conseille

[conseille]

the merriest of christmases to @apaise!! 💕

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character aesthetics: cat burglar nami (one piece) → lil birthday gift for the lovely, amazing, wonderful @conseille / @apaise 💕

“What good is treasure if I'm alone?"

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I'm out of place,

                              A little scattered by a bitter fate

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❛ i can make anything. just tell me what you want. ❜ from hyejin!

spending most of the day flitting from table to table at seiren, yerin isn't used to being waited on -- especially not by a server / cook as elegant and beautiful as hyejin. ❝ anything? ❞ she repeats in wide-eyed awe, perpetually amazed by hyejin's talent. there's no doubt in yerin's mind she could name a dish from any cuisine and hyejin would bring it out on a plate arranged in her stunningly meticulous fashion, cooked to perfection . . .

❝ you're too cool, hyejin . . . ❞ yerin murmurs in admiration. the way hyejin said it so casually too -- "i can make anything" -- is just so classically her, yerin can't help but smile warmly, heart skipping a beat. when she realizes what she's agreeing to, however, yerin suddenly blinks out of the stupor. ❝ oh -- but i should be the one cooking for you! ❞ yerin starts, standing up from the table. the last thing she wants to do is add to hyejin's burden, knowing how hard she works every day.

( yerin in the meanwhile -- she sees hyejin, and all the exhaustion of the day just slips off her shoulders. )

❝ you've already done so much for me, ❞ yerin insists; how could she let hyejin do more when she already got her the job at camp maplewood? yerin's just grateful her grandfather is taking care of danbi right now, or else she would already have lost the fight, danbi immediately asking for more of the princess's homecooking. @feveredblurs

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"did you really see a future with this girl?" from hyejin :)))

yerin’s struck with loss as she stands in the kitchen, already feeling vivian’s absence in every corner. their cramped and cozy house is suddenly ten times bigger without her, duller, quiet. when yerin walks over to the fridge to grab something for hyejin to eat, she finally notices the stacks of food left untouched on the shelves. the containers are reminders of all those meals she and vivian spent apart in the past few days, weeks. it’s no wonder vivian feels stressed about having a child when they already struggle with their schedules now.

and yet, yerin still wanted that life with vivian, regardless of the hardships. because despite vivian’s fears about becoming a parent . . .  yerin knows she would make a wonderful one. she saw it every time vivian interacted with the kids at seiren, able to bring a smile to even the grumpiest kidswith one of her teases or sleight-of-hand tricks. yerin couldn’t help but dream of starting a family together when she watched those little moments . .  seeing how happy it made vivian, too. she wanted a family because she believed it would show vivian the person yerin saw in her too, the kindness and strengths beyond her abilities as spider-woman.

and now that’s all over.

hyejin hasn’t left her side once during this time, keeping yerin from falling apart completely. yet she still reaches for vivian in bed each morning, heartbroken to find her spot empty every time. it puts yerin in a kind of fog these days, forgetting what she’s supposed to be doing, unable to stop thinking about vivian. even now, standing in front of the fridge, she doesn’t remember why she opened it. hyejin has to come help her bring the food out, gently directing yerin as they make dinner together. 

in that manner it almost feels like the old days, just yerin and her older sister. and yet, when the conversation inevitably turns to the divorce, yerin realizes the times have changed. it’s no longer her striving to prove to hyejin that things with vivian will work out. they already know they haven’t. for hyejin who doubted their marriage since the beginning, it must seem like a long time coming, her incredulous words having deep roots. and yerin knows that by now she should’ve accepted it, but she still can’t let go.

❝ i still do, ❞ she admits, unable to lie even when it goes against all logic, even knowing what burden it brings her sister. ❝ i'm sorry. but my feelings haven’t changed, ❞ yerin looks back at hyejin, her voice cracked in both devastation and apology. ❝ . . . i don’t think they ever will.  ❞

❝ i just . . . didn’t know how to make sense of it anymore. ❞ her gaze drops to her hands. ❝ the future i imagine, and the one that would make vivian happy . . . i didn’t know what to do. ❞  @feveredblurs

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❝ I don't know how to fix this. ❞ from viv!

her heart drops the second she sees the pained expression on vivian’s face, knowing the words that will come next. before yerin can reassure her, however -- vivian speaks first, immediately taking the blame for the fall. ❝ what do you mean? ❞ yerin reaches for vivian’s hand, taking it in hers. she’s overly conscious of her tone; it’s light, untroubled, with no syllable to indicate there’s something to worry about. 

yerin presses a gentle kiss to vivian’s hand, brushing the spot after as if it would help her feelings better permeate through. she had done the same gesture a hundred times since childhood, times when five year old vivian had scraped her knee or fifteen year old vivian was fighting with her parents -- yet this moment feels like one of the most important so far. 

❝ there isn’t anything for you to fix, ❞ she promises as she smiles at vivian after.  please, please let her know everything is okay.

this conversation is exactly what yerin stressed about the moment she woke up in the hospital. for the past two days she had politely yet repeatedly asked the doctors to release her, knowing that the longer she spent in bed, the worse vivian would feel. she was fine.  there were some bumps and scrapes and a broken arm after the fall, but it wasn’t serious. the doctors were only worried that that lightest, briefest bump to the back of yerin’s head could have caused a concussion, but so far the tests have shown no signs of significant injury.

❝ this isn’t your fault, viv, ❞ she emphasizes again, her free hand reaching out to vivian’s cheek, needing to keep touching her, needing to hold onto her any way she can. ❝ you didn’t do anything wrong. you saved me. ❞ 

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOFIA 🐰🐻

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOFIA! 🧡💚 @heartsechoed

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"i wasn't there for you when you needed me." from viv :))))

with hyejin gracefully handling the cops outside, yerin and vivian are granted a moment away from the investigation, giving yerin time to fill her wife in on what happened during her patrol. for yerin, the incident was unlucky but easily reparable. the thieves had broken seiren’s front door and windows, but . . . they only managed to steal the espresso machine and some cutlery. although it’s a little worrisome it happened while yerin was upstairs cutting fruit and waiting for vivian to come home, she knows she was never in real danger. 

that’s why she’s surprised when vivian seems so upset, the guilt rising in her voice, pained in her eyes. immediately yerin softens, closing the distance between them.

❝ . . . that’s not true. you’re always there when i need you, viv, ❞ yerin reaches forward, cupping vivian’s face gently.   ❝ and no one got hurt. we’re all fine, i promise. ❞ she brushes her thumb over cheek, reassuring her. ❝ you were doing important work, ❞ she emphasizes, giving a smile. after all, spider-woman couldn’t be expected to stay home every night when there’s crime happening in the city. yerin couldn’t be so selfish with vivian’s time, no matter how much she wants to.

❝ it’s because of you it wasn’t worse, too. ❞ yerin reminds vivian, trying to lighten the mood and make vivian smile. ❝ they didn’t stand a chance at picking your locks. ❞ she hopes for a tease in response, any sign that vivian feels better.

❝ . . . are you okay?  ❞

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEI!!! 💚💚💚💚 ( @apaise )

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YE RIN NIE !

DO - HYUN NIE ♡ !

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[ HAIR ] from marina

as soon as the rowdy group of ravkan soldiers stumbles through the doors, sungtae does his best to keep marina out of sight. he still does not know who had chased marina to their doorstep that night, or why, but -- he needs no reason to protect the girl he had come to see as another granddaughter. by now he couldn’t remember what the mornings were like without her preparing the morning stew beside him, or the evenings without her jests about the customers; marina had been woven tightly into the fabric of their lives.

so sungtae asks marina to tend to the stables tonight, sending her as far from the soldiers as possible. and though it’s only a one-person job to feed the animals . . .  he asks yerin to join her as well, handing her the second bucket of oats. sungtae watches as the girls leave the kitchens side-by-side, hiding a small smile as he hears the girls chuckling about something mugi did.

yerin knows she had been sent to accompany marina to keep an eye out, but -- it’s a struggle to remember duty when marina keeps making her laugh. though yerin had never minded her life of toil at the tavern, she had never truly enjoyed it so heartily as she did with marina now to keep her company. they feed the baron’s majestic steed first, comparing his curled mane and frilly collar to his owner between giggles. as yerin leans to pour the oats into his trough, however . . . she suddenly feels marina’s hand sweeping gently against her cheek, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. yerin nearly drops the bucket in response, the horse letting a huff through his nose in disapproval as she wavers.

❝ oh -- thank you, ❞ yerin sputters as she smiles back at marina, hoping the burning on her face isn’t too obvious in the lamplight. ❝ um -- here, ❞ she digs into her apron pocket, retrieving half of an apple. for an awkward moment, it almost seems like an odd payment for marina’s kindness. ❝ for the horse, ❞ yerin quickly explains afterwards ( then wonders if that sounded even more odd ).  

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🎶 for vivrin!

as the steam rattles the lids from the stew pots, the tent’s swept in a vapor faintly smelling of coriander and pepper. if yerin squints, she can imagine they’re right back at the orphanage, tasked with cooking duty -- her blatant favorite of the chores. somehow, despite the formidable distraction, her cooking always tastes better when vivian is at her side. in their childhood, yerin liked to imagine it was because even the garlic and salt and ginger were charmed by vivian’s presence, puffing up fresher, straining for her attention in the dish. 

( yet as an adult, she comes to realize it’s simply she who’s yearning to be seen by vivian, even in things as inconsequential as cooking . )

yerin does feel terrible for having worsened the situation for vivian with sergeant lukin, however. she just couldn’t stay quiet when the sergeant was blaming vivian yet again for something she had nothing to do with. he always seemed determined to find some way to punish vivian, the soldier who could glide through tests of stealth and combat as easily as those who practiced thrice as long. 

he punished them both by sentencing them to kitchen duty, not realizing that was where yerin was bound anyway. but while she’s disheartened her words did nothing to acquit vivian  -- she should’ve known lukin would never listen to a soldier he doesn’t even remember -- it’s admittedly wonderful to spend time together like this too. 

leaning over to fix vivian’s loosening apron, yerin offers an apologetic smile. ❝ i’m sorry again for the trouble. ❞  although the happiness to have vivian here with her instead of training with her unit effaces some of the sincerity in the apology.  ❝ i suppose . . . ❞ 

❝ even someone like me wants to be your hero, ❞ yerin chuckles, sheepish at the thought of being the savior to someone as brave and brilliant and beautiful as vivian, yet meaning it nonetheless. she always wishes she could do more for her. 

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a quick little something for @apaise and totally not a very belated vday thing!

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heartsechoed​:

@conseille​

a target as big as the red orchid was intimidating enough to make even vivian second-guess herself. she had expected security to be tight and the staff clever and sharp… but in the end, no one seemed to find her suspicious. vivian was welcomed with open arms by a sweet director and a helpful staff that showed her around the entire place. they almost made it too easy.

yet no one was quite as oblivious as the man she was working under. sungtae reminded her of her own grandfather. perhaps that was why vivian had such an easy time fooling him     and why she felt so terrible about it. there wasn’t a distrusting bone in his body; he believed everything vivian told him, and was kind enough to respect her privacy when she offered no details.

there were days when she considered begging pippa to switch jobs. as the gardener, she was allowed to roam the estate freely, but surely there were better strategies. maid or concierge might prove more useful, giving her access to the guests’ belongings… anything with a horrible boss she’d have no problem conning.

after a lunch break spent scoping out which guests made the easiest targets, vivian readies herself to return to work. as she walks to the elevator head to the ground floor, she tries to clear her head of any guilty thoughts. she’s made it this far. quitting now would be a waste of all her hard work.

a voice calling out suddenly jolts vivian back to reality. she notices a girl rushing to the elevator, and manages to push the button to open the doors right at the last second. it’s only when the other steps inside that vivian realizes she knows her. they’ve never really spoken before, but she’s seen her around sungtae many times. from what vivian studied up on the hotel staff, this is his granddaughter     the younger one. vivian has seen the eldest at the restaurant, and her intimidating air definitely made her stand out from the rest of her family. this girl ( yerin, she remembers ) matches sungtae’s warmth much better.

“ hey, ” vivian promptly greets her, putting on her friendliest smile. “ good timing. you do not want to take the stairs here. ” joking comes as second nature to her even now; sometimes vivian wonders how much of it is truly an act.

she should keep her distance from yerin and leave their exchange at that. vivian will give sungtae enough grief when she disappears one day and he finds out the truth about her; she’d rather not add to that list of disappointed people… yet it’s not in her nature to be cold or distant.

before she can get another word out, however, the elevator stops abruptly. the sudden halt causes vivian to lose her balance for a moment     before quickly regaining it by steadying herself against the wall. without thinking, she reaches for yerin as well. her hand catches the other’s wrist easily, tugging gently to keep her in place.

“ you alright? ” vivian asks breathlessly, her grip still firm on yerin. “ that came outta nowhere. ”

although it’s been months since their move to italy, yerin feels she’s still stumbling to get her bearings. rome has so much to offer in way of beautiful architecture and rich history and delightful cuisine, but . . . it’s hard to think of the red orchid as home. for yerin, home is still their tiny apartment above seiren, those few rooms that always kept the family so close together. although the lack of privacy could be inconvenient at times, she loved being able to cook with hyejin in the kitchen while listening to haru and sungtae laugh down the hall ( probably watching kuri tease mugi again ).

now it seems they’re always scattered about the hotel: the pets in the suite, sungtae in the rooftop gardens, hyejin and yerin in the bloom, and haru in the pool, the greenhouse, the wildseed, wherever his ( chaperoned ) explorations take him. yet despite the distance, yerin could never disparage the amazing opportunity her sister earned -- not when she made it an opportunity for all of them. there was a time when yerin and sungtae feared they’d have to say goodbye to hyejin and haru, but hyejin worked hard to negotiate terms for the whole family.

she’s still working hard today, preparing incredible meals for anyone lucky enough to enter the bloom. for her sister’s sacrifice, yerin does her best to remain positive, savoring the moments they do get to spend together. she treasures the afternoons off when the family visits the local markets, and their sunday morning routine where haru always insists on doing jam art on everyone’s toasts. yerin’s grateful for the friends they’ve made at the hotel too, lily and soojin having been immensely helpful with the transition ( and babysitting ).

there’s one new friend yerin hasn’t met properly yet, however -- one she owes a great deal to.

before vivian started working at the red orchid, sungtae had been struggling with the move, suddenly placed out of an environment where the people had known him for years. while gardening comes second nature to him, he was accustomed to working around family and friends, preferring to be around people. yerin was ashamed to admit she had not grasped how lonely their grandfather was till she heard him humming one evening, that gentle, familiar sound suddenly looming in the kitchen while he cut fruit for haru.

yerin realized then she had not heard their grandfather hum since they left new york, that silence slipping past her in her own haze of anxiety. she felt horribly guilty, but then relieved too, thankful that someone had been there for sunggtae when she could not. he began to tell them about his new friend too, how clever she was when she stood up to emily, and a little mischievous as well -- once convincing sungtae to take an extra long lunch break as they visited the wildseed together.

yerin couldn’t have been happier for their grandfather, and she wanted to thank vivian the way they used to back home: with food. though she’s by no means the chef in the family, yerin had been making hodugwaja (walnut pastries) with hyejin ever since they were five, their grandmother teaching them early on. she makes a fresh box of them for vivian, hoping to gift it to the gardener after her own shift at the bloom. unfortunately, on her way to the rooftop gardens, yerin forgets the box at the restaurant. she hurries back to the elevator, noticing the doors just inches from closing as she approaches.

❝ oh! hold the elevator, please! ❞ she calls out, dashing inside with a breathless thank you. just as she’s wondering if she can catch vivian on time, however -- yerin notices who pressed the button for her.

❝ oh -- hi! ❞ she’s amazed at her good luck . . . bad luck? in running into vivian on the elevator itself. on one hand, yerin’s elated to have the chance to speak with her, but on the other hand .  . . no pastries. ❝ that’s very true, ❞ yerin gives a sheepish chuckle to vivian’s joke afterwards, pondering if she should just ask vivian to come to the kitchens with her. ❝ um -- ! ❞

right as she’s about to ask ( and apologize for the trouble ), a loud screech sounds through the walls, the elevator suddenly jerking to a halt. yerin stumbles but vivian’s swift to catch her, keeping her balanced in the fall. her hold on her is gentle yet strong, comforting yerin after that little shock. she can’t help but gaze at vivian a bit awestruck in the aftermath, never having been this close before. now inches away, yerin finds much to admire, something electric in her deep brown eyes and feathered brows.

right, vivian asked a question. ❝ oh -- yes, thank you so much, ❞ yerin replies quickly, swallowing her embarrassment. she doesn’t realize the way she’s still holding onto vivian, fingers curled around her sleeve. ❝ that was a surprise. how about you; are you okay . . . ? ❞ 

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💖 happy valentine’s day sofia! 💖 @heartsechoed

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a very merry christmas to @apaise!!! 💖💖💖