my mom yells at me because i dont spend 'enough time with her' but then when i try to offer to do something with her, she yells even more or makes up excuses
i was going to visit a shelter and play with the kitties TwT... can i do it with rika instead?
"It's been a while since I've visited a shelter," Rika gently stroked the back of a kitten's head as you sprawled across the ground and let the hoard use your body as a jungle gym. "The last time I visited one was when I wanted to find a companion for Jumin... well, she was for V at first, but I realized she would be better suited for our friend instead... her temperament simply justified a penthouse to run around in."
You chuckled. "Is that your way of saying her habit of turning her living quarters into an Olympic track meet wasn't the best idea?"
"In a manner of speaking," she booped the grey kitten's nose. "Besides, I had my pet living with us at the time, too. She wasn't a fan of cats, and I refused to make her uncomfortable in her golden years once she made that clear."
"...Do you miss her?"
"Every day," Rika's honesty surprised you... But she had been doing better recently. Ever since she came clean about her worries alongside Jihyun, things had been chaotic, but worth it. She deserved a break to catch her breath. "I regret many of the choices I made, but... not that... not her comfort. She loved humans, not other animals."
You stared at the flickering lights above, watching as paws and tails climbed in and out of the corner of your eye, and turned to look at her. Her smile was there, although it never quite met her eyes. "Does being here... does that make it better or worse?"
Rika pursed her lips, setting the kitten down. "I'm not sure, [Y/N]. But I do know that being with you makes my heart feel... lighter... is that... is that something?"
"As long as you want it to be."
"Then it feels good. I like being with you, and I like playing with these kittens."
do you have a favourite friend dynamic in the rfa? i think v and zen's friendship is underappreciated ^~^
I fear my heart is with Yoosung and Zen. That's a cliché answer, but I would be lying if I didn't say they were my favorite duo. I know they're both largely comedic relief in tense and serious situations, but to be honest, in those moments, the emotional vulnerability between them is what gets me. It's not the fact that they're being silly; it's the simple fact that Zen is a shoulder to cry on for his friends, and he doesn't put them down for feeling the way they do.
When Yoosung bawls his eye out in the RAE, Zen doesn't hesitate to hold him tight. He pats his back, he's honest with him, and he never once makes his friend feel like he's wrong for being upset. Those two wear their hearts on their sleeves, for better or worse, and you see it thrive at rock bottom. When the world crumbles around them in the VAE, the two of them turn to each other to talk and discuss how they feel because they know they can meet each other in the middle.
Talking to Saeyoung, Jumin, or Jaehee feels overwhelming because they're carrying a lot of responsibility on their shoulders in the VAE! So, what do Yoosung and Zen do? They talk. They put their feelings out in the open and try to make sense of them with someone who's on their level. They don't know any better or worse than one another, so it makes conversations that much easier to digest. They bounce off of each other in a truly heartwarming way. I have never seen two friends more assured of their bond than they are.
Even in the Secret Ending, which arguably suffers because they're not afforded the truth, Yoosung and Zen brave the storm together with what little information they have available to them because it feels the safest. Zen and Yoosung have a safe place in each other... and it's hard to put that into words beyond that. Zen and Yoosung meet each other where they are. There's no pretense, no assumed intelligence hierarchy, just a bond between friends. That's why the friendship works so well in every timeline, and why the writers use them to balance difficult situations.
You can't have these same conversations between Yoosung and Jumin, for example. It's not that they can't talk to one another like that; it's that Yoosung might not be able to lay his heart out in the open because there's such a large gap in life experience. There are invisible walls between them that make bawling in Jumin's arms a more difficult conclusion to reach.
Jumin approaches things with some layer of detachment because he's great in a crisis, but that's not helpful to someone like Yoosung, who responds immediately with attachment.
Or, for example, Jaehee and Zen. The two of them can have a lot of plain conversations about this and that, but because of the respect Jaehee has for him, there's always going to be this tiny barrier in the way they talk to each other. It's not that she wouldn't be there for him when he needed her; it's that she's projected her wish for freedom on top of him because she's been too afraid to try herself. That makes it difficult to approach Zen's deeper feelings; she's his fan, she wants to maintain that boundary while also being his friend.
I think it takes her Good Ending to truly reach the highest potential in that bond because she's worked past that.
The RFA will be there for each other, no matter what they face, but their interpersonal relationships differ person to person. While they would be there if someone called them for comfort or support, it's easier for certain people to meet them where they need them, and that's just a fact. Doesn't make them bad friends, just means they have different bonds.
waves
sorry for the ask spam LOL ive gotten super back into mysme again after a while and every other blog is deaddd , absolutely no pressure to get these out quickly
anywhoo.. i was wondering your take on v (normal ending v mayhaps...but general is fine LOL) and zen with an mc thats really bad at expressing love & appreciation verbally but is super physically clingy? i always feel so awkward with words no matter if i'd die for the person or not hsjhsjshs
Zen's love language is words of affirmation and quality time. It's okay if you don't know how to say that you love him! Listen, his heart gets very warm and fuzzy whenever he looks at you. It's a wonder he's able to sit down and spout off everything about you that makes him happy. Years ago, it might've been hard for him to woo you because he had to come into his own before he felt comfortable waxing poetic, but he's nowhere near the man he used to be.
He knows the best way to say what's on his mind is to simply say it.
Even if it comes out wrong, even if it sounds like he's tripping over himself, and even if all he can choke out is a "You're handsome today!" He lives knowing that honesty is the best policy, and so long as he says whatever comes to mind first, you'll never doubt his love for you. When it comes to the way you love him, he doesn't expect you to return things the same way. To expect someone to be one-to-one with him would be no better than following the path his parents wanted for him.
Squeeze him. Grab his hands. Poke his cheek. Touch him to your heart's content. You are the only person in the world he knows will never betray the trust he's given you. If physical touch works better for you, then by all means, he'll coo every last word you're thinking while you nuzzle your face against his chest. You'll wonder how he gets it right, but hey, who're you to doubt the man who knows your heart as well as you know his? He's not insecure or doubtful for a second.
V (Normal Ending or otherwise) has a harder time grasping physical touch as a means of love. It's not that he would misunderstand you, or even doubt your love for him; it's just that he gets into his head about it, and it's not healthy. Even if he knows better and has learned how to let the truth come first instead of doubt, he'll fall back into his habits late at night.
You should never trust your thoughts after sunset. That goes for V and the rest of you.
You can't UNLEARN something overnight, and even with growth, you'll have hiccups along the way. It's not a dig at his character, but it could make things harder in your relationship if you see his face fall. You want to tell him how you feel, you want him to know everything, but it's not as easy as love stories make it look, huh? He has to take the initiative to talk to you about it, though. In the past, his problem was letting himself sit in his pain rather than opening up about it.
The thing is, when you hug him, he doesn't doubt your love for him. What he ends up doubting is himself. He fears that he's making the same mistakes that he did with Rika, for better or worse, but none of those thoughts came from you loving him. It's more about how V has to tell you when he needs to HEAR something. I fear this would be more frequent with Normal Ending V because he does not fully address his grief. Man, put down that violin and go paint your partner while they dote on you undeniably!
you 😭😭have me yearning😭😭so hard... slightly mean jihyun save me😭
Oh, but don't you know that he's been yearning for you the same way? With his chin pressed into his palm as he gazes out the window of the cabin that he's commandeered for the next two years? He thinks about your smile and the warmth you radiated into his heart. You weren't like the sun. You were more like a gentle fire that promised life, all within his grasp, unlike the star so far from home.
He doesn't need to search the stars for his love; it's been here on Earth all along, with you.
you know its bad when ur more worried about school being out so you can play mystic messenger instead of. job. like why am i counting down til june so i have time to redo v route OH MY GODD
Jihyun is waiting for you patiently! That's the good news. As much as you're thinking about him, he's thinking about you. I hope you like the thought of him sitting by the window, painting to his heart's content, as thoughts of you whirl inside his head like a boomerang. When will you be home? He wonders that thought every day. But the reminder of his heart carefully tucked against your chest makes the distance that much smaller.
if its okay, could i req v rika and vanderwood with a sensitive mc who is convinced that they hate them after a small disagreement/arguement even though it wasnt at all that serious
Jihyun has spent his entire adult life fielding the fear that people hate him. After he lost his mother, he became self-conscious and anxious at the thought of ruining his relationships. It's why he donned such a bold savior complex. He can't be hated when he puts his heart into all he does, and while he means well, his compassion always burns him out because he never asks for anything in return. It's easy to assume the worst when you're a do-er, and people think you don't need this or that. But in this case, you're meeting him after he's gone through the difficult task of confronting his fears, so he knows where to find you.
He finds you curled up in the darkness right where he used to be. He's happy to sit with you and figure out where you both went wrong in your discussion, and how you can work better in the future to convey what you mean without hurting one another. He's the one to take the first step, not because he feels like he has to, but because you were there for him, and he wants to be there for you. He knows you'll meet him in the middle. You just have to believe him when he says he doesn't hate you.
Rika is often one to jump to conclusions as well. It's easy to listen to the internal monologue when you're by yourself, but it's not so easy to humor it when you're with people who can help you work through it. She doesn't hate you, and you don't hate her. That is a fact, and it's tantamount to confronting these fears you have, so long as you are in a position to brave the discomfort to find comfort. You can only work through your feelings by talking them out, so assuming hate will only lead to further conflict. You and Rika have your work cut out for you!
You both need to take a second to breathe, then list the facts before you assume the worst. It's hard to say who will take the first step here since you're both conflict-avoidant after you face a hurdle. But that's not the end of the world. You can overcome those feelings by quietly sitting together and working through the hurt. It's certainly not easy for Rika, who's afraid she'll make another mistake and become a devil once more, but you make her want to feel love in her heart, not fear. She finds peace in knowing her fear isn't something she experiences alone.
Vanderwood is the firm communicator. I doubt you're going to get very far thinking he hates you before he stops those thoughts in their tracks. While he may not be the soft and fuzzy type, he isn't one to let someone mope around when the truth is right in front of their face. It doesn't matter what your fight was about; he'll always know when he fucked up (since he's usually the one to make mistakes), or where the conversation went sour. Even if it's about something you can't agree on, he can't stand the thought of you moping around because you've got some lame idea in your head that he hates you.
By God, you're the only person who's ever wanted him around. He isn't about to ruin the one good thing he's ever known. Yeah, he's not great at sugarcoating things, but you knew that going into it. He was never one to hide that about himself. Don't go thinking he hates you, he says from the doorway. You'll figure out how to compromise later, and the argument will be a thing of the past. Unless apologies are in order... in which case, he's sorry, and he was never upset with you in the first place. It's hard to be angry with you! That's why you should know he could never hate you.
to think im in chamber choir now (honors choir) and without v and jumin being in choir as kids i wouldve never joined
now its one of my reasons for living and i just had a concert today,, thank you mystic messenger for giving me new hobbies
It's a fond memory for the two of them, too. I still think about how they teased each other to see who the better singer was, but V was far more embarrassed than Jumin about it. That's the fun thing about it, when it comes to the media we enjoy. Sometimes, they inspire us to try new things, and those new hobbies help us explore ourselves and the world around us. You might not have known new friends or skills without gentle encouragement from a character.
Some people say that it's silly to learn something just because of a character, but as long as you're having fun, who cares what nudged you to learn how to do something new! Try the violin, join a choir, or learn how to code! The choices are limitless!
how do you think jihyun would express/feel jealousy, if at all?
It's tough, at first. It's not easy to go from dismissing how you feel and erasing any desire you have in favor of catering to everyone else's wants and needs. He was, and in some regard still is, a people pleaser.
One of his key trademarks is acts of service. He loves to take care of others! He just struggles to find the off switch when it comes to his needs.
He isn't unaware of this fact, either. In fact, he's well aware that this trait of his isn't the healthiest thing in the world. It's something that has destroyed him and hurt others in the past.
Jihyun has spent a long time minimizing how he feels, for better or worse, and he can't go cold turkey on feeling this way. That's why he took as long as he did on his journey of self-discovery and healing. He needed to live alone and look at himself in the mirror before he jumped into another relationship. He had to focus on his wants for the first time in his life since he lost his mother, and taking that time helped him see the world with a clear mind.
It helped Saeran and Ray, too, and for that, he's glad. But you're asking about him! He's human. He's not immune to making mistakes, and that is one of the main things he learned while he was away. How to reflect and take responsibility for his mistakes without beating the shit out of himself. He knows how to hold himself accountable, but where Jihyun struggles is knowing when to give himself some slack. He can't be the perfect God, the perfect Savior, because that's not a human trait.
That is someone trying to be something they're not and can never be. Jihyun has learned that he's human, and to accept being human means to know you will be wrong sometimes. What matters is what you do as soon as you realize you were wrong. So, when it comes to jealousy, how would Jihyun react to that, you ask? He's not incapable of jealousy, and to suggest he wouldn't be would be a denial of his humanity. Sure, you may encounter people who aren't inherently jealous by nature, but even they feel envy sometimes.
It's natural to feel envious.
What isn't natural is when you hurt others with that feeling.
Jihyun understands that "negative" emotions are a part of the package deal of being a human. If he encounters jealousy, he'll know to stop and think about it. Why is he jealous? What upset him? Is there anything he can do to remedy that feeling on his own? If not, he'll sit down and think about it for a few minutes before approaching you to talk about it. Even if the thought isn't "pretty", being open to communication is what keeps him from falling into old habits.
If it's not something you're comfortable talking about with him, he'll understand!
But he'll know this is something he needs to work on and continue to communicate about. He'll reach out to his friends, to the people who know him, and won't hesitate to be honest. He tends to turn anything "negative" inward, so it's not always obvious that he's struggling with something! He's done that since he lost his mother, and I don't think he'll ever be able to completely move beyond that side of himself, but I'm certain he'll work on communication, and he won't destroy himself because he can hold out his hand to make sure he's on stable ground.
