in the comforts of your warm bed.

Who needs a significant other? Your bedroom was filled enough on its own.

It almost pained you to walk past the beautiful park, its landscaping coaxing you to stay and live your evening enjoying the gentle breeze. But you were already at your first destination, a whole building apart from the land of temptations, and you bitterly thought that whoever planned to build the two next to each other was a shameless sadist who wanted to ruin what was left of the positivity in people like you.

For someone wearing such an expensive-looking (emphasis on looking) semi-formal attire, one would think that you were heading to your plans via private transport. Clearly, that was what others seemed to think too, each one attempting to peel their eyes off you because of the way you stood out in the busy area. Well, boo hoo to them (and you; especially you), because no. You weren't. Not even a small vehicle called a motorcycle was available for your personal use. In fact, the area being mentioned is actually the train station, which is a few blocks away from your apartment complex. It was expected for the place to be cramped around this time—a rush hour filled with people wanting to go back home after a tiring day.

Oh, how you wanted to be one of them.

Yet instead, you were doing the exact opposite, boarding the public transportation because you had an appointment at dinner time. It's fine; you pat yourself on the back. Free dinner is still free dinner; you were not heading back home a complete loser tonight. That was, of course, if the gentleman you would be meeting in about an hour would be willing to pay the entire bill. The thought alone of the thin roll of paper left a sour taste in your mouth. Or maybe that was just the lemon-flavored toothpaste you used earlier.

The train ride was surprisingly the most bearable part of your day so far. Silence was always appreciated when it was needed, and you definitely needed it now. The white noise provided by the engines and the sound it made when the rails of the track came into contact with the train had you feeling drowsy. It was almost perfect; the ambience was relaxing enough for you to forget about today's agenda. Perhaps if this continued a bit more, you would walk out of this train and change plans to have an exciting "me time." However, that wish was shattered in seconds as you gripped your mobile phone tightly, reading the new message over and over again.

He's looking forward to meeting with you.

You didn't know if the dude was genuinely that deprived of a love life to look forward to meeting with a random person his mother set him up with in the grocery store—or that your own mother was twisting his words just to send you something, anything, that'll make you unable to turn around and ride another train back home. Either way, it looks like it's her lucky day because whatever the deal was, it actually worked on you.

In a blink of an eye, you were already staring up at the fancy restaurant where it was agreed the two of you would meet. The building itself was already quite intimidating: tall, pristine white pillars you could barely name the material of (you weren't bougie enough for that), high ceilings with multiple intricate chandeliers—each adorned with crystal-like glass—and hints of gold plating along the walls. The people around you were on a different level as well, all dressed up in expensive brands you don't even know how to pronounce. It's safe to say that the place was a whole different world than the one you just came from.

So, what the heck are you even doing here?

How did your mother even arrange this for you? Was the guy a conglomerate's son or something? And if so, you really had to get this over with, stat. As much as you would love the experience, this was too much pressure. The rich life was not for you—money is great, but this much is quite nauseating. It's an acquired taste, you guess.

"Excuse me, are you looking for your table?" An employee approaches you, most likely having seen your absolute distress over the situation. You quickly accepted the help and told her your name. "Your table with Mr. Seo is the second one to the right, along the windows."

Oh, so his last name was Seo? You knew it was already suspicious when your mother refused to tell you anything about his identity; which, now that you think about it, why did you even agree to? This man could be a serial killer, and you would be walking right into his trap. Still, you thanked the employee and beelined towards the direction she pointed. You saw the table easily, but the scene that accompanied it was not what you had expected.

Confusion hits you like a pile of bricks. That was him, wasn't it? Or were you mistaken? Checking your mother's message to confirm your suspicions (she had sent you another text saying that the guy was already there waiting), you were able to conclude that it was, in fact, the person who was supposed to be your date.

So if that's him, then who's the other one he's with?

"Psst," you heard someone call out. You knew better than to assume it was for you, though. This restaurant is a public space and may very well be getting the attention of another person. Plus, you don't even know anyone else at this place. "I know you heard me. Just look back; I'm talking to you," the voice followed up. But, you won't fall for it—you weren't born yesterday, and that could not have been for you. It's only common sense, right?

"Are you serious?" They sounded exasperated. "Person standing there like an idiot looking at the table by the window where a couple is sitting, please turn to me."

Oh. It's you.

Your head snapped towards the source of the voice, only to find a handsome face of a male around your age staring at you with eyes filled with amusement, his arms crossed and leaning against the tabletop. He looked to be seated alone, without a companion. You only tilted your head slightly as a way of asking what he wants from you.

Motioning over to your blind date's table, he asked, "You've been staring at them for a while. Is that your lover or something?" Your face contorted in offense, baffled at his words.

"What? No?"

"Good," he chuckles briefly, "I thought I'd have to console someone who got cheated on. By the way, do you want to take a seat first? You standing up right now is quite awkward…"

Realizing the scene you must've been making, you took his offer in embarrassment. "Yeah, thanks. But, no—I don't have a lover," you sighed, feeling your energy drain from the situation. "That guy was supposed to be my blind date, though. I have no idea what's happening." The man in front of you laughed. If you didn't agree with him that the turn of events was hilariously comical, then you would've been very annoyed at the action. Though admittedly, his adorable laugh was also a big factor. This man was attractive, no doubt. Why isn't he your date instead?

"That's a funny coincidence, I'm here on a blind date too," he glances over at the same table, "your date is with mine."

You gaped at the revelation. What is this? A rom-com? There's no way these things actually happen! Or maybe they do—and you experiencing it firsthand right now would be enough proof. Looking at him with concern, you decided to speak. "Should we tell them?" He simply shook his head in response.

"Nah, I'd rather not. Why do you think I hadn't already? Look at them; they seem to be having a great time."

Seeing your two dates interact, there was no doubt they were hitting it off. Which was bad news to you, since now you just ended up wasting your time by coming here. You knew you should've just stayed home and flaked on the guy. Lesson learned: trust your gut instinct. It could save you a whole lot of time (and money, because when are train stations going to be free?) You mean, good for him for finding a date he liked, but this whole thing just turned out to be a huge mistake for you. But even with that, you didn't want to disturb them—you weren't some antagonist who ruins hope for others because they can't get a happy ending.

Your silence must have been uncomfortable for the male across from you since he decided to break the silence. "So, random offer—do you still want a date? Maybe we could just be each other's," he says, pointing to you and him.

That... wasn't a bad offer.

In fact, it was a good offer. You didn't know much about this man, but something told your gut to see wherever this took you, and from what you experienced today, always trust your gut. Now, if you had to be honest, his face also played a big part in your spontaneous consideration. You weren't one to judge solely on one person's physical appearance alone, but the guy before you screamed a green flag, and you just couldn't ignore it. As a skeptic might say, you'll believe it when you see it—or, in this situation, you'll regret it once you're given a reason to.

"Sure."

The man before you looked shocked, almost like he couldn't believe that you had agreed to his offer. Was it a joke? Did you read the situation wrong? Maybe he was just trying to lift the mood but actually wanted to go home—you knew you did before this happened. However, all your doubts melted away instantly after seeing his wide smile, eyes sparkling with excitement and newfound interest. You swear you stopped functioning after seeing the sight.

Oh my, he's cute.

You felt your face heat up at the thought that invaded your mind. Get a grip, Y/N! This is a first date—you can't simp right away. At least make yourself seem appealing to the guy! You bit your lip, swallowing heavily at the sudden pressure put on you by your oh-so-fantastic mind. It's fine—you can do this. Icebreakers it is!

"So, what's your name?" You asked curiously, remembering that you've been referring to him as "the man" for the past few minutes that you've known each other.

He perked up at your question. "It's Felix. Lee Felix," he replied politely while waving his hand for a waiter to bring the menus. After gaining the attention of one, he turned back to you. "What about you?"

"It's Y/N," you responded back. "You have an English name; are you half-foreign?" He hummed at your observation, the low tone catching you off guard. You had already noticed that his voice was deeper than what you had expected from looking at his face, but there was just something extra attractive about that hum. Catching your mind wandering again, you cleared your throat quietly.

"Good catch. I'm actually from Australia," he told you, the grin on his face growing a bit more at the mention of the place. He must really love Australia, huh? "My parents are both Korean, but I grew up there. Came here just a few years ago for work."

Does that mean he's here all alone? That must've been tough for him as well, to live in a whole new country and basically start his life over. You had major respect for people like that; they were what you saw as hardworking and goal-oriented. Sometimes, you even envied them. They could do so much with their lives with that mindset alone. You wish you could be like that someday too. It would be nice to rise above your current state right now—your job was paying enough to get you through the months, but there were still times where you had to worry about finances. Luckily, having a roommate helped with the rent portion of your bills.

Speaking of Seungmin, didn't he say he had an Australian co-worker?

"That's interesting! Australia, huh? I think my roommate mentioned something about having an Australian co-worker. I can't remember his name right now," you shared, "but imagine if you turned out to know each other. If you want, I can ask my roommate to introduce you two! I just thought it'd be nice for you to have another person from Australia with you. Deal with homesickness and all that, you know?"

You didn't think Felix's eyes could shine even brighter, but somehow they managed to do so. "That would be great! Expanding my social circle would be nice too. Making friends is a lot harder now that you're an adult," he sighs.

"You can say that again," you chuckled at his slightly dampened mood. Felix was quite expressive, you noted to yourself. Reading him wasn't hard, but it wasn't as if he put his whole heart on his sleeve either. If he was the type of person to show himself when he found you trustworthy, then you might have to thank him for being comfortable around you. Yes, blind dates didn't normally work for you, but that doesn't mean you didn't try. Of all the dates you've been on, you could only remember one where your efforts were practically zero, and that was just because the guy was a douche from the beginning. Felix was a lot different than the other people you've gone on dates with before—he was relaxed, treated you a lot more casually, yet still emitted that interest. You had a good feeling about where this was going.

When the menus pulled up, you and Felix had already exchanged some basic interests with each other. This match must've been blessed by the gods because there was a lot you had in common, something you didn't even expect. You and him met under random circumstances, yet you had more chemistry with Felix than you had with any other of your past flings. Which, now that you say it like that, maybe that was why they only stayed as flings.

"Do you see anything you like?" Felix asked from across the table. You quickly scrambled to flip through the menu pages, trying to find something that interested you—too distracted earlier to even do so. Yet, just when you thought you could resume talking to him, you realized a big issue.

What even were these dishes?

You might have never eaten in a place this fancy before, but—nevermind. That was exactly it. You've never eaten in a place this fancy before and therefore had no idea what all the dishes would taste like. You didn't consider yourself to be such a picky eater, but at that moment, you felt like your appetite was slowly leaving at each description of the meal you read under a dish name—wait, caviar?

Felix seemed to have caught on to your discomfort, because he spoke up once again. "Hey, do they not interest you? It's fine if you don't find something you want to eat," he says in a reassuring tone, letting you know that you don't have to feel bad. "Do you want to perhaps ditch this place? I know a good pizza place down the road."

Your jaw immediately dropped at his nonchalant suggestion. Is this just something he does often? Make completely random (and baffling) offers? Well, to be fair, both of his offers to you have been good so far. Some pizza would be nice after everything that had happened today. However, this place is super expensive! That was the whole reason you felt uncomfortable ordering from the menu presented to you at the moment. He went through all the trouble of booking this place just for his first date to hit it off with someone else, so you sure weren't about to let his second date, which was you, let the whole reservation go to waste. Rich or not, you still had the decency to respect the effort that was put into getting a table at this place.

"Felix, you can't be serious," you spluttered out, feeling a bit disoriented due to the situation. "I'm well aware of how much it costs to even be here, so we can't just leave!"

He only chuckles at your worry, making you widen your eyes even more. "Oh, yeah. I know that too. But to be honest, my date was the one who booked this place, it looks like their money was well spent though," he says, glancing back over at the table where your original date and his were, the two conversing naturally while dining. You purse your lips at the information. Okay, maybe that was a valid point. Plus, you really are craving pizza.

Facing him, you divert your eyes in embarrassment. "I-I would also like pizza."

Felix wouldn't say it out loud, but he found you really cute. Even more so right now, with you having that shy look on your face. He felt a strong urge to tease you and see more of that adorable expression, but he held himself back. One wrong move, and he'd end up being an asshole. Was it not normal to feel that way? You two have only met after all. But he felt it earlier—you were quite different than the other dates he's had.

Despite being a very loving person, he wasn't one to believe in love at first sight. Yet, the moment he saw you standing all confused and flustered earlier, it immediately caught his full attention. It was as if fate wanted to bring you two together—and even though it sounds so cheesy, like something out of a romantic comedy, he found himself thinking that he could get on board with it. It wasn't even an hour since you met, and you were already creeping into his heart. It wasn't too fast, but just the right pace to know that something clicked. The feeling felt weird—who knew a stranger could have this much impact on you? He surely didn't. But maybe that was why he felt it a lot stronger than you did—not that he even knew what you thought of him.

Felix himself knows well that he was not a let-the-date-into-his-car kind of person on the first few dates (and most especially on the first date), but somehow he found himself breaking his own rule for the first time ever since getting a vehicle of his own. Not that he would leave his dates to get home on their own, of course—he would always politely offer to pay for their cab home. The idea of taking a (for the most part) random stranger somewhere in his car when it was just the two of them alone didn't sit right with him. Felix is well aware that he could've been seen as uninterested by some of the dates, but it wasn't like they were entirely wrong. He only went on blind dates anyway, so the chance of meeting someone who actually interested him enough to imagine a dating life was not that high in the first place.

Yet here you were, sitting awkwardly beside him on the passenger's seat. It wasn't like you weren't comfortable—okay, maybe you were a bit uncomfortable; but that was only because getting into the car of a person you just met about an hour or more ago was not something you planned for yourself tonight. Heck, none of this was on your list of expected events tonight. Firstly, you didn't even get to say a single word to the date your mom set you up on, and secondly, you scored yourself a completely different person! All you wanted was to stay in your bed the whole evening and mope like the hermit you are.

Oh, if only Seungmin could see you right now.

The rumbling sound of the car made itself present to your ears, effectively taking you out of your thoughts. "Let's go?" Felix asks you—the thoughtful gesture awakening butterflies in your stomach. What in the world is going on with you? This man was literally just doing the simplest things, and yet he already seemed to glow in your eyes. You're not falling, are you? You don't fall easily.

At least that's what you believed.

"Y/N?" He questioned, his voice mixed with a hint of concern. "I hope you're alright with all of this. Are you uncomfortable? Maybe I should've asked before we decided to take my car; I'm sorry—do you want to just walk there?" He panicked, which made you panic at his distress too.

"N-no! It's fine; I'm fine—are you fine?" Great, now you were both bundles of nerves. Felix wanted to kick himself for starting the situation. Where did all his earlier confidence go? That, he didn't know. Either way, he wished for it to come back and help him earn some points from you. You, on the other hand, were almost on the verge of collapsing from stress. "Let's just head there," you squeaked, to which Felix only nodded (a bit too quickly.)

"Sorry," Felix sighs, unable to look at you due to his focus on the road. "This is the first time I'm doing this, so I don't know what to do."

You tilted your head at him in confusion. "You mean a date?" He shook his head.

"Driving a date, I mean."

"Really now?" You exclaimed with interest. "I would've never guessed that! You look like the type of guy a lot of people are interested in. You're quite popular, aren't you?"

He chuckles in amusement at your words. "I don't think I'd use that word to describe me. I only do blind dates anyway. Unfortunately I haven't found my person from those ones," he says, glancing at you for a split second, "but maybe the wait was all worth it."

You couldn't help but huff at his act of flirting, rolling your eyes playfully. He got you there. You didn't think Felix would be this smooth, but seeing as he boldly set up a date with you earlier, maybe this was to be expected. "That was a good one, Mr. Lee." At your response, Felix's eyes shone with excitement. He did that a lot when he was happy, you thought mentally. You had to bite back a laugh at how fast he changed up—though you had to admit that was part of his charm.

It was safe to say that the rest of the date went very well. For such a spontaneous plan, you enjoyed it a lot more than you had thought you would. Plus, you found a new pizza place! You'd have to eat there again soon; everything on the menu seemed really good. Unfortunately, you didn't get to eat at the venue because it was full—something Felix panicked over once again. After a while of negotiating (because he wouldn't let it go), you two ended up having an impromptu picnic at a nearby park, enjoying the quiet surroundings that were dimly lit by the street lights. You had never experienced going on a picnic at night before, so this was going to be on the list of firsts you experienced today with Lee Felix—a guy that you didn't even know until a couple hours ago.

It's crazy how fast someone can come into your life and already make unforgettable memories. In the short period of your date, the two of you learned a lot about each other. Whether both of you would be able to keep this up and progress or not, this was going to be a night you would remember for years to come. Who knows—maybe it would make an exciting old people tale to tell in the future?

"So hey," Felix starts nervously, stopping the car in front of your apartment complex. He pauses for a short second before exhaling and facing you with a determined gaze. "I'm not quite sure about how you feel, but I really enjoyed this date. Do you think we can go on more?"

"Sure," you were unable to stop the wide smile from appearing on your face, very satisfied with the chance of a second date. "I'd like that."

"Oh, damn. I'm glad," he quickly relaxes before getting alarmed by something and snapping his head towards you again. "Wait, your parents are fine with you not meeting with that other guy right?"

You chuckled at his apprehensive form, entertained by his precaution. "I'm pretty sure my mom just wants me to find someone nice and go marry them."

"Marry? Hold on, that's for a later date," you felt your cheeks warm at the implication of his words, yet Felix keeps going. "But that's good. I thought there was a chance this was going to end up like some Romeo and Juliet thing where your parents get mad because you're supposed to marry the other guy."

"Felix, relax," you managed to comfort him through stifled laughter. "I'm not some high-status rich person, you know?"

After your short conversation to end the night, you enter the apartment complex with a huge smile pasted on your face. Lee Felix was an amazing guy, that's for sure; you still can't believe he wants a second date. You let out a quiet squeal of happiness, speed-walking towards your apartment to brag to your roommate.

"Yeah, Romeo and Juliet is so overrated anyway."

mastertag 🏷️ : @h0neydewmoon @starzzns @lhskokoro @bookishcalls | let me know if you want to be added or removed^^

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keanureevesisbae · 1 year

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endeavors #9 - friends over

Summary: Grace discovers she loves spanking and when August has friends over, they find a way to continue their program.

August Walker x Grace Stanford (asian ofc)

Wordcount: 1k

Warning: mention of spanking, orgasms, squirting, dom!August, some sex, also some usage of sex toys.

Masterlist // endeavors masterlist

A few days ago, August and I tried something different and that was spanking. To say I am officially obsessed, would be a gross understatement. I don’t know what it was about it, but the anticipation, the waiting and the slight pain I experienced, only for it to be followed by the most tender aftercare I’ve ever experienced. And I know he is an ass man, whenever he gets the chance, his hand wanders and slides down. It’s more subtle when we’re in public doing groceries or something else mundane outside, it’s a lot less subtle when we’re at home. Frequent pats, a firm squeezes, always followed by a squeal from me and a chuckle from him.

So, naturally I dress for the occasion. Shorter skirts and dresses at home and he often time slips his hand underneath the fabric. When we’re on the couch, he often time ushers me over, solely for me to sit on his lap, his hands cupping my ass.

August has friends over now, so I’m just lounging in my room, with my laptop at the ready for a nice night of Netflix. Realizing I want some tea and some snacks, I drag myself out of my room to head for the kitchen.

‘Hi guys,’ I say to them and they hold up their hand. Apparently some sort of sport is on the tv tonight and for some reason guys have to get together for that, with some beer and junk food and it’s a fun night out.

When I enter the kitchen, August is quick to follow me. We’re out of sight for his friends. He stands behind me, his lips close to my ear and he whispers: ‘You couldn’t be bothered to put on some pants?’

I stare down at the oversized sweater and the sport socks. ‘I’m wearing shorts underneath,’ I say, lifting up up the sweater so he can have a look.

‘Are you wearing a bra?’

I shake my head. ‘I’m in my own house, August, I am not restricting myself.’

His hand finds the bottom hem of the sweater and he pushes up the fabric, placing his hand on my bare side. ‘And that while we have guests over’

‘You have guests over,’ I say. ‘I was gonna watch a movie.’

I grab a bag of chips, while the water is boiling in the kettle, but I can barely function with the way his hand is traveling up. The fact there are people in the living room, makes me bite my lip, especially when his hand cups my breast. ‘You know that pink toy you have in your nightstand?’

I nod.

‘You know what to do.’ He kisses my temple and whispers: ‘We’re gonna have some fun, Grace. Just keep it down a notch, okay?’

﹌﹌

The movie is very hard to focus on, when I have a toy stuffed in my cunt and I have no idea when August is turning it on. I could’ve and should’ve known that when he bought this toy and installed the app on his phone, he would put it to use, but I hadn’t expected it to be quite like this.

My legs clenched against each other, the vibrations brushing against the sensitive spot and I bite my bottom lip not to make any noise. Oh, August, why did I allow this?

The familiar feeling boils in my stomach and my legs shiver as I ride out my high. I can take matters into my own hands, pull the toy out, but I don’t. Handing over control to him, is probably why I enjoy this so much. Not having to think, not having to take matters into my own hands.

Just him. August Walker.

I squirm on the bed and take a few deep breaths when August takes a pity on me in the living room. No way in hell am I following this movie anymore, the vibrations a delightful distraction. I bury my face deep in my pillow, so the sounds that do escape, are not heard in the living room.

The door opens and when I look up, August has a smirk on his face. ‘Look at you,’ he says with a smile, closing the door behind him. ‘I’ve got a few moments to spare,’ he tells. ‘Take off your clothes.’

He leans against the door, the barrier between me and the hallway. While the living room is semi far away, I’m still a little nervous.

But I strip out of my clothes like he told me to and he bites his bottom lip. With only his hand he tells me to spread my legs and then the vibrations start again. My eyes roll back, still sensitive from before and much faster than I intended, I tumble over the edge, placing my hand over my own mouth, yet still a soft moan escapes. I’ve officially drenched my own bed now, hating myself for this to happen.

August stalks up to the bed after he turned off the toy, holding my chin in his hand, before he says: ‘It’s okay, Grace. You know how much I love seeing you squirt.’

I nod. A quick peck on my forehead follows.

And then he says: ‘They are leaving in forty minutes. When I call your name, come to the living room.’

﹌﹌

Forty minutes passed, he called my name and I went to the living room. That’s when I experienced sex on a table for the first time. It’s a good thing we barely have guests over who dine at our table, because we mostly sit on the couch anyway, because I don’t think I could ever look at someone normally again, after the things we did on there.

August drew me a bath and after a few moments of puppy eyes from my side, he got in the tub with me, sliding behind me and allowing me to rest against him.

It’s the moments in aftercare where I realize that I’ve truly been missing out on sex. And I wonder: what if August Walker has ruined me for everyone?

﹌﹌

endeavors taglist: @diegos-butt // @thelastsock // @liecastillo // @mis-lil-red // @sofiebstar // @abschaffer2 // @crazybutconfidentaf // @summersong69 // @gearhead66 // @xobriellaxo24 // @kebabgirl67 // @eldarwen333 // @kingliam2019 // @cherry-gemz // @sillyrabbit81 // @enchantedbytomandhenry // @lyrarodriguez // @islacharlotte // @sunshine96love // @oddsnendsfanfics // @xuxszx // @omgkatinka // @pterodactylterrace / @peaches1958 // @pandaxnienke // @teamfan7asy // @raccoon-eyed-rebel // @geralts-yenn

#august walker #august walker fanfiction #august walker x ofc #august walker x asian ofc #august walker x grace stanford #august walker smut #henry cavill fandom #henry cavill #asian ofc #grace stanford #endeavors

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bluebunnyears-08 · 1 year

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The Bittersweetness of Sonic Prime

You know when I go back and rewatch the episodes of this show because of how it ended, and because of its interesting story, I realize how horribly bittersweet it is.

Usually, Sonic stories have epic adventure stories or happy positive feelings but Prime is just...bittersweet. It gets even worse when you remember the ending of the first batch, which leaves SOO many interpretations.

Sure, there's some action here and there, but the main focus is the characters and their feelings. It's not about the fights or good vs evil, it's just about getting home, and trying to find light in a pitch-black room.

Hope.

Which makes the ending of the first batch worse. Home doesn't exist anymore, Sonic broke it. The way they handle Sonic's character is actually well done in my opinion. He's bubbly, positive, and cocky, but ultimately well-meaning, and unconditionally kind. There are some things he says that are annoying, but nothing too bad. Nothing too unwatchable.

I absolutely enjoy it when they put flaws instead of making Sonic a perfect hero like they usually do. He's more real, and easier to get attached to. He's immature, but he is still a teen, still growing and learning about the world.

The other characters are really good too. And one thing Prime does is show deep empathy for its characters. Each character has more depth to them, and when they express distressed feelings, you can understand and feel it. At times, you can even relate to their pain.

(The way he poses XD, he knows he's a bad bitch)

And I couldn't use this pic without this one.

(Period. End of discussion)

Shadow is another really well-done character, not an overly edgy asshole, but a cold person with a hidden heart of gold. He's standoffish to Sonic, and most likely his friends, but his and Sonic's fighting probably is nothing but competitive sport. Not to mention their fighting ACTUALLY MADE SENSE. Shadow saw Sonic was going to do some stupid shit again, except this time he would break the WORLD, so naturally, he tried to stop it.

Of course, he was going to fight Sonic, the blue bitch doesn't even listen to his friends. Of course, he's going to literally knock some sense into him the first chance he sees him, he broke THEIR HOME.

I agree Shadow could've tried to talk to Sonic, but again would Sonic have listened? Not to mention, Shadow is...a complicated person when it comes to communication.

The variants of the main characters are really good as well. Each of them has goals, ideals, and sides. Of course, there's one that stands out to me, and if you've seen my posts you know who it is.

I can't NOT talk about Nine! He's just so interesting and well-written. The show emphasizes a LOT of mystery around him. Like we KNOW this is another version of Tails, but what happened after he took the shard? How did he see Sonic? What did he discover about Prism's power and how to harness that power? What is going on in his head?!

We'll have to wait for these questions to be answered in the second batch, but he's still very fun to watch. In my opinion, he's not only the best character in Prime, but he's also the most bittersweet in the Sonic Franchise. when Sega tries to write a bittersweet character, it's either too sad or too happy, too edgy or too go-lucky, but Nine is a perfect in-between.

Nine is edgy done right, I am so sorry Shadow SEGA ruined you, and has moments where he's happy too. He's just a very complex and interesting character.

It's hilarious that "emo Tails" written by Netflix is better than any other edgy character SEGA made up. When he blows up or becomes cold, it's understandable.

Attacking Sonic the first moment he meets him? Sonic called him something he was abused for YEARS for, so naturally, he thought Sonic was another "bully". Taking the shard over helping the rebels? He watched the only person he ever bonded with get sucked into this shard, he never bonded with any of the rebels anyway. Doing it again when there was a battle? It wasn't his problem, it was the rebels' he was only working with them because he was helping Sonic anyway.

However, back to the topic, all of the variants Sonic bonds with reminds him of his friends back home, so yeah, he helped and bonded with them, but he doesn't belong in that world. Except his world is destroyed, his home where his REAL friends are, his friends that he mentioned are what make his home, home.

If he does manage to get all of the Paradox Prism together, those worlds and those variants will likely disappear. The variants would go through the equivalent of dying. They'll become one again, but they'll cease to be nothing more than mere traits, they won't be alive anymore, and they won't be their own person anymore. They'll cease to be, nothing more than the shards they are.

No matter what, how happy they are, or how satisfying the conclusion is, they will still have to "die", all just to become a shard of someone who will never know they existed. No matter how optimistic you look at it, it will have a pang of heartbreak.

And I think the chance of them remembering is highly unlikely because it would take away from the main theme of Prime. This isn't about them learning something, it's SONIC, and probably Shadow. If they remember it would kinda ruin the main tone of this show.

If anything, they'll just think it was a simple dream and think nothing of it. Because that's all it was to them, not a deep journey, not a meaningful bonding, just a weird dream that they don't need to think about ever again.

What will the varients think of that? What will NINE think of his worth? Nine and every other variant are just copies, things that aren't as important as the real thing. They aren't worth much, they're just variants, just "shards". With how Nine suffered, with how much Nine WANTS, I don't think he's just going to overlook it and help.

I also think that with his villain arc will come another solution. Another way the world can be restored is without simply converting him, mashing him up with the other meaningless shards, and becoming the real Tails. Another way where he won't be just some shard.

And to be honest, if there's another way that involves Nine going crazy but getting his way, getting to be HAPPY, while restoring the world and bringing everyone back without having to "die", I'm DOWN.

Some people hope there will be a redemption arc, and so do I, I'm hoping that the thing I mentioned just now will be it. Redemption is not always happy, it can be sad or bittersweet. When he does get that, it'll most likely be the harshest bittersweet ending of all.

I keep reading posts that Nine is a good boi or going to be a villain, but I want to say something that needs to be clarified, Nine isn't a good person, but he's not a bad one either, he's simply a kid, and we CANNOT forget that.

He's just a kid with NOTHING to lose, and when he finally finds something to be worth living for, he's never going to have it (unless he does things his own way).

There are some quotes from other Sonic games that I think fit well with what I'm trying to say that sum up ALL these characters, especially Sonic and Nine. All of these were said by Sonic btw.

"Don't be afraid to accomplish your dreams."

"When you want to do something, do it right away. Do it when you can. It's the only way to live life without regrets."

“Every world has its end. I know that’s kinda sad, but that’s why we gotta live life to the fullest in the time we have.”

“If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have!” -(Actually stated by Shadow, my b)

“I’ll never look back, I’ve got no regrets. Cause time doesn’t wait for me. I choose to go my own way.”

#sonic prime theory #sonic prime spoilers #more sonic prime!#nine sonic prime #nine the fox #nine needs a hug #nine deserves to win no matter what #miles nine prower #shadow the hedgehog #shadow the ultimate lifeform #sonic the hedgehog #poor shadow #poor sonic...#oh nine...#they all need a hug #and therapy

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old-people-like-avatar · 2 months

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Netflix Avatar the Last Airbender S1E8: Legends [SPOILERS]

This season one finale really suffered from all of the work that the show did not put into really developing the bonds between Team Avatar -- between Aang and Katara especially. While the Zuko parts were pretty good, carried by a strong Dallas Liu performance, everything else about this episode just... did not work very well.

THE GOOD

Zuko/Iroh: They were the only good part of the episode.

Zuko/Katara fight.

Zhao the Moon Slayer! Loved Ken Leung's delivery of this line.

THE I-APPRECIATED-WHAT-THEY-WERE-DOING-BUT-NOT-SURE-THEY-PULLED-IT-OFF

Zhao/Azula: They tried to make Azula the mastermind, to bring her into the story earlier by having her pull Zhao's puppet strings. Then they had Zhao unnecessarily exposition-dialogue that Ozai was using Zuko as motivation for his sister. Why would Zuko trust that coming out of Zhao's mouth? Didn't really work for me.

THE BAD

"No, it's not over." INSERT LOTS OF UNNECESSARY DIALOGUE. I really tried not to compare this show with the cartoon and to evaluate it on its own merits, but I just could not tolerate the amount of unnecessary, poorly written dialogue in the scene where Aang merges into the giant ocean spirit. They started off well with the "no, it's not over." But then they tacked on a bunch of, "no, you'll be lost forever" and "he's given control over the avatar state over to the ocean spirit" and "there is no Aang anymore" and yadda yadda--what? Just show it without the random dialogue! Let the craziness of the giant, wrathful ocean spirit just speak for itself.

All Aang/Katara-related dialogue. It was so bad, guys. I'm sorry. "You're not just the avatar, you're my family!" That line was painful from the emptiness of it. The show really buckled from the weight of their not putting in the work to develop the relationships between Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Also, if I have to hear anything about Aang needing to "move beyond the past" and "focus on the future" one more time, I'm going to scream.

Katara is a master... all by herself. And a leader of women who showed no desire to fight before. So there was no training with Master Pakku at all. She just... learned from Jet and the waterbending scroll I guess. I guess they were trying to give her agency or whatever, but... Then, after they showed the woman healer adhering to the old ways and the old division of genders in the north, all the women suddenly joined Katara in wanting to fight. This was supposed to be inspiring. ... Was it supposed to be inspiring...?

Why does Sokka care about Momo? They gave Momo a little hero scene saving a girl from being crushed by a rock. And then Momo got crushed by a rock. And then Sokka got upset. I had zero sense that he even remembered who Momo was. In fact, I barely remembered that Momo was there.

Sokka/Yue. Nope. This was more wooden than wood, I'm afraid. They did Sokka/Suki too well, I guess. Yue just didn't stand a chance.

#avatar the last airbender #atla #a:tla #avatar: the last airbender #natla #netflix atla #netflix avatar #live action avatar #spoilers

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griombrioch · 1 year

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Hello if you can spare a few moments of your time what do you think of the prompt where Jessamy the raven gets reborn but as a human person and meet hob as a college student and met Morpheus not realizing he’s dream and she thinks is hobs boyfriend or husband?

Hello yes I have So Many thoughts on this.

First off, I fucking adore Jessamy and I'm heartbroken each and everyday that we never get to hear her speak in the Netflix adaptation.

Jessamy's life as a raven was already her second chance. Like Matthew, she had lived a life in the Waking World in which anthropomorphic personifications of concepts did not exist to her. Nor did the reality of magic or the journey of flying between realms. Her first life had been a short one though. As a human, she'd been very sick. And frail. And, more often than not, alone. To die in her sleep and wake up a raven was strangely liberating instead of frightening. She could put up with the magic and the strange enigmatic man who called himself her King if it meant that she could fly. She was reborn into a body that no longer held her back. She could go anywhere and everywhere and nothing could stop her. Except the shells fired from a shotgun. Of all things.

All of this is to say, of course, that no one expects to have a third chance at life. And for quite some time, Jessamy herself doesn't even know. When she walks the earth again as a human, she knows that her name is Jessica Barnes. She knows that her parents died in a car accident when she was a toddler. She is told that they loved her very much. She knows that she doesn't remember her childhood - PTSD, she is told. For what, she is not sure and nobody seems to want to give away answers. She knows that she is drawn to history, to writing, to uncovering the truths of the past that still linger between the lines of a textbook.

The first time she sees Dream it is at the end of Professor Galden's lecture on a regular Tuesday. As his TA, she is at the back of the room. When she sees the lanky, dark haired man amble to the front of the hall, she doubletakes. Not because she finds it absurd for teachers to have partners, but because she swears she recognizes this man. From somewhere. She has another class across campus though, and Jessie's really not in the habit of stalking university faculty, so she makes a hasty exit. She still needs to talk to Robert about the classes' last exam scores, but an email will have to suffice.

The next time it happens, weeks later, the man stares back at her. He looks pained and she cannot, for the life of her, figure out why. She casts a glance toward Dr. Galden for help, but he looks just as confused as she feels. The man introduces himself as Morpheus, and something about that name is so achingly familiar. Morpheus Morpheus Morpheus.

She starts getting snippets, here and there. Tiny fragments of memory that she has no previous recollection of but the moment she experiences them, she knows that they are hers. A bus passes her on the street and she sees the wings of a thousand black birds. An undergraduate asks her about European rituals and she suddenly finds herself knowledgeable on the dark summoning magic from the 1800s. Eventually her name doesn't feel like her own anymore. Like she's outgrown it.

Finally, Dr. Galden's strange boyfriend (husband? partner? consort?) shows up in her dreams. She pushes through a door and ends up in an enormous white room with a thousand steps. Morpheus stands at the bottom of them, but the coat she's used to seeing has grown another several feet. It drags on the pristine floor. He is staring at her impassively, like he was expecting her. He doesn't appear to be in pain anymore. If anything, there is something akin to hope in his eyes. She should be afraid or at the very least startled by his ghostly appearance. She is not. She knows him.

"I know this place. Why?" "Because you are home, my dear Jessamy."

#asks #the sandman #dreamling #jessamy the raven #also jessamy the not raven #dream of the endless #hob gadling #amnesia #pls let my sweet girl live her best not dead life

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mirajaneswritingshenanigans · 2 years

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So, This is Love? Part One

Fandom(s): Vincenzo Series

Pairing(s): Jang Han-seo x Paralegal!Reader

Summary: Han-seo seeks help from Vincenzo to take down his brother. In the process of seeking help, he meets you. He wants to be friends but he's not sure that's possible. Eventually he discovers that you bring him comfort and make him feel loved and safe. Slowly he begins to trust you more than those who surround him.

Disclaimer: I do not own any character mentioned or dialogue used in this work. Every character and piece of dialogue belongs to the writers, producers, and directors of Vincenzo. I am simply borrowing them for the piece of art.

A/N: Y/N-Your Name. I decided to address Han-seok as Jun-woo. Mr. And Mrs. Ha-joon are not canon characters, they were made up for this fic. ✨️✨️✨️-When these appear, it's to signify a time skip. The gif used in chapter one was created by me, all other gifs used I will not take credit for. Those rights go to the original creators. I'm testing out a new setup for my creations.

Warning(s): Mentions of abuse, C-PTSD, scene changes, Netflix subtitle translation used, out of character moments?

Word Count: 7,393

Chapter One: Jipuragi Law Firm

The moment Han-seo walked into the Jipuragi Law Firm office he could feel the tension and wariness radiating off of Vincenzo, Mr. Nam, and Ms. Hong. When he dared to look in your direction he was thrown off by your relaxed expression and the way your eyes shone with genuine curiosity. This made his demeanor immediately change from nervousness to standing on guard. He mentally shook himself before speaking. "Well, your office seems lame and awkward. It's nice." He said glancing around the room. This was a welcome change of scenery compared to the offices he'd grown accustomed to. "Why are you here?" Vincenzo stepped away from Mr. Nam and Ms. Hong. His question pulled Han-seo from his thoughts.

"What Mr. Cassano means is, how can we help you?" Vincenzo turned a questioning glance towards you. Your question took Han-seo by surprise. He was so used to being treated indifferently or as if his mere existence was an annoyance or inconvenience to those around him. He had also grown used to everyone treating him like an idiot. The way you spoke to him sounded as if you genuinely wanted to help him. "Oh, right." Han-seo stepped forward and placed a gift bag on the table. "It's nothing much. Just the most expensive and luxurious coffee made from civit's poop." He stated proudly. "What a load of crap." Mr. Nam spoke as he grabbed the gift bag and walked towards the coffee area. "Who is that guy?" Han-seo directed his question at Vincenzo. "That's Mr. Nam, he's one of our paralegals. I'm the other paralegal." You responded, instead of Vincenzo. Han-seo nodded and smiled before taking a seat at the table. Mr. Nam came back to the table with a cup for everyone.

"Why didn't you use the coffee I brought?" Han-seo asked as he inspected his cup. "We don't have a coffee maker." Mr. Nam stated before taking a seat at his desk. "Gosh. Your working conditions here are awful. Why is this so bitter?" Han-seo spoke. You chanced a glance at Mr. Nam and saw him roll his eyes, making you smile. There was never a dull moment in the office. "I never exploit betrayals within family." Vincenzo's voice pulled your attention back to him and Han-seo. “I heard that you asked Mr. Cassano to get rid of your own brother.” Cha-young said. “It would have all worked if he did what I asked. Things have gotten worse because you declined.” Han-seo stated, turning his attention to Vincenzo.

“Didn’t I tell you. I never exploit betrayals within family.” Vincenzo said. “I forgot to tell you this because I was flustered. I’m not trying to betray my own brother. What I want…” Han-seo started “how should I put it? I don’t want people to die anymore.” “Hm” Vincenzo said. “I’m trying to run Babel legally.” Han-seo finished speaking. “I guess you’ve been studying a lot. Your vocabulary has gotten better.” Cha-young stated. Han-seo smirked and nodded. You stayed silent, listening carefully to everyone. “Let me get this straight. You want to run the company properly, after getting rid of your brother?” Vincenzo asked him.

“That’s it.” Han-seo stated as he leaned forward and pointed at Vincenzo. Vincenzo hummed and nodded in understanding. You gave Vincenzo a puzzled look. One that he seemed to have missed or completely ignored. “I really love Babel. I want to run the company the right way.” Han-seo started as he let his hand fall to the table. “I really don’t want people to get killed. I meant that.” You could tell he was being sincere, but it seemed like the others needed to be convinced. “Why don’t you fix it then? Why are you asking us for help?” Cha-young asked him. “That’s because… no matter how much I think about it, you are the only people who can beat him.” Han-seo said as he leaned back in his chair. “I mean, he’s not wrong.” You spoke quietly. Han-seo gave you a puzzled look, but said nothing about the comment you had made.

“I like your intention. But do you deserve the seat?” He turned his attention back to Vincenzo when he spoke. “I’ve been studying how to run a company. I’m reading a lot of books. Humanities and economy. I read everything. I want to read all the time.” Han-seo stated proudly. “Hmm.” Vincenzo quickly glanced at Cha-young and then you before stating “then here’s a quiz.” “A quiz, all of a sudden? Fine. Go ahead. Give me a question.” Han-seo prepared himself. You sat up straighter as things got a little more interesting. “In the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith says this hand brings order to a market economy? What is it?” Vincenzo asks him. “Polite hand.” Han-seo states confidently. “Ding! Wrong. The invisible hand.” Cha-young corrects him. “As the economy grows, government expenditures in gross national product also increase. Name this law.” Vincenzo stated. You looked from Vincenzo to Han-seo. “Law of the jungle.” His answer made you want to giggle. Instead you tried hard to compose yourself and stay quiet. “Ding! Wrong. Wagner’s law.” Cha-young corrected him, seeming a bit annoyed that he got the answer wrong, yet again. At this point you began to feel sorry for Han-seo. “This is the easiest one.” Vincenzo started. Is it though? You thought silently to yourself. “To improve the company’s competitiveness, you learn something from another company. What is this term that originated from an iron rod? Here’s a hint. Bench…” Vincenzo didn’t get to finish speaking before Han-seo was interrupting. “Bench. Bench. Bench. Bench press. Bench press!!” He said with so much confidence, you found that to be adorable. “Ding! Wrong. Benchmarking.” Cha-young stated.

“Get out.” Vincenzo said as he stood from his chair. “Wait. Hold on. Didn’t I get a single one right?” Han-seo asked as he stood from his seat. You shook your head no when he looked in your direction. Cha-young stood up beside Vincenzo. Vincenzo laughed and then looked to the ground. “How could you get everything wrong?” Cha-young asked him. “The polite hand was correct. No?” Han-seo asked. “If you want our help, go study more. If you want to join us, you must be smart.” Vincenzo stated. “Is this a symposium or what? Why?” Han-seo asked. “Feel free to say no.” Cha-young said. “Get out.” Vincenzo gave a shooing motion towards the exit. Mr. Nam moved from his desk to stand near the door. You stood from your seat giving everyone a puzzled look. Han-seo gave another look in your direction before turning to walk away. “Wait. If I pass your quiz the next time I’m here. You’ll really help me then, right?” Han-seo turned back to face Vincenzo and Cha-young. “Get out.” Vincenzo stated firmly.

“Seriously. You’re so petty. Fine. I’ll leave.” Han-seo stated as he headed towards the door. This time you lightly laughed at his statement. Again Han-seo decided to turn back to them. “What will you quiz me on?” He asked. “Out. Mr. Nam.” Vincenzo commanded, gesturing to Mr. Nam to show Han-seo out. Han-seo finally walked towards the door. Before leaving he asked Mr. Nam “did you know about the polite hand?” “Here are my polite hands.” Mr. Nam said as he opened the law firm’s doors. Han-seo gave him a look before walking through them. Mr. Nam closed the doors once Han-seo stepped a distance away from the doors. “Don’t you think you guys were a bit hard on him?” You asked. Mr. Nam and Cha-young gave you a puzzled look. Vincenzo only shrugged. “Are you really going to help Jang Han-seo?” Cha-young asked as she leaned on the table. Directing her question and attention at Vincenzo. He turned his attention to her and only hummed a response. You weren’t quite sure what that meant, but a part of you hoped that it meant yes. You personally thought Han-seo deserved the help.

Chapter Two: Can We Be Friends?

A week had gone by since Han-seo visited the firm. Mr. Nam, Vincenzo, and Cha-young kept themselves busy trying to sort through all the files that were saved to Guillotine. You helped here and there, even if your mind happened to be elsewhere. You slowly made your way to your favorite cafe, thoughts racing about Han-seo’s well being. You had overheard Mr. Nam explaining to Vincenzo that Jun-woo abused and tortured Han-seo through the years. It broke your heart to hear about that bit of information.

You were so lost in thought that you hadn’t been paying attention to your surroundings. Next thing you knew, you ran into someone, lost your footing, and fell to the ground. “I’m so sorry. I should have been paying attention to where I was going.” You said as you began to stand, brushing yourself off. You hadn’t looked up quite yet, to see who it was you bumped into. “Uh, it’s fine.” You froze when you recognized the voice. Finally looking up, you were greeted by a familiar face. “What are the chances of bumping into you here.” You joked, as you gave Han-seo a once over glance. You furrowed your brows when you noticed Han-seo surveying the area. “Is everything all right?” You asked him quietly. “Only making sure no one followed me. I had to sneak away. I felt suffocated and needed air.” He spoke quietly to you. You nodded in understanding. “Being the Babel Chairman means all eyes are always on you.” You said. He nodded in agreement to your statement. “That explains your relaxed attire. I wouldn’t have recognized you if you hadn’t spoken.” You admitted. He furrowed his brows and looked down at his outfit. “You’re used to seeing me in a suit, just like everyone else. I get it.” He said, with a gentle smile. You were a little shocked by how easy it was to talk to him. You remembered how he had looked at you with weariness a week ago. You began to wonder what changed his behavior.

“Hey, I’m headed out to have lunch, would you like to join me?” You asked. He looked around again. “Is the place you go to well known? Big crowd?” You could hear the nervousness in his tone. “Honestly, no. It’s a family owned cafe. I only know about it because the owners’ are family friends to me. You’ll only know about the place if you’re looking or if a regular customer happens to mention it to you.” You admitted to him. He was silent for a moment as he mulled over his options. “As long as you’re offering an invitation, I’ll accept.” Han-seo said, breaking the silence that fell around the two of you. “Great, follow me.” Without thinking you gently grabbed his wrist and began to lead the way. You stopped when you felt him flinch and tug his wrist from your grasp. “Oh, I’m sorry. I got excited and didn’t think before acting.” You said as you turned your attention to him. Shoving both hands into your pockets and opting to walk beside him. “I’m sorry, it was sudden.” Han-seo spoke softly. Letting his hand fall to his side. You were confused on why he would apologize, because you felt that he didn’t need to apologize.

He felt guilty for the interaction, but he didn’t want to explain his reaction. At least not right now. He was glad that you still wanted to be close to him. He wouldn’t admit it right now, but you’ve been on his mind since he left the law firm last week. A part of him wanted to get to know you. “We’re here.” You announced when you got to the cafe door. Pulling him out of his thoughts. You turned to him and smiled.

“Ready?” You questioned him. He nodded his head in agreement as you opened the door. The atmosphere of the cafe was calm and relaxing. He scanned the cafe from one side to the next. There wasn’t a single familiar face present. A sight he openly welcomed. He watched you as you waved to a woman at the counter. You turned your attention to him. “My favorite booth is open. Best part is you can easily see both exits and it’s away from the windows.” You pointed out to him. He nodded as he followed you. A few minutes after sitting down, the woman from behind the counter walked over to the table. “Hey there, Y/N. I see you brought a friend today.” She gave Han-seo a welcoming smile. “Han-seo, this is Mrs. Ha-joon. Mrs. Ha-joon this is Han-seo, he’s my new friend.” You told her proudly. You missed the way his breath hitched. His mind began racing, thinking suddenly this wasn’t a good idea. Any time he made a friend Jun-woo made sure to drive them away. He also couldn’t remember the last time someone had wanted to be his friend without having an ulterior motive or horrible intentions.

“Here are the menus.” Mrs. Ha-joon’s voice dragged Han-seo back into reality. “Thank you. We’ll need a few moments.” You told her. “I’ll be back.” She said before walking off. “Are you all right?” You softly asked Han-seo. “Uh, yeah. What would you recommend?” He replied, looking down to the menu instead of into your eyes. You didn’t want to push him so you decided to look over the menu as well. “Honestly, everything is great here.” You admitted. “I think I’ll go with today’s special. It sounds great and I love spicy food.” Han-seo said. “Sounds good. I’m going to order my usual.” You told him. Silence fell around the two of you. The only thing that could be heard was the soft music playing over the speakers in the cafe. Han-seo chanced a glance at you.

You were still reading over the menu, even though you knew exactly what you wanted. His heart felt heavy. The one thing he had wanted for a long time was friend who wouldn’t judge him. One who wouldn’t think he’s similar to Jun-woo. He wanted someone to talk to that hadn’t been bought by the Jang family. However, he wasn’t sure that could be you. A part of him wanted so badly to be friends, the other part wanted to fiercely protect you from the dangers of being his friend. “Han-seo, are you sure you’re all right? I can feel you staring at me.” You raised your head up to look at him. “Honestly, a bit scared.” Han-seo looked down to the table as he spoke. He took the chance and decided that he wanted to be honest with you. Before you could say anything Mrs. Ha-joon appeared. “Ready to order?” She asked. “Uh, I’ll have the usual and he would like today’s special.” You told her as you handed your menu to her. You gently took Han-seo’s menu and handed it to her. “Would you like the drink that comes with the special?” Mrs. Ha-joon asked Han-seo. “Yes, please.” Han-seo replied. She smiled at the two of you before walking away to place your orders.

You waited a few moments for her to return with the drinks. After you were sure she wasn’t going to return for awhile, you turned your attention back to Han-seo.“Why are you scared?” You asked him softly. “Because, it’s hard to make friends when you have a brother like mine. People I care for always end up getting hurt. Also, most people who want to be my friend have bad intentions or an ulterior motive.” You could hear the pain in his tone. “I understand. I’m also an adult making the decision that I would like to be your friend. I’m fully aware of what your brother is capable of doing. What his minions are capable of doing. No bad intentions and no ulterior motive.” You stated. Han-seo looked up to meet your eyes. He could tell you were being sincere in your words.

“Do you think they’ll help?” He suddenly asked. You knew exactly who he was talking about. “I’m hoping they will. Your brother is a monster and he does need to be stopped.” You said. “Well, either way, I’ll find a way to solve my problem.” He said. He didn’t feel very confident about it but he decided to say it anyhow.“I believe Vincenzo will help, he just needs a bit more convincing.” You told Han-seo before taking a sip of your drink. The smile on your face and the confidence in your voice threw him off a bit, but he silently welcomed it. A comfortable silence began to fall as the two of you waited for your meals. Han-seo noticed that he was beginning to relax in the slightest bit. He still had his fears and doubts racing through his mind. But he had decided that, just for a fraction of the time, he’d welcome the peace that you somehow brought to him within this cafe. The bell ringing on the door made him jump and look to the exit. It wasn’t anyone he knew or anyone who knew him. Just another customer that Mrs. Ha-joon happily welcomed. “If you’re worried about your brother or his goons showing up, I understand. But, I wanted to tell you his type wouldn’t come here because it’s not fancy enough.” You tried to ease his mind.

Before he could speak a man had come to your table with your meals. “The usual for you.” He said as he put your meal in front of you. “Today’s special for you. Please, enjoy.” The man said as he placed Han-seo’s meal in front of him. He gave the two of you a smile before walking away. “That was Mr. Ha-joon, he’s the chef and Mrs. Ha-joon’s husband. He's also a man of few words, if you get what I mean.” You told him before taking a bite of your food. “I get it. And thank you, for trying to ease my worries.” Han-seo spoke softly. You simply smiled at him. “We’re friends now.” You told him. Instead of saying anything he nodded his head in agreement. In this moment he decided that he would take the risk and become your friend. The two of you ate in a comfortable silence and enjoyed the meal.

✨️✨️✨️

“Thank you, again. For the meal and conversation.” Han-seo said as he began to tidy his side of the table. “No problem. Do you have anywhere you need to be right now?” You asked him. “I should head back to Babel before Jun-woo or the bodyguards grow suspicious.” Han-seo said. As if on cue, his phone began to ring. Your heart clenched at the way his features twisted into a look of fear when he glanced at the caller ID. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” Han-seo said as he stood. Answering his phone a few moments later. You could hear him apologizing and saying he went for a walk, he’s on his way back now. That was all you heard as he walked away and out of the cafe.

“Is everything all right?” Mrs. Ha-joon asked when she walked over to your table. “Yeah, I’ll take the check now.” You replied. She nodded her head before walking back to the counter. A few moments later she returned with the check. Once you paid, you headed back to Jipuragi law firm. Your thoughts filled with Han-seo and hoping that no harm would come to him. Becoming his friend may prove to be difficult, but you felt, it would be worth it.

Chapter Three: Patching Him Up

“Don’t dodge this.” Jun-woo commanded as he readied himself to throw what was in his hand at Han-seo. Han-seo nodded his head “I won’t.” Those were the last words spoken before the object connected with his forehead, creating a small cut above his right eyebrow. Jun-woo gave him a disapproving stare and sighed heavily once Han-seo gained his composure after the object fell to the ground.

Clenching his fists and sighing he said “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect the firefighters to be dispatched.” “Can’t even blow up one building?” Jun-woo leaned on the back of his desk chair as he spoke. “Why? I don’t get it?” He continued on. “It was just about to explode, but the authorities …” Han-seo’s words trailed off. “Right, the authorities.” Jun-woo said as he turned away from him. Clearly unamused and pissed at the current situation. “I’ll think of another reckless way to take care of it.” Han-seo said. “Are you saying I was reckless.” Jun-woo directed his attention back to him. “Yes..” Han-seo started before correcting himself. “I mean, no.”

Relief rushed through him as a knock resonated through the office. “Who is it?” Jun-woo asked. “I have something urgent to report.” Choi Myung-hee announced as she walked into the room. “Hey. Get out.” Jun-woo directed his words at Han-seo. “Yes, sir.” He said before bowing, he grabbed his coat and made his way out of the office.

✨️✨️✨️

Instead of heading to the hospital like any normal person would, Han-seo made his way towards your home. Going to you after facing his brother had become a habit for him, once the two of you became closer. He felt more comfortable getting patched up by you than anyone else. He didn’t even trust the private doctor that had been hired for the Jang family. Like all of the other times, he drove by himself, leaving his driver and body guards at his brother's law office. His head guard told him that he shouldn’t go anywhere alone, but he refused to listen to him. The drive to your house was silent as he thought about what his next move would be. He had high hopes that his next visit to Jipuragi Law Firm would change Vincenzo’s mind.

✨️✨️✨️

The knock at your door made you jump slightly before pausing the movie you were watching. “One moment.” You yelled as you made your way towards your door. Your jaw dropped when you opened it to see blood streaming down Han-seo’s face. “I swear if Vincezo doesn’t help you, I’m going to take Jun-woo down myself.” You moved aside to allow him into your home. “I’d rather you stay far away from him.” Han-seok said. “I hear what you’re saying, but if he keeps this up..” The pleading look Han-seo was giving you made your words trail off. “Take a seat at the breakfast counter, I’ll go grab the first aid kit.” You said before walking off. Han-seo nodded and did as he was told. A few moments later you reappeared and set everything on the counter.

Han-seo sat in the chair silently, watching you carefully. You were currently setting out all of the items you would need to clean and patch his wound. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. You paused and turned your attention to his eyes. “Why? You didn’t do anything wrong.” You spoke softly to him. “I got blood on your carpet.” You followed his gaze and saw a few droplets of blood staining your carpet. "Carpets can be cleaned.” You turned your attention back to the task at hand. You soaked a washcloth with warm water and soap. “Hold still.” You gently commanded as you used one hand to tilt his face upward and the other to clean off the blood. “It may sting a little.” You told him when you got closer to his wound. Han-seo flinched as the washcloth made contact with his wound. “I’m sorry.” You told him gently. You directed your eyes from his wound to make eye contact with him. You were completely unaware of how Han-seo’s posture stiffened when your eyes met. “It’s, uh. Fine. Only stung a bit, like you said.” He said nervously. You gently nodded and turned your attention back to his wound. You still held his chin in your hand as you continued to gently clean his face. Suddenly you let go and moved to rinse the washcloth. When you repeated your actions to get Han-seo to stay still, this time he didn’t flinch when washcloth touched his wound. You smiled at him as you gently let his chin go and set the cloth down.

“Next, are the adhesive strips. When this heals you might have a tiny scar.” You said as you turned back to the counter to grab the strips. Han-seo didn’t say anything, instead he sat silently waiting for your next move. Again you gently raised his face upwards, this time you didn’t leave your hand on his chin. You missed the look of disappointment that flashed in his eyes as you focused on placing the strips on his wound. Making sure they were sticky enough and spaced properly.

“One day, your brother will get what he rightfully deserves.” You stated before stepping away from Han-seo. You nodded your head in satisfaction as you did a once over glance of his wound. “All finished. You’re lucky that I have training in first aid.” You said softly. “Thank you.” Han-seo told you. “Han-seo, why do you always come to me after facing him? I honestly don’t mind, I’m just curious is all.” You asked as he began to help you clean up. “It’s because you’re always so gentle. And because you don’t give me the same looks everyone else around me does.” Han-seo said.

You smiled at him. After he handed you the first aid kit he went to sit back down. You walked off to put everything away. A few moments later you came back to the kitchen. You silently moved around the kitchen, preparing to make tea.

“Why do you always help without a second thought?” Han-seo suddenly asked. You stopped in your tracks and glanced up at him. He had his hands clasped together and resting on the counter, staring at them intently. Trying his hardest not to meet your gaze at the moment. “Han-seo” You slowly walked to where you were standing in front of him. The counter being the only object separating the two of you. You rested both hands on the counter. “I’m always willing to help you without a second thought, because you’re my friend and I truly do care for you. I’ll remind you that I have no ulterior motives. I understand that may be difficult to process.” Your voice was gentle as you spoke. “You mean it?” Han-seo looked up from his hands to meet your gaze. “Of course. If I have to, I’ll remind you every time your doubts get too loud.” You moved around the counter to stand closer to Han-seo and gently set a hand on his shoulder. “Han-seo, you may not believe me when I say this. But to me, you’re not a nobody, you’re a somebody. You are worthy and you are loved. Don’t believe anyone who says otherwise. Especially if it's your brother. He’s a monster.” You wanted to say more but couldn’t as Han-seo stood up and began to hug you tightly.

“Thank you.” Han-seo spoke softly. You wrapped your arms around him to hug him back. “No problem.” You spoke just as softly. Han-seo let go after a few moments and pulled away. You slowly reached up to his face and gently wiped away the tears that fell. “It’s going to be okay, eventually.” You said. He smiled as he leaned into your touch more. For Han-seo, this moment meant a lot more to him than you were aware of. He had always been used to hands that meant him harm. Always used to being used. In this moment he felt human, he felt safe, and most importantly, he actually felt loved. The whistle from the kettle interrupted this moment. You smiled at him before walking away to tend to the kettle.

You pulled tea cups from your cupboard. Han-seo sat back in his chair, fondly watching every move you made. You set down the cups, one in front of him, the other in front of the seat next to him. You walked back to the stove to grab the tea kettle and the packets of tea that sat next to the stove on the counter. As Han-seo watched your movements, it was in that moment that he realized, this is the type of life he wished he had. A life where someone would care for him the way he so desperately needed. Someone he would care for just as much.

In the end Han-seo ended up staying the night at your place, not caring about the consequences he may face for it. He had decided that tomorrow he would go to Jipuragi Law Firm and confess what he had done.

Chapter Four: Han-seo's "Battle" Scar

You woke up to Han-seo gently shaking your shoulder. “I’m sorry to wake you, I just wanted to tell you that I’ll be going now. But you’ll see me later.” He whispered to you. “All right.” You groggily replied to him. He smiled softly at you before leaving your home. Instead of waking up right away, you decided to sleep a little bit longer. Not ready to face the day just yet.

✨️✨️✨️

When you had finally gotten up and dressed for the day, you headed for the law firm. When you walked into the room, the atmosphere felt heavy. You hadn’t been told what had happened yet. “Everything in this building could’ve turned to ashes.” Mr. Nam said, giving you an idea of what was going. “I wonder who reported it, though.” Cha-young said. As if on cue, Han-seo walked through the door in the most ridiculous outfit you’ve ever seen him in. He strolled in and took a seat in the chair beside Vincenzo. Everyone in the room giving him a puzzled looked.

“Sir, I’d like some luwak coffee today.” He told Mr. Nam. You raised a brow at his attitude, wondering what exactly you missed. “It was such a hassle to brew it, so I sold it online.” Mr. Nam stated flatly. “Why would you? Don’t you know how rare it is?" Han-seo asked. “What’s with your clothes? It’s as if you live in the ‘80s Koreatown.” Cha-young asked. “I was just about to ask what’s up with this attire.” You blurted out. Han-seo smiled as he took off his tinted glasses. “I disguised myself in case someone recognized me on the way here.” Cha-young, Vincenzo, and Mr. Nam gave each other a look. You silently watched the whole exchange.

You were about to slap Han-seo’s hand when he began to press on his wound. Han-seo hummed in pain to get everyone’s attention. “What? Oh, this. I actually came here to tell you guys about this.” You rolled your eyes at his antics. “Let me tell you. This is a battle scar that I got for saving your lives.” He said while pointing at his wound. You raised a brow at him. Cha-young finally sat down in a chair at the table. “What do you mean?” “Yesterday, when this building was about to blow up. Who do you think reported it?” His words cleared your confusion about what Mr. Nam was referring to moments ago. He stood from the table as he continued to speak. “You see, my brother ordered me to blow up this building. And I made him think I was going to do so. Then I called the authorities at the right time. It really was dangerous.” He looked so proud of himself as he told everyone what happened. You couldn’t help but smile along with him.

“Are we supposed to thank you or something?” Cha-young asked him. “Of course, you should. You could’ve been buried alive, but I saved all of you.” Han-seo responded. “Thank you.” Mr. Nam stated flatly. Cha-young saying thank you in the same tone. Vincenzo stood up from his chair and walked away to the shelves that held different files on them. Han-seo followed him because he wanted to speak to him. You were curious so you stood up to stand closer to them. “My borther and Wusang know that there’s gold and the Guillotine file here. You know that, right?” Han-seo told Vincenzo. “That’s probably why he wanted to blow this place up.” Vincenzo responded. “He won’t stop here. He could even launch a missile.” “Oh my god. Nuclear launch detected.” Mr. Nam said, making Han-seo turn to stare at him with a surprised look on his face. “Don’t you think this is enough for you to do me that favor? I’ve done enough haven’t I?” Han-seo turned his attention back to Vincenzo as he spoke. Vincenzo looked up from the file he was flipping through. “Fine. I’ll do it. We’ll discuss details later.” Han-seo held a pinky out to Vincenzo with a smile on his face.

Vincenzo only smiled before throwing the file he held into Han-seo’s hands. “Organize them in alphabetical order.” Vincenzo told him. “Alphabetical?” Han-seo said looking down at the file he held. “Second from the top.” Mr. Nam announced. Han-seo turned to him with a smile and a nod before setting the file he held on the shelf.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you what happned last night.” Han-seo turned to you as he spoke. You were currently leaning up against the copying machine that sat next to the shelves. “Oh, uh, it’s fine.” You replied to him. “Hold up, did we miss something?” Cha-young asked as she leaned forward on the table. You weren’t sure why, but your face began to heat up from the look she was giving you. “Who do you think patched me up?” Han-seo pointed to his wound as he spoke. “A doctor at the Emergency Room ” Mr. Nam answered. At this moment you were currently looking at the ground. You missed the way Han-seo smiled as he shook his head no to Mr. Nam’s statement. “Well, then. Who?” Cha-young asked. Instead of speaking, Han-seo happily pointed to you. Cha-young’s jaw dropped. Mr. Nam and Vincenzo raised a brow at his action. “Since when are the two of you that close?” Mr. Nam asked curiously.

“Since, some time after the day we had lunch together.” Han-seo turned to you as he spoke. You finally looked up from the floor to see him with a wide grin on his face. “I think, it’s been about a month or so since then.” You admitted. He nodded his head in agreement. “Huh.” You turned to see Vincenzo smirking at the two of you. You shook your head at them and turned to the shelves. Showing Han-seo where each file should be stored. Silence had fallen when you began to organize with Han-seo. Everyone decided to do their own thing, leaving the two of you in your own world for now. Vincenzo happened to steal a glance of the two of you working together. His sharp eye caught the way Han-seo would fondly glance at you when you weren't looking. Vincenzo could see what was happening, instead of saying anything he thought it best to stay silent and let it happen on it's own.

When the two of you had finished the task Han-seo headed home for the day. Cha-young was sitting at her desk. Vincenzo was at his desk. You moved to sit at the table. Not sure of what to do now. “Mr. Cassano, where are you going?” Mr. Nam asked. You looked up to see Vincenzo walking out of the office. You turned to see Cha-young shaking her head no as Mr. Nam looked in her direction. You’d be lying if you had said you weren’t curious. The three of you went back to doing your own things for a bit. Up until it was time to go home.

Chapter Five: Jun-woo's Sinister Announcement

Han-seo was stuck being in the presence of his brother. “Make sure to make me feel ecstatic tonight. I’m looking forward to it.” Jun-woo announced to his phone. “Yes, sir. I promise to bring you good news.” Myung-hee said over the speaker of his phone. “Okay.” He said as he hung up. At that moment Han-seo stepped into the room with a tray in his hands. On the tray sat a glass of water and a bottle of vitamins. “You seem to be in a great mood. Did you go somewhere nice?” “That’s none of your business. What’s this?” “Oh, this? You don’t look too great these days. Your ears look humongous as well. This is for your health.” “After all you’ve done? Also, my ears were always huge.” “Really?” Jun-woo began to pour the vitamins into his hand. “Wait. One pill is enough.” Jun-woo gave him a look before dumping all but one vitamin back into the bottle and downing the glass of water.

“Are you really not going to tell me where you’ve been?” Han-seo asked his brother. Jun-woo had set the glass down and began to walk away. Instead of giving a clear answer he huffed and shook his head no. It was clear to Han-seo that something was up, but god forbid if his brother was ever honest with him. He glanced around the room, wondering where and what Jun-woo was up to. He moved to the table and lifted the jacket, sniffing it as if that would give him a clue. “Damn it. You could’ve told me in return for the supplements.” He spoke aloud to himself. Not knowing what dark scheme his brother had done was beginning to weigh heavily on his mind as he walked out of Jun-woo's room.

✨️✨️✨️

“All right. Let’s drink ourselves to death tonight.” Jun-woo said as he raised his glass. “Why are you in such a great mood today?” Han-seo asked curiously. “Because I killed Vincenzo’s mother.” He proudly responded. Han-seo’s heart sank at his brother's confession. Seung-hyeok was stunned by what was just spoken. “The one he was finally reunited with after 30 years?!” Han-seo couldn’t believe how proud his brother looked. He also couldn’t fathom why he would be happy about something so sinister.

“What?!” He blurted out. “He must be devastated, right?” Jun-woo had a sinister look of pride taking over his features as he spoke. “Were you aware of this?” Seung-hyeok asked. Myung-hee said nothing and sipped on her drink. Han-seo was stunned into silence, but he knew the question wasn’t directed at him. Or at least he had hoped that it wasn’t. “What’s wrong? Are you scared that I killed his mom?” Jun-woo asked in a mocking tone. “No, sir. I’m just worried it might worsen the current situation.” Seung-hyeok replied nervously. “I feel the same way. No good can come out of provoking him.” Han-seo admitted. He tried to keep his voice calm and steady. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to see and hear just how terrified he was currently feeling.

Jun-woo said nothing as he swirled his drink around, with a look of ‘oh really?’ gracing his features. “Since you joined hands, you must share the same feelings too.” Myung-hee said. “Joined hands? What are you trying to say?” Seung-hyeok asked. “Hey, Ms. Choi. How dare you talk so impudently?” Han-seo stood up from where he sat, facing Myung-hee. “I’m not being impudent. I’m just stating a fact.” Han-seo sighed heavily before turning to his brother. “That’s not true. He was just lending me a hand because I lacked so much.” “You’ve been meeting each other a bit too often for “just lending a hand”.” Myung-hee stated. “Damn it.” Han-seo turned his attention to her. “What? Have you been watching me?” Seung-hyeok stood up in a defensive manner. “Wait. Then me too. How can you keep tabs on your allies?” Han-seo asked. “It’s because you weren’t acting like allies. That’s why we did it.” She looked up to Han-seo with a blank stare. “Hey! Who do you think you’re talking to? Show some resepct.” Han-seo raised his voice at her.

Both Myung-hee and Jun-woo gave him a wicked smile instead of saying anything. Han-seo felt sick to his stomach at the events that were playing before him. Nothing could have prepared him for what had happened tonight. He knew that nothing good would come of this. “Hey. You must be out of your mind because of my brother when you’re a mere lawyer.” He directed his words at Myung-hee. Setting her glass down, she stood up. “Maybe. But I can still see through your lousy plan to betray the chairman.” Han-seo’s heart sank. “Ms. Choi!” Seung-hyeok yelled. “Watch what you say! He’s still our client nonetheless!” He pointed to Han-seo as he yelled.

Jun-woo sat quietly in his chair watching everything unfold before him. Silently enjoying the way everyone seemed to be at each other’s throats. Myung-hee moved from where she was standing to stand directly in front of Seung-hyeok. “Seung-hyeok, you of all people should have been more careful. How dare you betray the chairman’s trust?” “What did I do? How could you frame me like this?” “Frame my ass. You should’ve known better. How could you?” In frustration Seung-hyeok yanked his glasses off his face, running a hand down his features. “Do I look like a pawn now that you’ve gained some wealth and power? If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be Mr. Seo’s gopher back at the Namdongbu Office!” “Gopher”? “That’s right.” Myung-hee began to asssault him. “Do you want to die? I’m your senior! Show some respect!” Seung-hyeok fell to his knees turning his attention to Jun-woo. “Sir, I don’t know what she told you, but it isn’t true…”

Everyone turned their attention to the other side of the room when Myung-hee suddenly screamed. A man covered in blood asking for help had suddenly entered. What happened next shocked and terrified Han-seo. The man was shot in the head. As his body fell to the floor Vincenzo stood facing them with a gun. Vincenzo slowly walked forward pointing his weapon directly at Jun-woo. Ignoring Myung-hee and the way she was shaking with her hands in the air. The man’s blood covering and dripping from her face. Vincenzo had one goal and ignored everything else around him.

Jun-woo was barely phased by his actions. Suddenly, Vincenzo pointed his gun at Myung-hee making her duck for cover. Then he pointed it at Seung-hyeok and Han-seo, startling the both of them. Then pointing back at Jun-woo. He smirked but said nothing as he watched Vincenzo. Vincenzo began to point his gun at Myung-hee again, as he took several steps forward. Suddenly he aimed and shot around the room a few times.

“Killing my mother wasn’t just evil. It was utterly foolish. I knew that you killed countless people and even tried to kill me. But do you know why I didn’t kill you? Because it was a hassle.” Vincenzo said. Jun-woo looked up from where he was cowering to stare at him. He began to walk closer to Jun-woo. “I had a job to do. So if I’d killed you, it would’ve inconvenienced me a lot. Killing these small flies, wouldn’t though.” Vicnenzo said as he took a seat on one of the couches. “Anyway. You have to die now.” “No. Please.” Han-seo begged. “Why? No.” Seung-hyeok pleaded. Jun-woo looked to Vincenzo in anger and annoyance. “Don’t be scared. It won’t be today. You see, I’ve got a principle. “A painless death is a blessing”." Vicnenzo stated. “I will give you two things. A humiliation worse than death, and a slow death where you’ll experience it every step of the way.” Vincenzo glanced at Jun-woo for a moment then looked away. “You can take care of that garbage. And don’t even think about pinning it on me. If you do, people will find out who put him up to it.” He stood up and turned to leave. A moment later he turned back around and walked towards Jun-woo. Making Jun-woo back up against the chair he was near. “I should give you a preview.” He said as he pointed his gun at Jun-woo. Without even flinching Vincenzo aimed at his ear and pulled the trigger.

Jun-woo flinched and grabbed for his ear. Afterwards Vincenzo walked out as if nothing had happened. Everyone had rushed to Jun-woo's side. Panicking about what should be done. Eventually the authorities were called and he was taken to the hospital to have his ear taken care of.

Part Two

#Vincenzo Series #vincenzo #jang han seo x reader #jang han seo x paralegal!reader #so this is love part one #so this is love fanfic #x reader

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stormee-jiiva · 2 years

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Movie Night

You and Kyōjurō watch How to Train Your Dragon. He certainly didn't expect you to cry however.

Kyōjurō Rengoku x GN!MC

Pure fluff

This is really just for me but on the off chance someone else here absolutely adores httyd here you :D i wrote all of this on my phone while watching the movie but had ti switch to PC so i could edit it properly. also i swear i haven't forgotten about my kyo x dragon rider mc series

You two had been aimlessly watching YouTube and scrolling mindlessly through social media that evening before you'd suddenly snapped up from your vegetative state. "Let's watch How to Train Your Dragon." You'd exclaimed. Kyōjurō stared at you for a moment, surprised by your sudden outburst. When you turned to him and he saw the absolute childlike glee in your eyes combined with that adorable little smile you gave when you were trying to contain your excitement he knew he couldn't say no. As if he could ever say no to you anyway.

He knew the film was your all time favorite, anyone that'd known you for more than 5 minutes knew you adored the franchise. In the year that Kyōjurō had been with you you'd watched the 'Race to The Edge' Netflix series twice as it was a natural habit of yours to watch it once every year. But even then he'd never actually watched the first film with you.

"Kyōjurō?"

With your small call of his name he was snatched from his thoughts only to realize from the look of sorrow that lay almost hidden under your now nervous smile that he hadn't actually answered your question yet. "Of course my love!" He'd almost shouted, quick to get the words out before your expression crumbled anymore. As soon as the words left his lips however the childlike glee returned tenfold.

You quickly jumped off the couch and almost sprinted over to the TV stand, small almost manic giggles leaving your lips the entire time. Kyōjurō found himself watching you with pure adoration. You were absolutely adorable like this. It was like all the world's negativity no longer existed to you. There was nothing but pure joy in your heart right now and Kyōjurō soon found himself smiling along with you. Until he noticed you were pulling out the DVDs. Now he was confused. The film was on Netflix why were you pulling out the DVD? He decided to ask instead of just internally questioning your actions.

"Little Flame?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you pulling out the DVDs? We can just stream it."

You turned to him with a blush on your cheeks and the film in hand. "Nostalgia and because why not. As a kid I always had the DVD and we always just watch things on streaming platforms these days. We have a DVD copy why not use it. Get that authentic childhood experience!" You'd explained. As you put the disc in Kyōjurō smiled, he was honoured that you wanted to share such a personal experience with him and besides you had a point, you owned a physical copy, why not use it.

As the trailers for Shrek: Happily Ever After and other once upcoming DreamWorks films started playing Kyōjurō felt you snuggle into his arm. When he looked down he saw the wide toothy grin you had on your face he couldn't help but smile with you.

As you quietly recited the voice lines of the various characters Kyōjurō wrapped his arms around you, you were so adorable he just couldn't help it. When you hummed along to the soundtrack playing in the background he took your hand in his, you were so lost in the film you didn't even notice.

You were only part ways into the movie--specifically the 'Forbidden Friendship' scene--before Kyōjurō felt you bury your face into his side, at first he didn't mind and just snuggled back into you. When Kyōjurō felt a faint wetness against his shirt and heard the faintest sniffle he immediately turned to you with concern etched on his face. He gently cupped your cheek to coax you out from your little snuggle spot only to be met with teary eyes and the most adorable smile that had your bottom lip caught on your canine tooth. "Are you okay my Little Flame?" Kyōjurō spoke gently. "This is just too perfect. I'm watching my favorite film of all time with the one I love most. How could I not cry tears of joy?" You'd said whilst wrapping your arms tightly around his waist. Kyōjurō only held you tighter. How could he be so lucky?

By the end of the film you were bouncing your fists with pure glee, and as the credits rolled you began to sing along to the song. Kyōjurō eyed your bouncing form with love swirling in his eyes. It was in this moment Kyōjurō Rengoku knew what he wanted. He wanted to spend forever like this, with you.

The end credits song finished and the films various soundtracks started playing. You hummed along as Kyōjurō's thoughts swirled.

Romantic Flight started playing as Kyōjurō Rengoku took your hands in his. Taking you out of your little daydream.

"Will you marry me?"

#rengoku x reader #rengoku #kyojuro x reader #kimetsu rengoku #rengoku kyoujurou x reader #rengoku kyōjurō #rengoku kyojuro #rengoku x y/n #rengoku x you #demon slayer rengoku #how to train your dragon #httyd #this is really just for me #help #i actually cried #WUAH #fanfic #demon slayer #idk

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emjayart · 11 months

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Love Between Fairy and Devil

i know this Drama was aired back in 2022, but one thing about me is that i'd rather wait until the drama is completely aired than to wait in agony for the next episode to come and translated (that thing is no joke); i've done watching this show last month and boy was i cursed after this, i saw the cover and title on Netflix and i was like "eeehhh probably just a typical Cdrama, nothing special about it" but then i started to have doubts about my own judgement and decided to watch. oh boy i was wrong.

First, let me give my respect to the screen writers who spent 3 YEARS in writing the scripts, their efforts and hard work paid nicely <3, so does for all the visual effects team, choreograph team, etc for bringing this drama came to life so beautifully.

You can smell the strong chemistry between two leads. great casts!! standing ovation for Wang He Di for his performance!!!

ever since i started to fell in love with Cdrama i have never saw "what great power looks like" you know what i mean? like Ye Hua in TMOPB he was considered the brightest and all that, but the show did not give me any chance to actually witness his power at it's peak, same case with my beloved Hanguan Jun (though i still love him), Wei Ying (almost at a peak if it's not for him to deal with the power biting his butt back).

DongFang QingCang (dfqc) showed up with style, arrogance, domineering, invincible, confidence, that air that makes everybody even the heavenly emperor tucked their tails between their legs when he arrived at that Waterfall Hall to safe xiao lanhua, he summoned lightning and darken the sky, his voice like thunder; even when he was fighting with ChangHeng and his buddy Rong Hao. that HELLFIRE is hella sexy!! I NEVER BEEN THAT HYPED when i see a villain is about to destroy, the music, the visual effect, choreograph for DFQC is superb!! one swing of that man sends ChangHeng the God of War got beaten up like a dough, he was left unscathed, no drop of blood, stand so proudly in front of his opponents, WORTHY OF HIS TITLE, RESPECT AND FEARED. "the only person who can defeat DongFang QingCang is himself" he can easily kill xiao lanhua, but he didn't, yet he opened to the new experience.

i want to talk a lot about this complex character and his development throughout the journey which thumbs up to the Production House to be able to put his whole development as a character fantastically though i hate why you guys left us like that for the last 6 episodes, you can you that 4 more episodes to give us more!!

the are soooooo many scenes that i love, so many comedy in this drama, body swap, but the peak of the comedy is in Human Realm, when ChangHeng & DongFang QingCang became sworn brothers lmao, when DongFang QingCang crawled through dog hole (I'm dead) and so much much.

but the one that hit me the most is when DongFang QingCang mourned for xiao LanHua, guys let me tell you, i watch that episode around 10 pm and watch i think one more episode before i decided i can't take it anymore, i was bawling for hours i'm not even kidding, the fact the DongFang QingCang can't accept her death so he would rather stay in his dream if it means to be with her broke me into pieces. no Cdrama has ever done that to me, not even Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (sorry Ye Hua and Bai Qian), i had that emotional breakdown for almost a week, i lost control over my emotional because of this show lol that i'm afraid to go out fearing i would have a breakdown in public. the effect are too strong on my emotions.

this drama is 11 out of 10!

as i said before, the only downside of the drama is how they did the story for the last 2 or 3 episode, too rushed, i wanted to see Goddess Xi Yun's devotion on nurturing DongFang QingCang's crescent moon spirit! i was so frustrated on how they end things, i want Season 2 of this drama mainly because i wanna see how great GLAZED FIRE is and i want to see that stupid heavenly emperor put to justice because honestly he does not deserved the crown!!!! never.

let's discuss in the comment on what you like and dislike and if i miss-mention something :)

#cang lan jue #xiao lanhua #dongfang qingcang #changheng #ronghao #love between fairy and devil #shuiyuntian #cangyansea #moon supreme #dylan wang #wang hedi #cdrama #chinese #fantasy #xianxia

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scuderiahoney · 3 days

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and if that’s what they want to make, great! but frankly, it’s not what I came to the channel for, and i’m not alone in that.-

and if you or others aren’t interested in the new content they make is perfectly fine. This isn’t a small content creator anymore and I can’t see Shane/Ryan or anyone on their team not having the discussion about if they are willing/able to take a hit in subscribers with this move. But the idea that they’re not going to change their content just to avoid upset some fans isn’t realistic.

i just liked the short little clips of them talking about ghosts or spooky stories, and i liked watching steven & co try food. the switch to some sort of higher level content, along with a paywall that “everyone should be able to afford” is just not what i’m looking for. -

But even those early video cost a significant amount to produce, even if while you’re watching it seems otherwise. Between the time it takes to research all the details of the ghost stories/restaurants they want to try, to the time it makes to write a script, then set up/tear down of a set and shooting the video. I’m not working for them, but if they’re following the general format of a similar YouTube video, from personal experience they are ending up with at least 6-8 hours worth of footage that has to be edited down to a 15-20min video. Then you have the potential for the setup (things lights, mics, cameras, backgrounds and other props) this could take 2ish on both sides. So all in all, about 12hrs of work just the day of for a short YouTube video. That’s not counting the research/writing/editing time. And that’s for those earlier videos. These aren’t vlogs that are a traditionally a high profit/low effort video. Even videos that people assume would be low cost because it’s short or looks simple honestly aren’t.

If we’re going off the numbers you’ve used subscribers and off what is considered a livable wage in California (which most of the team is based) of 27.32 at forty hours a week we get a weekly wage of $1,092.80. That weekly wage into a month wage of $4,371.20. And that monthly wage at 25 employees we are getting a total of $109,280 minimum for a monthly cost of labor. And that’s just at a base living wage. There is a good chance that there are individuals making more based on skills/experience. That’s not counting any of the other cost of running a business counting insurance/benefits, real estate, travel expenses, cost of props&food etc. I’m not in anyway saying that they are hurting for money, or that they aren’t wealth individuals because of the YouTube channel. The only reason I say anything is to put into perspective how much it cost to run a business in the way they do. But in the grand scheme it makes sense and it could have been worse. If anyone is upset about the 6$ paywall for them to be able to continue making the content they currently do. I think they need to remember that they really could have just shopped the ideas around to Netflix or Amazon Prime the way other creators have, they would end up giving up a huge amount of control, maybe stayed on as talent with a good chance that the YouTube content would have had to be pulled to make sure it didn’t compete against the new content.

but the scale is so vastly different than any amount of money someone making fandom content would ever make that i’m not sure how we can really compare the two.-

But the premise is the same, especially when we think about the cost vs profit that comes with fandom content vs something like a Watcher. It stands to reason that with the amount of money that is put into project directly correlated to how much profit can be expected. The idea that someone is okay with a person putting their fanfic/fanart behind a paywall isn’t okay with a youtuber doing the same is hypocritical. Your comparison that what Ryan and Shane are doing as being on a similar level to fanfic because there are no true original ideas anymore is disingenuous. You’re using the argument of a genre/format (travel blog, food blog) to a specific world. That would be like saying that Star Wars and Doctor Who aren’t original ideas just because they are both in the science fiction genre. Ryan and Shane took a genre and created an original idea. Fandom is very much playing in someone else sandbox. The original creator created those characters, that world. They have specific and recognizable characters that go beyond

however, there’s no need to talk down or say that people are too young to understand how fandom used to be.-

That wasn’t talking down, that was simply a fact. There are a lot of people in the fandom that didn’t live through those experiences and because of that don’t have knowledge of how fandom used to work. Pre-Internet people were creating fanfic/fanart and spending money to create fanzines that they would then trade amongst themselves at different conventions and meetups. Again free of charge. I didn’t have a lived experience of that so it’s a little hard for me to contextually truly how much work went into that. And I’m impressed with how they managed to keep fandoms alive to evolve to what we have today. I wasn’t writing fanfic, but I was reading it during the Anne Rice culling, and it seems most younger fanfictioners aren’t aware of how bad it actually was. She was famous for suing, harassing and even doxxing fanfic writers that helped her more extreme fan base to continue the hate. It included people being stalked irl, along with whole sites that were dedicated to hosting nothing but Interview with a Vampire fanfiction to be removed with no or very little warning. Some people that created the sites were even forced to pay rice after the lawsuits. But most of the time the most you’ll see from those that weren’t in fandom at that time is maybe that that she is the reason that there are disclaimers at the top of fanfic. Because even those of us in other fandoms were affected by what she did. That’s where the premise of “playing in someone else sandbox” comes from. She’s also a huge part of why AO3 has a legal team that fic writers can reach out too. And in the early days, a lot of people did. Because a lot of people were still getting sued. I was writing during the time when JK Rowling was cracking down on fanfiction. I did receive a cease and desist letter from her. Let me tell you, really awkward having to explain to my mom at 10ish why I’ve got a letter out of a Law Firm in NYC with my name on it. So when people that have been in fandom during the dark times are saying “hey, maybe let’s not do that” has very little to do with being condescending and more to do with having a lived experience and knowing what it’s like to have to force a fandom underground.

i would argue, that from the general fan response I’ve seen, they haven’t just upset “some” fans, but a significant portion of their fanbase. honestly, i’m less upset about the cost of the subscription than the fact that during a global cost of living crisis, they actually put out a video and said “anyone can afford it!” when that’s just not true. as i said, it felt tone deaf. I can understand why they’re doing it, i know creating the content they do isn’t cheap- i was more trying to put into context that the amounts of money we’re talking about when charging for this vs charging for fanfic as drastically different.

i won’t argue with you about having lived through the dark times of a fandom- you’re right, i haven’t had that lived experience, and i genuinely do understand some of your worries about fandom being monetized. but in your original message, you mentioned that fandom communities were meant to be open and inclusive, and honestly, none of the way you’re talking to me has felt open and inclusive. it’s okay for us to have different opinions. you’ve made a few points & i’ve said I agree with some of them or have had discussions about the topics. you haven’t returned the same courtesy here. instead, you’ve really just doubled down on saying i’m wrong. the way you talk about fanfic feels very entitled and rude, and i’m surprised to hear that you’ve written fanfic before, because i’d think you’d understand that some of the things you’ve said have been pretty hurtful.

honestly, this is the last ask i’m going a to answer about this. this is an f1 blog, not a watcher fan blog or a discourse blog, and i don’t want to keep clogging up the dash with this & rehashing the same argument over and over. if you’d like to come off anon we can definitely chat about it in dms! but right now i’m a bit tired of defending myself to someone who hasn’t even introduced themselves, and seemingly has never actually interacted with my blog before. if you don’t want to keep chatting, we can agree to disagree.

#box box #anon #non f1 #sorry for the long posts everyone

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