#some mono rant too

[queers-gambit]

Campus Breakdown

prompt: ( requested ) after a hard day, at least you can come home to him.

pairing: Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto x female!reader

fandom masterlist: FX's The Bear

word count: 1.6k+

warnings: reader's a graduate student, cursing, small angst but mostly small hurt bigger comfort.

The door slammed shut in a forceful rattle, making Carmy perk up from his place on the couch. "Baby?" He called, setting aside the magazine you left behind.

"Carmy?" You sounded confused, exiting the foyer to round into the living room. "Hey, what're you doing home so early?"

"Uh, pipe burst at work, left Fak t'deal with it," he sniffled, muting the television. "What's up with you? Or do you always slam doors happily around here?"

You sighed, "Sorry, I just - it's been a day and a half, you know?"

He pouted dramatically, offering, "Wanna tell me 'bout it?"

"It won't fix what happened."

"No, but it might help get it off your chest, filter a little emotion."

You nodded absently, "I think I might want a glass of wine first - maybe two."

He felt a surge of empathy in his chest, knowing that distant look in your eyes and the way your entire demeanor seemed absent, distracted, exhausted. Work often kicked his ass, too, so there was an understanding after so many nights you had let him rant and rave about whatever went wrong - it was only right to return the favor.

Carmy readjusted the pillows and coffee table, leaning over to light the scented candle you kept there; grabbing a blanket to prepare for you. When you entered the living room, you had stripped out of your pants and was pouring a glass of wine, leaving the bottle on the cleaned-up coffee table; sighing when you dropped onto the couch.

"All right, pretty girl," Carmy chuckled, pulling your feet into his lap. You readjusted with a small grumble as Carmy then tossed the blanket over you, but left your feet out for him to massage. "Tell me what happened today."

You held up a single finger, downing more than half your glass of wine. Carm's brows perked up, blinking in shock before nodding slowly when you swallowed. "Today. Fucking. Sucked," you told him.

"I can see that, and feel it - your feet are knotted," he noted, working his thumbs into the meat. "Did you sit down at all today?"

"Well, no, 'cause I had to work alone today," you groaned. "Lisa has mono, Brittany had to make up some exam, Benjamin apparently had a meeting with the bursar's office, and Stacy literally stood outside, fighting with her boyfriend - like what!?"

Carmy offered you a stale look in reaction to your story, "She get docked?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I kinda had to; she didn't bus a single table, she didn't talk to a single customer, like, the only other person working with me today was Carl and he was in the kitchen the whole time."

"Doesn't sound exactly fair..."

"It's a shitty campus diner, Carmy, 'fair' isn't exactly in their vocabulary, but the tips are semi decent 'cause we have that 'drunk rush special'. Oh! Wait! That's not all," you hummed, taking another gulp. "'Cause why would anything go right on a day I worked the entire floor alone? Right?"

"What else?" He asked, turning in his seat so he could face you directly; still massaging your feet, but leaning his cheek on your bent knee to remain close.

"The fucking register went down."

"You mean the only one in the whole place?"

"Yep, of course! 'Cause why the fuck wouldn't anything go right?" You scoffed. "And it's not like any of this was, like, hidden, you know? It was very obvious I was working alone, the register was fucked, but do you think that made anyone empathetic towards the situation? No, of course not, they wanted to just pay their bills and leave. Which I fucking get! But like, what!?"

"What'd you do?"

"Took cash only," you shrugged. "ATM was still up and running, so it was on them," you wiped you eyes, sighing deeply. "Still bitched the whole time though, complained to whoever listened. End of the night, that new manager even docked my tips, you believe that?"

"Hold up - for what?" Carm snapped.

"Customers were that pissed, Carmy, so a few of them dined-and-dashed, someone had to pay," you whined, head tilted back. "Like I did any of this on purpose? Like I went and unplugged shit myself? Like I wanted to make my life significantly harder? Do people even fucking think by themselves now? Where's the empathy?"

"Nah, they definitely lack in that department," he chuckled. "Know what I'm gonna say, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, Carmy, no," you groaned, "I'm not working at The Beef."

"It's ten times better than where you work, baby," he pouted. "And I could use someone with experience like yours with the customers. Richie's not always the best 'face of the store', you know?"

"No, Carmy," you refused sternly.

"C'mon, why not?"

"You as my boss? And boyfriend? Fuck no!"

"I'm literally so nice!"

"Yeah, that's exactly what Sydney says," you laughed, nudging his stomach with your foot. "Baby, no. Listen, I appreciate it, I really do, but I get ten times the tips at that shitty diner than I would at The Beef, and it's right on campus so I lose literally no time."

He sighed, "You're only, what? A year out from your Masters?"

"Just about," you grumbled with a pout.

Carmy chuckled, "C'mon, baby, don't torture yourself. Get a new job."

"I'm not, I'm just - " You cut yourself off with a sigh, hating that advice (as if it were just so simple), shaking your head and finishing your wine. "I'm just dealing with my current circumstances, I'm sorry I came home in a bad mood - "

"No, hey, wait," Carmy sat up, reaching for your cheek to hold, "I didn't mean to make you feel as if I was shutting you down. Baby, I always want you t'talk to me, okay? I just mean, there's something better out there, and you deserve better than that place. I hate seeing you so stressed out," he pouted dramatically, making you snicker lightly.

"You're one to talk," you reminded softly, sitting up so you could nestle under his arm. "You're stressed out, like, more than 90% of the time."

"Hey now, we're talkin' about your day, not mine," he deflected with a small chuckle. "What if I asked around a bit? You know, a different server job? I can check out places close to campus, but you'd get much better tips and better customers at a nicer place."

You groaned, "Now that sounds nice." He chuckled with you now. "I mean, it's bad enough I have to deal with those creepy frat boys in class, but in the diner, I have to play nice 'cause they tip with daddy's money well if I don't shut them up. It'd be nice working somewhere they couldn't even afford t'walk into."

"See? I'm good for something."

"You're good for everything, Carm, shut up," you laughed, leaning up to kiss his jawline. "I'm just tired of this whole 'pay your dues' bullshit. You know? I get having to suffer a little to build a better character, but for fuck's sake."

Carmy pouted, "Sounds like a second glass of wine kinda rant?"

You pouted back at him, nodding, both mockingly making little noises as he lifted from his sitting position to snag the bottle of wine. You smiled as he poured, watching his face, loving the effect he had on you; feeling calm and serene, and it wasn't the alcohol. When the bottle was set aside again, he tugged your legs over his lap and laid one of his arms around your shoulders; keeping you snuggled close and under the blanket.

"What else happened?" He asked softly, kissing your temple.

"I don't want to sound like I'm just bitching."

"How else do you expect to blow off steam? Huh?" He countered. "You're not bothering me, I want to hear this, baby - all of it. So, lemme recount, yeah? Okay, so, you worked alone your whole shift with only the frycook in the back, the cash register went down, and that made a buncha customers all pissed off. Enough that a few dipped off and you had to cover their bills. But the ATM was good, so they could still pay cash, but they were still being dickheads, yeah?"

"Mhm," you hummed, halting yourself.

"Nuh-uh, c'mon, what else?"

Tears sprung to your eyes as your head lulled onto his shoulder. "It was just a really shitty day, Carm," you whispered, giving a small sniffle. "Guys are grimy and gross, they garnished my wages 'cause of those dashers - I told you. It was a fucking shit show! Oh, and a few bulbs blew all within 10 minutes of each other - like fully snap, crackle, and pop, blew out. So, I had to call the electrician, he took over 2 hours to get there, so, part of the back dining room was darker and this group of guys all decided to sit back there - it was so fucking creepy!"

Carmen frowned, listening to you rant and rave about how overworked and under appreciated you were. He held you tight, raking a hand through your hair, tracing invisible patterns on your upper arm; keeping you close as the wine slowly sunk into your blood. You grew less lucid by the passing hour, mostly the exhaustion sinking in, but Carmy didn't mind.

He just adjusted you both on the couch so he was laid out with you safely tucked between the cushions and his body. You had long since changed subjects; going from shitty work conditions to sports to your coursework load, then to The Beef, breezed over whatever Richie's daily attitude was about, then quietly debated if Carmy was taking the weekend off to spend it with you. Now, the TV was the only light on in the apartment, wine bottle empty, you resting on Carmy's chest; his arms tight around you, blanket tangled around your legs, both speaking quietly into the night before sleep claimed you both.

requesting rules and masterlist

The Bear masterlist

#carmy berzatto #carmen carmy berzatto #carmy berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto imagine #carmy x reader #carmy berzatto x female!reader #carmy berzatto x f!reader #carmy berzatto x fem!reader #carmy berzatto fluff #carmy berzatto fic #carmen berzatto #carmen berzatto x you #carmen berzatto fanfiction #carmen berzatto fic #carmen berzatto fluff #carmen berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto x you #carmy berzatto fanfiction #carmy the bear #hulu the bear #the bear hulu #the bear fx #the bear #the bear x reader #the bear x you #the bear imagine #the bear fanfiction #the bear fanfic

[zeynatura]

Ranting about Nucani

There is something I want to express and this fandom should know.

Nu: Carnival is a Harem game but unlike most games in the genre the relationships with MC are all canon within the same story, there are no "Routes", no "Alternate Universe/Timelines", it's all 1 Main Story where you get to gradually meet all the Characters who'll be your companions, in this game named Clan members, and all of them one way or another end up falling for Eiden (MC), which makes polyam relationship canon with Eiden as the center:

Like very few games have polyam representation, let alone a positive one, like yes the polycule it's very Eiden central but even then all the Clan Members interact with one another, as we see mainly in the time limited Events but also in the Main Story, and have friendly and amicable interactions, they rely on one another sometimes even without Eiden being involved.

But also, Aster and Morvay have a relationship established too since way before the events of the prologue of the game, Kuya and Quincy have hinted some sort of situationship (idk I don't care about Quincy and my knowledge about Kuya is limited to what happens in the story and events cause I have no limited SSRs nor have I read any of his Intimacy Rooms).

[Also if any of you knows of any other relationship that have been hinted at that i'm missing feel free to share, i specifically ask of you to refer to only canon, i know in fanon anything and everything is possible and sometimes we may be missperceiving some interactions between characters so i ask of you to take those rose tinted glasses off and see unfiltered canon, it's hard for me too ngl so dw]

All this started with some posts I saw about ppl feeling bad for Yakumo and/or Edmond to be "forced into a polyam relationship" when they are the "most romantic members" and "deserve a monogamous relationship", their words not mine, as if mono > poly , but also do you really think they're against it!?

One thing is being Clan Members against their will (which is all Huey's fault btw), having to work together to regulate the Altars' Essence (or their own) and then another one completely is involving themselves in a personal and intimate way with Eiden, which the latter they all did in their own terms and out of free will.

Also i wanna share one of the best and my fav scenes with Karu, which i know not everyone was able to experience it cause it's hidden in the Intimacy Rooms of a Limited SSR, but it expresses exactly why the polycule is consensual.

Context: Eiden has been worrying about forcing the Clan Members to be with him because he is the New Grand Sorcerer, against their will just because of Huey's magic that ties them together and the responsibility of Regulating the Altars and basically maintaining stability in the Klein Continent.

His worries began (at least that i noticed) in "Eerie Escapade" (Halloween Event), that was also the first time Garu got hurt while protecting Eiden and the first time Karu got mad at him and fronted to yell at Eiden (which is my another fav scene of Karu omg i love him so much i gotta go back and take screenshots of that but that's for another post), the second one being in "Army x Blood x Oath" (which are the screenshots i'll show u)

Because this are the Intimacy Rooms of Garu/Karu's Limited SSR this scene focuses on Eiden feeling guilty because Garu got hurt in the past (Halloween Event) and this time he lost his memory (temporarily, due to this event's story) and Eiden blaming himself for it all and wondering if they would be better off without him, but the same can and is applied to the rest of the Clan Members, seeing how Eiden met and approached Rei while respecting his privacy and independency even tho he's also a Clan Member and the newest introduced in the story, means that the Limited Events are also canon and part of the story because Eiden seems to be growing and learning from previous Events and showing that development in future Events and the Main Story.

Karu also mentions that Garu (prior to losing his memories) was also worrying about the same thing Eiden was, like 'what if Master (Eiden) stays with us just because of the contract with Huey? :c' and he calls them both idiots because they don't communicate and fronts to fix it! (Mighty Karu to the rescue)

And talking about "Eerie Escapade" that is also the event where Yakumo's possessiveness towards Eiden shows, i'll admit i haven't seen the last room but i feel like those people i mentioned before are using it as fuel to their idea, because if Yakumo is jealous of other Clan Members interacting with Eiden and "Wants him all to himself" that must mean he wants a monogamous relationship, right?

WRONG!

That just means Yakumo is a complex person that feels different emotions specially when it comes to the most important person in his life (Eiden) other than his grandparents!

And Yakumo feels guilty for having those feelings, not because of them being in a polycule and he not wanting to be in it, but because he has trauma and sees his desires and wants as selfishness and he would never allow himself to be selfish cause he doesn't want to hurt people, he's a people's pleaser! He lives with constant fear of hurting others like the Great Serpent did when it killed many (but apparently there may be more that meets the eye, because the current event hinted that the Great Serpent actually liked humans and took care of children ???)

And Yakumo dealing with those feelings along with his yokai powers as a descendant of The Great Serpent have been the main topic of his last 3 Limited SSRs, which is great because that means CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT~

Now unfortunately i cannot talk about Edmond's Intimacy Rooms as i'm missing ALL OF HIS SSRs (why do you hate me Edmond if ily) but from what i've seen he's also pretty happy being with Eiden, heck even HIS MOM is happy his son is with Eiden!

That's right, she's the first and only parent of the Clan Members that knows and approves of their relationship, if it weren't because most of them are orphan we could get many more... i wonder if Yakumo's grandparents are aware hmmm ... and we all know Olivine's parents are gonna HATE it xD and maybe Garu's wolf pack will approve of Eiden by the end of this event.

#i just realized i may not be the right person to talk about polyam relationships and representation #even if i'm open to polyamory while in a monogamous relationship currently #and i do my best to do my research about it and learn from polyam people #but then again i used to do the same with queer people before finding out i was queer #and neurodiverse people before realizing i am one too #and the most recent was autism :D #so maybe i'm not the wrong person to talk about it #also if any of you treat Garu and Karu as the same person when they're a system i will lose it #or worse when people don't acknowledge Karu #help me i love these pups with my life and i will protect them #aster and morvay relationship's nature is not for us to decide #but the fact is that they have one #nu carnival #nucani #canon polyamory #if you read all this i love you~ #edit: i thought Morvay having multiple sex partner was obvious 🤔 #but some ppl pointed it out so #yeah #the incubus has sex with many ppl besides Eiden and Aster all consensual #while Aster finds it annoying but also helpful Eiden think it's hot #big edit: nvm I AM THE RIGHT PERSON to talk about this as im ambiamorous #which means im happy both in a monoam and polyam relationships #so i am in the polyam spectrum and would love to have what these boys have

[class-1b-bull]

Hi, could you do class headcanons of them with a s/o who Loves to info-dump on history horros?

Basically going “Did you know about lobotomies..? It was a pre-quirk procedure that involved sticking a giant needle trough the eye of an awake patient to “Fix their brain”, it only made it worse though.

(Btw if you feel this like to dark feel free to deny it, also glad to have you back 👋🏼❤️)

Not proofread we die like men

Awase - every time you tell him something like that he gets a little more worried about how life was before quirks lmao. Like people willingly poked at eachothers brains? Hes more surprised every time and its hilarious

Sen - he uses any information you gave him to win internet arguments. Instead of L + Ratio he hits them with the horrors of history to shut them up (anyways unrelated but he bullies kids in video games)

Kamakiri - 'im gonna give you a fucking lobotomy if you dont stfu.' He will act like he dosent care but hes secretly kinda interested in it all. If he has questions about it he will look them up himself later instead of asking.

Kuroiro - the dark history ranting is his favorite thing ever. He spends a little bit of his free time looking up some dark history himself so he can maybe tell you about something you haven't learned yet yk.

Kendo - idcidc shes a major history nerd. She loves all things history related so even if its a bit dark shes interested. Shes only interested in history because shes a strong believer of learning from your mistakes and whatnot and she thinks its important to know.

Kodai - shes indifferent about it. She thinks its a little weird but shes not one to judge since everyone has their stranger side ykyk? She just silently listens along to whatever her s/o is ranting about this time lmao

Komori - she finds it a little creepy but at the same time she cant stop listening to her s/o talk about it lmao. (Just dont give her these 'fun facts' late at night or else she might not be able to sleep)

Shiozaki - shes happy to hear you talking about something your interested it but she does worry a bit about those who were affected in the past by something thats just a fun fact now (if that makes sense) like shes interested in the topic but at the same time it makes her a little sad that people actually had to get lobotomys at one point ya know?

Shishida - he seems like the type to be excited to learn something new so every time his s/o tells him about something that happened a long time ago like that hes real happy. (Despite how dark it is)

Shoda - ngl he finds it a bit scary lmao. He finds it interesting and hes happy to hear you talk about it but at the same time hes a bit intimidated

Pony - she thinks its cool and creepy at the same time. Like shes happy and excited to see her s/o talk about something their interested in but at the same time why did it have to be that of all things.

Tsubaraba - he will listen to his s/o for hours at a time it doesn't matter to him what theyre talking about. He is a little intimidated but its fine lmaoo

Tetsutetsu - he thinks your super smart for knowing so much about things like that and he tries his best to give imput but most of it comes out as him saying 'torture dosent seem manly' or smthn like that lmao

Tokage - she loves when her s/o starts to ramble about one of the creepy facts they like. She always gives the most over the top reactions too lmao

Manga - he likes listening to you talk about the creepy stuff his s/o likes while drawing. Its kinda funny since his s/o will tell him about smthn creepy asf and then manga will just show them the cat he just drew.

Honenuki - he thinks its cool and actually becomes really interested in the topic while hes listening to his s/o talk about it. He starts to ask questions and starts going on his own little rambles when hes with them

Bondo - hes a little scared ngl but at the same time he thinks its really cute to watch his s/o ramble lol. So overall hes kinda 50/50 about his s/o's lobotomy rants lmaoo

Monoma - he will talk so much trash lmao. He'll tell his s/o that its creepy or whatnot but at the same time he'll get mad if they stop talking to him about it.

Reiko - she does the exact same thing. So whenever you two are near eachother you just tell eachother all about darker parts of history lmao. 'Did you know about lobotomys?' Vs 'did you know about Japanese(?) water torture?'

Rin - at first he thinks its a bit strange or maybe even creepy but he warms up to the fun facts every now and then. He even gains a bit of an interest himself. Not enough of an interest research it but still.

Gif anime - dungeon meshi

#i had a big interest in old torture methods for the longest time so #i would say im built differently but thats cringe #class 1b #bnha headcannons #bnha headcanons #mha headcanons #kosei tsuburaba #rin hiryu #sen kaibara #awase yousetsu #juzo honenuki #shihai kuroiro #ibara shiozaki #setsuna tokage #manga fukidashi #kojiro bondo #neito monoma #Monoma is a dickhead #i love him tho

[holdinbacksecrets]

here's your free reign to rant to me about bts....

oh golly… i’ve been given the green light to unravel. this is going to be long

•i’m starting off by saying i wish i got into bts sooner. i’m also exceptionally good at wishing for things that can no longer happen bc they’re rooted in the past. yet… i still do it lol. but i would’ve loved to experience past releases, and see their growth with my own eyes instead of learning about it later through shared stories etc

•sometimes i feel so distant from bts, and i’m not sure why. actually, this is true for all the groups i follow. the intensity ebbs and flows. i think it could be stemming from a multitude of things. talking to friends who are also fans tends to rejuvenate my love though, and i appreciate that. at the end of the day, it’s the music that keeps me drawn in. that’s always been the case for me even before i began listening to kpop, and coming to love the artists as people has always been the cherry on top.

•something i have been dealing with is the impact of being a fan… we all talk about our standards being raised, but sometimes i end up feeling really shitty, and i think that’s one of the reasons why the distance happens. i think i’m afraid of putting too much weight on them, and not having a healthy balance. i see a lot of green flags, and i’m happy about that, but also… will i find someone irl lol

•i don’t know why namjoon isn’t one of my biases. i think i’m like overstimulated by him or something… if that’s the right word. for example, i’ll listen to mono and think to myself ‘he gets it. he’s dug his hands into the earth and has this perspective that exists on the same wavelength i somehow stumbled upon.’ it freaks me out sometimes. does that even make sense?

•i had an epiphany because of jungkook, and it’s about the authenticity i see in him, specifically about his style and appearance. it feels a bit silly talking about it, but i’ve wanted tattoos since i was a child. i’ve wanted piercings. i’ve envisioned my authentic self so vividly, but i’ve had a hard time contacting her fully. because of jungkook, i’ve finally started to take baby steps in the direction that feels natural and true to who i am. it’s cool. i’m appreciative of the fact that his existence has helped me with my own in this kind of way (i have tattoos and piercings but i want more)

•i want a solo tour from hoseok. i didn’t go to hobipalooza, but i think about it more than concerts i actually witnessed. he’s insane. he bewitched me through my laptop screen, and i want more. want it want it want it

•am i the only one who’s struggled adjusting to being a kpop fan? i fully believe that i can cultivate my experience and not entertain aspects of it that don’t serve me, but sometimes i end up flooded by information that leaves me feeling a bit uneasy

•i’m so curious about the ot7 music we will get after all their military services have been completed. i’m hoping hoping hoping for some rapline heavy tracks. tear and the cyphers are songs that solidified me being a fan, and i want to ascend again like i did when i first listened to them. overall, i love darker themes in kpop, and i can feel myself craving more of that from bts

•rapline’s solo projects keep me sane

#s talks #sadkidwarexpert #purple palaver

[daeva-agas]

I am playing Sakuya route in SLBP (mostly for the reward) and I wonder, where Nobunaga hatred toward ninjas comes from? This is like the 3rd game where he shows his disdain towards them. Can you explain why? Because I'm curious.

Oh no, it's that thing again.

Remind me what are the other ones. Is it Ninja Love? Nightshade? Non-otome games?

Anyway, this is a huge rant and IDK, could clog up people's dash so I will put it behind a cut.

I probably shouldn't say these about Japanese people writing about their own history and legends, but I hate this stupid "Nobunaga hates ninjas" trope, so my very grumpy answer is:

BECAUSE STUFFY CORPORATE SUITS ARE SO TERRIFIED OF CHANGE AND CAN'T BE ASSED TO TRY NEW THINGS. IF BULLSHIT TROPES STILL MAKE MONEY, THEN BY GOD THEY WILL KEEP MAKING IT UNTIL JESUS RETURNS.

And I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that they're doing this because "it's a trope that people seems to like", and not because they're just running off "I saw it in an anime/manga/novel/movie once" and never bother to Yahoo search it or open a book about it.

(I'm not all that mad anymore, but like, I will still go AAAAAAAAAAA every time it comes up)

"Nobunaga hates ninja" is a long-standing trope that's been around for decades in Japan. The oldest one I was able to find is this movie series called "Shinobi no Mono". Maybe there's something older, I don't know.

It's a historical fact that the Oda did invade Iga. However, there is so many context for it. Among many other things... one record says it's actually the people of Iga who sicced Nobunaga ON THE PROVINCE THEMSELVES.

It ended up being transformed into a "Nobunaga hates ninja" plotline because the above historical fact is being combined with the long-standing legend that "Iga is a place where ninjas live".

Also, in the 60s and 70s there’s this like... movement where people are really disgruntled at the government, and so because they can’t flat out write works about how much they hate the Japanese government of the time, they just write stuff about peasant heroes or vigilantes fighting against evil samurai lords as a way to vent their frustrations. Nobunaga being one of the easiest character to caricaturise because it’s not like the “evil stuff” they make him do is entirely wrong. The facts are just taken out of context and twisted for the sake of fiction. Evil/demonic/horrible Nobunaga as a trope in general seems to be relatively new from this era too, since Edo and Meiji works seems to present Nobunaga is an admirable heroic figure.

(well, they wrote about him doing kinda mean things, but it’s presented in a way that makes it sound like the writers think it’s “something that just happens” and not a big deal/not an entirely negative thing)

In real life there is no such thing as "sekrit ninjer village uwu", so honestly, if the above account is true, then it's possible that there's in-fighting among the people of Iga. It's what happens with the Saika people. Suzuki (Saika) Magoichi surrendered to Nobunaga and then some time later makes a request for the Oda army to come in and destroy this one guy he really hates.

If the story about the Iga folks inviting Nobunaga in themselves is actually false, I’ve not seen any other explanation for it yet, but I still think Nobunaga invading Iga is just business as usual. At the time of the Iga invasion, the surrounding provinces are already conquered, leaving Iga as this one tiny hole in the middle of what is technically "Oda territory". Maybe Nobunaga thinks this hostile province could cause problems in the surrounding regions, so he wants them gone. It's no different than, say, Nobunaga fighting a war against the Takeda and conquering them.

It's not even Nobunaga in command of the army (as far as reliable records go), so any depiction of Nobunaga personally leading his army into Iga is garbage. He sent one of his sons and a few generals to go off and fight, while he himself only comes in for inspection after everything's cleaned up.

The standard reasoning in bullshit Sengoku trope/fiction is that Nobu just doesn't trust woo woo shit, and only wants to do things the "legit" way (with soldiers and stuff). Ninja is considered woo woo because of their “secret arts”, and because they’re usually depicted as having no lords/masters but themselves, I guess he is wary of them rebelling against him or something.

Funny thing is, even if you actually buy into the ninjas thing, supposedly even the “guidebook of ninjas”, the Bansenshukai, says that the Oda has ninjas, so “Nobunaga hates ninjas” is just silly all around. Bansenshukai is this book supposedly detailing ninja clans and secret techniques and whatever, written in the 1600s, by one of the Fujibayashi descendants (IDK Sakuya’s grandkids I guess) 

#anon ask #ask reply #reply #it's that thing #sengoku

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

Optimal Board States

One of the many many ways to consider a card for M:tG is to think about how often it's good. This is a similar thought process to considering an individual chess move. How many positive outcomes does this lead to? How efficiently can it get there, and how many ways can my opponent foul it up?

Now, there are a LOT of factors attached to that in Magic. If you have ye olde Red Elemental Blast (wrecks one blue spell or creature, super cheap) and everyone's playing mono-color decks and all the decks see equal play it's usable about 1/5 of the time, which is pretty bad. If you assume all decks with 1, 2, and 3 colors see equal play that's 11/25, which is a fair bit better but still under half. There's this whole thing in Magic called Sideboarding which I won't go into but it makes this kind of idea a lot more palatable.

On the other end combo decks rely on creating the circumstances where a card is good. It's worth considering what circumstances allow for that.

For instance, Ancestral Recall is banned because, while not fancy, its effect is simply too good for regular play. One mana, draw three cards. The card that incited this rant, on the other end, is Flow of Ideas. It costs 6 mana and draws you cards equal to the number of islands you control.

The trick is that its effectiveness is inversely proportional to how well you cheated it out. If you used some artifact combo with some weird planeswalker who lets you cast a Sorcery for free on turn 1...it could potentially draw you no cards. If you're running a multicolor deck with standard dual-color lands other than the originals, they don't tend to count as islands so on turn 6 there's a possibility this will draw fewer than 6 cards. If you play Sol Ring for 2 of that mana you might get it on turn 4 instead of 6 but now it's drawing you 4 cards instead of 6 too.

Also also, if you cast it that's often your entire turn. 6 mana is a LOT, and what you get in return is a renewed hand to potentially answer problems. But you've given up a full turn of answering those problems to do it. And the card itself! That slot in your deck - and thus your hand - could have been used on something that directly gained control of the board. There's a small edge case where you can also go off the other end, having so many islands in play and so few cards left in your deck that you can't play it or you'll lose immediately. But that's generally not the problem. The problem is that if you're a control deck running blue and you've gotten to a turn where you can afford to spend that many resources just refilling your hand, you're probably already winning and didn't need that card to clinch the victory. Meanwhile if you're struggling to survive on turn 5, this card won't save you on turn 6. The influx of cards will start to take effect on the state of play turn seven, which is simply too late.

Comparing the number of situations where having it in your deck helps you to those where it doesn't reveals how bad a card it actually is. The fact that it resists letting you create situations where it's good by saying "number of islands" instead of just "6" is simply the final nail in the coffin.

#game design

[everlasting-moon]

Creating boundaries makes me feel like I’m being mean but in reality I’m trying to keep my peace while ur here trying to rant to me about how a boy is making u sad while u should be focusing on how to manage school & work. Like girl bye. Plus I texted her ass to have a good day since she’s been sad and it wasn’t even read till 2 days later. Like bro thumbs up the fucken message the day I send it to you instead of leaving me on unread. Can’t take that disrespectful shit anymore. I even turned my read receipts on for her bc she told me last month she likes to see when the messages were read. And we haven’t hooked up in a while but now that I think about it idk if I want to be the usual fuckbuddies we were before. I’m just down to be friends but the ones who see each other like once a month to make sure the other is alive and thriving or maybe go out to dinner twice a month to rant about life idkkk. Actually I shouldn’t even be her friend she’s done me so fucken dirty in the past (which she has apologized for) and then she puts my health at risk. All she does is disappoint me. And that’s why I don’t go for younger chicks.

I started texting 2 girls I matched w last year again bc I stumbled upon one but friended her on the app so she’d just see it as friends but she’s clearly not which is fine bc she’s cute but while I assumed I texted her gravestone # I ended up texting the wrong 949 number which led to me talking to the 2nd girl which surprisingly texted back after I mentioned it was an honest mistake, responding w how she was thinking about me earlier that day. Mind you we haven’t spoken in a year🧍🏽‍♂️we had matched a few months ago but I unmatched quickly realizing it was her bc I asked her out on a date in which she bailed then I assumed she ghosted me around my birthday but turns out my messages just never went thru. I’m starting to open up more about my feelings with people which is great. Then there’s this girl at work who likes me and I’m iffy on that bc she’s younger than me and I tend to lean on women closer to my age or older luckily I don’t see her much but she’s cute just don’t know if we’re compatible nor if she wants a relationship which is pretty much what I’m looking for. I also don’t want to rack up body counts if it’s not necessary. I value my body more since some stranger gave me mono. Plus there were no feelings during the sex I literally did not know her just knew she rode a motorcycle, was an Aquarius too (which was a turn off for me tbh I would never date my sign) and she hasn’t seen the office bc she didn’t laugh at the joke I made. After that I realized the hoe life just was never for me

[envieluvvicixe]

Hi, random pinned.

I go by lots of names, but currently living most with anything around Krisse, Sampo, and Dyston on this blog. I'm a 06 bb who's physically disabled & neurodivergent; I use the term Omnipronoun(link), but I do prefer vei/che/vam/it/he/any.

I draw, I talk, I write, I'm punk, I'm pagan as well. This blog is just here, I enjoy reblogging and ranting. Variety of things on here when it comes to reblogs; from disabled, LGBTQ+, sometimes leftist, and punk content.

———

BYF; I'm mspec mono & contradicting terminology user (good faith + contradicting identity) part of LGBTQ+ (and liom + mogai communities), I'm neutral on any syscourse due to being a singlet, I use neopronouns & I'm a xenogender & neogender hoarder, I'm nonhuman as well. I'm pro-choice, pro-recovery & pro-para(explicit anti-contact)

I can't control who does and does not interact with me, idc if you like or repost(without comment) my blogs but please refrain from interacting directly with me if you are a proshipper/any other to that kind, Radqueer, transmed, SWERF/TERF, pro-contact harmful paras, anti-decolonization or find yourself in the basic DNI in short.

———

Small tag directory I'm trying to get together

. lgbtq+ Directory = anything within the LGBTQ+ community

. Pain directory = anything to do with being physically disabled in some way.

. Brain directory = anything to do with being neurodivergent in some way.

. Politic Directory = anything to do with politics, usually paired up with the punk tag. May include Finnish political shit as well.

. Punk directory = anything to do with punk or being punk. Usually paired up with the politic tag. Includes diy and such cool things.

. Other directory = anything other ?? / Topics I don't have a tag for it think they belong to any other tags (may vary on politic tag, I don't always realize something is political before long after!)

. Art directory = anything to do with art (including making IDs)

. Stellar project = anything to do with my art/writing project.

. rose thorn directory = anything related to my trauma; experiences, revelations etc.

. ether death directory = pagan & polytheism related things. Also my experiences and such.

– afirms for a rainy day = a tag where reminders and affirmations go. Excuse the grammatical error, I'm too lazy to fix it anymore.

I try to tag things properly, but sometimes I fast-reblog(on Mobile) and forget to tag things bc minor memory problems. also don't question my tags, i like how they sound and i decide to use it, that's all you'll get out of me for it lol.

———

Other blogs are simply what they are and they are something I'm going to be open about bc i see no shame within them, I don't care what you see as cringe or shit like that.

Main blog(male/masc, x-reader); @reveseke

Whump blog; @pierceofheart

Mogai/liom blog(coining); @primuscapere

(Revived?) nonhuman blog; @kalvanreaped

We're all just living on a rock that and we'll all die at some point so idk bout you but I'm going to make show out of it. /Silly

[monochromevt]

rant about alignments

in this rant I am attempting to, as appropriately as possible, explain something. Phi (Φ) is a Greek letter corresponding to the Hebrew letter Qoph (ק), the 19th hebrew letter, however if we consider Alef (א) to be 0 or unnumbered like the Fool (0) in Tarot, then Qoph is the 18th letter and corresponds to The Moon (XVIII) in Tarot. Moon is an easy anagram for my name, Mono (18). 18 in Hebrew Numerology corresponds to a word for Life. 18 is also a semiperfect number as the latter 3 of its divisors (3,6,9) add up to 18. [3,6,9] was a sequence of numbers that Nikola Tesla was obsessed with over the course of his life. Of course, 6 is 3+3 and 3*2, and 9 is 3+3+3 and 3*3. and 6*3 or 6+6+6 (666) also equals 18. The sum of all divisors of 18 is 21 which is 18+3. There are 21 Tarot, not counting the numberless Fool (0). Phi is also used mathematically to represent the golden ratio (~1.618 033) which was used by the Greeks as a way to calculate beauty. Phi often associated with Philosophy, a word with an often overlooked origin. The first Phi in the word for Philosophy does not relate to knowledge or wisdom, it relates to Love. Philosophy means “Love of Wisdom”. There are many mathematical implementations that use Phi, from magnetic flux and quantum wave functions, to angles, ecology, and psychology. I knew none of this. I as a creature was lost, asking who I was, what I was, and what I wanted. I decided to focus on Who I was. I could feel an idea of exactly Who I was but could not find any words for it. So I drew it, I picked up a pencil and drew a fine circle and it was wrong. I dragged a single straight line from above its top to below its bottom and it was right. For all the day and weeks and months after I was obsessed with the symbol (still am as you may be able to tell). It was my symbol. Within two lines I felt a connection to this circle with a single line bisecting it. In time I have come to call this either, “A bisect” or “Tempus Perfectum Prolatio Imperfectum” an existing symbol from old musical notation from the Medieval times, a symbol I had learned represented 3/2 time and some other details. AND OF COURSE, as I write this I notice that the Tempus Perfectum Prolatio Imperfectum COULD BE SEEN AS “semiperfect” in the same way as 18 is also considered mathematically semiperfect. Of course of course, this is all coincidence, it just has to be. BUT THEN WHAT A FUCKING COINCIDENCE THAT 18 HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE NUMBER FOR YEARS BEFORE I KNEW THIS ALL. What seemingly conniving fate brings all this together. Of course a person is more likely to notice patterns of the things they like and associate with but this feels like it goes a bit too far. Of course I may simply conclude that I am a genius and came to these conclusions through my fathomless intellect combined with numerical and occult fascinations. And while that is true, I feel like some conspiracy addict whose CERTAIN there’s something else here. Though it is an anagram, that fact that the NAME I chose for myself years ago when I first made my discord account corresponds to the 18th Tarot, The Moon. The actual moon of which, I had worshipped during my time as a wiccan, calling it Diana and trying to use it to achieve magic ritual in an attempt to actually escape reality. I invented a demon I would make an offering to, Abigail. On a Halloween night I begged to my invented demon in Latin, offering it blood and souls to send me to another world. No demon appeared to whisk me into another world, I was only met with the profound and internal sadness of coming to terms with the fact none of my wiccan beliefs had ever yielded more than minor illusions and self-deception. Dearest reader, I thank you for reading this far because I have a little guess for you. How many souls did I offer Abigail? My own single soul? Two or Three from others? Eighteen. I offered 18 souls from people who I received the explicit agreement to have possession of their souls. now finally, my mind is all but silent. I see a placid lake at night, something dark floats in the waters and I do not know what. But I don’t know if I need to know.

#rant over #thank you for reading #18 #369 #to be clear this is not part of the ARG im making this is all real

[ruvelli]

Castle Swimmer x Final Fantasy AUs General Update

Here’s some thoughts and ideas I’ve chosen to share. Feel free to toss in your own two cents, so long as it isn’t something rude.

There’s a few things I wouldn’t mind getting feedback on, or having ideas tossed at.

Starting with FFX-2, I have quite a few things fleshed out now (mostly by accident), but again I feel like I’ll have to replay it/watch a playthrough of it before I can do too, too much.

I do like where it’s going with Galoo and Mono, as well as Kappa’s role.

I also plan on putting Kappa into that moogle mascot outfit somehow >> Because I said so. Once he’s introduced I want to get into the quests stuff more.

FFIX no clue if I’m keeping the genomes. They don’t seem to have a purpose for the plot I’m plotting, which has a different end game (plot end game, still gonna be KappaSiren) than the game did.

I did figure out what’s up with the sharks, and it’s a little sad (whoops). Galoo has a purpose within the story that makes sense now, at least. I may be changing who Mucku, Mono, and Neth are.

Because some friends were curious about it, I had considered making Kappa Garnet, of course. But given how bold he can be, he’s far more traveled, becoming an “evil witch” while still being a good guy, and given how Siren started off so naive with no clue what he was doing—he would just stubbornly push forward with what he believed was right, etc… it made sense to put them where I did. To me. And then I adjusted the plot to make sense to their personalities.

For instance, Siren won’t be drugging anyone because he thinks he knows better than everyone else, and how dare they treat him as someone who doesn’t (I could rant about how much I can’t stand Garnet for days). Siren wants to help and be useful and hates that he has to be left behind, but realizes he’s just a liability if he goes. I have a different plan for why he ends up back in Alexandria.

I’m still not sure what to do with/who would be Vivi 💀 Or Kuja.

As for FFVIII, I have maybe… 30% planned. Blegh.

Most of the problem is when I first started maladaptive daydreaming about it, it was with a good deal of the FFVIII characters still in it. I love those kinds of cross-overs and don’t mind doing them, but would that be weird to anyone else?

If I did a full cross-over instead there’s a lot that would have to be tossed from the original idea and I’m not even sure what would go where. But in my head, it began with Siren already an established SeeD during the Garden “civil war” defending the doctor’s area with Pagoon and Pim before being sent to defend the garage and then library type deal. He was more in Nida’s position.

(side-note: Pagoon was too young to be a SeeD yet, though the three of them together had a reputation that was “You see those three? That’s Pim and her boys. Don’t piss them off.”)

Then again, I don’t have to have things from the perspective of the way the game goes the entire time… Hm.

And just to be clear, yes, in the current idea it would go the way of the game the whole time except for the SeeD exam. I’m probably cutting that chunk off and saying Siren has been a SeeD.

Anyway, to anyone who cares let me know whacha think. The one I’m most likely to start on sooner than later is FFIX. (I even drew one of Siren’s outfits, and if I was a better artist I’d happily show it).

#castle swimmer #final fantasy ix #final fantasy viii #final fantasy x 2 #AU #Ideas for AUs

[hahlilvndr]

Personal rant/vent on my experience with disability

Coming to terms with disability is so much to process. And finding out I’ve been disabled this whole time (my life) without knowing that my struggles even counted as such?? Is intense. 😵‍💫 I’m autistic, & I’m pretty sure I also have EDS, a common comorbidity with autism that’s evident for example in my weirdly flexible joints. These two disabilities, I’m realizing now at 32 years old, have been there the whole time. Just that fact alone exposes so much childhood trauma of parents & teachers mistreating me and taking advantage of this vulnerability through my growing up years. & it seems to have also triggered my predisposition to POTS after working at an Amazon warehouse til I got sick (I didn’t even last 2 months).

Amazon-is-evil storytime: After standing on concrete for “mandatory overtime” of 66 hours a week with monitored bathroom breaks, write ups for failing to maintain a working rate over 98%, LITERALLY dancing for managers handing out scratch cards in hopes that a “free” candy might ease the existential part of my pain at the end of the day, but actually hoping that maybe this scratch card that I danced “We’re All in This Together” for will be a Nintendo Switch this time. The crow I hallucinate when things get ROUGH is back, trying to keep me awake so I don’t pass out onto the industrial conveyor belt that I already injured my thumb on after dozing off on my feet that one day, & I know I’m supposed to be concerned with all this, even though my own doctors think I’m lazy, just trying to find excuses not to work. Well, I only started listening to these physical alarms after contracting a fever/diarrhea combo that put me out of commission for a whole month. I was automatically fired & locked out of the warehouse after this cause I didn’t have the PTO. Just 4 months later I would contract mono with permanent long-term symptoms. (Like how you can get long-covid from a covid infection. It’s also the same for many viruses, like Epstein-Barr. Though I eventually ended up with long-covid too. 🫠)

When it comes to POTS, that sort of physical activity is actually dangerous. All the blood drains from my head because my circulatory system cannot contract itself enough to keep the blood flowing vertically while I’m standing. So it’s no wonder I kept nearly blacking out at the end of every day requiring me to micro nap in my car after every shift just so I was capable of driving myself home. And this is to say nothing of my hour long commute!

This was all 2018.

Fast forward to 2020, I had just found some semblance of stability in my life, I had a full time office job that I was trying to ask for work from home accommodations for after recognizing that my difficulty with my now relatively short commute (15 min) still caused me to miss work because autism. I even began working on a pitch to form an accessibility committee in hopes of streamlining for others the grueling accommodations process I was dealing with just trying to stay employed.

Then the pandemic happened. I got to work from home for a couple weeks at first, but was refused my petition to continue. Even though other employees in my own department got to keep working from home. HR just bullied me into compliance, and required me to get an official diagnosis to “earn” WFH as an accommodation, but the psych that evaluated me insisted I wasn’t autistic, but living in a neurotic psychosis. Even though I scored 157 on the RAADS-R and met the criteria for symptoms, he insisted I was faking because I didn’t “look autistic.” (The fuck does that even mean????) Next thing I know just before clocking in at work, I got pulled into another room and fired. I wasn’t allowed to say goodbye to anyone, I was just immediately escorted out the building. I couldn’t even grab my personal things from my desk. They shipped them to me in a box. My coworkers would thank me in secret for standing up to HR’s constant ableism, racism, & transphobia (which I would frequently have to do) but they would never stand with me openly & that was what really felt isolating.

Anyway, capitalism is violence. It’s no fucking wonder the mortality risk of autistic people is twice as high as the general population. We’re not physically wired to handle this shit & then get systemically discarded for it because “metrics.”

#disability #autism #ableism #amazon #workers rights #fuck capitalism #personal #that last job was at Card Kingdom #sorry MTG fans they’re just as bad as WotC #god the more I read this back the more it sounds like a dystopia novel #this is real life

[lovelystimboards]

okay oopsie sorry for like pushing you to reply AGH /gen i try to not be rushy but idk sometimes i get worried that tumblr ate it or smth T__T sorry again /gen but oooo do you have any hcs for it?? also if you want id be willing to listen to some rambles or topics about your other interests !! or just anything in general talking is fun soo only if you want /nf but yessss highly recommend those two :D - sys creature anon

Hey dw about it, you weren’t rushing me at all!

also I don’t know if have too many hcs about it but uh I like the idea that six used to be at the school and those porcelain kids recognized her, I also think that her hands are like super cold all the time and it sort of balances with mono who I think has very warm hands (little weird ig but I thought it was nice)

I don’t know if I have any particular rants about anything right at the moment but when I do I’ll tag you in a post lol

#anon ask #sys creature anon #little nightmares

[sweetrabbit]

ah! i am completely inlove with you already!

pairings: Bill Denbrough x asian!fem Reader 

sort off based off of this song:

genre: unrequited 

summary: it’s hard to watch him fade away, but there seems to be a new light coming into view 

warning/s: envious bill?? (no warning that i know of) 

note/s: part 2 of “look at you auburn boy’ ! reader works at a diner??!! some filipino rep WOOOO and blooming wlw relationship. aged up by a few years, maybe 17-18 

a/n: sorry this is so short or that it feels rushed/unfinished, but if i feel like it i might as well write one more part ;)

part 1 ! part 3 !

“hey y/n, can i order another strawberry shake, pretty please?” richie pleads, his already large eyes, growing bigger trying to create puppy eyes to persuade the girl.

“really? this is your 4th shake today! my manager will yell at me if we run out..” she twirls around, the blue skirt following her movements.

“thanks sweet cheeks!” the raven headed boy yells out, the losers giggle as eddie goes on ranting about how he’ll get a tummy ache if he drinks too much.

ding

there seems to be more customers. going to look, y/n locks eyes with a girl whos smile was as bright as the sun, her aura illuminating walks along the beach, or rides with ones love. her sweet laugh ringing across her ear.

the girl was Elisa Castro, a filipino who was recently welcomed around ben’s street.

every time y/n would pass by elisa, a warm fuzzy feeling would flourish inside.

but that’s nothing like how she feel’s about bill… right?

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

the losers watch her stumble and stutter with her words, her unusually high pitched voice and hands scrambling to write down what the family of three ordered.

elisa smiles at the girl in front of her, giggling at how cute she was being, proclaiming she would pinch her cheeks if given a chance! 

bill watched from across the diner, grudge in his eyes as y/n laughs at every ‘stupid’ joke that castro would produce.

#bill denbrough fanfic #bill denbrough #bill denbrough x reader #it chapter 1

[queerautism]

the one ask you(&) responded to about using the plural label got me (re)thinking if i was plural too (been contemplating for a few months tbh) and the way you just,,,, take the label without needing to think about it too hard? and you feel right at home? i applaud you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 /pos

anyway, i‘m 99% sure i didn’t experience any trauma but i literally don’t remember anything vividly past 2 years ago. i am autistic too and my memory (short-term especially) has been a real struggle lately for some reason. i know i’m super depressed so that’s definitely contributing to it,,, i never wanted to take the plural label but accidentally and completely naturally saying “us”, “our”, and “we” a few times along with almost feeling wrong being referred to with singular pronouns, i feel like it’s only obvious to take it now? like now i want to use plural pronouns for me (us?????) and i dissociate a lot too,,, like sometimes i forget i inhabit a body? i didn’t have direct contact with any headmates i don’t think, maybe I’m mono-conscious or median? but sometimes i feel singular? i feel like i’m constantly changing (names, pronouns, aesthetics, avatars) and it makes me feel so confused,,,,,

super long rant but thanks for listening,,, i think i’m gonna use the label, idk,,,,,,, these aren’t all of the reasons i think i’m plural but the most important ones i think.

Hell yeah!!!! 💜✨ Welcome 2 the club

I feel like, if u feel such a connection to a community like this, there's a reason 4 it and exploring that and see how it feels using the label 4 u its pog actually

#Plurality #System tag

[jinpanman]

Vampire’s Wine

pairing: vampire boyfriend!jungkook x fem human!reader

word count: 1.4k

genre: 18+, fluff, slightly nsfw, established relationship

warnings: this whole thing is a disgusting bloody mess and not in the way you think. menstruation talk - from the use of hygiene materials to the smell of period blood, jk loves period blood - oop., casual conversation about sex and genitals

summary: You decide to brave the mystery that is menstrual cups. Jungkook is intrigued to say the least.

a/n: i needed a break from all my long af fics. u can blame my brain. u can also blame Jess @shelive-shelove​​ for telling me to write this. and for helping me pick a member to write about - but then again, she always picks jk. also @joonie-mono​ kept judging me so now that it exists she has to read it. :-)

The simple matte black box sits on the bathroom counter and it’s incredibly intimidating despite it just sitting there. You pick it up and open the case to reveal an equally black menstrual cup sitting on top of a black pouch. A slip of paper falls out when you open it and you pick it up.

Greetings Y/N! We’re so glad you’ve decided to become the owner of a BLAKD cup. We understand some people don’t want color stained cups so we went ahead and…

You toss the card to the side and pick up the cup and turn it around in both awe and trepidation. There’s a knock on the open door but you don’t bother to look up.

“What’s that you go there?”

“JK honey, tell me. How am I supposed to stick this up my nether region?”

Jungkook snorts and plucks the cup from your hand.

“Well, my dick is bigger than this and you do such a good job taking it all in so I know my baby can handle this small thing.” He pats your cheek lovingly

You squeak and swat his arm away in disbelief. “Jungkook! I swear! You—that’s different! I’m not horny when I’m trying to stick this-this monster inside of me.”

He laughs and quickly covers the little distance between you, pulling you flush against him.

“First of all, that’s an insult to my dick because this,” he waves the cup in front of you and you roll your eyes at him “is no monster. Secondly, maybe we should get you horny first so it won’t be an issue.” He wiggles his eyebrows and licks his bottom lip in anticipation.

You scoff and push him away, taking the cup back from him.

“I need to figure out how to stick this up my very unaroused vagina, so please go and do your vampy things and leave me alone for a few minutes.”

He merely shrugs but of course your boyfriend who must know everything about everything asks, “But babe, what’s wrong with what you usually use?”

Ah, now that’s a good question. You’ve used pads and tampons for so long and frankly you are so utterly fed up with the mess that is Aunt Flo. 

“Jungkook, you won’t even understand even if I told you.”

“Try me.”

You raise a brow but proceed anyway. “Well they stink, for one.”

“False. I love the way you sme—okay, sorry. Go on.”

“Pads are so annoying especially when you’re sweaty and they stick to your butt and somehow you always end up bleeding everywhere except on the pad! And then tampons! Just the general scare that it’ll be stuck there for too long or it’ll poison you or that you’re actually not bleeding as much as you thought you were and you’re dry af and it gets so uncomfortable to take out!” you voice dies out, nearly out of breath because you failed to pause after each sentence. Jungkook watches you with amusement painted throughout his face and relaxed posture resting against the counter.

Your chest is heaving but you continue after taking a few short breaths, “Period panties are okay but I’d like some extra insurance y’know? Also everything is so fucking expensive! Tell me why we’re being paid to tend to something we absolutely cannot control? I fucking bet you if men had periods, they’d free bleed every month and expect everyone to be okay with it. But because we’re women we have to hide it because it makes—”

Jungkook breaks you off mid-tangent kisses you and grins. “Had to stop you before you start ranting for a whole 10 minutes and then forget why you were talking in the first place.”

You return the kiss and give him an appreciative smile. Most people aren’t into the “kiss someone to get them to shut up” but in your case, you appreciated the kisses because one, Jungkook gives the best kisses and two, you really would go off forever if he didn’t shut you up.

“Thanks, baby. Now please leave,” you say before shoving him out the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

After what felt like (and probably was) two hours you are finally out of the bathroom, feeling so utterly defeated and exhausted. You had gotten it in, but at what cost? Both your hands still reek of blood despite scrubbing thoroughly for several minutes with soap. Your thighs are aching from squatting for so long as well. You plop down on the couch beside your boyfriend who’s occupied playing some rando shooting game on the PlayStation. He inhales deeply and shoots you a quick glance. You give him a questioning look but he doesn’t say anything.

After his match, he leans in close to your stomach and takes another big whiff. You’ve long passed being surprised at how much Jungkook likes smelling you. You’d think he was a werewolf or something. Not that you’d tell him that because you were not in the mood to be dicked down just to “prove a point.”

“Hm? You don’t smell like you normally do?”

“Huh, I’m honestly shocked considering how much I bled all over my hands and thighs.”

“Careful, Y/N. You might make me horny,” he muses as he enters another match.

“You’re gross.”

“So, what does the blood just… sit there?”

“Mm, yeah. The cup keeps it all inside and when I take it out the blood will be there.”

“Tell me when you’re gonna take it out, okay?”

Without breaking eye contact with the television screen, he tilts his head to plop a quick kiss on your forehead. You pull a blanket over you and watch on as your endearing thousand year old boyfriend destroys the hundredth controller because he’s still very much a baby vampy and sometimes he forgets his own strength.

“Ohhh my goood this is so fucking weird,” you mutter in disgust.

Here you are, at the end of a full day of doing absolutely nothing, squatting in the tub once again. This time, instead of sticking a foreign object up your vagina, you’re trying to pull it out. You finally have a grip on the stem and your thighs are screaming at you but you fight through the burn because no way in hell are you gonna risk dropping your cup in the toilet bowl. The several guides you found on the internet said it helped to use your muscles to push it out.

“Okay, here goes nothing.”

You push and you eventually feel the suction giving way. A few drops of liquid spill out over your hand and you grimace at how warm it is. You finally pull it out from inside you and you lift it up to inspect the contents of the cup. God it was startling how warm the cup is. It was both disgusting and fascinating to see how much blood you can bleed within half a day. And the best thing—it doesn’t smell! You’re done being weirdly fascinated with your blood now. You’ve definitely been with Jungkook for too long. You hold the cup away from you and tilt it to pour down the—

“NNOOOO!!!! STOP Y/N!!!!”

Your boyfriend stumbles into the bathroom and you watch him with absolute befuddlement as he inches closer to you with crazed eyes.

“Baby,” he reaches out to you, “what were you just going to do?”

“Um, pour out my period blood?”

“Baby!!” he practically whines and kneels beside the tub.

“...Yes? Jungkook?” You’re at a complete loss for why he came bursting here in such a hurry.

“I thought I asked you to tell me when you were gonna take it out.”

“I’m sorry hun. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I’m just taking it out?”

“Babe.”

“Mhm?”

“I’m a vampire.”

“Mhm.”

“And I’m your boyfriend.”

“Okay.”

“Are you really going to make me say it?”

“Jungkook, I don’t even know what you’re talking about so if you could just tell me, that’d be great.”

He groans into his hands and peeks at you through his fingers.

“I wanna drink it.”

Oh, for god’s sake. You restrain yourself from rolling your eyes at him. You weren’t ignorant to his obsession with blood, especially during that time of the month. He was a vampire, after all. This was a whole new experience though with nearly an ounce of your blood right in your hand. Before you can second guess yourself, you hand the cup to your very pouty boyfriend who takes it with a now huge smile gracing his face. 

He brings the cup directly under his nose and takes a quick whiff. You wrinkle your nose in distaste. And then he lets out a deep, guttural moan. He flicks his tongue in the pool of blood then promptly empties the blood into his mouth. A normal person would not shiver at the sight of their boyfriend drinking their blood, but you’ve long resigned the fact that you were not normal. Your eyes fixate on the trail of blood that missed his mouth and now fall down the side of his mouth to his chin. You swallow in sync with Jungkook who hands you back the empty cup.

His voice is hoarse when he speaks. “Please never stop using this cup. It is the greatest creation of the modern times… Next to the internet. Also don’t ever drain your blood anymore. Give it to me. Save the ocean.”

“You absolute dork,” you laugh and continue your downward gaze of his body. That’s when you see it.

“Oh my god. Jungkook. Did you… baby are you horny?”

#jungkook fanfic #btsghostie #vampire jungkook #jungkook fluff #bts fanfic #f:vampire's wine #i'm so sorry #also black menstrual cups do exist #omg you guys tell me to stop re-editing this every 10 minutes

[hyuneytoast]

The Stranger’s Meadow || H.HJ

Pairing || Hwang Hyunjin x Reader

Word Count || 10k

Genre || Modern-ish(?) Magic AU, Angst, Fluff, Strangers to Lovers

Warnings || Suicide attempt, mentions of death, depression, and anxiety, explicit language

Description || You live in a world of magic, the Northern District. Despite it being a place where people are everywhere, meeting people was like a blue moon for you. It just so happens, during the most unlikely situation, you meet someone who offers to take you somewhere for comfort. To a flower cafe outside of the city, in the middle of a meadow. Mind you, the Northern District is one of magic, including a flower cafe that offers feelings. 

Listen to ---> 7UP by Boy In Space & Closer to You by Rasmus Hagen

Note || This is my first fanfic and I will be honest... I’m very nervous about posting this! I apologize if the end seems rushed. Anyways, please be free to tell me your thoughts about it or if I missed a warning! Without further ado, please enjoy reading <3

11:09 pm

There's no feeling like the one right now. Being in the sky, above the city, wistfully watching it hold the society of nothing but magic. Lying in the Northern District is everything and anything. The things that can fill up a person of endless inspiration, endless purpose.

The remaining bits of the winter wind howls through the night, biting people. Nature coming back to life through the cold layer as days pass. Flowers and shrubs sprouting and budding. Spring embracing the life around. The moon hangs above, casting as much light as it could pass the blanket of thin, wispy clouds. The stars were barely visible due to the city’s lights polluting the air. Oh, how you missed the stars.

You’re on your apartment's rooftop looking down upon the sleeping, yet glowing city. Structures built and compacted everywhere with rivers running between. God, how much you love it all. From the big things, like the mystic city below and the cozy night sky, to the little things of lattes and flowers that grow between the pavement. Not to mention, the feeling of time coming to a stop for once.

Like every story, everything comes to an end. You'd miss it all, but it couldn't compare to the feeling of freedom close in your grasps. Your hands tightly grip the railing right in front of you, knuckles turning white.

You knew the consequences that awaited if you were to step forward.

If you were to climb over.

If you were to jump.

That’s why you’re here, after all.

Hot tears brim at the edge of your eyes, your vision blurring. All these years of bottling up emotions, you’re, at last, done. Empty. Too exhausted to even freely cry and too restless to properly sleep. In your everyday, you could worry about your job, your shitty boss, your financial struggles, or your unstable relationship with your parents. Or even college, where you're falling behind in alchemy. In fact, it's what you should be worrying about. But no. Instead, you're too absorbed in an abyss of loneliness and self doubt.

You have your co-workers, but they were no more than acquaintances. No friends. No one to express your emotions towards. In any relationship, you felt like the only one trying. Perhaps there is something wrong with you? It's exhausting to solve this problem without even knowing what is wrong with you. Even more so, you feel weak not being able to handle even the simplest struggles in life. Why are you like this? You felt like you had no good reason to feel the way you do. Everyone deals with loneliness. So why couldn't you? Invalid feelings. That's what you believe you're full of.

The moon watches you from afar, wishing it could speak. Wishing it could tell you how you're all wrong; what you're about to do is wrong. But it does what all it can do; illuminate the darkness that coats the sky.

It all continues. The world continues no matter what. The world continues no matter who decides to continue along with it. Day by day, month by month. What difference would it make if you were here? Or if you weren't? What’s the point in continuing?

The frigid wind welcoming you at the edge to jump. The moon silently begging for you to not. You shudder from the cold as you take a deep, shaky breath; your hands trembling around the rail. Apple-frosted fingertips and cheeks. Nose bitten by the bitter wind. You wipe the tears spilling from your eyes in a harsh manner. Adrenaline rushing through you. Was this really happening? You aren’t going to lie, you're terrified. Why is it so hard? It’s just one jump.

Right?

“Excuse me,” a gentle voice interrupts the dreadful silence.

You were rather more disappointed than startled by the sudden voice. You didn’t want anyone stumbling upon you in this situation. Nor, making you live longer and suffer more unneeded hours. You turn your head and upper body with eyes trailing to see the voice's owner. Your hands remain around the only thing dividing you and death. The draping patio lights above lit the area just enough to make out the stranger’s appearance.

There stood a tall, slender frame of an unfamiliar male a few feet afar. He looks like your age, if not, a couple years older. The breeze softly blew through his long blond hair, reaching no longer than his chin. He’s wearing black snug pants, a black turtle-neck, and a brown cardigan that was a bit loose on his shoulders. His hands were fumbling around with each other as he shuffles a bit closer. Like yours, his breath was visible, making tiny clouds of fog in the night’s air. His eyes wander around, taking in the night view before meeting your eyes. You could tell he was feeling nervous, but surely not as much as you.

You were literally taking in the last moments of your life. It was what you wanted, though, despite the fear that keeps trying to hold you back. This stranger, on the other hand, seems to have other plans.

The male clears his throat, breaking the awkward silence between you two.

“A-are you busy at the moment?” The stranger stutters causing him to curse at himself. He didn’t know if he's nervous, cold, or both. It didn’t help he was in panic mode, internally screaming for you not to jump.

“Why?” You bluntly reply, your tone revealing an emotionless demeanor.

“Could you at least step a little back from the rail? Please?”

You remain motionless which only makes the stranger's panic grow.

“Okay then…” His voice drifts off as he brings his hand to scratch the back of his neck. His eyes glance at the city before landing back at yours. He bit the bottom of his lip before continuing to speak. “Do you want to maybe… Maybe talk about it? What's bothering you, I mean. You're clearly distressed,” His voice becoming more pleading.

You remain standing in silence, like a fool. Why on earth would a stranger listen to you rant about your stupid problems? Why would he even think you would just open up to him like that?

“Well, do you like flowers?”

What the hell.

“Flowers…?” Taken aback from the random question, you raise one eyebrow.

"Yeah, flowers. Do you like them?”

It took you several seconds to process everything before nodding. The male, satisfied with your response, intertwines his fingers together.

“There’s a flower cafe I think you would like to visit. They have good coffee too. I bought Doorway tickets there for a friend and I, but my friend ended up ditching me. So… maybe if you would take the extra ticket? I’d be happy with that. We can accompany each other since we both seem, you know... lonely.”

Your eyes widen a bit. Was this guy interrupting your suicide attempt for a cafe and some flowers? You weren’t going to lie, it sounded like he was asking you out on a date. At the absolute wrong time. Out of all the dramas you spent hours watching, never have you seen a scenario like this. You’d think he’d at least ask a cute girl in the city somewhere. Or, even in a less awkward situation where one's not trying to die! You lowly chuckle in disbelief. For some reason, though, your mind kept drifting from your original plan and more towards the stranger’s offer.

“A cafe? At this hour?” Your tone was softer this time while your hands loosen a bit from the railing. You didn’t know what time it was, but you were aware that it was late. You remember leaving the inside of your apartment around 10:30 pm. Not to mention, you were standing on the rooftop for quite some time.

“Mhm,” He nods. “Please? Just trust me on this. I promise you’ll like it there. No regrets!”

You turn your head back and forth a few times, from the sleeping city and back to the friendly stranger. What could go wrong? Worst case scenario, he could be a necromancer or a grim reaper. He could be an Average planning to kill you, (which, from his sweet and polite impression, doesn’t seem to be the case) or you could jump like planned. Either way, neither choices and endings seem to disappoint you. Despite your doubt, you made a decision to agree and tag along.

“Okay, I-I’ll come with you,” your voice was on the quiet and uncertain side, but it was enough for the male to hear. You release your hands from the rail and turn around completely towards the stranger. With small steps, he approaches you closer leaving no more than two feet between. You could now examine the towering face before you better. His mono lids filled with dark orbs, representing the sentimental night above. Along was a mole placed right under his left eye. He has sharp nose and plump pink lips that curl into a small, consoling smile. Everything about his face seems to be so proportional, so perfect. Goddamn, why is he so pretty?

You took notice of his right-hand coming between and waiting for yours.

“I promise you to make this night worth it.”

You hesitate but end up lending him your hand. With his long fingers lacing between your small ones, he tugs you towards the stairs.

11:58 pm

You never liked strolling through the city, but it turned out to be more of a good time than expected. You passed through the city in its sleeping state while still hand in hand with the male. He would throw you reassuring smiles once in a while, making you a bit flustered. The evening was chilly, but not as much as it was on the rooftop; It was a bearable temperature. You didn’t feel pressure either since the streets weren’t overcrowded. To your surprise, you would enjoy wandering around just like this all night if you could. Now here you were at the location of instant transportation, Northern District Doorways.

There aren't trains, monorails, cars, or carriages. None of the such. Instead are doors that take you anywhere, basically having the purpose of a portal. Hallways and rooms of different colored doors that are numbered. Behind the doors lie major areas found in the Norther District. Enter the door and watch your surroundings melt into another.Arriving at the ticket booth, you feel warmth leave your hands, signaling you that the stranger let go.

“I have a key to enter door 325.”

You watch him hand over his ID. You were too focused on the male’s side-profile to look at the person working behind the booth. There was something about the stranger that seems comforting. Perhaps it was the gentle way he spoke, or the angelic features portrayed on his face. Or, how he is trying to save you because he cares. At least, you think he does. What ever it was, it made you put a great deal of trust in him. Maybe more than you were supposed to. That didn't prevent you from wondering where the stranger was taking you to, though.

You notice the male receive a silver key from the booth

“Thank you, have a good night. Come on!” You felt a tug on your hoodie’s sleeve, leading you pass the ticket booth. "The door isn't too far down the hallway."

You both walk pass doors aligned side by side, reflecting different colors and hues. Each number label increasing. Door 317, 319, 321, 323...

Door 325.

"Wait... I thought you had an extra ticket?" You question.

"Well... No, sorry. I own the door and property behind it. Because I own it, I don't need tickets. Just a key and the station's permission!" He says while waving the key in the air cheerfully.

Right when his hand lands on the handle of the dark green door, he turns to look at you with endearing eyes.

“Can you do something for me?"

"Sure," you reply with a small voice.

"I promised you that I'll make this a memorable night for you, right?"

You nod.

"That's only possible under one condition."

"Okay," You nervously reply. What would be the condition? Was this a bad idea? He's going to ask for all your silver and just scam you, isn't he?

"Before we enter the door... Just leave it all. Leave as much worries as you can right here, okay?"

12:10 am 

The door opens with the view of an entire meadow. As you enter, the male lets go of your hand and closes the door behind. The airport? Gone. Any view of the city? Gone. Your shoes land on the pathway made of smooth stone pieces. The cold air nipped at both of your faces, welcoming your arrival. The edge of the pathway met with grass that extended further than your eyes could see. You could see faint specks of color from flowers all around, not yet bloomed. It's still hard to see as the night only grows. It smells like nature; The smell of fresh grass and refreshing, sweet scents the blossoms gave off. A smell rich of pollen. It's a new delightful smell, not one found in the city where you live. You could hear the plants dancing against each other as the wind blows through. The light chirping of crickets bounces in the night along. The whole atmosphere was serene.

“You like it?” Hyunjin’s soft-spoken voice rings through your ears, breaking you out of your trance.

“It’s beautiful,” You utter in awe.

“Well, that’s not all. We didn’t even arrive at the actual place yet. Come on.”

Light footsteps hit the stone, leaving the door behind. The yellow light from the street lamps illuminate the way while casting shadows.

“Are you cold?”

“No, I’m fine,” You reply, not removing your gaze from the lush terrain beside you.

“Okay. Let me know if you are, I can lend you my cardigan.”

“Got it, thank you.”

This surely wasn’t what you expected Hyunjin to take you to. You thought of those shops or cafes you walk pass in the city. The ones that are owned by enchantresses or fortune tellers. Or, the flower shops grim reapers own for funerals.

The walk is silent between you and the boy. There's no other person in view. Feeling your social anxiety kick in, you start fumbling with your hands. Realization completely dawns on you. You ditched your suicide attempt for an attractive guy and some flowers. Now, you were alone with him in the middle of god knows where. The lingering quietness didn’t help either. Should you say something? Hell, you didn’t even get his name. The male somehow notices your uneasiness, so he decides to break the silence.

“Do you have a favorite flower?”

“Umm…” You look up to meet the soft gaze beside you. “Maybe gardenias?”

“You sound a bit unsure there,” He chuckled. “Do you know what they mean?”

You tear your gaze from him and shake your head.

“Gardenias mean gentleness, joy, and secret love. They have a pleasant smell too!”

You let out a small smile, only to leave silence filling the air once again.

“I’m Hyunjin by the way. Hwang Hyunjin.”

“Y/N Y/L/N.”

"Very pretty name, Y/N," He grins.

You look at him, staring at his eyes crescent-like eyes as he smiles. You couldn’t help but think that despite not knowing what you were getting yourself into, he sure did. And it sent a bit of hope for happiness in your mind.

The remaining walk wasn't too long. In fact, it was a quite comforting one. Once in a while would you both ask random questions to get to know each other better. Well, mainly Hyunjin did the asking.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Y/F/C."

"Mine is black and red."

Hyunjin seemed to enjoy telling you stories of his friends too.

"We should try to make pancakes one day. I have a friend who once tried to make some. It was an absolute mess though! One time he put too much butter in the pan that it took up half the batter. The second batch, he didn’t put any butter and then burned his pancakes. We also found out that he was supposed to put vanilla in the batter, but he mixed it up with a sleeping potion. He passed out so fast after one bite! It was pretty funny,” He laughed while clapping his hands.

It reminded how you longed for friends or just company from someone, anyone. And now here you were. The experiences Hyunjin reminisced were enough to brighten your mood. You admired that; the effort he made in befriending you. You almost felt bad though, how you didn’t have stories to make him to make him laugh. Starting fun conversations weren’t your strength. Still, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy your time. You can’t remember the last time you felt like this; Not stressed out, not anxious, not empty of emotions, not fearful. All just seemed to dissipate into nonexistence.

The two of you continue on the pathway; soon taking a left turn and up a short staircase where the meadow elevates. Straight ahead you see a compact building, which you assume to be the flower cafe. The sight of it is charming and comforting, especially with the moonlight cascading from above. It’s a small, white shop with a dark shed roof, slanting down to the right. A giant window lies on the right front of the cafe. Flowers of many displayed behind the window and in front on wooden shelves. The door on the right is a lavender color with an "open" wooden sign hanging. The walls partially hidden under the lively draping vines and blossoms. It’s a kind of architecture and vibe you wouldn’t catch in the city. It’s like a page from a fairy tale book, ripped out and perfectly placed in front of you.

Hyunjin softly grips your hand and pulls you out towards the cafe's entrance.

“Y/N, welcome to Haven Cafe!”

12:52 am 

The shop’s interior is just as cozy yet beautiful like the outside. It is on the smaller side, but it seems perfect for the environment, like a dark cottagecore. An aroma of fresh brewed coffee mixed with a bit of floral floated around. When you walk through the door, you are greeted by the wooden counter with a white marble top ahead. On top was a cashier register and a dark rotary dial phone. There is a thin glass on the counter, like a pastry case. There weren’t any pastries though. Instead, there are small glass bottles, some full of colorful flower petals and others of different magical dust blends. Pass the counter, you could see more counters, cabinets, and shelving of dark wood. On the shelves, that had vines growing alongside, lied dishes including saucers, teapots, and a couple of vintage manual coffee grinders. On the right besides the counter was a tall wooden figure with dozens of drawers. Each drawer has a label of different flower breeds. Placed hanging on the front of the counter below the glass is a menu listing several beverages.

Latte.

Tea.

Cappuccino.

Smoothie.

Milk tea.

Espresso.

Americano.

Below the list is a sign.

Prices depend on the effects you desire and flowers needed. Prices start at 2.5 pounds of silver.

On the left of the kitchen and overall area where you order is a small loft. There is the front window which extends to the side of the shop. There is a small evergreen-colored, square rug with a low dark-wood coffee table. There is a brown leather couch pushed against the cafe’s side window, which is where you are sitting. On your left, the couch meets a mini square table that resembles the counters. On it was a decent black lamp and a stack of marble coasters for your drinks. Above is a plant hanging in a macrame holder, like others throughout the shop. Around the top edge, where the walls meet the ceiling, are dainty fairy lights.

“Do you like it? The shop, I mean,” Hyunjin asks as he’s behind the counter organizing some bottles of flowers in a cabinet.

“Yes, it’s very charming. So you own this?”

“Thank you very much! Glad to hear that from you. And yeah, I own it along with 38 acres of the meadow. It’s kind of my home too. My bedroom is behind the back door. Anyways… Would you like me to explain the concept of this place?”

“Go ahead.”

Hyunjin walks to the front of the counter, leaning is body with arms supporting his weight behind.

“Hopefully it's not too complicated to understand. So, you know how each flower has their own meaning, right? Like what I told you earlier about gardenias. Basically, you need or want a certain feeling? Tell it to me, I make you a drink with the flowers that give you the desired feelings, and there you go! If you’re feeling regretful, and want to forget a specific memory, I suggest you order a tea with yellow carnations and rosemary. You want to befriend someone? You can offer them tea discretely full of yellow roses. And so on. All of them are made from the flowers I grow in my meadow!”

“So you sell potions for emotions? And how does that work from flowers?”

“I guess you can put it that way. And like I said, flowers have their own meanings and symbolisms. Specific flowers are assigned to a certain drink that will give you what you wish for. I blend the petals with a drink you want on the menu and your wish is granted!”

"So, if someone wants to forget a memory, you would give them what?"

"I suggest you order a drink with yellow carnations and rosemary."

“If... I want someone to die, you would give me what?”

You watch Hyunjin’s eyes soften as he feels his heart slightly break from your question. He couldn’t help but acknowledge the certain meaning behind your words; the words directed towards yourself.

“That… that I don’t make. I don’t even grow those flowers. The goal of this shop is more for one's benefit. That excludes death or any inflicted harm on one's self.”

You simply nod in response before tearing your gaze from his. Your eyes observe the shop once again, taking in the pleasant atmosphere. You start to wonder what you just got yourself into. Sure you’ve had the traditional beneficial ones, like chamomile tea. But you've never had what Hyunjin had to offer. You've seen very few similar shop concepts, but you discovered that later they were just shitty scams. Was Hyunjin scamming you? Part of you didn't want to believe he was. It all seems legit anyways. Unbelievably legit.

“But, I can make you something else if you’d like.”

“Okay,” accepting his offer.

He smiles with satisfactory. “You like coffee, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Perfect then!” He claps his hands together and makes his way behind the counter.

You remain sitting on the couch examining what Hyunjin does. He opens a drawer from the cabinet and pulls out a few bristly leaves. Retrieving a coffee grinder from a shelf, he pours in the leaves and coffee beans.

After several minutes, he approaches you with a short, but wide black cup. He places it on the coffee table in front of you as you lean forward to pick it up. You could see it steaming as your hands hug the cup, absorbing the warmth.

“What flower is this made of?”

“Purple hyacinth. It will help you let go of the time on the roof or some events before that. It's also made of alstroemeria petals and may... help us become better friends..." Hyunjin's voice drifts off as his face starts reddening with embarrassment. "Also!! Don’t worry about paying, it’s on me!”

You lightly chuckle at the boy's flustered state beside you.

After a minute of blowing on the drink, you take a sip. The warmth dances around in your mouth and tingles on your tongue. It tastes like an average latte, not too bitter nor too sweet. The coffee was rich in cream and tasty. You didn’t feel different, but continue drinking it.

"So, you majored in... healing or something?" You ask, taking another sip of the hot beverage.

"Something like that. I majored in medical and alchemy," he smiles. "What about you?"

"I'm currently majoring in alchemy too! I'm kind of falling behind on my studies though, ha."

"Majoring? So how old are you?"

"Nineteen. You?"

"Twenty."

"So you graduated early, then."

"Yup!" He grins.

"Good for you," You lightly laugh.

"Thanks! And hey, maybe I can help you with your class."

"I'd like that."

The night grew heavier and the moon continued to make its way across the sky. What else grew was your trust and hope, especially in the new acquaintance. I mean, he could have poisoned you already. Here you are though; uncertain, but well alive.

You felt a growing desire to see what else wonders he had to show you.

Oh god- Was this what he meant with the alstroemeria petals?

2:21 am

Maybe not in your eyes, but in his, you were lovely. And of course, you still are. Hyunjin could not deny that. You were crying on the roof in pure devastation. He still thought of you as one of the loveliest persons he's seen and met. He has noticed you a few times at the book store you work at, but that was some time ago.

That is until he saw you on the rooftop of an apartment. Hyunjin was initially visiting the apartment next to you, which was his best friend’s. Working at Haven Shop for problematic people made him grow to be very observant. Not much observation was necessary for your state, though. You were so close to the rail. So close to climbing over, sleeves wiping your teary face. It was an obvious, painful scene. It was his job to try help people out and you were no different. He can’t remember the last time he ran as fast as he did that night to get to you.

Now here you were. Safe under the same roof as him. Hyunjin sat on the dark wooded flooring of his bedroom, behind the back door of the shop. His bedroom is simple, but pleasantly aesthetic. There’s a window with a seating ledge in the middle, across the door. In the right corner is a bed with nothing but white sheets and pillows. It stretches across to the window. Above is a shelf with a plant, whose leaves were like a curtain, and a framed photo of his dog, Kkami. On the right corner of the room is a tall, oak wood bookcase. The books held information of nature and poetry. A few even included fantasy novels and dog facts. In the center on the ceiling hung a few light pendants, varying in different lengths. The room was dark yet cozy.

You were on the bed, snuggled between the blankets. Last night, you two had a few chats of pointless, but fun topics. The night grew deeper and you two grew sleepy. After several yawns, Hyunjin was able to convince you to sleep on his bed while he slept on the floor. You refused saying he was already offering too much. But he said your comfort is his top priority.

Most of the night, he was awake with endless thoughts. It was going to be hard to make you appreciate your life on this world. His sense of protection over you was great enough for him to at least try, though.

Sure, Hyunjin has dealt with people full of different emotions in his shop. They weren’t so severe though. People came in knowing what they wanted and left. Nothing else. Not to mention, there were many customers who’d take his work for granted.

You aren’t like that though. There were times when Hyunjin had to reassure you that you weren’t being a burden. You were selfless. Perhaps a little too selfless, but it’s an admirable trait to him. In fact, there is something else about you. Something that intrigues him. Sure, you have a pretty face, but there’s something more. It makes him want to protect you; give you the happy world he believes you deserve.

That is his job after all...

Right?

9:37 am

The glowing rays of the sun hits your face, alerting you to wake up. The melodic chirps of birds bounce in the distance. Shifting away from the blinding light, your eyes flutter to the room.

This wasn’t your apartment. Definitely not.

It took you a minute before remembering how you got here. That’s right. You with Hyunjin in his shop. You sit up, groaning and rubbing your eyes from your surprisingly good rest. The room wasn’t too cold nor hot. The bustling city noises weren’t echoing outside. It was comfortable, a soothing atmosphere. You stand up and take a deep breathe, inhaling the gentle lavender fragrance.

Making your way, you twist the silver door knob. You're revealed the shop’s “kitchen” along with Hyunjin. He is gathering empty glass bottles from a drawer at the bottom of the main counter. He turns around upon hearing his bedroom door creak. Looking at you, he makes a bright, welcoming smile.

“Good morning, Y/N! Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Have a seat on the couch. I’ll make you something and after, I’ll take you around the meadow. Is that okay?”

“Of course! Take your time too,” You say, making you way to the couch in the loft area.

Now that the sun is awake, everything seems to be more clear. The sun rays peeking straight into the front window and the plants seem more lively. The view outside was beautiful, too. The meadow is brighter, more green and lush. Flower buds filling up half of the field, only few that have started to open it petals. The sky seems just as happy. Not gloomy from the pollution cars spat out in the city. The blue is full of thin, wispy white clouds. Small groups of birds flew by every here and there. The scenery made you more eager to explore the unfamiliar wonders.

You look at Hyunjin whose occupied making drinks for himself and you. He is wearing black cargo pants and a loose, white v-neck shirt tucked in. The peeking sunlight hides in his hair. He is lowly humming a random tune with a content look. You want to ask a few questions, but decided later; not wanting to interrupt his work.

He walks towards you and serves your drink in your hands before sitting next to you. You look at the tall, glass cup in your grasps. It’s full of a green drink and strawberry puree, flowing down from the side of the cup.

“It’s a strawberry matcha latte with pink hyacinth. In a way, it will help wake you up and boost your happiness for the day!”

“What about your drink?”

“Oh, this? It’s just a regular iced americano. There’s a short list of rules I have to follow in order to own this business. One of them is that I can’t drink any of the magical products here.”

“Why?”

“Not too sure. Maybe it's so I don't take advantage of the magic I'm capable of,” He turns to you and softly smiles.

You nod, returning the smile before taking a sip of your strawberry latte. Your eyes widen, its taste definitely coming to your liking. It was creamy and refreshing. The bitterness from the matcha and sweetness from the strawberries blended well.

“Wow, this is really good!” You exclaim, making the boy make grin yet, flustered.

“Thank you! Its one of my favorite drinks too, without the flowers of course.”

“Are the flowers suppose to make the drink taste different?”

“Nope. The flower petals don’t effect the taste, just the conditions of your wish.”

11:32 am

The mood of spring is definitely present. The sunlight dances through the meadow and plants gently sway along in the breeze. The feathery clouds move across the fairy blue sky at a steady pace. The blossoms paint vibrant colors against the lush field, stretching far over the horizon. Like fiery stars dotting the night sky. From deep reds and bold oranges to soft pinks, purples, and beaming yellows. Mini white butterflies flutter around, bees prancing from one flower to another. Every part of nature seems so carefree, yet thriving in complete beauty.

You let the pleasing warmth from the sun soak into you while walking besides Hyunjin. He hums a soft joyous tune, eyes wandering at the scene in front of him. You let your left hand drift across the tall greenery that surrounds you. There’s no pathway or any structure for guidance. You just walked pass Haven Shop and Hyunjin told you to just let your mind wander with your feet.

“Do you ever get tired of the view?” You question and look up at the boy’s side profile.

One thing for sure is that you’ll never get tired of looking at Hyunjin. It’s already so damn hard to not stare at the pretty boy who you just met. His lips appear so soft with eyes of stars. His hair perfectly framing the structure of his face-

“Of course not. It never fails to amaze me! Especially around this month, when spring begins. I miss it through out the winter.”

“I bet. I get tired of the city view every now and then. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this though.” Your lips curl into a small smile as you let your eyes focus ahead.

Up ahead offers even more for your fascination. In the near distance is a river. The water so clear, the pebbles at the bottom are very much visible. It glistens with reflection of the sunlight. The calming trickle of water becoming more audible as you both approach closer. On the other side of the river, the field of flowers elevate, holding up a willow tree. A tall tree with feathery vines that drape down, coming in near contact with the water. You stare in awe at the idealistic scene before you.

Hyunjin turns his head to get a good look at your face. Your eyes lit up with anticipation and lips slightly apart. It pains him knowing the emotions you feel deep down. That didn't affect how he truly viewed you, though. The sunlight didn’t help either, highlighting every feature on your face. The light was just singing, “You! You!” How lovely you are.

“No,” Hyunjin thought, shaking his head and averting his attention back to the willow tree. He has a job to do. Make you happy, brighten up your days with wonders up his sleeve. That's all. How could he possibly feel anything more towards you? He barely knew you. He just met you less than a day ago! He clears his throat before speaking, wanting to distract himself from the sweet thoughts of you.

“Have you ever been outside of the city? Like to the Northern Country, of course.”

“No, I’ve always stayed in the city. Never had a good reason to leave. Until now that is.”

“I see. Nice to know I’m the one to first take you to a place like this then!” He giggles.

There it is again. His contagious, yet melodic laugh. One that makes your heart flutter and adore, leaving your ears craving more. You let out a breathy laugh, joining Hyunjin on the joyous feelings.

“How did you start?,” You say with a light voice. Relaxed footsteps approaching the creek more.

“My mom and dad are pretty strict. They always encouraged me to open up a business of my own, too. I found myself very interested in alchemy and just helping people in general. So, I studied hard and here I am!"

"Good for you, Hyunjin!" You compliment.

"Thank you!" He puts his hands over his chest and lets out huge sigh of happiness.

You giggle at his dramatic behavior.

1:02 pm

Hyunjin and you sat on the grass, leaning back against the willow tree. The vines dangling from the branches that stretched out above made it a perfect canopy-like shelter. You sway your feet left to right in front of the river ahead; shoes abandoned to the right side of you. It's a perfect spot to seek for solace, especially with Hyunjin's company. It's like a hidden paradise. You didn't care if you didn't show up for work today. You didn't care if you were in an unfamiliar place. You didn't care if you just met Hyunjin less than twenty-four hours ago. All you want now is to just enjoy the present time of the happiness you thought was long lost.

It's like nature playing a part of sympathy for you. The sweet scent of blossoms and pines fill up your nose. The mellow breeze freely caressing your faces. On the outstretched branches above are the winged symphonies played by sparrows. The swaying blades of grass tenderly stroking both of your bare feet. Sunlight beaming down, reflected off the water and strained through the tree's leaves. The tree also providing shade like a tattered umbrella.

It is known that trees behold stories of many. It this tree could speak, it happily tell you how the meadow slowly grew and came to be. How Hyunjin would walk through the meadow day by day, tendering to the flowers until they began growing wildly on their own will. How every star fragment in the sky is visible to the naked eye, only if you decide to stay out at night. How the tree itself got to hear the magnificent stories each traveller told when they came by to rest. How it will patiently wait for you to tell any of your stories.

Every once in a while would Hyunjin's hand brush against yours. It somehow managed to make your heart dance every time. Little do you know, he was doing it on purpose. Little do you know, he wishes for your simple touch, your hand to hold. How he's too timid to do so, though. Instead, he silently remains cherishing every moment with you.

"Why aren't there customers at Haven Shop?"

"My shop isn't open yet. In fact, it opens back up tomorrow so that's when people should arrive," He states. "It's because of winter. Flowers and their magic effects, especially here, obviously die off in the winter. So, that's when I have to close my shop. And god it's hard going through a meadow with barely any life. I miss it. But that's when spring comes by and never fails to amaze me."

"Ah, I see."

"Can I ask you something?" Hyunjin turns his head to lock eyes with you.

"Of course."

"How are you really feeling? Like from last night."

You look at your fumbling hands on your lap, causing moment of silence before speaking. "Better than the time on the roof, that's for sure. In fact, I almost forgot that happened. I guess I'm enjoying my time here." You turn to gaze at him with a small, appreciative smile.

"Good to hear. And we're friends, right?"

"You mean you want to be friends with me?" Your eyes widen in disbelief.

"Of course!" He smiles and scrunches his nose, something that made your heart go crazy.

"Then, friends we are I guess."

"I think it worked."

"What worked?"

"The drink I gave you last night! I didn't put too much flowers so the effect wouldn't be so strong, but it's working," He remarks with satisfaction.

"Good to know," You giggle. Do you believe him? You aren't completely certain. You don't care about it though.

The comforting atmosphere and warm sunlight eventually made you yawn with drowsy eyes.

"Tired?"

"Just a bit. It's hard not to be when in peaceful place like this," You let out a breathy laugh.

"Here, relax." Hyunjin's hand comes to the side of your head and gently pushes it to his shoulder.

After a few minutes, your eyes drift off into darkness as you lay on him. Hyunjin smiles with adoration before resting his head on yours, entering dreamland with you.

Both of you pleading the world to not let this day end.

5:48 pm

You spent the day attending your university in the morning and completing your afternoon shift at the book store. Being placed back in society just reminded you how much of an ass everyone is. A crazy witch came in demanding for spell books for immortality. Who the hell did she think she was? A god? You told her there are no books of such kind. The next thing you know, she's complaining to your boss about how "lazy and stubborn" you are. And now? Your boss cut back your paycheck for "not doing your job properly." For a the whole damn month. You would tell him about the actual situation of why the witch was mad, but like again, your boss is an ass and won't listen. This sure wasn't the first time too.

It's been two days since Hyunjin dropped you off home. You told him you needed to prepare for school and work the next day and so should he. To be honest, you would continue staying at the meadow if it weren't for your life tasks. You already skipped a few days though. When he dropped you off home, he engulfed you in a big hug and told you to not leave the world, but come back to him.

What were you going to say? No?

Now, you are walking down the city streets on your way to the Northern District Doorways. Whenever there were crowds headed your way, you'd move to the sidewalk across to avoid them. Crowds mixed of Averages and the magical class. Despite the power difference, everyone ran on the same mindset of equality.

And here you are, slowly becoming apart of the magical class. Well, that is if you pass your alchemy class. From taking notice of the spell books in the bookstore, even that made your brain undergo an entire maze.

Schools for young ones who are Averages placed throughout the city. Then, further in the center are universities where people begin to develop their potential for magic. They have choices of what they want to major in. Medical, where you learn to heal wounds with magic. This could be sealing cuts or making potions with medical purposes. English classes where you memorize every magic spell term, mainly for those who desire to be witches and wizards. And then alchemy... Learning about chemistry of magic components. Yup, you know lots about that class. Well, in a way, you do.

You continue to stroll in the busy midday city. Buildings of many tightly packed together, resembling an overcrowded village. Buildings constructed of stone, cement, or wood that is either petrified or damp of weariness. The buildings roofed with dark asphalt shingles and displaying arched windows.

The paved stone roads that connected through and around structures. Small weeds growing between the stone cracks. The police stations constantly crowded with necromancers. Banks for your silver. Shops that make wands for witches and wizards. Clothing stores. Convenient shops that carry the basic magic necessities many need. Mossy stone statues of the greatly respected elders capable of magic. Planters nicely placed in the center, between the shops. Wooden crates outside shops that hold fresh fruit and bread. The roads that formed into bridges over rivers. The rivers for the canoes that rely on magic to continuously float. Post offices are very common throughout the city, too.

Post offices... It reminds you that you and Hyunjin should exchange addresses to contact each other. In the Northern District, phones simply did not exist. Instead, writing instant letters is the way for communication. You'd write a letter, put someone's address, and it will disappear to that person once you'd stamp it.

And then, there were the dark alleyways. Alleyways where mice and stray cats roams. Where the roads are cracked and uneven, homing the drunken powerless citizens. The smell of alcohol and smoke was faint but still unpleasantly present.

Continuing on are prostitutes offering services in front of their stores. Children running and laughing on the streets, playing games of tag and hide and seek. People gracefully singing on the boats below.

Oh how they are all only half of the structures the Northern District offers.

Your feet start to slowly ache. Not only was the transportation center distant, but you're walking at a faster pace to avoid the crowds. And perhaps, you may be eager to visit the boy in the meadow.

Stomps and chattering. Cheering and complaints. Bells ringing with doors constantly opening and closing. Your nostrils burn with the variety of smells. Scents of flowers and bread to smoke, oil, and alcohol. Children's joyous voices. The still air allowing the sun’s rays gently beam. It's all the Northern District just simply existing.

Entering the station, you approach the ticket booth. Good thing you remember the door number.

"Good afternoon!" A young guy greets from inside the booth. He has permed silver hair, small eyes and a bright smile with braces. A small name tag pinned on his suit, displaying "Jeongin."

"Hello, a ticket for Door 325, please."

"Of course."

He's quite cute looking, but that didn't lessen your social anxiety. You could scream and let out a dramatic exhale. You could run away and tuck yourself cozily in a corner. But of course, you couldn't just do that.

"Here is your ticket. Have a good day and safe travels!" He waves with twinkling eyes.

"Thank you! You too." You eagerly grab the ticket out of Jeongin's hand and scurry past the booth.

After looking at a directory, you walk down the hallway containing doors of 300 to 350.

You casually walk down with eyes swiftly scanning each door.

A deep red door of 313.

A mustard yellow door of 315.

And at last, the dark green door numbered 325!

A small smile of anticipation appears on your face.

When was the last time you were this excited? You could not remember. You simply didn’t care though.

6:27 pm

"Thank you very much! Have a good day!" Hyunjin smiles, courteously waving off the one of many customers.

He turns behind, restocking a glass bottle with pink camellia petals from the drawer. His mind seems to hold onto one thought ever since yesterday. You. He couldn't deny it any longer. The boy, once a stranger, loves you. God damn, he misses you, too. Feelings only growing from you absence. At the same time, though, the feeling of fret also fills him. Fearing that perhaps you may turn away from him and jump like you wanted to that night. Worrying that you simply had no interest in him, even as just a friend. He gave you a drink with alstroemeria petals, though. So that couldn't happen. But the doubt seems to never leave him.

Hyunjin's ears fill with a familiar bell ringing above the door.

"Be right there!" He politely informs. Closing a few drawers and placing the bottle aside, he turns around; eyes focused on a small insect crawling on the register.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Ha-" Hyunjin abruptly stops in mid-sentence as he looks up from the now dead bug. His eyes widen and a faint pink spreads across his cheeks.

"Hi, Hyunjin," You greet and wave your hand in a rather timid manner.

He suddenly gasps aloud and runs around the counter. Wrapping his arms, he forces you into a tight hug.

"You came back," He coos, head resting on top of yours. All of his doubts and worries about you instantly fade away.

Though your head is buried in Hyunjin's chest, you could practically hear the huge smile resting upon his face. Eventually breaking the hug, you both step back taking a good look at each other. He's wearing a white collared button-up. On top layers a thin denim jacket tucked in black pants and a long beige coat, stopping at his knees. His blond hair neatly tucked behind his ears, only a few front strands framing his face. It so desperately made you want to push it back, but how you had to resist.

"How-" Hyunjin gets interrupted by the bell, notifying a customer just entered.

"We'll talk later," He winks at you before going back behind the register. 

 7:13

Several customer came lining up in the store. After they received their drinks, they were out the door. You sat on the couch peacefully watching each pass. Barely two minutes ago, a customer came in stating he has a soccer game and in need of motivation and ambition.

"One americano of hollyhock for Chris!"

"Yes, thank you!"

"It has hollyhock and hyacinth in it. Enjoy the rest of your day and I wish you good luck on your soccer game!"

"Thanks, mate!" The customer shouts as he exits the shop.

After the place is once again empty aside from Hyunjin and you, Hyunjin runs out through the entrance before coming right back in.

"What was that about?" You ask while still seated on the couch, legs crossed and arms hugging a small white pillow to your chest.

"Oh, I just had to change sign to 'closed'. Do you want a drink?"

"Sure. How about... one not for me but my boss whose a complete asshole? Can I do that?"

"Don't tell me you want me to conjure up a death drink for him."

"I thought you couldn't do that?" 

 "I can't, I'm just messing with you! But sure. I'll give you a small bottle of the flower powders and you can put it in his water or coffee at work. What about you, though?"

"Surprise me a drink for success and remembrance." 

"Sure thing, Y/N. What is it for? Only if you don't mind me asking." Hyunjin makes his way behind the counter, opening drawers, collecting flowers, and putting them in the manual coffee grinders.

"I have a huge test next Friday for fucking alchemy. I need to pass and remember as much information as I can."

"I see. So in other words, you're seeking my work for cheating on a test?" He turns his head to look at you, playfully wriggling an eyebrow.

"You really had to go word it like that?" You playfully ask with a small smile.

Hyunjin turns his head back to his work, carefully spooning flower essence into a glass bottle. "I mean, it's true. Note this though. In order for this drink to take full affect, I suggest you drink it the night before the test. So I'll give the flowers in a bottle for you. And! Make sure you study every single note you've taken right after drinking it. Then, you should be good to go!"

Several minutes later, the boy returns to you, lending you a mini white pouch.

"The bottles are in here, so careful. I labeled them too, so you won't get anything mixed up."

"Thanks, Hyunjin. What did you put?"

"No problem. I put statice and goldenrod for yours. For your boss, he has gladiolus with a smidge of coreopsis."

"Thank you again."

"Shut up, no need to thank me. I'll gladly make hundreds of drinks just so I know I'm helping you." Hyunjin's ear redden a bit after saying that.  "U-umm... I-"

You chuckle aloud at his nervous state. "It's alright! I'm flattered." Deep down though, you're just as nervous. Why? You aren't one-hundred percent certain, but you think you may be falling even more for the lovely boy whose in front of you. It be more of a surprise, though, if you were to not fall for him.

 6:41 pm

It's something said before; The world continues no matter who decides to continue with it. Time lives on without warning anybody. Slowly, it sure didn't feel like that was the case though. The day turns into the next day, then a week, then a month, and soon enough, many more. And as much possible free time you had, you spent it on Hyunjin. You'd visit him so often, he decided to give you a his shop's spare key to use during closing hours. You never used it yet, though, because he always had his doors unlocked for an hour more, knowing and waiting for you to come by. Occasionally, he'd invite himself over at your apartment, surprising you when you open the door. And then, no matter where you both were, you'd do whatever fun activities friends do.

Helping you study (and you certainly passed on your alchemy test thanks to him), going to book stores, riding the boats in the rivers below. He'd visit you at work too sometimes. And surprisingly, the mixture he gave you worked on your boss. Your boss became more sincere not only towards you, but to your co-workers. Then movie nights, picnics under the willow tree and cuddling. To your surprise, Hyunjin was more clingy than you'd ever though he'd be. On days where you were unable to hangout, you'd both write letters. Soon after you stamped the letter and it disappeared, you'd receive one in return. Usually, no more than 10 minutes later. You recall receiving a letter that was half soaked. He wrote how he spilled his americano and didn't want to waste everything he wrote before. He stated how he spilt it on his favorite sweater too.

There was a time where he introduced you to a friend of his, too.

"Felix, this is Y/N! Y/N, this if Felix! You know the guy who made a mess when making pancakes?"

Later on, you three decided to bake brownies at Felix's apartment which was just down the block. Oh how poor Felix's kitchen ended up looking like hell.

Then, when it was just Hyunjin and you once again, you continued making happy memories. You barely remember the night you wanted to jump, or the feelings you did feel. Hyunjin helped replace them all. 

"You're feeling alright, right? Happy?" Hyunjin's asks lowly with a sleepy voice.

Both of you were on the roof of your apartment. Sitting on a bench, admiring the view the Northern District offered.

"I'm alright. Especially with you." You chin rested on his shoulder, looking up at his eyes. His eyes are one of the many things you absolutely adored about Hyunjin. They held fragments of the starry sky and displayed many endearing emotions. Eyes that you enjoy getting lost in. Oh and how they'd turn into the crescents themselves when he'd smile bliss.

"Tell me when you feel down. It doesn't matter if it's three in the morning or if my shop is crowded. I like it when you open up your feeling to me. I like knowing you trust me. M'kay?"

"Thanks, Jinnie."

If the moon could sing, it would. It sing about how cheery it is knowing your existence. It sing knowing the feelings you and your friend has. It sing out of contentment while the stars would dance. It sing knowing you've recovered from each night of crying.

The nights you've cried, Hyunjin was there right by your side. Pulling you close to him, sweet nothings would pour out of his lips. Sometime you'd talk about the mess in your mind, sometimes you didn't; just wanting his comforting presence to keep you. His presence to remind you that all is not lost. Then after, if you were up for it, he'd take you for a long stroll in the city.

 8:01 pm

You both are on Hyunjin's bed cuddling. Nothing but the moonlight shining through the window, landing upon your bodies. Your head laying on top of Hyunjin's chest and his hands playing with your hair. You can hear his mellow heartbeats and feel his chest calmingly rise and fall.

"It's a perfect time to hangout by the willow tree. You want to go?" His voice ever so gentle, drowning your ears.

"Why now?"

"Pleeeaasse!" The boy pleadingly whines, making you giggle.

"Let's go then." You sit up on the bed.

"Yay!" Hyunjin immediately hops off the bed. Swiftly grabbing your hand, he pulls you to get up towards the back exit.

"Woah, Hyunjin!" You laugh at his excited behavior, like a child told he could get any candy in an entire candy store.

The door closes behind with a small creek and thud. The cool relaxing air hitting your faces. Summer is nearing, so the air is no colder than the nights before, but instead, warmer.

"Race you!" He shouts, before dashing off into the tall growing meadow.

And of course, you run. Running in the color-dotted field as it if were the stars in the sky above. Both of your laughters mix into the night air with the solemn singing of the insects. Hastened footsteps making crunching noises with the grass beneath.

The next scene is what makes you break out into a big fit of laughing. You weren't too far behind Hyunjin. He though, before reaching the tree, ended up tripping and falling into the river. The river whose currents flowed peacefully  now being disturbed.

"NOooOOooOOoo!~" Hyunjin shrieks, now sitting in the middle of the river.

You catch up, standing on the edge before the river without breaking your fit of laughter. Hyunjin would kill to hear you laugh every hour, to see a smile painted on your face. Despite his love for you and your current laughter, he extends his arm only to pull you down with him.

"HYUNJIN!" Your legs and half of your arms now immersed underwater. Now it's his turn to laugh.

It was good that the night air was warm enough to not leave you both freezing. To your surprise, you both didn't reach the tree. Instead, you both remained sitting in the river; Bodies leaning on each other for support and comfort. Another thing to your surprise, you felt more excited. Stuck in a manner more playful than usual, like a child who stole his mom's coffee.

The field ahead decorated with more colorful flowers than ever. The black sky above wearing millions of jewels. The river currents playing its own song. Both of you aware of your hearts thumping like crazy.

"You know that drink I gave you an hour ago?"

"Yeah," You reply in a hushed tone.

"It's mad of pink alstroemeria flowers." 

You remove your head from his shoulder to make eye contact with him; his eyes of tenderness. "And what does that mean?"

"Love and playfulness. It best represents friendship that turns to love." Hyunjin says in a barely audible whisper, but it's more than enough for you to hear. At a time like this, he greatly thanks the sky for hiding his deeply-reddened face. "C-can I show you something?"

"Hm?"

Hyunjin's lips crash onto yours not a second later. The gap between you both who desired to be filled had it wish granted. His plump lips were soft on yours, both passionately moving in sync. His lips gave off a taste of sweetness; lips completely sugarcoated. And he could say the same for yours. He eventually pulls away, only to rest his forehead against yours. Eyes lovingly gazing into one another’s. You both sweetly smile, not daring to break eye contact. It feels like the world came to a stop for the two of you.

"You know, you have to pay me back for all those drinks I made for you. How about you do that by coming on a date with me?"

"I'll have to think about that," You say mischievously.

Hyunjin leans in to give you another kiss, one quick but still sweet.

"How about now?"

And that night, the willow tree had another story to keep.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: SKZ Materialist*.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

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