#plot device skeletons
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DM Tip: Creating a Campaign Skeleton
Learning to be a better dungeonmaster was a protracted process. A younger me was often so stressed out by the desire to be a better artist that I'd have legitimately mauled a person if it would've revealed to me the wisdom I sought (with my hands or even an actual maul given the chance).
One of my biggest hurdles was the idea of a universal framework for d&d adventures, a guideline that would tell me if the things I was creating were on the right track. It was sorely needed, I loved the process of being creative but without an understanding of how my creative energy was best used I ended up sinking days, weeks, or even months worth of energy into projects that went nowhere. Worse yet, when I DID get a chance to put my ideas into practice at the table they'd frequently spiral out of control and crash, resulting in even more stress.
Over time I learned from these mistakes, I got better, and then I got good. I moved from conscious incompetence to competence, and I ended up having a run of absolutely stellar campaigns that were everything my younger self could have dreamed of: stable, enjoyable, meaningful, and most importantly an absolute delight to my players. Routinely I'd have people, including folks that'd only played with me a few times, mention that getting together to roll dice and listen to me babel on in silly voices was a highlight of their week.
It was as one of these campaigns began to wind down (three years! a satisfying conclusion on the horizon!) and I started looking for a followup scenario that I decided to study all my really successful campaigns and figure out what connected them. The end result was something I'd been looking for for nearly a decade, a reliable format that I could build campaigns around.
I want to preface this section with the understanding that while this information is laid out in a vaguely chronological fashion there's no guarantee that these ideas will occur to you in any particular order. Inspiration is a funny thing, and each idea flows into the others to make a cohesive whole. Due to foreshadowing and setup reasons you're also going to need a pretty solid idea about all of these when starting a campaign, though exact details will likely change/ can be vague up until the moment they're needed.
The Reason: Who are we and what are we doing?
Gives your players a solid background to build their characters around and give them a reason to travel together, rather than having to ad lib one on the spot.
Likewise sets expectations of what the campaign is "about" that you can build on or subvert in time.
The reason doesn't need to hold true for the entire game, just long enough to serve as a framing device. EG: The Witcher starts out as a "monster of the week" setup and then uses that framework to pivot into politics and prophecy once we've seen the premise play out.
The Pilot/Crashtest Adventure: What's first?
I’ve already written about these, but the general concept is to give your party a mostly contained first outing that doesn’t have any larger bearing on the plot so they can focus on learning how their characters play/building the party dynamic.
By the time the party's finished this first adventure they'll have already started putting down roots in the world: they'll have in jokes, npcs they've started to care about, an understanding of what's on the horizon, and an idea of where they want to go next.
The Central Gameplay Pillar: How does this all work?
It's important to have an idea what your campaign is going to be about in a mechanical sense in addition to its plot and themes. There is a difference between an adventure that has the party delve a dungeon, and a dungeoncrawling focused campaign.
I like to lead with these outright during the campaign pitch so that players can know what they're getting into. Your playgroup will likely have strong opinions about what they like and dislike, even if they don't have the words to describe it, so you might need to explain the ideas for them.
The Hub: Where are we?
I think every good campaign has a hub, some kind of settlement that the party returns to between adventures to offload loot, pick up supplies, and sift through the latest gossip to look for the next questhook. Letting the party return to the same place lets them build up a relationship with it, clarifying the picture in their mind as new details are added and they grow more and more attached. It's possible to have multiple hubs over the course of a campaign, but I'd advise really only having one per arc to best concentrate your efforts.
Fill up your hub with distractions and side adventures, shorter stories that the party can get tangled up in while the larger adventure slowly reveals itself.
Returning to the same hub also means returning to a familiar and expanding cast of NPCs, which helps your party become more and more invested in the setting
The Main Event: What's going to happen?
Here we get to the meat of the issue, the big story you want to be telling using this campaign. To pull off the sick narrative kickflip you wish to perform, you're going to need to lay a lot of groundwork, seeding in details left and right as well as giving the party a chance to stumble across evidence of your schemes without ever realizing the whole thing.
To do this, you're going to work in the building blocks of your big reveal/twist/pending disaster into the setting along with those side adventures from the hub. This will give your party an idea that something is going on, but with more pressing matters to take care of they're going to be distracted up until the moment you decide to pull the trigger.
The Setting: What's over there?
While things like genre and tone are definitely things you should have a handle on from the outset, I personally feel like the details of a setting are best constructed on an ad hoc basis, either in a direct response to something required by part of the narrative (be it side story or main event), or pencilled in at the margins as the party explores the world..
That said, creation of the hub and setting often go hand in hand because it's important to match the settlement to the environment and then shape the environment to the quests inside the settlement.
As for what's beyond your hub, I happen to have just written something about building out settings.
Now, this next option is one that I recommend you start thinking about only once your campaign is fully underway, so it doesn't clog up your creative process by focusing on something that you might not even get to
The Change: What the fuck?
A little while after the main event has kicked off and your party is off on the quest that will turn them from mere adventurers into heroes, they start to hear rumours of strange happenings. It's certainly not related to the present scenario, it may even be an unexpected windfall, but it's not something they have time to look into.
Time ticks on, the land is saved, and the party is able to enjoy their victory lap as well as some dearly needed time off. Before they can get comfortable however they're slammed by some strange occurrence that they could have never predicted that changes the state of the world. A neighbouring kingdom invades, an important ally is murdered and they're blamed for it, a dragon starts rampaging through the realm.
Its important that this event is outside the party's skillset, not necessarily diametrically opposed, but counter to what they were planning
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Since my previous podcast recommendation list was pretty popular, I've decided to make another, with another bunch of excellent podcasts:
13 Minutes or Less - Short podcast with very short episodes, about a pizza chef who doesn't like dealing to people but has to do some deliveries due to short staffing. Very much not her thing, but she does her best. As it turns out, her clients are quite a bit stranger and spookier than expected...
Additional Postage Required - Sci-Fi adventure about a nonbinary courier who gains the ability (or curse...) to get visions about the contents, past, and sender of packages they touch. They get roped into a rebellion. There's hoverboard racing. It's awesome.
Among the Stars and Bones - A team of xenoarcheologists search a distant world for traces of a long-vanished aliens. It's been a while since I watched this one, so I don't remember it very well, but I know that I enjoyed it. Very good sci-fi horror.
Dark Ages - Fantasy workplace comedy about a supernatural museum. Quite a lot of fun.
Dragon Shanty - Fantasy story about two bards traveling the high seas. There's dragons aplenty. Very queer. Excellent songs.
Falling Forward - Hacker story loosely based on the myth of Icarus and the Labyrinth, about getting back at a terrible corporation. Kinda experimental, this one has the shortest episodes I've ever seen.
Hotel Daydream - Podcast about the goings-on at a supernatural hotel. Very inventive, with really interesting characters.
Jar of Rebuke - Mystery about a researcher at an ominous cryptozoological organization out in the rural US. He's got no memories of his past and keeps dying and coming back. A story about cryptids, identity, queerness, neurodivergence, and community.
Light Hearts - Slice of Life podcast about turning an old, haunted building into a cafe and queer community center. The ghosts lead to some very fun shenanigans.
Lost Terminal - Mentioned in the other list but not expanded on. This is a hopepunk story set on an Earth devestated by climate change. Told from the POV of an adorable AI who watches this Earth from a space station, observing how humanity re-builds itself and finds a brighter future.
Mayfair Watchers Society - You know Trevor Henderson? The guy who drew Sirenhead, Long Horse, and other such creepypasta creatures in his found footage style? Yeah, this is a horror anthology based on his works, directed by him. Set in the rural town of Mayfair, where strange creatures are a lot more common than elsewhere... Each episode has a slightly different framing device, with some being found footage audio, others meeting recordings, phone calls, etc.
Monstrous Agonies - An advice podcast for the british creature community. Many of the advice letters are sent in by listeners - there's two by myself, one from an ant that can hear and send radio and one from a fey who is looking for curse advice. Some letters are metaphors for queerness, clashing cultures, ableism, and minority communities, others just some urban fantasy fun. Has a little bit of plot, but most episodes have an anthology style. Fast approaching the finale!
Mx Bad Luck - Slice of Life about someone who is cursed with bad luck. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny. Can recommend.
Neighbourly - Neighbourly follows the residents of Little Street, house by house. What they do, how they interact with each other, and what skeletons are hiding in their closet. Starts out as a spooky urban fantasy thing that's almost an anthology, but weaves itself into quite a mysterious plot over time...
SINKHOLE - Short-form audio podcast presented as a collection of audio posts from a member of a community of data restoration hobbyists in a sometimes-unfamiliar future. Mystery about disability, internet communities, and how things change with time.
Second Star to the Left - Scout-explorer Gwen Hartley has five years to explore and prepare her planet for settlement. With no aid but her robots and the anxious voice of her long-distance scout-minder Bell Summers in her ear, she's hoping she's ready for anything.
Someone Dies In This Elevator - Anthology where every episode, someone dies in an elevator. You wouldn't believe how creative they get with that simple concept!
Tales from the Low City - By the maker of Mistholme Museum, this podcast explores the everyday lifes of the last people on an alien world, after the surface had become uninhabitable and everyone had fled down into the last city, the subterranean Low City. This one made me cry a lot!
Tartarus - In a secret facility deep beneath Antarctica, an anxious astrobiologist, a terse station manager, and an AI keep humanity safe from the monsters they imprison.
The Attic Monologues - Queer urban fantasy story about a university student who decides to record themself practicing monologues using a collection they found in their attic. Don't forget to listen to the post-credit scenes!
The Bridge - Surreal alternate universe horror story about the keepers of a bridge over the Atlantic. Gets pretty spooky.
The Green Horizon - Sci-Fi comedy about a na'er-do-well Irish space captain and his rag-tag crew traversing a war-torn galaxy in search of fame and fortune. Very fun podcast.
The Lavender Tavern - Anthology podcast with original gay fairytales. Most are quite memorable!
The Vesta Clinic - Sci-Fi story about a clinic that helps various interesting alien lifeforms with their medical issues. Excellent worldbuilding and characters!
Tides - The story of Dr. Winifred Eurus, a xenobiologist trapped on an unfamiliar planet with hostile tidal forces and a fascinating ecosystem. She must use her wits, sarcasm, and intellectual curiosity to survive long enough to be rescued. But there might be more to life on this planet than she expected...
Hope this list is as helpful as the last!
@boombox-fuckboy @marvelousmawn @sapphireclaw @ashes-in-a-jar @frogmomentsfrombeyondtime @time-is-restored @emmy-noethers-rings
You folk seemed the most interested in the other list, so I'm being bold and @ing you all.
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I'd looove to hear a little about your worldbuilding process if you don't mind sharing. How do you go about it? I know you have shared in a few posts already but just wanna know moree. Also where did it all begin? What inspired you? (eating it all uppp!!!)
hi!! I know I wrote a big long thing like last year or the year before about the process to making a setting but I cannot be arsed to find it rn so here's some disconnected thoughts
Overall I don't really make Headworlds or Worldbuilding Projects the way a lot of people do (which is why u keep hearing me say 'setting' over and over) because mainly what I make are stories in the order of characters -> plot -> world. those three things have to serve one another in that order of importance, so the world itself bends to serve the narrative. for example, ultimately idgaf where the holy beasts' skeletons come from, that is not important because the beasts are basically just a big plot device to serve the story. i can make some post-hoc justifications for their existence (and i did) but at the end of the day it will not and does not matter how they work or where they come from. the world is full of mysteries that will never be solved because the characters are not in a position to solve them. aside from a single border conflict, the world outside the mezian empire is nebulous and unimportant.
I don't enjoy working in a world -> narrative order because what I want to produce isn't just a series of info posts or artpieces about a setting, but a closed and self-contained story which is the justification for the entire world's existence. Headworlds that are all world and no character don't interest me.
So basically in the process of worldbuilding, I have to serve the story. A while back I made a post about continental history around Inver, all these wars and occupations and schisms and so on. All of those exist solely to provide a particular political climate, justification for Aquitan's theocratic structure, and the spread of the southern church north into Inver. I already had the idea of this church, that it would be integral to the country as a main political faction, so now I have to figure out how it got there and the political ramifications of that. It's all worldbuilding for sure, but it's a support structure underneath the story about how that church eventually changes world history, because i wanted to write a story about a church lol.
I guess if I wanted to explain The Process for a world -> characters setting i'd just be giving you How To Write A Story 101 lol. But basically: I think of a concept which interests me (big mechs yay). Then I think of a conflict that might arise (where does the fuel come from? who controls that supply? what might that do to the concentration of power in this area?). Then I put a character in what I consider to be the most interesting position to observe the effects of this conflict (a knight, an enginesmith, an exile), and honestly the main plot generally writes itself after that. I extrapolate the hook from that.
In terms of characters, I try to avoid calling them 'ocs' because in my mind 'oc' tends to be a very static stand-alone thing. Like I couldn't make a useful ref sheet of my characters because they are all changed by the story. I couldn't say 'he has a carefree personality' because in a few chapters no he fucking won't. in the same way i struggle a LOT to talk about my Siren setting which as close to a specbio 'headworld' as i'm ever gonna get, because I am worldbuilding in vastly different time periods at once in a world which is always changing, i can't make a post about for example a map of Siren because that's just a map from one era, I'd need to make a dozen maps to show how things change, how time affects it all, etc.
Because nothing is ever static and everything is in flux, pretty much the only way I can handle a setting like this is, again, just to focus on a few small stories centered around a cast of characters separated by time (i have... 4 distinct stories in Siren. maybe more). this is actually a frustrating barrier to me sharing any information at all about this place lol i'm the struggler
Where did it all begin? When I was 11 I used to write stories in my copybooks in class. There has never been a time where I was not making stories and where my stories were not the only important thing at all to me, superseding literally everything else. I learned how to draw digitally in 2011 because I wanted to draw my characters.
What inspires me? Everything lol. I actually don't have time to Consume Media much, I struggle watching movies or tv and I mostly hate video games because I would much rather be productive and sitting and watching a screen feels like a waste of my time. but I like reading books because I can take them with me on my phone. I get ideas from all sources but mostly non-media sources, like obviously mythology but also my history with the church and my scientific education. Usually nonfictional sources interest me the most (i was going to write a whole story that was a post-apocalyptic plague plot based on canine transmissible venereal cancer haha and even to this day that's where "the Immortal Hound" title comes from, little easter egg in inver)
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[BAD DECISION #8] Washi Tape
warnings: THE BIRDS!!!! the most important plot device of the story!!, mentions of jk’s former fwb (grimacing as i type)
soundtrack: are we having any fun yet? - larkins; beach side - kings of leon; toroka - christian kuria
wc: 8k
bd total wc: 540k (on-going)
minors dni | AO3 | series masterlist
When Jeongguk wakes up in a dark room, he's confused. He never sleeps in pitch-black darkness. Even when his curtains are drawn, he usually has a lamp running throughout the night. It projects a galaxy onto his ceiling. Makes him feel like he's surrounded by stars.
Had no need for it last night, mind you.
After all, you were there. He was already surrounded by stars.
But now, he's not.
His eyes hazily focus on the pile of pillows next to his bed. He's kind of glum when he notices you're no longer buried within them. Pouts. Thinks you've done it again.
Thinks you've succumbed to your typical routines; done to him what was so unfairly done to you in the early hours of that very morning.
Would make sense, and yet he still feels a little vexed. Feels like it's a bit of a dick move on your part. Thinks that at the very least, you could have woken him to say goodbye.
He can't bring himself to be annoyed though. Is too concerned. Fears that the cold light of day will have left you embarrassed about your upset, and more than anything, he doesn't want you to lament the choices that led you to his place.
Doesn't wanna be another one of your bad decisions.
But then his bedroom door clicks open, and he closes his eyes, trying to pretend as if he'd never been mentally chewing you out for 'leaving'.
He's lethargic as he turns to hook a leg over his duvet, rolling onto his front. He's in shorts, the shirt he'd gone to bed in discarded during the night after he'd gotten a little too hot.
It's bunched up next to the towel that's crumpled by his head. He's not resting on it anymore, but it was always inevitable. He gets restless in his sleep.
Back broad, the ridge of his spine is on full display, muscles framing his skeleton like a work of art. He's got the kind of body the Greeks would have sculpted; Renaissance artists would have painted. Maybe one day you'll fill a canvas at the cafe with a study of his back.
He groans, an incoherent murmur sounding in his throat as he rubs his face into his mattress.
"Thought you'd left," he grumbles, voice slow and lethargic, eyes still closed. This is exactly why he sleeps with his curtains open. It makes it so much harder to stay in a state of slumber when he's being blinded by sunlight.
By the door, you're smiling. "Sorry. Didn't leave. Just went to get some water."
"Gimmie."
He pushes himself up, palms flat on the bed as he twists to face you.
Your hair is a little lopsided from where you've slept on it, but his is just the same. Even worse, maybe. In fact, he actually looks like he's just stuck a fork in an outlet with how unruly it is. His eyes are puffy, and he really doesn't want to keep them open, but he's trying to get a read on your mood.
He's pleasantly surprised to find you smiling, delicate as you tiptoe around his bed with two glasses of water. "Here."
Sitting up, duvet pooled around his waist, Jeongguk takes the glass from you with two hands and chugs on it as if he's spent his dreams in the Sahara without a flask. The way he glugs it down is actually concerning - and the fact he doesn't stop until he's practically poured all of it down his gullet? You're surprised he doesn't drown himself.
He finishes with a slight gasp, and when he opens his eyes again, they're not as puffy as they once were. "Cheers."
You've only taken a single sip. Too busy looking at him with sheer bewilderment.
"Thirsty?" You laugh.
"Nah," he grins. The lies he tells are so sweet when he's looking at you like that. Makes you want to believe them. "Not in the slightest. Sleep alright? What time is it?"
"Really well, actually," you nod, taking a sip on your water as you sit back down into your pile of pillows. You notice his lack of cushions, and toss one up to him. It lands in his lap with a soft thud. "And it's just gone eleven."
He grumbles, taking the pillow beneath his arms, on top of his lap. No matter how late he gets home from work, he hates sleeping in late. Feels like he wastes his days. So much life to live in such a short amount of time. Wants to make the most of it.
"Not fancy the gym today?" You ask as he rubs his eyes, trying to shake himself from his drowsy slump.
"Figured you didn't need it," he says with an indifferent shrug. His lip ring glistens in the small stream of light that creeps in through the gap in his curtains. You lean around to pull one of them open a little further. He winces. Whines. "Bright."
"I didn't need it?" you ask, a little confused by what he means, ignoring his discomfort from the light. It's not like his visits to the gym have anything to do with you.
"You're not hungover," he shrugs, letting his body relax back down onto his mattress, pillow now beneath his head. "You don't need to walk it off."
"But you work out without me," you remind him. "Still could have gone."
He snorts now, eyes closed, lips pouting as he purrs a jibe in your direction. "I always workout without you, because you don't actually work out-"
"Fuck off, yes I do."
"Don't," he grins, opening one of his eyes, just to ignore the outrage on your soft features. He's glad you're eating up his bait. He's trying to move the direction of the conversation. Doesn't want to have to explain that he actually stayed home from the gym so that you wouldn't have to wake alone again. Would rather his kindness go unnoticed. "It's fine, though. Had a late night last night. I can go this evening instead. No work."
"Sorry," you whisper as you throw him a smile, aware that you've disrupted his plans, but he just shakes his head.
"S'cool," he shrugs. It's no hardship. No skin off his back. "Honestly."
His toned muscles tweak in the morning light as he reaches for his shirt, and you find yourself looking away. It's not like there's any need for it - his body is probably the thing he's most confident of - but the fact he's trying to cover himself makes you think that maybe you're seeing something you're not supposed to.
There are a couple of tattoos he'd rather not explain, and a tiny white scar just below his ribs from a wheelie gone wrong during his childhood, but nothing too revealing.
Still, you're in his space, and that in itself feels incredibly personal. Not uncomfortable, just a little less casual now in the broad daylight that's pouring in through his windows than it had been in the dark of night.
"I should probably get out of your hair," you offer, not wanting to overstay your welcome.
Jeongguk disagrees. Thinks you're perfectly welcome. "No rush."
"It's fine," you smile, pulling your hair from the bun it's tied in and shaking it out. It smells like strawberries. Smells like Jeongguk. "I really appreciate you being around last night. The least I can do is not derail your entire Sunday."
He wants to say that taking an alternative route wouldn't be derailing, and that it really doesn't matter if he ends up at the same destination, but locomotive metaphors feel lame, and he also doesn't wanna have to explain that chess wasn't the only slightly nerdy pastime he'd indulged in a child.
So instead, he just says, "if you're sure?"
Your clothes hang over the back of his desk chair, just as slouchy and comfy as the shirt of his you're wearing, but somehow a little less appealing. He reaches over for them and tosses them your way, because he doesn't want it to look like he'd quite like you to stay.
Just feels bad that you'll be going back to your apartment, knowing it will smell like your ex. Knows that the reality you ran away from will be just the same as you left it. The bed will still be unmade, the clothes Seokjin had stripped you of will still be crumpled on your floor. Maybe the indent of his head will still be on your pillow, condom wrapper still by the foot of your bed. The sound of his laugh could be trapped beneath your duvet, the feel of his hands on your skin could be heavy in the stale air of your unventilated bedroom.
Should have opened a window before you left.
And Seokjin never should have left in the first place, but it is what it is.
"I'll let you get changed," Jeongguk says, drawing you from your senseless thoughts, eyes soft, not really waiting for a response before he heads for his door.
You say a small thank you, but it's muffled slightly by the way it catches in your throat. He doesn't acknowledge it, slipping out of his room without turning back.
He's conscious of the fact that you've been rolling dice and landing on chance cards for a little while, now. Your friendship had been chalked up to lucky encounters and serendipitous endeavours.
Last night was much more deliberate. Felt like you'd looked through the chance cards before picking one: Go to a square of your choice. Collect £200 if you pass go.
He doesn't have a full set of cards yet. Can't put down houses, nor hotels - but you landed on the waterworks last night, and he landed on the electricity company. You're level. Both winners; both losers.
Muffled chatter has you slightly on edge as you hear Jimin's sleepy voice spliced in conversation with Jeongguk's. Hadn't considered how strange it could look for you to be leaving Jeongguk's room, when all three of you know the last time you'd been in their apartment, it was Jimin's room that you'd tried (and failed) to sneak out of.
And while there's no need for you to sneak around now, you know it will look a little precarious if you slink out of Jeongguk's room with a look upon your face that will no doubt reek of guilt.
It's not because you've done anything wrong, but just because you understand the dynamics of friendship. If Jimin emerged from Danbi's room without warning, you'd be a little confused. Not upset, per se, but definitely awkward. It's easier for everyone if your current whereabouts are unknown.
You fold Jeongguk's shirt neatly and smooth his bed sheets, trying to make his room look a little bit more presentable.
As you're stacking the mountain of pillows towards the top of his double bed, you can hear Jimin query where the sofa cushions have gone. Jeonggul lies. Says he was building a fort for gaming. Promises he'll bring them back - but Jimin just says not to worry. He'll bring his pillows from his bedroom into the living room for the time being. Jeongguk can keep the fort up.
There's a smile on your lips. It's nice to hear them chatter; nice to hear Jimin in a normal setting outside of a club or a bedroom. Even nicer to hear that Jeongguk is just as tender with his housemate as he is with you. He's kind. You think it's your favourite thing about him.
Which is strange, because normally kindness makes you run for the hills - but as you cross your legs, sitting at the end of his bed, you realise there's no need. The reason you're not running is because Jeongguk isn't chasing you. He walks alongside you, like your shoelaces are tied together.
Maybe one day you'll trip, but for now, you have a good pace set.
When he returns to his room, he's holding a finger to his lips. Shush, Byeol. Keep quiet.
And yet he vaults a packet of crisps at your face without much thought. The thick plastic of the packet crinkles against you, and Jeongguk seems to be in a pleasant state of surprise as he witnesses the impact, brows raised, mouth circled like a polo.
You say a thousand words with just a single gasp.
"Sorry, sorry," he whispers with a hushed giggle, the door now shut, realising how much he underestimated his throw. His palms are raised like he's holding white flags until he reaches the bed. You go to kick him, but he catches your ankle just in time. "Hey, hey!" He's still whispering. "I said I'm sorry!"
His thumb strokes against the bone of your ankle as he apologises, and the sweetness of his smile is hard to resist. You yank your leg back from his grasp and narrow your eyes.
"Couldda blinded me."
"Don't be dramatic."
"Never tell a dramatic girl to stop being dramatic, Jeongguk. You don't know what you'll unleash."
He rolls his eyes and flops down onto his bed beside you. He's looking up at those damn birds again - so you do the same. His patchwork arm folds behind his head, ink-free arm resting over his stomach as he waits for you to shuffle into a comfortable position. There's only a little distance between the pair of you, but it's enough to reinforce that line you've drawn in the sand.
"Jimin's just put The Notebook on," he says without much animation, as if it were an inevitability he saw coming.
"So..."
"So, it means two things," he says with absolute certainty - because it was an inevitability. "Number one? He didn't get laid last night."
You laugh, not picturing Jimin as much of a romantic- especially when you know how he likes to fuck. Must have been why he offered you the chance to stay over. It could be that your least favourite part of a hook-up - the intimacy - is his favourite.
"And two?"
"Two is that we've got two hours until he leaves the living room."
"Shit."
Jeongguk turns his head to face you, seemingly affronted by your exclamation. "Ouch. Rude. My company isn't that bad."
You let your gaze drop to meet his, the side of your head now resting his duvet. You smile. "Yes, it is."
"Dickhead," he laughs, but doesn't let his gaze linger on yours for too long. Something so damn fascinating about those birds. "Nah, it's up to you. If you really have to get gone, I don't mind telling him you're here. I don't think he'll make it weird, or anything.
"I'd rather not," you admit. "Just means... explaining things, doesn't it? Don't really want a guy I hooked up with once knowing the ins and outs of my dating life."
He nods. Understands. Things are simple between the pair of you, but there are complexities when it comes to your mutual friends.
"Told him I'm not feeling great, so he's not gonna disturb me for a bit. I'll get Netflix up on my desktop or something, you can watch whatever you fancy. I've got some coursework to catch up on, so I'll be doing that."
You watch Jeongguk as he reaches over you with a muffled sigh. He's retrieving the iPad from his nightstand. He's never mentioned his studies before, but there's something incredibly confusing about the concept of him - bartending gym rat, heavily tattooed Jeongguk - doing homework.
But then you're feeling bad again, knowing surely you'll be a distraction to his day.
"Sure you don't wanna use your desktop for your coursework?"
"Nah, nah," he smiles and raises the tablet. "S'what I use in class. All my notes are on here."
It's the first you've discussed his studies. Didn't even realise he was still in school. Still so much to learn about one another. It's okay, though. You've all the time in the world.
"Watcha studying?"
He presses his lips together, not quite smiling. Finds it a little bit awkward talking about his endeavours, knowing that there is a weight that comes with a degree. Doesn't want to get one and then end up never using it in his life - kind of like you.
"Business and events. Study part-time. Had to work alongside it. In my final year."
"Oh wow," you say, genuinely surprised. You just never assumed he had any free time, because you only ever actually see him when he's busy. You've never seen him on a Tuesday and nor a Thursday, though, which is when he's in lectures. "That's impressive."
He rolls his dark eyes, but his smile is ever-present. He awkwardly sucks a little air between his teeth and knocks his head to the side. "It's not. Everyone has degrees these days."
You want to argue back, but then he's asking you about your degree, and how you ended up working in an art cafe. The answer is simple yet feels complex - a saturated job market is where you place your blame, but the internal feeling of inadequacy is why you actually think you never got one of the lucrative roles in your chosen industry. Just don't feel like you're good enough. It wasn't for a lack of trying.
He tells you it's impressive that you've got a degree, with a bit of a shit-eating smile, and it has you rolling your eyes, too. Makes you realise how dumb you sounded saying it to him.
"C'mon," he nods towards his desk. "Let's pick something to watch."
There's a casual nature to the way he lets you sit on his desk chair, chin resting upon your knees, as he leans over you; hand on the mouse, navigating through his desktop.
You ignore the fact he opens up chrome in incognito mode. He just hasn't deleted his history in, like, forever, and fears what could be on display. Knows that there's a high chance it could be something unsavoury. Could also still have a tab open with your name in the search bar.
He just got curious. That's all. No biggie.
His keyboard is one of the tippy-tappy kinds. Goes click-clack as he types. You don't know the name of the keyboard model, just know that you like stumbling across videos of them at two o'clock in the morning.
It sounds so comforting when Jeongguk enters the web address. His password, too, and then your name into a new user, because he doesn't trust you not to fuck with his Netflix landing page.
He restricts your access to 'kids only,' for no reason other than to have you whining in his direction. He refuses to change it back. Tells you to suck it. Keeps it up until you pinch some of his hair between your fingers and threaten to pull.
"Alright, alright!" he exclaims in a hushed whisper, still conscious of Jimin in the next room over. He clicks through the settings and restores your access - but also then picks the ugliest-looking character he can find for your display picture, too. "There. Happy?"
"The happiest."
And somehow, it doesn't feel like a lie.
See, when Jeongguk's focus is on you - his laugh in your ear, smile in your eye line - you forget the ache in your chest left by Jin.
He's a distraction, but not in the sense that Jimin was. Not how any of your hookups have been. He doesn't offer what they did - and he won't, which is likely why the distraction is so welcome by you.
He's sticking dry ramyeon in your cracks and sanding it down. It's not perfect, and it's not permanent - but it does alright for now.
You look over at him in the mirror by his window, intently observing him as he gets to grips with his notes. There's a swell in your chest. It's so nice to have a friend. To not have expectations. To have someone value having you around for no ulterior motive.
Jeongguk doesn't really think much of it. He likes having you around, too. Likes your company. Likes that he doesn't have to worry about you crushing on him, because Jimin's already taken your fancy. Likes the lack of pressure.
Doesn't like it so much when you start asking him about his origami birds again a little while later.
You've just finished an episode of some crime drama he doesn't recognise, but didn't choose to start the next one up. Instead, you waltz to the end of his bed and lie down to look at the folded figurines.
You get why Jeongguk seems to like doing it so much. There's a subdued serenity to their soft movements in the stream of air blowing from his aircon unit.
"How'd you make them?" You ask, eyes concentrating up at them. They're two-tone - white on top, black from beneath. All the same. Uniform. Identical.
He knows what you're asking about, so he doesn't look up from the notes he's making. "Easily."
"You're the worst," you say, and he can almost hear the fact you're smiling.
"Nah," he retracts his statement as he glances over towards you. "Really wanna know how?"
You turn your head to meet his gaze. He looks far more awake, now. "Obviously."
He shrugs. Has that shit-eating grin on his face again. "Folded some paper."
"I'm leaving," you say, and yet you don't move a muscle.
"Jimin's still in the living room," he reminds you.
And so you decide to play up to the narrative he's already decided for you and his housemate. "Maybe I'll just go to his room for round two."
"Told you it wouldn't just be a one-time thing."
"Literally fuck off," you laugh, knowing there's no way you'll ever win against Jeon Jeongguk.
"It's my bedroom, where exactly am I meant to fuck off to?"
"The floor."
And so he does. Takes his iPad, sticks his apple pen behind his ear and crosses his legs on the shagpile rug that's next to his bed. He's challenging you as he raises his brows.
You don't wanna bite the bait. "God, you're so ridiculous."
"You love it," he jokes, and then he realises that he might be flirting a little bit, so he tries to draw it back. Decides that maybe it would be good to tell you why he's got them up. You shared a lot last night. His turn, now.
"No, I... I dated a girl for a bit who would always fold things up into butterflies. Guess I wanted her to think we had a similar quirk, or something like that."
He's so sweet that it's devastating. Must have broken his fair share of hearts, you think.
"Did she fall for it?"
You know you would have.
"She never knew," he admits. A blush creeps across his cheeks and atop his nose. Pretty. "It was a bit of a weird situation."
"You? Weird? Gasp. Sounds unlikely."
"Shut up," he laughs, briefly meeting your gaze before looking down at his hands. "No, we were friends for the longest time. Still are, I guess. Same group of friends, at least. We were never official. Just a couple of friends who fucked about for a bit. Anyways, to cut a long story short, things didn't work out. So. She hasn't been here to see them."
"But you're still friends?"
Depends on how you define friends, he thinks. There was never any big fight. The last time he saw her - a night out to celebrate another friend's birthday - they'd spent the entire night goofing around together.
It's funny, really, how Jeongguk thinks you're the epitome of stars, but he's never had more in his eyes than when he looked at her. You've never seen him like that. The only time you see stars in his eyes is when you catch your own reflection.
You think it would be nice, though. Think he'd look sweet all loved up, boyish and bashful in the presence of someone whose beauty encapsulates everyone around them. To see him in love would almost feel like experiencing it yourself.
"Kinda," he shrugs. "Don't see her much. She's got a boyfriend up in Seoul. Spends most of her time there."
The melody of his voice is melancholic. He doesn't sound regretful. Maybe a little resentful. Sad, more than anything. It's a shame.
"You really liked her?"
Jeongguk decides he's said enough. He puts on his best smile and shakes his head. Plays it off like it's no big deal. Pretends as if he didn't make a single-at-thirty marriage pact with her. Acts like he doesn't wish things had worked out differently; like he doesn't kind of hope he'll still be single at thirty, just in case she is, too.
"Why are we even talking about this? Really doesn't matter," he says, voice a little harsher than he intends. You feel guilty for pushing the subject. Glad to know him a little better, mind you. "I think I get it, though. Your whole... never staying thing."
He's the first person to say that to you. Everyone else has made you feel a little weird for it; as if your one-night-stands are somehow even sleazier because of it.
Your voice is quiet as you look at your hands. "You do?"
"Kind of," he shrugs. "I always stay - but only cause I only tend to fuck girls I actually like. I just... since her I haven't really let it get that far. Scared of staying and then the girl leaving, like she did, I guess. You 'n' me? We're two sides of the same coin. Doesn't really matter, though does it?"
Jeongguk surprises you. You'd have never thought him to be as much of a defeatist as he appears to be, now.
"No," you acknowledge as he comes back to sit on his bed. He lays down, head by your ankles, feet by your head. The birds above him are none the wiser of their impact on him. "It's just, I came to you crying over my ex last night, so it'll be nice to have a heads up if you're gonna come crying to me."
There's humour in your voice, and he appreciates it. Likes that he can be serious with you, but that you try and lighten the mood for him. He doesn't like talking about things like this. Always gets a heaviness in his chest. Only ever had a panic attack once, but he remembers how it started. Remembers it feeling a lot like this.
"She's not an ex. We never dated, so. Won't be crying. Don't worry."
You both know that titles count for nothing. Both know he cried plenty.
"Ouch," you grimace, to which he just smiles, now. No point in letting himself dwell upon it all.
"It is what it is."
"Bit more than that," you counter, because apparently you don't know when to shut up. It's not that you want him to have to rehash his bad memories. You just think they're eating him up. Think it will do him good to exhale.
He hums in confusion, the noise light and airy. Almost like he's chirping. Maybe he's secretly one of his little paper birds in disguise.
"Well, if it was enough to put you off dating for good," you rationalise. You know why he's downplaying it, but he'll do himself no favours by living in denial. "It shouldn't be dismissed as nothing."
"Not for good," he objects, and taps your head with his foot. You bat him away, but there's a weightlessness to the way you both start laughing. "Just for now."
"How long has it been?"
"Does it matter?"
"No."
He kind of hates how many questions you ask. Kind of likes it, too. Likes that you don't know the Jeongguk that came before her. Likes that you never had to see him when he was struggling with it.
The only person that had ever seen it was Jimin. So good at putting on a brave face, the rest of their friends barely knew. Even she didn't realise how badly she hurt him. It's why she still tries to be his friend.
Makes sense. They were best friends. Always said things would never change. In her eyes, they haven't.
"Just over a year," he finally sighs. "Confessed last spring. Was also subsequently rejected, but not till the summer."
You chirp in confusion now. Think about how long it must have fucked with him, never knowing where he stood. You feel awful for him.
"Well, she said she wasn't sure what she wanted. Anyways, ended up not being me. And so now, I never let myself get that deep into things. Don't wanna repeat history. Make the same bad decisions. Y'know?"
It's the SparkNotes version.
He won't bore you with the way he accidentally said he loved her after one too many shots, and how she'd told him that he didn't mean - only for him to fuck her that evening like he really did. Won't tell you how she asked him about it in the morning, and when Jeongguk nervously asked, 'well, do you want me to be in love with you?' she'd said, 'no. I think that would ruin things.'
And so he'd just laughed, and told her good. Said he'd never be in love with someone as ugly as her with a smile on his face reserved for only the most beautiful of people.
He won't tell you how she began to playfight with him, and how he ended up fucking her again. Fucking her like he meant it. Fucking her like she put the stars in the sky and stole the wind from his sails just to turn the tides. Fucking her like he never had done before. Fucking her like she wasn't just a friend, and he wasn't just a little horny.
The difference was, sober now, she felt it. Felt his intent. Knew that his slip-up had been the product of a fall.
He was confused, but so was she. He hadn't meant to fall - but she hadn't meant to trip him. No one was to blame.
And so he just blames himself. Shies away from love, 'cause he thinks that maybe he isn't right for it. If even the person who knew him better than he knew himself couldn't bring herself to love him, then what hope did he have?
"God, what's wrong with us?" He laughs, still tapping the side of your head with his foot. It's annoying, but you let him.
"Fear of intimacy and fear of rejection," you muse. "Make quite the pair."
He smiles in such a way that it doesn't feel like a smile, but he hopes that the hormones will play tricks on him. Make him at least think he's happy. "Anyways, I keep the birds up as a reminder, I guess."
"Of?"
He just shrugs. "Gotta set people free."
It's a nice idea. One you think you'd quite like to indulge in, too.
"You got any more paper?"
"Fuckin' loads. Accidentally ordered, like, a thousand sheets."
Your voice is delicate as you say, "show me how to make them?"
There's hesitancy from Jeongguk. Not sure he wants to share such a personal part of himself.
But then he thinks maybe it would be nice. Thinks that just because he wants to be alone romantically, doesn't mean he has to be lonely.
He tells you where the paper is - the top drawer beneath his desk - and begins to instruct you. They're simple enough. Only a few steps. He's made so many that he relies mostly on muscle memory.
Your first attempts are terrible. He questions whether or not you really work at an art cafe, because he can't comprehend that you're so bloody awful at crafting. You tell him that painting is an entirely different discipline, and he tells you that you're making excuses.
Eventually, though, you get the hang of it. Can make them without getting paper cuts. Almost. He still laughs every time you wince and mutter 'shit' beneath your breath.
You're about ten birds deep into your new flock when you walk to his desk to retrieve a pen. Jeongguk raises a brow, catching the biro effortlessly as you toss it towards him.
"Can't just set people free," you say, an idea brewing in your head. "Gotta set your fears free, too. It's the only way you'll get over them."
"Okay," he bites. "So?"
"So: go on," you nod towards the sheet of paper in his hand. "One of the things you're scared of. Rejection right? What are scared to do because of that?"
It's a big question. He's not even entirely sure he knows the answer.
And so he deflects. "What are you scared of?"
You take a moment to think, uncapping a pen with your teeth and scrawling down an answer on the sheet of paper. When you're done, pen cap still between your teeth, you turn the page to show him your answer: Staying the night after a hook up.
"I don't do it," you say candidly, as if it's news to either of you. "What don't you do?"
He takes a moment now. Really considers how his complexes conflict with his life. Some are easier to confront than others, though, so he scribbles one down and holds it up: following girls back on instagram.
A smile tugs at your lips. "Sorry?"
"Well, what if they strike up a conversation in my DMs?" He says as if it's a totally rational and reasonable response.
"You followed me, though?"
"It's different. I was just trying to get you your phone back - and not being funny, Byeol, you'd just fucked Jimin? Didn't really think you'd be trying it on with me?"
You snicker a little. It's kind of nice how he sees you as this strange entity all because you got a little frisky with Jimin. Writes you off. Doesn't consider you a 'girl' anymore, apparently.
But all you can do is laugh and say, "yeah, fair enough. Suppose that's true. Alright, now you're done, fold it up."
You both do it in unison, the folds coming easily now that he's shown you the ropes. He's almost a little bit impressed that you finish just a second or so after him. Isn't actually impressed 'cause it's the simplest origami known to man, but it's sweet how pleased you seem to be with yourself. Cute.
"And set it free," you finish, tossing it down into the pile of birds gathering by the foot of his bed.
"And set it free," he nods with a grin, twiddling his lip ring with his tongue as his gaze lands on yours; his bird landing in the pile.
Such a simple act, and yet it is freeing.
"Again?" he asks, to which you repeat his word back to him.
"Again."
The pair of you sit in comfortable silence, scrawling out your fears onto the papers. You choose to write all of your fears out first, and then fold them up. Jeongguk writes a fear, folds, and then repeats it. Different methods, same end goals.
He runs out of fears before you do, but it's okay. Not like it's a competition. He thinks it's interesting. Wonders what you're hiding up there behind your starry eyes.
"What now?" he asks as you toss your final bird into the pile.
Your purse your lips together, contemplating the next step. There's only one that really makes sense.
"You got any string?"
And of course, he does. Not only did he order far too many sheets of paper, but also far too much string. He gets it from the drawer beneath his desk, and a couple of rolls of tape. It's washi, dark grey, and he worries that it's been sitting for so long that it could have lost its tackiness.
You don't seem phased though as you stand on his bed and struggle to reach the ceiling. It's all very endearing. He comes to stand behind you, and doesn't really think much of it as he reaches for your hips and pulls you off of his bed. At least, he doesn't think anything of it until you shriek a little in surprise - and then he's covering your mouth with one of his hands, the other still on your hip.
"Shush, shush, shush," he coos with a small laugh as you swot him away. "You stick the string to the birds. I'll put them up."
Routines come as bread and butter to the pair of you. It's so casual how you work together, like the tides and the moon, it just... works. It doesn't take long once you fall into a pattern - string, stick, pass, stick - and soon enough, his bed has a canopy of so many birds that it's almost hysterical.
"Got a whole flock now," you smile as you both come to lay back down, heads by each other's ankles. Opposites. In tandem. Yin and Yang.
It's kind of a mess, but in such a way that it feels entirely right. There are a few incredibly lopsided birdies, all thanks to you, but Jeongguk finds a certain charm to them. Likes how you somehow managed to make perfect birds and also ones that belonged in the bin - and how it was those slightly wonky ones that you seem to like the most.
It's as you're praising how pretty the birds look that the washi tapes loosens on one of them, falling onto your tummy.
Jeongguk groans. "Told you the tape wasn't strong enough."
You scrunch your nose. He's right, but you don't want to acknowledge it. Don't like 'told you so' moments - so instead, you pretend as if it was meant to be.
"Must be that you're ready to set that fear free."
"Hmm?"
"Well, it definitely isn't one of mine," you grin, holding the bird up to look at it. The folds are sharp and pointed. Pristine, almost. It's too well-made to be one of yours, so you pass it over to him. "What does it say?"
"None of your business," he declares, holding it tight to his chest.
But he's curious too, and just laughs when he opens it. Holds it open. Gives you a peak.
Following girls back on Instagram.
"You've already seen it," he says, explaining why he doesn't mind you looking at it.
"And I still don't understand why you think it's such a huge thing," you tell him softly - not because you want to invalidate his fears, but because you want to understand them.
"A lot of girls find me through the club's Instagram," he admits, sensing that your confusion would only be remedied with honesty. "Feels a bit sleazy to follow them back when they were probably drunk."
"It's an insta follow back, Gguk. You're hardly making a move," you say. "It really doesn't have to be a big deal. If they're already following you, then you're the one rejecting them."
"But what i-"
"But nothing. Gimmie your phone," you say - and you're surprised when he does. No hesitation. Makes you think that maybe just he needs a push. Wants this.
He's pleased when he notices a slight sparkle to your chipped nail varnish. It's midnight blue, and you bought it because it reminds you of a twilight sky, but it just confirms that you're made of stardust to Jeongguk. The shine prevails even when you're without your trusty glitter.
You pull up Instagram and head to his notifications. He's got a solid bounty of new followers - 68 since he last checked.
"Okay, what about her?" You pause your scroll on a brunette - slim build, hair cropped to just above her shoulders. She's wearing a little glitter too, from the looks of things. Jeongguk wonders if that's why she stood out for you. Wonders if maybe you saw a little bit of yourself in her.
"Yeah, she's pretty," he admits, but glances over to you to check he isn't speaking in a way that makes him seem like a dick. He doesn't want you to think he'd objectifying anyone. "I'm not so sur-"
He doesn't have a chance. You've already pressed on the little blue follow button.
"See! Not so hard."
Jeongguk disagrees.
There's a feeling in the pit of his stomach. What if the girl shows up at the bar and tries to strike up a conversation? Then what? The first step is all very well and good, but you seem to have forgotten that his life goes on after the press of a follow button.
But then the moment passes, and he realises that the world is still turning just as it always has been. Nothing has changed. Maybe it is okay.
And so he takes a little bit of a lead.
"Who next?" he asks, trusting your decisions.
"Her?" your thumb points towards another brunette. She's gorgeous. Face straight out of a magazine, body off a catwalk. How on earth he wouldn't have noticed her at the club is beyond you. She's not the kind you'd forget easily.
"I remember her," he says, confirming your suspicions. He does notice girls, and he does pay an interest in them. You think it's sad that he's stopping himself from pursuing any of them.
His voice is flat as his lips sneer a little, though. Had noticed her for all the wrong reasons.
"She was a grade-A wanker to Yeonjun," he explains. "Literally was last night. He messed up her order, and instead of just asking for a redo like a normal human being, she pretended to knock it over. Got vodka lemonade all over the counter, which is like, not an issue, but when it's peak time and you do it just to be a dick? Yeah. I served her for the rest of the night so he wouldn't have to deal with her. She follows me?"
You nod, a little embarrassed that you suggested her. It almost feels like you're the one being scolded. Kind of like seeing him like this, though. He looks good a little heated. It's so different to how mild-mannered he typically is.
"Force her to unfollow me."
The look on his face as you glance over at him is hard to read. He faces you, eyes focused on yours. They dip quickly to where your mouth rests ajar in surprise, then back up. "What?"
"Nothing," you laugh. "Just... I dunno. Strong morals."
"That a bad thing?"
"Not in the slightest," you say, voice soft, smile faint but sincere.
He goes to speak, but stops himself. Changes the topic. "Who next?"
And so you scroll, because you don't want to dwell. You make your way through a few of his followers, almost like you're playing an insta-tinder-hybrid.
"Oh, what the fuck," you snort as you reach a profile towards the bottom of the list.
"Hmm?" He asks as he looks at the profile you tap through to.
Ciara, her profile reads, and the instant you see her tight curls that delicately frame her face, dyed a caramel blonde to contrast her dark eyes, you recognise her. Like most of the girls in his notifications, she has the kind of beauty to leave an impression.
Unlike the last girl you'd done a deep dive on, she actually is a sweetheart, you think.
From what you remember, at least.
"Ciara," you hum, scrolling through her feed. It's dappled with pictures of friends, books in coffee shops and adventures from her time in Korea. She's Irish - not that her profile really gives it away - and you can almost remember the way her accent tastes. "It's definitely the club where she first saw you."
"She did?" He asks, not really sure how you know this with such certainty.
"Uh-huh. I met her a few weeks ago."
Jeongguk doesn't interrupt. He senses more coming.
And then you shrug.
"Hooked up with her, actually."
"Oh," he says with a little surprise. Doesn't sound negative, but it doesn't sound entirely positive, either. You glance over to find him looking at you, and question his surprise. "I just didn't know. That's all."
And then you laugh. "Why do men always seem to think women's lives revolve around the male species?"
"I don't," he quickly protests, not wanting you to think ill of him.
Though he's pretty set on his sexuality, he's also no stranger to a little experimentation. Wouldn't judge anyone for their sexual endeavours, nor who they choose to engage in said endeavours with. Consenting adults are consenting adults.
"Literally just didn't know," he adds on. "It's no different to you being surprised when you found out I was studying for my degree."
You narrow your eyes but it's all in jest. You accept his response. Have had far worse in the past.
"Do you mind me asking?" He continues, getting a read on your expression before he clarifies. Doesn't wanna overstep the mark, but also isn't asking you anything he wouldn't be comfortable with you asking him back. "How you, like, identify?"
It's delicate, how he phrases it. Tender. Airy. Makes you feel quite safe, actually. His voice is so calm and neutral, that he may as well be asking what you'd like for dinner.
You simply shrug, shoulders lifting and then pressing back down into his duvet. It's something you've given a lot of thought, but always find hard to draw conclusions on. "Always just used to say bi."
"Used to say?"
"Had a boyfriend for a year, so people never cared to ask," you purse your lips, reminded of your least favourite aspect of dating Seokjin: erasure. Not just of your sexuality, but of your identity outside of the relationship. You were 'Jin's girlfriend' to so many people. You hated it. Wanted to be a person in your own right. "Maybe it was self-inflicted, but people seemed to forget I had a life before him. Maybe I did, too. When you lose your sense of self, it's hard to define it, yanno?"
Jeongguk nods. He doesn't entirely understand, but tries. Recognises it was difficult for you. Feels bad. "Sorry."
"Not your fault, is it? Anyway, it's okay. I'm trying to rediscover myself, almost? Trying not to tie myself to anything too definitively. Scared I'll get it wrong."
"You're allowed to not know," he says. His brows crease above the bridge of his nose like they always do whenever he's speaking with a little passion. "And you're also allowed to know and not want to define it. Fuck what anyone else thinks."
"Either way," you deflect, not wanting to dwell. "Would be weird if you started chirpsing a girl I've been with."
"Agreed," he laughed. "Would make a double date with Jimin interesting."
"Jesus, give up the Jimin agenda," you smile. "It's not gonna happen again."
"Sureeee. Okay, next girl," he says - but is interrupted by a second origami bird falling.
It's on the outskirts of the flock - the one impacted the most by the breeze of the aircon - and Jeongguk can tell immediately who made it.
"Oh this is definitely one of yours," he laughs, holding it up to study it. "How is the wing so bloody wonky?"
"He's poorly," you pout. "Like Jacquimo from Thumbelina."
Jeongguk doesn't even pretend to know what you're referencing, so you just tell him you'll show him later. It's one of your favourite films. He says he'll watch it if you win a game of chess against him. You've no idea how to play. Tell him your agent will be in touch to schedule a tournament. He says he'll be waiting.
And then he's thinking. Voicing his thoughts. "We faced one of my fears-"
"And no one died."
"Exactly, no one died," he smiles. "So let's face one of yours."
"Wait-" you say quickly, going to grab the bird from his grasp, but he holds it above his head. You panic. "Look, Gguk, I didn't plan on you ever seeing any of mine."
"So?"
"So... " you cringe. "Fear of intimacy."
"Sooo?"
"So... intimacy??"
"I'm lost?"
God, he couldn't be more of a boy if he tried. You half think that sometimes he plays dumb just to get you squirming. If he does, it works.
"Some of them aren't exactly PG," you say, your face scrunching even further up, as if you're preparing for a shot. Alcohol or medicinal. Doesn't matter which. Both would be less painful than this.
The way Jeongguk laughs has you covering his mouth. It's a role reversal, with you reminding him Jimin is just next door.
"Sorry, sorry," he says as he recovers his breath. His teeth are on show, nose blushed, skin dewy. He's so pretty like this, you think. Handsome when he's happy. "I just - how bad can it be?"
The look on his face as he opens it says it all.
Yep.
You groan.
"Jesus Christ, Byeol."
Pretty fucking bad.
AO3 | MASTERLIST | NEXT
#by holly#jk#jeongguk fanfic#jungkook fanfic#Jungkook Fanfiction#jungkook smut#jungkook angst#jungkook fluff#jungkook x reader#jungkook ff#jeongguk fic#bartender!jungkook#BD#bad decisions#bangtan#bts fanfic#dappleddaisies
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Rocket's Backstory
*deep breath* God help me
This is the most inconsistent Marvel backstory and I, the top expert on Halfworld, am here to clear it up.
I'm going to split the variants into the following catagories: 1985, 2014, modern comics, show, and mcu. (the show is simply called Guardians of the Galaxy and is on disney+ and i highly recommend).
I have compiled a spreadsheet to go over the main points
As you can see, it's a shit show.
(As i go over the stories as best I can, please note that i am not a comic buff i am a 15 yo with Asperger's and an obsession with Halfworld and if i get something wrong plz don't be mad at me just tell me and I'll fix it :3)
1985 Rocket Raccoon- Rocket is a genetically modified caretaker on Halfworld, a mental asylum used to hold the insane of the galaxy, known as loonies/shrinks (extremely offence things to call mentally ill ppl but it was the 80'ssss). They have a book called the Halfworld Bible, which holds the secrets of the planets and it's people. The planet is ruled by Mayhem Mechaniks and Dyvynicies Inc; rival toy companies owened by Judson Jakes and Lord Dyvyne respectively. Jakes killed Lylla's parents to steal the company and it's... horrifying robot clowns. Pyko steals the Halfworld Bible for it's instructions on how to escape the planet in a giant human-shaped ship. Jakes and Dyvyne find out about this plot and team up to crash a party and there's a big battle and Rocket, Lylla, Pyko, Wal, Blackjack, and possibly Pyko escape Halfworld on the ship, leaving it in shambles as the loonies are left to the own devices to rebuilt the planet with their newfound wisdom (Pyko manages to 'cure' them)
2014 Rocket Raccoon (my fav series :3)- This one doesn't have much in the way of backstory, all we know is what Captain Sale gives us in the last book. Throughout the series it is shown that Rocket has no memory of his creation and believes he is the last of his kind. Until he ends up on Captain Sale's ship. She gives he the key to the Book of Halfworld and he takes 4 hours to read it. He is shown to be disgusted and horrified at the contents, leaving it with Sale and going home. (Clowns and the toy factory etc are mentioned, implying it is a sequel to the 1985 version.
Modern Comics- This section is specifically about v5 GotG #8 as I don't recall any other comics going into much detail. Here, there are loonies and robots, but no clowns. They must have thought it was too silly. Rocket is a therapy animal turned sentient with cruel experimentation. This is the first version of Rocket's backstory to show him sustaining significant and lasting trauma from his past. Not to mention the debilitating physical effects of having a metal skeleton and countless other weird things he doesn't understand. After his transformation, he is shown with the 1985 gang and other past team ups in a montage. It seems there is also an attempt at continuity here but it misses the mark a bit.
GotG Show 2015- This is by far the worst adaptation in my opinion, as it completely overhauls the story. So note that I have bias here. Here, Rocket is a simple Earth raccoon that has been transformed with the purpose of being a living weapon. His purpose was more 'artificial genius' than 'genetic marvel'. Immediately after being let into a more open enclosure, he meets Groot and effortlessly destroys the robots and steals a ravanger ship. After freeing all the creatures, of course.
(i am unable to provide images for this section as disney is a pussy ass company and won't let me screenshot but just imagine it sucking)
MCU- Anyone reading this has already seen the movies but I'll go over it anyway. The High Evolutionary is a man trying to recreate a sentient Earth-like planet by modifying creatures. Rocket is one of these poor souls. He lives his early years in a cage with Floor, Lylla, and Teefs. Rocket manages to open the cage one day, only to have his friends shot in front of him by the High Evolutionary. He then escapes. He meets Groot later in a well, not shown but confirmed by James Gunn.
Wow this took long to write. Time for the conclusion. Here i will 'average out' all the stories and throw in my personal theories.
My version- Halfworld is an insane asylum built by the Kree where they experiment on mentally ill people to try to cure them(we used to do this here on earth until the 60's). The 'toy factory' is a cover-up for this operation. The robot 'doctors' use clown faces to put the patients at ease. But what do psycho robot doctors do when the asylum is abandoned and not longer supplied with patients? They turn to the animal inhabitants on the planet. The Halfworld Bible/ Book of Halfworld is an engineering manual documenting the disgusting progress of making an innocent creature sentient. Pyko frees his people after decades of slavery in a grand rebellion and Lylla becomes the Priestess and guardian of the book like in 1985. Unfortunately, during the rebellion, 89P13 and Groot get stuck in an escape pod and sent away from the Keystone Quadrent, leading him to believe all of his people are dead or re-enslaved.
I think this version harnesses the soul and vibe of all the backstories while making it make more sense in the long run.
I had a lot of fun putting this together and I hope y'all appreciate it :D (Follow for more Halfworld content <3)
#artists on tumblr#anime and manga#autism#gotg#guardians of the galaxy#rocket raccoon#lylla otter#pyko tortoise#halfworld#uno duo trey#marvel#mcu#comics
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bad decisions - jjk | eight
"God, what's wrong with us?" He laughs, still tapping the side of your head with his foot. It's annoying, but you let him.
"Fear of intimacy and fear of rejection," you muse. "Make quite the pair."
He smiles in such a way that it doesn't feel like a smile, but he hopes that the hormones will play tricks on him. Will convince him that he's happy. "Anyways, I keep the birds up as a reminder, I guess."
"Of?"
He just shrugs. "Gotta set people free."
It's a nice idea. One you think you'd quite like to indulge in, too.
"You got any more paper?"
"Fuckin' loads. Accidentally ordered, like, a thousand sheets."
Your voice is delicate as you say, "Show me how to make them?"
Bad Decision #8 - Washi Tape
warnings: THE BIRDS!!!! the most important plot device of the story!!, mentions of jk's former fwb (grimacing as i type)
soundtrack: are we having any fun yet? - larkins; beach side - kings of leon; toroka - christian kuria
wc: 8k
bd total wc: 370k (on-going)
minors dni | wattpad | series masterlist |
When Jungkook wakes up in a dark room, he's confused. He never sleeps in pitch-black darkness. Even when his curtains are drawn, he usually has a lamp running throughout the night. It projects a galaxy onto his ceiling. Makes him feel like he's surrounded by stars.
Had no need for it last night, mind you.
After all, you were there. He was already surrounded by stars.
But now, he's not.
His eyes hazily focus on the pile of pillows next to his bed. He's kind of glum when he notices you're no longer buried within them. Pouts. Thinks you've done it again.
Thinks you've succumbed to your typical routines; done to him what was so unfairly done to you in the early hours of that very morning.
Would make sense, and yet he still feels a little vexed. Feels like it's a bit of a dick move on your part. Thinks that at the very least, you could have woken him to say goodbye.
He can't bring himself to be annoyed though. Is too concerned. Fears that the cold light of day will have left you embarrassed about your upset, and more than anything, he doesn't want you to lament the choices that led you to his place.
Doesn't wanna be another one of your bad decisions.
But then his bedroom door clicks open, and he closes his eyes, trying to pretend as if he'd never been mentally chewing you out for 'leaving'.
He's lethargic as he turns to hook a leg over his duvet, rolling onto his front. He's in shorts, the shirt he'd gone to bed in discarded during the night after he'd gotten a little too hot.
It's bunched up next to the towel that's crumpled by his head. He's not resting on it anymore, but it was always inevitable. He gets restless in his sleep.
Back broad, the ridge of his spine is on full display, muscles framing his skeleton like a work of art. He's got the kind of body the Greeks would have sculpted; Renaissance artists would have painted. Maybe one day you'll fill a canvas at the cafe with a study of his back.
He groans, an incoherent murmur sounding in his throat as he rubs his face into his mattress.
"Thought you'd left," he grumbles, voice slow and lethargic, eyes still closed. This is exactly why he sleeps with his curtains open. It makes it so much harder to stay in a state of slumber when he's being blinded by sunlight.
By the door, you're smiling. "Sorry. Didn't leave. Just went to get some water."
"Gimmie."
He pushes himself up, palms flat on the bed as he twists to face you.
Your hair is a little lopsided from where you've slept on it, but his is just the same. Even worse, maybe. In fact, he actually looks like he's just stuck a fork in an outlet with how unruly it is. His eyes are puffy, and he really doesn't want to keep them open, but he's trying to get a read on your mood.
He's pleasantly surprised to find you smiling, delicate as you tiptoe around his bed with two glasses of water. "Here."
Sitting up, duvet pooled around his waist, Jungkook takes the glass from you with two hands and chugs on it as if he's spent his dreams in the Sahara without a flask. The way he glugs it down is actually concerning - and the fact he doesn't stop until he's practically poured all of it down his gullet? You're surprised he doesn't drown himself.
He finishes with a slight gasp, and when he opens his eyes again, they're not as puffy as they once were. "Cheers."
You've only taken a single sip. Too busy looking at him with sheer bewilderment.
"Thirsty?" You laugh.
"Nah," he grins. The lies he tells are so sweet when he's looking at you like that. Makes you want to believe them. "Not in the slightest. Sleep alright? What time is it?"
"Really well, actually," you nod, taking a sip on your water as you sit back down into your pile of pillows. You notice his lack of cushions, and toss one up to him. It lands in his lap with a soft thud. "And it's just gone eleven."
He grumbles, taking the pillow beneath his arms, on top of his lap. No matter how late he gets home from work, he hates sleeping in late. Feels like he wastes his days. So much life to live in such a short amount of time. Wants to make the most of it.
"Not fancy the gym today?" You ask as he rubs his eyes, trying to shake himself from his drowsy slump.
"Figured you didn't need it," he says with an indifferent shrug. His lip ring glistens in the small stream of light that creeps in through the gap in his curtains. You lean around to pull one of them open a little further. He winces. Whines. "Bright."
"I didn't need it?" you ask, a little confused by what he means, ignoring his discomfort from the light. It's not like his visits to the gym have anything to do with you.
"You're not hungover," he shrugs, letting his body relax back down onto his mattress, pillow now beneath his head. "You don't need to walk it off."
"But you work out without me," you remind him. "Still could have gone."
He snorts now, eyes closed, lips pouting as he purrs a jibe in your direction. "I always workout without you, because you don't actually work out-"
"Fuck off, yes I do."
"Don't," he grins, opening one of his eyes, just to ignore the outrage on your soft features. He's glad you're eating up his bait. He's trying to move the direction of the conversation. Doesn't want to have to explain that he actually stayed home from the gym so that you wouldn't have to wake alone again. Would rather his kindness go unnoticed. "It's fine, though. Had a late night last night. I can go this evening instead. No work."
"Sorry," you whisper as you throw him a smile, aware that you've disrupted his plans, but he just shakes his head.
"S'cool," he shrugs. It's no hardship. No skin off his back. "Honestly."
His toned muscles tweak in the morning light as he reaches for his shirt, and you find yourself looking away. It's not like there's any need for it - his body is probably the thing he's most confident of - but the fact he's trying to cover himself makes you think that maybe you're seeing something you're not supposed to.
There are a couple of tattoos he'd rather not explain, and a tiny white scar just below his ribs from a wheelie gone wrong during his childhood, but nothing too revealing.
Still, you're in his space, and that in itself feels incredibly personal. Not uncomfortable, just a little less casual now in the broad daylight that's pouring in through his windows than it had been in the dark of night.
"I should probably get out of your hair," you offer, not wanting to overstay your welcome.
Jungkook disagrees. Thinks you're perfectly welcome. "No rush."
"It's fine," you smile, pulling your hair from the bun it's tied in and shaking it out. It smells like strawberries. Smells like Jungkook. "I really appreciate you being around last night. The least I can do is not derail your entire Sunday."
He wants to say that taking an alternative route wouldn't be derailing, and that it really doesn't matter if he ends up at the same destination, but locomotive metaphors feel lame, and he also doesn't wanna have to explain that chess wasn't the only slightly nerdy pastime he'd indulged in a child.
So instead, he just says, "If you're sure?"
Your clothes hang over the back of his desk chair, just as slouchy and comfy as the shirt of his you're wearing, but somehow a little less appealing. He reaches over for them and tosses them your way, because he doesn't want it to look like he'd quite like you to stay.
Just feels bad that you'll be going back to your apartment, knowing it will smell like your ex. Knows that the reality you ran away from will be just the same as you left it. The bed will still be unmade, the clothes Seokjin had stripped you of will still be crumpled on your floor. Maybe the indent of his head will still be on your pillow, condom wrapper still by the foot of your bed. The sound of his laugh could be trapped beneath your duvet, the feel of his hands on your skin could be heavy in the stale air of your unventilated bedroom.
Should have opened a window before you left.
And Seokjin never should have left in the first place, but it is what it is.
"I'll let you get changed," Jungkook says, drawing you from your senseless thoughts, eyes soft, not really waiting for a response before he heads for his door.
You say a small thank you, but it's muffled slightly by the way it catches in your throat. He doesn't acknowledge it, slipping out of his room without turning back.
He's conscious of the fact that you've been rolling dice and landing on chance cards for a little while, now. Your friendship had been chalked up to lucky encounters and serendipitous endeavours.
Last night was much more deliberate. Felt like you'd looked through the chance cards before picking one: Go to a square of your choice. Collect £200 if you pass go.
He doesn't have a full set of cards yet. Can't put down houses, nor hotels - but you landed on the waterworks last night, and he landed on the electricity company. You're level. Both winners; both losers.
Muffled chatter has you slightly on edge as you hear Jimin's sleepy voice spliced in conversation with Jungkook's. Hadn't considered how strange it could look for you to be leaving Jungkook's room, when all three of you know the last time you'd been in their apartment, it was Jimin's room that you'd tried (and failed) to sneak out of.
And while there's no need for you to sneak around now, you know it will look a little precarious if you slink out of Jungkook's room with a look upon your face that will no doubt reek of guilt.
It's not because you've done anything wrong, but just because you understand the dynamics of friendship. If Jimin emerged from Danbi's room without warning, you'd be a little confused. Not upset, per se, but definitely awkward. It's easier for everyone if your current whereabouts are unknown.
You fold Jungkook's shirt neatly and smooth his bed sheets, trying to make his room look a little bit more presentable.
As you're stacking the mountain of pillows towards the top of his double bed, you can hear Jimin query where the sofa cushions have gone. Jungkook lies. Says he was building a fort for gaming. Promises he'll bring them back - but Jimin just says not to worry. He'll bring his pillows from his bedroom into the living room for the time being. Jungkook can keep the fort up.
There's a smile on your lips. It's nice to hear them chatter; nice to hear Jimin in a normal setting outside of a club or a bedroom. Even nicer to hear that Jungkook is just as tender with his housemate as he is with you. He's kind. You think it's your favourite thing about him.
Which is strange, because normally kindness makes you run for the hills - but as you cross your legs, sitting at the end of his bed, you realise there's no need. The reason you're not running is because Jungkook isn't chasing you. He walks alongside you, like your shoelaces are tied together.
Maybe one day you'll trip, but for now, you have a good pace set.
When he returns to his room, he's holding a finger to his lips. Shush, Byeol. Keep quiet.
And yet he vaults a packet of crisps at your face without much thought. The thick plastic crinkles against you, and Jungkook finds himself in a state of pleasant surprise from the impact, brows raised, mouth circled like a polo.
You say a thousand words with just a single gasp.
"Sorry, sorry," he whispers with a hushed giggle, the door now shut, realising how much he underestimated his throw. His palms are raised like he's holding white flags until he reaches the bed. You go to kick him, but he catches your ankle just in time. "Hey, hey!" He's still whispering. "I said I'm sorry!"
His thumb strokes against the bone of your ankle as he apologises, and the sweetness of his smile is hard to resist. You yank your leg back from his grasp and narrow your eyes.
"Couldda blinded me."
"Don't be dramatic."
"Never tell a dramatic girl to stop being dramatic, Jungkook. You don't know what you'll unleash."
He rolls his eyes and flops down onto his bed beside you. He's looking up at those damn birds again - so you do the same. His patchwork arm folds behind his head, ink-free arm resting over his stomach as he waits for you to shuffle into a comfortable position. There's only a little distance between the pair of you, but it's enough to reinforce that line you've drawn in the sand.
"Jimin's just put The Notebook on," he says without much animation, as if it were an inevitability he saw coming.
"So..."
"So, it means two things," he says with absolute certainty—because it was an inevitability. "Number one? He didn't get laid last night."
You laugh, not picturing Jimin as much of a romantic- especially when you know how he likes to fuck. Must have been why he offered you the chance to stay over. It could be that your least favourite part of a hook-up - the intimacy - is his favourite.
"And two?"
"Two is that we've got two hours until he leaves the living room."
"Shit."
Jungkook turns his head to face you, seemingly affronted by your exclamation. "Ouch. Rude. My company isn't that bad."
You let your gaze drop to meet his, the side of your head now resting on his duvet. You smile. "Yes, it is."
"Dickhead," he laughs, but doesn't let his gaze linger on yours for too long. Something so damn fascinating about those birds. "Nah, it's up to you. If you really have to get gone, I don't mind telling him you're here. I don't think he'll make it weird, or anything.
"I'd rather not," you admit. "Just means... explaining things, doesn't it? Don't really want a guy I hooked up with once knowing the ins and outs of my dating life."
He nods. Understands. Things are simple between the pair of you, but there are complexities when it comes to your mutual friends.
"Told him I'm not feeling great, so he's not gonna disturb me for a bit. I'll get Netflix up on my desktop or something, you can watch whatever you fancy. I've got some coursework to catch up on, so I'll be doing that."
You watch Jungkook as he reaches over you with a muffled sigh. He's retrieving the iPad from his nightstand. He's never mentioned his studies before, but there's something incredibly confusing about the concept of him—bartending gym rat, heavily tattooed Jungkook—doing homework.
But then you're feeling bad again, knowing surely you'll be a distraction to his day.
"Sure you don't wanna use your desktop for your coursework?"
"Nah, nah," he smiles and raises the tablet. "S'what I use in class. All my notes are on here."
It's the first you've discussed his studies. Didn't even realise he was still in school. Still so much to learn about one another. It's okay, though. You've all the time in the world.
"Watcha studying?"
He presses his lips together, not quite smiling. Finds it a little bit awkward talking about his endeavours, knowing that there is a weight that comes with a degree. Doesn't want to get one and then end up never using it in his life - kind of like you.
"Business and events. Study part-time. Had to work alongside it. In my final year."
"Oh wow," you say, genuinely surprised. You just never assumed he had any free time, because you only ever actually see him when he's busy. You've never seen him on a Tuesday and nor a Thursday, though, which is when he's in lectures. "That's impressive."
He rolls his dark eyes, but his smile is ever-present. He awkwardly sucks a little air between his teeth and knocks his head to the side. "It's not. Everyone has degrees these days."
You want to argue back, but then he's asking you about your degree, and how you ended up working in an art cafe. The answer is simple yet feels complex—a saturated job market is where you place your blame, but the internal feeling of inadequacy is why you actually think you never got one of the lucrative roles in your chosen industry. Just don't feel like you're good enough. It wasn't for a lack of trying.
He tells you it's impressive that you've got a degree, with a bit of a shit-eating smile, and it has you rolling your eyes, too. Makes you realise how dumb you sounded saying it to him.
"C'mon," he nods towards his desk. "Let's pick something to watch."
There's a casual nature to the way he lets you sit on his desk chair, chin resting upon your knees, as he leans over you; hand on the mouse, navigating through his desktop.
You ignore the fact he opens up chrome in incognito mode. He just hasn't deleted his history in, like, forever, and fears what could be on display. Knows that there's a high chance it could be something unsavoury. Could also still have a tab open with your name in the search bar.
He just got curious. That's all. No biggie.
His keyboard is one of the tippy-tappy kinds. Goes click-clack as he types. You don't know the name of the keyboard model, just know that you like stumbling across videos of them at two o'clock in the morning.
It sounds so comforting when Jungkook enters the web address. His password, too, and then your name into a new user, because he doesn't trust you not to fuck with his Netflix landing page.
He restricts your access to 'kids only,' for no reason other than to have you whining in his direction. He refuses to change it back. Tells you to suck it. Keeps it up until you pinch some of his hair between your fingers and threaten to pull.
"Alright, alright!" he exclaims in a hushed whisper, still conscious of Jimin in the next room over. He clicks through the settings and restores your access - but also then picks the ugliest-looking character he can find for your display picture, too. "There. Happy?"
"The happiest."
And somehow, it doesn't feel like a lie.
See, when Jungkook's focus is on you—his laugh in your ear, smile in your eye line—you forget the ache in your chest left by Jin.
He's a distraction, but not in the sense that Jimin was. Not how any of your hookups have been. He doesn't offer what they did - and he won't, which is likely why the distraction is so welcome by you.
He's sticking dry ramyeon in your cracks and sanding it down. It's not perfect, and it's not permanent, but it does alright for now.
You look over at him in the mirror by his window, intently observing him as he gets to grips with his notes. There's a swell in your chest. It's so nice to have a friend. To not have expectations. To have someone value having you around for no ulterior motive.
Jungkook doesn't really think much of it. He likes having you around, too. Likes your company. Likes that he doesn't have to worry about you crushing on him, because Jimin's already taken your fancy. Likes the lack of pressure.
Doesn't like it so much when you start asking him about his origami birds again a little while later.
You've just finished an episode of some crime drama he doesn't recognise, but didn't choose to start the next one up. Instead, you waltz to the end of his bed and lie down to look at the folded figurines.
You get why Jungkook seems to like doing it so much. There's a subdued serenity to their soft movements in the stream of air blowing from his aircon unit.
"How'd you make them?" You ask, eyes concentrating up at them. They're two-tone—white on top, black from beneath. All the same. Uniform. Identical.
He knows what you're asking about, so he doesn't look up from the notes he's making. "Easily."
"You're the worst," you say, and he can almost hear the fact you're smiling.
"Nah," he retracts his statement as he glances over towards you. "Really wanna know how?"
You turn your head to meet his gaze. He looks far more awake, now. "Obviously."
He shrugs. Has that shit-eating grin on his face again. "Folded some paper."
"I'm leaving," you say, and yet you don't move a muscle.
"Jimin's still in the living room," he reminds you.
And so you decide to play up to the narrative he's already decided for you and his housemate. "Maybe I'll just go to his room for round two."
"Told you it wouldn't just be a one-time thing."
"Literally fuck off," you laugh, knowing there's no way you'll ever win against Jeon Jungkook.
"It's my bedroom, where exactly am I meant to fuck off to?"
"The floor."
And so he does. Takes his iPad, sticks his apple pen behind his ear and crosses his legs on the shagpile rug that's next to his bed. He's challenging you as he raises his brows.
You don't wanna bite the bait. "God, you're so ridiculous."
"You love it," he jokes, and then he realises that he might be flirting a little bit, so he tries to draw it back. Decides that maybe it would be good to tell you why he's got them up. You shared a lot last night. His turn, now.
"No, I... I dated a girl for a bit who would always fold things up into butterflies. Guess I wanted her to think we had a similar quirk, or something like that."
He's so sweet that it's devastating. Must have broken his fair share of hearts, you think.
"Did she fall for it?"
You know you would have.
"She never knew," he admits. A blush creeps across his cheeks and atop his nose. Pretty. "It was a bit of a weird situation."
"You? Weird? Gasp. Sounds unlikely."
"Shut up," he laughs, briefly meeting your gaze before looking down at his hands. "No, we were friends for the longest time. Still are, I guess. Same group of friends, at least. We were never official. Just a couple of friends who fucked about for a bit. Anyways, to cut a long story short, things didn't work out. So. She hasn't been here to see them."
"But you're still friends?"
Depends on how you define friends, he thinks. There was never any big fight. The last time he saw her—a night out to celebrate another friend's birthday—they'd spent the entire night goofing around together.
It's funny, really, how Jungkook thinks you're the epitome of stars, but he's never had more in his eyes than when he looked at her.
You've never seen him like that. The only time you see stars in his eyes is when you catch your own reflection.
You think it would be nice, though. Think he'd look sweet all loved up, boyish and bashful in the presence of someone whose beauty encapsulates everyone around them. To see him in love would almost feel like experiencing it yourself.
"Kinda," he shrugs. "Don't see her much. She's got a boyfriend up in Seoul. Spends most of her time there."
The melody of his voice is melancholic. He doesn't sound regretful. Maybe a little resentful. Sad, more than anything. It's a shame.
"You really liked her?"
Jungkook decides he's said enough. He puts on his best smile and shakes his head. Plays it off like it's no big deal. Pretends as if he didn't make a single-at-thirty marriage pact with her. Acts like he doesn't wish things had worked out differently; like he doesn't kind of hope he'll still be single at thirty, just in case she is, too.
"Why are we even talking about this? Really doesn't matter," he says, voice a little harsher than he intends. You feel guilty for pushing the subject. Glad to know him a little better, mind you. "I think I get it, though. Your whole... never staying thing."
He's the first person to say that to you. Everyone else has made you feel a little weird for it; as if your one-night-stands are somehow even sleazier because of it.
Your voice is quiet as you look at your hands. "You do?"
"Kind of," he shrugs. "I always stay, but only cause I only tend to fuck girls I actually like. I just... since her I haven't really let it get that far. Scared of staying and then the girl leaving, like she did, I guess. You 'n' me? We're two sides of the same coin. Doesn't really matter, though does it?"
Jungkook surprises you. You'd have never thought him to be as much of a defeatist as he appears to be, now.
"No," you acknowledge as he comes back to sit on his bed. He lays down, head by your ankles, feet by your head. The birds above him are none the wiser of their impact on him. "It's just, I came to you crying over my ex last night, so it'll be nice to have a heads up if you're gonna come crying to me."
There's humour in your voice, and he appreciates it. Likes that he can be serious with you, but that you try and lighten the mood for him. He doesn't like talking about things like this. Always gets a heaviness in his chest. Only ever had a panic attack once, but he remembers how it started. Remembers it feeling a lot like this.
"She's not an ex. We never dated, so. Won't be crying. Don't worry."
You both know that titles count for nothing. Both know he cried plenty.
"Ouch," you grimace, to which he just smiles, now. No point in letting himself dwell upon it all.
"It is what it is."
"Bit more than that," you counter, because apparently you don't know when to shut up. It's not that you want him to have to rehash his bad memories. You just think they're eating him up. Think it will do him good to exhale.
He hums in confusion, the noise light and airy. Almost like he's chirping. Maybe he's secretly one of his little paper birds in disguise.
"Well, if it was enough to put you off dating for good," you rationalise. You know why he's downplaying it, but he'll do himself no favours by living in denial. "It shouldn't be dismissed as nothing."
"Not for good," he objects, and taps your head with his foot. You bat him away, but there's a weightlessness to the way you both start laughing. "Just for now."
"How long has it been?"
"Does it matter?"
"No."
He kind of hates how many questions you ask. Kind of likes it, too. Likes that you don't know the Jungkook that came before her. Likes that you never had to see him when he was struggling with it.
The only person that had ever seen it was Jimin. So good at putting on a brave face, the rest of their friends barely knew. Even she didn't realise how badly she hurt him. It's why she still tries to be his friend.
Makes sense. They were best friends. Always said things would never change. In her eyes, they haven't.
"Just over a year," he finally sighs. "Confessed last spring. Was also subsequently rejected, but not till the summer."
You chirp in confusion now. Think about how long it must have fucked with him, never knowing where he stood. You feel awful for him.
"Well, she said she wasn't sure what she wanted. Anyways, ended up not being me. And so now, I never let myself get that deep into things. Don't wanna repeat history. Make the same bad decisions. Y'know?"
It's the SparkNotes version.
He won't bore you with the way he accidentally said he loved her after one too many shots, and how she'd told him that he didn't mean it - only for him to fuck her that evening like he really did. Won't tell you how she asked him about it in the morning, and when Jungkook nervously asked, "Well, do you want me to be in love with you?", she'd said, "No. I think that would ruin things."
And so he'd just laughed, and told her good. Said he'd never be in love with someone as ugly as her with a smile on his face reserved for only the most beautiful of people.
He won't tell you how she began to playfight with him, and how he ended up fucking her again. Fucking her like he meant it. Fucking her like she put the stars in the sky and stole the wind from his sails just to turn the tides. Fucking her like he never had done before. Fucking her like she wasn't just a friend, and he wasn't just a little horny.
The difference was, sober now, she felt it. Felt his intent. Knew that his slip-up had been the product of a fall.
He was confused, but so was she. He hadn't meant to fall—but she hadn't meant to trip him. No one was to blame.
And so he just blames himself. Shies away from love, 'cause he thinks that maybe he isn't right for it. If even the person who knew him better than he knew himself couldn't bring herself to love him, then what hope did he have?
"God, what's wrong with us?" He laughs, still tapping the side of your head with his foot. It's annoying, but you let him.
"Fear of intimacy and fear of rejection," you muse. "Make quite the pair."
He smiles in such a way that it doesn't feel like a smile, but he hopes that the hormones will play tricks on him. Make him at least think he's happy. "Anyways, I keep the birds up as a reminder, I guess."
"Of?"
He just shrugs. "Gotta set people free."
It's a nice idea. One you think you'd quite like to indulge in, too.
"You got any more paper?"
"Fuckin' loads. Accidentally ordered, like, a thousand sheets."
Your voice is delicate as you say, "Show me how to make them?"
There's hesitancy from Jungkook. Not sure he wants to share such a personal part of himself.
But then he thinks maybe it would be nice. Thinks that just because he wants to be alone romantically, doesn't mean he has to be lonely.
He tells you where the paper is—the top drawer beneath his desk—and begins to instruct you. They're simple enough. Only a few steps. He's made so many that he relies mostly on muscle memory.
Your first attempts are terrible. He questions whether or not you really work at an art cafe, because he can't comprehend that you're so bloody awful at crafting. You tell him that painting is an entirely different discipline, and he tells you that you're making excuses.
Eventually, though, you get the hang of it. Can make them without getting paper cuts. Almost. He still laughs every time you wince and mutter 'shit' beneath your breath.
You're about ten birds deep into your new flock when you walk to his desk to retrieve a pen. Jungkook raises a brow, catching the biro effortlessly as you toss it towards him.
"Can't just set people free," you say, an idea brewing in your head. "Gotta set your fears free, too. It's the only way you'll get over them."
"Okay," he bites. "So?"
"So: go on," you nod towards the sheet of paper in his hand. "One of the things you're scared of. Rejection right? What are scared to do because of that?"
It's a big question. He's not even entirely sure he knows the answer.
And so he deflects. "What are you scared of?"
You take a moment to think, uncapping a pen with your teeth and scrawling down an answer on the sheet of paper. When you're done, pen cap still between your teeth, you turn the page to show him your answer: Staying the night after a hook up.
"I don't do it," you say candidly, as if it's news to either of you. "What don't you do?"
He takes a moment now. Really considers how his complexes conflict with his life. Some are easier to confront than others, though, so he scribbles one down and holds it up: following girls back on instagram.
A smile tugs at your lips. "Sorry?"
"Well, what if they strike up a conversation in my DMs?" He says as if it's a totally rational and reasonable response.
"You followed me, though?"
"It's different. I was just trying to get you your phone back—and not being funny, Byeol, you'd just fucked Jimin? Didn't really think you'd be trying it on with me?"
You snicker a little. It's kind of nice how he sees you as this strange entity all because you got a little frisky with Jimin. Writes you off. Doesn't consider you a 'girl' anymore, apparently.
But all you can do is laugh and say, "Yeah, fair enough. Suppose that's true. Alright, now you're done, fold it up."
You both do it in unison, the folds coming easily now that he's shown you the ropes. He's almost a little bit impressed that you finish just a second or so after him. Isn't actually impressed, 'cause it's the simplest origami known to man, but it's sweet how pleased you seem to be with yourself. Cute.
"And set it free," you finish, tossing it down into the pile of birds gathering by the foot of his bed.
"And set it free," he nods with a grin, twiddling his lip ring with his tongue as his gaze lands on yours; his bird landing in the pile.
Such a simple act, and yet it is freeing.
"Again?" he asks, to which you repeat his word back to him.
"Again."
The pair of you sit in comfortable silence, scrawling out your fears onto the papers. You choose to write all of your fears out first, and then fold them up. Jungkook writes a fear, folds, and then repeats it. Different methods, same end goals.
He runs out of fears before you do, but it's okay. Not like it's a competition. He thinks it's interesting. Wonders what you're hiding up there behind your starry eyes.
"What now?" he asks as you toss your final bird into the pile.
Your purse your lips together, contemplating the next step. There's only one that really makes sense.
"You got any string?"
And of course, he does. Not only did he order far too many sheets of paper, but also far too much string. He gets it from the drawer beneath his desk, and a couple of rolls of tape. It's washi, dark grey, and he worries that it's been sitting for so long that it could have lost its tackiness.
You don't seem phased though as you stand on his bed and struggle to reach the ceiling. It's all very endearing. He comes to stand behind you, and doesn't really think much of it as he reaches for your hips and pulls you off of his bed. At least, he doesn't think anything of it until you shriek a little in surprise - and then he's covering your mouth with one of his hands, the other still on your hip.
"Shush, shush, shush," he coos with a small laugh as you swot him away. "You stick the string to the birds. I'll put them up."
Routines come as bread and butter to the pair of you. It's so casual how you work together, like the tides and the moon, it just... works. It doesn't take long once you fall into a pattern—string, stick, pass, stick—and soon enough, his bed has a canopy of so many birds that it's almost hysterical.
"Got a whole flock now," you smile as you both come to lay back down, heads by each other's ankles. Opposites. In tandem. Yin and Yang.
It's kind of a mess, but in such a way that it feels entirely right. There are a few incredibly lopsided birdies, all thanks to you, but Jungkook finds a certain charm to them. Likes how you somehow managed to make perfect birds and also ones that belonged in the bin—and how it was those slightly wonky ones that you seem to like the most.
It's as you're praising how pretty the birds look that the washi tapes loosens on one of them, falling onto your tummy.
Jungkook groans. "Told you the tape wasn't strong enough."
You scrunch your nose. He's right, but you don't want to acknowledge it. Don't like 'told you so' moments—so instead, you pretend as if it was meant to be.
"Must be that you're ready to set that fear free."
"Hmm?"
"Well, it definitely isn't one of mine," you grin, holding the bird up to look at it. The folds are sharp and pointed. Pristine, almost. It's too well-made to be one of yours, so you pass it over to him. "What does it say?"
"None of your business," he declares, holding it tight to his chest.
But he's curious too, and just laughs when he opens it. Holds it open. Gives you a peak.
Following girls back on Instagram.
"You've already seen it," he says, explaining why he doesn't mind you looking at it.
"And I still don't understand why you think it's such a huge thing," you tell him softly - not because you want to invalidate his fears, but because you want to understand them.
"A lot of girls find me through the club's Instagram," he admits, sensing that your confusion would only be remedied with honesty. "Feels a bit sleazy to follow them back when they were probably drunk."
"It's an insta follow back, Kook. You're hardly making a move," you say. "It really doesn't have to be a big deal. If they're already following you, then you're the one rejecting them."
"But what if"—
"But nothing. Gimmie your phone," you say—and you're surprised when he does. No hesitation. Makes you think that maybe just he needs a push. Wants this.
He's pleased when he notices a slight sparkle to your chipped nail varnish. It's midnight blue, and you bought it because it reminds you of a twilight sky, but it just confirms that you're made of stardust to Jungkook. The shine prevails even when you're without your trusty glitter.
You pull up Instagram and head to his notifications. He's got a solid bounty of new followers. 68 since he last checked.
"Okay, what about her?" You pause your scroll on a brunette—slim build, hair cropped to just above her shoulders. She's wearing a little glitter too, from the looks of things. Jungkook wonders if that's why she stood out for you. Wonders if maybe you saw a little bit of yourself in her.
"Yeah, she's pretty," he admits, but glances over to you to check he isn't speaking in a way that makes him seem like a dick. He doesn't want you to think he'd objectifying anyone. "I'm not so sur-"
He doesn't have a chance. You've already pressed on the little blue follow button.
"See! Not so hard."
Jungkook disagrees.
There's a feeling in the pit of his stomach. What if the girl shows up at the bar and tries to strike up a conversation? Then what? The first step is all very well and good, but you seem to have forgotten that his life goes on after the press of a follow button.
But then the moment passes, and he realises that the world is still turning just as it always has been. Nothing has changed. Maybe it is okay.
And so he takes a little bit of a lead.
"Who next?" he asks, trusting your decisions.
"Her?" your thumb points towards another brunette. She's gorgeous. Face straight out of a magazine, body off a catwalk. How on earth he wouldn't have noticed her at the club is beyond you. She's not the kind you'd forget easily.
"I remember her," he says, confirming your suspicions. He does notice girls, and he does pay an interest in them. You think it's sad that he's stopping himself from pursuing any of them.
His voice is flat as his lips sneer a little, though. Had noticed her for all the wrong reasons.
"She was a grade-A wanker to Yeonjun," he explains. "Literally was last night. He messed up her order, and instead of just asking for a redo like a normal human being, she pretended to knock it over. Got vodka lemonade all over the counter, which is like, not an issue, but when it's peak time and you do it just to be a dick? Yeah. I served her for the rest of the night so he wouldn't have to deal with her. She follows me?"
You nod, a little embarrassed that you suggested her. It almost feels like you're the one being scolded. You kind of like seeing him like this, though. He looks good a little heated. It's so different to how mild-mannered he typically is.
"Force her to unfollow me."
The look on his face as you glance over at him is hard to read. He faces you, eyes focused on yours. They dip quickly to where your mouth rests ajar in surprise, then back up. "What?"
"Nothing," you laugh. "Just... I dunno. Strong morals."
"That a bad thing?"
"Not in the slightest," you say, voice soft, smile faint but sincere.
He goes to speak, but stops himself. Changes the topic. "Who next?"
And so you scroll, because you don't want to dwell. You make your way through a few of his followers, almost like you're playing an insta-tinder-hybrid.
"Oh, what the fuck," you snort as you reach a profile towards the bottom of the list.
"Hmm?" He asks as he looks at the profile you tap through to.
Ciara, her profile reads, and the instant you see her tight curls that delicately frame her face, dyed a caramel blonde to contrast her dark eyes, you recognise her. Like most of the girls in his notifications, she has the kind of beauty to leave an impression.
Unlike the last girl you'd done a deep dive on, she actually is a sweetheart, you think.
From what you remember, at least.
"Ciara," you hum, scrolling through her feed. It's dappled with pictures of friends, books in coffee shops and adventures from her time in Korea. She's Irish—not that her profile really gives it away—and you can almost remember the way her accent tastes. "It's definitely the club where she first saw you."
"She did?" He asks, not really sure how you know this with such certainty.
"Uh-huh. I met her a few weeks ago."
Jungkook doesn't interrupt. He senses more coming.
And then you shrug.
"Hooked up with her, actually."
"Oh," he says with a little surprise. Doesn't sound negative, but it doesn't sound entirely positive, either. You glance over to find him looking at you, and question his surprise. "I just didn't know. That's all."
And then you laugh. "Why do men always seem to think women's lives revolve around the male species?"
"I don't," he quickly protests, not wanting you to think ill of him.
Though he's pretty set on his sexuality, he's also no stranger to a little experimentation. Wouldn't judge anyone for their sexual endeavours, nor who they choose to engage in said endeavours with. Consenting adults are consenting adults.
"Literally just didn't know," he adds on. "It's no different to you being surprised when you found out I was studying for my degree."
You narrow your eyes but it's all in jest. You accept his response. Have had far worse in the past.
"Do you mind me asking?" He continues, getting a read on your expression before he clarifies. Doesn't wanna overstep the mark, but also isn't asking you anything he wouldn't be comfortable with you asking him back. "How you, like, identify?"
It's delicate, how he phrases it. Tender. Airy. Makes you feel quite safe, actually. His voice is so calm and neutral, that he may as well be asking what you'd like for dinner.
You simply shrug, shoulders lifting and then pressing back down into his duvet. It's something you've given a lot of thought, but always find hard to draw conclusions on. "Always just used to say bi."
"Used to say?"
"Had a boyfriend for a year, so people never cared to ask," you purse your lips, reminded of your least favourite aspect of dating Seokjin: erasure. Not just of your sexuality, but of your identity outside of the relationship. You were 'Jin's girlfriend' to so many people. You hated it. Wanted to be a person in your own right. "Maybe it was self-inflicted, but people seemed to forget I had a life before him. Maybe I did, too. When you lose your sense of self, it's hard to define it, yanno?"
Jungkook nods. He doesn't entirely understand, but tries. Recognises it was difficult for you. Feels bad. "Sorry."
"Not your fault, is it? Anyway, it's okay. I'm trying to rediscover myself, almost? Trying not to tie myself to anything too definitively. Scared I'll get it wrong."
"You're allowed to not know," he says. His brows crease above the bridge of his nose like they always do whenever he's speaking with a little passion. "And you're also allowed to know and not want to define it. Fuck what anyone else thinks."
"Either way," you deflect, not wanting to dwell. "Would be weird if you started chirpsing a girl I've been with."
"Agreed," he laughed. "Would make a double date with Jimin interesting."
"Jesus, give up the Jimin agenda," you smile. "It's not gonna happen again."
"Sureeee. Okay, next girl," he says, but is interrupted by a second origami bird falling.
It's on the outskirts of the flock - the one impacted the most by the breeze of the aircon - and Jungkook can tell immediately who made it.
"Oh this is definitely one of yours," he laughs, holding it up to study it. "How is the wing so bloody wonky?"
"He's poorly," you pout. "Like Jacquimo from Thumbelina."
Jungkook doesn't even pretend to know what you're referencing, so you just tell him you'll show him later. It's one of your favourite films. He says he'll watch it if you win a game of chess against him. You've no idea how to play. Tell him your agent will be in touch to schedule a tournament. He says he'll be waiting.
And then he's thinking. Voicing his thoughts. "We faced one of my fears"—
"And no one died."
"Exactly, no one died," he smiles. "So let's face one of yours."
"Wait!" You say quickly, going to grab the bird from his grasp, but he holds it above his head. You panic. "Look, Kook, I didn't plan on you ever seeing any of mine."
"So?"
"So... " you cringe. "Fear of intimacy."
"Sooo?"
"So... intimacy??"
"I'm lost?"
God, he couldn't be more of a boy if he tried. You half think that sometimes he plays dumb just to get you squirming. If he does, it works.
"Some of them aren't exactly PG," you say, your face scrunching even further up, as if you're preparing for a shot. Alcohol or medicinal. Doesn't matter which. Both would be less painful than this.
The way Jungkook laughs has you covering his mouth. It's a role reversal, with you reminding him Jimin is just next door.
"Sorry, sorry," he says as he recovers his breath. His teeth are on show, nose blushed, skin dewy. He's so pretty like this, you think. Handsome when he's happy. "I just—how bad can it be?"
The look on his face as he opens it says it all.
Yep.
You groan.
"Jesus Christ, Byeol."
Pretty fucking bad.
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#jungkook fanfiction#jungkook angst#jungkook smut#jungkook ff#jk ff#jungkook masterlist#jungkook fic#jungkook x reader#jungkook x you#jungkook x oc#jeon jungkook smut#bts fanfic#byholly#angst#smut#jungkook x y/n#college!jungkook#bartender!jk#jungkook fluff#bd#bad decisions#bd!jk#bts
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uh-ohs in my writing, so i need brain-scolding
Three or more stories have been infected by possible Deltarune plot devices. I need to clean it away. AWAY. I keep writing Sans as someone who came from Deltarune and crashlanded in Undertale like some kind of space alien. Or maybe he crawled out of the ground... into the Underground. I wouldn't doubt it. He's a skeleton.
I mean, that's actually pretty cool, but DR isn't done, and I need more plot to finally make Papyrus his brother again.
(Yep. That's right, I keep making them unrelated, and it's bothering my brain that they’d be completely unrelated in UT in the first place if Sans is from DR and Papyrus is from UT. I think I'll use this for a plot.)
About five out of ten Papyruses have been born written with a black soul. Congratulations, Sans, you've become his battery white soul. Even when most of the main pair is kustard.
(Weep. I need to delete the black soul parts. Please, that's for the TJOS plot. Stop it, brain.)
My soulmate drafts of kustards have been invaded by a Papyrus that was just so sweet that Sans keeps wondering why he isn't his soulmate. I don't know, Sans, but now I have to figure out a way to place him in your relationship. Red just has to take it like a champ, right? It's okay, Papyrus will wow him... somehow.
I think Papyrus is trying to make a comeback, and that's why he's been in my head. Wishing for a scene.
What a real star he is.
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I once wondered if a crossover of undertale and mortasheen do exist, how it would work.
So was thinking about the main character... and begin to design them
Frisk: From the wraith civilisation. They have fallen from on a damaged celestial engin
Toriel: a difformed goat like mutant, quickly took frisk as one of her many lost lambs and take care of them even if they are unwilling and fleeing her clutch
Sans: Mysterious weirdo who is able to do weird spatio-temporal stuff. Maybe not a 'skeleton' after all
Papyrus: Sans ''brother'' gullible and can be even befriended but technically a dangerous killing machine
Undyne: A vampiric merfolk knight. Patrol the blood cavern in search of intruder
Alphys: You average run of the mile mad scientist but darker than the original undertale (not as edgy as underfail but something that rhyme with a poor grasp of what can be considered ethical and no remorse)
Napstablook: (ghost and spiritual thing aren't technically canon in mortasheen, but the definition of science in the setting was already stretchy) A psychic manifestation of a deceased person..
Temmy: A experimental mistake who were thrown in a dump. It have spred and build a small "town'' in here
Mettaton: pretty much the same as his undertale version but more biopunk(ir: a brain in a machine)
Asgore: A powerful but fair darklord that control his small empire with a firm hand. Hate the wraith for some reason
flowey/Asriel:
The son of toriel and asgore, he received occult experiment on him to help them fight the wraith resulting in the birth of ''flowey''
Flowey is full of resent about what his ''parent did and want the whole world burn
Muffet: just your average muffet but a lot bigger
Further oddity of the AU
-The respawn system isn't based on determination. But on cloning. They're some cloning machine spread everywhere on the city, you just need a DNA sample and a clone is spawn when you die (the pacifist/genocide route will be very different or even a complety different nature if their no permadeath)
-Frisk didn't receive a phone from toriel but some kind of goat headed worm that she detached from her body. Frisk will wear the creature on their back as it will serve as a some sort of spiritual guide
How the AU can work and some specific story point
Undertale AU usually copy the term and story of the original even if it contradictory. (the best exemple is underfail/horrortale who just use the same plot point but try to make it edgier sometime it just dosen't work or barely make any sense)
Some plot point may be kept but he whole story and it nature may be changed..
Like rather to kill or not to kill system. It more of a keep your humanity system (rather than the genocide route it the extremly hard YOLO route, no save(cloning) to achieve it
-There some rivalery with the wraith and underworld
-The celestial machine have weapon of mass destruction
-Asgore tried in vain to defeat them
-A ''un-exister'' kind of device lie somewhere in the world. It own reality is hotly debated. Sans seem to be aware of it existence
-Nobody can truly ''die''(not impossible but vaporising a poor mofo who didn't have any cloning data seem to be the only normal way to permakill) but they will be still pretty pissed if you kill them
-frisk wasn't the only member of the wraith who have fallen
-Frisk have something inside them, so that why asgore is addement to retrieve it dead body something necessary to build a super weapon
-On the main reason why everyone want to take frisk, is they are a ''genetically pure'' human
-the amalgate are failed alphys experiment. Some kidnapped human something something involving soul and true immortality
(chara vs frisk is kinda murky here, maybe chara itself is just some AI generated tough of wiping clean the earth of all ''evil'')
may elaborate later when I will get idea...
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TFP Optimus?
i'm not tremendously a tfp person in general but if i think about optimus/orion too long i turn into pepe silvia. i have run into very few fanon takes on him i've enjoyed. i think there's a tendency to pick one dimension and overplay it, whether it's the perceived naiveté of orion pax or the demands of leadership or the relationship with the other autobots, and put a very one-dimensional character on the page--as a consequence, specifically, of looking at canon and going 'he has the personality of wet bread that means it's free real estate.' i also really don't care for any of the interpretations that paint the matrix as having overwritten or erased or stolen or imprisoned OP's existing personality. it simply Does Not Vibe for me. the pepe silvia comes in where it's like. i can SEE the cracks i can see the person underneath a character the writers seemed more interested in using as a plot device than an individual. it's like. you have made this character so much of a foil to all these other characters that you forgot you actually needed to create a character underneath the reflections. that's where the brainrot goes back to. there's a fascinating skeleton here you could flesh out but it feels like 90% of the interpretations i see go 'oh yeah an amorphous blob' and shove in a completely different underlying structure. it can be fun but very little of it seems interested in aligning with the show.
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KOTLC AND PJO
@valentinerose529 passed on the brain rot so now I'm dragging y'all down with me
Please buckle up your non-existent seatbelts and keep all hands, wings, feet, tails, and horns inside the vehicle. This is gonna be a long post
So
As I've previously stated else where I firmly stick my foot in the hill that the Aphrodite Cabin (10) has so much more under the surface of pink and glitter (not that there's anything wrong with pink and glitter)
Aphrodite is quite literally the Goddess of Love if you're a PJO fan and don't know Greek mythology or you're a fan but completely forgot.
She has an ever changing form to each individual as well as an ever changing personality (in the PJO universe) due to beauty standards and the culture of the place she's in.
Love is complicated and messy, it's not the same for everyone or every situation.
Thus why I put Keefe in good old 10. What a better place for an empath than the Aphrodite Cabin?
Now moving onto the ever messy Vackers
I love Fitz and Biana. I do............but I got an entire skeleton of bones to pick with Alden Vacker and of he can meet me outside the Denny's parking lot please-
While not actually smart Alden did manage to become emissary in KOTLC and Athena seems to like mildly smart guys who end up being very mid dad's. Girls got a type and I can only say hopes and prayers she gets better.
Athena is a strategist and occasionally thinks only in the form of a game (I will be using chess). Athena knows when it's time to get sharp and wet the blade and move people to where they have to go. She may be immortal but time is still against her so chop chop guys, we've got a magical meguiffin to snatch and bring back.
Athena is the goddess of wisdom, war strategy, handicraft.
What better godly parent to leave an ever lasting shadow on the eldest son Alvar. And the bitterness that stems from being out shined by perfect child Fitz who developed a far more impressive power than his older brother.
"but Biana feels so Aphrodite coded!" You cry and I hear you but Biana is a fighter at heart. She likes winning Quest Hunt and tackling the shit out of people in Tackle Bramble (she would love rugby). She's competitive and clever though it's not clear where on earth that gene came from, clearly not Alden.
And let's not forget it was Biana's idea to turn shirt ruffles into weapon hiding spots. Girls got strategy and style. Athena would be proud.
(plus the absolute sandal that would be blowing up the Camp's gossip train of Biana potentially being Aphrodite's daughter dispite having two Athena brothers would be scalding hot)
Onto everyone's favorite technopath
"oh Hephaestus, we all know" well you're wrong bucko
Worm, germs, plotted plant I named Timmy. What has Dex Dizznee built so far? Bombs, multiple bracelets for punching, many devices used just to heck the government's most top secret files, a panic button/tracker, more devices that hack into the government's files, a circuit that shall not be discussed.
These are all pretty crazy cool shit and Hephaestus would be damn proud to have Dex as his son.
But Dex isn't his son.
Dex's dad is the father of thieves, travelers, and roads. Hermes
"WHAT?" Yeah I know I know. But think about it. Dex is smart, he's so damn smart but he's tricky too. He knows the chemicals needed to dye an imp pink with glittery nails to match, he can whip up a batch up balding blam to get revenge, he can also be easily lost in the background of things.
So what a major disappointment it must be, to be waiting any day now for the sign of the hammer in a blazing forge and get a stupid winged sandal instead.
The Song Twins
Tam and Linh really gave me a run for my money because they're twins but Linh is an obvious Poseidon kid while Tam isn't and however powerful and weird the gods may be, two gods can't have kids with the same woman at the same time. It just ain't possible.
Linh's water powers are important to her character but so are Tam's. But Tam can still have spooky powers just not in the same flavor. Linh is the pretty side of Poseidon's rule over the seas. The water that heals and the funny animal shapes she makes. But the deeper into the ocean you get the darker it becomes. Tam's powers are the less pleasant things in life.
Now for everyone's second favorite arsonist (not Sophie)
Marella Redek has Pyrokenisis and you're saying "oh this one's eazy, Leo, come pick up your sibling" but you're wrong yet again my friend.
While Marella would probably be super frustrated with getting the tinker cabin over something that could help her mom (y'all remember how helping her mom was her main motivation?) at least with the STEM geeks she could hammer out some kind of magic mood ring to help her mom or make a bracelet with charmed gemstones capable of alerting her mom or herself when danger is near or just something
But no
Instead Marella is stuck in the only cabin that couldn't have been a worst match up for her. Hecate. (I know I previously said Ares but I changed my mind)
Marella, instead of having a knack for magic like almost every other child of Hecate instead got the flaming torch part of the deal. Literally. Marella can also see strings of magic and she doesn't like it one bit.
And finally Sophie (because this is getting too long)
Sophie was a tricky one since she has all these powers and it was nearly impossible to put her in a cabin that really fit with her
What finally got me to decide was actually her teleporting powers and inflicting. They have a sort of lightning and thunder styled description so who better than lord thunderbutt himself, Zeus.
#kotlc#keeper of the lost cities#sophie foster#keefe sencen#tam song#linh song#marella redek#dex dizznee#fitz vacker#biana vacker#pjo and kotlc#pjo#tell me your thoughts
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I Wish I'd Found the Randy Cunningham Ninth Grade Ninja Fandom
I LOVED that show when it was first coming out. I thought it was just a ton of fun and that characters like Viceroy and Mcfist were genuinely amazing takes on their archtypes. Admittedly, Randy and Howard are entirely classic to me since I grew up with stuff like Danny Phantom and Kim Possible but...
None of you probably know what I'm talking about.
Okay, so a bit over a decade ago now, Disney had a show called Randy Cunningham: Ninth Grade Ninja. The premise was actually kind of Sailor Moon S1 in with half of its villain group. The Ninja exists to oppose the Sorcerer, trapped below the town. The Sorcerer feeds on misery and can corrupt people who are vulnerable through items and the like that they hold dear, turning them into monsters who are usually beat either by destroying the object or convincing the person to give up their grievance.
The other half of the main villains (it had a lot of side villains too of course) were the duo of McFist and Viceroy. They employed a lot of robots, mutants, etc. because, well, McFist was so rich as to practicallly own the town and be beloved by all (Think Lex Luthor but bad at hiding it and really shouty) and Viceroy was literally his on staff MAD SCIENTIST! He even graduated second in his year from a mad science university. Or first. Can't remember despite it being a plot point for an episode when a skeleton that the science teacher is... Married to I think? Comes back to life and tries to finish his graduation project that would have made him Valedictorian: A Doomsday Device. After all, if you blow the world, you are indeed the greatest evil scientist apparently.
The show was pretty classic in how it was structured and played thing and when I say classic, I mean it. It had a moral of the episode format, usually taught through ancient ninja rhyme through the book that gave Randy, the main character, his powers: The Ninjanomicon which is a great name. It would also be what helped grant him various ninja tools to beat bad guys, though his main weapon was the ever changing length scarf he had and a sick ass sword.
The show also had a good sense of humor about what it was though. Like the first episode's lesson from the book is that the greatest weapon is within the suit. When Randy gets his ass kicked, he believes it must be trying to tell him to believe in himself, draw in deep and OPE NOPE! It means there's a sword in the suit! Time to get to slicing and dicing!
The downfall of the show for me was the same thing that makes me actually surprised it didn't stick around longer than it did (besides Disney being honestly pretty stingy with seasons for the past decade for its shows): It being formulaic. Eventually, I did get tired of seeing Randy making similar mistakes or do things that felt like he should have outgrown. Sure, his best friend Howard rarely if ever changed and that could pull him down but it still eventually stopped feeling right. The episode that snapped it for me was when Julian (I can't believe I remember his name), the wanna be magician of the school went full supervillain and got real magical powers. It was a neat turn... Predicated on Howard and Randy being complete assholes to someone they'd at least once or twice called friend.
And that is what the real shame of the show for me was. There was a lot you could actually read into and say about the eb and flow of relationships and sometimes even the show had great fun with it. One episode in particular that I loved was when Howard accidentally gets the ninja powers and people like how he showboats while doing it so Randy questions being the ninja. The two guys are cut from the same cloth, best friends for a reason, but the show REALLY highlighted that eventually, a conflict between Howard and Randy was going to come to the head. Why?
Well... Because Randy is just a dumb teenager who wants to be popular. Howard is an asshole. It's not even the first episode that highlights it but every time it gets highlighted, it's a BIG problem for Randy. In this one, Howard is so cruel to a robot, takes his time to mock it so thoroughly that eventually the robot gets corrupted by the sorcerer and all its weaknesses are now strengths and it's damn near unstoppable. I forget how Randy beats it (besides just being better with the powers) but it always stuck out to me as a reminder that Randy WAS a hero, despite his flaws, and that the ninja before him had made the right call choosing him (not sure if we ever got an answer as to WHY Randy got it, though that was by no means necessary.)
It's just the sort of show that I had enjoyed enough that I wish I'd had more people to share in it while I was enjoying it. I could admittedly try going back now and seeing how it is but well... It's a decade old and had protags all about trying to be cool. Danny Phantom used regular, classic tropes for this while Randy actually tried to embrace the fact that stuff like influencers were starting to exist and become more popular so you can probably imagine its sense of humor by that. I wouldn't call it bad but the last time I tried rewatching the first episode, I remember not finding it nearly as charming as I had the first time, let alone as charming as my brain thought it was.
But on that note, I will say possibly one of the least controversial thing I ever have, just to let fellow fans squeal with me: Holy shit was Randy and Baton girl my absolute OTP of the show and I still get all sorts of happy anytime I'm reminded of the two.
And if you're going "Wait, was she a background charact-" NOPE! THEY LITERALLY CALLED HER BATON GIRL! If she ever got an actual name, I don't know it! And god are elements like that why I've never forgotten that show, for good and for ill.
Edit: She was named Theresa in S2. Thank you to the commenter who reminded me!
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Hey, so I've this au idea for a little while (and have shared it with others on Tumblr, though anonymously), and I wanted to get your opinion on it. I've had this miraculous au idea for a while, and I think I'm ready to talk about it. So, the idea is that instead of the miraculous heroes going up against evil miraculous holders instead they fight against supernatural beings. Full on magic vs. magic. We could see the heroes fight things like a necromancer creating a ghost/skeleton army using the skeletons in the Paris Catacombs, a pack of evil werewolves, a colony of vampires trying to create a hivemind Salem's Lot style, a black knight with a corrupted excalibur, a kelpie, a water monster luring in the local pool, the fae, the feywild, (playing of French mythology) the Beast of Gévaudan (or it's ghost), or Gargouille (a sea serpent that terrorized the French countryside before being killed by a Saint and then being turned into the first gargoyle) that got resurrected and is bring gargoyles to life to living to attack Paris. Maybe the miraculous could be the reason why all these creatures are in Paris (assuming this could also be an idea for what could happen after Hawkmoth is defeated, since I'm really not into the idea of the show’s next villain being another butterfly user after five seasons of it (which was already too long) (plus I don't care enough about Lila and her shitty writing and the writers dumbing down all the people around her to make her work to really care about her as a villain). Maybe all the magic from the miraculous has drawn all these creatures in, turning Paris into a magical beacon/hotspot, going off the idea that magic attracts magic.
This would be a really cool addition to the world building of Miraculous! I’ve always thought that if the Kwami exist, other magical beings should as well.
It also sounds like this new show/continuation of the previous show would be more episodic with occasional arcs rather than a fully serialized story with the villains and such, which going off of the idea that this is post HM defeat and LS reveal and etc would make a lot of sense since most of the major interpersonal conflicts have been resolved. Obviously that doesn’t mean this show can’t have ANY plot or depth, character growth and multi-episode arcs could definitely still work with this storyline. It would also be very fascinating to explore how to react to all of these new threats, especially since some of their old powers don’t work anymore (which opens up the gateway to potential upgrades or new powers to replace the old ones).
I also wonder if the other hero characters would still be featured in this story. They don’t get all that fleshed out in the show, so most of them may not seem all that compelling, but that could be another thing this new plot does, give some characters other than the MCs time to shine as individuals. (Especially since Ladybug is no longer required in every fight due to not needing to purify akumas anymore, not to mention the idea of LB and CN resolving most of their issues, so taking the spotlight off of them every now and then isn’t bad idea. Don’t get me wrong, I love those guys, I just wish we could see more of the other characters outside it being plot devices or eye candy.)
All in all, this is an excellent and intriguing idea and I would love to see it expanded upon. 10/10 concept, no doubt.
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Não, meus querides da tag, não é um zumbi, tão pouco um revival, não, nós ainda estamos vivos e completamos 3 meses semana passada e pra comemorar a data, tá tudo renovado por aqui. Tanto a central e os skeletons estão de cara nova
Mas não é só isso temos 4 skeletons novinhos em folha que vão que foram adicionados pra dar mais complexidade ao plot. Além disso os skeletons livre agora contam com opções de inspirações pra ajudar a quem quiser aplicar, além de terem sido atualizados.
"Ah mas tem 3 meses de rp, mod, vou ficar perdide..."
Calma que é por conta disso que temos alguns plot devices pra resolver o problema, meu queride player que quer se aventurar num plot diferente com muita zoeira e também profundidade de personagens. Você vai poder escolher se seu personagem chegou junto com a primeira leva ou se chegou agora, fresh out of comptom.. novinho em folha, tal qual um bebê vindo ao mundo gritando e querendo voltar pra 2024. Além disso, desde fevereiro nós temos o resuminho lindo e cheiroso de tudo o que aconteceu até aqui, um inventário dos itens que todos os personagens ganharam, e todo tipo de informação e data que você precisa é de fácil acesso no navegador da central.
O principal do grupo é nós somos uma comunidade de adultos para adultos. A atividade é flexível e os players são liberados para fazerem o que bem entenderem, mas sabendo que as ações dos personagens além de afetar o plot, ainda trazem consequências. É um rpg pra quem realmente gosta de rpg e quer se arriscar com algo novo e inesperado.
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So I’m chronically obsessed with COD MW now. Here’s some head cannons and plot bunnies ya filthy animals. (Also I’m combining the originals with the new plots somewhat so get over that quickly)
-soap, gaz and roach are the younger of the 141. They exploit this youngest sibling favouritism by getting away with being chaotic shit disturbers.
-ghost is not as old as everyone originally thought. Like he’s older then the youngest three but by less then 7 years.
-alternatively ghost is the youngest by like 6 months or something. This makes his life even more tragic somehow
-ghost is a total cryptid. And sure the weird stealth scary vibes sure. But also a meme cryptid. Like he’s always in the weirdest places doing the most random chaotic shit. And it’s always to quietly fuck with everyone else.
-once gaz called lazwell mum. Roach has accidentally called price dad (and mum)
-soap got his nickname because he was trying to come up with improvised explosive devices and learned (very loudly) that soap can explode in a microwave. There was no microwave for 8 months. He hasn’t been allowed near another one
-Though soap is technically demolitions and had an accident with the microwave ghost is the one who is a total pyromaniac. The man sets everything he can on fire. Turns out he knows how to make anything light up.
-now for some sad head cannons
-Price definitely had a son who died in combat. He took up 141 to deal with the grief. 
-Lasswell and her wife have definitely almost gotten divorced before. They owe a great deal to their marriage counsellor.
- Gaz is definitely the middle child of way too many siblings.  The house is way too full and he joined the forces to get out. (And maybe be recognised instead of neglected)
- soap was a ginger growing up. (Jk)
- Soap keeps his hair is short as possible even if it’s in that ugly ass mohawk because of a really bad hazing accident when he first joined Bootcamp. he never told anyone about what happened though he suspects price knows.
-it’s hard to make ghost story sadder than it actually is so we’ll go with some made up stuff closer to “cannon”
-their first Halloween together, the 141 decided to prank ghost by putting a skeleton in bed with him. He flipped the fuck out and didn’t talk to anyone for a month, price made them scrub the showers with toothbrushes.  he also has a massive fear of bugs, especially maggots.
-back to funny things-
-after falling out of the helicopter gaz took circus lessons in silks, so that if it happened again, he could climb his way up 
-ghosts mask gets regularly replaced with a pink glitter. Hello Kitty version he doesn’t know who’s doing it, but he will find them. (It’s price. )
-soap, and ghost have slapping fights regularly.
-Ghost likes to lay tripwires in inconvenient spots, especially for visiting brass. He also was once spotted on the roof of the building opposite the mess hole, angling mirrors specifically to hit price in the face with the sun after a night out.
- soap can lift almost twice his body weight, and he is almost over a foot shorter than Ghost
-ghost is huge. Like genuinely massive. He is almost 6 foot seven, and had an almost constant bruise on his forehead when he first reached the height. He has to duck through all the doorways on base and turn so he doesn’t smack his shoulders. Despite all this, he is scarily, graceful and quiet. It’s like turning around and seeing a tree has suddenly grown behind you. except the tree is strapped.
-that one video from Pirates of the Caribbean where Elizabeth pulls all the weapons out of absolutely nowhere is ghost when he’s told to disarm. No matter how big he is one person should not be able to hide that many weapons on them.
This turned into more of a Ghost  head canon post, but that’s okay. I am genuinely so obsessed I might actually regularly post this time.
Adios.


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mass effect replay thoughts, episode 11
episode 1 / episode 2 / episode 3 / episode 4 / episode 5 / episode 6 / episode 7 / episode 8 / episode 9 / episode 10
haven't updated these in a while! we're almost at the end of mass effect 3 now lmao. thoughts on mass effect 2 for the meantime?
we killed mordin solus in cold blood; did the math and everything--i enjoy padok wiks' company a LOT more. christ, he's weird. i like him
i'm never fucking playing arrival again, i swear on wrex's bollocks. a tiny room and five pyros??? NO THANK YOU
speaking of, if grandpa hackett doesn't stop calling me on my damn bananaphone the minute i enter a system where he's committed another war crime....... THIS PHONE IS FOR BANANERGENCIES ONLY
during every playthrough of me2 i successfully repress the memory of that damn reaper skeleton. it punches me in the face every time
the amount of times during me2 that chat was like "oh yeah that's an old bug," including for bugs i'd not encountered on my own before???????
now what about mass effect 3?
meeting anderson again: I HEAR YOU'RE AN ADMIRAL NOW, FATHER! GOOD FOR YOU!
that lil pat of shep's tummy after months under house arrest. father pls (i love their dynamic so much)
as always, we're fetching garrus first, as is proper and correct. we're not romancing him in this one, and i love how so few of their lines actually change. they're not together, but they adore and rely on each other. there's no shepard without vakarian, ain't ever gonna change
you know whom i do not adore? kai leng. god, i hate that railroady flippy bitch
he's not scary, he's not even interesting, he's just a plot device. BORING
which reminds me (sob): shep's fully ready to jump thane's bones in the atrium of a hospital. down, girl
speaking of: we're in love with traynor now, she's delightful. we played sweaty chess
speaking of speaking of: every stream we have a ten-minute section where we talk about how literally everything about mass effect would be better if everyone was queer
yesterday we played omega dlc and my GOD. the belligerent sexual tension, cut it with a knife. bioware are cowards for not just letting aria and nyreen fuck nasty on the floor of any of the dozen elevators we were on. shep can watch, she'd like it
(if you also like it, listen to "temper temper" by black pistol fire)
the section with the adjutants prowling around in the dark is my favourite thing in the world, it's so well done
"ask the ghosts if honour matters" is a raw af line
i can't believe that mr vega asks if we can adopt that husk head and then it ends up in my cabin anyway
also can't believe how married messers vega and cortez are I LOVE THEM SO MUCH YOUR HONOUR
steeb :'((
i've been having a rough time and i think a hug from jimmy vega would fix me. just compress me, bro
LEGIOOOOON :'((((
oh my god when grunt does the thing and you think he's gone and then he comes stumbling out of the cave and collapses
love how shep is like A LIL HELP HERE and garrus comes swaggering up leisurely to collect his krogan son (we're not dating but we're definitely co-parenting)
ADAMS IS SO HAPPY HIS ENGINEER DAUGHTER TALI IS BACK
i love tali's character arc
WE CURED THE GENOPHAGE BITCHES
dalatrass can go and sulk for all eternity, don't give a shit. wrex did the right thing
oh lookie here, ashley magically isn't racist anymore! hate how there's no discussion of that in the game. the writers just quietly retconned that shit when it could've been a genuine example of growth--something the other members of the og crew all got lmao.
fuck cerberus
FUCK CERBERUS
can't wait to blow up all the reapers
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It is my life and I can write HLVRAI G-man being a good dad to his other child. Also this is based off headcanons and fanlore of mine.
@otherworldlyoddities boom.
G-man got up.
"I'll be right back, Tommy. I have something to deal with."
Tommy smiled up at his dad.
"Ok! I'm gonna go talk to Dr. Freeman!"
"You do that."
G-man left the building, and stared at the skeleton that stood there.
"You were invited."
Benrey didn't look at him.
"Benrey. You were invited. Why didn't you come?"
"No one wanted me there."
G-man sighed, feeling tired. He knew he had messed up so badly with Benrey, but why was he so stubborn?
"No. Everyone wanted you there."
Benrey was silent for a minute.
"You didn't."
"Of course I wanted you here!"
"You let everyone kill me!"
"You could have avoided it!"
"Oh, so you do blame me!"
G-man pinches the bridge of his nose, waving his hand so that Benrey's body returned so he wasn't just a skeleton.
"Benrey. I never wanted that. It was all for the greater narrative. I am literally just a plot device. We all are. We exist for Dr. Freeman's pleasure. That is it."
Benrey still looked deeply hurt.
"Are you all powerful or something? Couldn't you do anything?"
"No."
The two stared at each other.
"No, I couldn't. I couldn't and you know it."
Benrey looked down.
"You want me to be able to fix it don't you? You thought I could save you."
"You're my dad. You can do anything."
G-man pulled Benrey into a hug, feeling tears well up in his eyes.
"I am so sorry I couldn't be what you wanted, Benrey."
Benrey sniffled.
"I just wanted you to be there...I didn't want to be the bad guy..."
"You aren't. You never were."
The two stood there hugging each other until the bright day suddenly dimmed dramatically. Benrey suddenly felt very unsafe.
"What's going on?"
G-man turned around. A small group of dusky brown flying whale like things swam through the sky. G-man pushed Benrey behind him.
"Those are Duskers. Stay behind me."
He cleared his throat.
"Greetings!"
One of the Duskers dipped down.
"Ga-men. Where is the Bright?"
"It doesn't matter. There's no danger."
"We were alerted to an angry Bright. It is not safe for anyone here until it is neutralized."
Benrey felt his chest tighten as he realized he was the Bright being talked about.
"We are safe. Do you not know who I am?"
The Dusker sighed.
"You are a Space Worm in the vicinity of a predator."
G-man glared, his anger showing through as a bright glow from his body.
"I am a father. Now turn around and go back to the agency."
"Please step aside."
G-man's eyes flamed, and he sent a small shockwave forward.
"I said turn around or I may just have to tear you to pieces with my bare hands. Do not think I won't."
The Dusker sighed again, it's sharps, shark like teeth now getting worryingly close to G-man.
"If you get in the way we will have to assume you are in cahoots with the Bright and must also be reset. Is that what you want?"
G-man replied by shoving Benrey towards the door of Chuck E. Cheese.
"Get inside."
His voice was scarily calm. Benrey back up, but didn't go inside yet. He wanted to watch.
"Alright, my good Dusker. One last chance for you. Leave."
G-man stared the Dusker down. After a few seconds, the Dusker seemed to realize something.
"Oh. I see. It's you."
G-man growled.
'Yes. I adopted a Bright years ago. Who even sent you? Who doesn't know at this point?"
"Unity did."
G-man rolled his eyes.
"Of course he did. Go home. Tell him he's an idiot for me please."
The Dusker called back to his group, then turned back to G-man.
"I apologize for the misunderstanding."
"Apologize to my child as well. You were going to reset him. Do you realize how bad of a time this was?"
"I'm sorry, child of Ga-men."
"His name is Benrey."
"I'm sorry, Benrey."
Benrey looked around nervously.
"Uh...thanks."
After G-man shooed them away again, the Dusker group left.
"Dad, what the hell was that?"
G-man shook his head, pushing Benrey inside the family entertainment center.
"It will take a while to explain. Just know I have some friends I need to speak to later. Now please go enjoy yourself and stop wallowing in your misery."
"Ok...?"
The two returned to the party.
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