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yutacentric · 4 years

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𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲

↦ pairing : nakamoto yuta x female reader . ↦ genre : angst , smut . ↦ sub genre : church boy!yuta , neighbors!au , fwb!au ↦ tropes : mutual pining , friends with benefits , small town lovers . ↦ word count : 5082 . ↦ warnings : religion , smut , brief mention of smoking , all lowercase .

a / n : i’m just here to drop this & then go back to lurking , it’s just been in my head so long that i need to let it out . this is unedited & probably doesn’t make sense , but we r just gonna roll with it & pretend that it does . i might just . Linger after posting this but if u’ve an nct 127 member + a specific au , perhaps , let me know . anyway ,,,

playlist : every chase atlantic song ever ( see : church & devilish ) , no right to love you by rhys lewis , god don’t leave me by highasakite .

i. he asks you of your virtue on a friday night. you’re family friends, his parents are fond of yours and when both children are home from their post - graduate lives, they take the opportunity to reconnect. he’s washed in the red glow of the neon signs in the diner window, leaned back in the ugly red booths with his arm draped up on the seat – and though his father leads the sermon every sunday, he looks like sin. you’ve always thought that about him; there was no way someone who looked at you like that was ever holy. so much danger laid in his dark eyes, in the sharpness of his jaw, the curve of his lips – he was utter temptation and you were just a sinner.

but, when he leans across the table to ask you, “are you a virgin?” you almost choke on your drink. your parents are right behind you in their own booth, talking to his parents about the town and the changes that keep coming – and he’s got a smooth curve to his lips while he innocently reaches for a french fry from the little black basket on the old, linoleum tables.

“how is that any of your business?” you ask, boldly swatting his hands away from the basket you ordered after he said he didn’t want anything. “or appropriate to ask?”

“we’re friends, aren’t we?”

but you send him a skeptical look, because no – you are not friends with yuta, or the nakamotos. your parents are. in your entire life, he’s only ever held a genuine conversation with you when forced. awkward dinner parties, after your high school graduation parties, that one thanksgiving they were invited over because your extended family bailed – he’s barely more than an acquaintance. yuta’s a familiar face in the crowd, a vague figure you might recognize if he’s dressed a certain way, the laugh you think you recognize when you’re halfway across the country at school. you might’ve spent years pining over the boy down the street who looked like he himself was an angel, but never once has he ever looked your way on his own volition.

“is that what you call this?” you muse, picking up a french fry. “friendship?”

“listen, i’m just curious.” despite him loudly stating about how unhungry he is, he takes another one of your fries. “i was thinking about what i did to you behind the church last time we were both in town.”

his words are innocent, but his intents are devilish. despite your best efforts, you feel your cheeks heating up at the mention of spring break – of his head underneath your dress as he spoke invocations between your thighs. he had a way with word , he always had and he had talked his way up your dress. it was just a hand on your thigh in the pews, then a ghost of kiss behind your ear when leading you out the church, then the filthy prayers that he executed with his tongue. he had drawn god’s name from your mouth while holding you against the church, held your legs apart as you cried out his name on holy ground.

he was thinking about it, but you thought of it often – probably more than he did.

“you stopped me before we could go any further, i thought you just weren’t interested.” the corner of his lips lifted. “but then, i thought to myself, is she a virgin? is that why she stopped me?”

you chewed on your food slowly, bravely holding his gaze as the neon lights buzzed in the background. “do you think i’m a virgin?” you asked. “it’s been months since you ate me out behind your dad’s church and you’re only asking now? how long have you been thinking about me?”

unexpectedly, you match the cockiness that he wears so well. time has changed you; you’re no longer the damsel, the final girl – purity wrapped in cream white, ring of abstinence around your finger as you keep your head bowed in submission. you’ve found freedom in the things your parents have warned you stay away from – in men like yuta, who hold onto god while shaking hands with the devil. you wouldn’t let yourself be hurt anymore, you refused to continue to be the church girl who let everyone walk all over him. next time, you’d hurt them instead of letting yourself get hurt – you’d leave before you could get left.

you wonder if time’s changed him. unlike you, and some of the other people in your class, he didn’t opt for higher education after high school. his instagram is mostly inactive, but you’ve kept up with his temporary stories, his treks through europe and his stays in asia. everywhere he goes he looks like he belongs. there’s always someone on his arm or by his side – he’s got an endless supply of charm that’s helped him on his way, he’s always been that way.

“a long time, angel,” he says.

and there it is – the way he looks at you while bathed in the color of lust and sin. he is temptation and you are eve, he beckons you to take a bite, and who are you to say no? it’s barely an hour before you find yourself on top of him in the backseat of his old car with his hands in your hair and his lips on your collarbones. the windows are fogged up by the heavy breaths that fall from your lips, unholy sounds filling up the empty spaces around you.

how can something so blasphemous sound so sanctifying? your name on his tongue as he fills you up, the moans drawn from the back of his throat while his hands leave your locks to roam around your body. his palms are hot against your sweat covered skin and he leaves a trail in his wake – like he’s drawing out a map with his fingertips, leaving his fingerprints on you. you could listen to him all day, listen to him talk about how tight you are, about how good you’re treating him, about how much he’s wanted you.

he is the prophet who’s made you a believer, hands between your legs as your core tightens – oh, how he encourages you, how his lips meet yours as he fucks you while your hips buck. stars fill your vision while he fulfills his fantasy on you, thrusting up into you and gripping your hips. he calls your name just as he finishes, his strokes slowing to a stop as he pushes your hair out of your face.

a gentle kiss on both your temples, you know then how hallowed he is.

ii. he calls you the next morning from his kitchen. his parents are still asleep when his eyes open and he swears he can still smell your perfume on his skin. he’s nothing short of sacrilegious, but you’ve always been holy to him. there’s something about the way you smile when you receive good news that makes his heart flutter, and he loves the way you look over your shoulder whenever someone calls your name. for so long, he’s watched you become strong and independent while keeping his hands to himself.

divine corruptor, but he never wanted to taint you.

because he can still remember you moving in down the block – another girl he’ll have to welcome into bible study, another kid he’ll have to pretend to like because his parents are too chatty. but suddenly he’s thirteen and watching you stop a family dinner to bandage the boy across the street. the sunset hits you just right, lights up your face as you make the little boy promise to be more careful. you probably don’t remember how you looked at him as you walked back up the path to his home, but he does. thirteen and looking to a god who’s never loved him, wondering if love is real after all.

but, then he’s seventeen and you won’t meet his eyes at thanksgiving. you won’t eat the stuffing he brought, and he wonders if he said something wrong. later, his parents tell him that your entire extended family bailed and that the cousins you missed so much hadn’t so much as called you. it wasn’t his stuffing that had you down, it was the absence of someone who promised you they’d be there. he left you a hand turkey on the window of your bedroom and tickets to the movie you spoke to your dad about that night – he had to bribe his ex - girlfriend that worked there.

and still, you never looked at him. you ignored him in the halls, chose the loudest kid in class to partner with instead of him, went to prom with one of his friends instead of even asking him. he had spent his entire teenage life watching after you with the stars in his eyes while you grew and moved on without him. even after high school, one day you were still at home, the next day your parents were at sunday service telling him about how you went to some hot shot college across the country. they’re so proud of you, but he shares the same pain with them – that you all but left everyone behind. he didn’t even get to say goodbye.

but years pass and suddenly you’re back in his church at the same time as him. you look as good as you always have, sundress appropriately chosen for service with your smile equipped as always – and even though it’s been years, his heart skips a beat. he’s distracted from the conversation his father’s pulled him into and he’s looking at you. you hug old neighbors and catch up with friends who never left, you ignore him as you always have until he sits next to you and he’s instantly aware of the shift in your demeanor. your posture’s a bit different and you hold your head up a little higher than usual. your hand laces with his and you’re asking him to help you get some air after he teases you.

“what do you want me to do, angel?” he asks you when you’re on the front steps of the church.

it’s you that initiates the kiss, who cups his cheeks and pulls him into you like you’ve been waiting to do it. he’s breathless for the entire kiss and he almost loses himself when you ask him rather what he wants do instead. you tasted sacred, and the noises you made as your legs shook around his head were imprinted into his mind until you came home again. that day, you had used him to get you off and left before he could get inside of you. you had walked away and left nothing but a fantasy in his head and he had spent months with his hand wrapped around himself thinking of what would’ve happened if you hadn’t stopped him.

that yellow dress would still be bunched around your waist, he’d hold it as he watched himself disappear inside of you. your panties would be all but forgotten on the ground while he pushed you against the side of the church, he would listen to your moans, hear his name from your lips, taste all of you for the rest of the day. he always thought of you, even in another country with another girl in his arms. you deserved better than his dirty thoughts, though, he knew that. you were worth so much more than just the lust you gave him a taste of, but you came home again and you looked wicked.

it isn’t the way he wanted it to happen, but it isn’t as if it’d happen any other way. girls like you don’t end up with boys like him – that’s a truth he accepted a long time ago. but still, you answer the phone groggily and his lips spread into a smile. he listens to you complain about the time and about how he almost got you caught sneaking in last night – because you’re an adult , but your parents still treat you like a teenager. it’s such a mundane moment, watching the sun rise while listening to your giggles on the phone, but he knows he’ll remember it forever.

iii. you’re wrapped up in his arms for the rest of summer. you spend nights with his hands between your legs while your mouth is wrapped around his cock. mornings are rare, but when they arrive they often come with his body against yours – skin to skin while the sunlight peeks through the curtains. it’s often you find yourself at the church with your parents, shaking hands with his father before disappearing for the service to rendezvous with the best adventure you’ve ever had in your life.

he forces you to new heights, leaves your legs shaking and you gasping for air from pleasure you never knew you could feel. he is dangerous – taking you from behind as he bends you over the top balcony of the church after service, leaving a mark on your neck that wasn’t there when the day started, pulling you away from old friends who definitely notice the way your cheeks get tinted when you meet eyes with him. if this was supposed to be a secret, it was a poorly hidden one – but you didn’t mind.

you started counting the days before you had to leave. one more year, and you would come home. you didn’t want to come home originally – you returning for the summer was just supposed to be a pit stop on your journey around the world. but he had made you stay. he had found his way into a heart you swore would always be shielded, he had held your hand while on the top of the car and asked you to stay. you’re sure that, “we should keep doing this.” didn’t really officially count as an invitation, but you had taken it as one anyway.

why hadn’t you done it sooner? why had you always been so scared of the pastor’s son? if he made you feel like this now, could he have done it sooner? would high school have been different if you chose him instead of his friend, who used you on prom night and never spoke to you again? would you have chosen a school closer to home if you knew that he could make you forget all your troubles? would you have gathered the courage to meet his eyes if you knew how angelic he looked when he fell asleep with an arm wrapped around you?

“what are you doing?” he mumbles. he shakes you from your thoughts as you readjust your position. your head lays on his chest and you look up at him as the sheets fall around your waists, your left hand is intertwined with his right, the way his thumb brushes over yours makes your stomach erupt with softness.

“i’m just thinking,” you reply quietly. “i’ve known you for more than half my life, but never like this.”

“like what?” he meets your eyes in the growing darkness of his room. there’s happiness in the liminal spaces like this, you’ve found, in the quiet afterglow of pleasure is when you’re at your highest. “naked?” he teases you. “intimately?”

your own smile appears on your lips widely, and you sit up to wrap the sheets around your chest. “yeah,” you nod. “and, you know, more than just – yuta my neighbor, yuta the pastor’s son, yuta who dated all the girls in my eighth grade math class.”

he sits up too, leaning against his headboard after running a hand through his hair. “is that what you thought about me?”

you thought so much more of him than he’d know. he was out of your league, and he wouldn’t ever be interested in someone like you – that much, you were always so sure of. he never seemed interested when he came over, he always seemed eager to leave; you never even spoke past formalities. you thought he was the most interesting kid in your entire town of three hundred, but you were just a nobody. he was divinity and you were nothing but a follower. he was going to go off and do something so great with his life, you’re in a useless major with a useless life plan.

“no.” you shake your head this time. “i thought you were holy.”

because you couldn’t ever forget how he looked sitting in the front pew like a marble statue. he was handsome, and posed against the stained glass windows he looked like one of the paintings hung up on the halls of the church. you’ve never forgotten how beautiful somberness looked on him, how even when there were tears in his eyes, he still looked like he could end wars with a single glance. it was an odd situation, seeing him behind the school on graduation day with a cigarette between his fingers pretending not to cry. you would’ve said goodbye to him then if you had had the courage, but you had spun around and left without even saying hello – something you had grown all but used to.

he snorts in response to you, shaking his head like he can’t quite believe you. “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“but, i do.” you scoot over until you’re close enough to straddle him, the sheets fall from around you as you climb on top of him. “i swear it on everything i have, yuta, you’re holy.”

he looks like he wants to argue, to fight against the title you’ve given him but instead, he pulls you in for a kiss. it’s slow and deep, almost torturing the way he kisses you like it’ll be the last time. he always kisses you like this, before he makes you cum, when he says goodbye, when he pulls you out of the crowd and into his arms. you don’t know why, but you won’t ask him to stop.

he kisses you and you break away to kiss his jaw, his neck, his chest – you kiss him until your mouth is wrapped around him again. his hands are always in your hair like this, his eyes are always half shut when you swipe your tongue over the head of his member, he always looks you in the eye when you dare to look up. he’s so holy, you wished he saw it too.

iv. you break his heart on a wednesday evening. three months of this and suddenly he’s got you in the back of his car again and he accidentally tells you “i love you”.

it’s in the heat of the moment, he confesses immediately after, but he can’t lie. he loves you, and he’s never loved anyone else like this before. you are everything to him. he looks at you and still loses his breath, he still gets giddy when he sees your contact light up his phone, he can’t go to bed without making sure you know he’s thinking of you. he thinks you love him too, because this isn’t just friendship. what you guys have going on is so much more.

it stopped being about the sex a bit ago, when you fell asleep in his arms and he held you until you woke up. it stopped being about the sex when he knew what to get you when you got bad news without you telling him. it stopped being about the sex when no other girl in the world compared to you, when you asked him if he’d visit you over the school year and he promised to. he passed friendship the minute he learned about your weird habit of leaving flowers on the windowsill of old mrs. buchannan because she liked the color. he knew he loved you when he had to pause the movie because you cried over the death of a minor animal character. he thought you loved him when you called him holy.

but he tells you he loves you and he can hear the rose gold glass shatter.

“hey,” he says your name as you fix your skirt in silence. “hey, come on, say something.”

“you don’t mean that.” your response comes quietly.

“i don’t mean what?” he pulls his pants up, fixes the buttons of his shirt. “that i love you?”

“you don’t love me.” you open the car door and step out. “you can’t.”

he’s taken aback by your comment, very briefly fixing his hair before stepping out of his side and watching you briskly walk away in the empty parking lot of the closed down k-mart. “what is that supposed to mean?”

you turn around, jacket wrapped around your arms as you look everywhere but at him. “i mean what i said. you can’t love me, yuta, i’m not someone you’re supposed to love.”

“then who am i supposed to love?” he takes steps around the car toward you. “if not you, then who?”

“anybody but me,” you insist, and he can’t understand why you’re pushing him away now. he can’t understand. “you’re supposed to love someone who’ll give you adventure and a lifetime of happiness. i’m just me – i’m– i’ll only leave. break your heart.”

“is there something i’m missing here?” he stands his ground even though you stray further away, one step at a time. “when was this decided – that you’d just leave and break my heart?”

and he’s so desperate to keep you, to hold onto you and keep you in his life. he doesn’t want this, you still taking steps back away from him like he’s the demon he’s always been sure he is. you’re enveloped in the dim lights of the parking lot, the streetlights cast a halo over you as you teeter near the edge of darkness – and still, he’d fall to his knees in worship for you if it meant you’d stay.

“you’re not supposed to love me, yuta, please,” your voice breaks, and it hits him so hard he almost stumbles back. “i’m sorry.”

you leave him in the half lit parking lot, but you don’t turn around to see him sitting down on the pavement with his head in his hands. what a constant theme in his life, to find so much happiness and see it walk out of his life. he thought you’d be the one that stayed, but he can see now how unfair it is to have placed all his expectations on your shoulders. you aren’t atlas, you aren’t made to carry the weight of his faults and his world, that’s his job, that’s his duty. he shouldn’t have expected you to love him the way he loves you, he shouldn’t have expected anything other than another girl who wanted to burn her hand in the lust.

it’s okay, he thinks, it’ll be okay. he’ll be okay, he always is. but he picks himself up hours after you left and climbs into a car that still smells like the perfume you sprayed earlier when you complained about the smell of cigarettes and that pine scent you hated. he drives to the church with his windows down, speeding through the empty streets so fast he can barely breathe though the wind. he uses the back entrance of the church with tears in his eyes and falls into his place in the first pew, letting the darkness wrap around him as he leans forward and cries.

yuta doesn’t pray, but he prays for you anyway.

v. you leave tomorrow, and your parents open the door to let in the nakamotos. he isn’t with his parents, and you don’t know if you’re more relieved or disappointed. because it’s been two weeks since he said he loves you, and it’s been two weeks since you saw a future in which he left you because you couldn’t make him happy.

what was it? your own insecurities, or the constant pattern that everyone that you fell in love seemed to leave? you could dissect it all. the fact that he was out of your league, that you had spent half your life yearning over him and waiting for him to look at you as someone other than the daughter of his parents’ friends. every girl he had ever dated was prettier, or more adventurous, or better than you in one way or another. every friend he had had more substance than you would ever muster. every story he told you reminded you that you didn’t fit into his life.

and then the second point, that you had fallen in love so many times just to be left alone in the cold. you had found yourself lost in the woods so many times because of the boys you chose to love. because of that, you had mapped the forest on your own, built your own shelter, and kept yourself warm with your own fire. it was foolish of you to let the fire die out and to venture out toward his flame, it was incredibly stupid of you to fall in love with him when you had promised yourself that you’d leave before you could get left.

but dinner is so empty without him, and he’s everywhere. he haunts you in everything you do, you can see him in everyone you meet. because the truth is, the hoodie he left still smells like him even if it’s just been sitting on your desk chair and whenever you see something funny the first person you think of his him. you find him in the sunsets and the shadows in your room, you touch him in your dreams and hold him so tightly you wake up in tears. he has burrowed his way into your heart and the joke’s on you – you ended up hurt in the long run anyway.

you say goodnight to his parents as they leave – his mom hugs you extra tight and tells you it’s from yuta.

“he’ll miss you, sweetheart,” she says as she pulls away.

that haunts you for the rest of the night. you can’t sleep, you can’t form a coherent thought, and you’re walking out of the front door fiercely at two in the morning without caring about the consequences. you walk across the lawns to his house, you find his room on the ground floor and knock on the window – quietly, three times. seconds feel like hours as you wait, and for a second, you think he’s gone, but just as you’re about to sprint back home, his curtains pull apart and you see his face.

you’re helpless as the moonlight hits his face, lighting up his features. heaven lost an angel and he’s right in front of you. you’ll never understand why he thinks so lowly of himself, why he can’t see the wings that sprout from his back and the halo that hangs over his head. you can remember a night spent with him, listening to him tell you about his stories and his adventures. how highly he spoke of others, how he didn’t speak of himself, how he only mentioned his mistakes and his flaws. you had told him how holy he was, he had denied it until his hips were between your legs and you forgot all about it.

he slides his window open, pushing the screen aside and leaning out. he looks like a masterpiece, painted and carved by god himself – the big man that you knew he didn’t really believe in. if god was real, he gifted mankind yuta.

“i leave tomorrow,” you say.

he nods slowly. “i know.”

“i came to say goodbye.”

“okay.” he looks you in the eye. “goodbye.”

“bye.”

not all stories have a happy ending, you know. you’re so sure that you won’t have one with him, you’re so sure that if you tell him how much you love him it’ll end apocalyptically – but your heart hurts so much you can’t breathe. you can’t move your feet from its spot in the ground, you can’t leave the way your mind is telling you to.

“please give me time,” you mumble – you don’t even know what you’re really saying. the words are coming out faster than you can stop them. “please wait for me. i just need a little time.”

“for what? what in the world could you possibly need time for?” he asks, stoic features finally moving; they shift into a frown, a sarcastic laugh from his lips.

“i need time to love you the way you deserve to be loved. because i do, i do love you. i love you.” it’s relieving to say, you can almost breathe again but the way he looks at you – for the first time that summer, he doesn’t look at you like you’ve gifted him the sun. he looks at you like you’ve stolen the light, like you’re a bringer of darkness. “i just – i can’t.”

“and i can’t wait for you.” he shakes his head. “i can’t do it.”

“please,” you beg. you take a step toward his window as he takes a step back into his room. “please.”

“i can’t.”

tears blur your vision and you don’t want to cry, you don’t want him to see you sob over him. but you can’t hold them back, they fall onto your cheeks as he pulls back the screen on his window – a barrier that prevents you from climbing in familiarly.

“i love you,” he says to you. “i meant it when i said it, i mean it now. but you need time to love me and i need time to unlove you.” you’ve never seen him look so sad before, but he closes his window, then his curtains.

rightfully, he cuts you out of his life and leaves you in the darkness. you walk back home in tears, you land on your front steps in tears. some stories just don’t have happy endings, some have lessons – yours: that in trying to get hurt by another person, you ended up the most hurt you’d ever been.

oedipus, by trying to escape your fate, you’ve walked headfirst into it.

#nct-writers #neowritingsnet #nct scenarios #yuta x reader #yuta imagines #yuta #kpop imagines #nct 127 #nct #nct 127 smut #mine.#anyway #i'll be back in a couple of months when i get another au in my head that i can't get rid of

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hopefuljoon · 3 years

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BST: Chapter 3 - Life goes on, the beginning of an end (past)

A/N: This chapter is set in the past. I’ve wrote a background for Yoongi and the character.

Tags: mention of gun, blood, death, PTSD, gore-y, it’s a gang/mafia AU. If you’re not comfortable, please skip.

Word count: 3240 words

What your younger and naive self didn’t know then was that it was going to be the last time you saw your parents smiling happily, being alive and well. You never wondered even for a second, how the mansion you live in, the expenses, clothing, and jewelry were obtained through their laundered and bloodied money. Looking back, you had just figured they were Old Money. What you didn’t know then and innocently assumed would come back and take its toll.

*Min Residence*

“Prepare the headquarter base! Enemy line invasion!” as Yoongi’s father yelled to the subordinate of the Yeonson gang. “My dear, you need to leave with Yoongi before they breach through the first security level, it’s not safe here.”, his gaze softens when it lands on the sight of his wife and their son cradled in her arm, soundly asleep. Despite the authority in his voice, she refused him saying that if this is the place of his final resting then she won’t budge from the spot. “You know I can’t let you do that, I- I need you to live on..If not for me then for him” as he reasoned with concern laced over his scrunched eyebrows. “You know I’m better at handling the ground plan defense than you” she jokes despite the heavy air that surrounded them and scooted closer to him.

Knowing it was going to be a loss cause arguing with her, he let her win and stay as she pleased but he made her promise that when security level 5 was breached, she had to leave immediately. She rolled her eyes at him as she rested her head on his shoulder before parting to leave for the nursery room, hidden within the heart of the house. They shared one last lingering kiss before he committed her smiling face to his memory as if it was the last time he’d see her before running off to the base.

She ascended the grand staircase and headed towards the music room. At the center, there was a black 1926 Steinway Grand Piano bathing in the moonlight shining in from the billowing white curtains. She glanced down at the baby in her hands before kissing him on his forehead as he began to stir. The sound of feet paddling against the marble floor was light as she made her way to the piano, pressing 5 keys before the bookcase on the right began to shift revealing a metal door with a padlock. Tears began to form as her body shifted towards the padlock and her fingers pressed the keys 030993. The metal door opened inward as the automated soft glow of lights inside the room hummed to life. “Even if I don’t make it out alive with you today...Min Yoongi...we love you so much my little one..stay safe and grow up strong for Mommy and Daddy, ok?”, she whispered as she took his small hands in hers and hugged him close, quietly wiping away her tears with her sweater, before releasing him and gently putting him down into his crib. Even if lives would be lost today, Yoongi wouldn’t be found by those who didn’t know the floor plan of the residence. The walls within his nursery room were soundproof even if he cries, no one will hear him. The metal door is thick in size and unbreakable without the code.

That night, Y/N parents followed through on the group’s mission to raid the Min’s resident and base. Your family gang had always been the rival of Yeonson’, always in the crossfire between the smuggled drugs and the underground alcohol scene. That night, Yoongi was safe. The house was empty, except for scattered human remains everywhere. It looked like a war swept through this place, a gang war specifically.

No one came to that resident, the massacre was bloody, body parts were all over the place. It looked like an unearth graveyard, the walls were painted red instead of their normal sparkly wooden color. The butler and the cleaning crew was the one who discovered the baby was alive. It took them a while to crack the code. They wrack their brain for any combination of 6 digits numbers that was special to the Min family until they heard the door unlocked. They picked up the quiet baby and thanked the stars to know their master’s gang would continue. He was their hope, their dream even if the baby didn’t know that. At least the baby would live on, and not starve to death in this tight room had no one came to the rescue.

Your parents had actually survived the raid and came home to their daughter. You were awake, had always been since they left. You ran down the stairs to greet them as you saw your parents walking in, tracking bloody footprints and droplets trailing. Their weary eyes met yours and you could have sworn they looked like they just saw a ghost. They were about to lecture you when they heard the safety pin of a gun being released and the cold metal pressed against the back of their skull. “Turn slowly and place your weapons down”, a cold voice commanded. Your parents froze but slowly comply as you backed away in fear. “You can do whatever you want to us, please just spare our daughter” you heard your mother says. A second later, you heard it, two resounding gunshots and your parents fall to the ground as blood spews onto the marble floor. You screamed while tears streaked down your face blurring your vision as you ran to the safest place you know, your room. Hidden within its wall was an underground playroom, accessible only by voice activation. Your parents had originally built it to house your toys but mainly to protect you in the case there was ever a gang house raid on your property. Your maids and butler came running to the sound of gunshot to find your parents had been assassinated as the rival gang members stood menacingly at your front. They had killed the workers that came running to the scene as they scoured the house to find more prey who bore witness. There was no such a thing as mercy when their boss was killed. They left you though because they deemed you’d be traumatized and end up a weakling who is forever silenced through your nightmares. Oh how wrong they were. That night, you made a promise. Not one of revenge but one of staying strong and surviving.

*12 years later*

The deed of what his family owned would be transferred to Yoongi. He grew into an emotionless stone, though his feature aged like fine wine, as he entered university. He had taken over the gang when he grew old enough to understand the family business.

He was informed long ago that the rival boss’s family had a daughter, one that was alive. Coincidentally, she was attending the same university that he’s currently enrolled in. She was the top of her class while he was simply passing through the day and sleeping it away.

The day you two had met was because you were crying alone near the open field that led into the forest. The university was built on a mountain, one that overlooks the beautiful ocean from afar. The land in between was covered in miles of green forest. He knew of you, of your status as an ex rival gang daughter but also the highest GPA student in the biological science department. You were on track of pre-med after all. You had snuck out of the school festival of mother’s day as students show appreciation for their parents. It was simply too painful, even if the nightmare was 12 years ago. As for Yoongi, he just didn’t care enough and wanted to spend his day elsewhere, a quiet and secluded place at that. He sat down next to you and offered you a cold bottle of water. You turned to see him looking into the forest beyond as you rubbed your eyes quickly. “It’s alright, let it out. It’s better that way”, he whispered almost too quiet but you heard him. You simply nodded, fearful that your voice might be too hoarse and broken to reply. He patted your back soothingly as you twisted the cap and gulped down the cold drink. “What are you doing here Yoongi?” you turn to him as he spun his head to look at you. Your gaze met his for a second before he turned away, rolling his eyes. “I could ask you the same thing”. You just left it at that, not wanting to delve too much and invade into his privacy. Your friendship started from that day onward as he continued to sit with you in silence, his hands never stopping to rest as it rubbed your back soothing. The rest of the time there was history.

As the bother of you entered your third year, he invited you over to his house. The memory of the first time that you had agreed would be forever etched into your mind. When you walked a step through the front door that the maid had opened for you, you came face to face with a black caliber pointed at you. “Who are you? Why are you here?” he says as you squint to look at the man before you. “Yoongi invited me here, it should be me asking who are you to point a gun at a guest? Aren’t you simply being quite rude?” you replied back smartly as you heard the cocking sound from the metal. “Watch your mouth” he spits out at you before a resounding yell cuts through the tension between the two of you. “Put that gun away NOW Jungkook” Yoongi yells as he quickly descends the stairs, nearly leaping to get to the two of you. Jungkook pauses to considers his boss’s order for a second before putting his guns away, his scold still potent on his face as you both stare daggers at each other. Yoongi reaches you in a flash to stand between the two of you as he pushes Jungkook back by the shoulder. “Hyung, she could be an invader, you let a stranger into the house!” he says as he throws up his hand in a questioning stance to mock his leader. “She’s not a stranger, she’s a good friend of mine from my class” he says as he levels his gaze as his youngest. Jungkook only sighs and shrugs back before turning to leave. “You’re not off the hook for this. What he says better be the truth or I’ll have a bullet in you in seconds” he threatened as he turned left to head towards the wing that he came from.

The nights you spent at his new house (bought after he sold his parents property but copied the design with the exact same structure and hidden base) by the ocean was comforting. You first came to study for your midterms together. Half of the time was just finding ways to distract the other while the other sighed and scolded to get back to studying. It had been nearly 3 hours so you both figured a break would be fitting.

Huddling close together on the cool sand as you snuggle into him. The creamy color sand felt soft beneath your palm as the breeze from the ocean flew gently through your hair. The sulphury smell of the sea drifting into your nose as you inhale the fresh air. The beach was a place where you confided in him of your dark secrets that were hidden away. Years of secrets house within the castle of your being. The secrets entailing how you were always alone, the nightmare of having seen your parents murdered in front of you at such a young age, and of your upbringing as a daughter of a mafia gang and the history of your life. The nightmares that keep recurring, forcing you to relive it endlessly. In a way, you could say it’s PTSD. The fear gripped at your skin making you shiver every time your mind relieves it, the memory still fresh and the warm blood that painted your palm.

Of course, he already knew the majority of your history, having dug it out when his parents were murdered by yours. If he had to be honest, he had originally wanted to take out his anger and revenge on you. To carve living hell into your existence as he toys with your insignificance being. To take out his frustration of having to lose his parents to the rival gang. That all changed when he finally got to know you, from meeting you, becoming your best friend to falling in love with you. You don’t know the latter part of his secrets of course being an airhead and oblivious as a brick since you never dated anyone nor cared to. Can anyone blame you though given the trauma you went through having your loving parents murdered and losing them at such a young age? Of course not. He listened intently as you continued to mumble out your life stories. The sound of sniffle grazes through the breeze before he turns to look at you. The cold eyes that looked so human shined at you. You didn’t want to turn to look at him to show your weakened state.

There was a comfortable silence with the sound of your sniffles here and there before he broke it with his own confession. You didn’t really know much about your parents gang or their business so he filled you in. He told you the truth of that night that it was his gang who had murdered your parents. It was a constant war,

of bloodshed, lost lives, missing drugs and more. You nodded in understanding, it makes sense why two large gangs that control Seoul would have to eventually wipe the other out for a full reign. You didn’t blame him though because he was barely a young child much like yourself that night. Despite now knowing that your parents and their gang had been the one to invade his. “In a way, we’re in the same boat. Your parents are gone and so is mine. At least, we have each other” he whispered while looking down at the sand below. He turned to you as his gaze softened, hands reaching to brush your hair down from the breeze. You nodded before saying “We should go inside and really study for this final Yoongi” you as you hold back your laughter. He looks like hes tired to the bone, about to fall asleep seated here on his private beach behind his estate. “Mhm alright if you say so” he nodded as he got up and held his hand to you, pulling you to your feet.

The first time he had planned to invited you to his estate, his inner circle of consigliere had protested. They had gathered to discuss the situation, with Jungkook missing as he slept his fatigue away. They knew who you were. Namjoon especially made a good argument that you could be a double agent to spy on their base so you carry information back to your own gang. He laughed and told them off since he knew for a fact that your gang wasn’t led by you. You hardly even knew the existence of the gang your parents had run. You didn’t care to, gang wasnt your spotlight. You hated physical violence and the mere sight of having to see another body fall lifeless at your feet. The person who stepped up to take care of your gang after your parents had died were the older members of their inner circle. You were simply too young at that time. Even if you had grown older, they never seeked you out nor did you try. “Namjoon, I’ve known her for nearly 2 and a half years. I know her ins and outs, her secrets that she kept hidden for so long. Trust me, she’s not harmful to anyone”, Yoongi replied as Namjoon only scoffed and whispered “yet” under his breath.

Overtime, you have gotten to know his inner circle members. At first, they were cold to you, unrelenting in showing you any ounce of emotions they had for fear of betrayal. You didn’t mind, after all, you only really came for Yoongi since he was your best friend. The only family you’ve ever gotten closer to know aside from the butlers and maids who raised you. It took them nearly half a year as they slowly dropped their mask and took down their walls to show you the real them. You had been instant friends with all the members, especially Hoseok. The sunshine personality of his never fails to make you laugh and smile till your jaw muscle is sore. They knew every bit about you as you knew some about them.

Before you know it, 4 years of a stressful yet blissful life had finished in the blink of an eye. You graduated the top of your class and were accepted to enter into a prestigious medical school while also getting a minor degree in computer science. The boys were delighted to hear the news of your medical school acceptance as they invited you for a celebration dinner. The meal consisted of authentic korean barbecue was delicious sided with sparkling champagne.

That night, you stayed over having gotten a bit drunk and too lazy to go home. Yoongi had a spare room in the main house so he offered for you to stay there.

In the morning, you had woken up earlier than all of them to make breakfast. The kitchen smelled wonderful as you plated 8 sunny side ups, kimchi stew and rice. The boys were ecstatic to have woken up to delicious breakfast as they thanked you endlessly to which you only blushed and said a thousand of thanks in reply. It has been a while since you cooked ever since your parent’s passing. Cooking was what your mother had always loved and so you never touched it, leaving it all to the maid to care for you instead. It reminded you too much of her and the memory was simply too painful to bear again.

“Why don’t you just move in with us y/n?” Hoseok asked as he chewed the vegetable in the kimchi soup. You blushed before turning around as you replied, “Was the food that good or what?” in shock.“Good? Just good? It was amazing. I could eat this every” Jimin pipes in. You only shook your head and laughed. “I’ll consider it since the medical school is closer to your house than mine” you say before turning back to cleaning your dish. Your house was located on the other side of Seoul, an hour drive from his house to yours. A 40 minute drive with traffic from your house to the Seoul Medical University Campus.

It’s a full year before you start medical school as they forced their students to have a gap year in order to encourage students to shadow a medical professional to make sure one last time that they were sure they wanted in. This just simply means an extra year of break for yourself.

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#bts #bts mafia au #bts poly au #bts fluff #polyamory bts #polyamory #kinda violent

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comicteaparty · 4 years

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December 16th-December 22nd, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from December 16th, 2019 to December 22nd, 2019. The chat focused on Ingress Adventuring Company by kayotics.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Ingress Adventuring Company by kayotics~! (https://www.ingress-comic.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until December 22nd to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. How do you think Toivo’s Adventuring Company came to be, and why is Toivo the only member? Do you think others might someday join, especially as Toivo completes more jobs?

Delphina

Oh gosh, I love Ingress SO MUCH. It's got so much humor and I love how Kay draws expressions. I think the ghost room scene is my favorite so far (https://www.ingress-comic.com/comic/chapter-3-08/). The "I ran out of space in my ghost room" line always kills me, and just the concept of, you know, a magician throwing all the spectral things he doesn't like in the attic and forgetting about them really speaks to Toivo's absent-minded character. I love seeing him and Aidan and Rosemary working together, and there are some very choice Rocky drawings (look at him hiss! https://www.ingress-comic.com/comic/chapter-3-20/) in this scene.

I do know a little of the backstory from hanging around with Kay, so while I hope Toivo will find more people to team up with, it sounds like his old adventure-mates have moved on/retired for the most part (like Dia and Aidan) and he's just still at it because of his atypical youthful elven vigor.

MJ Massey

I figured he needed something to do after his earlier adventuring day so he made his own "company" to still adventure a bit on the side while being a professor.

indogswetrust

1. I like the scene where Toivo is reading “moonlight” with his feet on his desk. big mood. Closely followed by him getting cranky at Spicer. 2. I think it’s just one of those business things. You start with a name and a concept and hire later.

Addendum to 2: adorable bitter ex boyfriend Aidan should join immediately

keii4ii

1. The last few pages of chapter 3! It was something to see Toivo not bounce instantly back to his usual 'cheerfully trying so hard but not succeeding' mode. Even though the ghosts had all been taken care of, the way the characters reflected about the incident gave it a lingering sense of importance. Potentially even hinting at Toivo's past relationships being more trouble than just bad dates like the one in chapter 2. (Re: the last sentence, I might be thinking of Kay's short story in the Haunted anthology? But honestly, I did get this impression even before reading the short story -- although reading it has definitely solidified it/ nudged it deeper into the "oh shit this is serious" territory.)

Sail

1. There are SO MANY good scenes that I love about this comic, but I think my absolute favorite one is in the first chapter (https://www.ingress-comic.com/comic/chapter-1-09/) when Toivo is just fumbling over his words in an attempt to not be crass, while just... being more and more crass. As someone who's loudly cussed in public without thinking and then tried to cover it up with more cussing, I related to this scene in the very fibers of my being, haha 2. I feel like Toivo gets extremely bored with his professor gig sometimes? He seems like the kind of person who needs something to be HAPPENING, and being a hired adventurer would be an ideal job for a wizard with a "gotta do stuff!!" personality. I don't know about others joining. I'd love to see Aidan or Dia go on one last adventure, and there's always the possibility of NEW people joining up at some point. But it's also been shown that Toivo is pretty reckless, and that seems like it would be a huge deterrent for any co-adventurers who... you know.. don't wanna die

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. What aspect of the world so far has interested you the most? Also, what other things are you hoping to learn in regards to the world of the story and how Toivo might have helped save the world?

MJ Massey

Toivo is definitely my favorite. He's got so many angles to him--generally trying to be helpful and giving out his services, but having his own skeletons in the closet...or rather, ghost in the attic but even though there's been hardship in his past, he can still be cheerful

As for the world, I am definitely interested to see more of what's around and what systems are in place. Seeing more of the magical university Toivo works at would be neat. I'm also interested in what the rest of the adventuring party was like now that we've met two of Toivo's old chums

Delphina

Rocky is my favorite! He's so cute and feisty!

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

1. My favorite scene was when Toivo had to confront the ghosts of his past relationships! It was a super interesting character moment for him. 2. My theory is, he already had other people in his company, but they don't stay, haha (like Aidan). 3. Aidan is my favorite so far. He's just that grumpy guy with a good heart and I'm very into that kind of character. 4. Right now the storie's worldbuilding interests me a little less than the characters and their dynamics! Tho I was excited to find out more about magic (taboo and forbidden magic) recently.

keii4ii

I too love Aidan. Grumpy voice of reason with a good heart. But Rosemary is currently my favorite in terms of "character I really want to learn more about/ watch as they develop."

(is there any canon art of Rosemary and Toivo back when she was little? )

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

1) Oh, gosh, I’m not sure I can even pick a favourite. They’re all so good. I guess the scene at the end of the first chapter where the noble had to get a job as a janitor would be my favourite because it was the first time the comic made me really burst out laughing. 2) I imagine Toivo is so far above other wizards in skill that he feels he can get the job done better alone than have to ‘slow down’ for others. I think he created the company either to stroke his own ego or out of sheer boredom. 3) Definitely Toivo. I love how he is both incredibly competent and incompetent at the same time. He’s a deeply flawed and yet very endearing character- probably because of those flaws. I am very curious to know more about his daughter, though. I love how sassy and fed up with her father she is, so she’s a close second. 4) I think the mechanics of magic are very interesting, and I’d like to continue learning how it works. I am very interested in Toivo’s past, both in how he gained renown and what created the ‘ghosts’ of his past.

Delphina

I'm curious how other wizards/professors regard Toivo. Does he have peers? Or do they just steer clear because he's such a walking disaster?

indogswetrust

3. Rosemary. She’s so cute, I just want her to succeed. And find out more about her other parent! 4. Toivo saved the world? Is THAT how he got his professorship... mostly I just like the adventures

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. What is your opinion on Rosemary and Toivo’s relationship? How might Toivo’s antics challenge what their relationship is, and do you think it can survive the tests its put through within the story?

indogswetrust

5. pass. i love them all :/ 6. Here’s the thing. Toivo is a great wizard and it seems like Rosemary is too? But they haven’t done a lot of practicing together. Like does he want her to join the family business, is he trying to keep the pressure off. Tbh, they seem to have a solid foundation, but Toivo is a bottle-upper (as illustrated with the ghost scene). I think he keeps a lot of secrets from his lil’ girl, and that could strain their relationship

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

5. I really love everything about the comic's art so I can't really answer this. 6. Rosemary and Toivo seem to have a good, loving relationship but I agree with the comment before, that Toivo keeps secrets that might not be great for their father-daughter relationship in the long run. I'm really invested in these two and I hope they can work it out.

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene is probably when Aidan arrives and chastises Toivo for what I gather to be pretty standard Toivo shenanigans. Plus, I love the line, "I was not sulking. I was...contemplating. Mournfully." That link just made me laugh so much, plus the facial expressions worked really well for it. So really, just a good combo of shenanigans plus grump character who brings some sense into the world. 2) I feel like there are two reasons Toivo made the company. First, he was bored. I can't imagine being cooped up as a professor all the time is that exciting, so Toivo sought out some action. The second reason I feel is that in some ways, Toivo doesn't want to let part of his own past go. So even if it's a solo adventure company, it keeps something of the past alive for him. As for others joining, I don't particularly see that happening anytime soon. I feel like Toivo wouldn't even want it since that would make him doubly responsible for someone's well-being in a very high risk situation. And I just don't get the sense he's good at handling that sort of thing.

3) At the moment, my favorite character is a tie between Rosemary and Aidan. Which honestly, I like them both for the same reasons. They're super down to earth, and they both make great balances to Toivo's personality. And I feel like they give me a much needed break sometimes where I need some sense and logic thrown into the crazy situations going on. XD 4) I was really interested by that newspaper article that talked about the chapter 4 bonus page where it talks about Beasts appearing. I'm really curious what sort of effects this must still have on the people living, and also what sort of catastrophe brought them about even. Plus, it seems like this might be how Toivo helped save the world, so its high on my list of curiosities. Although like some of the others here, I'd also like to learn more about Toivo's university and what the education is like. And what's not to love about magic schools?

5) My fave illustration is definitely this one https://www.ingress-comic.com/comic/chapter-3-27/ I really love the composition between the foreground, middle ground, and background, and how it all draws your eyes smoothly to the background. I also love the nature colors and how they contrast with Aidan, cause it really makes his character pop. 6) Rosemary and Toivo's relationship kind of confuses me in certain ways. Like it's obvious they care about each other, but at the same time I feel there's like this...aura of distance between them. Like I feel like Rosemary has to look after Toivo more than he has to look after her, and for me, I feel like this creates a sort of rift. But at the same time, that does make their relationship unique and interesting. So I'm actually excited to see more obstacles coming up, because while I think they'll always love each other, I'm interested to see in each of them grow and kind of realize there are parts of their relationship that could be addressed more.

Eightfish

1. I totally second everything @Delphina said about this comic. The expressions are so good! And the ghost scene! I was literally laughing out loud, while also admiring what a crazy cool concept it was. I don't think I've ever seen anything similar before. I wonder who the dark lady was though? Could she be Rosemary's mother? 3. Toivo. It's rare to see older main characters, and I really like that. He's got a lot of traits that make his age relevant to the story, too: his daughter, his job, his outlook on life. He reminds me of a few professors I've had. I do wish his appearance reflected his age, though. I know he's half elf and all, but it'd be nice to see a cool older man design for a main character, even if he still looked younger than his actual age- like 40 instead of 70.

6. I think the single dad dynamic is cool and not very often seen! And it's a happy and loving relationship too. I didn't feel the way @RebelVampire felt at all about it. They seemed very close to me, with the joking around and teasing. Like a typical good father and teenage daughter relationship. It's interesting how we both interpreted it differently. I wonder how Kay intended it?(edited)

Delphina

I definitely get the impression Rosemary feels very embarrassed for the normal teenage girl reasons about her dad. I would love to see how their relationship ages as Rosemary enters adulthood (and also if she'll turn out to be as much of a disaster as Toivo)

Eightfish

@Delphina I didn't even think she was embarrassed. Maybe a bit exasperated? But also, underneath, lovingly amused? I don't think she'll end up like Toivo. More likely she'll be his opposite, like how many people turn out irl actively avoiding their parents' negative traits.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. Given the comic has a lot of focus around the theme of dealing with your problems, what is your takeaway so far? Do you think Toivo will learn to deal with his own demons, or will he still continue to just avoid dealing with them?

Sail

I missed a few days of this due to pet emergencies... D: but i finally have a bit of time, so; 3. My favorite character is Toivo, of course! With Aidan coming in as an immediate second. It's hard to chose just one fave out of such a great cast. Toivo wins out for several reasons though. The was he's drawn is extremely endearing. He's so expressive with his face and hands, and I really love that. His personality is also charming in a chaotic dumpter fire kind of way. Overall he's just this well developed, complicated character that's instantly likeable imo 4. I really like the blend of the fantasy setting with small modern touches. I definitely want to see more of what society is like in this world, and maybe what it was like before, vs what it was like after Toivo and co saved it (and from what??)

5. I will mever recover from this panel: i think it speaks for itself

Sail

6. I feel like I'd like to see more of Toivo and Rosemary interact before I form any super big opinions of their relationship. I think they're pretty solid, though. There's clearly love there, and the usual strain that comes with a single parent trying to raise a kid alone. I definitely want to see more of their home lives and interactions. They seem like they're both trying their best 7. Uuuhhhh I'm a huge fool for Toivo and Aidan's scenes together. There's SO MUCH unspoken stuff there and it really comes through in their scenes. I think the part that grabs me the most is the familiarity. Even when they're not getting along they're clearly very comfortable with one another 8. In the immediate future, will Toivo learn to deal with his problems? Hahha, no, I don't think so. Somewhere down the line? Sure, probably. He's got a lot of time to learn and grow, and I think he will at some point. I also think Toivo is the sort of person that has to learn most things the hard way, so...

snuffysam

I think Toivo is at least going to start dealing with his demons now. He may not get through them all at once, and he may end up relapsing a bit, but... I think at least he's going to start making an effort.

I agree with @Sail . Toivo and Aidan clearly have a long history together, and it's interesting to see how we learn more about Toivo through that lens.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. What do you think Toivo’s past history with Dia and Aidan is? How else might Toivo’s history play a role within the story?

indogswetrust

9. I like all the little details. The stuff on Toivo’s desk, all the careful characterization that is folded into the art. Kay helpfully labelled them for us when he had his feet up reading a trashy romance novel, and I’ve been watching for them ever since.

RebelVampire

7) I actually probably like seeing Aidan and Toivo interact the most. Once again, this goes back to my previous answer about liking that Aidan is kind of a good grounded contrast personality with Toivo. Unlike Rosemary though, I get this hint that Aidan knows a lot of things about Toivo that Rosemary might not necessarily know. So like there's this deeper bond I feel between them that makes me more and more curious about things. 8) In terms of Toivo dealing with his own problems, probably not for quite a while. Given how the ghost thing resolved, I don't feel Toivo has quite learned why being able to deal with your own demons is valuable in its own right. And I feel like it's gonna take some big shocks and metaphorical slaps in the face to get him to learn. But I do think it'll happen at some point. In so far, my main takeaway regarding dealing with your own problems is that it's good but hard. Like even though people like Aidan make it seem like its easy, Toivo shows us the actual anxiety and emotional impact that our personal demons and problems leave us with. So while we can logically agree with Aidan, we also feel empathetic and understanding towards Toivo since his emotions really capture pain and what the experience is like.

9) I really love the detail in the ghosts and how they're not only wispy and kind of not clearly defined (as ghosts tend to be) but you can also see stuff through them. I love when that extra effort is taken to make ghosts transluscent (since you could otherwise shortcut drawing bgs), so it's a detail I can appreciate. 10) I'm pretty sure Dia, Aidan, Toivo, and possibly others were an instrumental group to saving the world that was mentioned in the newspaper clipping. As such, they had many adventures and horrors together, but somewhere along the line lost contact as they each drifted into their own thing as the world stabalized. I do feel like Toivo is carrying some baggage from those days, and I think it's that baggage that's going to continue to drive Toivo into conflict with his own personal problems and demons. And that this will be a large theme in the story's content in general: Toivo just cleaning up his own messes a lot.

Sail

9. Kay's lineart is amazing, and really lends weight and appeal to the overall style. I really like looking between chapter 1 and the current chapter and seeing just how much even the inking has changed 10. It's pretty clear already that Toivo and Co. werefellow adventures, and probably thick as thieves. I'd love to see more about how they met and how they used to interact. I like to think they were a pretty tight bunch for a while there

keii4ii

10. This is a longshot of a guess, and I wouldn't be too surprised if I'm wrong, but... in addition to what others have said about Toivo and Co, I wonder if Toivo wants his old buddies to join his adventuring company not because he craves adventures, but because that was the one time in his life where he felt like he actually had his shit together. Enough to Get Some of the Things Done Right, at least. He does seem like the type who has a lot of energy and needs an outlet (such as adventures). But yeah, I wonder if he also misses that feeling of... having support that you can count on?

snuffysam

It's also worth noting that Toivo's friends have grown old without him, so I think that adds to a feeling of isolation.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. How do you think the situation with Spicer will conclude? Will she continue to pursue necromancy to bring her parents back, or will she turn a new leaf? Also, how do you think Toivo might help her?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. In general, what sort of adventures do you think Toivo will have in the future? Additionally, over the course of the story, how do you think Toivo will grow and change as a person?

RebelVampire

11) For me this comic's strength is its art. There's great character design, great stylistic choices, great effort and detail paid to the backgrounds, great facial expressions, and so on and so forth. It is just a pretty comic to look at and you can pause on any panel and be rewarded visually in some way. 12) I feel like the Beast or whatever it is will cause Toivo to get hurt for Spicer. And Spicer will get mad that someone else got hurt, but then Toivo will get to have a dramatic speech about that's what parents do. And then Spicer will get to witness what a real hero is like and inevitably confront the fact that her parents are gone and not coming back. But by choosing to live and stuff, she's honoring their memory. Or something like that. Afterwards, I feel like she'll start training with Dia maybe to become an actual hero.

13) I am looking forward to seeing more of Rosemary and Toivo interact. I'd actually like to see a situation where Rosemary is the one in trouble or caused shenanigans and Toivo has to put dad pants on. Cause I'm interested to see how Toivo reacts to having to be the resposible one. 14) I feel like we're going to see Toivo both fights beasts but also deal with regular school stuff in terms of adventures. Also probably some treasure hunting. However, I think regardless of the what adventure, all will feature some real heavy emotional stuff that addresses some personal problem in Toivo's life. As for growing and changing, I think overall Toivo is going to learn to become more responsible. Not just cause irresponsibility hurts those around him, but also because he's old enough and wise enough in certain ways people are going to look to him for guidance.

Delphina

That's a really interesting point @RebelVampire. Toivo is very childish and reckless in a lot of ways, and maybe in his past circle of friends he was allowed to be irresponsible, because someone else could pick up the slack/punch the dragon. But now he's alone, and he's continually being put in roles of mentorship with younger people (his daughter, his students, and now Spicer), I wonder if he'll find that responsibility isn't necessarily a thing that magically happens when your age reaches a certain number or an innate thing you're born with, but is being in the position enough times where you say "I've dealt with this before, and there's something I know that a person who doesn't have my experience needs me to provide".

kayotics

i know it's not quite over yet, but i just wanted to pop in and say thanks to everyone who participated in the book club. It was fun to read what everyone had to say about my comic!

Sail

I hope I'm not too late to get a last few words in! Tough to be nocturnal 11. The strengths are definitely in the art style and expressiveness, but also in the pacing of the story. Nothing feels like it's being rushed, or dragging on too long. Plot points and background information are revealed in what feels like a really natural way imo 12. I'm hoping Spicer will accept the things that have happened, even if they're awful. But I also know that that's going to be diffucult if she's on her own with no one to support her. Hey Toivo, you wanna adopt a second kid?? 13. The thing I'm most looking forward to is DRAMATIC BACKSTORY, and to see more interactions between Toivo and all of the supporting cast. I also want to see more of Toivo and Rosemary's home life 14. I can only guess about his furure adventures. I hope one of them is a successful date! Preferably an action-packed date involving a dungeon, and thrilling rescue opportinuties, haha. I hope Toivo will learn to embrace his flaws and his past, and learn not to get so wounded when romance doesn't quite work out

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Ingress Adventuring Company this week! Please also give a special thank you to kayotics for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Ingress Adventuring Company, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://www.ingress-comic.com/

kayotics' Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kayartics

kayotics' Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/kayrossbach

kayotics' Twitter: https://twitter.com/kayartics

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