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jenoslutie · 1 year

Text

the (real) fake boyfriend

genre: fluff, fake dating au, youtuber au

wc: 1500

warnings: none! just kissing (barely)

a/n: HI THIS FIC IS FOR THE neosecretsanta event for @flowerboykun! uhhh this is very late. also, this didn't come out as good as i envisioned and seems a little rushed but i hope u enjoy nonetheless.

Day 1: The Plan

Ever since you started your Youtube channel, you’ve been pretty stress-free, with no school, no worrying about grades, and no worrying about having to be on time for a job. Life was going smoothly for you - until now

You were on the run.

On the run from being used as a marketing scheme. Your management wants you to announce your relationship with Mark Tuan, a fellow YouTuber who makes gaming content. It was every girl’s dream to be with Mark. His Youtube comments are flooded with girls swooning over his every move. However, you decided you’re not falling for that. You're not even romantically associated with Mark.

The only way to get out of this was to suddenly announce to your manager that you have a boyfriend that you haven’t told them about yet! So your only option now was to bribe your best friends/assistants to find you some candidates for your fake boyfriend.

You explained everything to Jaemin and Miriah over what was supposed to be just an innocent best-friend lunch date. “Okay, Here’s the deal. I’m gonna need both of you to help find guys that can be my fake boyfriend,” Miriah’s face lit up as you explained but after thinking for a minute, she scowled in Jaemin’s direction. “You want him to find you a boyfriend?” Jaemin opened his mouth to protest but Miriah cut him off before he could even say anything. “He can’t even get himself a girlfriend. How about this? He finds the candidates, I’ll help interview them with you and then one of us can make the contract”

“Sounds good to me”

_________________________________________________________________________

Day 2: Interviewing The Candidates

“Okay,” You adjusted things on your makeshift interview table “Send the first one in”

The first candidate was Johnny, he was tall with a lot of muscles, brown eyes, a sharp jawline, and soft cat-like features.

The second candidate was Jaehyun, also tall, also had a lot of muscles, brown eyes, a square-ish jawline and he had soft peach-like skin.

The third (and final) candidate was Jeno, he was slightly above average height (Miriah assumed around 5 '9 - 5' 10), was very muscular, had an adorable eye smile, and was very sweet.

Jaemin popped inside your office room as soon as Jeno walked out. “That was the last one” You nodded, looking down at the notes you had taken on each guy. “I liked Jeno” you finally spoke. “Me too but I don’t know, he was sweet but something wasn’t clicking” Miriah admitted while she texted her boyfriend, Samuel, giving him all the details of all the candidates.

“Hey, Miriah?” Jaemin narrowed his eyes at her, which went unnoticed by Miriah who was too busy tapping away at her phone

“Yeah?”

“I don’t recall you being the one looking for a boyfriend here! We didn’t ask if he clicked for you or not”

“You know wha-”

“SHUT UP!” You interrupted their bickering before it went too far. “Jaemin, is there anyone else?” He thought for a second before calling someone on his phone and stepping out of the office.

“That little bitch” Miriah grumbled.

_________________________________________________________________________

Day 3: #NewBoyfriendCheck

When Jaemin introduced you to the only other option he had left, you didn’t expect it to be Haechan, Jaemin’s other best friend.

“Hi, I’m Donghyuck, but everyone calls me Haechan”

“I know. I’ll be right back” you excused yourself before stepping out to where Jaemin was supposed to be standing. Instead, He was leaning on the door, trying to hear whatever he could from your conversation so as soon as you opened the door, Jaemin almost came tumbling on top of you. “Jaemin! You little fucker!” He sheepishly smiled at that.

“So? How’d it go”

“He’s the one Jaemin!” You were beyond happy at the thought that you would be free from having to announce Mark Tuan as your boyfriend now. “Wait! hold on, I have to go tell him” And you left Jaemin standing confused.

“Okay! You’re fit for the role of my on-screen boyfriend or whatever. I just need to you sign this contract” You handed him the contract which consisted of basic details about the purpose of your arrangement and rules.

Rules

Be honest. Be open and honest with each other

Restrict your feelings. In other words, keep your feelings to yourself.

No dating anyone else (even if it's real)

You can sleep with other people.

This is a business relationship. No feelings involved.

“Oh wait! One more thing before you leave?” Haechan cranes his head to look at you, smiling slightly before you continue “So considering we will be in a ‘relationship’” You start, doing air quotes with your fingers at the word relationship, “That’d also require you to move in with me for a bit. You know so that my manager is convinced it’s real and I'm not making it up” He looked taken back for a second before he flashed a genuine smile and nodded.

“Okay, when do you want me to bring my stuff over?”

_________________________________________________________________________

Day 6: Internet Famous

“And he moved in???” Your manager shrieked, his head in his hands as he paced around anxiously. You frowned “You literally wanted me to date Mark Tuan for publicity. Why are you so fussy about my actual boyfriend living with me?”

“Well living with your boyfriend is going to lead to I don't know! Babies or some shit”

Haechan scoffed from where he sat next to you with his arm thrown over your shoulder. “We’re smarter than that, we use protection”

Your eyes widened as you turned to look at him considering you both have not even done as much as a kiss. Your manager’s expression matched yours but he seemed more disgusted than you “You know what, do what you want. Just no babies…please.”

Ever since you posted Haechan on your Instagram, your popularity shot up immediately, your comments filled with everyone complimenting how good the both of you looked together and such. Of course, there were some rude comments but you didn't really pay any mind to them, you were just happy about the outcome of a single post.

“You know what we should do?” You started, looking over at Haechan once again “Start an OnlyFans together?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at you, making you shove him away from you in faux disgust “No you freak! I was gonna say record a YouTube video together”

“Oh, That works too”

_________________________________________________________________________

Day 7: First Kiss?

You sat down on your bed editing the Youtube video you shot yesterday, across from Haechan who was currently sitting in front of his laptop, playing some game with Jaemin. You kept replaying the part where Haechan “accidentally” stole a kiss from you as you were doing his makeup, something about the way he just grabbed your face and kissed you as you worked on setting his brows with a brow gel gave you butterflies, no matter how many times you watched it over and over again.

“Jaemin! Can you stop fucking shooting me you freak” Haechan whined from across the room, interrupting you from watching the clip for the millionth time in the past hour. “Haechan stop screaming please, I’m trying to edit,” Haechan whined louder when you said that. “No one loves me here!” You groaned loudly, shutting your computer and throwing it beside you on the bed. “What will it take for you to shut up?” He pretended to think for a bit before he heard Jaemin scream “Make her kiss you!” from his headset. “Hmm, I’ll shut up if i get a kiss” He tried to make it more convincing by pouting at you “Ew, never mind, keep screaming” You picked up your laptop and walked out to the living room to continue editing.

“I don’t know how long I can do this”

_________________________________________________________________________

Day 8: Double date

“I don’t like that Samuel guy” Haechan scoffed as soon as you parted ways with Miriah and her boyfriend after your double date for your YouTube video. You nodded as the both of you walked over to your favorite coffee shop. “I don’t get why Miriah is still with him, I’m a better boyfriend than he is” Haechan walked into the coffee shop behind you before throwing his arm around your shoulders, “I think you agree” you shrugged his arm off your shoulders “Dude, you’re my fake boyfriend”

“Tryna change that?”

“I mean…”

“Dude, I’m tryna rizz you up” He frowned, placing his arms on both of your shoulders and touching his forehead with yours,

“You should be mine” You failed to hold in your laughter, “If you want to kiss me that bad, just say so”

“I do”

“Do it, pussy” and with that, he pulled you in for a soft kiss, he slowly slides his hands across your body and then rests one hand on your cheek giving you butterflies.

And that was, the most perfect kiss was with your new (actual) boyfriend

#neosecretsanta #neohub #haechan fluff #haechan smut #haechan fic #nct fic #nct smut

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markie-baby · 3 months

Text

If You Love Me | pt.1

🌹AngstFluff/Smut (18+ MA) Part II 🌹Black Female Reader x Mark Tuan 🌹shower sex 🌹Your boyfriend Mark has been away on his first solo tour for his album, The Other Side. You haven't seen him in months and something is...off. Now that he's back home, there are a few things you need to get off your chest. 🌹20 notes, and I'll release pt. 2 ~

You stared intently at the last text messages your boyfriend sent you.

(7:00 pm) Markie-moo💜: I just landed😁

(7:05 pm) YAYYYY💕 can't wait to see youuuuuuu

(7:05 pm) you sure you don't need me to pick you up?

Read 7:09 pm.

(7:10 pm) Markie-moo💜: I'm sure😊 I need to go by the studio real quick, then I'll be omw

(7:10 pm) Markie-moo💜: I can't wait to see you, beautiful🖤 I've missed you so much

(7:15 pm) Okay💕 Let me know when you're otw home... I've missed you more!

Read 8:30 pm.

You glanced up at the time on your screen...It's 11pm.

"Your father is very late." You sighed at Milo, who could only look up at you and tilt his head as if he understood the severity of you using the word 'Father' and not 'Daddy'.

The television screen shined through the tall bottle of red wine that sat on your living room table, which casted a shadow on an open bag of gummy bears. You already started snacking on them an hour into waiting for Mark to get to your apartment, and only just realized that you obliterated half the box already. You spent the past three days gearing up for Mark's arrival from his first album tour; aimlessly cleaning your place, cooking all of Mark's favorite foods, buying wine, and meticulously sprinkling rose petals all over the bedroom. You even got dressed up and wore that perfume he liked on you... only to find yourself feeling silly, scratching the belly of his furry baby, as your bones grew stiff waiting for him.

Regrettably, you couldn't deny that you weren't surprised he was a little late. The strongest part of your relationship with Mark was first and foremost, honesty. Mark hated lies and had never told you one himself. Which is why it was so obvious that he has been lying for the past few months. Badly. I was stuck at the studio and I lost track of time, being the most frequently used of the bunch. You'd find him speaking in a low tone for phone calls, rarely letting you use his phone or laptop, and getting absorbed into his phone screen. He started becoming distant... becoming someone completely different from the man you met. You started suspecting he was cheating.

You moved to LA six years ago to pursue owning a business and had no intentions of having a long-term relationship. Mark was a little timid towards you when you first met him through a mutual friend. He never said much outside of the realm of "Hi", "How are you", and "How are you doing?" But as you stuck around more and more, you couldn't help but be drawn to him. You felt connected talking to him about your aspirations, hopes, and fears, knowing that he was always there to listen and share some of those same feelings. It also helped that Mark was (and still is) the most beautiful man you've ever met in your life. Every time you met up with him, you found yourself drinking up all his features; from his pink, heart-shaped lips that opened to a breath-taking smile, to his deep, dark, entrancing eyes. The last time you got lost in Mark's eyes as his best friend, was when your business hit an all-time low.

"I just don't know, Mark..." you sobbed through clogged sinuses. "I don't think I can't still support myself if my business can't make more sales."

Mark was only inches away from you on your couch as you cried into your fetal position.

"Hey, hey..." Mark gently placed his warm hands on your shoulders. "Don't think like that. You've done amazing so far... There has to be something else you can do to get your sales up."

"Well..." You poked your head out briefly. "I could do more marketing... but I already spent so much money on marketing and-"

The tears started reforming in your sore eyes as you hid your head back into your knees. Silence hung in the air like a bad joke as the idea of complete failure circled in your head... You would have to leave the life you worked so hard to build in LA, only to return home to square one, with your tail between your legs. You weren't ready to leave your hard work, your home, your friends, or Mark...

"Y/N..." You felt Mark leaning closer to you with a rasp in his voice. "Look at me."

You reluctantly looked into the eyes of your friend, and suddenly, all the anxiety and fear that you felt only seconds ago, felt like forgotten emotions. His eyes seem to pull you into their calming, deep brown pools.

"Ever since I met you, I have seen you fight and work hard for this. I've admired your passion, and how dedicated you are to your dreams... It's one of my favorite things about you. You can't give up on this now. Not after you worked this hard. Not after you've built this life for yourself all on your own... Not to mention how hard it would be to say goodbye to you if you leave."

"Mark..." You felt your heartbeat in your throat.

"I care about you... and I hate seeing you struggling like this. If you need help, why didn't you ask me?"

"I just didn't want to inconvenience you... I know you've been busy in the studio and doing photoshoots I-... just figured that could do this on my own. Like I've always done everything on my own."

Mark's eyes trailed yours, slowly inching to your nose then your lips...

"You don't have to do this alone." You felt Mark snake his long fingers in between yours. "I'll be there for you... like always."

The bubble developing in your throat was an indication that the waterworks were rising again. Up to this point, Mark has been the most supportive, honest, sweetest, considerate, and the most chill person in your life. He's always been there to listen to whatever you had to tell him; what you see each other doing in the next few years, or a late-night drunken rant about pineapples on pizza. And whenever Mark called, you would drop everything just to hear how his day was. Whenever you hung out with him, you could be alone or in a group of other people, it was like it was just you two. Your soul mate...

You looked into Mark's eyes again, feeling your heart start to race... in your trance, your eyes wandered across his face, admiring how the low glow of the Livingroom television showed his soft textured skin. How his hair was poofy since he raced over to you from his nap. Sometimes you felt like you didn't deserve someone this amazing and supportive to be in your court. But Mark was just your cute little blessing on top of all the other ones. Overcome with emotion, you crash into Mark's arms and held him tight.

"Thank you so much, Mark. For everything." Your stress left your body in a big sigh. "I love you..."

You felt Mark's arms around your waist slowly pull you closer to his body and his face buried into the crook of your neck.

"I love you more..."

You replayed his response in your head as you held on to him.

"I love you more" Thump.

"I love you more" Thump-Thump.

"I love you more" Thump. Thump-Thump-Thump. Thump.

Your heart started to race. Goosebumps raised when Mark's breath lightly brushed your neck, and you felt his strong heartbeat thump against your chest. What was this feeling? You were scared to pull away, frightened of getting lost in his gaze again.

"Um, right s-so..." You cleared your throat. "Thanks again, Markie."

You tried pulling away... but found that Mark's grip was still tight around you.

"Wait..." He spoke in a low tone that made your spine shiver.

Your heart felt like it was going to climb out of your mouth. Of course, you've been this close to Mark plenty of times before, you guys have practically held hands before. But there has never been this type of tension hanging in the air. It was almost suffocating. You looked into Mark's eyes for some sort of sign... but damn, he was looking so gorgeous. Your eyes traced his whole face; every curve of his pink lips, every line in his jaw & every eyelash sitting upon his beautiful eyes. Oh, his eyes... they seemed to sparkle... and they were intently fixed on your mouth. Instinctively, your hands made their way up to his jawline, which produced a small sigh from Mark's parted lips.

He was slowly closing the space between your faces. The heat started to rise in between your ears, as you battled with the thought of kissing your best friend. If you did, you could be either making the best decision of your life... or ruining a friendship with a man you cared for deeply. But you couldn't deny... you wanted him. With every heavy breath that Mark breathed, with every second his hands tightened around your thighs, with every inch that his lips drew closer to yours... your desire for him grew. The realization that you loved him grew.

"Mark-"

With the most genuine softness, Mark closed the painful gap between both pairs of lips. Both of your bodies were lost in each other... neither of you realized just how steamy your little make-out session got. You became a couple shortly after, with this year being your third year together.

With each passing day, you felt more frustrated in your conflicted feelings. On one side, you were upset at him... but more at yourself for letting the situation grow. On the other hand, you felt the yearning for him grow hot and restless in your core, and eventually, you couldn't help but touch yourself out of the thought of him. The way his dark, loose curls flop over his forehead, the sparkle in his eyes, the sincerity of his smile, the sweetest of his cologne, the slight curve of his lips, the softness of his skin, the heat of his breath-

You snap out of your trance when you hear the jingle of keys at the door. You tap your screen back to life. It's 11:55 pm.

"I'm home!" Mark poked his head through the door at beamed at you on the couch.

"Mark..." You couldn't help but sigh.

"Babe!" Mark cheesed the brightest smile you've ever seen as his chest collided with yours.

His arms tightly squeezed around your waist as you heard him drink in your scent. Finally, your boyfriend was home, with a bouquet as bright as his smile. Almost instinctively, your nerves weakened in his warm embrace, and you melted around him. You forgot about everything you were ever upset about. With every bone in your aching body, you wanted to hold him... feel his skin gently graze yours, caress his adorable face, and shower him in kisses... but he still broke his promise. The one person in your life who was always truthful, real, and loyal... wasn't anymore.

"I missed you so, so much..." Mark whispered into your ear.

"Mark..." You pulled away from him. "What took you so long..."

"I'm sorry," He sighed. "I got tied up again-"

"Mark I..." You paused. "I've spent all of the past 3 days preparing all this stuff for you. And I have been... trying so hard to be so excited for you to come home. For you be in my arms again, to kiss you, to make absolute love to you..."

"What?" Mark's eyes widened.

"We need to talk about something."

Mark's smile slowly started to fade and the bouquet slowly lowered from his grasp.

"You've broken the one promise that we've had in this relationship... you lied to me, Mark. And you've been doing it over and over... And I'd hope that our bond was strong enough for you to realize that I would notice that."

"Hey-"

Mark gently placed the bouquet on the kitchen counter and held both of your hands in his.

"Do you truly think I'm cheating on you?"

You looked longingly into his eyes, only to be handed a cold, serious gaze in return.

"No," You bit your lip in hesitation. "You wouldn't do something like that. But I don't know what to think, Mark."

Mark sighed deeply...

"I leave for months and come back to a fight..." He scratched the back of his head in frustration. "You said that the one promise we made in this relationship was honesty, but you broke another one too. You don't trust me to be loyal to you?"

"I do trust you! But what am I supposed to make of this, Mark?" Your eyes stung.

Mark's cold gaze softened. "I have never had the thought of ever cheating on you and would never. I'm sorry that I was distant and made you feel that I wasn't being truthful."

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it until now..."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I've been waiting for forever just to get back home to you." You felt his warm hands caress your waist. "Can I please kiss my beautiful girlfriend now?"

"Yes." You breathed.

Mark snaked his hands further around your waist, and with a passionate firmness, pursed his lips between yours. You felt your body tingle with warmth and your heart beating heavily against your boyfriend's chest. A groan left Mark's lips as he left yours.

"Hey..." Mark's voice turned raspy as he eyed your body. "You deserve my honesty; The real reason I have been distant is because I was putting a lot of energy into planning something really important."

"Planning something...?" Your head cocked to one side. "For your album?"

"No, for you."

"For me..?"

Mark's lips cut your question short and derailed your train of thought.

"It's a surprise for later." You could feel a smirk developing on your boyfriend's soft lips. "Let me enjoy the surprise you have for me first."

Mark gazed over at the romantic display you made in the living room.

"Do you like it? I hope I didn't go overboard..."

"It's perfect." Mark looked into your eyes with the utmost sincerity. "And you even got me my favorite gummy bears? It's everything I could have wanted. And you being here with me makes it all better."

Mark infused passion into every aspect of his life, and his way with words was no exception. Surprisingly, conveying his feelings verbally wasn't always his forte in our relationship. However, he consciously broke free from the habit of murmuring, trailing off, and avoiding eye contact. Despite not being the most talkative when we initially met, the incomprehensible extent to which Mark went out of his way to express how much I meant to him was truly remarkable.

"I'm so glad you're home." You wrapped your arms around your boyfriend's torso and pulled him close.

"Me too." You felt a light peck on your forehead. "Why don't we get this night started?"

It was 2:45 am when the credits started to roll on the third horror movie that Mark insisted that you both watch. Unfortunately, he had been too invested to realize that you had fallen asleep since movie number two. You found the most heavenly spot on his chest to rest your head, and with his right arm snuggled gently around your torso and his left hand resting on your thigh, it was a guaranteed recipe for a great night's rest.

"The gore in that was something else-" Mark cut himself off when his eyes came to gaze on your sleeping figure.

Your face was adorably smushed up to Mark's chest, letting out soft breaths as you rested. All four of your limbs found themselves wrapped around his slim body, trapping him in your sloth-like embrace. Mark's eyes traveled and the bottom hem of your dress found itself dangerously hiked up to expose your smooth thighs.

Mark rubbed his hand against your thigh. "Wake up, babe."

You blinked your eyes awake and gazed upon the tired eyes of your boyfriend. "Oh shit, did I fall asleep?"

"Definitely. And I think you were snoring a bit, too." He joked.

"Oh stop." You rubbed your eyes to get a better view of the clock. "Oh shit, it's late..."

Mark's voice became hushed. "Maybe we should...continue this celebration upstairs?"

"You're ready for bed?"

"I am. But not necessarily sleep."

You smirked, picking up on his hint. "Oh, I see..."

Without saying another word, you took Mark's hand and guided him up the stairs, where you were greeted by the romantic glow of the moon.

"Oh..."

"You like it, right? I got rose petals, the candles are all lit..." You gestured towards the bathroom.

Mark pulled your hand back towards his body and planted a firm, hungry kiss on your lips.

"You are so sweet. This is amazing..." His warm hands caressed your cheeks. "How do I deserve someone as perfect as you?"

You could feel the heat of his breath on your lips. He was close, too close. The temptation to press your mouth to his was too much to handle. You could almost taste the mint of his toothpaste.

"I know I've been a little distant for these past few months." Mark started. "It's just... I've had a lot on my mind. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, but I didn't want to rush things."

"Yeah?"

"But now, I can't hold back." He cupped your cheek and brushed his thumb against it. You felt his gaze bore into yours, and he seemed to study every inch of your face.

"What is it, baby?" You pressed.

"I'm so in love with you. I love you so much that it hurts. I love how passionate you are, I love how you make me feel when we're together, and I love that you've been patient with me during this whole process. You're my rock. You make me want to be a better person. I want to be worthy of you."

"Mark, you already are." You gently held the sides of his face. "Don't say that. You are good enough, Mark. You have such a kind heart and a big soul. You're the most loving and caring person I know. Just don't get too caught up in your music, and start overworking yourself. You're not gonna find me there."

Mark let out a soft chuckle in response.

"You always know what to say," Mark breathed. "I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"I know that I was gone for a while, and I want to make it up to you. So, how would you feel about me taking you on a trip?"

"A trip?" You shot him a confused look. "Where would we go?"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Mark kissed the tip of your nose. "I'll take care of everything. Just be ready to leave for this weekend."

"Three days??" You giggled. "You really just planned a whole trip, huh?"

"Anything for you."

As Mark leaned in to kiss you again, you couldn't help but notice his scent. He smelled like the airport and the plane and everything else that was not his normal aroma.

"Speaking of jet setting, you smell weird," you chuckled.

"What do you mean?" he laughed back.

"I'm not sure, but you just smell different."

"Well, I should take a shower then," he suggested. "And maybe you can join me."

"Okay, but don't try any funny business." You smirked.

"What?" He feigned innocence.

"You heard me," you replied, wagging your finger at him.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see," he said, pulling you close.

"Wait and see, huh?" you repeated.

"Yeah, just wait and see."

You rolled your eyes and pulled away from him, making your way toward the bathroom. As you walked into the bathroom, you could hear Mark following closely behind. You pulled him toward the bathroom and turned on the shower, the sound of the water filling the small room. The sound of unzipping made your head turn to Mark, who was already undressing. You watched on in perverted wonderment at how his abdominal muscles flexed under his perfect skin as he moved to remove his underwear. He glanced over his broad, muscular shoulders, smirking while keeping eye contact as he bent down. You admired how his hair grew poofy from the steam beginning to form around him.

"Enjoying the view?" Mark's husky voice startled you, causing your eyes to snap to his face.

"Shut up," you said as you joined him, sliding the flimsy slip of material you wore onto the floor.

Mark's eyes burned with need as his gaze traveled up your legs, slowly drinking in the image before him.

"Damn..." he breathed as he raked his teeth across his bottom lip, his dark eyes meeting yours.

You smiled coyly at him as you stepped into the shower, closing the glass door behind you. Mark's eyes never left yours as he joined you in the warm spray of the water.

"Mmm," he hummed as he cupped your cheek and brought his lips to yours.

The kiss was soft and sweet at first but quickly turned passionate and needy. You ran your fingers through his damp curls as he pressed his hips into yours, his hardening length brushing against your stomach. His hands were everywhere, exploring every inch of your bare flesh as the water cascaded around you. You moaned softly as his lips found your pulse point, sucking the sensitive skin into his mouth.

"I love the sounds you make," he growled as he gently nipped the delicate skin.

"Hey, don't forget that you have to take a shower, stinky." You chuckled.

Mark grinned and rolled his eyes, grabbing the bottle of shampoo that rested next to the tap.

"Okay, okay."

You watched in anticipation as he squirted some of the soap into his hand, before applying it to his hair. His eyes stayed fixated on yours, which flickered down briefly to take in his naked, glistening body. You couldn't help but admire his perfection, even when doing the most mundane task. How his pectorals flexed with every movement, as he brushed and lathered the soapy bubbles throughout his coils of dark brown hair. How his veins tightened from his arms to his hands, and how each drop of water seemingly dripped at a pace slow enough for you to memorize. Your gaze traced down from his chest to his abs, and even further down past the borderline of pubic hair where-

"Babe."

"Sorry, what?" Your eyes shifted back to his face.

"Were you paying attention?" Mark smugly raised an eyebrow.

"I was definitely paying attention..." You trailed off.

"So what was I saying?"

"You were saying, that I was being the best girlfriend ever!"

"Mm-hm."

"By making us dinner tonight."

"Mm-hm."

"And how your favorite gummy bears are an ample reward for me having to put up with you-"

"Alright," Mark chuckled as he laid his index finger on the seam of your lips. "Point made. You got me."

"Duh." You nipped at his knuckle. "You're so easy. What did you say, anyway?"

"Something..." Mark teased as he dunked his head back under the water, washing the remaining shampoo down his torso. "About how much I really, really, missed touching you. All of you."

You snorted. "You mean our little quickie at LAX before you left didn't cut it?"

"Is that what you call what happened at LAX?" He asked, pulling you close and pressing his arousal against you.

"Yes," you giggled. "Because that is exactly what we did. You were the one trying to miss your flight."

"I couldn't help it." He groaned. "It was just so hot."

"Oh shut up." You laughed.

You grabbed the bottle of body wash, poured some on your towel, and rubbed the soap into the cloth.

"Are you gonna help me or what?" You asked playfully.

"What do you think?" He replied, grabbing the other end of the towel and helping you rub the wet cloth along your body.

Your breath hitched as his hand moved from your ribs down to your hips and your mouth dropped open when you felt his fingertips graze your behind. You groaned loudly as Mark continued to caress your ass, his other hand sliding around your waist and pulling you into his embrace. You shuddered as he pressed his lips against your neck, murmuring words of love and encouragement in between every kiss.

"Why didn't you come with me on tour, again?" Mark asked as he continued massaging your skin.

"We talked about this, Mark," you replied, lightly rolling your eyes. "I wanted to be here and continue working. And I don't think I'm cut out for road life."

"But I wanted you there..." he pouted, making your heart stop. "I missed you like crazy."

"I missed you, too..." You turned to face him, seeing him still with an upset frown. You reached for his hands and gently ran your thumb over his knuckles.

"But I don't think I can spend another tour without my Markie-Poo," you admitted with a soft smile.

You looked up to see your boyfriend with the brightest grin you've seen him with in a long while. Mark immediately took the back of your head and pulled your face towards his in a loving embrace, getting soap all over his arms and torso...

"So you're telling me that the next tour I have, you're coming with me?"

" I promise."

"I could get used to having you near me every day," Mark whispered into your ear, his low voice sending shivers down your spine.

"I'd hope so," You replied. "It would be pretty confusing to accommodate another presence in our bed, otherwise."

You could see a pout starting to form on your boyfriend's lips. You loved how Mark could make a face of indifference switch from a stone-cold wall into a begging, adorable, child. The pout quickly melted away, however, and you were only able to appreciate its short existence for a split second. His eyes shifted from your own to your neck, his pale and slender fingertips gliding gently against your exposed collarbone.

"Hey..." You whispered into his ear. "What are you thinking about?"

Mark didn't speak. Only paused for a moment, as if contemplating what he wanted to say, but only getting lost in your beauty. Your breath hitched. His eyes were focused on yours as he inched closer to you. He never broke your stare until his hand suddenly reached up and he placed it ever so carefully against your cheek, causing you to inhale deeply. His eyes flickered over your face, resting for a brief moment at your lips, then back up to meet yours once again. His hand traveled from your cheek and made its way down to your chin, tilting your head up slightly. His lips met yours, softly and gently. He didn't push or rush. He seemed to savor the moment, pulling away just enough to let out a small whimper.

"Did you just moan?" He asked.

"Mmmm, maybe," you replied teasingly.

"If we weren't in the shower right now..." he started.

"Then what would we be doing, Mark?" You asked, grinning at him.

"Then," he said, his low voice rumbling as his hand wrapped around your waist, gently moving his face close to yours. "I would be taking you against the glass."

Mark kissed your forehead tenderly and continued his gentle ministrations against your skin.

"We would start slow," he began. "My hands would travel all over you, starting at your hips. I'd go over them over and over until I could feel you shake."

You bit your lip as Mark's movements matched his words. You could feel your cheeks warm from the way he talked. He had never talked to you this way. Never with the confidence and sultry tone of voice. Mark was normally a gentle, passionate, yet quiet lover.

But this was different. It was sexy. You loved it.

A moan escaped from your lips, unable to suppress the shiver that ran throughout your entire body. The mere thought of having him inside you caused your muscles to twitch and spasm. Mark chuckled lightly as he leaned into you, his hands still exploring your curves. You loved it when he held you. His touch felt so warm and comforting. It made you feel safe and protected, but at the same time, you loved how strong his arms felt against your frame. He felt so large compared to your small size and it gave you the most pleasant butterflies.

"After that I would pick you up, your legs around my waist," he said softly, pulling back a bit to stare into your eyes. "And then, I'd drive you insane..."

He emphasized each word as if he were whispering them into your ear, and his words left you breathless and speechless. Mark's voice had a way of making you feel things you've never felt before.

"Sounds like you really want to have shower sex," you said with a slight giggle.

He kissed you passionately as his hands glided back to your ass once again, gripping you firmly as he slowly lifted you in the air. You wrapped your arms around his slender neck, and your legs around his waist. As your curves pressed against him, you could feel his excitement, causing your eyes to widen slightly. You hadn't even touched him yet, and he was extremely excited for you.

Mark placed one hand against the shower wall for support and you looked into his beautiful brown orbs once more.

"Have you been wanting me, like I have been needing you?" He asked in a low and husky voice that sent shivers through your body. You answered him by pressing your lips against his and kissing him passionately. After a few seconds, Mark moved his kisses across your neck and down to your collarbone. He sucked on it lightly, causing you to gasp as your nails dug into his shoulders. He let out a small groan, and you couldn't help but laugh slightly. The man was adorable.

For five agonizing minutes, he tortured you with his mouth, and slowly lifted you higher. Your heart started beating so fast, causing a mixture of nervousness and excitement that blended perfectly.

"Relax babe," Mark cooed.

You took a deep breath, the smile not leaving your face, and nodded at him.

Mark entered your slit slowly, his length engulfing your walls slowly. You sucked in a breath and shut your eyes tight, letting yourself enjoy this feeling of being filled so completely by your boyfriend. He went deep, his entire length inside you now. He let himself stay there for a second, giving you time to get used to this new feeling. Then he pulled out a few inches before sliding back into you. He continued this process, slowly getting a rhythm, his thrusts growing in power. You moaned each time his length penetrated you.

"Yes..." you breathed and heard Mark moan in response.

He increased his pace even more, driving his length into you and then withdrawing completely with each thrust. Soon, the sounds of water splashing off your wet skin filled the room. Mark became a mess of grunts and pants every time he penetrated you, audibly teasing you toward your climax.

"Babe, you feel so-" A deep moan escaped your boyfriend's parted lips.

His breath was hot on your neck as he worked you towards your release, and it felt like electricity every time his skin touched yours. You had forgotten where you were, who you were, and what was going on around you, it was only you and Mark.

"Mark..." you moaned.

You couldn't hold off your orgasm any longer as waves of pleasure washed over your body. He continued his ministrations as you rode your high, and you watched him as you came down. You looked in awe at this beautiful specimen of a man standing before you as he held you in his arms. He just smiled at you and placed a kiss on your forehead.

Then he exhaled and put you down, slumping against the cold tile wall. His wet hair dangled over his blushed face. You smiled and placed a hand against his cheek, stroking it gently as you gave him another kiss, he kissed you in return, and the soft brush of his lips lingered as you pulled away.

"I love you," he said, his gaze fixed on yours.

"I love you, too."

You say "You took the energy out of me."

Mark smiled and leaned back against the wall. "I guess you could say that," he smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think you'll be able to get to the bedroom? Or do you need me to carry you?"

You slowly stood up, ceasing the sound of running water with your index finger. "Carry me, please!" You pouted and raised your arms.

Mark chuckled as he opened the shower door to retrieve your towels.

"Alright, alright, my queen," Mark threw your wet towel on your head, muffling your laugh. "I'll carry you to the bed."

You pushed the towel off of your face as Mark slipped his arms underneath your wet body and scooped you up into his arms.

"Mmm, you smell much better," you murmured as you nuzzled against his neck. Mark snorted and kissed the top of your head.

You were smitten by his scent and the way he handled you with such ease. He gently laid you on your bed, sinking in on top of you, like you had been daydreaming of for months.

"I've missed this," he whispered, "missed touching you, missed watching you sleep..." He brushed a strand of hair away from your face and gazed down at you like you were the only person in the world.

"I missed waking up next to you, seeing your face in the mornings, and hearing your voice at night."

He brought his lips to yours, softly and sweetly like he was afraid you would break. His lips tasted like the memories of stolen kisses in dark corners and glances behind closed doors. The more you tasted his lips, the more you craved, and you pressed into him, desperate for more.

"Baby, I've missed you so much," he mumbled against your lips, "and you don't understand how crazy it's been."

"No kidding," you replied, returning his kiss with equal vigor.

"Everywhere I went, fans were throwing themselves at me. All I could think about was you. All I'm ever gonna want is you."

Your heart skipped a beat at the confession. You pulled away to smile at him, taking in his beautiful face. It wasn't just his looks that captivated you; it was his mind and his heart. He was pure goodness through and through, and you knew you were the luckiest person in the world.

"And all I ever want is you," you replied. Mark cupped your face and stared into your eyes, his deep brown eyes pooling with emotion. "You okay, babe?"

"It's nothing...I just- I love you," he said, his voice cracking slightly, "so much."

You kissed him fiercely, overcome with emotion. "I love you a shit ton too."

Mark laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkling. "Well, you better. You won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

"Good."

Mark smirked and moved his head down, trailing kisses across your stomach and past your navel.

"What are you doing down there? Aren't you tired?"

Mark looked up, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"It would be a waste not to take advantage of the candles and rose petals, don't you think?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

To Be Continued.

#got7 #mark tuan #got7 mark #igot7 #kpop #got7 yugyeom #got7 jackson #got7 jb #got7 bambam #got7 kpop #got7 scenarios #got7 smut #got7 jinyoung #got7 youngjae #mark tuan fanfic #mark tuan smut #got7mark #black reader #black reader x idol

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oraclekleo · 1 year

Text

Tuan Mark Yi En (GOT7 / Solo) Kinky* Tarot Reading

Disclaimer:

All readings have purely entertainment nature

I don’t know any of the celebrities personally

Don’t base life decisions purely on tarot readings

I can never guarantee any of what’s said in the reading

Before requesting, read the pinned post and appropriate linked post

Tarot readings are my hobby - I’m not obligated to accept any of the requests nor to complete them, it’s my choice, not duty

Waiting time is long, even several months

If you can’t wait, please, seek other tarot reader

Reading Info:

Rating: 18+

Reading Type: Single - Couple

Requested: Yes - No

Requester: /

Deck: E. A. Poe

Spread: Kinky* Reading

Questions:

Position

Libido

Turn On

Kink

Dirtiest Secret*

Celebrity Info:

Full Name: Tuan Mark Yi En

Stage Name: Mark

Group: GOT7 / Solo

DOB: 04.09.1993

Sun Sign: Virgo

Chinese Sign: Water Rooster

Life Path Number: 8

Masterpost: Got7

Ko-fi - Voluntary Tip for Readings

Tuan Mark Yi En

Mark (GOT7 / Solo)

Deck: E. A. Poe

Spread: Kinky* Reading

Position - 4 of Pentacles

Mark could be described as a clingy lover. He’s super loyal in a relationship, he’s not likely to lose sight of his sweetheart often. If they can’t be physically together, he’s the type to text and call often just to check his lover is doing okay. If taken to extremes, he might become possessive. He’s more on the traditional side when it comes to position in a relationship, he’s a man and therefore he takes the dominant share of responsibility on himself. He’s courteous and romantic.

Libido - XIV Temperance

Mark is no uncontrollable beast when it comes to sex. He’s pretty well balanced and probably even capable of a long distance relationship while staying utterly faithful to his lover far away. He’s not the type to give in to his carnal needs, he’s more on the sensible and sensitive side. Mark is a very gentle and caring lover, always putting his significant other’s well-being a priority. He’s not a big fan of extremes like edging or overstimulation as he finds it unpleasant.

Turn On - Queen of Pentacles

Mark is likely to feel attracted to a well composed and balanced personality, mature and with a motherly vibe to them. He’s no fan of dramas or youthful wilderness. His lover can be either older than him or at least mature at heart. The cards suggest more likely a woman but it’s not a rule.

Kink - VIII Strength

As mentioned before, Mark isn’t a fan of extremes. He’s more likely to appreciate a well-balanced and harmonious type of relationship. He likes to have a certain power over his lover but not in a way they would follow his every order. Mark is likely to prefer to be on top in bed but he expects his lover to be active as well. He might feel especially aroused by dirty talk coming from his lover’s mouth. But only during intimate moments. In public, any inappropriate behaviour repels him.

Dirtiest Secret* - Knight of Swords

Mark is a man with vision and elegance and he’s the type to set goals for himself and pursue them relentlessly. He’s likely secretly a bit ruthless. Not in a way he would actually physically hurt someone but he can become so concentrated on his goal, that he will forget about other people existing around him. He might unintentionally hurt his lover’s feelings when cancelling dates, not coming to their birthday party, forgetting about anniversaries due to the fact he’s in the middle of his project and nothing can distract him.

Thank you for reading!

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finallydelight · 2 years

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lsjslsjsk that foodtruck anon suggestion omg i can imagine the members going

"wahh this is so good"

"yah hyung! you should try this"

"ahhh, from which company is this? this is so good from our usual ones we get"

and ming at the side just

"oh its from mark"

"mark??"

the members in denial "mark tuan? got7 mark?" "ahh what a good friend, got7 mark"

ming: ??? no ? my mark (pls i wish) nct's mark

LIKE THAT WOULD BE SO FUNNY SOJAKAHAJ

OMGGGGG I LOVE IT

ming wouldn’t tell any of them on purpose, wanting them to compliment this “friend” of hers 🤭

cheol, hannie, shua and gyu would be LOVING the food, especially mingyu and would keep praising ming’s friend. after she was satisfied with their reactions she would tell them it was our boy mork.

“I didn’t know you were friends with Mark Tuan.”

“He’s not the one who send it, Shua.”

“Then what Mark are you talking about?”

“My Mark.”

“You don’t have a Mark.”

and it would keep going like that 😭😭😭

kwan, seok, hoshi, hao and jun would be so amused watching them deny that it was mark who send it.

“Look at those idiots pretending it wasn’t Minhyung.”

“I’m gonna send this to Jungwoo.”

vernon, wonu and jihoon would just be enjoying their food, they didn’t really care who send it.

and our drama queen dinito would text a picture of the food truck to yeonjun.

“the competition’s getting tough, jun.”

“how are you gonna top that?”

#ming.svt #ming.ask

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666vicious · 4 months

Text

"in one of his few direct speeches in england, dracula markedly avows that mina’s 'rabidity' is, in fact, a rebellion from the mastery of the 'brave men' and tantalizingly promises to her that now, thanks to the power conferred by 'rabidity,' she may turn the scales, effectively reversing the gender hierarchy of the group of hunters: 'you shall be avenged in turn; for not one of them but shall minister to your needs' (252). this little remarked-upon line, i suggest, contains the key to the titillating vehemence with which beloved women and pets may be destroyed to put the rebellious dependants back in their place. and yet the text seems desparately to insist that lucy and mina would never wish to avenge themselves, to reassure late victorians that there is, in fact, nothing to avenge. dracula’s tempting offer of female empowerment comes closest to avowing the status quo inequalities that 'rabidity' challenges and explains the hostility that undergirds the graphic mutilation of all the 'rabid' women: a moment of recognition that the beloved pet has legitimate reasons to desire vengeance and might be empowered to seek it. thus, when mina is in one of her guided hypnotic trances, most immersed in her connection to rebellious 'rabidity,' van helsing fights to re-establish mastery over her. while she does obey van helsing’s commands to divulge dracula’s secrets, she complains that van helsing is unpleasantly 'order[ing her] about, as if [she] were a bad child' (300). to justify the imperious tone of his commandments, van helsing insists not only that he orders her about for her own good but that his need to command her reflects her mastery over him: mina is 'her [sic] whom i am proud to obey!' (300). to late victorians, the underlying crisis waiting to erupt in any master-pet relationship is that, in his love, the master might lose mastery. adoration for a pet is more than a cover for the dominance inherent in the relation that yi-fu tuan has identified; it poses a threat to the proper hierarchy, suggesting the motivation for the paradoxical need to mark the beloved pet as a threatening object when it is most lovable/loved. the master might love his dog too much, such that it is no longer clear who 'obeys' whom: his love and affection threaten his ability to sustain his position as head of the household and, in van helsing’s logic, motivate his paranoid assertions of 'loving' control over his subordinates. in loving a master and being loved in return, the pet stands intimately with the master, dangerously close to peership—and mutiny."

keridiana chez, “you can’t trust wolves no more nor women”: canines, women, and deceptive docility in bram stoker’s dracula

#keridiana chez #dracula #analysis #writing #my post #vampirism #notes

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elikpwilliam · 6 months

Text

Book Review: Harmony by Project Itoh

Harmony: An Ambiguous Dystopia

In the late 2000s, a young author with the unconventional pen name Project Itoh (伊藤計劃) appeared in the Japanese science fiction world like a bolt from the blue. His first novel Genocidal Organ (2007) was rated by a poll in Hayakawa Publishing’s annual SF guidebook (SFが読みたい) as the best novel in the genre from that decade, and his second novel Harmony (2008) received both of Japan’s most prestigious SF awards, the Seiun and the SF Grand Prix, as well as a special citation from America’s Phillip K. Dick Award.

Sadly, though Itoh’s influence and reputation persist to this day, his tenure as a professional author was all too brief. The tragic irony of Harmony—a near future tale about an oppressive global medical regime—is that Itoh edited the proofs while in and out of hospital during the final months of his long battle with cancer. Itoh died in 2009 at the age of 34, just two years after his novelistic debut. Because Itoh himself passed away long before COVID-19 reared it’s spike protein head, we can only speculate as to how he would have reacted to the pandemic and its restrictions on freedom in the name of saving lives. His novels display respect for science and acceptance of a materialist metaphysics, so there is little reason to believe that he would have opposed fact-based public health recommendations such as vaccination, masking, and distancing on principle. Still, when Harmony is read now, in the post-pandemic age, one can’t help noticing its relevance to the conflict—illustrated most vividly in the USA but played out around the globe—between those who opposed government measures to limit the spread of covid and those who willingly—sometimes eagerly—cooperated. Which side of the disagreement the novel falls on depends on whether you believe that the future it depicts is meant to be terrifying or desirable. Although Harmony appears on first glance to be a work of dystopian literature targeted at a kind of medical authoritarianism, there are compelling reasons, as we will see, to treat it as a utopian tale that promotes government interventions to protect human life.

Lifeist Hegemony Through Physiological Surveillance

In a near future, the world has been taken over by the “ademedistration”, a global network of medical conclaves that regulate all social interaction. Through “WatchMe”, a system of countless nanobots called “medicules” that permeate the body, the homeostasis of every citizen is constantly monitored. Here we have a surveillance regime akin to the Big Brother panopticon of George Orwell’s 1984, except instead of utilizing television-like viewscreens to watch and listen in on the people, the surveillance infrastructure is embodied and dedicated only to the task of medical nannying. Driving admedistration institutions is “lifeism”, an ideology that treats the body as a public resource that must be kept healthy and forced to procreate. Procreation is a crucial biological service in the wake of a nuclear war called the Maelstrom that caused widespread genetic mutation, infertility, and depopulation. (Some passages suggest that the Maelstrom resulted from the events of Genocidal Organ, placing Harmony second in the same fictional continuum.) For reasons we don’t learn until the epilogue, Harmony is told in Emotion-in-Text Markup Language (ETML). That is, every beat of the story is marked with representative emotions, mental actions, or moods, in a play on HTML. For example, the beginning of the English edition (translated by my friend Alex. O Smith) reads as follows:

I have a story to tell. <declaration:calculation> <pls: The Story of a Failure> <pls: The Story of a Defector> <eql: In other words, me.> </declaration>

This formal experiment no doubt derives from Itoh’s original career in web design, through which he would have been familiar with front end code. Our first-person protagonist is Tuan. In childhood, Tuan was friends with two girls, Cian and their leader Miach. Under the influence of Miach, who rails constantly against lifeism, the trio decide to plot an act of rebellion. But since the admedistration lacks any central authority, there is no clear target to strike. So Miach concludes that their only hope of resistance is to flout the moratorium on death by committing group suicide. The girls then make a pact to take drugs that prevent absorption of nutrients from food, a kind of pharmaceutically-induced starvation that is supposed to go undetected by admedistration officials because the girls are still minors and have yet to receive WatchMe. When Cian tattles, she and Tuan are saved before it’s too late but Miach dies as planned. This leaves the two survivors to grow up without their leader, struggling to understand the meaning of Miach’s fatal dissent and their own failure to join her. As an adult, Tuan finds employment with Helix, a militarized arm of the World Health Organization that fights for lifeism in developing regions around the world. Tuan has chosen a career in soldiering because it allows her to visit far-flung war zones where she can get her hands on cigarettes, booze, and narcotics. By hacking her WatchMe, she is able to to send spoofed physiological data, thereby quietly thumbing her nose at the health-enforcing authorities. Tuan’s life of insalubrious impudence continues until she returns to Japan and reunites with Cian, who has taken a typical admedistration job and seems to have conformed to lifeist society. Then, over dinner at a nice restaurant, Cian kills herself in a gory display by cutting her own jugular vein. Tuan soon learns that Cian’s death was part of a simultaneous mass suicide. Now, through admedistration propaganda news networks, the organizers of this mysterious atrocity demand that everyone murder at least one other person or they too will be forced to commit suicide. The ultimatum seems uncannily reminiscent to Tuan of Miach’s morbid plotting when they were children, and she wants to understand how the bloodbath was perpetrated. Her investigations take her to Baghdad, now a locus of cutting-edge medical research, where she meets her father, the inventor of the WatchMe system, and later to the caves of the Caucasus mountains, where she confronts the villain behind a scheme to snuff out essential facets of human nature and inaugurate a kind of totalizing harmony.

Antivaxxer Dystopia or Science Credulous Utopia?

Contrary to what the high praise both within and without Japan might suggest, Harmony is not an exemplar of top-class story-craft. The characters, with the exception perhaps of Thanatos-channeling Miach, are two-dimensional at best. The dearth of description makes a missed opportunity of the exotic settings, and, combined with the comparatively plentiful dialogue, reduces most of the novel to a series of disembodied voices waxing intellectual. Even the philosophical discussions of consciousness and free will crucial to the denouement fail to stand up to the most rudimentary scrutiny. One must suppose that Itoh, writing on his deathbed, struggled to flesh out the vision of his final work as fully as he had demonstrated himself capable of in earlier stories such as Genocidal Organ. Still, Harmony does represent a rare* and memorable example of a Japanese novel that fits in either the dystopian or utopian tradition—perhaps both at once. Like Ursula K. le Guin’s masterpiece The Dispossessed, which bears the subtitle “An Ambiguous Utopia,” Harmony constructs a nuanced future. Ultimately, the position it encourages readers to take on the medical nanny state remains inconclusive, making the text an interesting lens through which to consider the polarization around government responses to the pandemic. If Harmony is classified as a work of dystopian literature as is standard**, it presents just the sort of dark future one might imagine the anti-vaxxer or the anti-masker to conceive. Harmony could then be read as a cautionary tale, illustrating the dangers of allowing the CDC or a similar medical body to tell us what to do. (Remember that the WHO is literally a global military force!) However, Itoh’s future lacks many features that would make for a persuasive dystopia. For example, there are too many holes in the WatchMe system, with minors and touring soldiers outside its reach, for life under the admedistration to feel particularly suffocating or oppressive. A dystopia that is easy to escape hardly seems dystopian at all. It may be that Itoh intended for readers to accept Miach’s insistence on the dehumanizing effect of legally mandating good health, but the novel contains scarce examples to back up her vituperations. Surveillance of our very cells would certainly be a terrifying prospect, while the homogenization of physical appearance that afflicts admedistration citizens presents an eerie image of obedience, as if to assert that following medical advice transforms human beings into interchangeable ants or zombies. But as a response to a catastrophe like the Malestrom, formulating policy that is to some degree overbearing seems entirely reasonable. Indeed, there are worse things than being cajoled into taking care of your body when the survival of the human species is on the line. Would the morally appropriate response be to instead prioritize individual choice and condemn humanity to extinction? Moreover, the admedistration mechanisms for encouraging compliance with lifeism seem mild, generally coming in the form of education and social pressure rather than force. Compare this to the lockdowns of 2020-2022 in countries such as Australia and China that were positively draconian even though the crisis they sought to mitigate (i.e. the pandemic) was far less threatening than worldwide nuclear fallout. For people who are eager to obey public health recommendations in the name of longevity for all, I hazard that a fully functioning lifeist civilization would be a utopia. There, in the capable hands of admedistration scientists, with the most advanced medical technology the world has ever seen, we would all extend not just our lifespans but our healthspans and live without fear of two of the greatest woes human beings face—illness and death. Whatever we might lose in exchange, for some it would seem worth the sacrifice… Whether taken as a dystopia, a utopia, or something else, Harmony anticipated many of the debates of the pandemic more than a decade before the word COVID-19 was even coined. When considering the highly politicized fight between libertarian extremists and virtue signalling rule-followers around whether governments should mandate masks, lockdowns, and vaccines, there has been a tendency for empirically minded liberals and progressives to dismiss the skeptics as far-right or irrational imbeciles. But Itoh reveals the core of meaningful objection on the other side—the dangers of the medical nanny state taken too far—while simultaneously describing an extreme scenario in which curtailments of freedom may be justifiable. Itoh was clearly a perceptive writer. If only he had lived to see how our past matched up to his future…

Notes

*Japanese proto science fiction of the late 19th and early 20th century shows a preoccupation with political dystopias and utopias. However, examples are much harder to find in the later Japanese tradition than that of the Anglophone. **In her article on the history of manga and anime, Ada Palmer classifies Harmony as a “quasi-utopia.”

essay by Eli K.P. William. I am the author of three dystopian sci-fi novels: Cash Crash Jubilee, The Naked World, and A Diamond Dream. I also translate Japanese literature, including the bestselling novel A Man, by Keiichiro Hirano. More about me here. Follow me on Twitter: @Dice_Carver Or if you want more essays like this one, join my newsletter ALMOST REAL

#japanese #cyberpunk #dystopian #utopia #science fiction #book review #anti vaxxers #covid #post pandemic

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