#& it's bc i see myself reflected in him. a younger me perhaps. back when i really was as raw and angry and scared as he is | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chemicalpink · 3 years

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TEEN IDLE ♡ MIN YOONGI

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader

Genre: SMUT (with plot *question mark*)

Warnings: unprotected sex, public sex (inside a bathroom at a party), kinda power dynamics bc Yoongi’s a CEO

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: AHHHHHH I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THE OG SO THIS IS A REPOST Missing Boongi hours but lowkey also horny hour. This took various unexpected turns but it ended up being just what I had first pictured, perhaps a second part may follow after I’m done with the series. I would love to hear your thoughts on this! As usual! Stay safe and enjoy this lil something!

Summary: I want the world to go away. I want to be a real fake. Baby, don’t you wish you’d been a prom queen fighting for the title instead of being sixteen and burning up a bible?

As a producer, Yoongi would like to say that he’s got an eye for it. Like that time he stopped his friend Namjoon, now his producing partner, from pursuing a vocalist career when the kid was around 15 and instead showed him the paradise that holds being a rapper (and man, did the kid got some talent for it) or how he is in charge of Kim Seokjin’s full career now that both him and Namjoon got a pretty stable and constantly growing entertainment company in Seoul.

So yeah, you could say he was quite pleasantly surprised when he met you.

You had been working at the company for some time, he was sure of that since they weren’t that big of a company and he had most probably interviewed you back then, but either now there was something that wasn’t there before, or he was slowly but surely losing his touch for spotting upcoming artists.

“Hey Y/N? Yoongi was asking to see you in his office” a girl that you recognised from somewhere on the fifth floor of the company said as she placed down her working papers next to you, with you nodding thanks to her way before standing up and making your way towards the elevators. Min Yoongi was the mastermind behind the whole company, so to say that having him ask for you made you nervous was the understatement of the century. You had only encountered him a few times after your initial interview, here and there, dishevelled hair, pouty lips at some ungodly hour in the morning, most probably from sleeping in his studio (which Namjoon said he did quite often). The elevator dings to let you know you’re in the penthouse level, trying your hardest to keep your heart from beating loudly whether from him being your boss, office crush (enabled by Kim Namjoon thank you very much) or both, you push the small button on the right for a few seconds before a buzzing sound is heard, unlocking the door and coming face to face with Yoongi’s back, carefully making your way to the nearest chair, across from him, on a glass desk.

“Y/N? right?” he said as he turned around to face you, stoic face in place, just the way he liked to carry himself out there; you nod a little disappointed, who can blame you if you were at least hoping for a small smile from him seen as he personally asked for you “Y/N, it gets hard to remember everyone sometimes, which department are you on?”

“Oh I’m-uh, just an intern, I help here and there” and may the ground swallow you up after the fakest laugh you’ve laughed in your life, to which Yoongi smirked at.

“Let’s say, I’m looking for a personal assistant” he trailed off, locking his gaze on your face as if to watch your every gesture, and from the lightning, you could see your reflection on his blue light glasses that refused to fall off even when barely standing at the tip of his nose “Would you be up for the challenge, Y/N?” and you knew, deep down, that his offering had little to do with your abilities, seen as you were only on an internship, barely fresh out of college, and being the PA of a very famous, very busy, CEO of an entertainment company was indeed a challenge, to say the least; which then lead you to assume that Min Yoongi had much more different reasons for giving the newest intern such a high position so yeah, perhaps with better judgement you suppose you would have said no, but Min Yoongi was a respected man that was constantly under the spotlight so there was nothing to worry about. Right?

And you sure did, envious whispers and glances from most of the company aside from how fast you ascended in the business hierarchy, being producer Min Yoongi’s personal assistant was quite a wild ride, something in the back of your mind had told you that it might even be a fun one, given that he was just two years older than you and most of his and Namjoon’s signed artists were always invited everywhere, sadly, Min Yoongi turned out to be that type of person that would only go out if it was strictly business, while Namjoon handled year-end award shows and afterparties, Yoongi maned the board meetings and the correspondent (and mostly boring) New Years company dinner. Coming to think of it perhaps it would have been much more fun being Namjoon’s personal assistant. Or Seokjin’s hairdresser. But may your daddy issues and love for power dynamics of seeing that man dressed up in a black suit, glasses perched on his nose and Rolex on his wrist while you imagine the most inappropriate things to think about your boss win, right?

So yeah, perhaps over the months it had become fairly monotone the way you just schedule meetings, lunch and organise files for Yoongi, nothing out of the ordinary (or out of your wet dreams that no one should know of) up until yet again the end of the year came around and Yoongi, in full CEO mode, was supposed to attend a gala with the stockholders and sponsors of the company, which, from what you and anyone working there could tell, Yoongi was pretty much begging Namjoon to spare him from going. You approached the door to his office while the younger was still there, smirking at his business partner

“Yoongi-hyung, you can’t just evade them like the plague for the rest of your life”

Yoongi’s eyes closed in on Namjoon’s face with a challenge in it as he straightened his posture “Just watch me”

Namjoon just rolled his eyes and let out an airy laugh “Do whatever you want hyung, but remember the company please” and as fast as that he was gone out the door.

You, of course, having grown fond of the man in front of you, had your brain short circuit as you blurted out “Love problems?” trying to keep it cool, pretend that deep down you weren’t feeling your heartbreaking at your office/boss crush having an interest in someone that clearly isn’t you while he turned to look at you in a funny way, making you feel as if you had just started a conversation that was going nowhere, that he didn’t want to have with you “Sorry, I overstepped”

“Ah, no it’s fine, yeah, you could say that, yeah” he cleared his throat as he fixed his uptight posture and god did the man had to do the bare minimum to get your fantasies going “My ex is going to be at the gala and I just- don’t wanna seem like there is nothing more in my life other than work”

“Well that is pretty much all you have going on in your life though” you joked and effectively made him crack a lopsided smile at you “But I would admit for a second there I thought it would be funny to see you pulling a fake dating card to make your ex jealous”

“A what?”

“You know, an arm candy, be the centre of attention, the new item, make your ex think there’s a lot they don’t know going on in your life” you laughed to yourself at the image of a man like Yoongi pulling a high school scheme in the middle of a company gala, that would surely make the weirdest thing you could witness in your life. CEO, Min Yoongi, pretends to date someone just to get his ex jealous. That would be a hell of a headline.

But your inner image came to a halt as you turned to your boss and felt something shift in the air, quite indescribable but his feline eyes scrutinizing you sitting on the armrest of the sofa near his desk, his lip clasped between his teeth for a few seconds too long “And you think you’d be able to pull it off?”

You swore your heart skipped a beat at that “Well- I wasn’t...really referring to myself” your eyes unable to hold his stare any second longer “..sir”

“You have quite a childish mind, Y/N” he laughed lightly as he took his phone in his hand, the heavy air dissipating from the office “But I must admit, you got me at the textbook high school jealousy act, I was never the type to do it back in the day”

“Yeah, it kind of is childish” your mind was racing a hundred miles per second, unable to decide whether to take him calling you childish as an insult or him suggesting to do it and have you with him as his partner in crime as an insinuation of reciprocating your feelings.

“Well, Y/N I sent you the gala info, sleep on it and let me know your plan, okay? consider it work stuff” The guts of this man to disarm you with a glance and a few words was beyond incredible “Oh and while you’re at it, can you tell Seokjin-hyung to come to my office for a second?” And that was your cue to leave. Just like that. As if he didn’t just basically asked you to attend a yearly gala with him. To make his ex jealous.

.-.

As it turns out, there is a worse thing than to feel butterflies in your stomach due to your boss wearing a dark suit and that is having an overwhelming need to kiss him stupid while he just bleached his hair, dressed in a tailored grey suit and pulling up in a sports car to your apartment building as you wait outside, dressed in something that feels so expensive you would have to work a lifetime and still wouldn’t be able to buy again if it wasn’t for Yoongi sending it to your house sometime in the morning.

“Oh it fits,” he says as a greeting as you round the car and get in after fixing your dress and smiling at him, trying (and most probably failing) to conceal every racing thought in your head and feeling in the bottom of your tummy.

It was a very predictable silent ride with just a lo-fi tune coming from the radio as he drove both of you through the streets and ended up in a secluded real estate area deep in Seocho-gu “You know, I kept thinking this whole idea was stupid and so so childish but Joonie says that now is the time to let loose before I’m actually old” he turns to look at you at the red light, shamelessly scanning you up and down and may you thank the universe for taking that acting class back in college, mustering up both knowledge and courage to get you through tonight, playing the part. You may also thank that unlike Yoongi, you had your fair share of teenage escapades and jealousy acts back in the day.

“It’s going to be fun, oppa” you say the last part teasingly sexy just to watch him react to it and both of you burst out laughing. Him muttering something about getting dragged into the whole situation.

For the most part, the gala consists mostly of you smiling and greeting people while Yoongi talks to them about things that your sober brain couldn’t comprehend, and as the champagne flutes kept coming, stock numbers and share percentages just flew by you as you stuck to your boss’ side. And listen, one can only hold so much liquid for so long. And the whole gale fiasco seems to extend until the end of times. Now you can understand just why Yoongi practically has to drag himself to these things.

“I’ll be back in a sec, I’m going to the restroom” you whisper to him as you lean into him, smiling your fakest but brightest smile at the man in front of him

“Sure thing, sweetheart” he replies back, eyes glistening and you have to pretend that the nickname just didn’t affect you enough for your legs to give out before walking away.

That quick face refreshing was not nearly enough to stop you brain shortcutting again at the sight in front of you, a very notably awkward Min Yoongi and a bubbly dark-haired lady laughing non stop at him (or with him, but he clearly wasn’t getting the joke) and you instantly had to channel your inner cheap rom-com actress to get the poor man out of his misery. Not the greatest plan that’s a given. Kind of on the childish side, as Yoongi liked to put it. But hopefully, it would do the trick.

“Yoongi-oppa! I thought you had left the party!” Yoongi turned his face to your higher-pitched voice in disbelief before you clung to his side, the girl flinching and quickly stepping back, Yoongi’s face just amused at your weird approach and decision to do aegyo in the middle of a business gala. Not that he was complaining, you were definitely playing the part. Him soon realising that he had to play the part too.

“Y/N, baby, this is Ara, my ex” he said as he slipped his left hand around your waist, you faking surprise and extending a hand to her very surprised face.

Not having enough of the way Yoongi seemed to enjoy her starstruck face, you decided to step it up a notch. “Ara, I’m so sorry, I’ll steal Yoongi from you for a second time, okay?” if her face was anything to go by, she was either about to implode or become a tomato, which to be honest was most probably the first one. Yoongi bit his lip amused, trying to hold his laugh in and ignore the way you two had pretty much caused a small scene that went on for the expecting eyes as you dragged the man away from his ex and very much openly into the women’s bathroom.

“I thought I was going to faint for a second there,” you said as you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in, walking up to click the door to the small bathroom closed. You definitely needed a second “Yoongi?”

“Oh no, totally, she was most probably plotting your funeral right there” he smiled that gummy smile everyone knew he had reserved for his acceptances speeches on best production at you and your heart did a whole backflip inside your chest “But that was also hot as shit, Y/N” now that right there was a novelty, Yoongi behaving his age or a few years younger, language and all, away from the whole Oscar-worthy act you two had pulled.

“Oh so he curses”

You could feel the air shift again like that time inside his office, the air heavy with something recognizable as lust but the reality far away from it. Your boss was on the other end of it. An invisible line you knew was stupid to cross. “You just wait until I get a string of curses out of you, Y/N”

His eyes seemed even more feline-like as he stared intently at you a few steps away from him, your weight on the small counter, reciprocating his lustful stare. “Well doesn’t that sounds like a challenge, boss?”

Something inside him snapped and in a second he had his lips on yours, hands keeping you the closest to his body, tongue tracing your mouth as ragged breaths filled the room, his mouth making its way down your jawline and latching onto your exposed skin just beside your shoulder, big hands cupping your ass from beneath your dress as you let out a whine.

“You’ll have to be quiet for me, doll, as much as I am enjoying the whole reckless adolescent ride, I would like to stay clear from any sex scandal” You simply nodded as he placed you on top of the counter, dress bunched up on around your waist as his skilled fingers began playing with your clothed folds, wetting them with your already dripping juices “You have no idea how much I’ve dreamt about this”

Your head whipped back towards the mirror as the air hit your cunt when he removed your panties, ringed fingers teasing your entrance, his free hand pocketing the small thong inside his slacks, your hands gripping his hair tighter every time he pressed your nerve bundle against his palm. Under the whole lust haze, still, a bit conscious of your surroundings a door clicking open, a voice on the other side and you had half a mind to back both of you into a bathroom stall as you heard steps approaching, turning back to signal Yoongi to stay quiet. The whole teenage breaking loose taking a whole real adult implication of getting caught and ruining the company’s reputation. But he didn’t seem to mind as he pressed himself against you, his hard cock grazing your exposed ass as you were pressed against the door, Yoongi rubbing himself on you and you could feel him smile against your shoulder.

“I’ve let you lead me Y/N, but right now you’ll just have to keep quiet for me doll, be a good girl for daddy, okay?” You could only inhale sharply midway into trying to tell him how much of a crazy idea this whole situation was as you felt the tip of his cock against your entrance, him expertly placing your leg at a somewhat awkward angle around his hips in order to have better access. Him taking a few seconds for you to adjust after inserting himself whole, moving at an experimental pace that had you clawing at the door in search of some support from the thrusting but finding none as he set a faster pace, a moan threatening to fall out of your lips every two seconds, your mind hazy and exploding with every possible feeling at the realization that Min Yoongi, your boss, whom you have thirsted over for moth on end, was fucking you stupid at a public gala, inside the bathroom, with people just outside the stall, the thought enough to make you clench around him and have him groaning lightly at the feeling.

“I thought I told you to be good” he muttered against your skin before pushing you down further so he could balance his pace while grabbing your hips, deepening his reach and hitting your g spot each time, a hand coming down between your legs to play with your clit to throw you against the edge at the same time as him, legs trembling and barely keeping you up if it weren’t for him holding you in place.

“I’m not sure I’d call this a remembrance of being a ten idle,” you said as a way to lighten the post-sex awkwardness that had built up as you cleaned yourself and tried to make yourselves look somewhat presentable, “I thought I had locked the door”

“Oh no, you did, I unlocked it though,” he said, a cheeky smile to accompany his words and gummy smile, “Thought it would be fun to experience the whole high school experience, now come on, we’ve still got the whole walk of shame in the middle of an international gala as a bonus activity to this”

#networkbangtan #bangtanarmynet #hyunglinenetwork #yoongi smut #yoongi one shot #bts smut #bts imagine #yoongi imagine #bts x reader #bts scenarios #yoongi scenarios #yoongi scenario

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swlbarnes · 5 years

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Kindred Spirits - Jack Kline x Reader

Summary: Why are you the only person that can see Jack’s wings?

Pairing: Jack Kline x Reader

Word count: 6k (i didn’t mean for it to happen but here we are)

Warnings: self doubt from both jack and reader, jack being a total sweetheart as always bc that’s totally a warning

A/N: soulmate AU with Jacky boy bc he has wings too and dangit he deserves the ever so lovely cliche “soulmates can see an angel’s wings” trope. Hopefully this can satisfy y’all’s needs for fluffy Jack content, even if I did make it a bit too long. I got excited.

Taking Jack in after everything was strange to say the least. The boy was always exceedingly kind to you and consistently tried his best to make everyone around him happy, yet opinions on him were quite divided in the bunker for quite a while. While you and Sam both held strong to the idea that he was inherently good despite his parentage, Dean couldn’t seem to shake his grudge against him. Every time the poor kid tried to do something for the team, Dean would always be prepared with a snarky remark.

Another thing about Jack’s presence in the bunker that had your mind twisted in confusion was the large pair of wings behind his back. You had never really seen an angel’s wings before, and from what you knew of angel lore, no one but other angels really could see them. Cas has tried to explain it to you one night as you sat side by side in the library of the bunker, but he tended to use references to sciences that humans had no grasp of yet, making the whole thing a bit pointless, really. Needless to say, it was a pretty big shock when you took in the sight of the young nephilim’s wings. Was this because he was a nephilim? Do nephilims usually have their wings out and visible? You wanted nothing more than to come forward to the boys with all of your questions, but something about it felt… wrong. Surely if it was polite to ask about an angel’s wings, then they would have mentioned them already. Perhaps it was even dangerous to ask, seeing as Dean had no intentions of remaining civil with the boy, and he, too, remained silent on the matter. Besides, they were the ones that knew more about nephilims. Maybe it was best to just follow their lead.

It just didn’t add up. How were you the only one to notice them? His wings were massive. Jack was by no means a small man, but something about the vast size of his wingspan made his body seem minuscule. The grand appendages arched upwards from his back, looming above his head and shoulders before reaching out a few feet on either side of his body. Most of the feathers adorning them were a glimmering white that seemed to reflect back every color of the rainbow when hit perfectly with the light. Towards the bottom of each wing were a few rows of pure golden feathers. They each ended in a sharp point, the metallic fluff gleaming in a way that no earthly creature could. Everything about his wings gave off such a purely celestial energy, and to be honest, just looking at them made you feel utterly sinful.

You really did try your best to keep quiet about the whole thing. You promise you did. Sometimes you just… can’t do that, though. You cared about Jack incredibly deeply, and that was the exact reason that you had to speak up.

“I’m just saying, Dean, we can’t leave him here alone. Who knows who could come for him here? He’s not ready to defend himself alone. Plus, we need all hands on deck with this case. We should bring Jack with us,” Sam insisted from his place behind his laptop at one of the library tables. You raised a brow, peering over the research book in your lap. You were reclined in one of the plush armchairs off to the side, while Dean and Jack sat with Sam, one in front of him, and one by his side, respectively.

Dean rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest for what you could only assume was dramatic effect. “It’s too dangerous, the kid stays here. (Y/N) can look after him, we’ll do the hunt just the two of us.” His tone left no room to argue, yet Sam still managed to worm his way in for a rebuttal.

“Seriously?” The younger brother groaned incredulously. “We have no idea what this thing is, and you want to go in without backup? Look, whatever this is, it’s nothing we’ve faced before. Four men, all drained of blood by five crescent shaped puncture wounds to the neck. Not a bite mark, not a normal stab wound, nothing like that. We have nothing to go off of, and we need extra help. I’m just saying, Jack would be an asset.”

Dean opened his mouth, ready to retort, but you were quicker to the punch. “Jack can’t go, though,” you stated matter of factly. The room fell silent, and after a moment, you risked a look up to meet the three pairs of eyes looking your way. Dean appeared to be smug, as he usually was when you took his side in arguments. Sam’s jaw hung slightly ajar in shock at your claim. But Jack’s was the worst. Not only did his facial expression convey his deep betrayal, but his naturally shining, vibrant, proud wings hung low and dragged on the floor, the feathers dulled significantly. He looked broken. You immediately averted your gaze, unable to meet his eyes knowing you were the cause of that reaction.

“What? Are you seriously taking his side in this? After all your serious sit downs you’ve had telling him that Jack is a useful addition to the team, all those times you’ve given Jack pep talks, all that, yadda yadda yadda, was that all just fake?” Sam spat. His hazel eyes burned holes in your head. His jaw was clenched in an attempt to bite back on any words he might regret later.

Your eyes grew wide at the sudden fury radiating off the younger Winchester, but what shocked you even more were his words. How dare he say that? How dare he, in front of Jack, insinuate that you didn’t care about the nephilim’s well-being? You had been nothing but kind to him since he arrived, and you were forever grateful to have him around. But how could Sam not see the issue in all of this? “What are you talking about, Sam? Of course I believe all of that! I think Jack is a gift to this team and you know it, so don’t you dare suggest otherwise, especially in front of him. I care about Jack just like you do. I’d put my life on the line for him time and time again, and I think he’s one of the kindest, most genuine people I’ve ever met. Don’t you dare tell him I don’t,” you nearly growled out in reply. Your eyes were narrowed and you leaned forward to deliver him a glare of the same caliber.

Sam seemed taken aback by your comeback, but he refused to let you shock him into silence. “Oh really?” He scoffed. “Then what’s the problem, huh? Why can’t the kid come with us on this case? What could possibly be more important than keeping him safe with us?”

Finally, you couldn’t handle it anymore. You couldn’t bring yourself to care if it was rude anymore, you were doing this for Jack’s own good. “His WINGS!” You cried out, throwing your hands in the air in exasperation. “There, are you happy? I said it! Jack has wings! And I refuse to bring him somewhere that he can be captured by humans and treated like some kind of lab rat experiment!” You knew all too well how red your face was by this point. You could hear the blood pumping in your ears as you fought to catch your breath.

You waited for the gasps of disgust at your poor taste in words. You expected to be scolded within an inch of your life for having disrespected the signal of Jack’s power. You waited. Then you waited. Then you waited some more. And after waiting just a little more, you looked up to meet their expressions. They were far from the angry faces you had expected. Instead they just seemed… confused.

“Okay, now you lost me. What are you getting at here?” Dean questioned with furrowed brows. Your gaze darted back and forth between the three men expectantly, waiting for them to laugh and assure you that they were only joking, but they didn’t. Their faces held steady.

You felt much of your anger melting away into confusion. “I… what? Why are you guys so confused? I mean, he’s got… wings. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, I’m not saying they’re bad. I think they’re absolutely gorgeous and they look really soft and nice, but other people aren’t going to be so understanding and I don’t know what I’d do with myself if someone got to you, Jack,” You rambled on. Your nervousness quickly got the better of you under the nephilim’s watchful, curious gaze. You would be lying if you said that you weren’t attracted to the boy. It often made life in the bunker with him quite difficult, to say the least, what with his constant vibrant smile and carefree nature. After realizing you enjoyed binging on your favorite shows in your free time, he insisted on regularly sitting down together to watch whatever shows or movies you wanted him to see. He didn’t quite understand all of the concepts taking place in each of the plots, but he always tried his best, and he ALWAYS had your favorite snacks and enough blankets to last the winter. Little things like that were what made the hunting life more bearable, and most of those little things seemed to come from Lucifer’s son himself.

Sam looked to you, then to Jack, then back at you. “Are you saying that you… can see his wings?” He wondered aloud, gesturing towards Jack with one hand. You nodded slowly. This didn’t seem to be the answer he had expected, as he immediately asked again. “Like, right now? Right now you see wings… on him?” This time he added a second hand to the gesturing, clearly focusing the movements towards the boy’s torso. Jack shuffled a bit in his seat, but remained silent.

“Yes, Sam! Yes, I see Jack’s wings. Yes, I see them right now. They’re huge and white at the top and at the bottom some of the feathers are gold. One of them is tucked up to his back while the other is- oh, no, Jack! No, please don’t hide them away, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you!” You reached a hand out towards Jack in an attempt to comfort him, only to find that you were much too far away to do such a thing, especially since he had pulled the wing closest to you back in towards his back while you were speaking. His feathers ruffled a bit at your words, his eyes widening to match the subtle movement.

The nephilim turned his gaze to Dean before looking to Sam, clearly seeking an explanation. Each of the brothers could give him nothing but blank, questioning gazes. Dean leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table as he did so. “(Y/N), have you seen Jack’s wings the whole time we’ve known him?”

“Of course…”

“And you didn’t think to, oh I don’t know, freaking tell us about that?” His tone held an edge of anger that you were unsure how to process. The eldest Winchester seemed to snap at you far more often since Jack joined the team, and you were usually able to brush his words off and move on. This time, though, you weren’t sure if his annoyance was a result of Jack’s presence of your lack of action.

“I didn’t think anything of it! I thought everyone could see them!” You retorted, crossing your arms over your chest in a defensive manner. Dean’s body moved with his eyes as they rolled up to the ceiling and then back down to you once again.

“Seriously? You thought we wouldn’t mention that our new housemate has huge freaky wings growing out of his back? I can’t say that’s something I would usually overlook!”

A low groan passed through your lips at this. “Oh, really, Dean? I’m sorry that I didn’t find it odd enough to mention Jack’s wings. I was a little busy with my usual daily tasks, like trying to save your mother from another dimension and killing the last Prince of Hell! I’m not sure you’ve noticed, but Jack having wings is probably the least strange thing I’ve told you this week,” you growled out. After a beat of silence, you decided you couldn’t hold back your other grievance with his words. “And don’t call his wings ‘freaky,’ Dean. If you could see them you’d be singing Jack’s praises. They’re absolutely gorgeous, and guess what? You can’t argue, because apparently, I’m the only one of us humans that knows what they’re talking about!” With that, you sat back with a smug grin.

Dean, however, did not agree with your assumption that you won the argument. He gave a simple annoyed huff in response. “I still think you should’ve told us. Surely you didn’t think we were just ignoring them or whatever?”

You gave a vague shrug to this. “You two are the ones that did most of the research on nephilims, so I thought there might be some respect thing about mentioning them. I was just following your lead with this whole thing.”

Sam shook his head, deciding now would be the best time to interject before your voices began to rise once again in a resurrected argument. “Alright, let’s just forget the whole ‘you should’ve told us’ thing right now. What’s important is figuring out why you can see his wings. What does that even mean?” The taller of the brothers queried, his brows knitted together. Worry lines creased his forehead, much like the ones that made themselves visible on Jack and Dean.

You shrugged your shoulders once again in as nonchalant of a manner as you could. “Does it matter? It doesn’t really seem like a life threatening situation. It’s not a big deal, and we’ve got enough on our plates as it is, don’t you think?” You insisted. Your fingers tapped absentmindedly on the arm of the couch as the three men took a silent moment to think.

“I still don’t like it,” Dean muttered in annoyance, his gaze fixated on a minute pocket of air a few inches from his face.

“You don’t like much of anything nowadays,” was your comment in reply. This earned you a callous glare from the older hunter.

Sam let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. His arms stretched over his head, bent at the elbows so he could rub at his exhaustion ridden eyes. “I don’t know,” he spoke through a groan. “I don’t think it’s dangerous, but I’d still like to know why, you know? It might be important later on down the road.” You decided to drop the subject with a sigh, standing up to grab a new book of lore from a nearby shelf. Much to your satisfaction, they all seemed to follow suit, and the bunker library fell silent once more.

After that day, you began to notice the little things that started to change. You and Jack became closer than ever, the boy seeming to crave spending quality time with you whenever he could. Sometimes when night would fall and the nephilim’s demons continued to brawl inside his head, he would make his way into your room. It was easy to tell the difference between Jack’s footsteps approaching and either of the brothers. Dean’s steps were heavy and slightly uneven, and they echoed off the stone walls like a blaring police siren. Sam’s feet hit the ground with less force, but that didn’t make them any less noticeable. His boots still clacked noisily against the floors despite all of his efforts to remain quiet. Jack, however, was a whole different story. Jack’s bare feet shuffled almost silently up to your closed bedroom door on those nights. He wasn’t the biggest fan of shoes, and if he was allowed to go without them, then he would do so in a heartbeat. He would knock on your door, calling out that it was Jack, and asking if he could come in, just like you had taught him. Once he got your approval, he would step inside, closing the door behind him before diving into your bed and curling up next to you. Sometimes he would want to talk about it, other times he just remained silent. You trusted him to do what he felt he needed most, so you never pushed him. You just reached out and ran your fingers through his feathers until he drifted off to sleep at your side.

Sam continued to scour every piece of angel and nephilim lore he could find in an attempt to find an answer to your little winged mystery, but everything he read just came up empty. Most hunters didn’t even know angels existed, and most of the readings from nonhunters were just speculation. Even still, nothing he found could give him an answer. If the Men of Letters didn’t know about it, then he wasn’t sure how it settled with him.

It wasn’t until the brothers went out on their own hunt in Grand Junction that anything came of it all. In other words, it wasn’t until Castiel came back that you had any answers.

Your reunion with the seraph was tear filled to say the least. You remember clinging desperately to his form, your fingers curling into the familiar beige trenchcoat as if it might fade away any second, taking your dear friend with it. Jack was quick to show off his progress with his powers, much to your amusement. Your eyes couldn’t help but linger on the way his wings twitched in anticipation of his adoptive father’s reaction, and the smile that broke out on his face when Castiel praised him was enough to send your heart racing. Oh, you had surely fallen, and you had fallen hard.

Your mind hardly registered the complexity of your situation with Jack anymore at that point. You came to find that his wings were just as expressive as his face, and you were soon able to read the most minor of twitches and flutters with ease. This only served to bring you even closer to the man. It was that exact closeness that eventually led to Castiel’s discovery of your predicament.

You sat in one of the old wooden chairs in the library, Jack seated just to your left. The pair of you gazed listlessly at the dust ridden lore books splayed out on the table in front of you. Across the table sat the two older hunters and your angel companion, each one with their own piece of research material, whether it be in the form of a laptop or another one of the decrepit tomes stocked in the Men of Letters library.

The air of the bunker always seemed to carry a certain chill to it that never ceased to send chills up and down your frame. This night was surely no exception. You tugged desperately at the flannel covering your shoulders in an attempt to conserve some of your body heat, but your efforts were naught; the goosebumps along your arms remained undefeated.

Another all consuming shiver rattled your form before you decided to speak up. “Would it kill you boys to turn up the heating in this place?” You muttered in annoyance as you tugged your knees up towards your chest in order to keep warm. Dean peered up at you from over the top of his laptop screen, an amused grin tugging at his lips.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? A little chilly?” He mused. His tone was far from comforting, and the sound caused you to let out a huff of annoyance. “Why don’t you just go grab a jacket?”

You rolled your eyes in reply. “Because I’m inside at home and I shouldn’t have to wear fifty layers of clothing just to keep from freezing to death in the good year of 2019,” you insisted. You were on the verge of teeth chattering at this point, and therefore you made sure to speak through your teeth as if you were simply angry with the eldest Winchester - little did he know that you simply couldn’t talk any other way without sounding like a fool.

Sam let out a chuckle, only for the sound to be cut off with a cough as soon as your glare fell on him. His eyes focused back on the screen in front of him, his face wiped clean of his previous amusement. Good boy.

Jack turned to you with a look of concern etched into his features. “You’re cold?” He queried, his eyes scanning over the way your hands were rubbing relentlessly at your upper arms. You let out a hum and gave a quick nod of your head. At this reply, Jack wasted no time in unfurling his wings. The wing closest to you curled around just behind your back and around your shoulders. You were instantly encased in the warmth and the soft comfort of the nephilim’s wings. Your eyes fluttered closed, and for just a moment you allowed yourself to get lost in the sensation of his fledging flight feathers brushing against your skin.

A low hum of approval passed through your lips, a sound your brain only partially recognized before it left you. Your body curled subconsciously into Jack’s little embrace. “That’s a lot better,” you murmured, your voice hardly a whisper in the still air of the bunker library. “Thank you, Jack.”

You opened your eyes to look at the man by your side, and you were pleased to see the bright smile on his face. You were quick to return his expression before turning back to your lore book to continue translating the old ancient Greek text. Your plan to continue on as normal didn’t last very long, however, as only moments later Castiel spoke up in the quiet atmosphere.

“(Y/N)...” He pressed, his tone insistent but maintaining a soft edge as not to frighten you. You looked up towards the angel to assure him that you were listening. He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter in his chair, if that was even possible for the eons old soldier anymore. “Do you… Do you happen to see Jack’s wings…?”

The question was a simple one. You’d been over this before. You’d talked through this with the boys already. Even after that first conversation, Dean insisted on asking you repeatedly for a few days afterwards just to try to catch you in some elaborate lie. There was nothing that should have made you pause about his line of questioning, but still, you found yourself hesitating at the sound of the query coming off of Castiel’s lips. This was an angel. He knows these things. This was different.

Your throat grew dry when sapphire blue eyes locked with your own. You did all you could to force down the rising lump in your throat, finally bringing yourself to squeak out a feeble, “yes…?” in response. You reached out and grabbed your beer bottle from the table, easily bringing it to your lips and taking a swig. Whether you were seeking out the dull buzz from the alcohol or the relief the liquid brought to your suddenly parched throat, you could never be sure.

This interaction didn’t go unnoticed by the taller of the two Winchesters. Sam’s head poked up from behind his laptop once again, his brows tugged together so much so that his forehead became littered with creased lines. “Cas? Do you know what that means? I’ve been scouring the lore night and day trying to find something, and I couldn’t find a single recorded instance of this,” he informed the angel, his voice dripping with concern.

Cas gave a dismissive shake of his head at the taller man’s efforts. “I wouldn’t expect it to be recorded anywhere. Soulmates are far too sacred for such things.” Castiel’s voice was always gruff, but there was something about this new information that sent his tones even deeper with thought.

Dean instantly began sputtering wildly at his friend’s simplistic statement. “You said the what now?” He cried out. The hunter’s eyes were saucers of emerald, glinting with the shock of what he just learned.

Cas finally broke from his reverie long enough to turn his eyes to the bewildered man to his right. His squinted gaze flickered to and from Dean’s expression. “I believe I spoke quite clearly. If (Y/N) is able to see Jack’s wings, then the only answer is that they are soulmates,” he clarified.

Your face was surely somewhere close to cherry red at that point, your jaw dropped open in utter shock. You couldn’t believe it. How could you believe such a thing? Jack was a creature that was truly one of a kind. Born of an archangel and a human and stronger than the devil himself, he was a symbol of hope for the future of humanity. You? You were just some poor sap that got roped into a life of nightmares and loss. The idea that he was meant to be with you so much so that the fates demanded it, it was dizzying.

Against all of your better judgment, you turned to spare a glance at the nephilim by your side. Much to your surprise, you didn’t find a fuming, disappointed hybrid, but a bubbly young man with a childlike excitement in his eyes. A broad smile adorned his lips and his chest puffed outwards with swelling pride. The wings on his back ruffled as they shifted to make themselves larger as well. The one wrapped around your form curled a bit tighter, pressing you closer to his chair.

“So,” Jack chirped, “does that mean that we’re meant to be together like Anakin and Padmé?”

You and Sam both visibly winced at the insinuation, but Castiel was the one to speak up. “Perhaps they aren’t the best idea of romance and healthy human relationships.”

Dean scoffed, snatching his beer from the table and tipping it back to take a swig. “Understatement of the century, man. He did kinda end up killing her when she was pregnant with their twins then spent his time undoing her life’s work to restore the democracy to the galaxy, but sure. Maybe they’re just a little iffy.”

Sam smirked and turned to Dean with his arms crossed over his chest. “I wasn’t aware you were well versed in Star Wars lore, Dean,” he teased, much to the older man’s annoyance.

“It’s Star Wars, man,” he muttered. “‘Course I’ve seen it. And the prequels were garbage.”

That was it, you had to speak up. “Guys!” You shouted, causing all four men to jump in their seats in fright. Their bewildered gazes landed on you. “Are you seriously talking about Star Wars when we just learned that Jack and I are soulmates? Can we please gain a little perspective!” You snapped. Jack’s wing pressed into your back in an attempt to comfort you, and to be honest, it did the job.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” Sam muttered, turning to Cas once again. “So, what exactly does this whole thing mean?”

Cas leaned back in his chair. His hands clasped together in his lap. “It is really quite self explanatory. An angel’s wings can only be seen by other angels and, in very special cases, that angel’s intended soulmate.” A pleased smile stretched across his lips as his eyes flickered back and forth between you and Jack. “Not many angels have the fortune of getting a soulmate, so this is truly quite remarkable. I’m glad you two have found each other. You deserve all the comfort your bond brings.”

Though you remained rigid with shock, you couldn’t help the smile blooming on your face from the sentiment. Castiel might be a ferocious warrior trained and worked as a soldier for eons, but at the end of the day the seraph would always be a huge softie.

“So is this like, God hath come down and decreed that these two shall bang?” Dean asked as bluntly as possible. You were sure that by that point, all the blood in your body was circulating through only your face and cheeks.

“D-Dean!” You scolded him. Your voice raised an octave or two in your embarrassment. The older hunter cast you a simple wink.

Castiel shook his head, paying no mind to the awkward atmosphere you were radiating in reaction to Dean’s words. “I’m unsure how their bond was put in place. For other angels, God did hand pick the angels and their soulmate counterparts and set the bond himself, however that was millennia ago. There have been no new fledglings since then, and therefore, no more bonds to create. How this one was made is beyond me.” The answer was just enough to answer a few of their questions, only to leave them with a handful more that would surely remain a mystery.

A low groan escaped your lips as you settled your forehead on your knees, which were still tucked up against your chest. This was too much. This was way too much. You hadn’t even spilled your feelings about Jack and you were already going to be rejected, and by your soulmate no less. Jack surely saw you as just a friend, and as much as it hurt, you vowed to go forward however he wished. A moment or two passed in complete silence before anyone moved.

“I’m gonna head to bed,” Sam announced. His chair legs squealed against the ground as he scooted away from the table to stand. The sound of Dean agreeing and standing up made itself prominent, followed by a quick whack!

“What?” Cas’s voice muttered in confusion. More silence, then, “Oh! Yes, yes I should leave as well. Very busy recently. Lots of things to get done. Being alive again is very time consuming. Good night everyone.” A tell tale flap of wings and a gust of wind strong enough to turn the pages of the book in front of you let you know that he had gone. Dean’s retreat to his bedroom was clear by the heavy footsteps overshadowing his faint muttering about Castiel’s cluelessness.

“(Y/N)?” Jack’s voice called softly from his place next to you. You let out a hum of acknowledgement, but refused to lift your head to meet his eyes. Apparently, this was not enough for the nephilim. He let out a sigh, and soon enough he had hooked his foot on the leg of your chair and dragged it over until it collided with his own with a clank! Even still, your head stayed down. “(Y/N) please look at me?”

“No thank you,” you muttered. Your voice was muffled through the denim of your jeans, but he understood you all the same.

Another sigh from the man. The wing on your back grew heavier against your shoulders, as though he was no longer making an effort to hold it up. “Is it really so bad that you have to be with me?”

Your body froze. His voice wavered with uncertainty and self doubt. That one question was enough to make your heart shatter in your chest. He sounded broken by his realization - no, his idea that you didn’t want him. He thought you were going to reject him.

Your resolve faded away in that moment, and you carefully lifted your head to meet his watery eyed gaze. His lip quivered slightly with his breathing, and it took everything in you not to hold him close and make sure he never has to suffer again. His hands were in his lap, fingers toying with the fuzzy material along the inside of his jacket. He always told you how much he loved the jacket because it was so soft. It comforted him when he got scared. He was seeking out that comfort. Because of you.

“Jack, no, that’s not what this is about at all,” you whispered, being sure to meet his gaze in an attempt to prove your truthfulness. “It’s not bad for me, Jack. Not at all. I just… I worry about how you feel about this whole situation. I’m not exactly the best option you could’ve had. You could’ve been soulmates with a nice, normal, everyday citizen with none of this emotional baggage coming along with them. Someone without a hero complex, or memories of Hell, or enough nightmares behind their eyelids to give Stephen King a run for his money. You could’ve had someone like that, but instead it’s just… me.” You fought to swallow the rising lump in your throat as you finished speaking.

“You… You aren’t ashamed of me?” Jack asked you in disbelief. The broken shards of your heart continued to crumble into dust. The absolute awe in his eyes over the simple fact that you weren’t ashamed to be his soulmate was devastating. He truly thought so little of himself already in his short life.

“Of course not, sweetheart,” you assured the nephilim. You dropped your feet back to the ground and reached towards him, resting your palm against his cheek. The tears he had built up along his bottom lid escaped their confines to trail down his cheeks. Your eyes followed the droplet as it made its way down along the curves of his face. Just before it reached his jawline, you raised your other hand up and swiped your thumb over the teardrop. Your finger followed the wet trail it left behind, wiping away the remnants until both palms were pressed against his cheeks. Your thumbs brushed carefully over his cheekbones as you cradled the man’s face in your hands.

“But I’m an abomination. I’m Lucifer’s son, I might be evil. I could hurt you. I could kill you!” He insisted, his eyes growing panicked with each passing second. You shook your head.

“You’re not evil, and you won’t hurt me. I trust you. And so what if the angels think you’re an abomination? They say the same thing about Sam, you know. Is Sam bad?” He shook his head slowly. “Exactly. Sometimes… Sometimes people are treated badly just because of who they are. It’s not right, and it’s not good, but it happens. That’s why we do our best to prove those people wrong. Okay? You’ve saved people, and you’re going to continue saving people, because that’s who you are. You’re good, Jack. You’re so good, and I wish I could get you to believe that yourself.”

Once again you found yourself staring back at a pair of red rimmed, tear brimming eyes. If you thought he was in awe before, then this was absolute disbelief. His mouth hung just slightly ajar as his eyes scanned your face for any signs that you were lying. A moment passed, and he must have been satisfied with his findings, because soon enough he was pulling you towards him and pressing his lips to yours. You leaned in to the kiss and your eyes fluttered shut. The taste of the soda he had off to the side still lingered on his lips, and all too soon you had to pull away.

Jack’s eyes were shining in the low light of the library. He pressed his forehead to yours, brushing his nose over yours in an affectionate manner. “I think I like kissing,” he commented in a soft tone.

A chuckle escaped you. “Feel free to do it anytime, then,” you welcomed with a dazed grin. Jack smiled before connecting your lips with his own once again. He pulled you flush against him, and soon enough you were encompassed in the soft warmth of a pair of large white and golden wings, encapsulating you two together and blocking out the rest of the world, because in the end, none of that really mattered. As long as you had Jack by your side, you knew you could get through anything.

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starspatter · 5 years

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WIP Challenge

Tagged by: @summertime-children

Tagging: @astrologista, @atsushishelteredinmoonlitjasmine, @benditlikegumby, @cryptoriawebb, @ibmiller, @iceperialprincess, and @otherwise-uncolonized

Challenge: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.

I'll also do what deta did and post comments + short fragments. (Be warned it'll be very long though, and most of these are actually Pokémon fics since I was a much more prolific writer when I was younger, and that was the fandom I wrote mainly for.) I also won't be including "Heroes and Thieves" on here (or any DC/superhero stuff really since I’ve essentially “done” everything I had planned for now), as *technically* it is all already completed in draft form, and I'd like to keep things a surprise for whenever I do end up posting~

Hero and Seek

“Well, we’re all together now, so let’s have some fun, all right? Don’t worry, it’s really simple. One person is the ‘demon’, and the others have to hide from him.” “Eh? A ‘demon’? But that’s scary!” Three pairs of eyes turned up to her in fear. Those eyes, which screamed and streamed the stark color of blood the first time she saw them – not just from tears, but from the ‘monster’ they believed dwelled deep within. She thought for a moment, then removed her scarf. “How about this then? Whoever’s the ‘hero’ has to find and rescue the others. It’s a very important Blindfold Brigade mission!”

I’ll start with the one Kagepro fic I did attempt at least, which I described previously here, but is basically about Ayano + the Meka Trio playing “Hide and Seek” for the first time. (I actually had it originally titled as that but just came up with this new version on the spot lol I’m so clever~) For some reason I’ve always been hesitant about reading/writing Kagefic, but I actually got a fair bit farther in this than I thought, so perhaps I should try to finish it someday... Princes and Frogs

“K-Koizumi-senpai… Um… Please go out with me!” Itsuki stared down at the tiny underclassman, watching a rose mantle spread slowly over her cheeks as she gazed back with shy, but determined hope in her bespectacled eyes. The older boy could make out his own handsome face reflected off the lens, a virtual image embellished by sparkling hearts and stars. With dim satisfaction and relief, Itsuki ensured that his bright, patient smile betrayed no hint of the weary sigh that whispered behind it.

This is an intro excerpt of the first chapter I planned to write for an ItsuHaru fic from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which I only ever posted the prologue for. ItsuHaru was my first obsessive OTP, and I still think about returning to this story someday (especially since I have now proven to myself I *can* finish a full chapter fic if I put my mind to it), but it’s been so long I feel like I’d need to refresh my memory of the whole series/am still holding out hope for a Season 3 to motivate me again. *shot*

Fall to Pieces

As Itsuki stared at Yuki’s vacant visage, his resentment kept building. His hands clenched, rigidly gripping the edge of the table. Somehow, it just didn’t seem fair. That she could so easily ignore the madness fate had dealt them, never reveal any signs of suffering or bitterness towards her situation, and yet always, always wear the same damn expression on her face. How could she possibly stand it? He can’t stand it. (any more)

An ItsuYuki one-shot, where Itsuki basically blows up at her from pent-up frustration over having to wear a mask all the time and his hidden feelings for Haruhi. The two start to form a connection over their respective “unrequited loves”/understanding of each other’s pain, and one thing leads to another... Like “Heroes and Thieves”, this is in fact technically “complete”, since I actually used the leftover steam from the former towards finishing at least one thing I started a long time ago - although I’m still not sure I’m totally satisfied with it/kinda want to wait to figure out what I’m doing with my other ItsuHaru fics before I publish it by itself. (Incidentally the working title comes from an Avril Lavigne song lol.)

Little White Lies

“Perhaps the best thing for the princess would have been to fall in love. But how a princess who had no gravity could fall into anything is a difficulty--perhaps the difficulty.” -George MacDonald, The Light Princess - Haruhi Suzumiya was walking on air. Itsuki could tell by the way she glided into the clubroom, sailing like a paper airplane – or a balloon with an inflated ego to match.

...Yeah that’s as far as I got with this. This was meant to be a “White Day” story, which is Japan’s “answer holiday” to Valentine’s Day, where guys reciprocate by giving gifts to the girls who gave them chocolates. I always wondered how the boys actually responded in-universe, and I imagine Itsuki secretly stressing out a lot about taking care to not upstage Kyon, but at the same time wanting to sincerely express his genuine appreciation and feelings towards Haruhi - whatever they may be. In the end, he settles on a copy of “The Light Princess” by George MacDonald, which I highly recommend reading since it reminds me so much of this pair, and in general is such a fun and snappy “tongue-in-cheek” take on the fairytale genre. Sora in Wonderland

But wait- this one was a bit different from all its brothers and sisters. For one thing, it was wearing a fancy waistcoat with pockets- and sleeves that were far too long for it. As soon as it passed by her head, it stopped and slowly turned its head around to stare directly at her with its huge circular yellow eyes. Sora stared vacantly back for a full five seconds before the information registered in her brain and she suddenly yelled, “Hey!”, and sat bolt upright. The Heartless panicked upon hearing her voice and fled at top speed across the white sands, headed towards an opening in the rocks; Sora jumped down off her perch and immediately chased after it, no longer caring about the heat. The Heartless hastily disappeared inside the cave, and Sora soon followed after, determined to catch the freaky little thing and ask it some questions, like what it was doing on the island at this time, and where on earth did it get a waistcoat.

OKAY SO I TOTALLY FORGOT THIS WAS A THING but apparently I tried to write a Kingdom Hearts parody of “Alice in Wonderland” lmao. I’ve never actually played the games (aside from half of CoM), but it was probably inspired by a crossover art my friend drew? ^^; Also Sora is a girl in this bc that’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it. XP *shot* Note: The following fics are all Pokémon-related so I’ll just be listing them in roughly chronological order (from most recent to ancient, although they’re all pretty old at this point). Stranger

The elder slowly rose to his feet, gazing at the boy, the champion, the stranger. “In all this time, why didn’t you come back? You could have seen for yourself how she was.” Lance wanted to yell something defiant, like a child. But he wasn’t a child. Children were forgiven for their mistakes. And he didn’t want to be forgiven. The professor’s ancient hand came to rest on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s the way this town works. We don’t talk about things that happen outside our own world. Maybe it was too long ago – too late for you to understand.” Lance didn’t say anything. “At least talk to Delia. She’s been wanting to see you.” “Sorry. It’s too late.” “You’re a bastard.” “I know.”

So this looks to be among the last things I’d written before taking a long break from fanfiction circa... 2007, jeeze. Over 10 years, huh. But, I think it speaks a certain amount of maturity that it’s the piece I liked most upon rediscovering. It’s based on an idea I once had that Lance was (unknowingly) Gary Oak’s father, and he was friends/rivals with Ash’s father, who originally won the title of Champion but relinquished it so he could be with his “wife” and kid (or rather, then-pregnant teenage girlfriend). *Something* happened though (I forget what I had in mind) and he ended up dying, leaving Lance bitter and depressed so he refused to return to Pallet Town because of too many painful memories. (Though he *cough* “comforted” their other female childhood friend for one night of drunken grief before he left. ;() What I like most about it honestly is the parallels bw Lance’s relationship with Ash’s dad and their sons’, and that amidst all the angst I enjoyed portraying the earnest energy and optimism of Ketchum(?) senior (”like father like son” after all). I was definitely inspired by Mitsuki’s father in Full Moon wo Sagashite/Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist by making him a total “dork dad” who’d brag about his (illegitimate) family on national TV during the championship tournament lol.

Ihavenoidea

Either way, I get the feeling this really wasn’t what I had in mind when I made my decision to quit training. I mean that in an intuitive sort of way. Like, sometimes I feel as if I’m not meant to be here, like my life should have ended up differently someplace else. Perhaps this is just one of those weird inconsistencies I told you about. Perhaps not. Even after all that’s happened to me recently, I still can’t really be sure about it.

...No seriously, I have no idea where I was going with this. As far as I can tell it’s written from the POV of Gary Oak, whom I’ve always had a lot of... “complicated” feelings towards. It probably has something to do with another concept I’ll discuss next, although for some reason it sounds like I was going for some sort of AU? *shrug* By contrast to the above, it reads like a whiny teenager complaining about his life - which makes me cringe but is probably an accurate portrayal of who I was at the time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This one was actually dated a little after the previous, so my best guess is it was some kind of vent rant where I would “give up” writing/creating and “childish” ideals for a while, as I was wont to do - but I still always come back to it somehow... RainbowMolly

Molly stepped out from the car and onto the dusty road, her heart beating wildly. She could hardly believe she was actually here, of all places. The ride had been long and mind-numbing with anticipation, and now that they’d finally arrived at the destination, it all felt somewhat surreal to her. A small bear clambered out from the vehicle, joining her as she stopped to take in the rustic view that met her bright blue eyes. She smiled and picked up her Teddiursa, cuddling its warm, fuzzy body close to her own. Her gaze traveled down the road which stretched in both directions, houses lining up against its margins. She followed it with her eyes towards a hill in the distance, on top of which sat what looked like a quaint little farmhouse with a windmill, turning in the summer breeze. She breathed in the country air, catching whiff of a faint salt smell from an ocean in the distance. So this was Pallet Town.

...Why I didn’t actually name the file “Chasing Rainbows” - which was the title I had planned for this - I don’t know. This dates back to an old idea I had where I believed Molly Hale from the third Pokémon movie was secretly the true “God” of the Pokémon world - in the sense that the entire universe was an unknowing fantasy of her own creation, similar to Haruhi Suzumiya (ok fine this was totally a crossover/rip-off of the same concept so sue me OTL). In a place where children never seem to grow up and can go on grand fantastical adventures forever, Gary always struck me as an anomaly who willingly *chose* to forego such a life to pursue more “adult” interests by becoming a researcher. So I saw him as filling the role of “Kyon” - the cynical narrator who was destined to ground “God” and bring her back down to earth, but at the same time be won over by her innocence and charm and learn to appreciate “kids’ stuff” again. However, the Legendaries were actually aware of the power Molly holds, and so saw Gary as a threat to their very being - as by “waking” the dreamer and having her face reality meant erasing their kinds’ entire existence. As the “apocalypse” nearly occurred in the third film, Mew and Celebi took on human disguises (in the form of May and Max respectively) to investigate Ash, who was able to calm Molly and “save” the world by “perpetuating” the delusion (and whom Molly totally has a crush on btw *shot*). So it’s a bit of a love triangle lol, with Mew and Celebi (*cough* an alien and a time traveler, get it? *shot*) acting as mediators/interference. (Although Mew might’ve secretly shipped Gary and Molly herself. ;O)

Betrayal

And these blades, these damned scythes that attached themselves to my arms when I was born, a curse upon me since birth, though it had not been apparent up until now. They were covered with blood, the vital crimson liquid that flows through our bodies, now dripping down the steel surface in a webbed pattern, drops beginning to splatter the pure, emerald grass below. The arm felt heavy and weak as I tried to lift it, as if it did not belong to me, but that was only a wishful thought. I gazed calmly at it, inspecting the intricate designs the flow of the substance had created, as if it were an abstract piece of artwork. Tentatively, a pink tongue rolled out and caught a small droplet of it just before it fell from the sharp edge, just to convince myself that it was real. The semi-sweet, metallic taste confirmed this. I had indeed taken these men’s lives, just as I had taken hers.

So I remember this was written from the POV of a Scyther who seemingly went on a murderous rampage. I only know that I wanted to give him an “Edward Scissorhands”-like story, since the idea of having such sharp objects attached to one’s limbs so that one could never directly “touch” another without being a danger is pretty tragic. I suspect “her” was someone (a human?) he cared about but killed by accident, and after that he was only seen as a symbol of power/treated as a tool to incite fear before eventually rebelling against his “master”... Roses

“If you love someone, you should give them something that’s yours. That shows how much you care for them.” In the darkness, I pictured his smiling face, explaining to me as he wrapped a present for his girlfriend. His blue eyes were shining with a sort of spirit unfamiliar to me; I guessed, a feeling of love.

Another “dark” take on a Pokémon’s biology (I really liked writing explorations of those back then lol), this time of Roselia. The idea was that a Roselia was so in love with her trainer that she would do anything for him - including allow him to cut off her arms so he could give them to his girlfriend. I actually ended up turning it into a poem at one point:

Love is like a rose they say, And affection leads to grief they warned. For in the end love betrays, Its Beauty maimed by a poisoned thorn. You gave me pure water with a smile. Your cheerful face became my sun. I offered up my blood to you, And in return demanded none. Chop off my wrists, and tie them together. I’ll gladly bleed myself to death. In order to give you that which I hold most dear. My dear, my dear, Won’t you accept this bouquet? You take it, smiling warily. A blush creeps onto your face. And in those eyes I can see A garden of roses stretched out, Composing a wondrous place. Then you bound my hands in lace, And brought them to the girl next door. You presented them to her with grace. … My blood continued to pour.

Fanfic

She smiled at me, although something about her expression indicated something wasn't quite right. I watched as she glanced over towards the west, her gaze lingering momentarily on the setting sun. The glowing, orange sphere was slowly sinking behind the distant mountains, peaks cloaked in a pale, lavender haze illuminated by flickering beams of gold and scarlet cast across the horizon.

More accurately, I found this buried in a “catch-all” file where I had several (mostly finished) fics saved. This was meant to be from the POV of an Eevee who had just evolved - supposedly into an Espeon due to happiness and bond with her trainer, which is what both wanted. However, since it took place at sunset, she didn’t realize she had become an Umbreon instead, and her trainer ended up abandoning her for it. ;( It was a warm

Children’s shrieks and laughter echoed across the park as they flocked towards each other, and soon were chasing one another round the playground, weaving in and out between the swings as they partook in an innocent game of Tag. One child was It; she was trying desperately to catch one of her friends so that they would take over the job instead. Then it would be her turn to run away, for none of them wished to play the loathsome role of It. Or was it because they feared being tainted by the person’s touch? It must have been one of the two, for while she would struggle to reach them, catch hold of them, they would only flee, thoroughly enjoying the fact that they were vexing her. Twice she nearly caught one. Her fingertips were almost within reach of one of the other girls’ dresses, whose russet tresses were flowing wildly from the rush of movement and shining with golden highlights as the rays of the sun struck individual strands. The target shrieked and shook her head, whisking her skirt free in time to escape capture, laughing with glee at the sight of the girl left behind, miserable and alone.

Yeah I totally just went with the default beginning of the first sentence lol. I guess this comes full circle with the first Kagepro fic I mentioned (although I’m not even sure I was aware back then that the Japanese version of the game literally called “It” a “demon”, which is even more fitting). I believe this was part of a Pokémon series I was writing involving a creepy little girl and Mewtwo who would bring about the end of the world or something like that, but generally I guess I was just going for a “Catcher in the Rye” feel. *shrug* Golden Lights

The pale, rosy fingers of dawn were filtering in through the Granite Cave entrance, basking a small area near the opening in pinkish illumination. Just out of reach of its expanse sat little Mika, huddled in the gloom of the shadows, watching the light creep steadily towards her as the glowing ball of fire rose slowly towards the East. She knew about the Light that came from Outside. There were plenty other small apertures broken into the cavern walls and ceiling that allowed some thin streams of gold brilliance to trickle through. She had always done well to avoid them. The brightness was like poison to her skin. But they weren’t the Lights she’d had described to her by the old Crobat that always resided now deeper within the underground chambers, dozing now, most likely. He wouldn’t awaken until night came round, and she did not wish to rouse him and perhaps disturb him from a pleasant dream. She was very wise about things like that, being the young child that she was. Still, she would have liked to hear a story to comfort her just then.

Last one I could find, about a Sableye who, like Icarus, literally “flew too close to the sun”. In this interpretation I imagined that Sableye were creatures who could not stand sunlight at all, as it would cause their skin to burn. But Mika (pronounced like “Mica”) always dreamed of going outside to see the “Light” anyway. She was eventually tempted by Mew to leave the cavern under her angelic PROTECTion and step into the Light, who was acting as Ho-Oh’s messenger to “recruit” souls to “live eternal as an element of Ho-Oh’s Guarding Flame“, as the PROTECT faded and a “holy fire” began to spread. I guess I was going for a Biblical/”Rapture”-esque reference. (...Man I sure was obsessed with the endtimes as a kid. *shot*)

#Kagerou Project #Tateyama Ayano #Mekakushi Trio #Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu #ItsuHaru #ItsuYuki #Pokemon #Gary Oak #Molly Hale #fanfiction #starstories #astrologista #atsushishelteredinmoonlitjasmine #benditlikegumby #cryptoriawebb #ibmiller #iceperialprincess #otherwise uncolonized

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famedexclusivearchive · 6 years

Text

Exclusive interview with Haejun on his lead role in “Something In The Rain”

Haejun debuted as the maknae of BC boy group Decipher in 2008 and is now known as a respected senior in the idol music industry. Besides the group’s music, Haejun made his acting debut in 2012 in Shut Up! Flower Boy Band, and has had several roles since then. The latest role on his resume is the role of Seo Joonhee in JTBC’s Something In The Rain. Here at Exclusive, we got to have the first interview with Haejun about his latest acting role. Read what he had to say below!

You’ve had a few acting roles since your debut. What made Something In The Rain the right drama to continue your acting career?

“When I got the script for Something In The Rain, I thought I definitely have to do this drama. It has a very laid-back and mature vibe, something that pulls you into the story. It also presents to younger viewer, how the workforce is like, the adulthood that everyone’s going to inevitably get into. It’s not as daunting nor scary as you are told in school, but it also shows that you need to have preserverance.

The script itself is amazing, the first meeting of our protagonists is written in a very playful, coincidental approach that gives that feel-good moment in your heart and I think that’s very important as well. And…even though it’s a mature, slice-of-life drama, there are still a lot of funny scenes that would make you smile.

But, I hope I won’t be too presumptuous in saying we pulled the chemistry off between our characters –– Jinah and Joonhee. The whole noona-dongsaeng relationship that slowly transforms into a stage both never seen coming before. I also love the way it’s written and the camera play in this drama. There are a few scenes that are shot in a very intimate yet very soft approach. Ahn PD told us both to act natural, just as we would to our lovers and I think the camera catches that very accurately even though in those moments, the focus is not on us –– but rather, for example, the TV or the song playing in the background. It’s all done intimately and warmly.”

How do you feel your role in this drama is different from past roles you’ve played?

“Well, first of all, I never got the chance to portray someone of this background or setting before. It’s very refreshing and it feels a bit more real since it’s also a place where I am currently at in present life. I think rather than the character, it’s more the setting the character comes from, which thus affects how the portrayal is executed. It’s definitely the kind of things that you need to observe in the drama and see for yourself.”

What challenges did you face while playing your character?

“The production is working with such senior staffs and stars, aside from me. I was always nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them. I’ve also got fewer experience under my belt when it comes to acting but everyone’s been showing me support and I think that I’ve really improved through this drama production and I have the team to thank for for this growth. Intimate scenes in this drama in particular are also a bit tough since we are instructed to derive from our own personal experience and translate it into our characters and filter it accordingly, but since everyone on the production team seems satisfied, I guess we pulled it off after all.”

Do you think you and your character share similar characteristics? Do you think this made it an easier or harder role for you to play?

“I have heard from internet comments that Joonhee and I share some similar characteristics. If that is true, then I hope it’ll help be make his character shine through the screen well. But I do think that amongst all the difference that I feel Joonhee and I share is his playful disposition; he’s a very adorable person, isn’t he? Kind of like a puppy. I am more serious than him, I think the drama wouldn’t be as interesting if it were me instead of Joonhee.

But because there are some similarities as well in the chemistry between the characters and the characters himself, I think it makes it a bit harder instead since I have to be very careful not to slip into the comfort zone and lose my focus.”

Readings for the drama began in January while you were promoting your most recent comeback with Decipher. Did the overlap in schedules make it difficult to put your all into both?

“It’s definitely hard, but not something that can’t be done. Just like the theme explored in the drama, the difficulties you face in adulthood and the workplace; i think this is one of them but again, you definitely can overcome it. I’ve had to work with a very tight schedule but it’s maintainable; it’s definitely not the worst that I’ve had and to be honest, I actually enjoy this fast-paced lifestyle. Although it can get tiring sometimes, because you’re working on something you like with such amazing people, you barely feel the exhaustion until everything ends.”

What type of roles and dramas would you like to explore in the future?

“I’d like to work on more serious dramas or perhaps movies. To this day, and although I enjoy it, I’ve only been in romantic-comedy series and Something In The Rain is a cross between the two genres I’ve done and would like to do more in the future and I find myself having a stronger inclination towards it after this production.

My favorite movie is Sympathy For Lady Vengeance and The Silenced. Something of those genres, if I’m given the chance and opportunity to, I definitely would like it. As for roles, I’m not picky but I do want to try the villainy roles instead of the usual ones I’m cast in, I think it would be refreshing and challenging.”

Why do you think people should watch Something In The Rain?

“I think that Something In The Rain provides a different vibe than the K-dramas currently airing right now. It has a very tranquilizing pace and it eases you in. Because of this, I think the time slot works perfectly, it’s the kind of drama you watch at the end of the day to unwind. It’s also perfect viewers who want a comforting story that celebrates finding love at the right time –– I think sometimes we’re pressured by societal and familial expectations to find love at a fairly young age. There are a lot of creative love from the production team and it reflects on the stunning chapters of Something in The Rain. The overall feel makes you look forward to every chapter unfolding and I hope the viewers will share this view as well.”

Do you have any other comments you’d like to make to your fans?

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank everyone for their unwavering support and love throughout the project. I’ve only been receiving and receiving from fans and staffs both and I promise to work even harder for everyone. I hope this drama can be something you enjoy watching before you end your day. Please continue to support Something In The Rain, thank you!”

#exchaejun #queued post

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comicteaparty · 6 years

Text

July 12th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on July 12th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT. The chat focused on The Guide to a Healthy Relationship by Dani .

Featured Comment:

Chat:

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY START!

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning~! Today we are discussing The Guide to a Healthy Relationship by Dani~! (https://tapas.io/series/TGtaHR) For those new or in need of a reminder, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer, and you can pay them no mind if you wish. If you miss out on any though, they’ll be pinned for the duration of the chat once they’re posted~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comics that the community makes~! As a bonus, each chat a top comment will be picked and featured in the archives and on an ad for CTP! All that being said, let’s get started and have a great discussion!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

snuffysam

i don't know why, but the scene where apollo is asking around and trying to find julian really stuck with me. it's not the most artistically vivid scene (there are quite a few of those), but that one stood out.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

anything particular that made it stand out to you? just asking out of curiosity cause honestly i barely remember that scene just because its not the most artisticially vivid(edited)

snuffysam

i'm not sure. i think apollo realizing he wasn't crazy in seeing julian the other night made me feel, like, emotions.

turnish

Really any scene with Julian that exhibits his psychosis are ones that I particularly like Like, I find it very relatable and the art just perfectly displays what that Actually Feels Like imo

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hello!

snuffysam

the way the art reflects mental states in general is incredibly well done

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Just wanted to pop in and say hi.

turnish

I agree

snuffysam

hi justin

turnish

Hi!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

hi justin

yeah i have to agree with turnish that my fave scenes are probably the ones showing julian's mental problems. although i think the one that sticks with me the most is the one where julian is talking to a younger version of himself and his younger version is calling him lazy. i feel like its a great blend of mental illness but kind of normal self esteem issues perhaps. in that he does seem kind of sick yet here his younger self is berating him. @snuffysam thats a fair point. i did feel emotions when it turned out apollo was indeed not crazy. XD

turnish

HH YEAH that was like a punch to the gut

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

If I had to say anything about this comic, it's got a really nice traditional artstyle and all the detail in the characters populating the pages

And some great BG work too

DanitheCarutor

Hello everyone! I'm the creator of 'The Guide to a Healthy Relationship', I'll be helping my ma out with dinner so I won't be on much, but just wanted to pop in to say hi and answer any questions and such whenever possible.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hi Dani!

snuffysam

hi dani!

turnish

Hi!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thanks for coming dani~!

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Great to have ya here~

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yes. i really like the day of time reflections. particularly i think the way night is portrayed is really spectacular. https://tapas.io/episode/804141 like that page. youve got the light glow effects going on, you have some excellent reflections on the door that really make it look like night. its just all really well done.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yes

it's all very well done

especially the glow from the sity

snuffysam

the colors and lighting are just incredible

in general

turnish

i reread it today entirely bc my brain is Crap and i don’t remember stuff well but man i agree

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

lol

snuffysam

yeah i probably should have done that lol

turnish

The night is still young

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

indeed

I wonder how you do sunsets cause I have a soft spot for epic sunsets

turnish

tbh big same

snuffysam

I like how the colors are shaded with completely different colors most of the time (e.g. a blue shirt has orange shading). that's super cool to me. something that very few artists do.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Same

Colored shading alone is awesome when done right

turnish

color theory is so important

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

and it also brings out the colors themselves

snuffysam

it also helps capture that feel of night time. which is when most of this story takes place.

turnish

yeah! agreed

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

This is a cool looking comic all around

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah there are really just great color choices all around. i especially like the contrasts. cause one of my biggest issues with traditionally colored comics is theres not usually enough contrasts. so everything kind of winds up looking muted and its hard to tell things apart from one another. but i feel this comic doesnt have that problem at all

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

and all in traditional too!

and I second that

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I made it. ^^ I'm inclined towards the Julian scenes too, though I actually liked the scene where he was doing his janitor stuff and tidying up, making things sparkling. In retrospect, it was nice to see him (seemingly) taking pride in something.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hey Math!

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Also, I'm very impressed by going the traditional route with such a blend of colours.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 2. Given he was supposed to be dead, Julian’s appearance in Apollo’s life opens up many questions. First off, do you believe this is indeed Julian, or do you have reason to doubt this claim? What do you think Julian meant by telling Apollo that, “his friend is dead?” Was it just a way to get Apollo to leave, or is there a deeper meaning? Where do you think Julian has been all this time? Throughout, we also see that Julian has both physical and implied mental health problems. Do you believe this has something to do with his appearance? Do you think Julian dealt with these problems all his life or are they a new development? Lastly, where do you think Julian came from considering Apollo relays they pretty much found him in a bag?

DanitheCarutor

Ah! Thank you all! Seeing the positive reactions to Julian's mentally ill scenes is really encouraging. I've been doing a lot of research on the subject since I've never experienced it myself, and it's tough to know when it's being done well. Also I feel so bad for having Julian ruin that emotional scene with Apollo, slamming the door in his face was kind of a mood killer. Lol. @Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨ A sunset scene is going to be coming up in a couple pages, so we'll all see how that turns out. xD I've never drawn a sunset before.

DanitheCarutor

Sorry! I type a lot, and I type slow.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

SUNSET SCENE CONFORMED

and that's alright!

snuffysam

I think Julian metaphorically died when... something happened to him. Don't know what.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I think there's a deeper meaning in that the person he was doesn't exist any more. Though honestly, I'm not sure they were as good of friends as Apollo thinks; Julian seemed to keep to himself even then.

snuffysam

Julian was a nice person to Apollo, but I'm not sure if he ever really liked him.

turnish

when reading “your friend is dead” I chose to interpret that as the Julian Apollo once knew no longer exists, and Julian considers himself a different person now. or he’s running away from his past

i think i made the same point as math whoops

snuffysam

in terms of where he came from, i'd imagine russia, because he only spoke russian

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It may be worth saying that, as a 40 year old teacher, I don't think I'm the demographic for this comic. Every time I see Apollo I kind of want to get in his face and shout "shape up man!". If he was as oblivious now as he was in the past, I kind of get why Julian would want to move on from his old life.

snuffysam

yeah honestly i get why julian wouldn't be too psyched about seeing apollo again. he's kind of a difficult person to have in your life.

especially if you have your own mental health problems to deal with

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel apollo is a bit self involved and just wouldnt notice julian's suffering. so while julian was there to care for apollo, apollo wouldnt notice when someone needed to care for julian persay

snuffysam

i second that

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I think Julian saying something to the effect of "I don't have what you need" kind of emphasizes that.

That time Apollo jumped out of the bushes.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Lol, Prince

I lost it when you brought up "shape up man!"

snuffysam

i wouldn't want to go back to that kind of one-sided relationship either tbh

DanitheCarutor

Aw man, those are really good questions, with some really good answers! I won't confirm much because I like things being left open for interpretation, but Apollo is 100% a moron. Also I don't mind throwing it out that he's a homeschool kid, so no social skills.

turnish

I love a moronic boy

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

tbf i could also see the hes dead mean something deeper. like maybe julian was in an accident and lost part of his memories. like all the good memories of apollo and just remembers the shitty times.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Also "Get off my lawn". (Your drunk ass is scaring the squirrels.)

snuffysam

that's awfully convenient re: losing all positive memories of someone

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Interesting, so I guess Julian was homeschooled too? Since they grew up together?

(Also, for a moment I read that as "Apollo is 100% a mormon" and I did a double take.)

snuffysam

yeah that doesn't exactly fit with most of the stuff he's done lol

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Maybe? I kind of feel like Julian might have faked his death to get away from creditors and people who just generally were treating him lousy though. But maybe things didn't go as planned.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Perhaps

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

What's kind of interesting is how Apollo has problems too, with his eyesight, so you'd think he'd be able to empathize a bit with Julian having his own issues. But it does seem like he doesn't have much experience with that.

snuffysam

empathy and sympathy both seem to be problems for apollo

DanitheCarutor

Math: Lmao! Oh no, not a mormon! But for the homeschool question, nah. Julian is a public school kid, they hung out almost 24/7 but they grew up in different environments with Julian staying in an orphanage and Apollo living in a fancy house.

snuffysam

especially when it comes to julian

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Ahhh, interesting. I think I misunderstood and thought he'd been adopted like a brother. That adds an interesting element of class to things too.

Apollo is very much "live in the moment". I would not want him doing my tax returns.

snuffysam

the fancy homeschool tutors may have neglected to teach him, like, responsibility

going back to what rebel said - were there any positive memories of apollo julian had to begin with?

like, even apollo's recap at the beginning paints himself in a bad light

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

probably. homeschool can be pretty lax from what i hear. so apollo's education in general might have sucked.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe they went sledding together.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and yeah its possible that julian doesnt have positive memories

albeit there must of been a reason julian chose to ahng out with apollo

snuffysam

though that may have something to do with apollo's mental state making himself out to be worse than he was

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and why julian didnt make an effort to move farther away

cause if i didnt want someone to find me i would not be living in driving distance of them

snuffysam

maybe he couldn't move further. relocating is hard

especially if you don't have financial means

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

true but he has had something like 5 years to make arrangements. i think 5 years. its years at least. but it really all depends where he was. it could be that hes been in the hospital or something

or a mental hospital

DanitheCarutor

Misunderstandings is totally understandable, a lot of stuff in the comic is very vague right now, and some of it will only be shown in snippets. I can't say much, but Julian does have some positive memories, there's just not many and it's harder to focus on the good over the bad.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yea

DanitheCarutor

Also as a homeschool student myself, the education does suck. I pretty much cheated my way through middle school because my teacher was a Christian booklet.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh really?

That's... interesting

DanitheCarutor

Oo! Since this isn't super important, Julian and Apollo actually grew up in Ohio in a town based of Newark. When Apollo "grew up" he moved to a city in California based of a mix of San Diego and LA.

snuffysam

is it possible julian faked his own death specifically to get rid of apollo for a while? like, he didn't have the capacity to take care of him anymore, so he just cut him out of his life.

lol "grew up" in quotes

so yeah, julian may not have known where apollo was, and didn't intend to be in the same city as him

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

man now thats got to be the shittiest coincidence

julian is like "im free from apollo oh shit wait theres apollo"

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

No kidding

snuffysam

yeah, but looking at julian's reaction - he clearly did not intend to run into apollo any time soon

DanitheCarutor

"and Julian's evening was ruined" -ugly cry-

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i wonder if apollo just didnt even know how julian "died." like one day whoever took care of julian was just like "nah man he dead" and apollo just made a goofy face and accepted it

QUESTION 3. Despite most definitely being adult, protagonist Apollo is a little bit immature. Why do you believe Apollo is so irresponsible? Is it just his personality, or are his habits a way to avoid certain aspects of his life? Do you think his ocular albinism plays a role in why he acts the way he does? Do you think it will be good for Apollo to reconnect with Julian, or will the events of the past send Apollo into a downward spiral? What do you think Daniel’s role will be in Apollo’s life? Lastly, what do you think it will take for Apollo to get his life together a bit more?

snuffysam

if his ocular albinism plays into his irresponsibility, it's only as an excuse. "well, i can't see normally. better get sloshed!"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

(Sorry, sometimes I have to dash off if the little one is crying.) Oh, being away in a mental hospital would be an interesting development.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

snuffysam

i think apollo just has serious issues with self control. he started out with alcohol and drugs to get away from some aspects of his life, and then it just got worse from there.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Snuffy: I don't know about that. If he's sensitive to daylight, it makes sense that he'd be out and about at night, which is when the parties happen.

snuffysam

true, that may be a source of some temptation. but if he was healthier, that wouldn't be a problem.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

But yeah, agree about the self control thing. Guy doesn't know when to say "no". Also doesn't seem to know a good thing when he has it.

Fair. I don't think he eats from the proper food groups.

snuffysam

i meant mentally but yes

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Can't help you feel active.

Like, if you're always eating junk food I mean.

Ahh, gotcha.

snuffysam

he doesn't have much of a support channel to help him with his issues, and a lot of the people who do try and help him out don't like him very much because of the whole personality thing

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i think the ocular albinism does play a role. cause as someone who is awake all night, there is nothing to do outside. like the options are go to dennys, go to waffle house, go to walmart, or go to a bar. so i think it more than increases the temptation for apollo. it hampers a lot of paths to recovery.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Is it cool to bring up Daniel? Because he's such an interesting counterpoint.

I cannot see Apollo as a greeter at Wal-Mart.

snuffysam

his boss puts up with so much from apollo, it's a wonder she hasn't fired him

DanitheCarutor

Math: Sure! He's going to be in the comic a lot more from this chapter on.

Apollo really does have control issues, it'll come up why later but he's never had an issue with getting whatever he wanted as a kid.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh cool~

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

they dont have greeters at night. in fact i think the greeters all leave before 8pm at the latest

yeah apollo's boss deserves a boss of the year award

cause man

i wouldve fired apollo 10 billion years ago

turnish

Ahhh Apollo’s boss deserves the most

snuffysam

and his other coworkers too. who was the woman he asked for help and then called a slur? galia?

DanitheCarutor

Rebel: Yeah, being awake at night sucks. I used to be a night owl, waking up at noon and staying up till 4am. There isn't anything to do, at least anything that's a good idea.

Yup, that's her name! Poor Galia, she's only been in the comic a couple times so far and it sucked for her.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I'm hoping Daniel can get through to Apollo. Challenge him without going so far as putting him off.

turnish

Same here Math

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel at the very least daniel will openly pull up his flaws in a way others dont. cause the others say it with anger and derision and lots of ppl just flat out tune out criticism at that point. where as i feel daniel would be the one whod be like "hey apollo maybe you should clean up your place some?"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Or maybe Apollo will just want to, so that his date doesn't get a bad impression.

Cuz the Apollo/Daniel ship is sailing.

turnish

heh

snuffysam

yeah, i think that's going to be one of the major themes coming up. trying to reconnect with julian isn't healthy - julian doesn't want anything to do with apollo, and he has his own physical and mental issues to deal with without taking care of apollo. meanwhile daniel will push apollo (either wittingly through calling him out, unwittingly through apollo wanting to get better for him, or both) to get healthier and turn his life around

whether apollo goes into a downward spiral or begins recovery depends on which path he chooses

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It's a good point though, Rebel, about how to get across criticism.

I wonder if maybe Daniel starting to spiral down would help shock Apollo to his senses?

snuffysam

in that, apollo drags down everyone around him with his toxicity?

could happen, but i hope not. i like daniel.

DanitheCarutor

Oh man, I'm loving the Daniel discussion! He'll definitely be challenging Apollo in one way or another.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe Daniel starting to date Julian will shock Apollo to his senses.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i believe in daniel to be self confident enough to fall down apollo's hole. but on the opposite turn i do think julian will be important for apollo cause i think only julian can point out some of apollo's flaws from the past and give apollo pause. tho im not quite sure how outside of giving apollo more clarity of the things julian is dealing with

snuffysam

daniel can even use the perfect pickup line that he's been saving for such an occasion

"i like my men like i like my alcohol - russian, and found in a bag"

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

11/10

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Okay, you win with that one.

snuffysam

julian can point out problems that apollo has had since childhood, but question is, will he want to?

or will he just want to keep apollo out of his life?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Back on the question of why Apollo is so irresponsible, I think it comes from his position of privilege. His parents probably made sure that he never suffered real consequences from his actions.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel julian wont succeed in keeping apollo out of his life because 1) apollo is apollo and 2) julian's young ghost self is telling him to not be lazy and i think julian will give in to that for a while

snuffysam

yeah it absolutely stems from that

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

A restraining order might be needed to keep Apollo out of his life. ^^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and yeah i agree with math, i think apollo has no real concept of consequences

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Napples agrees too.

snuffysam

where are apollo's parents anyway? do they know what's happened to their son's life?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Do they care?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

they might not care? or they might not know. cause apollo does not seem the type to call home frequently and i doubt their once in a blue moon phone calls consist of apollo saying "yeah i got wasted every night this week"

cause consequence conscious or not thats just not a thing i think any kid would talk to his parents about XD

QUESTION 4. The comic’s title, “The Guide to a Healthy Relationship,” seems rather revealing of the story at hand. What does the title mean to you exactly? How do you think the story will live up to that title? Furthermore, the three chapter titles (“Hypomania,” “Monophobia,” and “Psychosis”) all share a theme of mental issues. Does this change how you interpret the title at all or how you interpret the story itself (whether the entire story or a specific chapter’s content)? What role do you think these titles play in regards to the mental illnesses we’ve seen in the story so far? Finally, do you feel the story is about relationships with others, relationships with ourselves, both, or something else entirely?

snuffysam

yeah there's a reason i've been referring to things as healthy and unhealthy all night lol

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

for me personally i feel the title is both about relationships with others and with ourselves. tho i lean more towards the latter if i had to pick one. because of how apollo treats his own self.

snuffysam

yeah, having a healthy relationship with yourself seems like a big theme

i also think the unhealthy relationship apollo had with julian growing up will keep coming back

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Wow, I hadn't even picked up on the chapter titles. Hmm, I guess at first my mind went to romantic relationships, but yeah it makes sense to be more friends and such.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

lol

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

"Guide to a Healthy Relationship - Don't act like Apollo."

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thats the real lesson we should take away from this

dont be an apollo

be the best daniel you can be

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I gotta wonder a bit about Apollo's circle of friends too. They seem like real enablers, I wonder if they have day jobs.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

probably. despite their party habits more of them seem to have their crap together perhaps.

tbf tho i think apollo is equally an enabler. so i think its just a circle of friends who see nothing wrong, enable each other, and spiral down and down

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

There is that, yeah.

snuffysam

do they know how bad apollo's life is? or do they just think he's that wild guy who likes to drink on the weekends?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Speaking of spiralling down, that one panel with the pill on the tongue was cleverly done. Just wanted to get that out there.

I think they believe Apollo's got an amazing life. Bartender with access to free drinks, his own place without a roommate to bug him, the ability to afford random merchandise for thousands of dollars... what's not to like?

snuffysam

true

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

thirded

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

If anything, the search for Julian might be helping to pull Apollo away from the bad influences.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

math has a point

cant be out drinking when youre haunting a school at night

looking for ghost friends

maybe apollo will be like "wow so this is what being sober is like"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

"I can walk without running into trees. My friends, however..."

snuffysam

though nothing stopping you from drinking before starting the search

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe julian will say something

like "please dont come here reeking of alcohol"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Julian just needs to keep throwing water into Apollo's face. Like that first time.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yeah

Try it like eight more times

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Though the fact that he did reach out there implies that at least part of him doesn't like seeing Apollo down on his luck, perhaps?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i dont think julian hates apollo persay. i think hes just tired of dealing with apollo

cause ive dealt with ppl like that

where you dont hate them

but man do you have your own shit going on and theres only so many hours in the day

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Truth.

"And now I have to mop the floor AGAIN, geeeez."

snuffysam

yeah, that's the thing, i think julian does care about apollo, but their relationship is so one-sided that it isn't worth it

DanitheCarutor

The answers about the tirle, and this discussion is soooo gooood! I didn't think anyone would pay that any mind. -sobs- I wish I could spill the beans, some of you guys had some really spot on theories.

turnish

Sorry I’m hella cleaning so I couldn’t participate as much as I wanted to,,rip

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Apollo knows not of this "cleaning".

snuffysam

yeah didn't you learn from the story, turnish? you have to live your life like apollo! that's the moral!

turnish

Dang ur right I should become a slob

shixjdj

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

kek

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Don't lose your glasses though. That's a bad plan.

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, man. Just throw it all on the floor, the nanny will take care of it. Everyone's got one of those, right?

turnish

Man I Wish

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i store my nanny in my closet when not in use

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Hm, this sequel to Mary Poppins took a NSFW turn...

DanitheCarutor

Ah, I'd suggest storing them in a jar. It's more cost effective.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Anyway, last remark from me, again impressed by the use of colours and drive to experiment with some different perspectives and the like at times.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY END!

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party time is now up~! Thank you everyone so much for reading and joining this week’s chat~! We want to give a special thank you to Dani, as well, for making The Guide to a Healthy Relationship and volunteering it for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support Dani’s efforts however you’re able to. All that being said, if you would like to continue discussing this week’s comic, we highly encourage you to do so~!

For next week, Comic Tea Party will focus on Wednesday7 by Viki Kuli. As always, please use the next several days to read as much of the comic as you would like. We hope to see you next Thursday on July 19th from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat~! Until then, happy reading~! Comic: https://tapas.io/series/Wednesday7%20

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #bookclub #book club #webcomic bookclub #webcomic book club #comic bookclub #the guide to a healthy relationship #dani #comic tea party #ctp

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imagineproduce101 · 7 years

Text

Of Spreadsheets and Small Children

Your boss (and longtime crush) Hwang Minhyun has always seemed very collected and stern. However, your impression of him changes when he begins bringing his niece to work, tasked by his sister with watching the toddler while she’s away. The two of you bond over her.

for the single!dad au and i kno minhyun isn’t a dad (he’s an uncle) but like theres still children sO,,,

also the company is named empire bc emperor hwang lmao im not funny

and reader is a secretary

You sighed, doing your best to prop open your eyelids as you typed into the spreadsheet, carefully crosschecking the data you were entering to the online database.

“Late night again?” Your coworker and best friend at work, Kim Jaehwan, asked you as he popped into your small office, sending you a sympathetic smile. You groaned, leaning back to take a quick break. Your back cracked at the movement as you looked up at the clock on the wall, ticking away steadily.

“Yeah, boss is still out, so I’ve had extra work,” you explained with a shrug, turning your attention back to your computer.

“Minhyun never takes this much time off, I wonder what happened?” Jaehwan commented dryly, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. You shot him a dirty look.

“Mr. Hwang,” you corrected with a roll of your eyes, “and shouldn’t you be finishing your own work?”

“Somehow, irritating you is a lot more interesting,” he snickered, saluting you, “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you,” you bobbed your head as he finally left your office.

You’d had a job at Empire Co. for about a year and a half, working as the CEO’s assistant and secretary. Hwang Minhyun, a collected, slightly cold and brusque man, had grown to become extremely dependent on you, and it was strange to go to work without Minhyun’s presence right next door, separated by one thin sheet of glass.

It was the first time he’d been gone for more than a couple of hours—the man had even come in to work when he had the flu, coughing and wheezing as he disinfected every surface of the office. Citing a ‘family emergency’, he’d been away for about a week, and it was strange. Rumors had gone flying that he’d perhaps gotten arrested, gotten a girl pregnant or was getting married in Las Vegas. You’d rolled your eyes to all three conspiracies.

Your phone notification went off, signaling to you that you had new text messages with its quick succession.

Messages with: ceo hwang

(y/n), I will be returning tomorrow

Please have the Min files ready on my desk

And a jar of peanut butter

You frowned at the last text.

>Peanut butter?

You will be reimbursed, of course

You smiled at your boss’s apparent ignorance to the fact that it was super weird for a boss to ask their secretary to buy peanut butter for them.

Nevertheless, the next day, you arrived to the Empire building with the thick manila envelope holding the Min files and three jars of peanut butter—creamy, chunky, and the natural kind (you hadn’t been sure which he had wanted, but were too shy to ask). As you hurried to Minhyun’s office, you couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he needed peanut butter for.

“Ah, (y/n)!” Minhyun sent you a smile, accepting the grocery bag and manila envelope, “thank you so much, I really do appreciate it.”

“Who’s that?”

You froze at the sound of a high pitched voice, gaze immediately darting towards the source of noise. It was a toddler peeking out from behind Minhyun’s desk. Her hair was gathered up in a messy ponytail on the top of her head, and she clutched a raggedy blanket in her hand.

You looked back at Minhyun, entirely confused as to why there was a toddler in the office.

“(y/n), this is Minah,” Minhyun said, holding out his hand. The toddler, Minah, tottered over, clasping her hand into his. You wanted to coo at how adorable her tiny hands were as she peered up at you with huge eyes. “Minah, this is (y/n). They help me a lot at work, and is super kind and helpful.”

“Hi,” Minah smiled widely up at you, showing off her adorable dimples.

“Hi, Minah,” you said, kneeling to the ground, “are you here to visit the office?”

“Ah, actually,” Minhyun smiled in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck, “my sister asked me to watch Minah for a couple of weeks. She’s on a business trip to the tropics, and didn’t want to risk having Minah catch an illness, since she’s so young.”

“Ah,” you nodded in understanding, “so she’s not your kid?”

Minhyun turned a bit red at that, “did you think she was?”

You shrugged, trying to suppress a laugh, “that’s what the coworkers were thinking—that you’d taken time for some child or something. They started a betting pool.”

“Well, then you’d better tell them to settle their debts,” Minhyun chuckled at that. You were a bit surprised at the moment—you’d never really made small talk like this with Minhyun before. He would ask about your family and how you were doing, but never to this extent.

“Uncle, uncle,” Minah began complaining, “my hair is messy, and it’s making my head itch!”

“Baby, you know I don’t know how to tie hair,” Minhyun sighed, kneeling down to meet Minah at eye-level. “It took me thirty minutes just to figure out this one,” Minhyun whispered to you, making you chuckle.

“May I?” You asked, gesturing to Minah. Your own older brother had a couple kids, so you were pretty comfortable with taking care of them.

“Please,” Minhyun replied, stepping back to let you sit down next to Minah.

“Here,” you patted the ground in front of you, taking a seat on the floor of Minhyun’s office. It was one of the strangest situations you’d ever been in—doing the hair of your boss’s niece—but Minah was cute, which kind of made up for it.

You carefully smoothed out Minah’s hair before tying half of it up into a little sprout at the top of her hair, leaving the hair tie loose enough so that it wouldn’t hurt her head.

“There you go,” you said cheerfully, getting back onto your feet.

“Wow, you’re pretty good at this,” Minhyun observed as Minah peered at herself in Minhyun’s computer reflection. “Do you have younger siblings?”

“I have nieces and nephews myself,” you explained with a smile, gathering your things, “so I have a bit of experience watching kids. If you ever need any help, feel free to ask.”

“It’s alright, I couldn’t impose on you like that,” Minhyun assured you, “well, thank you for your help.”

“Yeah, no problem,” you replied, heading to your own desk quickly. As you powered up your computer, you glanced at Minhyun’s office through the see-through glass wall, and almost burst out laughing—Minhyun was vigorously wiping Minah’s face with an antibacterial cleaning wipe used to clean bathrooms and hard surfaces.

Messages with: ceo hwang

>mr. hwang, those wipes aren’t meant for children…

You watched in amusement as Minhyun checked his phone before looking over at you through the glass, a sheepish look on his face as he discarded the used wipe.

Its been an hour and I’ve already messed up…

For the next few days, you were thoroughly amused by Minah’s antics. One morning, she’d come into your office with a jar of peanut butter, eating it straight from the jar with a spoon.

“Sweetie, what are you doing?” you asked between laughs, going to take the jar from her.

“I like peanut butter,” she replied bluntly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I know, but we don’t eat peanut butter straight, baby,” you said with a laugh, leading her back to Minhyun’s office, “we put it on other things, like crackers or bread.”

“But Uncle said it was healthy,” Minah protested, pouting up at you.

“Yeah, well, Uncle’s never taken care of children before,” you replied, thinking back to the day before when you’d caught Minhyun practically bathing the poor girl in hand sanitizer. One of these days, his clean freak tendencies would be the death of him.

Minhyun looked up at you sheepishly from his computer, a small smile on his lips.

“Mr. Hwang,” you started, eyes darting up to the clock on the wall.

“Please, call me Minhyun,” he cut in with a smile, “I think you’ve scolded me enough times to warrant a first-name basis.”

“Right, Minhyun,” you repeated, much to Minhyun’s obvious pleasure, “anyways, if you’re alright with it, I can take Minah out to grab some lunch? My break is starting now, and she seems to be getting a little antsy.”

“Would you really?” Minhyun sent you one of his smiles, “You’re an angel, (y/n).” You felt your heart race a bit at that, but smiled anyways, holding your hand out for Minah to hold onto.

The two of you ended up at a small café near the building, Minah enjoying her mac’n’cheese while you had a sandwhich.

“You should marry Uncle,” Minah said suddenly as she spooned some of the pasta into her mouth. You choked at that, coughing loudly to dislodge the lettuce that had gotten stuck in your throat. Minah carried on, oblivious to how much your eyes were watering as you wheezed, “then you would be able to see me whenever I visited Uncle, and I really like you. Plus, I heard him telling Uncle Jonghyun about how he thinks you’re really pretty.”

You eyed Minah suspiciously, taking a deep sip of your water, “he said that?”

“Yeah,” Minah nodded her head, smacking her lips. You smiled, reaching over to wipe the cheese off of her lips. “He said that you were pretty, a hard worker, caring, and inte-inte-intelliment.” She listed these things off, counting with her fingers.

“Intelligent?” you asked, helping her slide the water glass closer so that she could take a sip.

“Yeah, that,” Minah nodded, “so just ask him to marry you.”

You held back a laugh, charmed by how adorable Minah was—you didn’t want to process the information she’d just given you quite yet. “I don’t think that’s quite how I want it to work, baby, but I appreciate it.”

Later that day, when you had settled down at your desk again, you pondered the meaning behind her words. Minhyun thought that you were pretty? And he thought you were pretty enough to apparently talk about you to his best friend?

Kim Jonghyun didn’t work at Empire, but his law firm had worked with Empire many times, which was how you knew that the two men were extremely close, having been in a best friend group since before high school. The fact that Minhyun had confided that in him made you wonder if maybe, just maybe, Minhyun had the same feelings as you did.

“(y/n)?”

Minhyun’s voice startled you out of your thoughts, and you jumped in your seat, banging your shin against your desk.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I startle you?” Minhyun apologized.

“No, it’s not your fault,” you assured him, “I was just spacing out. What’s up?”

“Jisung from HR told me how much overtime you put in while I was gone,” Minhyun explained, “and you really didn’t have to.”

You smiled up at him, waving a hand, “it’s totally fine, it wasn’t a bit deal.”

“Still,” Minhyun insisted, “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to grab dinner as a thanks for all the hard work?”

“Mr—I mean, Minhyun—really, that’s not necessary,” you said, feeling your cheeks heat up slightly, “I was just doing my job.

“Yeah your job and half of mine,” Minhyun retorted playfully, “please. You deserve a fun night, and Minah will be there as well.”

You sighed, weighing your options—go out to dinner with the man of your dreams and an adorable child, or go home and binge Netflix. The choice seemed glaringly obvious.

“Alright, I’ll go,” you agreed, “but doesn’t Minah need to sleep pretty early?”

Minhyun wrinkled her nose at that, “the demon never sleeps,” he whispered conspiratorially.

“Hey, I’m not a demon!”

You glanced around the main room of the restaurant, feeling incredibly out of place among the glimmering chandeliers and ornate paintings.

“We can go somewhere else, if you’d like,” Minhyun said into your ear quietly, “I know it’s a bit fancy.”

“It’s okay,” you reassured him, “it’s nice here.”

The three of you were seating in a booth towards the back, Minah opting to sit next to you instead of Minhyun, who had pouted at that. After ordering some appetizers for the three of you, Minhyun asked you about your day kindly, turning his attention towards you.

Obviously, you’d talked and had conversations with Minhyun before, but never like this—never to that extent. He was attentive, and you were surprised to find out that he remembered your parents lived in New York and your brother in California.

“I supposed you have to remember all of the coworkers’ families, huh?” You laughed, taking a sip of water, “I wonder how many times you’ve heard that story about Jaehwan’s dad.”

“Which?” Minhyun asked, clearly puzzled. You paused—if Minhyun remembered some super obscure fact about your mom you’d mentioned once in passing, surely he’d remember the famous story about Jaehwan’s dad that Jaehwan insisted on recounting at every work event.

“You know, the one about Jaehwan’s dad in church?” You elaborated, waving your hands. Minhyun just continued to stare blankly, so you launched into the story, trying not to dwell on the fact that Minhyun knew more about you than the most talkative guy in the office.

As your main courses were brought out, Minah began chattering away about how her day had been—apparently, Jaehwan had brainwashed her into calling him “oppa”, to which Minhyun strongly protested, since Jaehwan was only a tiny bit younger than Minhyun himself.

“He’s an uncle too!” Minhyun cried, burying his face into his hands.

“No, he’s an oppa,” Minah said petulantly, ”he’s young, and more handsomer than you.”

“More handsome, baby,” Minhyun said, tsking under his breath.

“It’s okay, Minhyun, I think you’re more handsome than Jaehwan,” you said before you could filter yourself, cringing internally as soon as the words slipped out. Minah beamed up at you, and Minhyun sent you a small smile, cheeks tinged a bit pink.

The rest of the night passed quickly, Minah making sure to make fun of how Minhyun ate his salads (‘you look like a rabbit! You’re not a rabbit!).

Finally, the meal ended, and the waiter was giving you the look that said ‘get out of my restaurant so I can serve new guests’. Minhyun, ever the gentleman, offered to drive you home.

He pulled up to your apartment and hurried to walk you to the door, Minah making a kissy face from the back window. You snickered at how cheeky she’d gotten, and followed behind Minhyun.

“Minhyun, seriously, thank you for the dinner,” you said earnestly, “it was loads of fun, and I’m really glad that I agreed to go.”

“Me too,” Minhyun said warmly, smiling over at you. You felt your heart race up, and it was almost as though time had frozen. You stared at him, watching his eyes dart down to your lips and back up to your eyes. “(y/n),” he said quietly, as though to not disturb the moment. “Can I…” his voice trailed off, as he looked down at the ground, cheeks now bright red.

You rolled your eyes and leaned up on your tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his lips. His eyes widened in shock, and you couldn’t help but smile at how cute his expression was.

“Wha—how did you know?” He asked as a smile overtook his shocked expression, reaching down to intertwine his fingers with yours.

“You’re not exactly Mr. Slick,” you laughed, squeezing his hand, “plus, Minah’s been asking me to marry you for a couple of days now—I guess she overheard your conversation with Jonghyun.”

Minhyun winced, cheeks coloring again, “you heard that? Ah, that’s so embarrassing.”

You snickered, “well, it’s not embarrassing if we actually date, is it?”

Minhyun perked up at that, looking at you hopefully, “you would be willing to date me? Me, the guy who wipes his niece’s face with Lysol wipes?”

You grinned, pressing another quick kiss to his cheeks, “I would.”

“So does that mean you will marry Uncle?”

Minhyun groaned, glaring down at his grinning niece. “Minah, how did you even get out of the car?”

“I opened the door,” Minah shot back, shooting a look up at her uncle. You laughed at her expression, swooping down to kiss the top of her head.

“I dunno, we’ll have to see how well uncle does now,” you said, sending a mischievous look to Minhyun, who blushed and just shook his head.

(Minhyun does extremely well.) (And Minah is the flower girl at your wedding.)

#produce 101 #produce 101 imagine #produce 101 scenario #produce 101 oneshot #produce 101 fanfiction #wanna one #wanna one imagine #wanna one scenario #wanna one oneshot #nu'est #nu'est imagine #nu'est scenario #nu'est oneshot #hwang minhyun #hwang minhyun scenario #hwang minhyun oneshot #hwang minhyun imagine

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guessmonsta · 7 years

Note

But what about an Ancient Greek or Roman au with the daughter of a high status family and her childhood friend/next door neighbour of just as high status and it's been expected that they'll marry one day and theyve always been kind of disgusted with the idea of marrying each other because they're just friends but then they reach their teens and hit puberty and she's just like damn. Imma leave this one up to you too bc like I think you'd cast it really well idk

《I actually wrote this while being in Rome so I kinda like the vibe of this one》

Kuroo Tetsurou x Reader (Roman High-Status AU)

July 13th, 41 A.D.

“I heard Father talking to Mother in the garden this morning…” Tetsurou looked up from his sandals slapping against the concrete pavement. The steady summer sun burned his eyes when he looked over at her, mud dusted skin and once preened hair. She was the definition of a disaster after tumbling down the hill behind her family’s estate. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, a nervous quirk of hers, while her other hand ran against the leaves of premature olive trees. “So? My parents talk in the garden all the time.”“Yeah, well this talk was different.” She huffed. The fingers that ran across the olives seemed to tighten, dragging down overripe fruit with quick swipes. “They were talking about a wedding.”“What wedding?”She paused, sending him a dirty look out of the corner of her eye. “Our wedding.” She muttered, the apples of her cheeks growing red. Tetsurou stared at her in awe, the soft pitter patter of his feet ceasing to a stop. He cocked his head, staring at her in utter disbelief. “Whatever do you mean, our wedding?”“I mean-” She paused, taking a deep and steady breath. “I mean we’ve been arranged.”Tetsurou let out a pathetic noise, a whine, perhaps, and sunk to his knees. “Is this a joke?”“You really think I’d be joking?” She frowned, plopping down next to him. She slumped her shoulders and spread her legs, something her mother would faint upon seeing, and yanked a leaf off the tree above them. He watched her fiddle with it between her fingers, before ripping it apart at the veins. “Well, it could be worse. You could be arranged to Nose-Picker Naevius on the other side of the city.” Tetsurou shrugged, flashing her a coy grin when she frowned. “Please! Like I’d like to be wed to the likes of either of you!” Tetsurou almost laughed at her, right then and there. It wasn’t that he was fond of her, because he wasn’t, she was bossy and loud and let dirt sit under her fingernails, but she definitely wasn’t the worst possible suitor. He didn’t take much of a liking for girls, these days. He couldn’t quite understand the hype of marriage, and why he needed to get married anyways. He was a man, powerful as is, and he was sure he’d live just fine without some girl tied next to him. Girls were disgusting, anyways, spent all day weaving in the commons. __, though, __ didn’t seem like the type to weave, and maybe that’s why he didn’t mind her all that much.“Hey.” He peeped, “Give me one good reason why I wouldn’t be a suitable husband.”“You’re disgusting!” She fired back, with no thought in between. “How so?”She paused for a moment, eyebrows furrowing. Tetsurou kept staring at her with a smirk so devious, and if it wasn’t for her mother’s voice in the back of her head telling her to be a lady, she would’ve thrown him into the dirt right then and there. “Well, you cried after emperor Caligula’s death! The man was a menace, don’t you know. Father had him over for supper once and all he did was sass the cook and look at his reflection in the vases! Figures a narcissist like you would feel remorse for that goat.”“My father had him over for supper once, too, and he did the same. It was hilarious, Mother was trying so hard not to be rude, I thought her head was going to explode. I wish he was still around so I could relive that.” Tetsurou shrugged. “Don’t seem to be getting any laughs with emperor Claudius in reign, now.”“I think he’s much better suited as emperor! Laughs or not!”“Really? I saw him stumble down a set of stairs today and crash into a pillar. I could do a better job at that, and I’m ten.” __ pulled another leaf off the tree and tore it apart immediately, letting the remains scatter to the concrete. She wiped her hands against her skirt, adding streaks of green alongside the faded brown of mud. “Please! You can’t even take care of yourself, let alone an empire!”“Says the girl who can’t even keep her skirt clean.”She shot him one last dirty look before rising to her feet. “I’m never marrying you.” She stated. Tetsurou hummed, jumping up to stand next to her. “We can be friends, but I’m never marrying you. You’re icky and your hair’s a mess.”“Who said I was ever going to marry you? You aren’t quite the princess of my dreams, either.”“Father said, but I’m going to let him know that I would rather be thrown in the Colosseum then call myself a ‘Kuroo’.”“Yes, have fun sassing your father. I’m sure that’ll end up perfectly. Tell me how that turns out if you aren’t killed.”“Thank you, I will. Filth.”“Bossypants.”“Jerk.”

March 29th, 49 A.D

Her hands were shaking. Her hands were shaking and her mind was spinning, and oh god, she felt like she was going to puke. Her mother insisted that today, out of all days, she reunite with her childhood friend, Tetsurou Kuroo, the wealthy boy down the street who she was destined to be wed to. She insisted that she’d rather not, it was her cursed time of the month and God forbid anything happen to her whilst she was draped in her finest white silk. Her pleas had no force though, and she was dragged along anyways. She hadn’t seen the boy in seven years, ties being cut off when she turned eleven. He had changed now, for sure, and she couldn’t fathom what he’d look like.She imagined he’d be a lot more muscular. Rumor had it he was to be a part of the consul soon, so he had to be of decent shape. She hoped he had somehow learned to tame the childish fringe that hung in his face when he was younger, although she couldn’t imagine Tetsurou without it. Thinking about him put a small smile on her face, before her mother hit her on the arm. “Are you excited to see him?” She pondered, and __ could feel her cheeks grow hot. “I mean…” She shrugged, cocking her head towards the ground. “I’m a lot more nervous than excited. We’re not eight years old anymore, Mother.”Walking through the Kuroo courtyard made her stomach roil even more than it was before. Her mother grabbed her by the hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, before marching up towards the gate and giving the lion mouth door knocker a heavy rap.“I’m sure he’s just as nervous as you are. You do not need to worry, you’ve bathed naked with him before, you’re friends.”“Mother! That’s not helping with the situation!”Her mother only shrugged, straightening her shoulders when a slave opened the door for them. He nodded curtly, making way for the two of them to pass by. There was a rushed click of shoes against marble, and an all too familiar woman stumbled out into the commons. “Oh, __, __, it’s so wonderful to see you again!” The short woman hobbled over to her and her mother, throwing her arms around both of their shoulders. “My, what a beautiful young lady you’ve wound up to be, __. Tetsurou’s going to want to marry you right here once he sees you.”__’s breath hitched, but she nodded, paying her respects towards her elder. Mrs. Kuroo looked the same as she did seven years ago, except the roots of her ebony hair started staining a deep gray. “Thank you, Mrs. Kuroo, you look lovely yourself.” She managed to stutter out. The woman clapped gleefully, rushing into one of the doors at the end of the commons. __ looked up at her mother, furrowing her eyebrows in chagrin. “I really don’t want to discuss my marriage whilst blood is dripping from my private areas, Mother.”“You don’t have a choice. You don’t have to say anything. I’ll discuss things with Mrs. Kuroo, and you just have to sit there, drink the wine that’s served to you, and make yourself look presentable, understood?”__ nodded, relaxing her eyebrows amongst her mother’s violent gaze. “Yes, Mother.”“Good girl.”Mrs. Kuroo came stumbling out once more, an excited hue of pink dusted along her cheeks. If anything, Mrs. Kuroo was more excited about the wedding than either of the two actually being wed. “Tetsurou should be out in a bit. He’s a smart boy, he’s studying the stars. He’s been very into science lately, and growing things.” She boasted. “__ here, she’s very into literature. Her tutor remarks her as one of his greatest students. She took up playing the harp about a year ago, didn’t you, __?”“I did, Mother.”“Oh, isn’t that wonderful!” Mrs. Kuroo clapped. “It’s lovely to see you’ve grown up a proper girl.”She wanted to ask her what she meant by that statement. Was she not proper before? Of course, she didn’t mind her clothes getting dirty and mussled up her hair, but she had the decency to be respectful. Behind closed eyelids, she rolled her eyes, but kindly accepted the so called compliment. “Come here, ladies. I’ll have Brutus fetch us some wine while we wait for Tetsurou.”Hearing his name out loud made her even more nervous than before. She clutched at the ends of her tunic as she took a seat, eyes nervously darting around the room. Mrs. Kuroo immediately noticed this, because she placed a hand on her shoulder and laughed. “You don’t need to be nervous, my dear, __. He’s the same boy you knew when you were a child.”She wanted to retaliate and say that no, he wasn’t the same boy she knew as a child. The Tetsurou she knew as a child only took interest in dirt and gladiator battles, never science or stars. Mrs. Kuroo kept yammering away, but suddenly silenced upon the sound of footsteps. “Bragging about me now, are you, Mother?” Came a deep, hearty chuckle. Immediately, __’s heart dropped. It was him. She didn’t dare turn around to greet him, although every part of her wanted to. God, his voice was attractive by itself. Her mother slapped her on her knee, an indication to stand up and greet him. So she did. She slowly stood up, brushed off her skirt, and faced him, eyes immediately widening upon the sight in front of her. He was more attractive than she imagined. He was tall, extremely so, and had to be a good child larger than her. His face was thin and sharp, hazel eyes still youthful and attentive. He still had the horrible fringe, but it only added to his charm. He held a book in his hand, of some sort, and the vibe he gave off just made her want to melt. Forget the consul, he could be a god, if he wanted to. “Hello.” She stuttered, trying hard not to break eye contact.“It’s been awhile, huh?”“If seven years is while.” Tetsurou chuckled, the tips of his ears growing visibly red. She could see the slight shake of his hands around his book, and that assured her that he was just as nervous as she was. The laughs that spilled out of his mouth were fake, but she didn’t have the audacity to confront him on it. She knew the ugly cackle that he was cursed to, and she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of facade he had pent up over the years. They took a seat at the table, and __ didn’t dare touch her wine. Her hands were shaking so hard in her lap that she would definitely break the glass if she grabbed it. Tetsurou seemed to be sticking to the same thing. Although her eyes were glued to the table in front of her, she could feel Tetsurou’s eyes on her. This entire time, he’d been staring, as if he’d been analyzing her, like she was his prey. Needless to say, it was intimidating, especially when he was oh so attractive. At this point, she could feel her cheeks burning, every so often taking quick peeks upwards to catch his gaze. This time, once he’d caught her eye, she hadn’t looked away. He held her there with a stern gaze, before he took a quick glimpse at his mother before flashing her the nastiest silly face her could muster. At this, she couldn’t help but giggle into her fist. What he had done wasn’t at all humorous, but for some reason, she had laughed. She knew deep down in her heart that it was out of relief, that maybe he was the same, old idiotic Tetsurou from years past. Knowing this just made their arrangement all the more sweet.

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu!! imagines #haikyuu!! matchups #haikyuu!! scenarios #kuroo tetsurou

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theclaravoyant · 7 years

Text

For an Anon who requested (paraphrased):

Trans masculine Simmons, FitzSimmons & fluff.

FitzSimmons! Wow I feel like I hardly write those two these days. It’s nice to stretch the ol’ wings again. Brief context: Fitz is a post op trans man, Simmons is... happily Jemma-ing along, business as usual, for now.

Though the initial prompt uses masculine pronouns I’ve transitioned Simmons to neutral pronouns instead, as it felt more suitable for various reasons that I’m happy to explain separately. I hope the prompter (and everyone else of course) enjoys nonetheless!

Fluff (& a bit of hurt/comfort sentiment bc I’m a sap).

Rated T for some sexual/nsfw references & TW: mild dysphoria

Read on AO3 (~2200wd)

the more things change

Jemma stood in front of the mirror, and studied herself. She didn’t often do this, not since her younger days of body image issues had faded behind her, but lately, something felt off. Was she losing weight? Was she bloating? Had she only just noticed how short her legs looked when she stood flat, having grown accustomed to wearing boots and heels in her new administrative position? No, no, and no, it didn’t seem to be any of these things. Yet, her body felt wrong. Was she getting sick again, maybe dissociating? It didn’t feel quite like that, either. It was a mysterious strangeness, an out-of-place-ness, that had been hanging around her like a poltergeist the last few days – few weeks, maybe? – but, she recalled as she thought on it now, it only happened when she looked at or touched her own body.

She hummed, pensive and mildly concerned at this revelation, and Fitz looked up from his reading.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, a small frown furrowing his brow.

“Nothing,” Jemma assured him, but she turned in front of the mirror, examining her breasts and hips. Perhaps her proportions were different for some reason? They didn’t seem so, and her clothes fit as well as they ever had. She put a hand on her belly. It was a little bloated, but she’d recently eaten and it was nearing the end of the day. That was to be expected. She hummed again.

“You feeling okay?” Fitz checked. Jemma turned to face him.

“Do I look okay?”

“Beautiful, always,” he swore, and Jemma blushed a little, but rolled her eyes.

“I mean, do I look different?” she restated. “Something feels – weird, I don’t know. I don’t feel myself.”

“You look yourself,” Fitz promised. “Healthy and glowing as always. And I’m not just saying that. You know you look after yourself.”

Jemma shrugged, and sat down on the side of the bed, unsatisfied. Fitz cast his reading aside and massaged her shoulders gently.

“It’s probably nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “You’re probably just exhausted.”

“Maybe.”

“Come to bed, then,” Fitz beckoned. “An early night will be good for the both of us.”

With no better ideas, Jemma dragged herself back to their chest of drawers, and pulled out one of Fitz’s old Academy shirts to sleep in. Unfortunately, her body had other plans, and though Fitz turned off the lights and fell asleep soon enough, Jemma lay awake and stared at the ceiling for some time afterward. Her restless mind raised possibility after possibility. It was probably something she’d eaten, or a stressor that she’d forgotten about, but she couldn’t help but wonder – could it be hormonal? She wasn’t pregnant, was she? Not unless her IUD was defective, which was unlikely – but! There, nearby in her mind, was another thought that might be useful. She’d had this feeling at the beginning of a few periods, before.

“Oh, great,” she grumbled to herself, rolling onto her side in irritation. Just PMS and it had kept her up half the night. Half a night more than it deserved. Maybe she’d have to see about adjusting her contraception – but that, she thought with relief, could wait until the morning.

After that night, the issue was… well not dropped exactly, but, for a time, successfully ignored. Jemma intentionally avoided spending time in front of the mirror and adjusted her hormones and that seemed to do the trick. Only, she also went back to flats and tennis shoes, and she wore a singlet under her blouses even when it was quite warm, and she started signing her documents Dr. J. – instead of Jemma – Simmons, PhD. To the untrained eye, these were unconnected tweaks; minor and independent lifestyle changes in the name of health, comfort, and professional aesthetic. To Fitz’s very-much-trained eye, however, they were emblematic of a deeper change in Jemma; one that even she might struggle to access.

As any good scientist would, and as Jemma would expect and would, no doubt, find comforting should his theory prove correct (or at least, interesting if not), Fitz compiled several months of evidence. He grew ever more sure of his intuitive conclusion, and began to complement it with updated and accredited research and personal accounts. It began to build a picture, and while it was only one picture – only one potential explanation for Jemma’s feelings – he began to feel such a strong passion for it that he had to remind himself how likely it was that he could be wrong. The goal was to help Jemma feel like herself, Fitz repeated, and this just seemed the best way, at this point, to do that.

Only once he was prepared both to be right, and to be wrong, did Fitz bring the subject up with Jemma. It was a night not unlike the one that had started him thinking, except that the mirror was half-hidden and covered up these days, out of use, and it was Jemma in bed reading as Fitz uncovered it.

“Jemma?” Fitz requested. “Come over here.”

“Why?” Jemma got up, but eyed the mirror uncertainly.

“I want to try something. Put this on.”

“Are those – Speedos?”

“No.”

Jemma narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t see where this was going. Was it a prank, perhaps? But there was something in Fitz’s eyes that made her trust him, and pull on the underwear she’d never seen before in her life. Fitz passed her another garment. A white button-up shirt. Not tailor-cut, but too small for any of the guys on base, that she had seen anyway. Fitz watched intently for her reaction as she buttoned it up and pulled it flat, but aside from mild confusion and mild satisfaction, she wasn’t sure what he wanted out of her. He followed the shirt with her own pants and belt, and finished off by presenting Jemma with one of his own ties. He did it up for her because – well, he seemed to know where he was going with all this, and Jemma didn’t. But when he stepped away, out from between her and the mirror, she blinked in astonishment.

“I look different,” she said, and her voice was not tainted with melancholy this time, but flavoured with a spark of hope; of excitement.

“Still yourself,” Fitz offered. “If you feel okay.”

“I do! But I don’t – I mean, I don’t understand,” Jemma said, confused. “You didn’t change anything, I already basically dress like this, why –“

She met his eyes, and the depth of his suggestion that she had somehow missed before began to sink in.

“I changed the cut of the shirt,” Fitz explained. “That changes the shape of your body, which might be why it’s more comfortable to look at your reflection now. And, just a point of interest, that belt you’ve been wearing for years is a man’s belt, too.”

“Men’s belts are just better,” Jemma pointed out. “But the shirt, I - I’m not sure I get it. Change the shape of my body? Why?”

Fitz had been hoping the physical sensations of the new outfit would do a lot more of the explaining for him, but since that apparently was not to be, he took a deep breath and let it spill.

“You remember that night, about three months or so ago, you said your body felt different and wrong and you weren’t sure why? That’s called dysphoria, and it’s a common sign of – well, of being… transgender. Other common things you’ve been doing are, wearing men’s clothes - although admittedly that’s a weak one, wearing a singlet - which can mean a desire to bind your chest or even get rid of your breasts - and showing preference for a neutral rather than gendered name and pronouns.”

“A what-now?”

“It’s hard to notice because people don’t often talk about you in third person when you’re present, but think about it. Like, for example, just off the top of my head: you hate being called Miss or Jemma. You’ve always preferred Doctor, Agent, or Simmons. You even introduce yourself to your friends by your last, gender-neutral name.”

“So do you!”

“That’s a point to me, though.”

Jemma pouted, her logic thwarted.

“I like it when you call me Jemma,” she retorted.

“Yes, because it’s your name. You also don’t have a screaming desire to have a penis, as far as I’ve noticed, but – look, just think about it, okay? Obviously, I can’t tell you what’s in your head, but I’ve got a pretty unique lens to view this stuff through and I thought it was worth a mention.”

“Is that why you stuffed my pants with – what is this, socks?” Jemma stuffed a hand down her pants and tossed them away. “I’m happy with my – my lower half just how it is, thank you. And isn’t the penis, you know, sort of the point? Not that I think you’re right. I’m just curious.”

Fitz snorted. Not that I think you’re right was always a good sign, if not a dead giveaway, and after all their years together he still wasn’t sure whether Jemma even noticed that she said it.

“No, the penis isn’t part of it for a lot of people. Some people don’t even bind their chests, or even want to. Or they do some days and not others. Bodies and genders are weird and complex. You know that.”

“I do.” Jemma sighed, and studied her reflection again. There was a long moment of surprisingly heavy silence, and Fitz almost offered to leave the room from the sheer weight of it, except that Jemma reached out for him.

“Actually,” she said. “Do you think – could we try that binding thing after all?”

With this new knowledge, experimental though it was, Simmons roamed through her life in a new way. Reading Fitz’s notes, and remembering and discovering new feelings and new inconsistencies along the way, she became they, as the landscape of gender shifted before them. Through slips in conversation, Jemma turned back into Simmons, for the most part, and the little J. became a friendly reminder of this discovery of self. They researched gender, and gender dysphoria, and found a whole slew of anxiety symptoms that coincided with gender dysphoria and could have hidden it for so long. They were especially relieved to find that many of these symptoms abated beyond what they’d thought possible, the more they settled into themselves.

For his part, Fitz was ceaselessly supportive. He rolled with Jemma’s feminine days, Simmons’ masculine ones, and the ones in between as best he could. He brought ties and unpinched shirts, and a man’s watch that he thought wouldn’t be too ridiculously huge on Simmons’ relatively small arm. This, he presented to them for their birthday, along with a proper binder that was safe and supportive. He helped them put it on and together they both stood in front of the mirror once more.

“It’s beautiful, Fitz, thank you,” Simmons said, admiring their figure. The singlet-like binder itself didn’t look anything special, but it felt like a hug, and when they put a shirt on over it – even one of their more feminine blouses – there was something about it that felt right. They smiled, and turned to lean up on their toes and kiss Fitz.

Pulling away, though, their smile dropped a little. Fitz caught their hands, frowning with concern.

“What is it, love?” he wondered.

“I was just thinking,” Simmons said. “I think it’s time to tell the others. I’m not sure how they’ll take it. What it’ll mean.”

“I think you forget that our best friend is an alien superweapon,” Fitz pointed out. “The team can probably handle a little gender shake-up. And as for what it’ll all mean – well, to me what it means is you might not be my beautiful wife, but my handsome partner instead, and that as well as being in love with such a wonderful, intelligent, kind and powerful person, I have the privilege of knowing that I helped them become more balanced, more content and better at one with themselves in the world.”

“You already should have known that long before all this, Fitz. You’ve made me happier since the day I met you.”

“I beg to differ.”

“I was talking overall net increase.”

“Okay. I’ll let you have that one. Or is it myself I’m letting have..?”

Laughing, Simmons knotted their fingers between Fitz’s and swung their arms apart in a wide circle, opening a gate through which they could lean forward and up on their toes again to kiss Fitz’s teasing smile off his face. They leaned on his chest for a while, and eventually Fitz untangled their fingers and wrapped his arms around them. They looked up at him, eyes sparkling with hope and love and Fitz thought he must be looking back with rather the same expression. Simmons smiled at him.

“I’m serious, Fitz,” they said. “You make me eternally happy. Especially these last few weeks; thanks for helping me find my feet in this mess. You’ve been incredible. So knowledgeable and supportive. Really, I can only dream to one day repay the favour.”

Fitz snorted softly, too fondly to be derisive, and Simmons knew what was coming before he said it:

“You already have.”

#fitzsimmons #fsfic #thefitzsimmonsnetwork #aosficnet2 #trans!simmons #trans!fitz #prompt me stuff #clara's fic tag #happy pride!

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linguisticsoflife · 6 years

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October 11, 2018

My answers for childhood-based questions from an assignment:

1. What were you curious about as a child? How did that curiosity shape your childhood experiences?

As a child I was curious about many things, but the main things I can remember are exploring the outside world, enjoying math from an early age, and reading lots of books. I played outside probably everyday of my childhood, living in a subtropical Florida climate I was never deterred by a slight chill of wind or a warm bout of rain. I fondly remember taking toys and siblings outside and passing hours with neighborhood children, climbing trees, getting muddy, making nature "potions" and mud pies, hiding and "saving" stuffed animals. We, meaning me and my three sisters, with the combined six young boys who lived on either side of us, had a game called "Jungle Kids." The premise was that we were on some sort of journey (usually a plane, though sometimes a boat), when it crashed onto a jungle island, where we had to learn how to survive. We hunted fish (large dried leaves) with spears (sticks sharpened with stolen knives from the kitchen); we made shelters; we had divisions of tribes; sometimes we took turns being animals like wild dogs, monkeys, or large cats, that the children owned and domesticated on the island. All of this, without ever having read Lord of the Flies! Even when we moved, when I was around nine-years-old, with our new neighbors we quickly introduced them to the game, and we played it over and over again, never the same game twice.

As for math, I can remember being very young, pre-school age or younger, and asking my dad to write new math problems (usually addition, though I remember it being more than single digits) on paper for me, so I could scuttle to my room and sit on the edge of my bed, pencil in hand, and solve them all. I loved the satisfaction of having it all make sense, and I loved my dad's pride at me having solved them. I can't remember learning math, I just remember doing it and really enjoying it. Same with reading.

2. In what areas did you feel you had a competitive edge as a child? How did this shape your childhood experiences?

My competitive edges were in math (see previous section), science (based on my eternal curiosity for the outside natural world and how it functions), physical activity (at least until middle school when the boys caught up), and leadership (leading "Jungle Kids" wasn't my only leadership endeavor: I became the leader in almost all of our neighborhood activities, which may have been boosted by my slightly older age, but to this day I prefer to be the leader of a group).

I think this influenced my childhood by making me feel bright, as I excelled in areas that were easily measured by standardized tests, and having been educated in the era of standardized tests, I became the "ideal" student, at least for my elementary years. I participated in "Math Superstars," an extracurricular activity in which we completed a weekly math worksheet (which my dad was always involved in, never giving answers, but coaching concepts and challenging the results if I got a question wrong and he knew I had answered correctly), and at the end of the year we participated in a regional competition. I've still got a couple trophies back at home.

3.What/Who influenced/nurtured your creativity during your childhood? How?

My dad definitely had high expectations for my academic achievement, as he did for all of his four daughters. He encouraged my enjoyment of math, as seen previously, and was proud of me for always reading at one or several levels higher than my grade's average. He expected straight A's, which though very frustrating throughout my later childhood years, has helped shape me into someone who expects the best of myself even now, as a Master's student. He expects all of his daughters to go to college, and he even verbally stated his expectations for us all to pursue graduate degrees, though in his mind that was a Ph.D., which may or may not come, and I've given myself permission to fall short of that expectation if it means giving more time and energy to motherhood when my children are small.

However, my dad's recognition of our core course performance (reading, math, science), was balanced later on in high school by the art courses we took. My dad has a sort of "trophy case" at home, where each of us girls has a trophy for various academic competitions, sports, etc., but he also has displayed our artwork: cubes with abstract lines inked on, prints of my black-and-white photography, and large scale pieces of work from my sisters that won blue ribbons at the state fair. I think there's even a woven basket my youngest sister made. I have never really reflected on that cabinet, but it was the equivalent of other parents hanging their child's work on the fridge, but taken up a notch to my dad's intensity level. I feel proud of my work in that cabinet, and feel equal with my sisters, though we are all so different, because we are all represented there.

4. Did you identify with any of the experiences/people described in this chapter? How?

I identified with the mixed-feelings concept of school. By my senior year of high school, I breezed through each of my courses, putting in the minimal efforts needed for an A, and then taking the rest of my time to read books at my desk. My teachers didn't bother me; either they were too busy to challenge me with new problems and advanced work, or they acknowledged that my bringing in practically a new book every day was a good enough signal to them that I was learning from the world.

I remember many of my teachers, and though few stick out as particularly encouraging, I remember specific experiences I had within classrooms that helped develop my interests and passions. One of which occurred in my ninth-grade biology classroom: we had to choose from several science-y books to read and write a report on. I don't remember any of the other options besides "The Hot Zone," a thick book and story about the ebola virus. I loved all of it. I loved the explanations of viruses, the intensity of working with something so small you couldn't see it, but it could easily kill you once you were infected. During my first year of college, I chose to change my major to Microbiology, and ended up graduating with that emphasis.

I also remember when my enjoyment and competitive edge in math stopped: in sixth grade I was bumped from a sixth-grade level math class, Arithmetic, to a seventh-grade level, Pre-Algebra. The bump made me feel good, and I was still surrounded by student my age as we had all been moved, but our teacher was disorganized, and had a thick and strong Jamaican accent, which, along with some missing front teeth, made him very difficult for me to understand. This, along with perhaps some other pressures in my life, led me to lag behind; it was the first class I ever got a C on my quarterly report card for. I had some redemption the next year in Algebra, which to this day I enjoy, but in Geometry a grumpy teacher caused me to rebelliously push back, and again I didn't achieve much learning. From then on, as I moved into high school, I avoided the most difficult math classes, breezing through Analysis of Functions instead of Algebra II, opting for AP Calculus AB instead of BC, which I told myself I couldn't handle (or maybe didn't want to?), and in my junior year I took the last math class I've ever taken: AP Statistics. Studying math for the GRE re-lit an interest in Algebra for me, but it's no longer something I am going to seek out and voluntarily find satisfaction in doing.

#creativity outlet project

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