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#(which can flip between healthy or unhealthy)
mid-nightowl · 5 months
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paramedic/EMT dick is so good omg :o i hadn’t thought about that one
i have seen social worker dick which also felt really appropriate (also love that for jason) but!!! EMT actually feels like it works better to me???
thank u for putting that thought in my head~
ahhhhhhh!! i am so ecstatic i could put the thought of emt/paramedic!dick in your head hehehehe
paramedic!dick is so special to me<3 it very much i think hits what dick needs and wants out of his civilian life but also directly influences his vigilantism too
my main three takeaways are these:
it's a highly rewarding but deeply traumatizing career and it scratches his innate need to help people without violence & fear
it's a little bit more training than a police officer but i think covers a field of knowledge dick knows but doesn't know intimately like he does criminal justice or law. it would also benefit his "night" job to be more equipped to handle traumatic injuries
ems schedules are chaotic and all over the place especially if the garage is down a paramedic or ALS provider or just overall understaffed but the overall structure of it would be good for dick (if he can balance his work-vigilantism life healthily, depending on how you write him)
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initforthelolzz · 4 months
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Luffy’s tendency to self-sacrifice and the way he responds to loss are both incredibly telling aspects of his character. They show his level of love and dedication to other people, but most importantly they show his selflessness. Now, selflessness isn't necessarily a bad thing, but due to the level of selflessness that Luffy displays, it reveals a major character flaw.
Now, I’m not criticizing Luffy’s character, but what I am doing is pointing out something that I’d categorize as a negative character trait. And one that I find particularly fascinating.
Luffy may seem like the typical shonen protagonist on the surface (flawless, stupid, and selfless to a tee). However, if you take a look past surface level then you will find that Luffy is an incredibly complex character. Because while he is incredibly stupid, he possesses a certain multidimensionality that sets him apart from other typical shonen protags.
In regards to that multidimensionality, I’ve noticed that Luffy measures his own self worth exclusively through other people. By his value in the eyes of others. How he can serve them and how much worth he holds in their lives.
Okay but... what the fuck does this mean.
First of all I’d like to discuss Luffy’s tendency to self-sacrifice. Have you ever stopped to notice that every single one of Luffy’s specialized gears has a negative side effect of some kind? Second Gear puts so much strain on his heart that it is said to shorten his lifespan the more often he uses it. Third Gear makes his body shrink. Fourth Gear exhausts his Haki so terribly that he becomes immobile for ten minutes. And I feel like Fifth Gear speaks for itself...
Clearly Luffy has no qualms about sacrificing his body, but why is that? The answer, at least in my interpretation, is that Luffy’s self-sacrifice has entirely to do with the value he places on himself. The catch is that he doesn’t place any value on his own life. Luffy has proven on multiple occasions that he is more than willing to throw his own life away for the sake of others.
We see this in Udon prison, when Luffy was actively poisoning himself to death to make a point, even though it’s difficult to notice how close he was to getting himself killed because Toei decided that if Luffy was dying he was going to look Hot while doing it
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We see this again when Luffy climbed the mountain in Chopper’s Arc, destroying his fingers and risking freezing to death all to save Nami and Sanji.
We see this when Luffy fought Magellan in Impel Down, which was the closest Luffy came to killing himself for the cause.
Then again on Whole Cake Island when he tried to let Sanji kick him to death to prove a point. And when he tried to starve himself to death to prove a point. And when he tried to rip his own arms off–
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And of course we can’t forget about Thriller Bark. The entire point of Zoro taking Luffy’s pain was to show just how far Luffy was hurting himself in order to protect the crew. There was an entire conversation between the Straw Hats about how unhealthy that behavior was, and how they needed to protect Luffy from himself by getting stronger.
These are all shining examples of Luffy taking selflessness just a little too far. And while placing high value on the lives of others isn’t a negative quality, doing so to this degree isn’t exactly healthy. I say that Luffy holds no value in his own life because he cares this much about other people. He cares more about other people than he does about himself, and is more than willing to die in the process of protecting/saving his loved ones.
I came to this conclusion by looking at the way Luffy handles loss.
And the simple answer is that... Luffy doesn't handle loss. (The entirety of Whole Cake Island was just Luffy outright refusing to lose another loved one)
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And when he does... he doesn’t.
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Which is exactly what I’m talking about. Whenever Luffy loses people that he deeply cares about he immediately flips his lid. Water Seven and Thriller Bark seemed like all fun and games after watching Luffy grieve the loss of his crew on Sabaody. Seeing him break down like that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to watch... You can feel just how much this loss has impacted Luffy, and it hurts.
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Amazon Lily was largely comedic, which served as a well needed break in between Sabody and all the Horrors of the Summit War. Because of this, the delivery of Luffy’s behavior after the events on Sabody is easy to brush off as a gag joke... but you can’t deny the fact that he overdosed on poisonous mushrooms. And while, yes, Luffy is a fucking idiot, not moments beforehand he was digging through the forest and talking about how many species of mushrooms he knew and all the wacky side effects of eating them. So clearly Luffy knows his stuff, and I think it’s just a little too convenient that he “accidentally almost died of a drug overdose shortly after losing everyone he held dear” after Oda explicitly stated that he knew his shit when it came to eating plants in the woods.
And then, of course, we have Luffy’s breakdown after Ace’s death. Which was even more difficult to watch than Sabody had been.
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Are we beginning to see a trend? Luffy will try his damndest not to lose the people he cares about, but it’s impossible to save everyone. On the rare chance that he does lose someone he cares about, he immediately has a suicidal breakdown and gets extremely violent towards himself.
I’m certain that we can all agree that trying to kill yourself as a result of grief is NOT a healthy coping mechanism. Luffy is a completely happy-go-lucky character, with a suspicious tendency to over-sacrifice, yes, but the moment he fails/loses his friends he has a psychotic break. Without other people around him, Luffy suddenly loses all sense of self worth. Because he is nothing without his nakama... right?
It’s so easy to miss this detail about Luffy’s character, and it’s because he’s so good at concealing his negative emotions. Luffy puts on a brave face for the people he cares about, and he doesn’t want people to see him as anything less than a ray of sunshine and a symbol of joy and freedom. His conversation with Jimbei after Marineford was about how he needed to bury his grief for Ace even though it was unhealthy, because Luffy needed to remain strong.
Clearly he’s taken this to heart, because he hasn’t talked about how Ace’s death has impacted him even once. Luffy refuses to show emotional weakness in front of his crew, he is doing all in his power to be strong and support them while asking for nothing in return. Even now Luffy can’t hear Ace’s name without tearing up.
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Luffy puts on a strong facade, and it is what makes his self-sacrifice seem so heroic, and what makes it so easy to miss how unhealthy it is. Luffy always saves people at the expense of his own life. He takes his battles incredibly too far, always ending up horrifically injured and using abilities that are detrimental to his body and his health. But he always recovers so easily, so quickly, and it is easy for the viewer/reader to move past Luffy’s self-sacrifice because he moves past it easily.
But why is he so nonchalant about nearly killing himself in almost every battle he places himself in? Simple, it is because he is not afraid of dying. Because in his eyes, he has no worth as a person unless he gives his EVERYTHING to the people he cares about.
Hence, Luffy measures his self worth entirely through other people, and therefore will stop at nothing to protect and fight for others. Because otherwise he is nothing.
I like to think that he developed this mindset as a result of his early childhood. Dragon didn’t want him. Garp didn’t want him. Dadan didn’t want him. Ace didn’t want him. Luffy was only accepted and cared for by others once he proved his worth to Ace and Sabo. Remember? They only started caring about Luffy and accepted him into their group after he got beaten violently for hours to protect their treasure stash. An act of violent self-sacrifice. It earned Luffy two brothers, but it also instilled the idea of his worthlessness unless he serves other people.
Remember when Luffy asked Ace to promise him not to die? I like to read between the lines a little. (Don’t leave me behind, Ace.) (I’m nothing without you, Ace.)
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Luffy is a clingy person. He cares so much about other people, and will go to incredible lengths to keep them close. He can be happy, but only with other people. Because he needs other people in order to value his own life. He doesn’t care about himself, he only cares about others.
That is a very unhealthy mindset in this context, and is a major character flaw because of the impact it has on Luffy’s mental health.
But it also shows an incredible duality.
Selflessness is a highly valued characteristic. But in Luffy’s case, he brings it to an extreme. What could be considered his greatest strength is also his greatest flaw.
Luffy is a very admirable character because of this, and I love him a totally normal amount
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themswritinwords · 7 months
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The Hundred Fifty Seven Deaths of the Immortal Ethan Ellis: Cast profiles: Ethan Ellis
The man himself (Ethan) - he/him; 24 years old biologically, 310 years old chronologically; Quietly Depressed Optimist in Desperate Need of a Hug and a Nap
Depressed, traumatized, self-sacrificial, dysfunctional, exhausted--what's not to relate to love?
Just woke up during his own autopsy. That's definitely not going to unearth any poorly-buried Issues!
What do you mean endless gallows humor and self deprecation aren't healthy coping mechanisms?
*slaps bruised and blood-stained noggin* This bad boy can fit so much mental illness and metaphor in him.
The result of a necromancer-wannabe's attempts at immortality; ex-human-guinea-pig with all of the attendant moral, philosophical, and psychological conundrums that come with death being a temporary condition.
One of three "successful" experiments. The other two adjusted pretty well, all things considered. Ethan did not.
Alas, they didn't have therapy in colonial America. You know what they did have, though? An abundance of dangerous life paths and causes worth dying for. That's not gonna reinforce any dangerous thought patterns or unhealthy mental states, I'm sure!
Longest streak between deaths has been just shy of 4 years. All but one of them has been his own dang fault. He is fully aware of this, but in a deeper sense, he is entirely unaware of this.
Always cared more about others than himself. This got infinitely worse when he realized he could die without consequences (supposedly).
Animals hate him! and no that is not just the start of a clickbait article. Every animal he's met since getting immortal'd has tried to put him back in the ground. He used to be a cat person, though.
Chronically friendless and self-isolated. People don't handle the dead guy coming back to life very well, and he's gotten more than one witness in life-ruining trouble by reviving in front of them. He finds it easier to just stay away from people on all but a surface level. (Again, I can't imagine that's going to cause problems down the line....)
Travels like an overripe peach, which is to say he is the King of Motion Sickness
Repeated resurrection has turned the man into a caloric dumpster. Over the course of a day and a half he consumes ~30 chicken nuggets, four burgers, a large fry, a medium bag of chips, a popsicle, and half a cup of ice and he's still desperately hungry.
Flip flops between annoying little brother energy and annoyed big brother energy depending on who he's arguing with at the time.
Wants: Everyone and Everything to leave him tf alone (also a shower)
Needs: One good reason to live and way fewer reasons to get himself killed
Immediate goals: Keep his only friends from getting dragged down with him and all his issues
Long term goals: None, and that's rather the point (not that this is a recurring theme in my characters or anything....)
Character arc can best be described as: that quote that's like "Dying is easy, living is hard;" the shift from hope, caring, and love as passive traits to hope, caring, and love as active choices worth making
Favorite things about writing him
The Catharsis. There's a reason so many of my OCs end up with mental illnesses and unhealthy patterns of thought. Ethan is just the most explicit of these self-inserts.
The snarcasm and humor were both challenging and so fun. I'm not a witty person by nature, so it took a bit of perspective shift to get right. I think I got better a dialogue overall by writing him.
He's a very internal and thought-ful person, and it was an interesting balance to write. He always thinks more than he says and feels more than he thinks.
Not to toot my own horn, but his third act breakdown and "Oh Sh*t" moment were a delight to write and some of my strongest writing moments.
His voice is very informal and sarcastic, and it was fun to write genuine horror in a goofball, this-might-as-well-happen sort of way.
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pinkdreamblossom · 1 year
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I've always been drawn to spirituality and metaphysics. It seems to be inherited from both of my parents.
My mom used to (actually I'm sure she still does) listen to Coast to Coast AM every night to lull her to sleep. I was scared of the dark and a lot of other things as a child so I slept in her bed a lot. I have no idea how she falls asleep listening to that show. I would be either intrigued or terrified as George Noory and his guests would talk about things such as aliens, ghosts, and pyramids.
She also used to take me on walks and point out which wild plants and flowers could be eaten or made into tea, and we'd enjoy a bite together.
I remember she had this huge book that was about astrology. I loved to bring it out during sleepovers so we could all read about our signs and gasp at how accurate it could be.
She also taught me how to pray the rosary.
My parents split up during my early years, and it wasn't long before my dad had this new girlfriend who was an old highschool sweet heart. She became an inspiration to me. I received some books from her; The Way of the Peaceful Warrior and The Ringing Cedar Series. Reading these through 8th and 9th grade opened the door to spiritual practices that forever changed my life, and I felt a potent calling from nature. I began meditating and seeking "enlightenment". I was even gifted a pointed quartz crystal (which mysteriously disappeared) by my aunt who practiced reiki. I had no idea the significance of crystals or how reiki was suppose to work at the time.
It wasn't until I was around the age of 18 that I made the connection to what I believed with witchcraft and paganism. Once I did, I took a visit to Pyewackets, the local witch shop, and purchased my first tarot deck. Along with that, I scoured the local thrift shops and managed to find a Silver Ravenwolf.
Let's fast forward a few years. I got deep into it. The forest was my church and the Fae eventually became my guides. For years I was learning and diving deep into the otherworld. I dove so deep I began to feel like I was drowning. Chaos and isolation started to wreak havoc on my well being. It wasn't just developing my practice anymore; it became escapism and there was no firm ground to stand on.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Jesus showed himself to me. My world flipped upside down. I felt like I could breathe again and I had firm footing and a good foundation. I decided anything remotely pagan would have to go. I even stopped studying herbalism because I associated it with witchcraft to heavily to stomach it. Legalism started to creep around me.
I eventually broke loose from the evangelical, protestant worldview as my desire to work with the elements and nature grew within me again.
I decided that suppressing my natural and inherited inclination towards a mystic outlook wasn't healthy, just as it's unhealthy to suppress your sexuality.
Yesterday, a ritual bath took place that was an initiation back into my pagan ways, guided by God.
I feel more connected to my spirituality then ever before. I'm so blessed and I hope others who experience a conflict between Christianity and Paganism can embrace themselves as who they are just as Jesus would. I know I won't always be accepted for this, and I know it will be hard at times. But I've never been truer to myself until now and no one can take that away from me.
I'm back, witches.
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I'm going through the CoDA workbook slowly, one question at a time. Hence, I'm still on step 1, because I journal about one question and then have to let it process for a while. I did question 2 of step 1 today, which asks, "What is the difference between being powerless and being empowered?"
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I had just gotten off the phone with a fellow CoDA member. She and I were coincidentally talking about this subject, about what we're powerless over and what the difference is between that and empowerment could be.
"I flip flop on step 1," She said, "I can understand it when it comes to being powerless over others, but when it comes to the lines about being powerless over my obsessions and compulsions, I get scared. It makes me think, what's the point of recovery work if I'm so powerless?"
I could see what she meant, and I definitely related.
After all, what is codependency if not a desire for/obsession over/compulsion of control? The thought of not having control IS scary. And if we're not careful, our fear of powerlessness can cause us to become even more entrenched in unhealthy patterns and (ultimately self-destructive) defense mechanisms.
As I journaled on this, I wrote, what I'm powerless over IS the fear, the anxiety, and I'm powerless over the defense mechanisms I have the urge to fall into when I have those feelings. Because really, emotions are just messengers, right? They're ourselves sending a message to ourselves, and our history (especially childhood history) creates the defense mechanisms our brain is ready to deploy at the sight of the messengers. "There's the messenger! Kill the messenger!" the trauma brain cries. I can't control that my brain does that. I'm powerless over the fact that I feel feelings and have trauma responses.
But. But.
Maybe empowerment is like being a witness to my thoughts in meditation: I do what I must to become a loving but objective, non-judgmental observer of my own humanity, with all its limitations. Maybe I achieve this with prayer to my gods, with yoga and exercise, with meditation, art, CoDA fellowship - but somehow, I must find a way to connect with my higher power and sit beside them as a witness to my powerlessness. In this way, empowerment paradoxically occurs. I realize I don't need to control the uncontrollable. I don't need to fix my feelings, or condemn my trauma responses - or fix other's feelings or condemn their trauma responses.
When I'm empowered (spiritually connected thanks to self care practices), I don't need to desperately find a new way to be better at controlling myself and others and the universe. Empowerment is feeling all of what makes me and others human - emotions and trauma and all - and breathing into it. No resistance. Just acceptance.
And in the acceptance, my gut relaxes. The tension drains from my face. I become aware of the beauty surrounding me. And, a lot of the time? By doing nothing and turning my focus inward to a space of trust and peace inside myself (or at my altar), the situation resolves itself. It always ends up working out, sometimes without me lifting a single finger.
I feel like Frigg is right beside me as I learn all this. She loves me learning to find the magic in the mundane, and learning to accept what I can't control. She helps me with my issues with controlling the uncontrollable, and Odin helps me with my anxiety about the unknown. Loki helps me be playful and the best mother I can be, and Hel helps me feel motivated to live in a way that honors my death. I am not spiritually alone on my road to having fully healthy and loving relationships, with others and myself.
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bonerey · 8 months
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i love them i love them i love them!!!! i remember first starting wbg and being like aw :( sucks that there aren't any more inserts and ocs for this it would be so cool so seeing your silly little guys made my day!!!!! AND THEN YOUR RESPONSE MADE IT EVEN BETTER!!!
im SO excited to see em 👀 im already so attached you have no idEAAAAA they're soo cool thank you sosos much for sharing them with us!!
- imaginepostingonmain
AWW THANK YOU 💞💞 i think i have a few more wbg ocs if ur interested, i was mildly scared of posting about them but omg im so excited to talk about them!!!!!! OHHH and thinking about how eni's interactions with the rest of base will go is definitely interesting
you know what. rambling time. eni is me but braver with less of a fear of consequences but he still is me to some level, which leads to a pretty serious 'fall limp like a prey animal' response, like i could see him coming clean if he got caught doing something. he definitely would sell others down the river, hes kinda similar to mike in that way. its like. he can live the rest of his life feeling guilty over it as long as he has the rest of his life to live.
(this got. entirely too long. the rest of the post is under the cut)
its interesting to think about how enigma became how he is. yk, years of torture does tend to change a man. i imagine he flipped between defense mechanisms, fight to fawn to freeze to fight, ect ect.
the only reason he got out was because he fought and resisted and was stubborn and inconvenient and all of those things i try very hard not to be. he would be incredibly different from me and i think thats quite fun to think about.
thinking about identity is interesting too. i could see future iterations using different names and pronouns because my identity is a very fluid, changing thing. i could see enigma using different pronouns or perceiving his gender differently then eni or i do. he definitely got top surgery and im so jealous. also probably a few tattoos. oh! maybe he did that to kind of reclaim his body after the compound. i keep imagining him as more feminine then his other iterations for some reason?? i also imagine him with dirty blond hair and very thin. like unhealthily thin. i always tend to associate being super thin with being unhealthy and he is the very opposite of healthy
eni wouldnt have played woe.begone, no way. even if it brought back the most beloved person in my life, i have basic self preservation instincts, something that other characters seem to be significantly lacking in. i mean, i could kind of see enigma doing it but i dont see why he would bother, honestly. he has more of a stomach for pain and violence then i do, i think. its a weird flipflop between self destruction and self preservation, complicated trauma stuff, idk
i keep kind of thinking of me-me getting sent to the wbg universe with all knowledge of the podcast. it probably wouldnt help or improve anything (if i EVER hear the word propagation again im going to commit a crime) considering. you know. time travel. knowledge of the future is considered the norm. but it would be interesting and would affect my actions considerably
enigma rlly needs a partner of some kind because hes me and that means hes self-isolating because 'you cant be hurt if youre alone' bullshit. hes also scared of people. and relationships. and basically everything but he doesnt realize because hes either super dissociated or horrifying present every given moment. i keep torturing this poor guy can i at least give him like. a therapy animal or something. christ
WOAH i wrote considerably more then i intended to oopsies
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petersboswell79 · 1 year
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gennie123 · 1 year
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10 Easiest New Year 2023 Resolution Ideas for a Happier and Healthier Life
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As the new year approaches, many of us take the opportunity to reflect on the past and set goals for the future. Whether you're looking to improve your health, career, relationships, or overall well-being, New Year's resolutions can be a powerful way to make positive changes in your life.
However, it's important to set realistic and achievable goals that won't overwhelm you or set you up for failure. If you're looking for some easy and stress-free resolution ideas for 2023, this blog has you covered. We've compiled a list of 10 simple and achievable resolution ideas that can help you lead a happier and healthier life in the new year.
From maintaining regular mealtimes and shifting to organic food products, to bringing more peace into your life and saying yes to exercise, there are plenty of ways to make a difference in your well-being. So, whether you're a seasoned resolution-setter or just starting out, these ideas can help you make progress towards your goals and improve your overall well-being in 2023. Here are 10 easy new year resolution ideas for 2023:
1. Maintain regular mealtimes:
Eating at regular intervals can help regulate your metabolism, improve your energy levels, and reduce cravings for unhealthy foods. If you tend to skip meals or eat at irregular times, make a resolution to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same times each day, and try to incorporate healthy snacks in between meals as well.
Eating regular meals can also help you make healthier food choices, as you're less likely to grab unhealthy snacks when you're hungry. If you're short on time, consider meal prepping in advance or keeping healthy, portable snacks on hand.
2. Shift to organic food products:
Choosing organic produce and other products can help reduce your exposure to pesticides and other harmful chemicals and support sustainable agriculture practices. While organic food products can be more expensive, there are ways to incorporate them into your diet without breaking the bank. Start small by choosing a few key organic items, such as produce that has a thin skin or is more likely to be contaminated by pesticides (e.g. apples, berries, leafy greens). You can also look for sales or shop at farmers markets or local co-ops, which may offer more affordable options.
In addition to produce, consider switching to organic dairy, meat, and grains, as well as household and personal care products. While it's not always possible to go completely organic, even making small changes can make a difference for your health and the environment.
3. Switch to music from the TV:
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Listening to music can have a calming effect and help reduce stress and anxiety. If you find yourself mindlessly flipping through channels or scrolling through social media, make a resolution to replace some of your TV time with music listening. Not only will it help you relax, but it can also be a creative outlet and a way to discover new artists or genres.
There are many ways to listen to music, including through streaming services, podcasts, or by simply creating a playlist on your phone or computer. You can also consider investing in a portable speaker or headphones to make it easier to enjoy music on the go.
4. Bring more peace into your life:
Taking time to relax and unwind is important for overall well-being, but it can be difficult to find moments of peace and quiet in our busy lives. Make a resolution to prioritize self-care and find ways to incorporate more relaxation into your daily routine. This could be through activities like meditation, yoga, or simply taking a few deep breaths when you're feeling overwhelmed. Make sure you also include 7-8 hrs of sound sleep every night which makes you feel fresh throughout the day with positive thoughts.
You can also create a peaceful environment at home by decluttering, adding plants or other natural elements, and incorporating calming scents like lavender or peppermint. Don't forget to unplug from technology and make time for activities that bring more peace into your life.
5. Enjoy the small things in life:
It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life and forget to appreciate the small pleasures. Make a resolution to take time to appreciate the simple things, like a beautiful sunset, a warm cup of tea, or a good book. These small moments of joy can help bring more happiness and contentment into your life.
You can also make a habit of practicing gratitude by keeping a gratitude journal or sharing things you're thankful for with loved ones. This can help shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life and improve your overall outlook.
6. Plan to go for a short adventure:
Whether it's a day trip to a nearby town or a weekend getaway to a nearby state, make a resolution to plan a small adventure to break up the monotony of daily life and bring some excitement into your routine. This can be a great opportunity to try new activities, explore new places, and create lasting memories.
If you're on a tight budget, don't worry – there are plenty of affordable options for mini-adventures. Consider camping or staying at a budget-friendly hotel, or look for discounts on local attractions or activities. Using the best quality of travel bags and accessories adds a bit of comfort and safety to your adventurous trip.
7. Follow a daily skin care routine at home:
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Taking care of your skin can help you look and   feel your best. Make a resolution to establish a simple, daily skin care routine to nourish and protect your skin. This can include cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, as well as using sunscreen and removing makeup before bed.
You don't need to spend a lot of money on expensive products – there are plenty of affordable options for daily skin care routine that can be just as effective. Consider looking for natural, plant-based products that are gentle on the skin, and don't be afraid to experiment with different products to find what works best for you.
8. Be more grateful:
Focusing on the things you're grateful for can improve your mood and help you feel more positive and content. Make a resolution to express gratitude on a daily basis, whether it's through a gratitude journal or simply taking a moment to appreciate the good things in your life.
Gratitude can be a powerful tool for improving mental health and relationships, and it's something that anyone can practice. Take a few minutes each day to reflect on the things you're thankful for, and make a conscious effort to express gratitude to others as well.
9. Prefer simple and elegant outfits:
Simplifying your wardrobe with comfortable and simple clothes can save time and money and make you feel more confident and put-together. Make a resolution to choose classic, elegant pieces that you can mix and match for a variety of looks, and say goodbye to fast fashion.
Consider investing in quality pieces that will last longer and can be worn in multiple ways, rather than constantly buying cheap, trend-based items that will fall apart or go out of style quickly. You can also try adopting a capsule wardrobe, which involves choosing a small number of versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched to create a variety of looks.
Not only will simplifying your wardrobe save you time and money, but it can also be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. By choosing timeless pieces and wearing them more often, you can reduce the amount of clothing you need to buy and dispose of over time. Sometimes it may seem boring but wearing comfortable and simple clothes keeps you at ease.
10. Say yes to exercise:
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Regular exercise has numerous physical and mental health benefits, including reducing stress and improving mood. Make a resolution to incorporate some form of physical activity into your daily routine, whether it's a morning walk, a yoga class, or a trip to the gym.
Exercise doesn't have to be intense or time-consuming to be effective – even a moderate amount of activity can have significant benefits. Find an activity that you enjoy and that fits into your schedule, and don't be afraid to mix things up to keep things interesting. Also focus on nutrition as by adding dietary supplements in your routine helps you live a happy and healthy life.
By setting easy and achievable resolutions, you can make meaningful progress towards your goals and improve your overall well-being in the new year. Remember to be kind to yourself and don't get too caught up in the idea of perfection – progress, not perfection, is the key to lasting change.
If you're ready to make positive changes in the new year and lead a happier and healthier life, consider adopting one or more of these 10 easy resolution ideas for 2023. Whether you're looking to maintain regular mealtimes, shift to organic food products, bring more peace into your life, or say yes to exercise, there are plenty of simple and achievable ways to make a difference.
So why wait? Start making your resolution list today, and take the first step towards a better you in the new year. Remember to be kind to yourself, set realistic goals, and celebrate your progress along the way. With a little bit of planning and commitment, you can make 2023 your best year yet.
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lesbianelphie · 2 years
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Okay forget I submitted that other one my hand slipped. So I loved your analysis about that question!! There are def a few things that I didn’t even think about lol. Cuz you said that I can add my own addition so that we can discuss this, it might be long because I’ve been thinking about it a lot and like I said I loved your analysis. You’re so right they would get along in that regard of wanting to protect their friends and that they are huge dorks!! Okay so I hope this doesn’t come off as mean/too critical but I’m going to be disagreeing a little bit here so I might be annoying right now. Okay so I think they would get annoyed about Sam and dean’s job enough that they wouldn’t fully be able to get along. The reason I think this is that Sam and Dean actively go to seek other supernatural people and oftentimes their goal is too kill them because they’re oftentimes shoot first ask later (which changes over the course of the seasons but in every season they flip flop a ton which also just concludes to terrible writing but overall they do that). And while the supernatural does go after them their jobs also do require them to search for them. And I think that the st characters who have been shown to have empathy and excitement to this supernatural(besides the upside down but that does get thrown at them and they have to have be on the defensive all the time). While they are hesitant towards el at first which makes sense with how they found her and what was happening, they also accept her for her powers and all. And even find her powers to be amazing! Dustin showed compassion towards dart even after finding out that it was from the ud. I think them finding out that witches, werewolves, and vampires would be so exciting to the party/gang. While I do think they would be terrified of some things and go against them I think they would want to know about this stuff. I do think they would be nervous about some supernatural people killing other people but they would also really want to help the other supernatural people too because essentially the gang is all about helping their friends/other people. They have a ton of survival guilt and I honestly don’t think they would want anything to do with the hunting jobs so idk I think that would be a huge conflict between all of them. Idk what you think of this is let me know if you disagree or have some parts you agree with and others you don’t. I love discussing with other people!!
Also I loved your tangent about John coming with little Dean and Sam. Especially because you’re so right Joyce and hopper (and legit the rest of the gang) would go nope to seeing that happen. They would straight up want to take the two from John. Also you’re right I could see hopper getting along with Bobby and Jody (especially Jody idk they would be cute best friends also I think they would be so healthy for one another). Also joyce would totally hang out with Jody and get along so well with her. I’m already thinking about them gossiping and doing bonding activities.
Ohhh about the healthy vs unhealthy thing you’re so right. I didn’t even think about the colleges i kind of just thought with the dynamics themselves. Because Sam and dean’s dynamic reaches to a certain level of high toxicity meanwhile Will and Jonathan’s is healthy. No sibling dynamic is perfect (saying as an older sibling) but Jonathan and Will’s relationship is so good compared to Dean and Sam’s co-dependency (especially dean’s actions towards Sam idk if you’re a huge Dean fan but as an older sibling some of his actions made me so pissed off). But I def like the different dynamics like that! Also the college thing is so interesting cuz you’re so right. Like even though it was difficult sam decided to leave meanwhile Jonathan is stuck on staying.
So true like spn's hypocrisy regarding which supernatural things are okay and which need to be killed drives me up the wall especially given monstrosity/queerness/deviance parallels so I totally agree that the hunter mindset would probably piss them off especially with regards to El. Like I can see them definitely trying to hide her from them just in case they come to the same conclusion that the government in st4 came to (that she's the one behind the murders/happenings and needs to be taken out). Like they do generally seem to have a much greater appreciation for understanding and responding compassionately to what's happening (i.e., when they find out dart was from the UD they want to take him to Hopper rather than just trying to kill him then and there).
Lol I am a bit of an Eldest Sibling/Dean Girl (gn) but definitely in a "he's got issues that need to be resolved but is also a soft dork" way as well as a "secret good spn in my head where he didn't actually do like half the shitty stuff he did" way. So yes to all of this ✅️ I think maybe he and sam might see the way will and jon are and have a little bit of a crisis about what they could have had if they hadn't been raised by j*hn </3
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Science and Chemistry Classes
Dietary fats, human nutrition and the environment: Balance and sustainability
Wageningen University & Research and Charles University in Prague considers both nutritional and environmental consequences in order to shine a novel light on dietary oils and fats. Rather than considering all such fats as simply bad for our health, it highlights the importance of fats in healthy diets, especially among undernourished people, and the need for making wise choices among vegetable and animal sources of fat regarding planetary and human health.
To choose the right sources of oils and fats involves a complex balance of nuanced and changing issues. Although recent studies indicate that saturated fats from animals are not as unhealthy as often claimed, the environmental impacts of animal fats from dairy, lard, tallow, and other sources tend to be much greater than those from plants. But even among plant fats, our choices have major implications. Palm oil, coconut oil and peanut oil are important affordable oils in parts in the world with the greatest "fat gaps"—the difference between how much we consume and should consume in a healthy diet. But the flip side is that the expansion of the crops has been seen to negatively impact tropical forests and biodiversity. Most soybean, rapeseed and sunflower are grown in wealthier and more temperate parts of the world, and are associated with excessive nitrogen flows and some significant land system changes, such as the expansion of soy into South American forest and savannas.
The study published in Frontiers in Nutrition is highly topical with the Ukraine war and its impact on Russian and Ukrainian sunflower oil production, having sparked major price increases for vegetable oils. The new study provides a framework for predicting what the implications of changes in oil production and trade could be on poor and undernourished people and the global environment.
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Douglas Sheil, senior author and a Professor at Wageningen University & Research, said, "In our search for good foods I see again and again that we are overly keen to accept simple answers such as the idea that dietary fats are harmful and that avoiding palm oil saves forests. Constructive answers require a more nuanced reflection on the specific implications of the specific commodity in a specific context. Fats are essential to health, and any source of food oils can be good or bad. What I found particularly striking in our study is how any efforts to guide and improve the nature of the required production so as to achieve better health and environmental outcomes remains undermined by inadequate information; this while global demand for dietary oils and fats are likely to double over the next three decades."
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Professor Erik Meijaard, the study's lead author and Visiting Professor at Charles University, said, "In the heated debates about oils and fats, where many argue that fats should just be excluded from diets, we forget that as humans, we really are 'fat hunters.' About 25–30% of our daily energy needs come from fats, and without fats, we die. It therefore becomes important where we source our fats—from animals or plants, and which animals and plants, and what the impacts are of our choices."
01/05/2022
_Shiv Prakash
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bobcatcirrus4 · 2 years
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Selfmade Cleansing Merchandise
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Mix half a teaspoon of olive oil with half a cup of vinegar or lemon juice, add to a plastic spray bottle, shake well, and spray onto a microfiber cloth. View our spring cleansing list beneath, or click right here to obtain our spring cleansing checklist. You’re going to want to transfer issues safely to make sure you don’t strain yourself. Ask a friend for assist, or slide furniture on cloths to forestall flooring scratching. Spring cleaning usually entails getting into all the crevices and crannies we normally skip throughout a regular clean. Luckily, plenty of these tasks in your home only must be accomplished a few times a yr. This could possibly be the perfect time to deal with those items. Are you trying to give your house a spring cleansing, but don’t know the place to start? Each time you sanitize your washing machine, use your vacuum to scrub across the dryer. You also can use the hand held extension tool to wash deeper within the lint trap crevice. If you may be like many other individuals, you may not clear your microwave after each use. They're probably the greatest residence cleansing products you might get. If you might have laminate counter tops, comply with these steps for a perfectly clear surface. Blankets, pillows, slipcovers, drapes and different textiles not solely trap household mud, but they create it as they shed and disintegrate. Curtains and drapes, specifically, get dusty because they absorb moisture and dirt from the skin and act as a landing pad for dust from ceiling fans and air vents.
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yoonpobs · 3 years
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bad boy good thing xiv.
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pairing: jeon jungkook x oc
genre: angst, smut, fluff, miscommunication (we hate her lol), pining
warnings: smut, jungkook is really an asshole, the angst hurts a lot tbh, unhealthy relationships (?)
words: 5, 690
summary: a series of drabbles where you're confused and jungkook's confusing
a/n:
hello!!!! we’re here at fourteen chapters omg ✨✨when i first started this series it was mostly self-indulgent and now there are people who actually enjoy reading it??🥺 it almost doesn’t seem real T.T 
thank you so much for the love and support!!! just so I don't give too much spoilers for this chap - I apologise to my fellow geminis for the potential slander 🤣 this is more of a self-drag lmaooo 
anyway, I hope you enjoy this chap!!!
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“Ah. I’m getting allergies.” Yena sniffs, scrunching her nose.
You furrow your brows in concern, “Are you okay? Do you need any medicine?”
“It’s just the seasonal changes,” She brushes you off.
You nod in understanding, “I get it. My mom has horrible reactions towards pollen so—”
“I’m not allergic to flowers.” She blinks.
“Then what—?”
“It’s Gemini season. It’s like—literally the worst time of the year.” She blinks.
You gawk at her, taking a whole ten seconds to process her serious tone when she doesn’t waver under your scrutiny.
“I’m a Gemini,” You inform her slowly.
“I mean …” She shrugs all as you scowl at her, opting to throw the closest object you had, which was your favourite pen so you decide against it; simply shooting her the meanest glare you could possibly muster.
“Look, it’s not you,” She sighs, and you’re half-expecting her to finish with an it’s me to make you scoff, “It’s me.” And there you go. “I mean, it’s Gemini’s in general because they’re two-faced bitches who have the worst emotional attachment issues. Like they’re literally what the opposite of glue is. And they’re so over-analytical. How is it like psychoanalysing every person you meet only to hurt your own feelings and sulk about it?”
You blink.
“I mean it’s not you but if the shoe fits.” She says casually, plopping a grape into her mouth that you’re tempted to slap away.
“You’re so mean!” You pout indignantly.
She cackles, throwing her head back as you continue to sulk. You weren’t that bad. You just … you were risk-averse! You liked having the freedom to observe everyone and anyone and package them into tiny compartments in your head so you could understand them better. You weren’t … that Gemini.
“You’re so cute,” She coos pinching your cheeks. “No wonder Beef One and Beef Two like you so much.” She teases.
Your first reaction is to blush because you know who exactly she’s talking about, but you have more pressing matters, like—
“You have nicknames for them?” You ask, baffled.
“Hey, I wasn’t friends with many girls in high school. Don’t girls usually have nicknames for their crushes?” She says through a pout.
You stay expressionless as you try to gauge the level of seriousness you can extract from her tone.
You realise she’s dead serious.
“Yeah, but we’re in college,” You argue, scrunching your nose, “And sides’, it’s not like they’re strangers. We know them.”
She rolls her eyes, waving you off like you were the inconvenience here. Then she leans forward, her eyes twinkling as she takes a complete one-eighty that you try to adjust to.
“So … you Gemini hoe, what’s your plans?” She nudges you.
You raise a brow, “Did you just call me a—?”
“Plans, ___. Stay on track.” She scolds.
You sigh, still fond but you pretend to be annoyed. You really couldn’t get annoyed with Yena. After all, the more time you spend with her the more you realise how much life sucked before you had her in your life. You spent each moment learning more about her quirks and habits, her choice of words that made you giggle or laugh until you were crying.
And you realise that this is how she loves, a little rough but welcomed nonetheless.
“If you’re talking about my birthday then … not much. I’m probably stuck doing admin work for the college’s charity programme.” You shrug, stabbing a fork into your soiled salad.
Yena gapes at you, “Not much—excuse me? It’s your birthday! You’re turning twenty-five!” 
You look at her dryly, “I’ve been twenty-five since the year—”
She groans, “That’s not the same! You’re like—officially twenty-five. You’re literally hitting the mark for a quarter-life crisis. Isn’t that something to celebrate?” 
“Me going through an existential crisis at the end of my degree is not how I want to celebrate my birthday but okay,” You blink.
She rolls her eyes at your realism.
“That’s not the point. Point is, this is our first birthday together and I want it to be special.” She points out.
You snort, “What? Are we doubling my birthday as our monthsary or something?”
She shoves you with a brute force that has you snickering but she continues to pester you anyway.
“You’re so dumb. So smart, but so dumb,” She shakes her head, “You’re always studying or doing some form of work that requires the use of more than one brain cell. You deserve a break. Besides, you have two dudes to pick from on how you’d like to be wined and dined and—”
“Yena!” You whine.
“—it’ll be like an episode of the Bachelorette! But just with a super cool and smart best friend that’ll make the decision for you. It’s not your birthday. It’s ours.” She emphasises towards the end.
You stare at her for a long second, before the two of you are bursting into laughter at the absurdity of her statement. 
It was nice, just to laugh about things without having your heart feel so heavy. Even if it was a mild distraction, it was still wholly pleasant to be able to just talk about mindless things that didn’t require much mental gymnastics to navigate the conversation with.
“What are the two of you laughing about?” Taehyung and Jimin arrive at impeccable timing, sliding into the booth with their own packaged food. It’s very college-student-esque, a cute paper (because no plastic) container filled with an array of assortments.
“None of your XY chromosomes business.” Yena retorts.
Jimin blinks, “You are literally so hostile.”
“Then don’t give me a reason to be.” She sticks her tongue out petulantly.
You laugh, nudging her with your shoulder, “Be nice.”
Taehyung rolls his eyes but manages to keep a civil smile on his face. Always the more rational one between the two. 
“Anyway, Yena definitely isn’t going to answer me so, what’s up?” He turns to look at you.
You roll your eyes but it’s half-hearted, “She wants to celebrate my birthday like we’re on the Bachelorette.”
“Like you’re on the Bachelorette.” She corrects.
“Oh my God, our baby’s turning twenty-five!” Jimin coos at the reminder, pinching your cheeks as he coddles you. You scowl and weakly shove him away, even if you preen under the attention.
“I’m literally older than the both of you.” You huff.
Yena blinks, “There’s no way I’m the oldest person at this table.”
Taehyung furrows his brows, “Wait—how old are you?”
She sends him a scathing glare that has his arms raised up in defence.
“Jeez, okay. Don’t answer.”
“I’m going to answer because you told me not to.” She clips. “I’m twenty-seven.”
Jimin blinks, “No wonder you and Yoongi hyung are so alike.”
You almost miss it, but as Yena so eloquently pointed out, you were a sucker for psychoanalysing people (even if you didn’t want to admit it yet) that you notice the way she flushes ever so slightly as she scoffs.
“Him? How dare you compare me to that sorry excuse of a—!”
“Okay, everyone is beneath you. I’m sorry your highness.” Jimin rolls his eyes.
You make a note to ask her about it because you know for a fact that Yoongi ‘complains’ about Yena every hour he can. It’s almost as if he can’t go long enough without mentioning her.
You smile to yourself as you duck your head.
“Exactly,” She flips her hair over her shoulders before turning to face you. “Anyway, back to you—our baby.”
Taehyung nods, “Exactly, the baby.”
You scrunch your nose, “Don’t coddle me.”
He pats your head before cooing at you like he would to an actual baby, “But you’re just so cute. You’re too good for this shitty world. Too good for the likes of mere mortals like us.”
“Not me.” Yena blinks before gesturing to their bodies, “You.”
Jimin sticks his tongue out in retaliation as you sigh at their never-ending bickering.
Somehow … it felt right. You think it most of the times but you don’t know any other way to describe how it feels to be back with your friends, laughing, bickering and just appreciating their presence.
When you and Jungkook had your issues, it was like you made the conscious choice to avoid everyone and anyone as much as you could, and any interaction you had during that period was purely out of coincidences and not the intention. You remember actively avoiding Jimin and Taehyung because it felt too draining to pretend like you didn’t have a battle in your head. Even studying or spending time with Namjoon made you feel guilty, the thought of Jungkook lingering in your mind. Yena was there through it all, but even then you saw her as much as you did with any of your classmates you so happened to share a class with.
In fact, if it weren’t for Yena you’d probably have zero social interactions as a whole because she just knew. She somehow picked up on your internal conflicts but never outwardly shamed you or confronted you about it. All she did was be there for you, offering you her presence and you were grateful.
So, yeah. Things were better, but your heart was still at its core—confused. Your feelings for Jungkook didn’t disappear overnight and you knew that you were the one that asked for space.
You forgave him … you did, honestly. But there are things you can’t forget, and those are the things that you wished you could. The words he said in principle, was outright shitty. But the fact that it came from him only poked at every single one of your insecurities that you developed over the years.
You knew it wasn’t healthy to compare yourself to other women when they were living vastly different lives than you were, but it’s proven difficult when you’re forced to see these type of women every day, at college, in your community work or on the media. 
Believing Jungkook’s apparent feelings for you was harder because, well. Jungkook was Jungkook. He wasn’t just another guy, and despite his shortcomings, he had more merits than he’d let on and you knew that people saw that. It was also the fact that Jungkook had a charm that drew all types of people in. He was soft-spoken but passionate, and people loved a quiet achiever.
You … knew about the women. Way before Jennie and way before the thing between the two of you happened. Jimin and Taehyung would always update you about the new fling or girl he had tied to his hip just as he was in his final year in high school. You had to force a smile every single time they’d snicker and joke about how your Jungkook suddenly became a man overnight.
And you noticed the trend with the women he liked. They were … captivating. Beautiful wasn’t even enough to describe them because they looked like they could carry the world on their shoulders and spark immense change with just the movement of their lips. They were confident and charismatic, outgoing and just the right amount of flirty. You were anything but.
It sucked, majorly, because you spent years agonising over the fact that you were already coined with the older sister title in the group because of the way you acted—just a little more uptight than the average woman your age. You were quiet but loud in the right company; you didn’t like crowds, socialising or mingling around with people you didn’t know and based on your observations it seemed like that was the only thing that Jungkook’s been doing ever since he made it to senior year in high school, and even in the first years of college.
You don’t resent him, you think. You couldn’t blame him because you weren’t honest either. You consented, to all of the kisses and touches even if he hadn’t officially had sex with you. You wanted to, but you were terrified. Not at the prospect of penetration but at the prospect of not being enough and the fact that Jungkook was the only person you wanted to have sex with while he had options that were far more attractive and experienced than you were.
That’s why you needed time because at least you could get your shit together even if it was an uphill battle.
“Earth to ____?” Taehyung waves a hand in front of your face with a concerned expression.
You blink, snapping out of your daze as you offer a meek smile and an apology.
“We just asked you if you wanted a small get together at Tae’s and I’s place for your birthday?” Jimin asks.
“Really?” You beam. That was exactly what you preferred.
“Yeah, we know you don’t like clubs and stuff. Just a small and intimate gathering with all your best buds.” He grins.
You nod your head, but Yena beats you to a response.
“By best buds you mean the three friends she has, which is us and the two meatheads duelling for her affection.” She snorts.
You flush, “Y-Yena!”
Taehyung snickers at your embarrassment.
“It doesn’t help that both of them are literally the biggest dudes on the football team. It’s literally like watching King Kong and Godzilla getting into a fight for world domination.”
Jimin throws his back in laughter as you fold your arms across your chest at post at the way your friends are practically crying in laughter at the image. Jimin was clutching onto Taehyung for his dear life because if he didn’t then he’d fall off the chair.
“Stop,” You whine, “you guys are being mean.”
“Oh my God, you’re literally the only person on this earth that would take two people fighting for your attention as an offence.” Taehyung groans.
“I-It’s not that!” You deny exasperatedly, “I-It’s just … awkward …”
Jimin sighs with a small smile, patting your head.
“If it’s any consolation I think it’s offensive that Jungkook thinks he even has the right to breathe in—”
“Jimin!”
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“Wow. It really is like King Kong and Godzilla.” Jimin whistles lowly, eyeing the scene before him with amusement lingering in his eyes.
“Do you think they’re gonna start slamming their chests soon or …?” Taehyung trails off in a whisper, leaning into Jimin so that the two other men wouldn’t notice.
“I can literally hear you.” You say dryly.
Jimin offers you a plastic smile, “You’re meant to hear us, babe. How about you try to tame them like Jane did with Tarzan?”
Jimin nearly shrieks when you shove him so fiercely that he topples over into Taehyung’s grasp as the second part of the duo only catches him in the process. 
You sigh, completely ignoring the way that Jimin’s muttering curses that were directed to you under his breath. Instead, you were transfixed on the scene before you—which specifically is Jungkook and Namjoon staring each other down through the mirror of the gym. You were lucky that it was just the five of you since Namjoon was able to use his captain privileges to book the gym because you had no idea how to explain the fact that two big-sized men were attempting to outdo each other in their circuit reps as if they were on a suicide mission.
“Listen, when I agreed to help you out with your sets I thought I was meant to help log it in for a report.” You exasperate, but the two men continue their manly lift-off as they huff and puff their exertion away.
“Trust me, you are helping. Being the motivation is more than—”
This time it’s Taehyung who faces your wrath as you thwack him upside the head. 
From where Jungkook and Namjoon were, Jungkook can only deliver death stares into the direction of his captain who returns it tenfold. He wasn’t even sure why they were doing this but something a flicked definitely switched in Jungkook when Namjoon (purposefully) revealed that you were helping out with something. At the gym. Supposedly alone.
Jungkook’s primitive side came out because the next thing Namjoon knew was that Jungkook managed to drag himself, and Jimin and Taehyung as a diversion. He still feels his chest swell with pride when recalling the scowl on Namjoon’s face when he entered the gym, all fake smiles and a pep in his step.
“____, could you help me spot?” Namjoon breathes, sitting up from whatever the hell he was doing with the barbell. You weren’t fixated with gym language and you weren’t even sure why he was asking you when there was an entire Jimin and Taehyung right next to you.
“Uh, okay sure—“
“Noona,” Jungkook calls.
You freeze.
“Jungkook … I thought we established that you don’t need to call me that anymore.” You raise an eyebrow.
You miss the obvious glare that Namjoon shoots his bitchass friend, as well as the snorts that leave Jimin and Taehyung’s mouth.
“Pay attention to me,” Jungkook pouts. Like, actually pouts. You somehow flush because he seemed so much like the younger version of Jungkook who used to always coddle you for attention.
“Okay but after I help—”
“Yeah. After she helps me.” Namjoon interjects, and you nearly jump at the way he’s suddenly behind you, more so—pressed against your back with his hands on your hips as he moves you aside to get to another piece of equipment.
Your breath hitches because while you weren’t exactly invested in Namjoon in the romantic sense, he was undeniably attractive and … big. You could salivate in private.
“Oh my God, do you see that?” Taehyung hisses in a hushed whisper.
“Hyung is petty,” Jimin gawks.
“This is Namjoon we’re talking about. Didn’t he steal all the umbrellas from your dorm because you ratted him out to the librarian when he broke a bookshelf?” Taehyung recalls.
Jimin pauses to retract his mind to that moment.
“He’s so petty and I’m living for it. Look at Kook’s face,” He snickers, nudging Taehyung with his shoulder.
Jungkook only can clench his jaw in return because he knew that you wouldn’t be a fan of him reaching out to strangle the shit out of Namjoon. But the older boy seems fine, if not pleased with how Jungkook’s fuming in his own spot.
“Let me just …” You cock a thumb to Namjoon, before releasing a breath of your own and going to help him with whatever he needed in the first place.
“Jimin can help him. I have a more pressing problem.” He complains.
You stop in your tracks before turning around, raising an eyebrow at Jungkook who finally sits up, still staring at you like you held all the solutions in the world.
“Literally wait for your turn,” Namjoon scowls.
“My arm hurts,” Jungkook says, raising his arm to show you. 
“I don’t … see anything?” You furrow your brows.
“Because my muscles hurt, Noona,” Jungkook emphasises with a flex of his bicep and you can feel yourself get hot in the way your eyes can’t stray away.
You’re momentarily distracted by the blatant display of muscle by Jungkook that you completely miss the way that Jimin and Taehyung are struggling to breathe because of how hard they’re stifling their laughter or the way that Namjoon is contemplating on throwing the nearest dumbbell into Jungkook’s direction.
You flush, “Okay, you know what? Wait here. Let me get the first aid kit.” You mumble, quickly scampering off to alleviate yourself from the situation.
The moment you leave the room, Namjoon takes two long strides until he reaches where Jungkook’s sat, before wrapping a hand around the arm that was supposedly hurt—and squeezes.
“Ow! What the fuck hyung?!” Jungkook shrieks.
“Don’t hyung me, you brat.” Namjoon seethes, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Jungkook gapes, while Jimin and Taehyung watch in amusement.
“Me?! What’s wrong with you?” Jungkook retorts, equally as agitated, “Oh, _____, help spot me! Woe is me! Like she wouldn’t get crushed under you, you meathead!” 
“Like you’re any better,” Namjoon snaps, “Oh, Noona, pay attention to me. My arm hurts. You might as well have asked her to change your fucking diapers at the rate you’re acting like a damn child.”
“You’re the one that started all of this!” Jungkook exasperates, “With all due respect hyung, I love you and you’re my captain but I really feel like smashing your head into the wall right now.”
“That’s it?” Namjoon scoffs, “Well I’ll do you one better and let you know that every time you breathe in my direction I feel like—”
“Oh my God will you two idiots shut the fuck up?” Taehyung interjects, snapping at the two boys who pause, staring up at him with wide eyes.
Even Jimin is surprised at Taehyung’s intervention, purely because he was the type that usually let shit slide or let other people put problematic individuals into place. He was the mediator, the diplomat—not usually the aggressor.
“Wha—”
“Another peep and I’m going to smother your body under the dumbbells and leave you here to rot and die.” Taehyung seethes, staring straight into Jungkook’s soul.
That shuts him up.
“Both of you are acting like goddamn children, and for what? To battle out your masculinity to see who gets ____’s attention first?” Taehyung exasperates.
Namjoon clears his throat, “We were just—”
“—acting like a bunch of barbarians who’s never seen civilisation?” Taehyung retorts dryly, “Yeah. Because that’s exactly what this looks like. The two of you are so petty and for what? You two are literally rubbing the last remaining brain cells you have with each other but nothing is coming out from it. Like—nothing. Do you think she’d give a shit which one of you can lift more reps? That means absolutely nothing! She’s already freaked the fuck out at the prospect of her childhood best friend being in love with her and now we have Big Tit Number One and Two battling it out like you’re in the Greek Olympics.”
Jungkook blinks, and Jimin is mildly impressed.
“So before she comes back and tends to Jungkook’s hurt muscle,” Taehyung sneers, eyes narrowing at a guilty-looking Jungkook, “Both of you better sort your shit out.”
Namjoon flushes, embarrassed at the prospect of being called out, all while Jungkook is avoiding eye contact at all costs.
“Oh my God, do you have a crush on each other or something? Apologise!” Taehyung gestures towards the two boys who awkwardly blink at each other, feeling much like reprimanded children.
It’s Namjoon who breaks the silence first, clearly the more mature one in the situation.
“Look … Jungkook,” He sighs, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to … drag it out like this. I don’t mean it maliciously and you’re my friend and teammate, so I’d really hate if a girl got in the way.”
Jungkook nibbles on his lips, eyebrows still scrunched; and the irrational part of him tells him to ignore the apology. But with the way that Taehyung is glaring him down, with Jimin’s expectant gaze, he knows that he doesn’t have much of a choice.
“I’m sorry … too,” he winces at his own voice, “But just to let you know … I really …” He shuts his eyes, feeling his chest tighten when he tries to force the words out, “She isn’t just … a girl to me, hyung. I really, really like her. And—I know you like her too but … I fucked up and I really want to make things right and seeing you—”
Jungkook is flushing while he rambles on, fully aware that the rest of his friends are listening intently to him speaking his heart. But a hand rests itself on his shoulder, and when Jungkook opens his eyes he sees Namjoon offering him a gentle smile.
“I know,” He says, “I know I said I wouldn’t back off …” He trails off and Jungkook recalls the conversation he had with him in the very same gym just a few weeks back, “But I don’t think I can compete with a decade long love story.” 
Jungkook scoffs, though his ears are flushed.
“It’s really not—”
Namjoon waves him off, clasping a tight hand onto his back that tells him it’s okay, and whatever that was going on would get better. And Jungkook feels marginally better and allows himself to let out a sigh of release.
“So are the two of you gonna kiss or what?” Jimin asks in the midst of the silence.
Namjoon glares at the boy, “Don’t make me give you an extra ten laps.”
He backs down immediately, raising his hands up in defence. And at that moment, you return, all smiles and with a pant as you raise the first aid kit up.
“Your arm?” You smile sweetly, and Jungkook can only offer a weak on in return.
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“Can I ask you something?” 
“Depends. Will I have to run from the government if I answer you honestly?” Yena ponders out loud.
You roll your eyes but shake your head anyway. The two of you were meant to be cooking dinner but you’ve surrendered yourself to Netflix and Yena’s witty live commentary on horrible films you were scrolling through an hour earlier. Though, your head wasn’t quite in it, to begin with; your thoughts drifting to other aspects, ones that you thought too hard for and didn’t necessarily know the answer to.
It was frustrating, the way that you wanted to have a solution for everything but overthought every single case that happens to pass by your mind. 
“No one’s hunting anyone down, your anarchist,” You say, “This is a little … personal.” 
You didn’t have any girl friends prior to Yena, and that was your first mistake. You weren’t the person that actively avoided having girl friends because you thought they were dramatic or overly emotional but purely because you never knew how to befriend women. It was weird—being a woman yet being muddled with your own sense of femininity that suppressed your ability to form meaningful friendships with your women peers.
Throughout most of your childhood and teenaged life, you only had Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook. While they were more than enough to keep your memories cheerful and filled with laughter, there were more personal things that you couldn’t quite approach them with. They had each other to confide in their ‘manly’ discussions, small talk that you’d often flush at—but you couldn’t ask them the same things you wanted to.
You knew, that on a fundamental level that your personal things were just … things. It wasn’t that deep, nor did it require a PhD in Gender Studies to fully understand the nuance of periods or apparent ‘girl’ problems; you just needed to listen. But you were timid, and you got embarrassed super easily—so that never boded well whenever you’d want to approach them with a question of your own.
But now, you had Yena—debatably the most open and understanding person you’ve met in your life; and you owed it to yourself, and her—to be honest, to live yourself vicariously in your girl best friends eyes—and ask:
“How do you have sex?”
Granted, there was definitely a smoother way of peeling off the bandaid, but you supposed if you were going to be discussing this one way or another, you’d go big or go home.
“I’m sorry,” She coughs, “What?”
You blink.
“Sorry, I guess I should’ve asked if you were a virgin first …” You mumble.
Yena stares at you with a stupefied expression as she gapes at you.
“Hey, repeat after me: candy, tree and cat.” She grabs you by your shoulders.
“I’m not cerebrally compromised, Yena,” you say dryly.
“Repeat,” She glares.
You huff, shoving her hand off your shoulder.
“Candy, tree and cat. There, happy?” You huff.
She eyes you weirdly as you sigh. 
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes!” You exasperate, “So like … how? Do you just? Penetrate?”
Yena blinks one more time, her eyes trailing to the ceiling as she asks for a higher being to give her strength before she returns her gaze onto your figure.
“Babe, that is literally the unsexiest way to approach sex.” 
“Penetration?” You furrow your brows.
She scrunches her brows, “No.” She gestures to you, “That.”
You scowl.
“I don’t know how to approach sex! That’s why I’m asking you. I literally don’t know who else to approach. If I went to Jimin or Taehyung I’m pretty sure they’d just stare at me and cry. Namjoon is out of the picture because he’d likely approach sex textbook style and I don’t need that level of detail right now. I definitely can’t ask Jungkook because he’s the guy I wanna have sex with. So yeah. I’m here because you’re a woman and the only person I can have a full conversation with without losing my will to live.”
Yena gawks at you, jaw slack as you finish your ramble; ears flushed.
“… you …” She begins, wracking her brain for the words that seem to fail her, “… okay. You know what, the fact that you’re here and putting your big girl pants on and asking me this is a feat in itself so I’m going to just ignore the fact that you said you wanted to have sex with Jungkook.”
You flush, “I was word vomiting—”
“Ah,” She holds her hands up, levelling you with a knowing glare, “If you want honest, you be honest too.”
You slump in your seat, sighing as you nod your head defeatedly.
“Firstly, I’m not a virgin. I could never be a virgin.” Yena declares, “Granted, I’ve slept with three people and two of them were women. But the idiot I lost my virginity to was, unfortunately, of XY chromosomes so … I guess I can answer your questions.”
“I mean … I know how sex works but … approaching it …” You mutter.
“And sex isn’t this groundbreaking act that requires Einstein’s IQ to partake in. It’s both intimate and not, and that’s definitely a personal preference. You can know the semantics of how people have sex, for hets in this case, which is just the classic ol’ penetration method where the penis enters the—”
“Your point?” You exasperate.
“—okay, I got a little carried away. But really, sex isn’t … difficult. It’s scary, I’ll give you that. But you don’t go into your first time thinking you’ll be great at it. Hell, you won’t even like sex that much your first few times unless your partner is a sex demon or something.”
“I mean when Jungkook …” You shudder, “When he … I … you know, did things … it felt …” You fiddle with your fingers. Your ears were undoubtedly on fire, and you were so embarrassed saying these things out loud because it was just so awkward!
“Good? You know I’m not going to judge you for it,” she says pointedly, “That’s what friends are for, right?”
You flush, covering your face with your hands in embarrassment. You knew that Yena would never judge you for something as trivial and as unimportant as your sexual endeavours, but this was still a road you’ve yet to properly navigate yourself.
“I … came,” you wince at your breathy voice, “It felt good. And … he’s experienced, you know? I just don’t want to …”
Yena looks at you inquisitively.
“You don’t want to …?”
You sigh deeply, considering your next words with a soft murmur, “I don’t want to not live up to his expectations, you know?”
She frowns at you, “Jungkook’s made some mistakes but you said it yourself. He’s in love with you,” she says softly, “There’s no pressure to have sex with him just because it’s out in the open now, you know?”
You nibble on your lips.
“It’s … more than just that,” you tell her, “I told him I needed time, and really, I do. But it isn’t because I’m confused. I mean, kind of—but really it’s because I don’t want to walk into something and disappoint him … I’m just … scared.”
Yena holds your hand in hers while offering you a gentle smile.
“It’s valid that you’re scared. But there really isn’t anything that can come out of being scared right now. The two of you worked through an obstacle, and here you are creating another one that doesn’t quite exist yet. Trust me, when the time feels right, it does. And you’ll feel ready. Will you still be scared? Maybe. But it’ll feel like it’s meant to fit within your timeline.”
You nibble on your lips, “Is it bad that I’m overthinking this?” You wince.
Yena shrugs her shoulders, “Like everything else in your life?” She teases.
You whine, shoving at her shoulder playfully where all Yena does is snicker in response. You weren’t quite sure what you were expecting out of the conversation, even if it was vaguely about the ins and outs of sexual exploration. And she was right, you’ll always be afraid of something, whether it’ll benefit you or harm you because that’s what change does. It shifts your comfort zone into a space that may be unfamiliar but necessary.
You lean into Yena’s shoulder, and a wave of overwhelming emotion washes upon you when you look at her. You really didn’t know how you survived a time without Yena in your life. And as if she’s noticed your glassy gaze, she raises an eyebrow at you.
“What are you looking at?”
You grin at her, all teeth and gums on display as you hug onto her arm like a koala.
“I’m just really happy you’re in my life.” You sigh wistfully.
She pauses for one whole second before she snorts.
“Wow, talk about sex once and suddenly you’re in love with me?” She wiggles her eyebrows at you, “Tell Jeon and Kim that you’re mine now.”
You giggle, rolling your eyes.
“They’re not even competing in the same league as you are,” you assure her.
She smiles.
“So … does that mean I don’t need to get you a birthday gift?”
That earns a thwack on her shoulder.
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ellesliterarycorner · 3 years
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Writing Romantic Subplots
Rounding off our unexpected week of romance related tips are some tips about writing romantic subplots. Romantic subplots might not be everyone’s favorite subplot, but it most certainly is one of the most common ones. It also happens to be one of my personal favorite subplots to write about, other than political intrigue of course. In my opinion, if you do include a romantic subplot in your story, it can either make or break your book. Everyone loves reading about a good couple they can root for, Peeta/Katniss or Kaz/Inej but on the flip side an annoying romantic subplot, all of the Throne of Glass and ACOTAR series, (had to bring it up guys) can ruin what would normally be a good/okay book series. So, here are Elle’s Do’s and Don'ts for writing romantic subplots.
Don't Add Unnecessary Romance: Not every story needs romance, and there are lots of books that I absolutely adore that have minimal or no romantic content. Don't feel forced to add anything romantic into your book. I love reading about found family more than I love reading enemies to lovers. No romance is better than bad romance! There are so many more interesting dynamics to explore that aren’t romantic. 
Do Include Proper Character Development: When in doubt, character development is always the answer kids. It fixes almost anything in your story, especially when it comes to romantic subplots. Let the characters get to know each other and develop as individuals while they are developing as a couple. 
Don't Make the Main Plot Rely on the Romance: A good rule of thumb is if you take away the romantic subplot, does the plot still mostly work? The plot shouldn't completely function because romance often plays an important role in the plot, but the plot shouldn't fall apart if you take out a single romantic relationship. 
Do Keep It A Subplot: Kind of restating the above, but this is another one of my gripes with ACOTAR, by ACOWAR, the actual plot of the books doesn’t matter because it isn’t fleshed out at all. The romantic subplot has dominated the whole book which is fine if your point is to write a romance novel, but if you are writing a fantasy novel with a romantic subplot, everything should not revolve around the romance. 
Don't Glamorize Abuse or Toxic Relationships: This is self-explanatory guys. Like just don't do it. Don't. Please. Don't do it. I have been in an toxic relationship, and it is not something you want to romanticize or glamorize. That narrative is extremely harmful to abuse survivors and to young impressionable people.  
Do Include Healthy Conflict: I included this tip right after don’t glamorize abuse or toxic relationships because I think a lot of authors are afraid of letting their couples’ fight because they think that means the characters have toxic relationship. Couples should not agree on everything. That is toxic and unhealthy. Having disagreements about things is totally normal in relationships. Adding healthy conflict between your characters will make their relationship more realistic!
Don't Bombard the Reader with Romance: Unless you're writing a romance, the romantic relationship shouldn't be the only thing your OC is involved in. They can and probably should think about their prospective partner a lot, but every other shouldn't be romantic interactions. The actual plot of the book still has to happen.
Do Include Both Characters in the Plot: Having a character whose only designation in the story is Love Interest is boring in my personal opinion. All the characters should be somehow involved in the plot. Like I just said, the characters shouldn’t just be involved in the romance of the story. Give them something else to do, especially if they are a woman, something important and meaningful to the story!
Don't Forget About Your Subplot: This may seem stupid, but I honestly have forgotten about a romantic subplot and completely left it out of the middle of one of my WIPs. I feel like this is kinda common though. We get so wrapped up in the actual plot and world-building, especially if the romantic subplot is minor, and we just kind of forget about it. Don't do that kids.  
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bonnyskies · 3 years
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come back to me [fourteen] ⇢ jjk
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you’re willing to do anything to save your marriage, even if that meant you’d have to sacrifice your own happiness to do so.
pairing — husband!jungkook x malereader, ft. ceo!jaehyun
genre — angst, sexual themes, idol au, exes to lovers-ish au, open relationship au, marriage au, parents au
series warnings — infidelity (kinda?), swearing, bisexual!jungkook, jealous!jungkook, insecure!reader, unhealthy relationship, unrequited love-ish, slow burn, use of alcohol, mentions of divorce problems, (more could be added in future chapters)
word count — 2.1k
author’s note — this chapter is considered more as a filler than any other, introducing you to the main focus and getting you ready for the next one.
masterlist
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Once again, Jungkook couldn’t sleep last night.
Throughout the night, until the sun rose up Jungkook found himself tossing and turning in his bed, slipping in and out consciousness.
Jungkook didn’t realize how long he spent trying to fall asleep until the blinding sight of the sun shining through his bedroom’s curtains came into his view. And when turning his head to glance at the clock resting on his nightstand, he then noticed that it was a quarter to eight already.
He must’ve only gotten only four hours of sleep—at least.
Jungkook sat up from his bed and stretched, groaning at the feeling of his strained muscles relaxing. He couldn’t help but wonder if you were already awake, expecting to hear the sound of you or Minho’s footsteps coming from the hallway. And yet, he heard nothing.
Standing up from his bed, Jungkook didn’t bother putting on a shirt before coming out his room, leaving him only in a pair of grey sweats.
Jungkook tiptoed and entered your room, eyes immediately falling upon your sleeping figure. His gaze then moved onto Minho, who was laying beside you, already awake and silently playing on your phone.
“Hey there, buddy.” Jungkook whispered quietly, and before his son had the chance to say anything back he raised his index finger up to his lips, hinting for him to be quiet. “Do you wanna to help appa make breakfast?”
Minho instantly nodded his head excitingly, turning off your phone and holding his arms out for Jungkook—which he gladly accepted, lifting his son up into arms and quietly tiptoeing out of your room. “What do you want for breakfast?” Jungkook asks the moment them two were out of your room.
“Can we have pancakes?”
“Pancakes again?” Jungkook questions, eyes squinting with uncertainty and a small pout shown on his lips. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else?”
Minho nodded again, more eagerly this time. “Yes please, appa.”
“Oh, alright.” Jungkook agreed, pinching his son’s chubby cheeks and grinning at him. “We’ll have pancakes again for breakfast since you want them so bad...”
“Thank you, appa!”
“You know I can’t ever say no to you, bubs.” Jungkook stated, carrying him into the kitchen and placing him onto the counter beside the stove but still kept a safe distance away from the burning appliance.
Jungkook started preparing breakfast instantly, the ingredients gathered by his side with Minho on his other side. While watching his father cook, Minho swung his legs idly back and forth with a wide, toothy grin on his face. “Appa, can you make the edges crunchy? I like it that way.”
“Anything for you, bubs.” Jungkook leaned over and pecked his son’s small nose, earning a small giggle from him. “When did you start eating them that way? You’ve always liked how I made before them, soft and squishy.”
“Appa started making them that way after you left.”
Jungkook’s heart instsntly clenched at his words, not knowing that Minho meant by him leaving for tour—not because of your guys’ relationship ending. “W-Well, that’s good then. But nobody can beat my pancakes though, right bubs?” His voice changing from a stuttering mess to a teasing tone in an instant.
“Don’t make me pick, appa.” Minho pouted.
Jungkook chuckled, shaking his head playfully and returning his focus back on the stove.
Not even ten minutes later, Minho spoke up. But this time was different. His voice was no longer playful and gentle, but more serious and sounded even hesitant. “Appa, can I ask you something?”
Jungkook hummed in reply, eyes never leaving the stove.
“Do you still love appa?”
“Of course,” Jungkook answered in an instant, eyes nearly bulging at his son’s question. “Why would you ask me that?”
The frown on Minho’s face only grew in size. “Why aren’t you two together then? Because appa also still loves you—very much.”
Jungkook sighed, lowering his head. For his age, Minho is quite intelligent, so Jungkook knew that this conversation would happen sooner or later. He just preferred the latter. “It’s...It’s just complicated right now, bubs.”
“But you and appa love each other, so why wouldn’t you be together?”
“It’s not that easy, buddy.” Jungkook replied, flipping one of the pancakes and releasing an ashamed sigh. “Let’s just say that appa made a really big mistake and it’s hard to just forgive and forget.”
“What did you do, appa?” Minho tilts his head curiously.
Again, Minho is considered smart for his age. He’s aware that Jungkook is the reason for your sudden change in behavior.
Jungkook just stared at the cooking batter. How do you tell your own son it’s your fault for everything that has been going wrong? “Just...something bad—but don’t worry,” Jungkook quickly added, noticing his son’s frown grow even more. “I’m trying to fix it.”
“How?” Minho continued to question.
“Doing everything in my power to earn your appa’s trust back and make him happy again.” Jungkook answered, briefly glancing at his son while moving one of the finished pancakes onto an empty plate. “Do you think that’s possible?”
Minho nodded instantly, “Appa loves you a lot, so yes, appa, you can do it. It should be easy.”
Jungkook chuckled, “I hope you’re right, bubs.”
“Now,” he then clapped his hands, replacing the small frown on his lips with a smile, trying to lighten his son’s downed mood. “Why don’t we finish making these pancakes, and then we can give these to appa while he’s in bed? I’m sure he’ll love breakfast in bed.”
The frown on Minho’s face instantly dropped and was replaced with a grin, nodding his head.
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“Good morning, appa!”
You were barely awake, eyes squinting, when Minho came suddenly barging into your room with a wide smile on his lips. You were about to ask him what he wanted for breakfast but soon found yourself speechless when Jungkook also then stepped inside your room, trailing behind him with a tray in his hands, containing a plate full of pancakes and a cup of orange juice.
“W-What is this?” You mumbled out, glancing towards Jungkook who had small hints of blush on his cheeks.
“Me and appa made breakfast for you,” Minho answered for Jungkook.
“Thank you,” straightening yourself on the bed, you said while Jungkook placed the tray of food on your lap.
Watching you take your first bite of your food, Minho then said, “And it was appa’s idea to give your breakfast in bed.”
Glancing back up, you could see Jungkook’s cheeks become even more red. “T-Thank you,” you repeated again, taking another bite.
Jungkook hummed in reply, swallowing the anxious lump in the back of his throat.
“What about you two?” You asked, sharing a glance between Minho and Jungkook who both took a seat at the edge of your bed. “Have you two eaten yet?”
Jungkook nodded, “Yes, we ate.”
“Then why didn’t you two wake me up?”
“Appa said that you deserve some extra sleep.” Minho stated, turning to his father to see him confirm his words with nod.
You didn’t say anything, only continued to eat. And for the rest of the morning, Jungkook and Minho watched as you finished your breakfast in complete silence.
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After finishing your breakfast, you were now in the kitchen cleaning the mess, which included washing the dishes—both yours and theirs, and cleaning up and putting away the ingredients.
Jungkook tried to argue, saying that you didn’t have to but you ignored his protests, telling him that it was the least you could do for him making the delicious breakfast for you.
As you washed the dishes, Jungkook stood behind you leaning against the counter while eating some cashews. “So, I was thinking we could go to the zoo today. You know, me, you and Minho can have a family day together.”
You froze.
“What do you think?” He then asks quietly, noticing your surprised state.
Your mouth opened but no words came out. There was a part of you that was screaming yes, let’s go out and have a family day. But there was also another part that was telling you that this was a bad idea and that you were only going to just hurt yourself again.
Yesterday was probably the best day you’ve had in a long time, despite it not starting it that way. The way you and Jungkook spoke to each other so smoothly, conversations filled with cheerful laughter and smiles.
But of course, your mind had to remind you that everything that happened last night was just for appearance. Seeing her name flashing on his phone’s screen reminded you that you two weren’t married anymore—let alone together, in the midst of finalizing a divorce and also, he’s in a relationship with someone else. The only reason you two were even on that date was just for your guys’ image.
Going out today, as a family would only cause more pain and mock you about how much you wanted a happy, healthy family that didn’t end up happening in the end. And as for Minho, it would only give him false hope that there’s a tiny chance that his two parents would get back together again—which is not the case.
Having a family day together is just a bad idea.
“I-I don’t know if that’s a good idea Jungkook,” you pointed out, heart aching at the frown that formed on his lips. “Going to the zoo together would just—”
“We’re going to the zoo?”
Both your heads whipped to where Minho stood in front of you two, eyes wide and mouth gaped open with excitement clear on his face.
“O-Oh,” you briefly glanced at Jungkook who shared the same unsure expression as you. “I’m not sure yet, pumpkin. Maybe we can—”
“No, please can we go, please appa!” Minho whined, running over and clinging onto your legs while flashing you his puppy dog eyes—and he knew you couldn’t resist. You attempted to turn away, but was only greeted by Jungkook who had the same expression, his wide doe eyes staring back at you with his lips pouting.
You couldn’t help but release your own whine, hopping on the heels of your feet while Minho continued to beg. “Okay, fine.” You gave in, sighing and rolling your eyes. “We can go.”
At your answer, both Minho and Jungkook cheered and high-dived each other, smiles on their faces. “Alright, bubs. Why don’t we let appa finish cleaning while we get changed, okay?”
Minho nodded, arms wide open for Jungkook to lift him up and carry him to the bedroom.
You watched them until they were out of sight, and once you were alone you let out a long, much needed sigh.
Spending the entire day with your ex-husband? Oh, how great this will be.
At least Minho will be there to ease everything, you thought.
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Cleaning up the rest of the mess and changing didn’t take as long as you thought it would.
With you and Jungkook already changed, he was still in the bedroom helping Minho get ready while you were waiting in the living room, practically shaking with anxiety.
Today is going to be different from yesterday. While you and Jungkook only spent a few hours together last night, today you’ll be with each other for the entire day. And even though Minho will be there accompanying you two this time, you can’t picture your son will be much help easing the awkward tension.
Suddenly, the sound of a phone ringing hit your ears. You instantly recognized the familiar tune of a baby crying, which led you to know the owner of the phone—Jungkook.
You stood up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen where his phone was resting on the counter. You knew you shouldn’t be nosy, but you couldn’t help but be curious and glance over to see who was calling him.
Your heart sunk when seeing who it was.
incoming call: yeonha
But that pained feeling was instantly replaced with confusion and curiosity.
Why wasn’t her name babygirl anymore?
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don’t worry, you’ll learn what jungkook’s conversion with yeonha was about in the next chapter :)
TAGLIST:
@xworldwidecutieguyx​, @yoongis-soulmate​, @jikookvfans​, @heartfeltscribblings​, @blazedprince​, @btsfaris​, @sonderkook​, @angel-moni​, @http-je0n​, @magic-fox-555​, @moonfairyjoon​, @taozibun1​, @ephemeralkookie​, @thesquiglybumblebee​, @httpjazel​, @justqueerandhereforthetea​, @dreamer95​, @singabon-roll​, @its-your-dreamworld​, @fancykoos​, @galaxyeyedjungkook​, @nlnkm​, @you-need-namjesus​, @teuteusstuff​, @moon-asia​, @julia-pacheco-blog​, @0minabean0​, @pjmislovely​, @polly-wifu​, @jinsonaz​, @unsolvetheheckoutofit​
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nohoney · 3 years
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Hi hi! I love your Us series so much! It’s been a while since I came across it and I remembered how much I love it! 💕
2 questions I wanna ask about something’s I’m wondering about and your take on them.
Do you think there will come a time where MC comes to their senses and decides to leave? It doesn’t seem realistic for the series because they are so rooted there, I think it would be extremely hard to leave. They don’t treat them bad but they’re also not healthy for them.
What would happen or more like what would Keigo and Touya do if MC ever decides to leave?
Anyway, thank you for updating and taking the time to write. I really appreciate it 💕
Aw I’m glad you love it, it always gets me all flustered when the us series get appreciation 😖
So to answer...
1. the reader definitely has the sense in her that what she’s in is not exactly something completely ‘healthy’ and she knows when she’s in a particular situation it’s because of touya but then Keigo kinda swoops in to cover everything up until everything feels like it’s calmed down. as much as Touya is the source of her love & devotion, he is definitely the main stressor sometimes when she worries more about his reaction to things rather than her own well-being. And touya knows that he can only do so much to make her stay so having Keigo around offsets the chances of her leaving since he’s more sensitive & gentle with the reader. I think the chances of the reader leaving are very very low...
2. But on the off chance she reaches that small fraction where she does try to put her foot down to leave... i think we all know there’d probably be no way for the boys to accept the reader leaving. She hopes it could go down a peaceful way. So maybe... an honest face to face break up?
Scenario below the cut!
Warning: drug use/drugging, unhealthy relationship, codependence, manipulation, slight dubcon
You just have to be uncomfortable just for a moment while Keigo goes to fetch drinks from the kitchen. Touya keeps a straight face while you speak across from at the dining table, trying to reassure him that you don’t want to part on bad terms and that you just need to do what’s best for yourself, you’re talking about wanting to find your independence again and needing to figure things out on your own and all that stupid crap. Words of conviction that neither of them are going to accept from you, that you don’t know what you’re talking about and you need them.
They could tell immediately when you had started to try to pull away, could see that glazed off look in your eye as your mind wanders. Your smiles more reluctant, your affection waning, that sad look you had looking off into the distance, they thought it was depression at first. Keigo counts himself fortunate to have found you sitting with a friend a week ago on the patio dining of a restaurant, hiding himself just in time before you or your companion could see him. He had leaned in a little closer and his heart broke upon hearing you tell your friend, “I think I need to get away from them... Dabi and Keigo.”
Oh how Touya threw a fit when Keigo reported back to him, having the good sense to take him to an abandoned lot to tell him what he heard. Touya yelled, saying that he’s giving you everything he could give and you have the audacity, the motherfuckin’ audacity to think you could leave. His sanity is all on you and you leaving would make him lose his fucking mind. But Keigo was calm, he hushed Touya who damn near breaks down and is about to punch through the window of his car and tells him that he’s got it figured out.
“She’s ours, she just needs to be reminded.”
Your tolerance had gotten better with what you’re willing to take but that doesn’t mean that being careful is thrown out the window.
You’re banned from mixing ever since that first party where you locked yourself in a room with half a gram of coke and an ecstasy tablet, but Keigo is careful with you because he cares about you, he loves you. Just a sprinkle, like a pinch of salt, added to your drink and Keigo gives you a little extra pour of sweet syrup in your drink.
Ketamine which makes you trip and MDMA which makes you roll, and a trip plus a roll makes a flip. Your first flip ever was molly and coke and you don’t even know that you’re about to get your second; you’re about to have your first kitty flip.
Touya could have been mean and just gave you rohypnol but as angry as he was at you for wanting to break up, he still wanted you to feel good.
You finish half the drink when your eyes get the tranced over look and your voice drifts off, Touya reaching for your cup so that you don’t drink anymore. He drinks from his own cup, just the virgin version of what Keigo served you and he asks, “What were you talking about doll?”
“I uh... I don’t know what I...” you sway a little in your seat and you try to recall what was the subject you were speaking of a few minutes ago. “Touya... I don’t...”
They wait patiently as you struggle for your words.
And Keigo knows exactly what to do, gently cupping your cheek to direct you to look at him. You’re a helpless little doe at this moment and out there are the wolves wanting to feast on you, but not them, not Keigo or Touya... they’re not your predators.
They’re your protector.
“Pretty dove, do you love us?” Keigo asks you, watching carefully how you try to process his question.
“C-Course I do... never said tha’ I stopped, I just’ want...” you slur out as you reach one hand out to touch his cheek, trying to make sure he’s real. He wonders what you’re seeing right now and how he looks in your eyes. “Can I lie down?”
You collapse in Keigo’s arms, whining about some dress you should have bought at a boutique you visited not too long ago and then you stare at your own hands when Keigo lays you down on the floor, though you don’t bother to describe what exactly you’re seeing as you stare into your palms.
And Touya kisses you tenderly, just barely skims the tips of his fingers over your arm and you purr in pleasure. Unlike your first hallucinogenic trip which left you in an extremely anxious state, you seem to be perfectly balanced this time. Keigo is grateful that he mixed the right amount and you consumed not too much and not too little. You crawl to different areas of the room, muttering to yourself and can barely keep a conversation with either of the boys while they keep watch. But it’s not necessary for any conversation to be had, there’s no need for any talking because there’s nothing to talk about.
You ask for kisses, you ask to be touched, you ask if you’re loved, all requests that they’re willing to fulfill but on one condition: “You gonna stay with us (Name)?”
“Y-yeah, wanna stay with... be with ya, just c’mere... ‘M lonely.”
“Oh now you’re lonely? What happened to all that independent talk?”
“I don’t... Not s-sure, jus’ come here now.”
Needy little moans fall from your lips as they touch you, kisses to your neck and further down, despite your glazed eyes your fingers reach for one of the boys’ belts but they stop you. “You’re not getting fucked baby.”
“I want it!” You whine, almost ready to throw a tantrum but all it takes is just a hand in your hair, grabbing at the roots and slowly it clenches into a fist and tugs at the roots. A pleasant pull that makes your eyes roll to the back of your head and your back arches. Just a little hair pull and you’re so compliant. Your reaction is tempting but they know better than to fuck you when you won’t remember it the next day.
They would never.
All they want is for you to stay right where you are.
And you wake the next day in between Touya and Keigo, recognizing the symptoms of a come down but with no memory of the day before and you know that your memory loss has something to do with them. “What happened?”
Your body is exhausted, your brain is fried, you remember sitting down with the boys yesterday and talking about breaking up and then... nothing.
When you try to get out the bed, Touya’s hand reaches out to grab your arm and you’re pulled back down on the bed. He’s awake and making you lie back with them, his hand gentle as the pad of his thumb strokes your cheek so lovingly. Keigo nuzzles right next to you, a soft mumble of, “Stay baby bird...”
“You guys... what did you give-” you start to speak but Touya cuts you off.
“If it were anyone else, you probably would have woken up behind a dumpster ya know.”
Be grateful to us, we treat you better than anyone ever could.
You should be angry at them, furious that they’d violate your trust and lace your drink or food with whatever they gave you, that they gave you the ultimate reason to leave because if you love someone you don’t fucking drug them. And yet you know that whatever they gave you yesterday is a warning, probably the kindest warning you’ll ever get from them.
“Still love us?”
You play it over in your mind, that any other person probably would have taken advantage of your vulnerability but not them. Not Touya and Keigo who love you most ardently and have always looked out for you no matter what. There’s no talks of breaking up, there will be no talks of breaking up, they know you’re smart enough to understand the meaning behind their actions.
So you accept the cage they’ve put you in.
“Yeah... I love you.”
“We love you too.”
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