[color=darkgray][right][sub]Timestamp: Before School Starts
Location: The Thomas Residence → Outside of Jade’s House
Main Characters: [color=009485]Oliver “Oli” Thomas[/color] [@Grimoire Gaming]
Cameos: [color=7fc19e]Kit[/color] & [color=FFEFD5]Min[/color] Thomas by [@Hey Im Jordan] & [@Fabricant451]
Aesthetics: Credit to [@LovelyComplex]
TW: body weight/dysmorphia[/sub][/right]

[center][url=https://fontmeme.com/famous-fonts/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240427/bc96deab5a9b2c9a30e415e3ef4de7ac.png[/img][/url]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/YW5miaA.png[/img]

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[indent]As the sun began its slow ascent over the Beverly Hills skyline, casting golden hues through the windows of the converted 4-car garage home gym, Oli Thomas grunted amidst a symphony of clinking weights and the pulsating beats of [url=https://youtu.be/O57jr1oZDIw?si=zLmvWPCUhl1ubgNz]GOT7[/url]. With the rhythm of the music driving his movements, he pushed himself through another set of deadlifts, the metallic clang echoing in the spacious room.

[i][color=009485]나 한번 뜨면 게임 다 정리돼[/color]
[right][color=DarkSlateGray]Once I appear, the game is over[/color][/right][/i]

His mind was divided between the musical motivation and the mental VOD review of the mistakes made in his final match last night. Each lift was a step closer to perfecting his physical prowess, a testament to the dedication that had propelled him to the upper echelons of both gaming and social media. A dedication that wouldn’t end until he reached the summit of success — there were always more rungs in the ladder to climb.

[i][color=009485]원하는 걸 전부 다 갖게 돼[/color]
[right][color=DarkSlateGray]I get everything I want[/color][/right][/i]

The cool morning air mingled with the faint scent of sweat as Oli's muscles tensed and flexed with each repetition, his determination unwavering despite the early morning hour. He relished these solitary moments, where the only competition he faced was against himself. That said, his greatest competition had always been himself — sacrificing body, mind, and a healthy social life in favor of the rise and grind.

[i][color=009485]물 타는 법을 알아[/color]
[right][color=DarkSlateGray]I know how to flow with the water[/color][/right][/i]

As the final chords of the punchy k-pop banger faded into the background, Oli wiped the sheen of sweat from his brow, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. With one last glance at the clock, he knew it was time to wrap up his workout and prepare for the day ahead. His phone screen flashed to life as he swiped past the myriad of notifications that he’d long since learned to ignore. There were only so many DMs and comments that one high school boy could react to in a day.

[i][color=009485]난 오늘도 할 일 해 하드캐리해[/color]
[right][color=DarkSlateGray]Again today, I do what I have to, hard carry[/color][/right][/i]

Oli made his way to the shower his moms had installed in the garage-now-home-gym, lest he track his nasty man stink into their meticulously curated home. Washing away the sweat of his work out, he stepped out to dry off, snapping a good morning pic for Jade with a very carefully placed towel draped [i]just[/i] below freshly cleaned and flexed abs. A good morning [i]tease[/i] was, perhaps, a more apt description of the photo. Tossing the towel in the hamper, he got dressed in the red and black themed outfit he had picked out earlier that morning.

The sweet scent of fresh pancakes greeted his nose as Oli made his way back to the main house. The overweight middle school kid that lived inside him lusted after the taste of them, but he couldn’t cave. Being raised on meals catered to his stoner mom’s tastes did not treat his body kindly growing up, and he would do his damnedest to not fall back into old habits of the pudgy kid and preteen that he despised having been. 

[color=009485]“Mornin’ moms,”[/color] he greeted casually upon entering the kitchen where the both of them were stationed. Oli went straight to the cabinet, pulling out the blender, a jar peanut butter, a canister of post-workout recovery powder, and his daily vitamins.

It wasn’t every morning that [url=https://i.imgur.com/lhqulVa.png]Min-seo[/url] was at the breakfast table let alone in the house itself. The high profile world of an in-demand fashion designer meant that, unfortunately, sometimes Min had to travel across the country or across the oceans for industry events, but when she was home she made sure to be around as often as possible before disappearing into her atelier. As often as possible tended to last until the youngest of her children were either on the way to school or otherwise not at risk of wandering into her work station and spilling their drink over her pages. Never again. 

Presently, Min was sipping a cup of coffee that had the logo of Kitastrophe on it with a label on the bottom that said “MOTHER” on it. So they knew whose it was, of course. In front of her was a bowl with a bright yolked fried egg sitting on top of a nest of lightly fried tofu, a sauce made of Korean chili flakes and soup soy sauce, and rice. A skillet containing a larger portion of the dish was on the center of the table. [color=FFEFD5]“You don’t have to have a shake, you know.”[/color] Min said, setting her cup of coffee down on a coaster. [color=FFEFD5]“I made [i]maewon dubu dalgyal jjim[/i].”[/color] The Korean name for the dish she had prepared, spicy tofu and egg, was spoken in Min’s mother tongue for the express reason of trying to help Oli get in the habit of speaking it as well. Min might have been an American citizen now, but Korea would always be her first home. [color=FFEFD5]“You used to love my cooking.”[/color] Unintentionally or otherwise, Min’s words always seemed to be dipped in the pool of guilt tripping. 

[color=009485]“그리고 당신은 요리를 하기 위해 집에 더 자주 있었죠 [i](And you used to be home more to cook it)[/i].”[/color] The eldest of Min’s three children replied, matching her energy, as he had learned from the very best after all. Oli held his breath, waiting to be corrected on his poor pronunciation. Grabbing a fork, he stabbed a couple of mouthfuls of the Korean dish, directly from the center skillet. 

[color=009485]“And I still love it, it’s good. I just love when my clothes fit [i]more[/i].”[/color] He said through chewing, phrasing it in a way that his Momma would no doubt understand, as a fashion designer that worked with the often dysmorphic members of the modeling industry. Oli fetched some ice and sliced frozen bananas from the freezer, gathering the final ingredients to make the aforementioned shake. The blender roared for a few moments before Oliver served the contents into a mason jar swirled with just a [i]touch[/i] of chocolate syrup to quell his sweet tooth that craved the flavor of the decadent dessert his other mother was having for breakfast. He snapped a quick pic, including an abbreviated recipe, and posted it for his followers on the socials before enjoying a healthy sip of his creation.

[color=FFEFD5]“You’ve been practicing? Just remember, that hard consonant at the end, it has more of a blending of J and Ch. Like you’re saying ‘Choe’. Double consonants are tricky.”[/color] Min paused for a moment, listening again in her mind to the words spoken by her son. She waited until he had finished taking his pictures - Min was aware that being ‘online’ was just…a thing for some members of this family - before reaching for Oli’s arm and holding it gently, patting the top of his hand with her fingers, almost like she was trying to console a loved one in a moment of grief. 

[color=FFEFD5]“가능하다면 내가 집에 더 자주 올 거라는 걸 알잖아요. 난 최선을 다해 아들아 [i](You know I’d be home more often if I could. I do my best, son)[/i].”[/color] Min retracted her hands and went for her coffee mug again, sipping the still hot black liquid. [color=FFEFD5]“Will you and Jade be going to the game tonight? Will you need a ride?”[/color]

[color=009485]“I know, Momma, I was just fu—”[/color] Oli caught himself before fully cursing, [color=009485]“I was just messing with you back, that’s all. And yeah, we’re going to the game, gotta support my boys in the Elite. But I’m not gonna smoke or anything, I wanna be able to run some solo queue after, so we can just ride my bike.”[/color] He took a few large gulps, nearly downing half of his shake in one go. Working out gave him a hell of an appetite. That, and the pancake smell. [color=009485]“We could use a ride to the dance tomorrow though, ain’t no way I'll make it through all that sober.”[/color]

Oli’s other mom, Kit, had been happy to let her son and her wife have a conversation without her involvement. She was pretty focused on her own breakfast anyway; Min-seo had made her favorite, pancakes. Kit had probably eaten about eight so far that morning, but Min-seo had denied her when she asked for more, saying she needed to feed Oli instead. Kit knew that was a fruitless endeavor, but Min-seo tended to not listen to her, so Kit had simply shut up and poured syrup on the final short stack.

[color=7fc19e]“Leave him be, ducky, geeze.”[/color] Kit used her pet name for Min to hopefully get her off of Oli’s back, though she was smart enough to make sure she finished chewing her food before talking. Min had let her get away with that in high school and even college, but these days? Kit had to be an adult, or so her wife claimed. [color=7fc19e]“If Oli don’t wanna eat what you made, I’ll eat it.”[/color] She offered with a bright smile. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and should be the most filling.

She turned her attention to her son, [color=7fc19e]“I’ll give you some we— “[/color] Kit caught herself as Oli’s younger siblings found their way into the kitchen. [color=7fc19e]“Flowers for the dance and the afterparty.”[/color] No after party had been announced, but she’d been a high schooler too. So she assumed.

[color=FFEFD5]“I can take you to the dance. If you’re going to be out late afterwards, at least call so I don’t have to worry.”[/color] Some might have assumed Min was being a touch too overprotective but Min-seo, like her wife, had been a high schooler in America at one point. Afterparties had a tendency to go..overboard. And those were just the normal ones. [color=FFEFD5]“Just…be safe. I’m too young to be a grandmother.”[/color] It wouldn’t be breakfast at the Thomas household without a healthy serving of awkward. 

[color=009485]“Momma! Oh my [i]god[/i],”[/color] Oliver reacted with a mortified blush, nearly choking on the last suck of his post-workout shake at the implication of accidental parenthood. He would [i]never[/i] risk that.

Fortunately, the arrival of the younger children was like a blade cutting through the vines of awkward parental conversations. The youngest, Alice, gripped Oli’s knees in a bear hug that he rewarded by ruffling her hair. Nessie, the eleven year old with a developing preteen attitude problem, was doing her best to ignore her family because she thought she was too cool for school these days.

[color=FFEFD5]“At last, people who appreciate my cooking.”[/color] Min offered Oli a little teasing smile before beginning to speak in Mom Mode to the kids. She stood from the table and began setting out plates for the kids, her attention on them for the moment.

[color=009485]“I [i]told[/i] you I enjoyed it!”[/color] Oli replied with an exaggerated eye roll to show that he recognized she was just teasing. He rinsed out the mason jar and blender pitcher before placing them in the dishwasher. After slinging on a leather riding jacket, he once again tapped at his phone, this time sending a text to Jade that he was on his way. 

[color=009485]“I gotta go,”[/color] he announced, tucking the phone in his pocket before beginning the goodbye hug train. The tracks stopped at Vanessa, whose eyes blazed like she might hit him with a hellish rebuke if he hugged her. [color=009485]“BYE NESSIE!”[/color] Oli said in an exaggerated tone, sticking out his tongue at her before also ruffling her hair, regardless of the consequences.

Oliver left his family to continue to enjoy their morning breakfast and headed to the part of the garage that actually still functioned as such. Despite the Thomas family’s new-money wealth, the only two vehicles parked there were the family van and Oliver’s sixteenth birthday present. Oli roared the Ducati to life and secured a sleek black helmet on before taking off down the streets towards his girlfriend’s house with a loud [i]BRRAAAPPPP[/i]. He had noticed that she hadn’t responded to any texts yet, including the semi-lewd one, which was rather uncharacteristic. She better not still be a-fucking-sleep… [i]E-girls and their whack sleep schedules[/i], he thought as he turned the corner to Jade’s road.[/indent][/color]